Raleigh Council Candidates Meet for Open Forum

chloe
09/11 11:02 AM

Umm where was MaryAnne Baldwin?  Its good to know that Lee Sartain really understands the important issues of the office he is running for.  He is making a very strong showing - MaryAnne should have been there if she wants to protect her seat. Has Champ Claris caught the drop-out bug because he certainly is not trying very hard if he can’t even come to a public forum.

Charles Malone
09/11 02:55 PM

The City Council forum was a great success. The issues surrounding safe and plentiful water, transit reform and smart growth continue to dominate the conversation, as they should. In my own campaign for the Democratic Party nomination to the NC Senate, Dist. 15,in 2010, covering northern Raleigh and Wake County, which includes the Town of Wake Forest, I will continue this theme into next year.

RaleighRob
09/12 09:24 AM

So far, I’ve been quite impressed with most of Lee Sartain’s ideas.  I think he’ll make a better complement as a co-At-large councilor to progressive Russ Stephenson than MaryAnne Baldwin has been.  A very fresh approach…the combo would be good representation for the city.

Having John Odom beat Koopman is kinda scary though…would be a huge step backwards.  I’m hoping that doesn’t happen.  Koopman isn’t perfect, but I think Odom would push for a return to Fetzer-like policies.  Last thing this city needs, IMO.

Charles
09/12 02:39 PM

So far the best campaign being run is by Ted VanDyk. I think District D has tired of Crowder and his ego driven positions, I know I have. He continues to try and make uncontroversial issues, controversial, and pitting neighbor agianst neighbor. Did we really need a city wide text change to fix a student parking problem only occuring around NCSU.

Spots
09/13 08:01 AM

Van Dyk, like Mary Ann Baldwin, is bought and paid for by Big Real Estate.

FLUM
09/13 08:12 AM

Which is why you often see Baldwin and Van Dyk signs right next to each other, including in front of Van Dyck’s office.

Politics 101
09/17 03:07 AM

Come out to an informal, informational meeting with Russ Stephenson (Raleigh City Council - At-Large). this Friday.

Friday, September 18th, 2009 at 5:30pm-7:30pm

And don’t miss the rest of the candidates participating in Politics 101. 

During the September series, each candidate is provided a 2-hour block in 101’s upstairs lounge to be used however the candidate desires. Some candidates have chosen to speak on specific topics, while others are planning to use the time to relax and answer questions that Wake County voters would like addressed.

Politics 101 Candidate Schedule for the rest of September:

September 18, 5:30pm-7: 30pm: Russ Stephenson (Raleigh City Council – At-Large)
September 21, 6pm-8pm: Charles Meeker (Raleigh Mayor)
September 22, 8pm-10pm: Mark Enloe (Raleigh Mayor)
September 28, 5:30pm-7: 30pm: Mary-Ann Baldwin (Raleigh City Council - At-Large)

***Newly Added Candidates***

Sept 23, 6pm-7:30pm Larry D. Hudson II (Raleigh Mayor)

Sept. 30, 6pm-7:30pm:  Champ Claris (Raleigh City Council - At-Large)

tom luther
09/17 10:33 AM

Are you willing to bet that the feds have money and will pay for a rail system that we are unwilling and unable to pay for ourselves?  Keep in mind the feds are 50-100 trillion in debt and have already refused.

How does such lunacy become a local issue?

Is Raleigh that disconnected from reality?

Infogirl
09/22 10:18 AM

Van Dyk paid for by Big Real Estate? Have you read the contributions report? His contributions from real estate interests or developers were no greater than Tom Crowder’s.

armywife
09/22 09:55 PM

I think the residents of District D are very supportive of Thomas Crowder for how well he has represented the people who live here. He may not make everyone happy but he has been a tremendous advocate for our district. He has brought all the neighborhoods together so we can deal with the larger issues together. A perfect example is the huge participation in the 2030 Comp Plan and in the District D Alliance.

Infogirl
09/23 09:17 AM

What is the Distric D Alliance? I’ve never even heard of it. Who started it? IF that organization was responsible for all those changes to the Comp Plan, how did that organization invite the public to participate? Did they advertise their public comment period? If so, I must have missed it.

FLUM
09/23 10:30 AM

Infogirl, if you missed it you weren’t paying attention (for months, at least).  All the changes brought by the alliance were presented at a public hearing, scheduled by and for the Raleigh city council.  All the changes presented by the Alliance at that hearing were identified as being the result of the work of the Alliance.

