Join us at our monthly meeting tonight!
By · CommentsJoin WNC for Change at our monthly meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Room 101, 20 Oak Street, Asheville. City Council member Gordon Smith and Patsy Keever campaign manager Drew Reisinger will be joining us to update us on their activities on behalf of our community. Hope to see you there!
Here in Western North Carolina, we now have an opportunity to reclaim our power from the special interests. We have a chance to take a step toward publicly-financed campaigns in Asheville.
At the Tuesday, June 8 Asheville City Council meeting, Council member Cecil Bothwell will offer a resolution in support of local campaign finance reform. If passed by the Council, this resolution will call upon the North Carolina General Assembly to enact legislation that gives larger towns the authority to sponsor a public financing program for their local elections.
Contact Asheville City Council members today!
Whether or not you live within the Asheville city limits, this is a matter of concern for all of us. And it’s important for you to email all of the members of the Asheville City Council expressing your support for the resolution for public financing of local campaigns. You can reach all City Council members at once by sending one message to AshevilleNCCouncil@ashevillenc.gov.
For more information on publicly-financed elections in North Carolina, visit the following websites:
- North Carolina Common Cause: http://www.commoncause.org/nc
- Democracy North Carolina: http://www.democracy-nc.org
- North Carolina Voters for Clean Elections: http://www.ncvce.org
Here are nine excellent reasons to support publicly-financed elections in Asheville.
- Big money can unfairly influence the outcome of our local elections. Wealthy donors, corporations, political action committees and special interest groups with a stake in Asheville City Council decisions can provide their chosen candidates with generous campaign contributions, giving these candidates an unfair advantage.
- The high cost of running for office deprives us of more diverse leadership. Many aspiring local leaders refuse to run for office because of the rising cost of campaigning for City Council, leaving us with a primarily white, affluent, male, heterosexual Council that is not fully representative of our city’s population.
- City Council members whose campaigns were publicly financed will be accountable to all the citizens of Asheville. Publicly-financed elections ensure that our elected officials are more accountable to the citizens rather than to special interest groups that provide substantial campaign contributions.
- Voters are more likely to participate in publicly-financed elections. When voters understand that all qualified candidates have a chance to win and that the election is not rigged in favor of the affluent or those supported by big money, they are more likely to participate.
- Chapel Hill’s 2009 municipal elections proved it works. Chapel Hill’s Voter Owned Election Program was entirely voluntary, and candidates qualified by raising a sizeable number of small contributions and agreeing to spending and fundraising limits. The two candidates who qualified to receive financial support from the city during the fall 2009 Chapel Hill municipal election cycle each won more votes than any of the non-participating candidates, and the program cost the city less than $1 per citizen.
- Other North Carolina cities have already voiced their support. Raleigh, Durham, Winston-Salem, Cary, Wilmington and Greenville have already passed resolutions similar to the one that is being offered at the June 8 City Council meeting.
- Citizens United v. FEC decision creates greater urgency. After the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on Citizens United v. FEC that removed restrictions on corporate spending to support or oppose political candidates, there is now nothing to keep a corporation, on its own initiative, from spending huge sums of money in an Asheville election to elect a slate of candidates favorable to their interests.
- Voters from across the political spectrum want special interest money out of our politics. Recent focus groups in Charlotte and Denver for the Campaign for Fair Elections and Public Campaign Action Fund clearly indicated that voters across the political spectrum are angry about the problem of special interest money in our politics and want fair elections in which candidates receive small donations from everyday people.
- Keep “one person, one vote” a reality. By committing to publicly-financed municipal elections, we help to ensure that “one person, one vote” is not an obsolete expression, but is indeed a reality in our community.
Support publicly-financed elections in Asheville!
By · CommentsAs you are no doubt aware, big money currently plays an enormous role in our elections. From city council races to the election of the President of the United States, PACs, lobbyists, corporations and wealthy individuals threaten the concept of “one person, one vote” merely because they have deep pockets.
Here in Western North Carolina, we now have an opportunity to reclaim our power from the special interests. We have a chance to take a step toward publicly-financed campaigns in Asheville. And we need your support.
