David Cutting's election campaign was a family affair

In my recent stand for a seat on the Clarksville City Council, I spent $790, or $1.25 for each vote received, and the winning challenger spent $6,740, or $2.68 for each vote received. He and I both wanted to win, worked hard at it (he much longer than I did), and saw a real need to replace the incumbent.

The defeated incumbent, similarly to me, spent less than $1,000 on his campaign, but unlike me, did not work hard at it. The winner received $4,740 in campaign contributions, and a $2,000 loan from himself to fund his campaign. I neither sought nor received contributions, and if the incumbent did, they totaled less than $1,000, or he would have had to file a report. The local newspaper reports none of this public record data, and it is not on the Internet.

The gains to the public are that on January 1, 2009, the incumbent will leave office, and the gain to the winner is obvious. My gains include having met many wonderful people, hearing a voter tell me I am a good man, and facing my wife’s applause at 7:30 p.m. on election night, without her yet knowing whether I won or lost.

My point is that in a few weeks there will be four new members in our city government, each of whom earned the right to assume their seats. The rest of us must help them do their jobs, and encourage them to remain independent of the mess that is city hall. However, we must remove some of the entrenched members of city government who are seeped in questionable practices and/or corruption. Only then will Clarksville progress as a modern city, with equality and justice for all.

For Ward 8 City Council candidate David Cutting, political campaigning is a family affair. Photo by Bill Larson.

Normally we look to experience as the reason for retaining an incumbent in our local government. However, we must exercise our right to review the accomplishments within his tenure.

In Clarksville City Council’s Ward 8, the incumbent fails to justify re-election.

He talks of his monthly town hall meetings. However, he holds them in a remote area of the ward, inconvenient to most residents. The local newspaper publicized the meetings, but he did not even attend the last two.

He talks of returning phone messages, but does not return e-mails, even ones with concerns about a subject as serious as absence of tornado sirens. As tornado activity increases in our area, most residents have no warning of impending catastrophe.

He takes credit for cameras on our traffic lights, but fails to research the fact that the cameras actually cause accidents.

He states that property taxes will increase gradually, without concern that many residents cannot afford tax increases in this economic recession.

He talks about improving public safety, yet failed to present justifiable salary increases to our firefighters and police officers.

Thanks to the incumbent, in this large area of our otherwise beautiful city, the only neighborhoods to enjoy the safety of sidewalks are the newly constructed subdivisions.

The Leaf-Chronicle quotes him as opposed to big industry, because the city has seen sustained growth without one. Without industry, where will we find employment, and where will we get our tax revenues?

The Leaf-Chronicle also quotes him as wanting a public library in Ward 8. He apparently does not realize that the library system is a county, not a city responsibility.

He admits, as an authority figure, to an extra-marital indiscretion in June of 2007, which caused embarrassment to our city and disgrace to his office.

Now is the time to replace the incumbent, and I pledge to return dignity to the office and respond to the needs of the residents.

Montgomery County Democratic Party

The Montgomery County Democratic Party will host a “get out the vote” rally Saturday at 10 a.m. at Veteran’s Plaza. State legislators  and local candidates will join the event in an effort to energize and encourage early voting, which if the first day of early voting is any indicator, will be encouragement falling on willing ears.

After the rally, the group plans to enter the Election Commission as a group and vote for the candidates of their choice.

On Wednesday, the early voting line extended out the door and down the covered walkway, with as many as 60-80 people in line at any given time.

For more information on this MCDP event, call  931-552-5523

Pre-presidential debate event is well attended with diverse community population. Hispanic/Latino community activists speak out on election, progress, and issues facing all voters.

The Montgomery County Democratic Party Headquarters, 534 Madison Street, served as the host site for the Latinos For Obama House Party. As a prelude to the 2nd presidential debate, the gathering was a well attended affair that drew participants from beyond just the Latino/Hispanic community.

Fabian Bedne, making a point...

Fabian Bedne, an architectural engineer, was the guest speaker for the event. Bedne is a founding member and President of the Middle Tennessee Hispanic Democrats, founding member of the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, the Tennessee Hispanic Voters Coalition PAC, and member of the Executive Committee of the Davidson County Democratic Party.

Bedne has been featured various times in news print, television and recently spoke to Latino Democrats from around the country as an Obama delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

Fabian Bedne addresses voters at MCDP headquarters

Bedne is also a board member of Habitat for Humanity, a founding member of Metro schools’ Comité de Padres Latinos (COPLA) Committee of Latino Parents, member of the Community Relations Committee of the Nashville Jewish Federation, and member of the Tennessee Delegate Selection Plan Committee of the Tennessee Democratic Party. He has also mentored students in the YMCA Hispanic Achievers program.

Parents listen intently as Bedne speaks.

Bedne stated that he is a supporter of educational achievement and economic development. In the past, the Black community and the Latino/Hispanic communities have both received the same political consideration in American politics, namely that of being ignored or taken for granted, marginalized.

