Four years ago, a political newcomer named Diane Lawless came campaigning for the Third District of Lexington’s Urban County Council race. She promised effective, idealistic and dedicated service for those whose vote she sought. This liberal blogger gave her money, and gave her hours, and helped with distribution of her yard signs. That trust has been squandered by Lawless, who has been missing in action and inconsistent in four years of supposedly serving the Third District. Lawless has allowed her individual constituents to be hurt by her failure of leadership in ways that have been catastrophic to some of those constituents, and in ways that are unacceptable when they occurred in 2011, and remain unacceptable in 2012.
After four years of the most abject failure on the most basic fundamentals of representing those she serves, and after four years of abject failure to be a consistently reliable liberal voice, Lawless believes that she can consistently fail to show up for work, can steadfastly refuse to even communicate with her constituents, can berate Democrats for committing the horrible faux pas of supporting Democrats, and can simply come back before the voters and act as though she has served the citizens in anything like a proper manner.
Support Jim Gray? Of course. Support Democratic candidates up and down the line? Of course. But for any elected leader to have any value or merit, they must show up and communicate with their constituents. Diane Lawless has failed to do that. Excuses heard have included that she is in some way or another ill. If that is true, then godspeed for a fast recovery. No personal animus is expressed here for someone who may be a nice person if they show up in a communicative state. But whatever the reason, and however valid the personal challenges may be, as an elected official, Diane Lawless is either unable or unwilling to meet the duties of the office. And there can be no personal excuse for her conduct criticizing Democratic volunteers and loyalists for supporting a Democratic candidate.
So who is the best alternative? Not Republican Rock Daniels, who knows how to have a good time (see above). Lexington’s Mayor Jim Gray is to be credited with the plan he came up with for his mayoral race. Here’s part of it:
Friends,
Lexington deserves a Fresh Start. It’s time to put aside our political differences and plan for Lexington’s future. In the next few pages I hope you will read and learn more about how I plan to lead Lexington through the next four years.
Like so many of you I chose Lexington as my home….
Apparently if it’s good enough for Jim Gray, it’s good enough for Rock Daniels to crib from. Here’s part of his documents:
Friends,
The 3rd District deserves a Fresh Approach. It is time to implement a plan that will move us forward into the future. Over the next couple of pages, I hope you will read and learn more about how I plan to lead the 3rd District over the course of the next two years.
Like so many of you, I have chosen to live in Lexington because I….
And so it goes.
And of course, there’s the further moral ambiguity of Rock splashing his business advertisement across Lexington’s trolleys in a way that uses business funds in a way the promotes his candidacy. Yes, it is a non-partisan office race. But perhaps this is all just Rock being true to his Republican roots—after all, money is free speech, and corporations is people. But take away the cribbing of talking points, the skanky use of business funds to promote his race, and he’s still just another empty-suited Republican.
To get more background on all the candidates, read the Herald-Leader’s profile article.
The best choice for the Third District is Stephanie Spires. Read all her materials, learn more about her, here. One candidate is supposedly spreading a claim that Spires is a Republican. Frankly, for this voter, that would be the kiss of death, non-partisan race or not. Be assured that, contrary to what one candidate says, Spires is a Democrat, and has worked for Democratic leadership in the state house. Given the failure of Lawless, Spires deserves a chance to represent progressive values in Lexington.
Bob may not display this comment (and I can understand), but the one, true reason to not vote for DL is that she is certifiably bat-shit crazy. Ask the Council, ask Council aides, ask the Mayor’s Office (most of them, some are just scared of her.) Ask people who once respected her, who have seen her slide into paranoia/arrogance (and did I mention paranoia)? Heck, you might want to sodium-pentethol (sp?) the Mayor and ask him.
When Spires and the other guy, announced, DL went into full Kathy Bates “you’re a cocka-doody” mode.
Let’s hope she’s can keep herself healthy no matter the causes.
Anonymous, I do want to clarify one thing, and ask you to edit your last paragraph if you would please. I don’t know exactly what that means, and don’t have a way to judge if that’s fair comment or not.
To clarify, the explanations of Diane Lawless being ill have all come from a single source–Diane Lawless herself. On many occasions she has explained her failures with one illness reference after another. Those references to her being ill are ones that I have personally heard myself directly from Diane Lawless, not from any third party.
