The ‘Rich Lee for Asheville City Council’ website

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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rich_lee_asheville_city_council_2015We’re still months away from candidates being able to file to run for Asheville City Council, but several candidates have gone as far as saying they’re thinking about a run. Julie Mayfield, co-executive director of the nonprofit MountainTrue, has said that she’s considering a run, as has West Asheville neighborhood activist Rich Lee.

Also, the Asheville Citizen-Times has reported that Michael Edwards, an Asheville attorney who held office for 16 years on Marion City Council in McDowell County, is considering a run. Keith Young, a former candidate for Buncombe County commissioner, is also considering a run, according to the newspaper.

The three seats up for election are those held by Councilmen Jan DavisMarc Hunt and Chris Pelly. None of the three incumbents has said publicly whether they will seek re-election in 2015.

Here’s the latest evidence that Rich Lee might be a little more serious – the Rich Lee for Asheville City Council website. The site’s still a work in progress, but there’s plenty to take in. Here’s Lee:

Everyone knows that on January 1st, Asheville was named the #1 U.S. tourist destination on Good Morning America. Whatever sense we might have held onto of being a quiet, somewhat-under-the-radar town seems to be falling by the wayside now. There’s a feeling that Asheville is at a tipping point. With another 6,000 arrivals expected by 2020, major infrastructure projects underway in the River Arts District, a planned revision of the zoning code, and a building boom of hotels and large developments butting up against old neighborhoods, good or bad, the face of Asheville is set to change significantly by the end of the decade, and all against the backdrop of many working and marginalized people just keeping heads above water.

And yet there’s so much to love here. So much worth fighting for. Long before Asheville was Good Morning America’s top vacation pick, we were a top-ranked city for volunteerism and community involvement, a place where minimum-wage employees met after shifts to plan community efforts and festivals, to push for better buses and community gardens. The spirit of Asheville is strong. It’s why I’m hopeful we’ll be writing the story of surviving our success, why I’m running for City Council in 2015 – to protect our economic diversity, house and help our most vulnerable members, foster opportunities for the struggling, and make good, safe places in all our neighborhoods. Please take a moment to read through this site, like the campaign on Facebook, offer comments, donations or your volunteer efforts. I’ll be making regular updates, so check back, please! Thanks, Rich

On the site, Lee talks about moving to the area in 1997, meeting and marrying his wife, moving away and then returning to Asheville and starting a family. According to the site, Lee lives in a 100-year-old home in West Asheville and works as a financial advisor for Edward Jones Investments, serving local families with a focus on long-term sustainable and socially-responsible investing.

Head over to richleeforasheville.com and check it out.

 

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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22 Comments

  1. chris February 12, 2015

    For the record, I don’t give a damn about what you have to say, Tim. I was just insulting you.

    And no, you’re not more interesting, you’re just such an easy target.

    Reply
  2. NegativePublicity February 12, 2015

    /sipping on my caramel macchiato…

    Reply
  3. Barry Summers February 11, 2015

    So your logical response to my argument that you resort to insult too much, is to suggest that I’m too stupid to understand your argument. Wow, I’m sure you feel like you won that one. Congratulations.

    Reply
    1. Tim Peck February 12, 2015

      In today’s episode of As The Word Churns, will Barry Summers Eve tell us what he thinks of Rick Lee or will he continue to play the progressive boob? Stay tuned.

      Reply
      1. Barry Summers February 12, 2015

        As you continue to pile on ad hominem attacks? I don’t think so.

        I genuinely felt sorry for Tim Moffitt’s inability to understand the hostility he provoked in people, and I feel sorry for you too.

        Reply
  4. Matt February 10, 2015

    “with another 6000 arrivals expected by 2020”.

    Asheville’s population jumped 12,000 between 2008 and 2013. So 6000 seems like a conservative estimate to me….

    Reply
  5. Henry February 4, 2015

    Looking up voters at the NC State Board of Elections, there are two “Richard” Lees that are registered to vote in Buncombe that could possibly live in West Asheville; one’s in Leicester and the other’s in 28806.