Bothwell to offer resolution to Asheville City Council
At the Tuesday, June 8 Asheville City Council meeting, Council member Cecil Bothwell will offer a resolution in support of local campaign finance reform. If passed by the Council, this resolution will call upon the North Carolina General Assembly to enact legislation that gives larger towns the authority to sponsor a public financing program for their local elections.
Bothwell’s resolution does not mandate implementation of public financing for our municipal elections; it merely puts Asheville on record as supporting the legislation that would allow our city to choose whether or not it wishes to implement public financing of local elections. By doing so, it becomes more likely that Asheville will be included as a pilot city in the legislation before the General Assembly.
Let your voice be heard
Whether or not you live within the Asheville city limits, this is a matter of concern for all of us. It appears that some members of the Asheville City Council and some members of our North Carolina legislative delegation have been reluctant to support publicly-financed elections for Asheville. So it’s time once again for grassroots action to let our elected officials know where we stand, to let them know we want a community that works for all of us, to let them know that we want big money out of our political process.
Actions you can take right now!
Call or email Sen. Martin Nesbitt requesting that Asheville be included in proposed legislation that would give our city the authority to choose whether or not it wishes to implement public financing of municipal elections: (919) 715-3001 or (828) 252-0490, Martin.Nesbitt@ncleg.net. Contacting Sen. Nesbitt is probably the most important action you can take since he is the NC Senate Majority Leader and, thus, has a great deal of authority in determining what transpires in the General Assembly.
Email all of the members of the Asheville City Council expressing your support for Cecil Bothwell’s resolution for local campaign finance reform options. To reach all City Council members, send your message to AshevilleNCCouncil@ashevillenc.gov.
Email our state legislators expressing your desire that Asheville be included in proposed legislation that would give Asheville the authority to choose whether or not the city wishes to implement public financing of municipal elections: Jane.Whilden@ncleg.net; Susan.Fisher@ncleg.net; pjkeever33@bellsouth.net
Write a letter to the editor of the Asheville Citizen-Times (letters@citizen-times.com) and/or the Mountain Xpress (letters@mountainx.com) expressing your support for Councilperson Bothwell’s resolution and publicly-financed municipal elections in Asheville.
Post this content on your blog/website and Facebook.
Forward this email and ask your friends and neighbors to take these actions too.
Suggestions for your emails, calls and letters
Here are some suggestions for making your communications with our elected officials as effective as possible. You may also want to keep these suggestions in mind when writing a letter to the editor.
- Always be respectful in your content and tone.
- Put your message in your own words rather than repeating someone else’s.
- Use an email subject line that will grab the attention of the reader.
- Make your point briefly and clearly.
- Remember that the Asheville Citizen-Times limits letters to the editor to 200 words while the Mountain Xpress has a 300-word limit.
- Call or write today!
If you have any questions or want assistance with any of this, merely reply to this email.
Let’s join other North Carolina cities!
Raleigh, Durham, Winston-Salem, Cary, Wilmington and Greenville have already passed resolutions similar to the one that is being offered on May 25, and the Chapel Hill pilot public financing program worked well last fall. Let’s join these cities in the march toward a more democratic society.
Please take action today!
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Read Cecil Bothwell’s draft resolution by clicking here.
For more information on publicly-financed elections in North Carolina, visit the following websites:
WNC for Change has officially endorsed Patsy Keever for the Democratic nomination in the NC House District 115 race.
An online poll of the WNC for Change membership revealed that 90 percent of respondents supported endorsing Patsy Keever in this race. Members indicated that they believe Patsy represents real change for our community and that her progressive values and positions are closely aligned with those of WNC for Change.
Early voting in the Democratic primary voting has now begun, and if you live in District 115, we encourage you to vote for Patsy at your earliest convenience. Find voting locations, voter registration info and more at the Buncombe County Election Services website. http://www.buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/Election/
Regardless of where you live, you can volunteer to work for Patsy at the polls, make phone calls or knock on doors during the next few weeks. Find out more at www.patsykeever.com. And while you’re there, feel free to make a contribution to her campaign.