“Like the Black community, we know what it is to only see or hear from politicians during an election cycle and after the election, they disappear for four years and forget your name until the next election rolls around.”~~ Fabian Bedne

During his address he noted that issues of concern to the Latino/Hispanic community are the same as with the Black community. He stated that many assume that immigration is the top concern of Latinos and Hispanics but that is incorrect. “We care about the economy, education, the war and then immigration, in that order.”

He also told the gathering that “Hispanics being seen as the largest minority in the United States has resulted in efforts targeting Latinos and Hispanics for specialized intimidation and voter suppression.” Flyers and rumors pour into the communities with misinformation and untruths designed to scare Latinos and Hispanics from seeking to register or go to the polls to vote. Bedne stated that many Latinos and Hispanics come from a background where law enforcement is not an true agent of public service for the common citizen but rather an extension of the power structure to suppress the people.

“It takes an intensive education effort to undo that kind of conditioning. Sadly there are political operatives here in this country who prey upon the immigrants ingrained fears of police to discourage our community from fully participating in the American system of government.” ~~ Fabian Bedne

Bedne stated that education is important, on many levels. “You can’t educate the child if the parents aren’t involved. Yet many Latinos/Hispanics have many issues which prevent them from being involved in their children’s education. Lack of English language proficiency and the quest for profitable employment are chief among these issues.”

“This is a great country. For us, prior to coming here, we only know what we see in the movies. But when we get here, we stay here because we see just how great life is in the United States. The Latino/Hispanic community is not trying to tear down this country, quite the opposite.”~~ Fabian Bedne

They recognize the promise that is America and seek to participate in that ideal.

During the question and answer session that followed his address, an audience member asked, ” “How do you answer someone who tells you vote your biblical heritage?” Another individual responded saying, “I would tell them, my biblical heritage tells me to vote for someone who will help the poor, who will feed the hungry, who will shelter the homeless and clothe the naked and drive the moneychangers out of the temples. Someone who will do unto his fellowman as he or she would wish done for himself.” This response was soundly applauded.

Other Latino community activists in attendance were also introduced to the gathering.

Yoland Echezarria (at left), a Fort Campbell Middle school teacher, is also a voter registration volunteer in the Hispanic community, indicating the value she places on the rights and responsibility of individuals to not only register to vote but to show up at the polls and vote.

Angel Natal, (at right with Frankie DeJesus), is a member of the Clarksville Fire Department and is also active in voter registration activity, promoting educational achievement and community organizing.

Frankie DeJesus is a student at Austin Peay State University, a member of the APSU College Democrats, and Director of Minority Affairs for the State Federation of College Democrats Outreach to the Minority Community.

Candidates for public office were then acknowledged.

Candy Johnson (at right), candidate for City Council Ward 5, David Cutting, candidate for City council Ward 8, Tim Barnes (above right), Democratic candidate for State Senate District 22 and State Rep. Joe Pitts, State House District 67 were presented to the gathering. Socializing followed with refreshments being served as everyone waited for the second presidential debate, live from Belmont University to begin.

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]]> http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/10/09/latinos-for-obama-house-party-is-a-full-house/feed/ 0 http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/09/23/in-the-best-interests-of-our-children/ http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/09/23/in-the-best-interests-of-our-children/#comments Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:00:07 +0000 News Staff http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/?p=9536 In his most recent platform statement, Ward 8 City Council candidate David Cutting addresses issues the affect the safety and quality of life for our children.

What can we do, as a city, for our most important asset, the children? If elected city councilor, I would work for the following issues, each of which will eventually be without cost to our taxpayers.

• Foster Care: We need more foster care homes here in Clarksville, to keep at-risk children near their families, and to keep the state and federal monies paid to their caregivers here in Clarksville, rather than remote cities and counties. I will lobby the state to repeal the prohibition against DCS workers and their spouses being foster parents, and, if successful, will care for two foster children in my home. (Please note my wife is a DCS social worker.) I will also use my office to promote volunteerism for foster care.

• Speed Bumps: The Clarksville City Council recently erred in requiring underground utilities and sidewalks in new subdivisions, at developer expense, without also requiring speed humps. We do not need the speed bumps that ruin our vehicles’ alignment, but we do need the humps to enforce 20 mph speed limits designed to save our children’s lives.

• Pre-Kindergarten: Studies show that children attending pre-kindergarten are more likely to graduate high school, graduate college, obtain better jobs, spend more money, and pay higher taxes. I will use my office to lobby the state for more pre-K classrooms in Clarksville.

• Seat Belts: The requirement that we seat-belt our children in our vehicles is oxymoronic to the fact that the county does not provide seat belts in its school buses, which could result in serious injuries to our children, and expensive lawsuits for our taxpayers. I will lobby the school board for seat belts on all our school buses.

• Nutrition: The sales taxes on food is regressive, causing many parents to either shop in Kentucky, or worse, not buy needed food items for their children. Repeal the sales tax on food, and we will have healthier children and higher business income in Clarksville.

