Iowa City Council member Michael Wright is not seeking to run for re-election when he completes his term which ends in January 2012. Citing personal reasons for his decision, Wright has served as a progressive voice of reason on a council that has dealt with many highly charged issues including choosing two city managers, public safety concerns, and the issues surrounding abuse of alcohol in Iowa City.
With the current issue of affordable housing policy on the table, the loss of Wright's considerable knowledge on the council could have dire affects as the members debate how best to move forward.
Showing posts with label Michael Wright. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michael Wright. Show all posts
Friday, February 11
Wednesday, September 26
Iowa City Council: Who I Am Endorsing
With the Iowa City Council primary two weeks away (Tuesday October 9th), it is becoming clearer to me about the differences between the at-large candidates in the pool. Since it is no secret that I am a Populist and a Progressive, some of what I say will reflect this perspective. The forum that was held Sunday by the organization I am chair of, FAIR! and Democracy for America and Sierra Club addressed many questions that I and others have (and sadly, many questions are left to be answered). The candidate pie can be sliced a number of ways, but here are three factors I use to gauge candidates:
1) Innovation v. Conservation: When a city has finite resources, how will the candidate favor spreading them furthest?
2) We (the People) Market v. Free Market: To accomplish the goals, will the candidate favor public or private sector solutions?
3) Forest v. Trees: In thinking about prioritizing needs of the community, is the candidate present problem focused or "big picture" focused.
For me, the ideal candidate would lean more to the conservation side, trying to reuse resources in a way to get more mileage from them. Innovation would stem from using public and private resources to creating efficiencies or new services. Also, the ideal candidate would use both private and public sector solutions, wielding the public policy stick firmly for goals like human services and affordable housing. Finally, I favor candidates that think of current problems through the big picture lens; placing band-aids on gaping wounds is not the way to go. Prioritizing needs (with public input) should be the first step that any city council should make.
Lastly, and this is a disclaimer, where a candidate seems to hang their hat, should matter. Not only where in the community they live, but also with whom they affiliate.
Based on these criteria (and each with a disclaimer), the candidates that stand out for me are:
Mike Wright, Brandon Ross:
Challenger Mike Wright, a first time candidate, comes from a neighborhood leadership perspective (He was the neighborhhood leader in Longfellow and now in the Northside Neighborhood), is serving on the Board of Adjustments (which is where zoning decisions go when there are exceptions to existing rules), and has been a long-time supporter of historic preservation. He is not flashy, but he is is thoughtful, articulate, and public-service oriented. He supports public processes and balances private and public needs well in his philosophy. Disclaimer: In fairness, I have known Mike a while because of our participation in the Neighborhood Council and have donated to his campaign and advised him.
Challenger Brandon Ross comes from a more progressive perspective than Mike and is more idealistic in his beliefs about sustainable community. However, as I look at the current council, I see Brandon as a good fit, because he would bring a different community-oriented perspective and is articulate and respectful in conveying his ideas. He would be one of three council candidates who does not live or work directly downtown, so he is more sensitive to other community needs, He has run twice before (once at-large, once in district B) so it is not possible to dismiss him as a "not serious" candidate, though his manner is admittedly more casual. He is principled in his approach and straight forward in speaking. Disclaimer: In fairness, I also have known him for a while. Brandon supported my candidacy and I did play on the Preemptive Strikes softball team with him this summer. I have offered advice to him.
Why Not Hayek, Smith, or Vanderhoef
Challenger Matt Hayek, a first time candidate, is a principled candidate. I appreciate Matt as a good listener and thoughtful about how he would represent the community. Where I hesitate to support him fully is on policy matters, as he is more middle of the road on important issues like affordable housing and downtown development. Matt has shown great community leadership, both with the Englert Theater and with the Housing and Community Development Commission, under which he headed the taskforce that looked at scattered site housing. Matt is more of a pragmatist than a progressive, but does believe in social justice, as he represents some non-profit organizations in the community. Disclaimer: In fairness, Matt and I are Unitarian Universalists, so I know him inside and outside the political realm and he is a highly likeable guy. I also offered him advice.
Challenger Terry Smith, a first time candidate, is involved and intelligent. I respect him as he has been with Mid-American Energy for 27 years and worked himself up the chain of command. He has been on both the Telecommunications and Planning and Zoning Commissions and is invested in the community with Junior Achievement, Goodwill Industries and other organizations. Unfortunately, for better or worse, Terry is connected to the development community in a way that is hard for him not to reflect their values over other community members. With Mike O'Donnell on the council acting as a voice of the Chamber of Commerce, Terry does not offer a different voice. With the need to meld public policy with private interests, Terry is unlikely to be dispassionate about how the council decides issues. Disclaimer: In fairness, I have not had a pure social interaction with Terry, although I did visit with him and his union foreman at Mid-American when I ran in 2005 and had a great conversation with him then.