As for the comparison of Crowder’s contributors to Van Dyk’s, Van Dyk finally filed his campaign report yesterday, several weeks late, and it is proof positive that Van Dyk is a tool of Big Real Estate.

charles
09/23 11:43 AM

Can some one explain to me who “Big Real Estate” is?  Did Big Real Estate build my home in Cameron Park 80 years ago, if so i still think i see this old timer around the neighborhood saying he liked it better when it was a field.  If they just build the new big ones in North Raleigh, than yes, i am opposed to those guys.  Did they build the office building where i am sitting now, working desperately trying to make enough money to pay the bills. What about the school my kids attend did, they build that(my kids really hate “Big Real Estate” for that one).  I am not sure who these “BRE” people are but if you can tell me i liked to know, i have one thing to to say to them, “THANKS”  I like my Cameron Park in town mini Mansion and i think it is fine that folks in North Raleigh can have the same.  I love my office building, and i am very, very, very thankful for the school my kids attend.

armywife
09/23 12:15 PM

I don’t think there is a problem with development but there is a problem with developers who disregard the existing neighborhoods. Some developers just want to come in, build as big as they can and leave without any respect for the neighbors who actually LIVE there. That is where the problem is.
If the CBD (Central Business District) was allowed to expand to what was originally request (St.Mary’s Street) then there would be no transition or buffer between that and Cameron Park.

rcwc
09/23 12:27 PM

infogirl, I’ve lived in Dist D for 10+ years and have been heavily involved in local issues but had never heard of the DDNA until 3 weeks ago.  After digging further into the DDNA all are welcome but only a chosen few were notified (The Crowder intercircle) particularly on the 2030 Comp Plan discussion.

The DDNA recomendations were brought up AFTER all the public information sessions so they could not be scrutinized by the public but forced into the plan.  Backdoor politics at its finest.

David
09/23 12:28 PM

@charles Big Realestate is NCAR or the North Carolina Association of Realtors.  A group who consistently puts money behind fighting any effort by cities to get developers to pay for the cost of the growth that they profit so much from.  So yes, new north Raleigh residents deserve their McMansion, but they also need to pay the costs for their sewer, streets and the increased capacity in the schools that you are so thankful for.

FLUM
09/23 12:46 PM

I call complete BS on that one, rcwc.  The alliance went to the City Council information sessions, to get information.  The Alliance went to the City Council at the beginning of January to ask for a 30-day extension of the comment period, which was far too short to fully evaluate the draft comp plan.  The Mayor declined that request, the Alliance continued with its review, and brought its recommendations to the City Council at exactly the time the City Council said it wanted to hear them - at a public hearing it scheduled.

Big Real Estate, Big Tobacco, Big Pharma, Big Business after the shakeup, I really don’t think the crowd on this board needs it explained.

Infogirl
09/23 12:46 PM

FLUM, perhaps I haven’t been paying attention over the last few months, but my question remains. How was the public invited to participate (and by that I mean attend the alliance meetings, etc.)? I couldn’t even find a website for the alliance.

Infogirl
09/23 12:47 PM

FLUM, one more thing….Van Dyck? Really? Are you twelve?

FLUM
09/23 12:53 PM

just a clumsy phonetic typer, that’s all.  Leave it to you to find that and call attention to it.

rcwc
09/23 01:16 PM

flum, DDNA asked for 30 day public comment time extension in early Jan BUT they didn’t bring their changes up until Aug 31…..The 30 day extension would have extended the comment period until March 1 +/- so still 7 months late.  The Aug 31 presentation also circumvented the Planning Commissions’ review of those changes, again backdoor poltics.

Call BS if you want but this was strictly a poltical move as close to the Oct election as possible.

FLUM
09/23 01:23 PM

Backdoor politics is all the land-use attorneys hired by developers who met privately with the planning staff and planning commissioners to make dozens of changes to the draft plan. The District D Alliance operated in the open and presented their changes when the City Council told them they could, at the public hearing the City Council called.  If that was too late for you, call the Mayor and ask him why he wasn’t willing to allow adequate time for a citizens group to make its review, and then scheduled the hearing for public input when he did.

FLUM
09/23 01:29 PM

“I couldn’t even find a website for the alliance.”

