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2009 Candidate Survey Responses & Voter Guide Candidate for City Council: Carl Mumpower (incumbent) 1. What are your top three policy priorities for your term, if elected? Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your questions-
2. An estimated 16-20% of Buncombe County’s children and youth live in poverty; a number expected to rise during this recession. What role, if any, does council play in addressing the impact of child poverty (e.g. hunger, health, nutrition, education) in the region? Public safety is the number one
responsibility of city government. Our open air drug markets in public
housing supporting the recruitment of a never ending cycle of new dealers,
users, and enablers accounts for 80% of our community’s crime and many of
the consequential impacts you note affecting our children. I am persistent
in my firm dedication to action on this priority above all others. 3. How effective has the City been in addressing youth crime, including gang-related activity? Are there other intervention and prevention strategies the City should invest in? Our city’s council and management have been
proactive in funding and supporting a variety of gang intervention
strategies. We will not, however, succeed at this agenda if we continue to
tolerate open air hard drug markets in public housing and other vulnerable
neighborhoods. The money, destructive power models, and crime will fund and
organize gang activity at a faster pace than we can generate resources. The
active drug/thug culture in Asheville is persistently punching holes in our
boat -- we must do more than chase symptoms and bail. 4. What is your assessment of the City’s public transportation system? Would you propose changes? Considering the size of our city, density,
and topography, we do a good job of funding and supporting our bus system.
Frequency would be the best improvement, but we also have to be realistic
about the fact we are using 5 or more city, state, or federal tax dollars to
subsidize the system for every dollar in fares. It remains that most people
in Asheville prefer to rest their feet on the floor of their private
automobile than on the stairs of public transportation. 5. The Asheville-Buncombe Living Wage Campaign calculates that a single person needs to earn $11.35/hr to have economic self-sufficiency in Asheville. Should the City ensure that all City employees and contractors make a living wage? Why or why not? No - I do not believe in government intrusion
on wage structures. It starts with good intentions, but politics inevitably
takes over and trumps reason. Witness the minimal impact of the minimum
wage program and self-serving wage manipulations by unions on one end and
business and industry exploitations of illegal immigrants to sidestep paying
responsible wages on the other. There are very few special interest groups
today able to resist the temptation of becoming selfish interest groups and
gaming America. In the final analysis I have more faith in our historical
system of liberty, opportunity, and responsibility than I do the
manipulations of politicians or well intended special interest groups. 6. What further role, if any, should council play in the I-26 Connector debate? More than anything, we need to get out of the
way. Political delays have added years and millions to this project. We
can nudge NCDOT and the USDOT on certain issues, but beyond that we have
very little authority. Our role going forward - press for timely
completion, advocate for enhancements (destination bridge as an example),
and resist the temptation of feeding the political flames surrounding this
major roads building project. Per usual, those paying for the project
(state and federal DOT) are the ones who will make the major decisions. 7. Describe your vision for increasing affordable housing options in Asheville. How do the existing locations of the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville fit your vision? I am fascinated by the way most city
officials advocate for heavy regulatory authority, high dollar development
ordinances, and elitist policies and then want to take people’s tax dollars
to give others a special deal on housing. The only thing that grows from
this process is government, and I view robbing Peter to pay Paul as poor
public policy. Market forces (witness the impact of the economic downturn
on housing prices), low tax rates, and limited government intrusions on
government will do most to create affordable housing. We must also resist
the voices of those who have come to Asheville and want to close the door
and keep things the same. Artificial restrictions on development will drive
up housing costs faster than anything we can do. I do not want Asheville to
be an elite city affordable only to the wealthy and privileged. |