Incumbent Dee Vanderhoef has been one of my favorite council members for one reason, she is a excellent source of information about issues in front of the council. On a personal level, I admire and respect her in part for being one of the few council members who asked good questions about the development that became the Plaza Towers. She does her homework and has a mind for detail, that is for sure. With regard to vision and ability to get her point across to other members of the council, I believe she has had a lack of success. Generally, I see her as supporting the status quo, but on issues like parks and recreation, she is more progressive. She has served the community well in her twelve years, but a more cooperative and effective voice is needed. Disclaimer: In fairness, I called on Dee when I ran for the council and have found her to be quite helpful in talking about issues.
1) Innovation v. Conservation: When a city has finite resources, how will the candidate favor spreading them furthest?
2) We (the People) Market v. Free Market: To accomplish the goals, will the candidate favor public or private sector solutions?
3) Forest v. Trees: In thinking about prioritizing needs of the community, is the candidate present problem focused or "big picture" focused.
For me, the ideal candidate would lean more to the conservation side, trying to reuse resources in a way to get more mileage from them. Innovation would stem from using public and private resources to creating efficiencies or new services. Also, the ideal candidate would use both private and public sector solutions, wielding the public policy stick firmly for goals like human services and affordable housing. Finally, I favor candidates that think of current problems through the big picture lens; placing band-aids on gaping wounds is not the way to go. Prioritizing needs (with public input) should be the first step that any city council should make.
Lastly, and this is a disclaimer, where a candidate seems to hang their hat, should matter. Not only where in the community they live, but also with whom they affiliate.
Based on these criteria (and each with a disclaimer), the candidates that stand out for me are:
Mike Wright, Brandon Ross:
Challenger Mike Wright, a first time candidate, comes from a neighborhood leadership perspective (He was the neighborhhood leader in Longfellow and now in the Northside Neighborhood), is serving on the Board of Adjustments (which is where zoning decisions go when there are exceptions to existing rules), and has been a long-time supporter of historic preservation. He is not flashy, but he is is thoughtful, articulate, and public-service oriented. He supports public processes and balances private and public needs well in his philosophy. Disclaimer: In fairness, I have known Mike a while because of our participation in the Neighborhood Council and have donated to his campaign and advised him.
Challenger Brandon Ross comes from a more progressive perspective than Mike and is more idealistic in his beliefs about sustainable community. However, as I look at the current council, I see Brandon as a good fit, because he would bring a different community-oriented perspective and is articulate and respectful in conveying his ideas. He would be one of three council candidates who does not live or work directly downtown, so he is more sensitive to other community needs, He has run twice before (once at-large, once in district B) so it is not possible to dismiss him as a "not serious" candidate, though his manner is admittedly more casual. He is principled in his approach and straight forward in speaking. Disclaimer: In fairness, I also have known him for a while. Brandon supported my candidacy and I did play on the Preemptive Strikes softball team with him this summer. I have offered advice to him.
Why Not Hayek, Smith, or Vanderhoef
Challenger Matt Hayek, a first time candidate, is a principled candidate. I appreciate Matt as a good listener and thoughtful about how he would represent the community. Where I hesitate to support him fully is on policy matters, as he is more middle of the road on important issues like affordable housing and downtown development. Matt has shown great community leadership, both with the Englert Theater and with the Housing and Community Development Commission, under which he headed the taskforce that looked at scattered site housing. Matt is more of a pragmatist than a progressive, but does believe in social justice, as he represents some non-profit organizations in the community. Disclaimer: In fairness, Matt and I are Unitarian Universalists, so I know him inside and outside the political realm and he is a highly likeable guy. I also offered him advice.
Challenger Terry Smith, a first time candidate, is involved and intelligent. I respect him as he has been with Mid-American Energy for 27 years and worked himself up the chain of command. He has been on both the Telecommunications and Planning and Zoning Commissions and is invested in the community with Junior Achievement, Goodwill Industries and other organizations. Unfortunately, for better or worse, Terry is connected to the development community in a way that is hard for him not to reflect their values over other community members. With Mike O'Donnell on the council acting as a voice of the Chamber of Commerce, Terry does not offer a different voice. With the need to meld public policy with private interests, Terry is unlikely to be dispassionate about how the council decides issues. Disclaimer: In fairness, I have not had a pure social interaction with Terry, although I did visit with him and his union foreman at Mid-American when I ran in 2005 and had a great conversation with him then.
Incumbent Dee Vanderhoef has been one of my favorite council members for one reason, she is a excellent source of information about issues in front of the council. On a personal level, I admire and respect her in part for being one of the few council members who asked good questions about the development that became the Plaza Towers. She does her homework and has a mind for detail, that is for sure. With regard to vision and ability to get her point across to other members of the council, I believe she has had a lack of success. Generally, I see her as supporting the status quo, but on issues like parks and recreation, she is more progressive. She has served the community well in her twelve years, but a more cooperative and effective voice is needed. Disclaimer: In fairness, I called on Dee when I ran for the council and have found her to be quite helpful in talking about issues.
Silent Running: Primary Season Iowa City
Generally, readers of my blog get a Whitman's Sampler of issues: locally, statewide, and nationally. Today, it is all about Iowa City.