1. Google “District D Neighborhood Alliance”
2. Click on first link returned.
3. Find pages upon pages of good info, including meeting notes.  Lots and lots of representation from neighborhoods across the district.

armywife
09/23 02:41 PM

Wow! I always find it so incredible that people complain about not being involved. I was involved with the Future Land Use Map study group that was organized by Thomas Crowder open to ANYONE!!!  It went out on numerous neighborhood listserves and newsletters. That was formed AFTER attending a few of the public information sessions that were advertised to the entire city.
The study groups were pulled together so the average citizen (like me) could try and understand this complex document. Many of these recommendations were already made to the city website during the required timeframe. Maybe info girl needs to stay a little more attuned to what’s going on.

Infogirl
09/23 04:03 PM

FLUM, thanks for the link to the DDNA. I feel so lucky that I can Google AND know to search Distric D Neighborhood Alliance. For those who don’t…too bad.

Thanks to FLUM I was able to find the Lineberry Alliance website (why is it located there?), scrolled way down to read the DDNA minutes and see the attendees. On a good day, 20 people showed up. On a slow day, less. I think a small group of people (who were not elected by neighbors to represent us on the DDNA) is in no position to generate policy that has an impact on the rest of us.The DDNA, its meetings and/or findings from study groups were not provided on my neighborhood listserve. In addition, they were not mentioned in my neighborhood association meeting minutes or my CAC meeting minutes (even though our CAC chair was listed as an occasional attendee).

I, personally, would like to speak for myself. I reviewed what the City of Raleigh provided and submitted my comments online like the rest of us who were trying to be “involved” and were not aware of the DDNA. I, like a previous post mention, only learned of the DDNA a few weeks ago. So, to armywife, there are those of us who actively seek to be involved…we just weren’t invited to that party.

armywife
09/23 04:58 PM

In response to Info girl, there wasn’t any special invitation. Anyone who was interested and invested the time was welcome. What neighborhood do you live in? Maybe you should get more involved.

Infogirl
09/23 06:23 PM

Thanks for your kind invitation to become more “involved”. The DDNA reminds me of my daughter’s fourth grade class production of “Annie Get Your Gun”. It was also open to “anyone”; however, judging by the attendance, I would hardly call it a “public” meeting. “Open to anyone” does not a public meeting make. “Public meeting” means publicly adverstised, publicly held, and publicly reported. Just food for thought…see you at the next class production…you are welcome to stop by. I won’t tell you the time and place…you’ll just have to know.

achangeisneeded
09/24 04:42 AM

If the District D voters choose to support a communications tower award winning architect they should support Crowder.  If we like the fact one of the largest fat cat developer’s and land baron’s in Raleigh is Crowder’s largest campaign contributor, keep him in office.  If Crowder’s regressive, anti-development, anti-growth, back-room-strong-arm-politics way of doing business is what we want, vote for him. As for me, I’m voting for a change.

FLUM
09/24 05:03 AM

Citizens come together in the best way they know how to work for a better city.  They invite all to join them, through a wide variety of channels.  No, they don’t take out ads in newspapers or hire high-dollar land-use attorneys to spread the word for them like the developers do.  But those 20, often 30 or 40, folks whom Infogirl derides for giving up their Saturday mornings to better their community are largely CAC chairs, on the governing bodies of their homeowners or neighborhood associations, or otherwise similarly connected to a larger body of concerned citizens.  It would be great if hundreds were involved.  But just because only 5% of the populace will vote in the upcoming elections doesn’t mean those they select aren’t fit to serve.

No other council district had an organized group of citizens not composed of real estate interests reviewing the comp plan.  Rather than celebrate citizens for practicing democracy in its finest form, you and the Van Dyk campaign whine.  Van Dyk didn’t think to include any citizens when he was hired by Charlotte firm FMW Real Estate to lobby officials behind closed doors to create the “monster head” planning district that was opposed by almost everyone without a real estate interest in the zone (http://www.indyweekblogs.com/citizen/2009/09/councils-5-3-vote-chops-the-head-off-the-comp-plans-flum-monster/).  That is business as usual for Big Real Estate, which often seems more interested in a corporate government in which they control the authoritarian political ideology than liberal democracy.

