This Thursday is the filing deadline for the 2009 City Election. If anyone wants to have a chance at enduring constant scorn from a vocal minority of the public for every decision they make, there's still time.
Here are the numbers of signatures required on petitions to run for each ward and Mayor.
Mayor 338
At-Large 287
1st Ward 41
2nd Ward 36
3rd Ward 20
4th Ward 49
5th Ward 30
6th Ward 65
7th Ward 49
8th Ward 45
A few years ago the 3rd ward only required 13, so obviously voter turnout is increasing downtown.
There's a new blog following this election, which can be found at
electiondavenport.blogspot.com. I've added it to the links over on the right. So far it seems very fair-handed, possibly because it also seems very concise in its posts, unlike this blog and its occasional novel-length posts.
In the At-Large race, it looks like this Jason Gordon will be the mainstream candidate to beat, although Ortiz and his illegal signs will be giving him a run for it. If Keith Meyer is really running for At-Large, I think he'll have quite an uphill battle. Niky showed the popularity (or lack-thereof) of wrench-in-the-gears-style candidates over the city as a whole.
57 comments:
The vocal minority voted down Daavenport Promise? A person who does their job is wrench in the gear? Sounds like a bit of a stretch.
Great news to hear that Jason Gordon is running at large. He was a great congressional assistant to both Cong. Leach and Nussle-very helpful in constituent matters. Very connected to many aspects of the community-school district, city, and neighborhood issues. Smart and committed family guy. Oh yeah-no ugly and oversized signs stinking up the landscape either.
Keith was great at checking out potholes and graffiti complaints, but that's not the whole job of an Alderman. His demeanor at council meetings, treatment of city staff, and voting record are not worth of being put back on the council chambers.
I for one, think its nice that our council meetings aren't circuses anymore.
I agree QCI. We are no longer the laughing stock of the Quad Cities/State of Iowa political landscape. I feel this council/mayor has done a really decent job for the City of Davenport residents. I also agree with Shelley that Mr. Gordon sounds like a very qualified, professional individual for the at-large job. No fan of Ortiz, and god help us all if Keith was ever re-elected....ESPECIALLY at-large!
Well I think Keith was and honorable man, what about City Staff's treatment of him? The same circus is still there just different clowns.
The City has run exponentially better since the last election, and it has a lot to do with a council that understands how to work with its staff and not create circus acts during televised events just for the attention. Kieth will be destroyed if he runs for At-Large - I hope he does it, because Boom has done a good job in the 3rd Ward and I don't want to see him go.
Actually, anyone running for reelection will likely do very well. For once, having been on the previous council is going to be a star on your resume. I don't know much about Gordon, but he sounds like a solid guy on paper. I'll save judgment there for later. I've already been turned off by Ortiz, though. If he's already breaking rules and the campaign season hasn't even really begun. That doesn't speak well to ones character, especially when he's been called out for it, acknowledged it, and yet the signs remain.
D1 on the blogs!! D1= Jason Gordon
Nussel= gone from government
Leach = gone from government
What did he learn? Republican puppet!!
Ugly signs= are you serious? HAHA!!
Signs must be leagal or city would have told him to take them down,I also called city to ask, they said they are fine and on private property. No rules broken!
Ortiz is the one for me. I have met with him and was blown away!! And his time to the community and kids is unmatched by the others!!
I heard that Jason's Non- Profit fund raising/ Director job I believe is about to go belly up or close. How good of a job did he do? He can handle your tax dollars but not mine! Must not of raised very much money either!
Conservative Demo here:
I don't know anything about either Ortiz or Gordon so thankfully the two vastly different candidate reviews here (Shelley & 11:43) sort of balance each other out.
Being cynical about rethugs in-general, I allowed myself to be turned off by Shelley's mention of Nussle and use of "family guy" (reminds me that rethugs family values so often show up in their having multiple families (nuzzle has had two so far).
As for 11:43, gimminy the guy throws out quick little sound bytes, almost changing subject mid-sentence, and all negative. His only positive is that he got blown away. Hmph, must be generational talk. If that's the caliber of Ortiz' support, I'd better look harder at the (ugh) rethug (apparently) guy.
