Today is the start of early voting for this year’s Denton City Council elections. Go here to find out where and when you can vote.
The Denton you love doesn’t just happen by accident. It’s the result of a beautiful mix of hardworking businesses, ambitious citizens, the constant stream of smart, fresh ideas coming from our two universities, and long-range planning and policy-making. The Denton you love is fragile and needs to be continually cultivated and fought for.
My opponent, Robert Doyle Cain, receives support from those who think fracking in neighborhoods is the right thing to do. Now that group of people and others in our community have teamed up to create a new entity whose purpose is to endorse specific candidates for this year’s city council race – Keep Denton Gritty.
As is often the case when you lack a positive vision for the city, you cobble together an assorted list of random criticisms and present it to the voters as your platform. This Gritty team has now published their manifesto in which they lay out their “vision” for Denton and endorse their picks for this council election. You can see that letter here. And not only has my opponent not distanced himself from these views, he has actually proudly posted it on his facebook wall:
So in addition to their support of fracking in neighborhoods, what do they mean by “keeping Denton gritty”? According to their manifesto, it is as follows:
- ANTI - HISTORIC PRESERVATION
- ANTI - ARTS and MUSIC FESTIVALS IN DOWNTOWN DENTON
- ANTI - STREET IMPROVEMENTS ON HICKORY STREET IN DOWNTOWN DENTON
- ANTI – WORKING TO KEEP YOUR DME RATES LOW
- ANTI – SAFETY AND BUILDING CODES (something EVERY city has)
My opponent has already endorsed this vision. And he has for a long time. In 2006, when many of us were activated to get involved in local politics because of the threat to historic Fry Street, Doyle Cain penned this letter to the Denton Record Chronicle offering “to drive the first bulldozer.”
And on several occasions during candidates forums these last few weeks he has compared the Fry Street of old with the Downtown of today.
Let me repeat: The Denton you love is fragile and it needs to be continually cultivated and fought for. You love Denton? Then vote for her.