Folks who live in Iowa City do not generally get terribly worked up over the city council primaries--and this is too bad. For instance, in 2005, there was an 8.5% turnout for the primary (compared with the general election, for which 29% turned out).
In this primary, the only contested race is for two at-large seats on the city council. Of the five candidates (Matt Hayek, Brandon Ross, Terry Smith, Dee Vanderhoef and Mike Wright), four will move ahead based on the primary outcome and appear on the November 6th ballot. At that point, the four remaining at-large candidates, uncontested District seats A and C candidates Reginia Bailey and Ross Wilburn, and Public Measures C and D which address bar admission age and amending the Home charter to change the responsibilities of the Police Citizens Review Board will be voted on.
On October 9th, all registered city voters may vote for two of the five candidates in the at large race. In the November 6 election, all Iowa City voters may vote in the at large and in the District A and C contests.
Early Voting
Early voting for the October 9 Iowa City Primary is now available at the Auditor's Office, 913 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, weekdays 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Satellite voting sites:
Iowa City Public Library
123 S. Linn St., Iowa City, IA
Saturday, October 6, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday, October 7, noon - 5 p.m.
Monday, October 8, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
200 Hawkins Dr., Iowa City, IA, First Floor, Fountain Lobby (inside the old main entrance with the circle drive).
Monday, October 8, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Folks who live in Iowa City do not generally get terribly worked up over the city council primaries--and this is too bad. For instance, in 2005, there was an 8.5% turnout for the primary (compared with the general election, for which 29% turned out).
In this primary, the only contested race is for two at-large seats on the city council. Of the five candidates (Matt Hayek, Brandon Ross, Terry Smith, Dee Vanderhoef and Mike Wright), four will move ahead based on the primary outcome and appear on the November 6th ballot. At that point, the four remaining at-large candidates, uncontested District seats A and C candidates Reginia Bailey and Ross Wilburn, and Public Measures C and D which address bar admission age and amending the Home charter to change the responsibilities of the Police Citizens Review Board will be voted on.
On October 9th, all registered city voters may vote for two of the five candidates in the at large race. In the November 6 election, all Iowa City voters may vote in the at large and in the District A and C contests.
Early Voting
Early voting for the October 9 Iowa City Primary is now available at the Auditor's Office, 913 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, weekdays 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Satellite voting sites:
Iowa City Public Library
123 S. Linn St., Iowa City, IA
Saturday, October 6, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday, October 7, noon - 5 p.m.
Monday, October 8, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
200 Hawkins Dr., Iowa City, IA, First Floor, Fountain Lobby (inside the old main entrance with the circle drive).
Monday, October 8, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Wednesday, August 8
One More in the Race for Iowa City Council
Two time City Council candidate, Brandon Ross, is planning to throw his hat in the City Council at-large race. He is collecting his final signatures to be on the ballotHe with Mike Wright, Terry Smith, Dee VanderHoef, Matt Hayek, and Tim Judd who have all previously declared their candidacy. Ross, who has done well in the past, will have significant hurdles to overcome to get his message out in this field.
As our mutual friend Julie Spears once said of Brandon, "He believes strongly in walkable neighborhoods, where people have safe sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, and access to affordable housing, transportation, and grocery stores. He cares about people being able to find a place to live, work, play, and get around town safely without throwing the city's tax dollars away on wasteful high-end projects calling it economic development."
As our mutual friend Julie Spears once said of Brandon, "He believes strongly in walkable neighborhoods, where people have safe sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, and access to affordable housing, transportation, and grocery stores. He cares about people being able to find a place to live, work, play, and get around town safely without throwing the city's tax dollars away on wasteful high-end projects calling it economic development."
Sunday, May 27
And Then There Were Four?
With Michael Wright set to announce his candidacy for an at-large seat on the Iowa City Council and Dee Vanderhoef and Terry Smith already in the running, the burning question is are there any other candidates in the running? The grapevine suggests that there is at least one more candidate lurking out there. Former Housing and Community Development Commission Chair and President of the Englert Theater Board, Matt Hayak is likely to announce his bid for the council soon. Hayak, an attorney and recent new Dad was responsible for leading the "scattered site" housing task group while on the HCDC.
At this time both Regenia Bailey and Ross Wilburn are seeking re-election in their districts without opponents.
This could be the first city council election without a primary since 1991 when Susan Horowitz, Randy Larson, Karen Kubby and Bill Ambrisco were elected to fill the A and C districts and two at-large seats.
At this time both Regenia Bailey and Ross Wilburn are seeking re-election in their districts without opponents.
This could be the first city council election without a primary since 1991 when Susan Horowitz, Randy Larson, Karen Kubby and Bill Ambrisco were elected to fill the A and C districts and two at-large seats.
Monday, May 21
Iowa City Council Field to Grow
It looks like the field for Iowa City's council at-large race is going to increase by at least one name--former Longfellow Neighborhood leader, Friend of Historic Preservation and current Vice-chair of the Board of Adjustments, Michael Wright is going to put his hat in the ring for an at-large city council seat. Wright, a librarian at the University of Iowa A formal announcement is forth coming. Remember you heard it here first.
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