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Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeOpinionWhen is it time to replace an incumbent?

When is it time to replace an incumbent?

This is David Cutting’s fourth and final campaign statement. Cutting is a candidate for City Council in Ward 8. Candidates are allowed four issue-based statements prior to the Nov. 4 election.

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.

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