I know this blog has been kind of quiet

With my posting elsewhere, finishing the new book, starting work on a screenplay, and, oh yeah, doing all the City Council stuff, I’ve been pretty slack about blogging here. But I’m leaving this site up because it archives all the issues I tried to raise during the campaign last year, and I intend to be [...]

A watershed year in Asheville politics

After decades as a participant and observer of Asheville and Buncombe politics I have to note that this year’s election represents a watershed. For many years the debate was relentlessly dragged to the right, but now we have begun to pull discussion back to its traditional middle ground. It’s a watershed year when two of [...]

Job #1 when I’m elected to City Council.

Click header to view the video.

Three strikes and you’re not funded

When we look at the effect of crime on our community it’s helpful to focus on the damage done rather than let ourselves be distracted by emotion and opinion regarding the nature of individual crimes. That is to say, there are people who urinate in the street and there are people who commit financial fraud—depending on one’s sensibilities the first may disgust, but the second frequenty causes meaningful harm.

Energy challenge

I’ve been thinking about my recent post Keeping Down With The Joneses, in which I report on a project that uses our innate inclination to be “normal” to shape conservation habits.

The filing speech video

A new spirit of patriotism: my filing speech

I delivered this speech on the steps of the Buncombe County Board of Elections after filing as a candidate for Asheville City Council, on Monday, June 6.
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I have just filed as a candidate for a seat on the Asheville City Council. I do so in part as an answer to President Barack Obama’s call for a new spirit of patriotism. It is also partly my answer to the first presidential speech I can remember hearing as a child, when another young president suggested we not ask what our country could do for us, but to ask what we could do for our country.

[photo by Edwin Shelton]

Cecil Bothwell’s record of community service

• Joined Clamshell Alliance, opposing Seabrook Nuclear Power Station, 1978-1979 • Created and ran Rush Creek Community recycling program (Black Mountain), 1983-2001 • Co-founded and served as first president of the Asheville animal rights group, 1985 • Produced and recorded EarthSongs, a series of radio spots combining music, poetry to deliver environmental messages, 1988 • [...]

Who am I?

In his latest book, Leading the Charge, retired General Anthony Zinni reports that he challenges would-be leaders to define themselves, first by asking them to answer the question, “Who are you?” with the implication that their answers will be shared with their peers. He surprises his classes by not calling for public sharing of the [...]

Newcomers may not recall …

And, actually, I talked to a local native supporter yesterday who didn’t connect me to the reporting that helped topple our recently incarcerated sheriff. (This is a Web ad we ran during my campaign for Buncombe County Commission in 2008.)
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