Back to the Future: Poor John and Lord Rob



Just when I was going to take a little break from writing (until Election Day), the Newcastle News dropped in with two old friends.

I could practically swear that the Newcastle News told me that they had implemented a policy of publishing only one supporting letter to the editor, in total, for anyone's favorite council candidate, and only one negative one, during the election season.  I'll have to check my e-mails to be 100% sure, but I'm 98% sure that this was their policy until apparently it began to look like their candidate, John Drescher, didn't have this election locked up, yet, as he should have with all of his advantages (including the support of the town newspaper that is going out of their way to help him).  Now, it looks like the News is changing their policy in the middle of the ballgame and giving "Poor John" yet another helping hand by publishing another letter from one of his Planning Commission buddies, this time from Lord Rob, a.k.a. Rob Lemmon.  Lord Rob, as you know, wants to go back to 1910 (you'll have to read an old N.P.R. post to get the joke).  In Lord Rob's world, Newcastle would become one big gated community, and the Planning Commission would be the gatekeepers, of course.  Lord Rob's vision of Newcastle 2035 looks a little more like Orwell's "1984" than Taft's 1910, but who's counting years when regression is back to the future.

-- Mark Greene, Candidate for Newcastle City Council, Position 6

P.S. : Incidentally, since I'm campaigning more intensely than usual these last few days, if anybody sends me an e-mail, it might take a day or two for me to respond.  My apology, however.

[revised on 11/2/13]

Key phrases or words for link(s), above: old N.P.R. post

Recent N.P.R. post with Mark Greene's photo: Time to Vote.

Last day to mail in or drop-off ballots: Tues., Nov. 5th, 2013.
 

Feeling Like Alaska

I thought that my previous post (about the fabulous singer, Miley Cyrus) would be my last post until the first results come in on Tuesday, but it just dawned on me that I have the same feeling going into Election Day that I had in the Alaska primary for Congress 13 years ago.  Then there were six candidates competing in what would turn out to be the last statewide Open Alaska Primary, a primary in which any partisan candidate could run in regardless of their party affiliation (before the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed those kind of primaries, but later reinstituted it, more or less, through the State of Washington's "Top 2" law). The Alaskan Republicans opted to hold their own primary rather than participate in that one that year, 2000.  I campaigned hard although in only 2 of Alaska's towns as it is almost impossible to cover the whole great land mass state even with considerable money, let alone without it. 

However, I did manage to communicate through the Alaskan media well enough to win the primary, but had absolutely no idea where I would place among the 6 candidates before I first heard the results from my mother over the phone (who had checked the results on her computer).  The radio announcers were pretty much ignoring the Congress primary until very late in the night, if not after 12 A.M.  I thought that I did well given the hand that I was dealt (poor finances, relative newcomer to Alaska, a conservative state that's doesn't particularly embrace dyed-in-the-wool liberals), but doing well is not always good enough to win elections.  However, I won.  Today, I have the same feeling about Newcastle (not really feeling too sure, but also having this feeling that a victory will happen), but the difference is that this is the General Election and not a primary, so now I may take office.  Thank you, Newcastlers, for your support and confidence in me.  My first agenda item will be trying to put together the consortium and political support needed to build a geothermal plant in Newcastle (in conjunction with gearing up the private version of the Newcastle Environmental Enhancement Project), and I will start on that, within the full legal boundaries as a private citizen still, during the transition period between Election Day and the start of the new Council term in early January (my swearing-in day).

-- Mark Greene, Candidate for Newcastle City Council, Position 6

Note:  After 2000, Alaskans awarded me a second consecutive partisan primary victory for Congress in August of 2002, with roughly 2/3 of the vote.

[revised on 11/1/13]

Recent N.P.R. post with Mark Greene's photo: Time to Vote.

Last day to mail in or drop-off ballots: Tues., Nov. 5th, 2013.

Miley: One Great Star

Since Miley Cyrus is one the most famous celebrities today, I know that a lot of people that don't ordinarily vote, but follow Hollywood pretty intensely, may be led to this post, and that's good, because I'm trying to reach out to non-voters for a change, and urging them to take an interest in this election or the next one because politics matters, believe it or not.  By the way, I like Miley Cyrus, the singer and musician, and would never have a celebrity name as the title of one my posts if I felt differently.  I like Ms. Cyrus because she doesn't mind being herself no matter what anybody thinks about her and that is something to be greatly applauded in a society that pretty much follows the herd rather than thinking independently.  At least there are people out there who say, "hey, wait a minute," this doesn't make sense, or it doesn't follow my sensibilities, or it's no more right than my very different way, or it's downright absurd or worse. Cyrus stands out because of her independence and willingness to take a stand for it, and by extension, her God-given natural rights, not to mention rights from the Constitution.  If only the political psyche of America was more like Cyrus, then we wouldn't be led astray by "moralistic" politicians and pontificators who are anything but moral.  So if you came to this post expecting a blog about entertainment rather than politics, you will be disappointed, but maybe you will think about politics more, and how your independent vote, if you decide to vote, could lead us to a better government that is really of, for and by the people.  For Newcastlers, it's not too late to vote today and up until the 5th day of November.  This will probably be N.P.R.'s last post until the results come in late Tuesday.

-- Mark Greene, Candidate for Newcastle City Council, Position 6

[revised on 10/31/13]

Recent N.P.R. post with Mark Greene's photo: Time to Vote.

Last day to mail in or drop-off ballots: Tues., Nov. 5th, 2013.

Greene Busily Campaigning During Final Voting Days

Mark Greene, candidate for Newcastle City Council, has been busily campaigning on the streets of Newcastle this week and picking up more support, just several days before the November 5th vote count.  Ballots have already been mailed out by the King County Elections Department.  Newcastle women appear to be especially supporting Greene, as many appreciate his endorsement from political activist and former Congressional nominee, Darcy Burner.

Women also appreciate Greene's big support for Police Chief Melinda Irvine and City Attorney Dawn Reitan, and Greene's call for freedom since 2011 of ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, the Ukrainian political prisoner.  Greene also lauded State Senator Pam Roach (R) in an earlier post on N.P.R. even though Greene, himself, is from the Party of Commons, a third party.  Greene expects to get somewhere between 53% - 58% of the female vote.

Greene also expects to do well among the elderly and the low income in Newcastle, who appreciate Greene's support for expanding and defending the social safety net, especially social security.  Greene also does very well among those really interested in protecting the environment.  The little bicycle club (Cascade) refused to endorse Greene despite his filling out their questionnaire and obviously being much in support of improving the conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians (neither did they endorse Drescher).  Nothing against their rank-in-file members, most of whom are probably upstanding, good citizens, but their hierarchy is probably overrun by pansy-assed snobs.

Of course, Greene is not doing as well among the Establishment and Chamber of Commerce-types, as they are all too aware that Greene will be representing the wishes of commoners, not moneyed interests, if he is elected to the Council.  Greene's support is more from unelected officials in Newcastle than elected.

[revised on 10/30/13]

Recent N.P.R. post with Mark Greene's photo: Time to Vote.

Last day to mail in or drop-off ballots: Tues., Nov. 5th, 2013.