Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Pre-recorded message

Only seven candidates have submitted petitions to run for Mayor or City Council. Although she hasn't filed yet, non-candidate Jessica Davis phoned my house the other night to ask for my vote. According to City Clerk Vaught (quoted somewhere) until you file, you're not a candidate. Did I mention it was a recorded message? . . . A lengthy one about Smoke-Free Carbondale, and how Carbondale City Council voted it down, and how she supports it, so vote for her.

Is Davis serious or just blowing smoke? Does she think she will be elected based on her opinions? Is this what "official" candidate Councilwoman Sheila Simon thinks, as well? According to Peter the Great, Sheila's platform is based on Integrity, Responsibility and Opportunity. He wonders if she(la) alone can claim those attributes.

I was wondering the same thing. For instance, Mayor Brad Cole has the integrity to accept responsibility for the opportunities he has helped to create for residents of the City of Carbondale, for housing and business development, the arts, bicyclists, teenagers, and more.

Take the "Smoke-Free Carbondale" initiative that is so important to pre-recorded non-candidate, Davis. As Mayor, Brad Cole proposed a financial incentive for public dining establishments with liquor licenses to voluntarily become smoke free -- by waiving the liquor license fee. He says 14 businesses have taken the City up on the offer. So non-candidate Davis can hardly accuse Cole of being against Smoke-Free environment. . . .

And candidate Sheila Simon voted in favor of the Smoke-Free initiative.

So Davis' statements were not only unwanted, they were misleading.

She might want to try podcasting. Or blogging. People read or listen to those media voluntarily.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'll be calling Jessica either at the Law School or on her cell phone every time I get one of those recorded calls. Let's see how long it takes her to remove me from her list.

This is a mayoral campaign, for pete's sake! Come on. Why on earth are prerecorded phone calls appropriate?

PeterG said...

She seemed to call me and a few of my buddies twice, about an hour apart.

My feeling is that Dr. Davis isn't running to win, just to gain attention. If she was trying to win, it seems like she might run for city council instead.

Cindy said...

I received 2 recorded phone calls in the same evening from Dr. Davis. I hung up before listening to the message because I was annoyed at being disturbed at home.

I also will be looking for a comparison of the candidates before I make my choice. An annoying recorded phone call will not positively influence my vote.

Anonymous said...

I had someone monday tell me they had gotten a call from her recorder as well. Apparently her potiion meetings are only attended by about a dozen people or so. While I applaud her having the meetings, it would be nice if she would take the time to become official.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know what 4 businesses have taken up Mayor Cole's offer to go smoke free? I'd like to support them. Btw, the "carrot" of waiving the liquor license fee is a much better idea than the "stick" of a total ban. If you don't like smokey places indicate your support for smoke-free by spending your money at smoke-free establishments. Free enterprise usually works.

Parentheticus said...

I was wrong. Not 4, but 14: Alongi's, Chicago Hot Dog, Chicago Underground, China House, Global Gourmet, Happy Reunion, Hunan, Kaya Japanese Restaurant, Melange, Moe's Southwest Grill, Newell House, N.O.E., Sports Blast and Thai Taste.

Anonymous said...

Hey, Racist!

Your whiteness is showing. Ease up. She'll file her petition. You rant against a recorded message while you use a blog?! You criticize city leaders and then hide behind an official pronouncement of when a candidate is a candidate?! Get a life, Cyber Boy. Come out and do some real good for real people. Or else, just shut up!

Parentheticus said...

Hey, this is the first flat-out ignorant comment this blog has yet to receive. Naturally, it's "anonymous."

Racist? What does anyone's race have to do with my post?

Criticize city leaders? Anonymous must not read very well. The post is about voluntary vs. enforced smoke-free environment -- and using annoying "pre-recorded "spam" phone calls, which most people don't like, including me.

The fact that Davis hasn't filed her petition yet, only makes her a non-candidate temporarily . . . Until she files. Maybe she'll stop the pre-recorded messages, too. We can only hope.

A blog is very different from a pre-recorded phone call. It's spontaneous and voluntary.

I'm thinking about requiring only registered users to comment to these blog posts.

What do other readers think? How about you, Anonymous?

(Not that Anonymous....the other Anonymous.)

Unknown said...

Well said, Dave. While I like the ability for blog readers to comment without the psychological commitment that registering entails, at least for some, I'm certainly not opposed to it if it will weed out posts like that one. Unprovoked name-calling is certainly no way to advance the discussion ...

Anonymous said...

I don't like the idea of registered users only being able to post. Some people may need to remain anonomous in order to post frank comments. Can't the blog author just screen out really stupid or offensive posts?

Anonymous said...

Just a quick clarification on how I was quoted in The Southern . . . what I actually said was a person is not an OFFICIAL candidate until they file their petitions. I know that may sound picky, but . . .

Janet Vaught, City Clerk

Anonymous said...

I wonder which one of you is being called racist.

BTW, Simon has a huge sign on the side of the Island building, just about where Cole had his 4 years ago.

If you start requiring registration, will you get rid of the stupid word verification thingy?

Anonymous said...

I got three phone calls from Jessica Davis' pre-recorded phone harrassment system, so I got on her website and requested that she remove my number from her call list immediately. The last thing I want is for a mayoral candidate who's not even from this town telling me what's going on in it. Maybe I should run for city council....