One the one hand, you are pissed that you were not sent a gold-gilded invitation by certified mail, and on the other assert that even had you received that invitation, you wouldn’t have accepted it because you prefer to speak for yourself.  Which is it?  It is fine, even great, to support Van Dyk because he represents different positions on issues than Crowder (though even Van Dyk says he does not).  But it is a pitiful campaign that relies almost exclusively on running down the other candidate and his constituents. (http://www.indyweekblogs.com/citizen/2009/09/van-dyk-wont-say-if-he-pushed-the-anti-crowder-poll-in-district-d-race/)

achangeisneeded - Crowder’s largest donor at $2,500 is developer Greg Hatem (the darling of this website).  Van Dyk’s largest at $2,500 is developer Niall Hanley (Solas, Hibernian, etc). Beyond those two, developers and other real estate interests make up a small proportion of Crowder donors, and the lion’s share of Van Dyk donors.  Though I understand if you did not know that, as Van Dyk finally just filed his campaign report, weeks late.

RaleighRob
09/24 05:14 AM

^Amen, FLUM.  You hit the nail on the head.  So far, Van Dyk’s campaign has been mostly “Vote for Me…Trust me, I’m better than the other guy.”

Infogirl
09/24 06:03 AM

My area of District D has been overlooked by the DDNA (and my representative). The DDNA’s changes to the comp plan leave my neighborhood well situation for a shopping mall development (right on top of our residential neighborhood). Across the main thoroughfare, a development that includes single family homes and townhomes have been provided with commercial mixed use designation that meets them at their front doors—-with none of the transitions that those of you who live in the “high cotton” recieved. Who do you think will purchase those properties? My guess is Big Real Estate…and the DDNA has rolled out the red carpet. I salute the people who gave freely of their time to work on changes to the comp plan, but it might have been helpful to have city planners (who were hired for their expertise) on board to explain the implications for all of the changes that were requested. It would have been nice to see those changes to the map before Mr. Crowder presented it at a council meeting. As for me, I’m ready for a change.

rcwc
09/24 06:19 AM

The simple facts are the DDNA meetings although “we are open to everyone” has so far been kept very quiet and within a tight circle.  Dist D HAS NOT been represented.  The DDNA skipped the Planning Commission Review and Public Review of their changes by coming in with those at the very last second.  Blaming “Secret Meetings” to deflect discussion of these facts only proves my point.

FLUM
09/24 07:16 AM

rcwc - you can repeat the lie that the DDNA skipped the Planning Commission Review and the Public Review over and over, and some will come to believe it.  That’s the nature of politics, I accept that. But that will not make it true.  The Alliance did its work on the schedule and terms dictated by the City Council.

The process was far from perfect, the Alliance is far from perfect. But it made a good faith effort to be both inclusive and heard, and both were accomplished to a large degree. Perhaps if the Alliance had the resources to hire high-priced land-use attorneys, it would not have had to do its analysis on weekends and evenings, and it too could have had its share of closed-door meetings with planning commissioners and planning staff.  Pointing out that this is how land-use attorneys do much of their work is not a deflection, it’s simply a statement of fact.  These folks account for the majority of changes that made it into the plan, but the ire gets directed only at citizens who worked in the daylight.

armywife
09/24 09:45 AM

Thank you FLUM for clarifying those misstatements. If Infogirl feels like her area of District D than she hasn’t been communicating. Thomas Crowder is extremely accessable and supportive of his constituents. He truly represents THEIR needs and NOT the needs of big development. In addition, if you want change, Van Dyk is the man who represents Big Real Estate in the purest sense. Be careful what you wish for.

rcwc
09/24 09:49 AM

What I’ve stated is true.  Even the N&O who generally loves Crowder and whatever he says sniffed this out.  Believe whatever you want to believe.  Most of the City Council was not happy with this political move either.
As far as the DDNA - e-mails from the CAC’s, neighborhoods who are supposedly represented by this group, etc could have been used to notify people and were not.  This cost $0.  I am on multiple listservs and received 0 e-mails in regards to the DDNA.

armywife
09/24 09:54 AM

rcwc- if you live in District D you can join the DDNA listserve. What neighborhood do you live in? Do they have a neighborhood listserve that you’re not on?