    One of those Rich Lees has only voted three times – ’10, ’12, 14; the other Rich Lee has been voting here since 1997, is registered to vote in the City of Asheville, but never voted in a City Council election until 2013.

    Wonder if this Rich Lee is registered to vote under a different name? Seems odd that someone so active would have only voted in one City Council election ever.

    Reply
    1. Mike February 5, 2015

      and….. you need to get a life.

      Reply
  6. Henry February 3, 2015

    Glad a white male who works as an investor is running to protect our economic diversity, house and help our most vulnerable members, foster opportunities for the struggling, and make good, safe places in all our neighborhoods.

    His culturally diverse experiences will be invaluable in pursuing those goals, no doubt.

    Reply
    1. Sean February 3, 2015

      I’m sure that Rich will be by here soon to explain to you how you are wrong, and how much smarter he is than you.

      Reply
      1. Tim Peck February 3, 2015

        Oh goodie. I’m all ears.

        Reply
        1. chris February 4, 2015

          Huh. I expected you would be all mouth.

          Reply
          1. Barry Summers February 4, 2015

            Huh. I expected you would be all mouth.

            You are hereby nominated for best comment of the year.

            Reply
          2. Tim Peck February 10, 2015

            Wow. How unique for a progressive. The ole ‘ad hominem.’ I was expecting a cogent argument.

            Reply
          3. Barry Summers February 10, 2015

            Pot? Kettle. Kettle? Pot.

            Reply
          4. roo February 10, 2015

            Is calling the duly-elected Rep who defeated Moffitt a ‘turd sandwich’ ad hominem? If so, Mr Peck should give that misanthrope a talking-to.

            Reply
          5. Tim Peck February 11, 2015

            “Is calling the duly-elected Rep who defeated Moffitt a ‘turd sandwich’ ad hominem?”

            No, it is not, Mr. Roo. It is what I think of him, duly elected or not. “Ad hominem” is what occurs here. It is responding to an argument with a personal attack against the person instead of replying to the substance of the argument.

            You COULD scroll up, dear.

            [these lessons are getting tiresome, but someone’s got to do it.]

            Reply
          6. Barry Summers February 11, 2015

            Wow, Mr. Peck’s distinction is so subtle, it’s almost like it’s not there at all. When he does it, it’s never an ad hominem attack.

            You’re a continuous fountain of vitriol and contempt, Mr. Peck, but you still manage to play the victim. Incredible.

            I’m not trying to get you to stop, mind you. Your habit of insulting everyone in earshot who even mildly disagrees with you was invaluable in defeating your boss, Tim Moffitt. Keep it up. Chuck McGrady must be thrilled that you’re on his team now.

            #Heckuvajob

            Reply
          7. Tim Peck February 11, 2015

            “Wow, Mr. Peck’s distinction is so subtle, ”

            Too subtle for you, I’m sure. But, then, you’re stuck in the land of logical fallacy.

            That’s alright. You don’t have to have an actual argument, or understand what one is, as long as you get your little rocks off talking to yourself.

            Reply
          8. luther blissett February 11, 2015

            Remember last year when Mouthpiece always made sure to drop a choice personal insult next to Brian Turner’s name in an obvious attempt to spice up the Googles?

            Oh, how we laughed in November.

            Reply
          9. Nate February 11, 2015

            Jesus, you two just need to get a room already.

            The distinction between an insult or opinion and an “ad hominem” argument is definitely a valid one … the problem is that in this particular case no argument was being made. Mr. Peck made a leading but relatively innocuous comment on the thread and someone used it as an opportunity to reveal their negative opinion of him in the form of a not-terribly-insulting joke. Can someone point me at any actual “argument” or “debate” taking place here, because it all looks like petty sniping and posturing to me?

            Reply
          10. Tim Peck February 11, 2015

            Thanks for making this thread about me. I am much more interesting than a dull progressive running for city council.

            Reply

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