theCLog

Well, that’s a breath of fresh air. Mayor-elect Anthony Foxx says his first act as mayor will be to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. We’ve written about the USMCPA before, Mayor McCrory’s refusal to sign it, and City Council’s dithering on the issue. Check out this link for a reminder.

The irony of McCrory’s refusal to sign the USMCPA is that he was chairman of the U.S. Conference of Mayors environmental committee, which drafted and approved the measure in the first place. At the time, McCrory was bucking for a federal job — scuttlebutt had it that he wanted to be head of the EPA, thus his slot on the mayors’ environmental committee — but it’s one of the jobs he couldn’t talk his way into, sort of like the governor’s office. McCrory wouldn’t sign the agreement because it didn’t include nuclear power as a recommended power source. As the Observer pointed out at the time, McCrory’s objections were irrelevant since local governments don’t build nuclear plants. Local governments can, however, carry out the climate agreement pledge’s suggestions, such as preserving open space, enforcing land-use policies, promoting public transit, and inventorying greenhouse gas emissions in city operations.

At the time, of course, McCrory was on the payroll at Duke Energy, which wants to build more nuclear plants. Now, I’m not saying McCrory was in Duke’s back pocket, but … yeah, actually, that is what I’m saying. Also, I’m saying it will be a nice change to have a mayor who’s able to tell the difference between the public interest and corporate profits.

FYI, the linked column above is included in my upcoming book, Deliver Us From Weasels, to be released later this month. End of commercial, thank you and good night.

Mayor McCrory as Duke Energy mascot Reddy Kilowatt

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Mayor-elect Anthony Foxx ran strongly in all areas of the city other than the heavily Republican south and southeast. Why is that? Well, besides the usual reasons for winning a mayoral race — solid financial backing, strong grassroots organizing, a fairly dull opponent — I get the sense that Foxx’s victory reflected a deep, underlying concern with the way the city has been run.

John Lassiter is part of the Uptown/Chamber/development crowd that has run the city for so long, and it hurt him. Simply put, many Charlotteans are tired of seeing their part of town being neglected in favor of Uptown and southeast Charlotte; or even if their part of town is fine, many don’t like the fact that formerly vibrant parts of Charlotte have been allowed to seriously deteriorate. This may be hard to imagine if you haven’t been in Charlotte long, but back before all the money started flowing Uptown and toward the southern ‘burbs, the east side of town, North Tryon St., and the Independence Blvd. corridor were all solid, lively areas with strong businesses and safe, well-maintained neighborhoods. The Wilkinson Blvd. and Freedom Drive corridors, although less-populated and perhaps a little grittier, were also thriving areas.

The kind of deterioration that has taken hold in these formerly vital parts of Charlotte didn’t have to happen; it was the result of lousy planning and a thoughtless rush toward sprawl. It’s time to pay attention to the rest of Charlotte, and voters saw Foxx as the more likely candidate to do that. In this economy, there’s no way to predict whether the new mayor will be able to help revitalize the neglected parts of Charlotte, but no one can deny that it was “the rest of Charlotte,” which is, of course, most of the city, that voted to put Anthony Foxx in office.

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Whew. That was close. But, only one candidate can win and that distinction goes to Democrat Anthony Foxx, who will forevermore be known as Charlotte’s second African-American mayor.

Early voting data came in first, as you’d expect, and put Foxx out front. Within an hour, however, his lead slipped and his rival, Republican John Lassiter, was in the lead.

Now, I hate horse race electoral coverage as much as the next person — but this really was one of those elections where one minute one candidate lead by a couple hundred votes and 10 minutes later the other one was in the lead by a few hundred.

If you’re interested in a play-by-play on the the night, check out the #CLTvote Twitter hashtag. (If you want to read them in order, read the older posts first.)

Not long after 10 p.m., the final tally was in and Foxx was named the winner with 51.48 percent of the vote to Lassiter’s 48.45 percent. There were 73 write-in votes. (Really?)

