EAST ROSWELL CANDIDATES POLITICAL FORUM BACKFIRES ON PARTISANS

The hook, line and sinker sell-out of the last credible political faction in East Roswell to the David Tolleson East of the Highway Political Cartel is now complete.

It occurred at the so-called “East Roswell Candidates Forum,” staged last Sunday afternoon at Centennial High School, hosted by the “East Roswell Forum.”

The “East Roswell Forum,” was once a proud and politically powerful east side newsletter with a huge email list. Their penchant for fairness and objectivity served as its trademark.

But last Sunday’s fiasco changed all that.

That’s when the Forum gave it all away by partaking in a shameless shill-job for two of their favored candidates: David Tolleson, running for Roswell Mayor, and Jim Pollak, running for Roswell City Council.

What’s worse for Sarah Winner’s once mighty organization is that their pathetic partisan ploy backfired. They harmed their candidates, while aiding opponents.

We doubt either Tolleson or Pollak were a part of it. Both are way too smart for that.

At the crux of the sham were the questions posed to the candidates referenced above. Pollak’s opponent, incumbent Kent Igleheart and Tolleson’s adversaries, Mayor Jere Wood and Councilwoman Lori Henry, got solid hard-edged questions that were on the mark. Bravo to the Forum organizers for that.

But their questions to Pollak and Tolleson were silly softball ice-cream cones served up like a chocolate Sundae with nuts and cherries.

Igleheart hit his questions, dealing with his personal financial problems, out of the park. Pollak offered up some wayward gobblygook about his “experience.”

As for Henry and Wood, their questions allowed them to give cutting answers that demonstrated their substance.

Tolleson’s benign queries left him with nothing relevant to answer. He was robbed of the chance to state his polices and positions or to make bold statements on his specific plans. Instead, the questions the Forum asked left him no choice but to offer up the same old “build a consensus” pabulum he’s been pitching for months. This was his chance to shine. Instead, his syrupy supporters simply reinforced his “Mister Rogers” image.

GAINERS AND LOSERS

MAYOR

The huge gainer of the Forum was Henry. She was poised, fierce, and on message. Her opening salvo set the tone, when she went on record and blasted the East Political Cartel. Here’s an excerpt:

“Those who are pushing for a geographical voting block must think that folks on this side of town are a bunch of followers, like sheep… I know that you folks are independent-minded and politically savvy. I don’t know any sheep in East Roswell…There are three hard-working and committed candidates running for mayor. If the one who happens to live closest to you is the best leader for this entire city, I say vote for them. But not because of where they currently live.

If a geographical voting block occurs in East Roswell, next time there’ll be a voting block in West Roswell – you can be sure of that. And then we’ll be a divided city. Those pushing for a voting block here don’t care about that. They’ll do anything to win, including tearing this city apart…united we can produce a great city, while divided we will surely fall.”

Henry, left for political road kill over the summer with vultures circling what many thought was a dead campaign, is now surging. She has seized the momentum, the dialogue, and the tone of the race.

Tolleson gained nothing and lost nothing. But it was an opportunity missed.

Wood was not himself. He stood up to speak after sitting for over 90 minutes, and was told by the Forum organizers to sit down, because their “rules” didn’t allow it.  It was an embarrassing moment, and the audience jeered him, showing alarming disrespect for the 12-year Mayor. He never gained stride after that. It was a Sunday afternoon Wood doesn’t want to remember.

CITY COUNCIL

PRICE VS. VOTH

Betty Price took a cheap shot at Igleheart for no apparent reason. When asked about her experience in managing a budget the size of Roswell’s, Price offered up this lovely nugget: “I have checked the disclosures of the some of the candidates and it is [obvious] that some can’t even seem to manage their own personal financial affairs…” But Price recovered with this: “I have experience managing my family’s financial assets, which are significant…”

As for Voth, he did not prepare, his answers were vague and unspecific, and he is now looking at getting about 25 percent of the vote, if things break his way.

