Buncombe County

An Asheville conservative contacted me last week to ask if I'd be interested in a unique opportunity. City Councilman and Congressional candidate Carl Mumpower had the idea that he'd like to have this Hooligan on the moderators' panel at the next Republican Congressional Candidate debate. People talked to people, and candidates John Armor and Spence Campbell agreed to take the plunge. After I spoke with the newly elected Buncombe County Republican Party Chair to ensure there weren't any hidden rules or restrictions, I said I'd do it.

The debate will take place in the URTV (public access) studio in Asheville on March 27th from 2pm to 3:30pm. There will be three or four panelists asking questions of the candidates. I'll be one of them. It will be recorded then played on URTV and available at Google Video.

It's a good political move for Mumpower to invite me. He's running as the straight-answers to tough questions candidate, so inviting a liberal blogger bolsters his tough guy cred. Armor isn't afraid to answer any questions either, so we'll see if he can swipe some of Carl's patina. Spence, I imagine, had no choice but to say yes (after saying, "Gordon who?") once the other two were on board.

In addition to being good for Carl, inviting someone from the opposite end of the political spectrum is good for democracy. I hope this move will encourage broader debates in all future contests. I realize that, to some extent, I'm serving as a useful fool for the Republicans, but their aims don't bother me and can be part of strengthening and adding integrity to this Congressional race.

The filing deadline is today, so there may be a few stragglers still to announce, but this is where the Buncombe County races stand now.

{cross posted from Scrutiny Hooligans}

Publish PostThat was the percentage of voters in the general election for city council here in Asheville.
They say people get the government they deserve, perhaps this is so.
Maybe things are lots better than I believe.
Maybe pigs will fly tomorrow.
Who knows?

This stuff almost writes itself.

Buncombe County Republicans lost everything in the November, 2006 elections, and it's been a bitter pill to swallow. While I don't pretend to know about the private machinations of the BCRP, the public faces of the party present a bitter struggle between conservatives and libertarians, and Party regulars.

In the fight to elect a County Chair to the Party earlier this year, Mike Harrison won over Chad Nesbitt. Harrison resigned shortly after his election:

"The chairman of the Buncombe County Republican Party on Monday said he resigned from the post after personal attacks on his character and his wife’s character.

Mike Harrison said in a written statement that he left the job May 1. He had hoped his election to chairman in March would bring the party together, he said, but that did not happen." - link

Harrison supporter, Tim Peck, got into a very public conversation with Nesbitt supporter, Don Yelton. Peck and Yelton gave us a glimpse of the beginning of each group's encampment in what may be a long war of attrition:

Out here in Buncombe County, we've got another corruption case on our hands. Former Sheriff Bobby Medford, a diminutive Republican good ol' boy who was defeated in November by clean cut Democrat Van Duncan, is in deep trouble after an audit of his administration:

AC-T: "State authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the handling of evidence under the administration of former Sheriff Bobby Medford after a county audit showed missing money, drugs and firearms."

Follow me over the jump to be shocked at how much money, drugs, and firearms went missing.

Well that was fast.

AC-T: "The chairman of the Buncombe County Republican Party on Monday said he resigned from the post after personal attacks on his character and his wife’s character.

Mike Harrison said in a written statement that he left the job May 1. He had hoped his election to chairman in March would bring the party together, he said, but that did not happen."

You may remember the public donnybrook between anti-immigrant, pro-drug legalization Tim Peck and unbalanced, John Armor buddy Don Yelton back in March. The two men sparred over Harrison's ascension to Chair of the Republican Party with tasty quotes like these:

At meetings of both the Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Commissioners last night, two important issues were addressed.
The City postponed a decision on a "steep slope" development regulation. Meanwhile, across the alley, the County approved its first zoning law 3-2.

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By acclamation Buncombe County Democrats elected Kathy Sinclair to be their Party Chair for a two-year term. Former candidate for state legislature, Doug Jones, was unanimously selected to be First Vice Chair. Chris Caldwell, Kyle Cogburn, Jennifer Thacker, and Ed Hay were tapped for 2nd Vice, 3rd Vice, Secretary, and Treasurer. The selection of this slate of centrists heralds a new beginning for a county party long dominated by an aristocratic Old Guard.

See, the Buncombe County Commissioners seem to have never heard of these laws. They don't remember passing them, and staff cannot find anyone in the City of Asheville to blame for them. The search is continuing for a culprit, both in Raleigh and Washington, DC.
The law in question?
See, water falls downhill.
Yep. For those of you from the county government apparatus, this is a fact. No amount of money, bulldozers, secret meetings, ignoring the people's will, or legislation will change it.
The ironically-named Citizen-Times reports today you received a report from one Jim McElduff, whom the C-T only tangentially identified as a past chairman of the Buncombe County Planning Board, which says in part..

(866) 908-7236

{For ScruHoo's background on the story - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
{For Mtn. Xpress' background}
{For Mountain Alliance's background}

Ashevillein via the Mountain Xpress discovers a beautiful thing:
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.
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"According to the Mountain Express, "Buncombe County government is announcing a new “Whistleblower Hotline,” a place for citizens to report suspected incidents of “fraud, theft, illegal or unethical behavior” by county employees. The toll-free number is (866) 908-7236."
[...]
Incidents worthy of reporting include:
· theft of county property – money, materials, time
· waste or abuse of county property
· inappropriate or unethical behavior by a county employee or employees

Of course we all know that the Buncombe County commissioners who engaged in the back room deals leading to the proposed Diesel Power Plant in Woodfin are "county employees" who engaged in "unethical behavior". Follow me below the fold for action...