‘Smart Growth Democrats’
About a week ago, I got a copy of an email from a group that calls itself ‘Smart Growth Democrats’ urging their supporters to support two candidates – Rev. Renee Bethea and Rev. Paul Anderson – for openings on the Raleigh Planning Commission. The third candidate, according to the ‘Smart Growth Democrats,’ is unqualified because he is a ‘developer and a Republican.’
My suspicion is that ‘Smart Growth’ is a euphemism for ‘the kind of growth we want whether you like it or not and whether you want to pay for it or not’. But that’s not what’s interesting.
What’s interesting is the half a dozen odd page calendar of events the ‘Smart Growth Democrats’ attached to their email. Their ‘calendar’ lists nineteen meetings in ten days by groups they are either allied with – or at least liked enough – to publicize.
The ‘Smart Growth Democrats’ are promoting everything from the “Progressive Democrats of Wake County” to a forum on “Searching for Radical Ideas Series – Reviving Radical Humanism” to “People of Faith Against the Death Penalty” to the “International Human Rights Awards Dinner” (those who desire a vegetarian dinner should request it at the time they make a reservation).
God love them they even have a book club – the “December Liberal/Progressive Book Club Meeting” – and a book discussion group – “God’s Politics: Why the Right is Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get it.”
These folks are as busy as bees and they’re swarming around all these dinners and meetings and book clubs and they’ve still got time to be sure no evil Republicans get appointed to the Planning Commission.
You’ve got to admire their energy. And, agree with them or not, you’ve got to admit they’re a little piece of what Democracy is all about. And though they may be dead wrong on the issues – I wonder where they stand on $20 million downtown hotel subsidies – it seems they have gotten the jump on Republicans as far as the Planning Commission is concerned.
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Well, yesterday, I learned a little more about the ‘Smart Growth Democrats.’ It turns out they aren’t new at all – they’re actually former Howard Dean supporters. And their agenda for growth – as you might expect – is a little unusual.
For instance, take their stand on Horseshoe Falls Park. The issue here is whether to include a pool and recreation facility in the park – or just make it a nature park. Councilwoman Jessie Taliaferro (a Democrat) says there are a lot of low-income kids living near the park, and adding recreation facilities would help keep them out of the wrong places. The ‘Dean Dems’ say, No. They want a 100% nature park. They say kids need to get back to nature. (Whether they’d rather have a swimming pool or not).
And the ‘Dean Dems’ aren’t shy about attacking people who disagree with them, either. And not just Republicans and ‘evil’ developers. Democrats, too.
They have joined Councilmen Thomas Crowder and Russ Stephenson to push Rev. Renee Bethea for an open seat on the Raleigh Planning Commission, because, they say, the commission needs more African Americans and more women. But that didn’t stop them from attacking the only two women on the City Council – Joyce Kekas and Jessie Taliaferro – when they didn’t jump on board and endorse Rev. Bethea.
That’s City politics. We’ve got liberal Democrats attacking moderate Democrats – over a swimming pool.
‘Smart Growth Democrats’
About a week ago, I got a copy of an email from a group that calls itself ‘Smart Growth Democrats’ urging their supporters to support two candidates – Rev. Renee Bethea and Rev. Paul Anderson – for openings on the Raleigh Planning Commission. The third candidate, according to the ‘Smart Growth Democrats,’ is unqualified because he is a ‘developer and a Republican.’
My suspicion is that ‘Smart Growth’ is a euphemism for ‘the kind of growth we want whether you like it or not and whether you want to pay for it or not’. But that’s not what’s interesting.
What’s interesting is the half a dozen odd page calendar of events the ‘Smart Growth Democrats’ attached to their email. Their ‘calendar’ lists nineteen meetings in ten days by groups they are either allied with – or at least liked enough – to publicize.
The ‘Smart Growth Democrats’ are promoting everything from the “Progressive Democrats of Wake County” to a forum on “Searching for Radical Ideas Series – Reviving Radical Humanism” to “People of Faith Against the Death Penalty” to the “International Human Rights Awards Dinner” (those who desire a vegetarian dinner should request it at the time they make a reservation).
God love them they even have a book club – the “December Liberal/Progressive Book Club Meeting” – and a book discussion group – “God’s Politics: Why the Right is Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get it.”
These folks are as busy as bees and they’re swarming around all these dinners and meetings and book clubs and they’ve still got time to be sure no evil Republicans get appointed to the Planning Commission.
You’ve got to admire their energy. And, agree with them or not, you’ve got to admit they’re a little piece of what Democracy is all about. And though they may be dead wrong on the issues – I wonder where they stand on $20 million downtown hotel subsidies – it seems they have gotten the jump on Republicans as far as the Planning Commission is concerned.
_____________________________
Well, yesterday, I learned a little more about the ‘Smart Growth Democrats.’ It turns out they aren’t new at all – they’re actually former Howard Dean supporters. And their agenda for growth – as you might expect – is a little unusual.
For instance, take their stand on Horseshoe Falls Park. The issue here is whether to include a pool and recreation facility in the park – or just make it a nature park. Councilwoman Jessie Taliaferro (a Democrat) says there are a lot of low-income kids living near the park, and adding recreation facilities would help keep them out of the wrong places. The ‘Dean Dems’ say, No. They want a 100% nature park. They say kids need to get back to nature. (Whether they’d rather have a swimming pool or not).
And the ‘Dean Dems’ aren’t shy about attacking people who disagree with them, either. And not just Republicans and ‘evil’ developers. Democrats, too.
They have joined Councilmen Thomas Crowder and Russ Stephenson to push Rev. Renee Bethea for an open seat on the Raleigh Planning Commission, because, they say, the commission needs more African Americans and more women. But that didn’t stop them from attacking the only two women on the City Council – Joyce Kekas and Jessie Taliaferro – when they didn’t jump on board and endorse Rev. Bethea.
That’s City politics. We’ve got liberal Democrats attacking moderate Democrats – over a swimming pool.