With permission, former Mayor Ken Michalove asked that we share this with everyone: From: Ken Michalove [mailto:k***@***] Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 9:27 AM To: John Miall; Ken Michalove Subject: Fwd: Request to publish letter to the editor (John Miall) John, I would like you to send this to everyone on your supporter email list. Dear John Supporters: I decided in late June to give up my consulting job with Pack Place to request that the Asheville City Council not fund the Asheville Art Museum renovations and to increase the City rainy day fund. As I turned over more issues involving the Art Museum Tax, I found that the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA) had set aside 1.5. million for 6 years, then defaulted that set aside in 2012 and reissued the $1.5 million in another grant. This 1.5 million could have been used for other worthy projects to attract tourists. The City Council passed the Art Museum tax ($2 million reserve) and refused to request that the BCTDA withdraw funding. I am not against Art...I am against using tax dollars for something that should be privately funded. Esther Manheimer held her initial Mayoral fund raiser at the Art Museum, she chairs the Council Planning and Development Committee and the Finance Committee (these committees dealt with the issues I raised when I went before Council, long before I went to Council), Manheimer tried to stop me from speaking to the City Council twice during my initial presentation. I felt that Manheimer and Jackson were friends of Pam Myers, Executive Director of the Art Museum, and they should have excused themselves from involvement in the Art Museum funding; I also pointed out to the Council that Manheimer, Hunt and Jackson violated the spirit of the Council and City manager Code of ethics...Hunt advised the media that the Council was going to have the City attorney look into my accusations...there has never been a public report of this matter to the Council. My initial intent was to stop public funding of the Art Museum, it was not a political play....now it has become political since Esther Manheimer, Gordon Smith (a member of the BCTDA Board) and Cecil Bothwell (a member of the Council Planning and Development Committee) are running for office. These people understand votes...thats why they are funding the Art Museum and trying to act on every other special interest. Manheimer continues to state that the City owns the Pack Place Building...the City owns the land...leases it to the Pack Place Board...Pack Place owns the improvements on the land. I haven’t seen enough Citizen Times letters of support for John. And, too little open support from his silent supporters...its time to go public with your opinion of Johns qualifications for Mayor, help him raise addition campaign funds and help him get out the vote between now and Nov. 5! Best, Ken
Posted on: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 16:35:41 +0000
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