Don't be confused that these blog entries say "Posted by Dave Croteau." It's me, Dave Ewoldt, and I'm the one fully responsible for the following analysis and opinion.
I've heard that the local Democrats have started polling. In the context that this was related to me, it means that the Croteau campaign is not only being taken seriously, but that certain people who consider themselves to be power brokers are beginning to worry. Which is as it should be. This campaign is serious and is speaking to real values that people hold, not to the special interests the powers that be are beholden to.
This used to be considered tilting at windmills. But then a few inconvenient truths made themselves known in a manner that could no longer be easily spun. These include global warming, the energy crisis, the collapse of financial markets that were created from something less substantial than fairy dust, and the completely insane clinging to a growth paradigm at the expense of life itself.
In the Tucson metro area, this latter factor manifests as the continuation of approving trophy subdivisions in the foothills and big-box development incentives as the overall water table continues to drop and the Colorado River that we depend on for about a third of our water continues to dry up. Tucson Water states that if current trends continue, and there's no reason to doubt that they won't, we probably have less than five years of CAP water left. Meanwhile, the Rio Nuevo downtown master plan depends on 30% growth over this time frame.
Tucson City Councilwoman Shirley Scott's comments at the Sonora Progressives' Democratic candidate panel discussion last night could have almost been considered comical, if they weren't so sad as to be downright scary. The gist of her comments in reply to a question about constraining growth in light of diminishing water supplies were basically that we're helpless in the face of growth (the victim defense), we can't slam the door in the face of the people that we're enticing here at taxpayer expense, and besides, the City of Tucson has a piece of paper saying we have a 100 year assured water supply, which was written by "experts" paid to say what CoT wanted to hear, and anyone who disagrees based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence to the contrary is a mere philosopher, so we might as well get used to the fact that we're going to continue on a path of mutually supported suicide as we consume the few natural resources we have left. And the other officially anointed Democratic candidates just nodded their heads in agreement. Kinda like those little figures you see in the back windows of people's cars. Meanwhile, the progressive Democrats in the audience were left to shake their heads in both amazement and puzzlement.
Just move along folks; there's nothing to see here.
Another indication that the powers that be are getting worried was made apparent by another piece of nonsense that crossed my desk this morning. Someone whined to the Pima County Democratic Party that a few Dem Precinct Committeemen had exercised their rights to free expression and democratic values and publicly endorsed Croteau's candidacy for mayor on the Green Party ticket. Even typically loyal Dems were doing this in good conscience, as the Democratic Party in Pima County couldn't manage to rustle up a candidate to run against the Republican incumbent, citing Mayor Walkup's popularity in doing such a fine job of handing Tucson's future over to sprawl proponents in the development lobby, and to transnational corporate interests busily sucking the life out of the local economy.
Local Democratic Party leaders were so incensed over these endorsements for a Green Party candidate that they're threatening to excommunicate the unfaithful. The official justification for this edict is that a little known--and unsupported by the Democratic Party--resident of a homeless shelter had filed as a write-in candidate for mayor on the Democratic ballot line.
This provides a prime example of how the Democratic Party is eating itself from within. The Democratic party hierarchy in Pima County seems more intent on re-electing Republican Mayor Bob Walkup than Walkup's own campaign committee does. The rank & file, however, continue to flock to Croteau's campaign to offer support for the only candidate with both a viable vision and a realistic plan to relocalize our economy for a sustainable future based on ecological wisdom and social justice.
Dave Ewoldt
Campaign Manager
Dave Croteau for Mayor
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Independents and an Interesting Race
As Dave Croteau's campaign manager, I felt compelled to write a response to Jim Nintzel's Skinny column in the August 9, 2007 issue of the Tucson Weekly. The Weekly's editor, Jimmy Boegle, liked it but said it was too long for a letter to the editor. I trimmed it way down, but the following is the full version.
In regard to the August 9th Skinny, I'm left wondering why Jim Nintzel thinks the upcoming mayoral race won't be an interesting, or even exciting, campaign unless it's John Kromko running against Mayor Walkup?
What we have in the Green Party's existing candidate, Dave Croteau, is not only a candidate who is qualified to be mayor of Tucson, but who offers the people of Tucson and its economy a very clear choice that the two major parties are deathly afraid of. Those who think the only path to Tucson's economic future is by encouraging more low-wage no benefit service sector jobs and paving over what little is left of our fragile desert ecosystem in order for special interests--very few of whom are local--to continue amassing obscene fortunes are those who have neither vision nor hope.
If the job of the press is to help educate people and make them aware of issues, the Green vs. Republican choice, and especially Croteau's sustainability through relocalization campaign, should be generating more interest than anything else the Weekly has covered in decades. When anyone takes an objective look at what's going on in the world today, they immediately realize that change is necessary. Unless, of course, their salary depends on them not realizing that inconvenient truth.