I’ll give you a little time, and again, ask you to please edit just your last paragraph. I am not wishing anyone ill, and don’t know exactly what that refers to.
Bob- I can’t see a way to edit, so please feel free to excise the last paragraph.
I will say, however, that I have personally experienced moments in DLs public proximity that were not what I would consider the most professional, and it was concerning.
And if the newest last paragraph above also makes you uncomfortable, please remove. Not trying for cheap shots. But there is trouble there. Thx.
…okay, thanks. I just dropped that one bit. Here’s hoping we all get better representation than we deserve. If only someone could talk Debra Hensley into running again, or clone Kathy…
And by the way, David, as always, has some thoughtful perspectives worth reading:
http://www.barefootandprogressive.com/2012/05/the-illness-argument-in-lexingtons-3rd-district-city-council-race1.html
re: “And there can be no personal excuse for her conduct criticizing Democratic volunteers and loyalists for supporting a Democratic candidate.”
Her position is nonpartisan. Further, I guess I should take this as a personal affront, too? Is that what you mean?
Have you no criticism for the Democratic volunteers and loyalists who voted “uncommitted” rather than vote for the President?
Because I think you probably do, and I wouldn’t call your reasoning an excuse.
Okay, I agree the word “personal” was not necessary.
Council positions are nonpartisan, but Lawless has self-identified as a liberal Democrat (which is fine with me). Lawless is taking the advantage of connection with the Democratic Party when it suits her, but when a Republican political ally (K.C. Crosby, who supported Gray for mayor) runs against a Democratic incumbent (Todd Hollenbach), she thinks it is appropriate for her to go down to the Fayette County Democratic Party headquarters and tell volunteers that they should stop working for a Democratic candidate? That’s hypocritical and arrogant. I don’t fault Gray for what he did in that race. He didn’t go down and tell volunteers they shouldn’t work for a candidate they believed in. Why did she feel she had the authority to go to headquarters and make such a criticism? That’s hypocritical and very arrogant.
My biggest criticism (but not my only one) is still that Diane Lawless doesn’t return calls and emails from citizens at critical times. At different times over a period of years, Lawless has herself blamed it on illnesses. Serving in office is a job. Showing up for work and talking to those you work for are the most important parts of a job. Diane Lawless failed to talk to those she works for.
yeah, i’ve heard that complaint from a few people, but i haven’t SEEN it, haven’t experienced it, and also have heard the complete opposite from plenty of others in the District. if she was so terrible, she wouldn’t have trounced the competition.
the complaints against her haven’t resonated and they, so far, haven’t made any sense. in almost every occassion it boils down to hurt feelings among overly sensitive democratic HQ people, a total misunderstanding of her stance on the Maxwell Bike Lane (which is a silly “single issue” vote to obsess over, even though she actually took the stance the objectors mistakenly think she didn’t), and an unfortunate disconnect on communications — I’ve received almost weekly emails from her office (either from her, or Diana Queen or Andrea James) explaining the very minutia of what is going on in the district. Every time i’ve called her, she’s called me back. Same with email.
I haven’t experienced it, and as I said, a lot of people I really trust haven’t either.
the attempted backlash (growing?) against her so far rings hollow, and while i like spires i see no evidence she’s going to do any better a job than lawless is already doing. anyway. we’ll see. i’ll talk to more people, but very very few of the complaints i’ve heard hold weight when examined and balanced against counter-evidence.
I can’t get past the way she did the exact same thing that Jim Newberry quite rightfully got busted for–only she went way past anything he did.
http://www.barefootandprogressive.com/2010/10/video-jim-newberry-hearts-rand-paul-update.html
And the conclusory contention that essentially “she won big in a light election, so the criticism must not be true” doesn’t have the slightest bit of weight with me.
equating crosbie with rand is insane. in fact, equating hollenbach with conway is insane.
further, i’ve essentially done what newberry did for rand for Andy Barr — or at least that’s how plenty in the party appear to conceive of it in their collective delusion — so, what, am i the object of the same ire?
that’s just silliness.
i’m not saying the criticism is untrue. but it’s certainly off base on this issue, as with most others. but i’m still listening.