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February 22, 2009
Ron Bails Out Of The Debates; Bets On You Voting For Him Anyway.
Ron Littlefield has been ducking out of debating Rob Healy lately and it's really ticking off the people who are sponsoring the debates. In the past few days Ron hasn't bothered showing up for the YPAC (Young Professionals Association of Chattanoga), Chamber, Highland Park Neighborhood Association and Eastdale Neighborhood Assocaiton debates.
I've gotten emails from quite a few people ticked off that he dissed them and their constituents and speculating as to why Ron Littlefield is afraid to debate Healy. It's my opinion that his out-of-town pollster has told him that he has this election in the bag (primarily because interest is so low and early voting has been so abysmally low) as long as he doesn't make any big mistakes. In other words, it's his to lose, so why show up and face people in an open forum and take a chance of saying the wrong thing?
Oh, and if at some point Ron or his spokespeople say that he had previously scheduled meetings and couldn't be there, think this to yourself, "That's BS." In a political campaign, nothing is more important than standing before constituents with your competition and talking to them face to face. Besides, he's the mayor--he can move any meeting he needs to.
So Ron isn't going to come to your group and discuss his (in)actions of the last four years, because it's safer not to. What if he runs into a citizen that has been paying attention? He knows that the vast majority of people are uncomfortable with change and incumbancy is hard to overcome for a challenger. That's what history tells us, and why should this year be any different? (Oh, yeah--that whole 'Hope!' thing)
So, what's it gonna be, Chattanooga? Does it matter to you that your mayor won't stand before you and be accountable for the job he's done. Are we sheep?
Comments to:
Posted by Billy Blades at 9:54 AM
February 15, 2009
You'll Have to Do Better Than That.
Last week, Ron Littlefield failed to get the endorsement of several groups that had endorsed him last go-round, but he did manage to get the endorsement of the Chattanooga Area Labor Council this week. While that in itself is not a surprise--Littlefield has been in bed with the unions his entire career (smoke-filled backrooms being his native environment). What I found astonishing about the endorsement was the ridiculously up-is-down nature of the reason they cited: Ron's commitment to improving neighborhoods.
Say what?!? Which neighborhoods? MLK? Brainerd? I can't think of a neighborhood that has been improved by public money or mayoral action in Ron's tenure. The MLK neighborhood has been besieged for the last four years by Ron's obsessive desire to create a Southeastern Homeless Magnet Complex in their neighborhood.
Oh, and btw, there was a letter to the editor (a Littlefield campaign planted letter, no doubt) that gave Ron credit for the softball fields at Warner Park. The letter writer may just be uninformed, or just a Littlefiend, but the money and plans for those fields were a part of former Mayor Kinsey's ReCreate 2008 parks plan, that was put in motion TEN YEARS AGO. Sorry, Ron, not gonna let you take credit for another man's work. Again.
Back to my original point about neighborhoods. Now, it's true that there has been a great renaissance in the Main Street area near Market Street during Littlefield's term, but that's all due to foundation money and influence and RiverCity--Littlefield's arch-nemisis. Ron had nothing to do with Main Street and I can tell you that the people in that area bristle when he pops up trying to claim credit. Or worse, his pathetic attempt to link himself to CreateHere's efforts in a letter to the editor in the Times Free Press last August.
Littlefield has done NOTHING for neighborhoods, and I have no idea why he'd try to claim otherwise. All any citizen has to do is look out his or her window to see the (non) evidence of that.
So Ron, when you are handing out talking points to your cohorts, try to find some that don't make readers do a spit-take onto their daily newspaper. If you're going to try to convince us that black is white, hot is cold or that Ron Littlefield is an effective mayor--you'll have to do better than 'committed to neighborhoods.'
Comments to:
Posted by Billy Blades at 11:46 PM
February 9, 2009
Cracks in the Foundation.
While it's still doubtful that Ron can lose this election--though if we've learned anything lately, it's the power of hope over the status quo--it must be noted that pieces of Ron's coalition for success in 2005 are falling apart.
Last week, the firefighters union, who supported him last election cycle, have opted not to endorse Ron Littlefield for Mayor. While it's true that they also didn't endorse Healy, but that's not the point here. Ron lost the firefighters. A Democrat, sitting mayor lost the firefighters? Wow. That's strong. I mean weak. It's a strong testament to how weak Ron's leadership skills are.
But that's not all--he also lost the service workers union (SEIU). SEIU brought workers from Nashville to work for Ron during the last election and he made promises to them that he didn't keep. In fact, they aren't being as neutral as the firefighters, they're actively working against Ron. And Marti--which is just fun stuff. (BTW-she's pulling the same crap as last time--in my view, she doesn't live in the district she's running to represent. She just stays over there more often. Oddly, she admitted she does her laundry at Hemphill. That whacked-out mu-mu support system is always her own worst enemy. Test number 3 for 'does someone live here': Where do you do your laundry--that's where you live.)
