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| The Race For City Council Ward II |
The City Council race for Ward II is not contested which means only one candidate is
running. Two candidates were qualified for the ballot but City Councilwoman Jan
Brown successfully persuaded the other candidate in Ward II not to run thus eliminating
a choice for Loveland voters.
The sole candidate, Carol Johnson, began her presentation by admitting upfront that she
is new to Loveland but said in the short time since arriving she has been an active
participant in various organizations and associations within the city. Johnson has been an
active member of Loveland’s downtown association and completed Loveland’s
Citizen’s Police Academy.
Carol Johnson did earn some audible groans from across the audience when she stated
in response to a discussion about development, “I am glad McWhinney is here and
think he has brought a lot of quality to this community.� Some audience members
after the forum told LovelandPolitics’ cameraman they groaned because it was a
slap in the face to people in west Loveland inferring that there weren’t any quality
people in the community before McWhinney’s developments. Of course, Johnson
would have no way of knowing this since she came to Loveland many years after
McWhinney.
Borrowing from a line she used during her failed re-election campaign in Golden
Colorado, Johnson repeated many times that, “growth is necessary to pay for the
rising cost of services.� Of course, Loveland doesn’t have a “no-growth�
movement or initiative, as Golden did at the time, so she appears to be arguing against
her old adversaries in Golden instead of addressing concerns in Loveland.
Johnson’s theme for the evening appeared to be the art of what is not possible
versus what is. As if to throw a bucket of cold water on everything, Johnson lectured
the audience that downtown Loveland would take 15 to 20 years of continued Council
support before anyone could expect results. Johnson makes the slow pace of the former
Soviet Union’s 5 year economic reform plans look like wild optimism compared to
her idea that people should be prepared to wait 20 years if she is elected before
expecting a revitalized downton.
Taking a very different tack from all the other candidates, Johnson stated she would not
be implementing the concerns and wishes expressed to her by residents, she said she
wasn’t going to do what people have been asking of her.
She said people have been asking her what she will do on council to stop the
uncontrolled growth in the city and she responds that growth isn’t something City
Council can stop. Of course, she failed to address the point that up-zoning, variances,
tax-incentives and other actions taken to encourage growth are not helpful if traffic
control, jobs and basic city infrastructure isn’t keeping pace with sprawl.
Finally, in a very awkward moment, Johnson’s response to other candidates
discussing the need for primary jobs in Loveland stated something nonsensical. Johnson
announced, “my friends said I am the poster child for primary jobs.� She
explained that since moving to Loveland a short time back she hasn’t been
successful in finding employment with adequate pay despite her ongoing job search. She
explained that as an attorney she is doing some work but not for the pay she might
expect.
The audience struggled to make the connection and this was a topic of discussion
following the forum among the audience members. How can failure in finding work be
the “poster child� for bringing primary jobs to Loveland? Perhaps, she meant to
say she is the poster child for economic blight which might encourage Council to attract
primary jobs to Loveland?
running. Two candidates were qualified for the ballot but City Councilwoman Jan
Brown successfully persuaded the other candidate in Ward II not to run thus eliminating
a choice for Loveland voters.
The sole candidate, Carol Johnson, began her presentation by admitting upfront that she
is new to Loveland but said in the short time since arriving she has been an active
participant in various organizations and associations within the city. Johnson has been an
active member of Loveland’s downtown association and completed Loveland’s
Citizen’s Police Academy.
Carol Johnson did earn some audible groans from across the audience when she stated
in response to a discussion about development, “I am glad McWhinney is here and
think he has brought a lot of quality to this community.� Some audience members
after the forum told LovelandPolitics’ cameraman they groaned because it was a
slap in the face to people in west Loveland inferring that there weren’t any quality
people in the community before McWhinney’s developments. Of course, Johnson
would have no way of knowing this since she came to Loveland many years after
McWhinney.
Borrowing from a line she used during her failed re-election campaign in Golden
Colorado, Johnson repeated many times that, “growth is necessary to pay for the
rising cost of services.� Of course, Loveland doesn’t have a “no-growth�
movement or initiative, as Golden did at the time, so she appears to be arguing against
her old adversaries in Golden instead of addressing concerns in Loveland.
Johnson’s theme for the evening appeared to be the art of what is not possible
versus what is. As if to throw a bucket of cold water on everything, Johnson lectured
the audience that downtown Loveland would take 15 to 20 years of continued Council
support before anyone could expect results. Johnson makes the slow pace of the former
Soviet Union’s 5 year economic reform plans look like wild optimism compared to
her idea that people should be prepared to wait 20 years if she is elected before
expecting a revitalized downton.
Taking a very different tack from all the other candidates, Johnson stated she would not
be implementing the concerns and wishes expressed to her by residents, she said she
wasn’t going to do what people have been asking of her.
She said people have been asking her what she will do on council to stop the
uncontrolled growth in the city and she responds that growth isn’t something City
Council can stop. Of course, she failed to address the point that up-zoning, variances,
tax-incentives and other actions taken to encourage growth are not helpful if traffic
control, jobs and basic city infrastructure isn’t keeping pace with sprawl.
Finally, in a very awkward moment, Johnson’s response to other candidates
discussing the need for primary jobs in Loveland stated something nonsensical. Johnson
announced, “my friends said I am the poster child for primary jobs.� She
explained that since moving to Loveland a short time back she hasn’t been
successful in finding employment with adequate pay despite her ongoing job search. She
explained that as an attorney she is doing some work but not for the pay she might
expect.
The audience struggled to make the connection and this was a topic of discussion
following the forum among the audience members. How can failure in finding work be
the “poster child� for bringing primary jobs to Loveland? Perhaps, she meant to
say she is the poster child for economic blight which might encourage Council to attract
primary jobs to Loveland?
| Carol Johnson |
| "As I said, growth is needed to pay for the rising cost of services" |
| "I am glad McWhinney is here" |
| "My friends said I am the poster child for primary jobs." |