The pathetic news: Only only 106,994 citizens chose to vote for the next leader of the country’s 19th largest city. What gives, people? If any election should prove that your vote counts, it’s this one.

If you’re wondering how your ‘hood voted, check out this cool interactive map from The Charlotte Observer.

In related news, voters cleaned house in the school board election and three towns in Union County will now serve mixed drinks.

Watch Lassiter’s concession speech here, Foxx’s victory speech here (do note the color and tone of the crowds, will ya) and one of the winner’s campaign ads here:

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The headline pretty much says it all: Anthony Foxx has defeated John Lassiter in the race to become Charlotte’s next mayor. That victory makes Foxx the first Democrat to win in a long while and the second African-American to ever hold the office.

Congrats Mr. Foxx. More on this story to come tomorrow …

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Let’s make sure we’ve got the details straight here:

North Carolina’s Democratic Party sent out a mailing linking wealthy developers and John Lassiter, a Republican who is — you might have heard — running for mayor. OK. Check. That’s accurate — Lassiter is the developer’s main man. One in five dollar bills in his campaign coffer is from developers while only one in every 20 bucks in Foxx’s is from the same group.

Lassiter called a press conference to whine about the mailer and admit his rival, Democrat Anthony Foxx, didn’t have anything to do with the mailer. Um. OK. Check. Read Lassiter’s media statement here.

In last week’s debate, Lassiter even made the developer-yes-man connection himself:

Foxx took the first shot at Wednesday’s debate. “During your many years in politics you have taken thousands of dollars from big developers and consistently sided with developer interests… Why are you so convinced that our economic revival is best left to big developers…?”

Some expected Lassiter to dispute the premise. He didn’t.

“Because so much of what we need to happen is at the hands of the development community,” Lassiter replied.

The Observer’s Taylor Batten goes on to say …

In the constant tug between development and regulation, the record suggests Lassiter values the role developers and builders play in making things happen in Charlotte more than Foxx does. And it suggests Foxx values the role government plays in making sure developers do their business responsibly and with respect for certain aspects of Charlotte’s quality of life more than Lassiter does.

Who’s right? You decide, Tuesday.

In case Lassiter hasn’t noticed, there’s more going on in Charlotte than construction projects … and who really wants sprawl anyway?

With that, have you gotten off your lazy ass and voted yet? Why the hell not? Tuesday is Election Day. I don’t want to hear any excuses. Go. Vote.

Find out where you need to go to cast your vote here. But, before you do, read this: Candidates offer closing arguments on their mayoral bids

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Don’t despair. You can listen to it again on WFAE’s “Charlotte Talks” program tonight at 9 p.m. when you tune into 90.7 on your FM dial.

Can’t listen tonight? Again, you really shouldn’t worry. You can always listen online tomorrow.

If you haven’t already, be sure to mark your calendars: Nov. 5 is election day.

Charlotte’s two mayoral candidates continued to play up their differences Wednesday as they parted ways over a proposed streetcar and the nature of the city’s top job.

Democrat Anthony Foxx and Republican John Lassiter spoke to a Charlotte Chamber audience in Pinehurst in the afternoon before bringing what Lassiter called their “traveling road show” to Queens University of Charlotte in a forum co-sponsored by WFAE that night.

Less than a month before the November election, both still are fighting the impression that there’s little difference in the men who hope to become Charlotte’s first new mayor in 14 years. At the Chamber’s Pinehurst retreat, Johnson C. Smith University President Ron Carter told them they “sound alike in many ways.”

Read more at Charlotte.com.

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One side says yes, the other says no.

From John Lassiter’s camp:

An Elon University poll, released today, shows mayoral candidate John Lassiter with a significant lead … the poll revealed that Lassiter holds a commanding lead with a 10.78 percent higher average rating (vs. Foxx) on the top five issues to Charlotte voters.

The poll also finds that Lassiter’s hold a significant lead vs. Foxx on overall approval rating 44.3% Lassiter vs. 39.2% Foxx among Charlotte voters.

