By The New Albanian.
First the case against the incumbent, then an alternative.
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Council (D) 3rd District
The New Albanian (NA):
With each passing day, it becomes clearer that for New Albany to succeed, it must become smarter. 3rd district incumbent Steve Price’s consistent response to this obvious imperative is to become noticeably dumber, prone to substituting folksy hokum and mindless minstrelsy for thoughtful dialogue on issues of extreme gravity, and all the while insisting that a steady stream of “no” votes while on the city council is merited under the aegis of “fiscal responsibility.”
And yet economic, social and civic progress is the ultimate manifestation of fiscal responsibility, because making the city’s overall pie larger through economic growth and the willingness of homeowners to invest in their neighborhoods benefits everyone who lives here. The problem remains that the people and ideas best positioned to assist in New Albany’s revival are precisely those that Price doesn’t understand, and remain the ones towards which he feels outright and palpable hostility on cultural grounds.
Price’s sole political selling point is that he’ll watch the nickels and dimes, but he has yet to propose a single strategy for transforming the pocket change into larger sums, and as a result, he must be regarded as espousing the very epitome of a penny-wise, future-foolish approach to governance. It’s an approach that we don’t need.
(NA) - Endorsement:
Two opponents are vying to unseat Price: Maury Goldberg, who served as the 3rd district’s councilman for more than two decades prior to Price’s election in 2003 (when Goldberg unsuccessfully ran for mayor), and Charlie Harshfield, a neighborhood activist, accountant and political newcomer. The New Albanian is unable to offer an endorsement beyond the necessity of opposing Price’s brand of urban decay management.
Learn why here: Thanks, but no thanks – I’ve no conscionable choice except to sit this one out.
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Bluegill (BG) - Endorsement:
I certainly wish the 3rd district nomination process had been more cooperative. As is, the incumbent stands a better chance of reelection and I’m forced to fill in the arrow for only one of two men I consider friends. The election of either would signal a positive shift in support of redevelopment and the future of our community but a choice is unavoidable.
I appreciate Maury Goldberg. A relative who attended high school with Maury asked recently if he was still a character. I happily replied that he is. His enthusiasm for and continued involvement in 3rd district affairs is well noted, both in and outside the confines of elected office.
With that said, however, my pen will draw the line for Charlie Harshfield.
Regardless of Maury’s good intentions, his past council service has been unfortunately and perhaps even unfairly tied to the battles of the past and the allegiances those battles required, often with some of the less than acceptable council members that remain.
While his institutional knowledge could undoubtedly be a valuable asset in an advisory role, there’s a nagging possibility that old weapons would be taken up and old wounds reopened. Even the appearance or suspicion of such digression could have a chilling affect on the necessary continuance of collaborative development. Depending on the outcomes of other district races, that’s too great a risk to take during such a pivotal time.
I’ll gladly work with Maury. I’d just prefer that he wasn’t sitting across the table from the old gang at the time.
Charlie Harshfield, on the other hand, represents the ability without the loaded backpack. Since I’ve been involved in city affairs, I’ve known Charlie. In that time, I’ve become acquainted with a man with a head for finance, an adventuresome but practical approach to neighborhood situations, and an inclusive spirit that I both admire and would do well to better emulate.
As Charlie himself noted during the recent question and answer session, his natural inclination is to work behind the scenes and I can vouch that he has done so consistently and humbly, often providing a calming voice of reason in otherwise heated affairs. Resolute in his commitment to revitalization, I’ve sometimes found myself wishing he’d make a little more noise, particularly during this election cycle.
Leadership doesn’t have to be loud, though, and I trust that if elected Charlie will continue his active listening and learning, traits that are disproportionately underrepresented in current council chambers. With Charlie, there are no credibility issues or political issues; just issues and the will to seek fact-based, cooperative solutions for them.
Isn’t that what we’ve been asking for?
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