[Dialogic would like to make this clear that we are simply disseminating this message from Danny Mayer in his independent campaign for LFUCG Mayor, a campaign which we support]
Lexington-Fayette Urban County,
I am a professor at Bluegrass Community and Technical College, a fourteen year resident of the northside, a former publisher of the media conglomerate North of Center, a father, and an avid hiker and paddler of area streets and waters. (I'm also a 2007 graduate of UK, where I received my PhD in American Literature.)
My campaign will focus on “the whole horse”--creating diverse and functional live/work/play communities that extend well beyond Main Street and that do not unfairly commit the city's citizenry to paying off high cost/low reward inner urban developments. My campaign will be more committed to relevant local class ideas than pay-big world class projects. How do we spur development in the neighborhoods in which we live? How might we culturally and economically connect our citizens in ways that do not require of them to travel downtown for art, culture, food, and jobs?
Here are some articles from North of Center that might highlight my thinking on some topics. I recognize that I have been depicted in media stories, incorrectly, as running a “small scale” or “limited” or “subordinate” campaign. I hope these writings show that my candidacy is a serious one and that it grows out of many years of thinking and researching and writing on this area.
Thanks,
Danny Mayer, candidate for Mayor of Fayette Urban County
What I'm for:
(1) #FreeLextran is a project that I developed and presented to the city council in September, to no response. After being turned down by one council member, I have been able to secure help from 1st District Representative Chris Ford on the project. In two weeks, we'll meet with Rocky Burke (LexTran), Jim Clark (LexArts), Jeff Fugate (Lex. DDA), and Denise Brown (one of the proposed muralists from the project) to discuss possibilities for the project's phase 1 implementation.
(2) The Free LexTran project is a newer, though smaller, extension of my interest in creating county-wide access to economic growth, healthy living, cultural activity, and public transportation. A larger-scale example would be my entry in the Mayer's Challenge, which I submitted to Jim Gray.
(3) Small-scale project: Who doesn't love a parade? "Parade County, USA"
No to Rupp:
(4) "A matter of value," written in Feb 2012, lays out why I think Rupp is a bad value in more abstract terms.
(5) "Rupp will be an expensive opportunity," written at the end of 2011, lists a number of arguments against the project that are more specific and "numbers based."
(6) "What we'd do: $2.5 million from LFUCG," lays out alternate plans for spending the city's (thus far) $2.5 million investment in the Rupp Opportunity Zone.
County observations:
(7) Here's my take on where I see city money/power going (city and horse country), and where it doesn't go (the neighborhoods where we live): "Propping up Main Street."
(8) "Austerity comes to Lexington," written in June 2011, places Jim Gray's budget discussions within the context of national and global austerity debates. I'd note that while the LFUCG budget has increased since he proposed his 2011 budget, few of the "safety net" type of city agencies have seen their budgets increase from 2011 levels.
(9) City development focus areas are intertwined with gentrification. Here's the most recent writing of mine on that: "Some paragraphs on northside gentrification."
Personal:
(10) I'm an avid paddler of area waters. Here's one of a series I helped write of Kentucky River trips: "Frankfort stinks like shit."
(11) I'm the grandson of an artist, union man, WWII vet, and orphan: "Old man gets older."
(12) I'm married and 2.5 year old daughter. "May Day Kid attends first protest"
Danny Mayer
For more info or to contact:
mayer.danny@gmail.com
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