The Charlotte Observer has chosen to lend its support to Charlotte Mayoral Candidate Anthony Foxx (Democrat).
They claim its because he is better suited to express Charlotte's needs.
Let's see during Foxx's 4 years as an At-Large Charlotte City Council member he hardly said a word on serious issues. He voted to raise Property Taxes (9%) of which basically only affected Middle and Lower Income Home Owners.
In addition during a Recession he voted to spend $4 to 8 Million dollars on an Engineering Study to build a Street Car.
The Charlotte City Council has NO money to build this street car, nor do they have any promises from the Federal Gov't for future funding. How do they propose paying for this "Electronic Bus"?
Raising property taxes again! Only for the Middle and Low Income Constituents of course.
Since I hail from Brooklyn, NY and I've lived in Atlanta; I'm certainly not against modern transportation.
However this fake offer to build a Street Car on Charlotte's East side (one of the city's poorest, most neglected corridors), is nothing more than a ploy to buy votes.
Why is it that during Foxx's reign on the City Council he NEVER pushed for Economic Development on Charlotte's Eastside?
He also NEVER pushed for Economic Development in Charlotte's other forgotten Corridors (Southwest, Northeast, Northwest, West).
Now suddenly he wants the Eastside to have a Street Car? Baloney!
Why don't I believe him?
Charlotte recently received Millions in Stimulus money for Repaving roads and Sidewalks.
Thus far the money seems to be only used for Charlotte's Wealthiest areas. In the meantime Foxx hasn't said a word.
Yet this is the man "better suited" to manage our city and pull us out of an Economic Slump? I think not!
Although many people may attempt to blast me over my support for John Lassiter a Republican, I'll continue to throw my hat in the ring for this candidate.
Just because I'm African-American and a registered Democrat doesn't mean I can't choose to think Independently.
Just because Foxx is African-American and a Lawyer, doesn't mean he is the next Pres. Barack Obama.
Charlotte Democrats appear to be looking for a Gimmick (Political Trend).
I on the other hand am seeking a Leader with Real Substance.
Perhaps with a little more preparation and Real involvement in City-County Government matters Foxx will make a good Mayor someday, but not now.
Don't get me wrong on this one. Foxx is not a bad guy.
In fact no Politician is perfect, however I'd rather vote for the candidate who possesses a little more substance and proven Experience.
For those of you who wish to throw rocks, think of my decision this way.
I had no control over my ethnicity. I was born an African-American. However my Political Affiliation or whom I decide to vote for is a personal Choice.
Let's not forget the reason why Senator John McCain lost.
John McCain didn't loose the 2008 Election to Barack Obama because he lacked Substance or proven Experience.
McCain lost the election because Sarah Palin lacked Real Substance and proven Experience.
Talk is cheap but its Substance and proven Experience that matters.
With two strong choices, Charlotte Observer gives Foxx the edge
Rarely in mayoral politics in America today are voters given two excellent choices. It's rarer still in Charlotte, where Republican Mayor Pat McCrory has rolled over his opposition for 14 years running.
But that's the happy circumstance facing city voters this fall. Democrat Anthony Foxx and Republican John Lassiter are vying to replace the retiring McCrory. Either could be an exceptional leader. Both are intelligent, hard-working, committed to Charlotte and are within the city's tradition of moderate, mainstream politics.
Charlotte would be well-served with either as mayor. In the end, though, we back Foxx. We think he is a better fit for what Charlotte needs at this point in its evolution as a city.
After decades of heady growth, Charlotte has hit a rough patch unprecedented in recent memory. Our booming economy is stalled, and the banks that have led the way for years have faltered. Uptown condo towers that were sprouting everywhere froze, unfinished. Tax revenues are down at every level of government, limiting the ability to build roads, beef up public transit and pay for schools, parks, jails and other projects. Our neighbors are unemployed, or fear they soon will be, and the nonprofit sector has seen donations drop while demand soars. A lack of affordable housing remains a stain on this city's reputation.
We believe the next mayor needs to be unusually adept at connecting with residents and uniting a diverse community. He needs to use the mayor's office as a bully pulpit. He should set the agenda and tackle our city's toughest problems with new solutions. He must reach out to our neighbors in the region, in Raleigh and in Washington to seek collaborative approaches. He needs to imbue the city with confidence that we can navigate through this daunting time and emerge stronger than before. He should not do things the way we've always done them.
We believe Foxx is best positioned to do those things and set a new tone. Throughout his life, he has shown an ability to relate with people from all backgrounds. He grew up fatherless in Charlotte. His own character and the grandparents who raised him deserve credit for keeping him from being another sad statistic. The resilience and determination he developed as a child served him well as Davidson College student president, then at New York University Law School. He served as a judicial clerk, worked in the Justice Department and was a congressional counsel.
He is a work in progress, to be sure. At 38, he is still honing his campaigning and governing skills. But we admire his philosophy on leadership, which is an inclusive brand that believes in listening and serving and being more bottom-up than top-down.
He and Lassiter are not wildly different on most of the issues facing city government. We do believe, though, there is a substantive difference in their approach to growth and development. Foxx works with the development industry while trying to make sure Charlotte grows wisely. Lassiter, by contrast, has shown less independence from development interests. He opposed the city's Bicycle Plan, the Transportation Action Plan (though he missed the vote) and the Urban Street Design Guidelines, and tried to delay each. Foxx supported all three.
Charlotte is fortunate to have two good choices. Lassiter's experience in public office is as deep as any Charlotte mayoral candidate in recent memory. He is fluent on just about any issue that comes his way, able to talk in detail about the nature of problems and their solutions. He has shown the ability to juggle many tasks at once, successfully weaving his personal and professional life with his civic involvement. He would make a good city manager.
The mayor's office, though, is about agenda-setting and image-shaping as much as it is policy implementation. And for that, we give the nod to Foxx.
John Lassiter Well Ahead
John Lassiter has double-digit lead over Anthony Foxx in race to replace Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory
Friday, Cornerstone Solutions, LLC released the results of its recent survey regarding Charlotte’s race for Mayor. The independent survey found that John Lassiter, Republican, is leading Anthony Foxx, Democrat, 42 percent to 26 percent, with 32 percent of those surveyed undecided.
Conducted in the City of Charlotte through telephone surveys with 401 registered voters, the survey found that Republican John Lassiter has strong support among Republican voters with 79 percent, while Democrat Anthony Foxx has 41 percent support among Democrats.
“As the election moves forward, we predict that Foxx’s support among Democrats will increase as they learn more about him. And, if it does, this race should tighten up,” said Chris Sinclair, a partner with Cornerstone Solutions, LLC. “Independents will be pivotal in determining the outcome of this race. Our research shows that Lassiter currently holds an advantage with independents, however a large amount of independents in our poll are still undecided.”
When asked what issues the next mayor should focus on, over 34 percent of the respondents said improving the local economy and creating jobs. Twenty-three percent of respondents said reducing taxes and 14 percent said managing government more efficiently.
“Jobs and the economy are the top issues heading into the fall elections,” said Sinclair. “Voters are concerned about their tax burden and believe city government needs to tighten its belt, just like the families in Charlotte are doing.”
The Cornerstone Poll surveyed 401 registered voters in the City of Charlotte from July 15-19, 2009. The survey asked respondents their opinions regarding the City of Charlotte’s race for Mayor. The survey’s margin of error is plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.
(Refusal to answer and weighting may introduce additional error. The Cornerstone Poll was fielded by Cornerstone Solutions, an independent political consulting firm that is not involved with either candidate for mayor.)
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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Conservative.com, Recovery.gov, Charmeck.org, Google Maps
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