11:43
The thing about the signs, is that they aren't illegal now, but they were when they went up. See this post for the full city ordinance, which says no signs before 45 days prior to an election.
In this post here, Ortiz, or someone claiming to be him, admits his mistake and says that he will take them down. From what I've seen, that never happened. That's what has some people annoyed.
Believe me-I am NO fan of Jim Nussle! What makes Jason Gordon an attractive candidate is that when he worked for both Leach and Nussle, he did his job effectively as a congressional staff assistant. In other words, he advocated on behalf of constituents in navigating the federal government, he was present at community meetings where federal policy intersected with local issues, and he was good at individual casework for residents. He was not a partisan. His background with schools, youth, and the machinations of government in general qualify him in my estimation. What a laugh that I would endorse someone because they were a D1, Republican clone! Ha!
it is obvioue that shelley is a close person to jason gordon. he just announced his intentions to run and she new his daily job descriptions and knew what he was advocating to people during that time.that info has not been printed anywhere. i will wait to see for my self what kind of person he is. ??shelley were you at the meetings where federal and local issues were discussed?? so you can confirm to us today that over 5 years ago you heard him speak to these things. give me a break that was way to long ago to know meeting times, meeting minutes, and to know "congressional assistants" for a republican congressman.....
Gluba for mayor
Matson for 8th ward
Ortiz for At-Large
Lynn for 5th ward
Brown for 1st ward
Those are my for sure votes now. I will be looking into the others as they progress.
Mike
I will advocate and promote their campaigns for these people as I cant vote for all of them! Wanted to be clearer!! Sorry
Mike
On January 2, 2004, I wrote the following note to the Finance Department:
“ I am requesting a projected yearly cost of employment including all benefits of the Employment Agreement between the City of Davenport and City Administrator Craig Malin.
I am also requesting a totals projected cost over the total terms of the contract.
I need this information by 3:00 p.m. on January 5th because it is on the agenda for the 4:30 Committee of the whole on the same date.
Keith Meyer
Third Ward Alderman
January 2, 2004”
Malin’s response to my request was to order the Finance Director not to provide the information and set Brooke into writing reprimands because he did not like the questions. The Council spent many hours over the next six years dealing with Malin’s contract.
This contract was scheduled to be approved my first week on the Council. If you are going to write about demeanor, something factual might be appropriate. Keith
HE'S BAAAACK!!!!
Keith...Keith.....don't do it man, don't run! You will get annihilated at the polls.
welcome back Keith!
WELCOME BACK KEITH. More people are backing you than the posters here think. Not just 3rd warders who have been manipulated by Bill Boom.
Awwww.....the sleeping "againsters" have awoken from their 2 year (and for some...4 yr) nap, dreaming of grandeur.
WELCOME BACK!!!
Of course, You immediately start your typical "mud slinging" at Davenport's ELECTED officials.
Isn't that why your guys were booted out of office in the first place???
Boy, I guess the ol' saying goes; Ya can't teach an ol' dog a new trick would apply here.
.
It's to bad you can't cheer for YOUR guys, cause they are ALL sitting on the sideline....WATCHING.
Meanwhile, OUR guys are out on the field playing...AND WINNING over Davenport voters by doing GOOD, PRODUCTIVE work for Davenport.
I feel this council has done a pretty damn good job for us. From the Mayor to the ENTIRE council. (and yes, that includes Bill Boom.)
It's just has to be tough being in YOUR shoes.
Maybe you should go lie down and take another 2 year nap looking at the bottom of your eye lids.
Keith - your inability to let go of the Malin thing in August of 2009 makes it clear you're out to settle a score, not look out for any kind of public good. Making that the topic of your very first post is a dead give away.
It sounds like your first order of business would be to dredge up your fight and ensure every Council meeting is a nightmare for the next 2 years as you hit the front page of the paper and make me a do a face-palm each day I read it.
We tried that once, and you lost the following election. The community has clearly preferred the far more civil approach the current council has taken to running our City.
OMG....someone that actually makes NORMAL sense. THANK YOU above poster!
I think the electorate gets it, and will let it be well known at the ballot box which governing style they prefer.
GLUBA WILL NOT STAND FOR THE SHANNIGANS OF OLD I GAURANTEE!
