Tuesday, May 17, 2011

In Defense of Rejecting False Equivalence

I have been criticized for my confession in my analysis of the Richardson City Council election results. I confessed:

"that there were events in the election campaign that I failed to comment on that I normally might have. The RCA's tactics were so over the top that these other issues shrank in comparison. ... Misstatements by the non-RCA candidates turned out to be minor infractions compared to the repeated and serious misstatements made by the RCA. I focused on the felonies and let the misdemeanors go."

Because I said I found RCA's tactics to be over the top, I have been accused of voting with my emotions, of voting my personality likes and dislikes instead of the issues. I have been accused of admitting that I gave a pass to gross misstatements of the non-RCA candidates. I have been accused of failing to explicitly identify any misstatements made by the RCA.

Once again, Duty Calls. There are many problems with this criticism. After the jump, my defense.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Alan North, Man of Mystery

The big question surrounding the Richardson City Council election -- who would win and how big a victory would it be -- is now settled. Congratulations to the winners and all who worked to achieve their electoral success.

But there's a minor mystery that persisted through the entire campaign that has never been solved. Just who was that Alan North guy? He filed to run in Place 7 (eventually won by Amir Omar), attended none of the forums, responded to none of the questionnaires, reported no political fund-raising or expenditures, placed no campaign signs, pounded no pavement, kissed no babies, etc., etc.

After the jump, a mystery story.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

William Gordon's Response to the Election

The following statement is from William Gordon:

Some General Thoughts About The Election:

First, Mac McDowell, who funded much of the RCA and my campaign is one of the most highly ethical people I have ever met. His were the most honorable of intentions. He simply asked of me that if I were to get elected to be respectful, honest, and transparent in everything I did. This is all he ever asked of me. I have learned much from him, and will admire him for the rest of my life.

Second, too often my signs would disappear just as my opponent's signs would pop up across the street or somewhere nearby. I do not blame my opponent. But what I learned during this campaign is that there are unethical people who will do anything to win. Do they have no shame? Did their parent's not raise them better than that? Perhaps they believe that the means justify the end? You know who you are. What you did was dishonest and unnecessary. (This goes for what people said and did at candidate forums as well!) Our City deserves better. We need to be more respectful of each other and our differences.

Third, throughout this campaign there were many good people whose characters were smeared, and who were attacked relentlessly (some more than others). I'm not naive; I understand just how fierce the competitive battle of politics can be; however, many of these people are community leaders in every meaning of the word, people who have given so much of themselves to Richardson; volunteering, supporting their neighborhoods and youth; giving their time, money, and energy to schools, churches, and anyone who ever asked anything of them, including the City. Regardless of whether a candidate won or lost, the vilification has got to stop. Each of us is more than just a one-sided characterization of how the opposing side decided to paint us; we are people who support our community in many positive ways. The race for City Council is over. It's time bridges get built and relationships mended.

Fourth, I am respectful of both the Richardson Coalition (RC) and the Richardson Citizen's Alliance (RCA). There is a place for each in this community of ours. I like the RC, its focus on community heroes, leadership, and on all the positive things our City and its people do. We need this organization. But we also need an organization that keeps our City leaders honest and processes and information transparent so we can truly trust that fiduciary responsibilities are being met and that obligations are being upheld. But each of these organizations need to learn to play friendlier. Let's keep to facts, leave false allegations and personalities out of it, and try not to advertise our discourse and disagreements beyond the borders of our community.

Fifth, I would like to recognize the power and influence of our local blogs. Thank you Andrew Laska, Bill McCalpin, David Chenoweth, Destiny Herndon-DeLaRosa, Ian McCann, and Mark Steger, among others. Unless you've run a blog, you don't know how difficult and time consuming it can be. So many times I didn't agree with what you wrote or posted, but I certainly appreciate your commitment to our city and giving voice to people and opinions that would otherwise be lost without you.

In closing, my prayers are with our newly elected City Council. Just because you won and others lost, doesn't mean that the concerns and ideas of the losing candidates aren't without merit or worth exploring further.

Warmest Regards,

William Gordon

"Going Down the Path of Self-Destruction"

Campaign Signs

"Going Down the Path of Self-Destruction." So said Ernest A. "Mac" McDowell in an infamous YouTube video, referring to the city of Richardson. McDowell was so concerned that he founded a political action committee, the Richardson Citizens Alliance (RCA), funded it with $50,000, and found a slate of candidates to support in an effort to overturn the city council and impose a new vision on the city.

After the jump, how well did that go?

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Election Day in the Steger Garden

Hallelujah
From Flowers

Election winners:

  • RISD Bond: Yes


  • Richardson City Council Place 1: Bob Townsend
  • Richardson City Council Place 2: Mark Solomon
  • Richardson City Council Place 3: Scott Dunn
  • Richardson City Council Place 4: Laura Maczka
  • Richardson City Council Place 5: Kendal Hartley
  • Richardson City Council Place 6: Steve Mitchell
  • Richardson City Council Place 7: Amir Omar


  • Overall winner: Residents of Richardson and RISD

Bill Keffler's Scarlet Letter

"She had wandered, without rule or guidance, into a moral wilderness."
-- Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter

Earlier, I republished and linked to an open letter by the Richardson City Manager, Bill Keffler, responding to criticisms of the city made by the Richardson Citizens Alliance (RCA) PAC. But I never commented on the propriety of the city manager writing the letter.

After the jump, my (belated) thoughts.

Friday, May 13, 2011

The Wheel's 2011 Voters Guide

It's Friday. Election day is Saturday, May 14, 2011. This is the last chance for voters to do some, you know, ... homework, in order to cast their ballots as *informed* citizens. Everyone else seems to have published a voters' guide. Why not me?

After the jump, The Wheel's 2011 Voters Guide.