Infogirl
09/24 11:29 AM

I don’t know anything about FMW Real Estate nor do I care to, but the idea that one person represents Big Real Estate is simplistic (or cynical or paranoid). I’m sure Mr. Crowder has voted to approve a real estate development project or two in his career as a councilor. If he has worked as an architect then he surely has worked for someone who developed a piece of property. This “us versus them” attitude is short-sighted and has no place in a growing city. Southwest and Southeast Raleigh, in my opinion (and according to the Independent Weekly article that ironically went on to endorse Crowder), “could use a little TLC”. Tom Crowder has had six years to provide that TLC with little impact that I can see.

FLUM
09/25 05:24 PM

WOW!, Mr. and Mrs. Van Dyk, I mean rcwc and Infogirl, I got your latest flier in the mail today.  I didn’t really think you had it in you, decent people don’t.  You tried out every lie on the flier on this board over the last few days, and reproduced the same script on the flier.  Your polling data must be telling you that it is going to be a landslide for Crowder if you are desperate to go that far to distort the truth.  Of course if you keep repeating the lies, some will come to believe them.  But not enough to propel you into office.  Nexus Stategies is leading you down to road to ruin, I am disappointed that you are following.

armywife
09/25 05:37 PM

I have to agree with FLUM. I was really disappointed to see Ted’s last mailer. Do you really think people believe that the DDNA is a secret organization? They meet every 3rd Sat at Whole Foods at 8 am.
It is quite an accomplishment that Thomas Crowder so successfully brought 25 individual neighborhoods together to stay informed and work together on common issues.
Thank you Thomas!!!!

Ted Van Dyk
09/26 04:57 PM

Mr. ‘Flum’,

I can assure you that when I make my views known publcly, that I will sign my name to them, as I did on the mailer.

Mr. Crowder, in my view, manipulated and leveraged the work of a well meaning group, and did an end-around the public process by presenting his map at the last minute, with 53 changes to the prviously adopted document.  No opportunity for public review, no opportunity for public comment.

A calculated political opportunism, that in my mind desrves no thanks or congratulations. Rather, we should be incredulous at this arrogant disreagard for the many who played by the rules through 18 months of public comment an involvement.

If you have no probelm with this, and think that this is how the voices of 80,000 residents should be reperesented, then by all means vote for Mr. Crowder.

If you are interested in fresh leadership, and in keeping the public’s business public, then please consider voting for me on October 6.

Thank you,

Ted Van Dyk

Love Living In District D
09/26 06:36 PM

RCWC said:  “Most of the City Council was not happy with this political move either.” 

FALSEHOOD! 


The entire City Council voted unanimously to adopt the Comp Plan.  The DDNA changes were also approved by a majority of the council.

Love Living In District D
09/26 06:39 PM

RaleighRob wrote:  So far, Van Dyk’s campaign has been mostly “Vote for Me…Trust me, I’m better than the other guy.”

Actually, most of Van Dyk’s message consists of, “Vote for Me, Cause I’m Right and You’re Wrong.”

Love Living In District D
09/26 06:47 PM

Infogirl,


Form your own citizen group, then, and see if you can find anyone else to agree with you.  It’s a free country.

cedricavar
09/26 07:00 PM

imposed 2007 engine comment risk growth efforts incognito

Will Allen
09/26 07:36 PM

Ted,

I am shocked and extremely disappointed at the gross distortions and outright lies in your 6:57 PM post above.  I thought better of you. 

Everything you said in your post is wrong.  Did you just fabricate this in the desperate hope to win a few votes from people who don’t know better, or are really just so ill-informed?  Either way, your post broadcasts to the world how unfit you are to serve as a City Councilor.

My guess is that you just lied. 

You know, for instance, very well that the Hillsborough CAC neighborhoods did act fully and consistently within the process for over a year regarding the impact of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan prior to the Council’s vote because you attended some of those meetings. 

You also know that the District D Neighborhood Alliance is a transparent and open group of, well, just neighbors from the various District D neighborhoods, as the name implies.  All are welcome to attend its meetings.  People in neighborhoods such as mine (Cameron Village) who are members of the Hillsborough CAC have been repeatedly invited to attend, and the Hillsborough CAC Chair always attends, too. 

As you well know, it’s a great public forum for information sharing about issues of interest to the the neighborhoods that comprise District D held one Saturday morning every month at Whole Foods.

Repeating myself, everything you said above is wrong.