Keith's post, if it really is by him, is literally the perfect argument of why he shouldn't be on the council. Bringing up a random issue from 5 years ago, posting emails into blogs with absolutely no context, battling the city staff... People have shown in the last several elections that they don't want to bring back the "stars" of past circus councils, be it Yerington, Gibbs, or Keith. Posting your half-decade-old beef with Malin is a great example of why they don't.
As far as Gluba, there's little he can do about shenanigans on the council without generating a backlash against him like the previous 2 Mayors. He's been fortunate enough that he hasn't had to deal with a Keith or Niky during his time in office. I don't think he has magic council-taming powers; he's just had a tamer council to deal with.
It would be nice to cut out the name calling. How about touting what your candidate can do? Or is your candidate not good enough and all you have is name calling? I'm talking about both sides.
Nitrous55(a rethug)
Keith lost the 3rd ward by less then 150 votes. He had not mailings and no voter ID. If he runs a regualr campagin he could get back in.
Keith Meyer is the most honest and trustworth a candidate you could ever hope to have representing you. He goes above and beyond to look out for everyone in his ward. He stands for open government and incourages public imput. Thanks Keith, as the residents of the 3rd ward have missed your great service for the past two years.
Keith may be, but like QCI posted, he gives the feeling that he is out to get those who done him wrong. Just stick to city government.
Nitrous55
Keith is also excellent about watching how the tax monies are being spent and making sure we get the biggest bang for the buck. For the past two years the Aldermen have signed off on everything that staff has stuck in front of them, and rarely have questioned them. Seems like the most important thing to them is seeing how fast they can get the meetings over with, and how few people they have to listen to.
Just because they don't question them in front of the TV cameras doesn't mean that they don't question city staff. I know for a fact that Frink asks a lot of good questions, but he doesn't do it in a confrontational, put-them-on-the-spot type of way for the cameras.
QCI:
When you say you "know for a fact" that Ian questions staff, are you saying that you were there with both Frink and Staff in their offices on multiple occassions and heard him getting answers to questions?
If Ian is the only one asking questions, is he sharing the answers with the other 9 aldermen so they are also well informed?
If Ian will be gone soon, don't the taxpayers deserve at least one alderman who will throughly research issues comming up at council meetings?
All the more reason to whole heartidly support Keith Meyer.
Keith Meyer got along well with the staff QCI. When he would call Dee at Public Works, she would take care of all the third ward concerns in a timely manner.
She enjoyed discussions with Keith.
The debate about Keith is pretty moot, IMO.
The only reason the vote was remotely close in the 3rd Ward race was due to low voter turnout in that ward (historically the lowest) and the fact he was an incumbent. And in that ward, where so few vote, 150 is actually not very close at all.
The 6th Ward has the highest voter turnout, and for the most part, voters there loathe what Keith brings to the table.
I see no way he doesn't get crushed in an At-large vote.
He has a core group of true believers in the 3rd Ward, but is viewed as an obstructionist and an embarrassment by a large percentage of voters in the wards that actually do turn out at the polls.
People touting him as "honorable" are quite amusing as well.
Keith was a bully, pure and simple. He tried to bully fellow council members by filibustering on irrelevant topics, he called city staff members liars, he purposely overloaded staff members with irrelevant paperwork to try and prevent them from working on project that he personally didn't approve of and on and on and on.
I don't see him as a bully. As for the election, I doubt that he would get crushed.
Nitrous55 (Rethug)
People thought Niky would be our next Mayor, and she didn't even make it past the primary. Keith's circus doesn't play outside of a few wards.
If Keith leaves Malin alone, I think he could do alright.
Nicky and Keith hurt themselves trying to get even with those who wronged them. Otherwise, I feel they are decent representatives of the city.
Nitrous55 (rethug)
Nitrous55
Dude.....put down the pipe ur smok'in.
And WTF is a "RETHUG"?
A ReThug is a 'born again Thug.'
Shelley since you know Jason so well can you please tell me what exact Non-Profits/ Charities he is the Director of? I hear that 1 or his only one is about to go broke and close. Can you please provide this info?