And, from Anthony Foxx’s side:

When asked, on a generic ballot, whether the respondent would prefer a Democrat or Republican as the next mayor, the Democratic candidate takes a four-point lead.

…

When asked, 51.4% of survey respondents indicated they did not think the city/county was headed in the right direction, while only 35.8% thought it was. This is yet again proof that status quo leadership, whose record proves that they consistently side with big developers over neighborhoods and communities, has too much influence.

They can he-said-he-said all day, every day until election day — which is Nov. 3 for those who haven’t been paying attention — but what really matters is who can turn out the most voters.

Still trying to decide who to vote for? CLTBlog.com interviewed both candidates earlier this year. See what they had to say for themselves: Foxx v. Lassiter ‘09. DING!

Not registered? (Slacker.) Register here. Check your registration status and find out where to pull the lever here. And, for chrissake, mark your calenders and get to the polls on Nov. 3.

Don’t make me tell you again.

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So today we all know what we already knew yesterday when we didn’t vote in the primary: Democrat Anthony Foxx and Republican John Lassiter will face off in the November mayoral election. Pardon me if I’m not excited. Some friends and acquaintances disagree with me, all but one of them saying Foxx is the man, but so far I’m having a hard time seeing any fundamental differences between these two guys. Now that the thrilling primary is history, perhaps Lassiter and Foxx will offer voters just a wee bit more detail about their plans. Any details will do. OK, if not details, at least clarify what you mean by your vague slogans. Here’s one good test: next week, Charlotte will host an NC Clean Energy Economy Forum at the Mint Museum, designed to look into potential job creation in the state, as well as suggesting how NC can provide leadership in the development of a clean energy economy. I, for one, would love to hear Foxx and Lassiter’s take on this issue and how it can be applied to Charlotte’s current economic depression.

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While most voters and members of the media seem to believe it’s a foregone conclusion that Charlotte’s mayoral race will be between two city councilmen — Anthony Foxx, a Democrat, and John Lassiter, a Republican — there’s the little matter of today’s primary.

Before Lassiter can take on Foxx, he’s got to get through the “Dirty Book Guy,” Martin Davis, and Jack Stratton.

CLT Blog reports:

Stratton, who doesn’t even live in Charlotte, features a rambling, incoherent website dedicated to an unintelligible conspiracy theory. The other fringe candidate, Martin Davis, has been dubbed “dirty book guy” by the Charlotte Observer and Creative Loafing.

Martin Davis first rose to notoriety at the October 7th, 1997 Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners meeting. Davis used a public comment period to read sexually explicit excerpts from “The Faber Book of Gay Fiction” which he had stumbled across at the public library. The meeting was broadcast live on television.

At first, the Commissioners allowed Davis to proceed. After several more sessions of reading aloud graphic and often homoerotic books, Chairman Parks Helms had enough. At the March 6th, 2001 County Commissioners meeting, Helms forbid Martin Davis from reading any adult material aloud. When Davis ignored the Chairman and attempted to read a special passage from “Woman on Top,” Helms had him forcefully removed from the building, or as Davis puts it “had a police officer attack me.”

Read more, and watch an excerpt from Davis’ reading of “Woman on Top” here.

Here’, in 2008, Davis pleads with the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners to reconsider funding for “Angels in America,” a play with homosexual themes.

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Transportation in Charlotte is a regular source of confusion for Queen City residents. Will light rail be expanded into more neighborhoods — and what about street cars?

Creative Loafing spoke to Republican candidates, Martin Davis and John Lassiter, who are facing off in the primary election tomorrow to find out what each man would do about transportation in the city and how he would change the current system if elected mayor.

Creative Loafing: What’s the future of Charlotte’s light rail system?