Members responding to the WNC for Change poll stated some of their reasons for supporting Keever:
- Keever’s values and positions are most aligned with those of WNC for Change.
- She is more in tune with the people of our area.
- She takes a stand for the environment and wants to prevent more steep slopes tragedies.
- The primary is an opportunity to vote for real change in leadership, a choice between a truly progressive candidate and a member of the old guard of the party.
- Patsy sees a broader vision of equality for all, and she advocates for strong environmental controls, better education for our children and the right ideas to revitalize our economy.
- She is not a developer nor a person willing to build away our mountains, but rather preserve them.
- Patsy doesn’t take the big money in running her campaigns and her progressive positions on education , environment, green jobs, etc. are more in line with the change we all worked for in 2008.
- She’s a hard-working, ethical progressive.
- I especially like that she was a teacher, mom and grandmother. . . . I wholeheartedly think we need more women in government. They bring a built in tendency to nurture and “take care of”, whether it’s children or constituents.
- She is clearly the candidate that represents the core values of the Democratic Party. She is particularly better on environmental issues than Goforth. It is particularly important that we demonstrate that grass roots efforts can defeat the hardball tactics being used by the house leadership in Raleigh.
- Progressive, environmentalist, social liberal, voted for Obama and I have strong doubts on that score per Goforth.
- I wholeheartedly support Patsy Keever, due to her definite progressive values and courage to stand up for what she believes in. I feel she would make a truly honest and independently minded member of the NC House.
If you’d like to add your thoughts regarding this race, please do so in the comments section of this post. Thanks!
Should we endorse Keever or Goforth in NC House race?
By · CommentsWNC for Change wants to hear from you regarding a local race between two Democratic candidates—Patsy Keever and Bruce Goforth—for the North Carolina House of Representatives District 115 seat. Do you think we should endorse one of these two candidates?
District 115 is comprised of portions of east Asheville, Fairview, Swannanoa, Black Mountain and other areas in Buncombe County. But even if you don’t live and vote in this district, you can still help us make a decision.
To make your voice heard, please answer the questions below.
- Do you want WNC for Change to endorse either Bruce Goforth or Patsy Keever in the NC House District 115 race for the Democratic nomination? Please answer yes or no.
- If yes, which of these two candidates do you want WNC for Change to endorse?
- Please briefly explain your choice (optional).
Since you have received this email, you can voice your opinion on this matter, but only members have a vote. If you’re not sure if you officially joined WNC for Change, you may reply to this message to find out.
Please note that we need to hear from you by midnight, Wednesday, April 14 for your vote to count.
Thanks in advance for your important input!
* * *
Bruce Goforth’s website
Patsy Keever’s website
Candidate forum a big success!
By · CommentsA big thank you to everyone who helped organize and host our candidate forum. In addition, thanks to everyone who attended. We had approximately 50 folks there last night, and around 13 candidates had a chance to speak. Even though the evening’s program looked a lot different than we’d first envisioned, it was well received and provided an excellent opportunity for folks to learn more about our Democratic candidates. Our gratitude to all of y’all for making the event a success.
WNC for Change Candidate Forum Update
By · CommentsDue to a scheduling conflict, Rep. Bruce Goforth will not participate in the WNC for Change Candidate Forum tonight, April 1, 6:30 p.m., at the Buncombe County Democratic Headquarters.
Patsy Keever (who is opposing Goforth for the NC House 115 seat) along with other Democratic candidates for office will participate in a revised forum format. Each candidate will have the opportunity to speak briefly about his/her candidacy and answer questions from the moderator.
Candidates who have confirmed they will participate in the forum include:
- Sen. Martin Nesbit, NC Senate Majority Leader, candidate for reelection
- Sheriff Van Duncan, candidate for reelection as Buncombe County Sheriff
- Patsy Keever, candidate for NC House of Representatives District 115
- Aixa Wilson, candidate for U.S. House, 11th Congressional District
- Chris Dixon, candidate for NC House of Representatives District 48
- Rocky Owenby, candidate for Buncombe County Sheriff
- Eileen McMinn representing Elaine Marshall, candidate for U.S. Senate
- Patrick Rankin representing Rep. Bruce Goforth, candidate for reelection to NC House of Representatives
We hope to see you there!