Oh yeah-
Congressional staff assistant gets the coffee, mail, and makes phone calls and takes notes, so he was like a secratary???
3rd Ward citizen
Iowa Values Not for SaleThe goal of Iowa Values Not for Sale is to keep Mitt Romney near or below 50% in the Iowa .... GORDON, JASON DAVENPORT, IA $500 6/1/2007. GOTV CONSULTING ...
iavaluesnotforsale.blogspot.com/ -
Ask conservative dem for the rethug bit. We are evil people.
I still stand by my opinion that Keith would be alright back in office. He just needs to check his vendettas at the door. I'd like Nicky if she did the samething.
Nitrous55 (rethug)
5:23 pm
you showed that now we know that he can be bought for $500.00. This is not a man of the people!! he will do whatever pays him the most. Not what Davenport needs. his non-profit home is about to close also. now i see why he needs a new job.
Conservative Demo here:
NiO55 sez: "I still stand by my opinion that Keith would be alright back in office. He just needs to check his vendettas at the door. I'd like Nicky if she did the samething."
Yop, meetoo. I hope neither one of us will suffer any loss of credibility from it but we are in common on that opinion.
Niterous
What should administrator malin leave at the door?
Shelley
Are you going to answer the question?
maybe if we pay shelley too, like Jason she will answer the questions. she couldnt wait to jump in twice in early comments with political talk, but when we ask about facts she has left town. If her or Jason doesnt answer these questions i will forward this blog to the 3 other candidates and they can ask him!! not the kind of stuff you want out in the public arena for sure!!
QCI your mainstream candidate (Jason)just got shot out of the water. I thought you would of learned from the past on picking candidates and supporting them. you need to get out of the basement and do some homework first. I hope since you have been critical of others you will be as critical to him or can you be bought for $500.00 like he was?
Why is it that we vote for the or settle for the least worst folks running for office. For a lack of better, it hard to find a good candidate these days. Right now, I know what we have and I'll would have to vote incumbent. Now as far as Billy (Goat) Lynn, a trained circus money could be better than him.
Walnut.
The fact that he received $500 doesn't prove anything, and you can't expect Shelley to monitor this blog on a daily basis. Settle down.
i also read that web site article and he didnt just take $500.00 once but he was bought off again for another 500.00. A person's true values arent for sale. He claims to be a fiscal conservative. Mitt romney was able to buy that away from him. i will not vote for someone like that. I hope no one else would either. Davenport needs and desrves better!!
QCI are you blinded by the truth or failed to read the article??
I like robby Ortiz, Im voting for him.
QCI - Thanks for listing my blogg!
That "article" is on a blog just like this one. I hope you don't take my opinions from here and quote them as facts on other blogs, but I'm sure that you don't.
No one, except Mr. Gordon, can say what that $500 in consulting services consisted of. To make this into some big conspiracy is just par for the course for some of you folks.
Only in Davenport could someone have an election blog with the wrong spelling of Mayor Gluba's name.Amazing.
Everyone knows it's Wilam Glubber.
Says something for the education we all got at Central.
:)
I was at a event for Robby Ortiz yesterday and was impressed with Mr. Ortiz's knowledge of city issues, his personality, and his wonderful family. I also agree with the direction he wants to take Davenport in. I hope we all join together and elect Mr. Ortiz one of our two next Alderman At-Large.
Malin should do the same thing. If you think he doesn't, by all means, give the evidence to a newspaper and show everyone what a fraud he is. Something tells me, I won't be seeing anything in the paper unless it is Alex Jones's and I'm spending $29.95 on the '55 and not on Alex.
It is interesting that all we have is name calling (you forgot the cracker jack degree, Walnut). Too bad no one has any ideas. We all just reliving grade school days.
Nitrous55 (rethug)
Progressive Dem, I like that term. Make this cracker feel like an OG. I do have the droopy drawers. Now, all I need to do is come up with my version of a crip walk.
Wow, that Election Davenport blog must be really awesome to have to be invited to so much as read it.
Conservative Demo here:
NiO55, I guess you're welcome BUT, yer talking a dialect I don't understand there, sorry. Must be generational.
Well, just keep the name calling coming. That seems to be the only thing that people like in local politics.
Nitrous55
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