Thomas Crowder’s aggregation of 53 changes from the many District D neighborhoods he represents were well-known to the Planning Department and the Council.  They had been discussed indivudually for months.  Crowder merely summarized them according to the extremely disciplined and meticulous process Mayor Meeker had established within the Council to bring the 2030 Comp Plan to closure.  Crowder acted wholly within the Mayor’s established process, respecting his leadership and organizational excellence as did all other Councilors.

The Future Land Use Map (called the FLUM), which is the heart of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, had NOT been officialy adopted at that time as you state. Crowder’s changes had all been reviewed, and they were the RESULT OF public comment accumulated over many months within the review process. 

Yet you accuse Crowder of the opposite of the truth (i.e., you lie), as if he was so powerful as to be able to somehow subvert the entire review apparatus set in place by the City Council and the agreed-to strict process established by the Mayor.  That’s laughable on its face!  No councilor had that power in this process; everyone abided by the long-established process.

As I said, every word of your accusations are untrue.

Ted, I just don’t understand this desperate, last-minute attempt to garner a few votes from people who did not live through the lengthy process as I did, and as YOU did, along with the rest of your neighbors in Cameron Park, in Cameron Village, West Morgan, Pullen, Boylan Heights, University Park, and all the District D nieghborhoods.  This is beneath you.  I have lost all respect for you.

You should not tell lies.

armywife
09/26 08:32 PM

This last mailer is clearly Ted’s effort of trying to manufacture anything to stir up a few votes. I think the majority of the voters in District D know how hard Thomas has worked for them. No other district is as organized and has come together in such a united effort thanks to Thomas’s leadership. We are lucky to have someone of Thomas caliber representing us in District D.

Shibby
09/27 05:37 AM

District D Neighborhood Alliance doesn’t have a flashy hip website with an awesome domain name, but we have this: http://lineberry.org/blogs/ddna/

Shibby
09/27 06:15 AM

@RaleighRob (09/24 07:14 AM) post - I published an opinion piece about each candidates positioning (from a brand perspective).  It can be found here: http://lineberry.org/blogs/2009/09/23/do-endorsements-matter/

The first comment obviously had no clue that I wasn’t talking about organizational level endorsement.  I was focused on the endorsements that matter, from the people the candidates work with at the grass roots level.  I’ll be looking for that difference at the candidates forum tonight at Renaissance Park.

infogirl
09/27 10:48 AM

After a couple of days away, I return to find that I am now married to rcwc. Sorry I missed all the fun.

Fred
09/27 03:17 PM

All’s I know is, all o’ y’all need to settle down. Both of the candidates and their supporters say they stand for strong neighborhoods - a big part of which I’d say is the principle of neighborliness. Last night somebody tore down my sign for one of the candidates. Now just how is that going to advance a strong neighborhoods agenda?

WhalerCane
09/27 04:07 PM

Infogirl.  Are you a professional firestarter?  I am and my gut tells me you are too.

Say what you will about Thomas, but really, it is a stretch for you and/or Ted to try and imply that DDNA is anything other than some citizens concerned about thier Neighborhoods.  I mean to equate them as some super secret powerful political force, particularly compared to the devolpment industry is classic spin.  I know, that’s what I do.

proud District D resident
09/27 07:29 PM

Van Dyk recently sent a campaign mailer
claiming he’s “a positive voice for Raleigh,” but it’s nothing but a
negative attack that twists Crowder’s laudable efforts to involve citizens
in their city government.  Crowder worked with neighborhood leaders to
create the District D Neighborhood Alliance (DDNA), which engages citizens
to improve their communities.  Crowder made an open invitation to their
meetings, and they were never closed or secret, as Van Dyk wrongly asserts.
The changes that Crowder proposed to the city’s comprehensive plan came from
his constituents through this process.  This is how democracy is supposed to
work, yet Van Dyk suggests sinister motives.  The mailer is an affront to
the scores of residents who have been civically engaged in the Neighborhood
Alliance and whose only motive is to improve the quality of life in District
D.  Why would Van Dyk attack the very people he claims he wants to
represent?

Friend of Raleigh
09/27 08:25 PM

Nine days before the election, Ted Van Dyk insults and demeans the largest and most
widely distributed neighborhood coalition in his district, an organization that includes all the most active volunteers and involved
citizens.

Really, Ted??  Is this the kind of “positive, strong” behavior you’ll exhibit if elected to Council?

Ted’s not just desperate—he’s incapable of winning an election.  He just energized his entire district against him!