Isn't repeating the conventional "wisdom" that Mayor Walkup is unbeatable simply helping to create a self-fulfilling prophecy? As was made evident to me by the replies I received to my recent op-ed piece in the Star, "Rejection of growth is a viable policy option," people are aware that some hard decisions must be made. And they want them made now. Rejecting change because it is not politically expedient is simply a cop out, when the necessary path is to elect a mayor with the vision and courage to do the right thing for our community, its economy, and the environment they both depend on.
As far as Nintzel's suggestion that Independents request a Green ballot and write in John Kromko, I'd like to ask Independents an open question. You're an Independent because neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are serving your interests, correct? Since you're astute enough to recognize this simple fact, and you care enough about your community to pay attention to and participate in the political process, you're probably also aware that any hope for a vibrant and viable future lies in Tucson becoming sustainable. My suggestion is to exercise your independence, look at the candidates and see which one actually has an understanding of and passion for sustainability, and which one has a realistic and systemic plan for moving us toward that goal. I don't see anyone except Dave Croteau meeting these criteria.
I'm still thoroughly amazed that local Democratic Party leaders are on record as saying that Walkup is doing a fine job representing Tucson's interests, and that there aren't any pressing issues on the minds of Tucson citizens that the Dems could successfully challenge Walkup on in the mayor's race. When you look at national politics, the fact the Democrats would so thoroughly abandon their base is no longer surprising. If I were a local Dem, I'd be pissed. Of course, that's but one reason I'm not a Dem.
But, what we're talking about here is Tucson's future, especially in light of what's rushing head-on toward us--Peak Oil, global warming, the imminent meltdown of the global economy, and loss of our sovereignty to corporations. The best we seem able to do so far (if we can successfully move past denial) is adopt the deer-in-the-headlights stance and hope that the status quo will somehow protect us from the mess it's created in the first place.
Well, folks, we do have a choice in the mayor's race, and the Green Party with its Ten Key Values is proud to give you the opportunity to vote on that choice.
Dave Ewoldt
Campaign Manager
Dave Croteau for Mayor
In regard to the August 9th Skinny, I'm left wondering why Jim Nintzel thinks the upcoming mayoral race won't be an interesting, or even exciting, campaign unless it's John Kromko running against Mayor Walkup?
What we have in the Green Party's existing candidate, Dave Croteau, is not only a candidate who is qualified to be mayor of Tucson, but who offers the people of Tucson and its economy a very clear choice that the two major parties are deathly afraid of. Those who think the only path to Tucson's economic future is by encouraging more low-wage no benefit service sector jobs and paving over what little is left of our fragile desert ecosystem in order for special interests--very few of whom are local--to continue amassing obscene fortunes are those who have neither vision nor hope.
If the job of the press is to help educate people and make them aware of issues, the Green vs. Republican choice, and especially Croteau's sustainability through relocalization campaign, should be generating more interest than anything else the Weekly has covered in decades. When anyone takes an objective look at what's going on in the world today, they immediately realize that change is necessary. Unless, of course, their salary depends on them not realizing that inconvenient truth.
Isn't repeating the conventional "wisdom" that Mayor Walkup is unbeatable simply helping to create a self-fulfilling prophecy? As was made evident to me by the replies I received to my recent op-ed piece in the Star, "Rejection of growth is a viable policy option," people are aware that some hard decisions must be made. And they want them made now. Rejecting change because it is not politically expedient is simply a cop out, when the necessary path is to elect a mayor with the vision and courage to do the right thing for our community, its economy, and the environment they both depend on.
As far as Nintzel's suggestion that Independents request a Green ballot and write in John Kromko, I'd like to ask Independents an open question. You're an Independent because neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are serving your interests, correct? Since you're astute enough to recognize this simple fact, and you care enough about your community to pay attention to and participate in the political process, you're probably also aware that any hope for a vibrant and viable future lies in Tucson becoming sustainable. My suggestion is to exercise your independence, look at the candidates and see which one actually has an understanding of and passion for sustainability, and which one has a realistic and systemic plan for moving us toward that goal. I don't see anyone except Dave Croteau meeting these criteria.
I'm still thoroughly amazed that local Democratic Party leaders are on record as saying that Walkup is doing a fine job representing Tucson's interests, and that there aren't any pressing issues on the minds of Tucson citizens that the Dems could successfully challenge Walkup on in the mayor's race. When you look at national politics, the fact the Democrats would so thoroughly abandon their base is no longer surprising. If I were a local Dem, I'd be pissed. Of course, that's but one reason I'm not a Dem.
But, what we're talking about here is Tucson's future, especially in light of what's rushing head-on toward us--Peak Oil, global warming, the imminent meltdown of the global economy, and loss of our sovereignty to corporations. The best we seem able to do so far (if we can successfully move past denial) is adopt the deer-in-the-headlights stance and hope that the status quo will somehow protect us from the mess it's created in the first place.
Well, folks, we do have a choice in the mayor's race, and the Green Party with its Ten Key Values is proud to give you the opportunity to vote on that choice.
Dave Ewoldt
Campaign Manager
Dave Croteau for Mayor
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