IGLEHEART VS. POLLAK

Hey Pollak, we’ve got a news flash for you: your party’s over. Igleheart is back.

Igleheart deftly dealt with his personal financial disclosures and got back in the race, touting his record. Pollak may have banked on an Igleheart meltdown that is not going to happen.

But not to worry! Pollak has Roswell Councilwoman Becky Wynn in his corner. He did a direct mail piece that hit my house on Monday touting Wynn’s endorsement with a riveting, earth shattering thought provoking quote: “We need people like Jim Pollak on city council.” That’s it. Pollak in a landslide. 

FLECK VS. ORLANS

Lee Fleck decided to commit political suicide, choosing to turn into Lee J. Cobb in the 1957 movie classic “12 Angry Men.”

Fleck’s message got washed away in his aggressive demeanor, which included deciding not to answer a question he was asked, and instead going off on a tangent about something else. That may have worked for Sarah Palin, but it was a disaster for Fleck. He was the big loser. Orlans gained by saying nothing particularly new.

DIAMOND VS. FUDALI VS. HARGREAVES

Hargreaves maintained his one percent vote status.

Fudali made a few interesting points about the budget and transparency in government.

But Nancy Diamond shined. Her answers were clear, concise and cogent. She demonstrated a working knowledge while stating her positions with vigor.

We’d call this a blowout for Diamond save one thing: she has now thrown in with the Tolleson crowd, and we don’t know why. If she stays independent, she trounces Fudali. But the East Roswell Political Cartel is very alluring, they make a lot of promises, and she took the bait. Diamond doesn’t need them. But she’s stuck with them now. At least 50 percent of Roswell voters are going to be casting their mayoral ballot for a candidate other than Tolleson on November 3. Why give them reason to vote against you, when you don’t need to?

WHERE’S WALDO

Roswell veteran councilman Jerry Orlans manages to get himself into every conceivable photo-op imaginable. We can’t find a picture in Roswell that he isn’t in. If he loses his re-election bid, he may consider taking up a new career: as a “paparazzi.” We hear there’s big money in it, and you get to meet interesting people, like Milton’s Julie Zahner-Bailey.

IS A NEW POLITICAL PARTY EMERGING IN ROSWELL?

On the national level we have the Republicans and Democrats. We even have fringe parties like the Libertarians and the Socialist Workers Party. But according to one Martin’s Landing resident, we have a new party emerging –with its roots in Roswell. He calls it the “Watley-Winniski Party” – aptly named after its founders: local political consultant Randy Whatley and former councilwoman Paula Winniski. The resident, who attended a Whatley-Winniski Party function at Avistele in Martin’s Landing on Tuesday, says they are the brains behind the East of the Highway Political Cartel. The “meet and greet” was thrown for the Whatley-Winniski candidate slate of Tolleson, Pollak and Diamond. Naturally, the new “WW” Party left me out in the cold, giving me the unceremonious heave-ho boot with the proverbial “here’s your hat, what’s your hurry” message. But its OK, because I heard a rumor you may soon have to show secret a “WW Party ID” badge to get into East Roswell, and they may be setting up check-point Charlie’s around all entrances, to smoke out those pesky Lori Henry supporters.

D’AVERSA: LOCKWOOD PARTY POOPER?

Talk about crashing a party.

Milton Mayor Joe Lockwood has endorsed all three Milton city council incumbents up for re-election, including Tina D’Aversa, Bill Lusk and Karen Thurman.

Showing his grace, Lockwood hosted a fundraiser for D’Aversa at his home on Sunday night.

Attendees say it was sparsely attended, with mostly Julie Zahner-Bailey supporters.

But Lockwood got some of his key donors to come out and help D’Aversa.

So how does D’Aversa show her gratitude?

By inviting the opponents of Lusk and Thurman to the fundraiser, Alex Trevillyan and Bernard Wolff, letting them speak, and endorsing their candidacies.

Right in Lockwood’s living room, nonetheless.