Martin Davis: If Foxx [or] Lassiter get elected, the system will be built out. CATS claims it will cost $2.1 billion. Based on local, national, and worldwide transit history the actual cost would prove to be in excess of $5 billion. When the referendum to repeal the half-cent sales tax for transit was being considered by the community, Foxx/Lassiter promised revenue from the half-cent sales tax for transit would be sufficient to fund the construction of the entire system. The South Boulevard line, originally sold to the citizenry at a price tag of $226 million, ended up costing approximately $520 million. Revenue from the tax has cratered, down 27 percent in FY2008-FY2009, and is projected by the city to fall another 17.4 percent in FY2010 to $63 million. Since many of Foxx/Lassiter’s financial backers own land along the proposed transit lines, the system will be completed, with a mama-jama sales tax increase of at least another half-cent. They will also try to do tax increment financing to complete this lunacy. If I am elected, I will do everything in my power to end this nonsense. If Council passes any rail transit scheme of any sort I will automatically veto it.

John Lassiter: Charlotte has a 25-year transportation plan that includes roads, expansion of our bus system and five mass transit corridors that have several options for both design and financing. The current Blue Line along South Boulevard is up and running and by all measures a success in both ridership and economic development along the corridor, over $2 billion in private development to date. The Northeast line from downtown to UNC Charlotte has been approved by the FTA and is in design. Both projects have a local funding source approved by the voters, a 1/2 cent sales tax. A commuter line north to Davidson along I-77 and a streetcar line from Beatties Ford Road to Eastland Mall are in policy discussion, but no funding source has been identified for construction, nor have we determined the best methods to improve travel along Independence Boulevard or from downtown to the airport. In all cases, the ultimate form of transit will require a partnership between Charlotte, the State of North Carolina and the Federal Transportation Administration.

What are the major issues with providing citywide public transit that people are willing to use?

Davis: Charlotte should only provide transportation to citizens who have none of their own.

Lassiter: Our expanded bus service has seen ridership increase more than 50 percent, especially as gas prices remain high and the cost to park a car escalates. Our Blue Line remains full during peak times and has become a mainstay for folks attending concerts, ballgames and entertainment venues. But light rail is considerably more expensive to both build and operate than buses. Our challenges will be state and federal funding in a down economy, lack of development opportunities along the corridors due to limited credit and the need to balance road construction and improvements with mass transit options.

How will future transit projects be funded?

Davis: Foxx/Lassiter will seek huge increases in our already ruinous 8.25 percent sales tax ([Which is] equal to NYC’s — Hooray!!! We’re finally world class!!!!). Of course, they aren’t about to mention this little item during election season — might cost votes you see. Another omission is the fact they would have to deal with our $12 billion road-building backlog caused by their obsession with transit the last 10 years. So we will have to have at least an additional half-cent dedicated to roads (we’re at 9.25 percent now), double the car registration tax from $30 to $60 annually, make 485, 85, 77 toll roads, and tax Charlotte drivers annually based on number of miles driven. Ain’t transit wonderful!!!!!

Lassiter: As noted above, the Northeast line to UNC Charlotte will be paid locally 1/4 through the voter-approved sales tax, 1/2 by the federal government and the balance by the state. We may find some smaller grants that could stimulate project financing but the estimated price tags of the lines: $250M for the North commuter line, $450M for the streetcar will require considerable state and federal funding to be matched by a local source that has not been identified.

Will current plans in place continue for transit development in the future? Why or why not?

Davis: If Foxx/Lassiter are elected they will do their dead-level best to build out the system for reasons previously stated. They will raise taxes as high as humanly possible, but due to national and state economic policy, our weakened local economy will not come close to funding the entire system. If I’m elected, I will try to persuade Council to abandon rail transit and build roads, funded by the sale of city assets. I know the socialists who read <I>CL<P> will hate this, but at some point the adults just have to take charge.

Lassiter: In order for Charlotte’s economy to prosper and create jobs, we will need to address all our transportation needs: roads, transit and expanded bus service. With air quality issues affecting our ability to build enough roads to accommodate the growth, we must continue to develop and expand our transit options and develop projects for housing, retail and office that reduce our dependency on the automobile and keep Charlotte a desirable place for people to start their career, raise a family and grow a business.

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