• Higher Education: The presence in Clarksville of Austin Peay State University is a blessing. However, Clarksville is also large enough to have a community college. We need to keep our youth here, rather than commuting to Kentucky, and paying for tuition, books, supplies, and meals there. This will lead to increased community activities and pride, and higher business income in Clarksville.

I will encourage my constituents to share their ideas for improving the quality of life for our upcoming generations.

Ward 8 City Council Candidate David Cutting

City Code Section 1-204(c), as copied below, is anti-democracy, and the new members, hopefully including this writer, must vote to repeal it.

A public comment period is conducted prior to each regular session of the city council from 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.. Any person wishing to address the council shall make such request to the city clerk by noon on Wednesday prior to the regular session and shall submit their name and the topic of said comments. Each person shall be allowed a maximum of five minutes to speak during the comment period. No public comments concerning any zoning amendment to be considered by the city council at such regular session shall be received during this period.

We must encourage, not restrict, resident participation in our city government. It should suffice for persons to sign up for comments between 7:15 and 7:30, as they enter the meeting, and to do so without stating a topic. The council should hear the five-minute comments, in the order in which people signed in, at the end of the regular session. This will help ensure that the public will have the opportunity to address items of current concern, rather than stale issues that may already be resolved.

The current council chambers, and on-site parking, are not ample for enough residents to attend, especially when topics of major interest, such as public safety and taxation, are on the agenda. However, rather than wasting taxpayer dollars on a proposed new city council building, an enormous expense which would receive only occasional use, we must consider appropriate space that is currently available. The former Gateway Hospital on Madison should be perfect, with its large parking lot and large open areas, including the former cafeteria. Another possibility, for occasional use, is the large meeting room on the second floor of the Montgomery County Health Department on Pageant Lane.

The election process for six new council seats every two years must include opportunities for the voters to learn about the candidates, so they may vote intelligently. This should include, as a minimum, one question and answer session, to which all qualified candidates are invited. The questioning should be by a neutral entity, perhaps from Austin Peay State University, and the candidates should not have advance access to the questions. The venue should be large enough to hold all interested voters, and have ample parking. Appropriate sites could include the former Gateway Hospital on Madison, the Media Center at Austin Peay State University, or the large meeting room on the second floor of the Montgomery County Health Department on Pageant Lane. To reach even more voters, we should televise the question and answer session. When we elect our city councilors based solely on who spent more money on yard signs and billboards, we do not necessarily achieve good government.

Clarksville’s new election sign ordinance, requiring $25 permits for each sign on commercial property, places challengers without name recognition at a disadvantage. We must repeal this ordinance, designed to keep incumbents in office, as it mocks democracy. Written permission of the property owner should be the only requirement for short-term election signs on commercial property.

Most important to democracy, whenever the city government feels it has the need or the right to take real property from residents, whether owners or tenants, it must include those residents in all deliberations affecting their housing. In no event should the city government seize private real property without first ascertaining that all displaced residents have adequate replacement housing, with which they are well satisfied.

To implement these progressive reforms, we voters must change the current membership of the Clarksville City Council. This includes replacing one of my opponents, the incumbent Ward 8 councilor.

I choose to write my first position paper, Public Safety, as a brief narrative, derived from my personal observations.

The current City Council systematically denies pay increases for our firefighters and police officers by first telling them they must accept salary reductions, so that when their current salaries remain uncut they feel good that at least they did not lose anything. However, the public loses, when seasoned officers leave for smaller cities, such as Ashland City and Oak Grove, for higher pay. We must then recruit and train replacements, at significant cost, when those funds, plus revenue from an increased property tax base (not increased property taxes) should have been used for parity increases to our already trained and devoted men and women.

We must curtail otherwise increasing crime, through police presence, unyielding continuation of enforcement of illegal drug and underage alcohol use, solicitation of new and better paying jobs and encouragement of continuing education for our youth and displaced adults, and government recognition of the value of family, church, school, and community involvement in the development of productive and law abiding residents.

We can eliminate many real safety hazards through non-costly means. I deal with one example, experienced Sunday afternoon, September 1, 2008, at Billy Dunlop Park. While the Clarksville park rangers do an excellent job of protecting our rights and our safety, they cannot be everywhere at the same time. I brought my two youngest children, ages 5 and 2, to the park for two hours of bicycle riding and free play, as park roads and pathways are supposedly safer even than the cul de sac on which we live. However, a large group of teens, uncaring about the safe enjoyment rights of small children, were drag racing and speeding, at up to 70 M.P.H. The simple and permanent solution is speed humps on the Boy Scout Road entrance road and the parking lot. We do not need the speed bumps that ruin our cars’ alignment. Humps, designed to make drivers and passengers bump their heads on their car roofs will be a better deterrent. City maintenance employees could install them at Billy Dunlop Park and other danger zones.

Finally, we must encourage valuable input from our police, firefighters, educators, social workers, and religious leaders. Public safety is the most important issue in this city, and to remain viable we must progress to a much higher level than currently exists.

Editor’s Note: Candidates for public office can submit up to four position statements for publication on Clarksville Online. Candidates are limited to 800 words and must address issues. These statements are not a vehicle for personal attacks.