Oh, and the police aren't too happy either. Ron must have promised them money too.
Like I said, it's unlikely any of this matters--based on the Ward Crutchfield phone transcripts from Operation Tennessee Waltz, Ron still has his coalition with inner city leaders intact, and that is the most important thing in a municipal election in this city--but it's still interesting that several of the piers he built his previous campaign around are crumbling.
Plus, Chattanoogan's know deep down that VW had nothing to do with Ron and that he is, in fact, the Worst Mayor Ever.
Comments to:
Posted by Billy Blades at 11:37 PM
February 7, 2009
It was the right thing to do.
As you know Joe Lance dropped out of the mayoral race Friday. It was the right thing to do. Joe's a good man, but his campaign was a non-starter and at this point in the race, all he was doing is splitting the progressive/anti-Littlefield vote. Unfortunately, Joe's name will still be on the ballot--causing some dillution of the vote-- but in effect it's down to Littlefield and Healy now. So this was a bad day for Littlefield.
Given the non-campaign Ron has been running, I'm guessing Ron's polling numbers tell him he can't be beat. It's probably true, but I can't stop trying. Four more years of sleazy mediocrity, in my opinion, is not acceptable. Four more years of riding the coattails of better, smarter, harder working men. Four more years of not-a-damn-thing happening in our neighborhoods. Four more years of funding Missy Crutchfield's goofiness, while a recycling program that was not very good to begin with has been made virtually useless by Littlefield's incompetence.
So while it's true that most Chattanoogans will fall sway to the power of incumbancy, we've got to try. Do you have a Healy sign in your yard? Do you have a bumper sticker on you car? Are you talking about who you intend to vote for with co-workers, at the gym and at your church? There's less than a month until the election--and there won't be a runoff this time folks, this is it.
For the record, I didn't say a word about either while there was more than one (serious) candidate opposing Littlefiend. That's over now. 'Nuff said.
Comments to:
Posted by Billy Blades at 12:00 PM
February 2, 2009
Mail Fraud.
Well, I knew that Ron Littlefield--who, I should remind you, is the Worst Mayor this town has Ever seen--would try to take credit for Volkswagon building a manufacturing plant here, but I didn't know he'd cause an international incident. Have you seen the recent mailer hitting mailboxes around the city? This guy is shameless, and his Louisiana consultants have the subtlety of a flying mallet.
From the VW logo on the front door, just in case you were too dim to get the symbolism, to the over-the-top text--"Mayor Littlefield Opportunity Knocked. He Answered"--it's really shocking how grasping and desperate Ron is to seize credit for VW.
The copy inside was clearly copy-and-pasted from some other guys brochure. I mean, there's no way it could be about Ron. In fact, that guy would appear to be Senator Bob Corker, since it describes 'determination and leadership.' But then goes on to say 'Mayor Ron Littlefield worked with local and regional leaders to steer the 1.9 million sq ft VW factory here."
He's shameless and he'll likely get away with these lies, but I simply must repeat the truth. One more time: Ron Littlefield had NOTHING TO DO with VW choosing Chattanooga. Governor Phil Bredesen and Senator Bob Corker, and all the economic recruitment professionals did all the heavy lifting on that project.
If you've ever met Ron-at a civic event say or a business meeting--you know very well that he just doesn't have the wherewithal to do something of that magnitude. The thing is that he really, really wishes that he could swing pipe with the big boys, but that's just not who he is.
His out-of-town campaign strategist has got to come to town every once in a while and actually meet the candidate. Either that or he has got to remember that some of us actually know this guy and this crap he's writing is not going to ring true.
Beyond the outrage of the lie that Ron Littlefield brought VW to town is the brazen, unauthorized use of the VW logo. VW was forced into issuing a statement that they weren't endorsing Littlefield, because the use of their globally iconic logo on political campaign literature is a huge gaffe and put the VW execs in a very awkward position.
Here's the thing; Littlefield didn't mean to upset VW, because he didn't have any idea that using their logo would cause a problem. His campaign strategists knew very well what they were doing, but they're in the habit of asking for forgiveness, not permission. My point is that the reason Ron didn't know he was causing issues is that he isn't the business man or business recruiter that he would have us think he is.
Anyone who deals with large corporations regularly knows that you don't touch their logo without their permission. In fact, each and every usage usually requires the approval of the PR department and the legal department. These are things you know when you deal with large corporations. Never occurred to Ron.
He's an embarrassment to us all and I can only hope that the Germans aren't too angry about his country-ass politics. More importantly, I wish that Chattanoogans were, but I'm afraid that we've come to accept mediocrity. Four Mo'Ron years.
Comments to:
Posted by Billy Blades at 10:57 PM