Asheville’s charter allows them to change their council elections from non-partisan to partisan. This move is being done now that unaffiliated voters outnumber Republicans. A group of four more left leaning partisans have done this. From the Western Blog (Speaking With One Voice Against Diversity) by Lesless Kulba:
(City Councilman) Brownie Newman argued that people who did not
declare themselves to be either Democrats or Republicans were not being
honest. His colleague, Bryan Freeborn, indicated that third parties
didn?t have a chance at winning, and if people wanted to be a part of
the process, they needed to choose between the two parties. Robin Cape
said flatly she was not ashamed to unlevel the playing field to her
advantage because certain national issues (the War in Iraq and global
warming?) needed local support and would not wait
Essentially, councilman Newman just called the second largest group of voters in Asheville a bunch of liars. Also interesting that council has done such an effective job (overspending and running transit in the ground) that they have to focus on the War in Iraq and Global Warming. (CA)