Candidate Forum on April 1
By · CommentsPlease plan to attend our Candidate Forum on Thursday, April 1, 6:30 p.m., at the Buncombe County Democratic Headquarters.
Patsy Keever and Bruce Goforth, candidates for the NC House 115 seat will participate in the forum. In addition, we hope to have other Democratic candidates present to tell us about themselves and their candidacy.
One final thing: If you have questions for Patsy Keever and/or Bruce Goforth, please send them to Bruce Mulkey at bruce@brucemulkey.com.
Hope to see you on April 1!
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WNC for Change Candidate Forum
Thursday, April 1, 6:30 p.m.
Buncombe County Democratic HQ
951 Old Fairview Road
Asheville, NC 28803
WE SUPPORT PRESIDENT OBAMA
By · Comments
To view our ad at full resolution: Click Here
MORE WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
1. Contact our members of Congress every day and let them know what’s most important to you:
Congressman Heath Shuler (NC-11th Congressional District)
Senator Kay Hagan (NC)
Senator Richard Burr (NC)
Every day! Contact info is on the right >>>
2. Get involved with an activist organization. We’ve listed a few of them here:
Organizing for America
www.barackobama.com
MoveOn
www.moveon.org
Democracy for America
www.democracyforamerica.com
Emily’s List
www.emilyslist.org
Bold Progressives
www.boldprogressives.org
Health Care for America Now
www.healthcareforamericanow.org
Repower America
www.repoweramerica.org
NC Conservation Network
www.ncconservationnetwork.org
Just Economics
www.justeconomicswnc.org
AFL-CIO NC
www.aflcionc.org
League of Women Voters
www.ablwv.org
Coffee Party USA
www.coffeepartyusa.com
Did we miss your activist organization? Tell us about it in the comments section.
3. Turn off the TV and check out these sources of information:
The Huffington Post
www.huffingtonpost.com
OpenLeft
www.openleft.com
Daily Kos
www.dailykos.com
FiveThirtyEight
www.fivethirtyeight.com
BlueNC
www.bluenc.com
Scrutiny Hooligans
www.scrutinyhooligans.us
The White House
www.whitehouse.gov
Recovery.gov
www.recovery.gov
Did we miss your best source of information? Tell us about it in the comments section.
4. Serve in your community:
Serve.gov
www.serve.gov
Do Something
www.dosomething.org
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County
www.unitedwayabc.org
Get answers to any question: Dial 2-1-1
5. Contribute your time and money to worthwhile causes:
MANNA Food Bank
www.mannafoodbank.org
Loving Food Resources
www.lovingfood.org
RAM: Remote Area Medical
www.ramusa.org
Read to Succeed: Providing free reading services to underachieving youth
juliejadkins@yahoo.com
Meals on Wheels Asheville and Buncombe County
www.mowabc.org
Have a suggestion for a worthwhile cause? Tell us about it in the comments section.
6. Get counted!
2010 Census
2010.census.gov
7. Keep your eyes on the prize
The election of President Barack Obama was Step One.
The real work of delivering the change we elected is Step Two and its taking place now.
Bruce Mulkey
President
WNC for Change
ps. And a big THANK YOU to all those that made our ad possible!
Contribute to ad supporting President Obama now!
By · CommentsWNC for Change intends to publish an ad in support of President Barack Obama and his agenda. This full page, black and white ad will appear in the Asheville Citizen-Times on Wednesday, March 17. To do so, we need to raise $1,845 before Monday, March 15 at noon so that the ad can run prior to a health care vote in the US Congress.
Will you contribute $10, $20 or more to help us publish this ad?
Here’s what the ad will look like: We Support President Obama
You may go to our Contribute page to make your contribution. All contributors will be listed by name and city.
Thank you for your support!
