Foxx Campaign: Stop the Games
09/23/2009For Immediate Release
September 23, 2009
Contact: Jill Santuccio – 704.361.8896
Foxx Campaign: Stop the Games
Charlotte N.C. - The Anthony Foxx for Mayor campaign responded today to a series of last-minute format changes and scheduling maneuvers proposed by John Lassiter campaign to the 15 debates and forums taking place in the last 41 days of the mayoral campaign.
“Community organizations have established ground rules based on their interest in understanding the records and views of both candidates,” said Bruce Clark, Anthony Foxx for Mayor campaign manager. “The Lassiter campaign should not try to strong arm these groups nor stifle important conversation about the future of our community.”
For several months, the Lassiter campaign has failed to participate in pre-debate walk-throughs and format reviews and later insisted on last-minute changes. Examples of last minute changes:
· Although the ground rules for last night’s debate at Johnson C. Smith University had been established weeks ago, the Lassiter campaign contacted university officials to eliminate direct questions between the candidates. Minutes before the debate, Lassiter complained about the unlimited number of rebuttals that would be allowed.
· The Urban League of Charlotte scheduled a debate months ago. The Lassiter campaign has since confirmed a conflicting debate on the same day. Rather than eliminate the event, the Foxx campaign is working to accommodate both events.
· No one from the Lassiter campaign attended a meeting hosted on September 18 by the League of Women Voters, WSOC and WTVI intended to set agreeable parameters for the debate which were distributed in writing that day. The Lassiter campaign is now trying to establish its own guidelines for the debate.
“It is unfortunate that many of these forums and debates have been on the schedule for months and, at the last minute, our opponent wants to obstruct an open, community-led process to determine the next mayor,” Clark said. “Numerous debate organizers are being subjected to disruptive changes to schedules and formats that have been established for quite some time.”
“I don’t know what he’s afraid of,” said Clark. “We want as many people as possible to see both candidates side by side. In such an important election, the public deserves nothing less. Stop the games. It’s time to talk about the future of our community.”
Charlotte native Anthony Foxx, is a current at-large city council member and democratic candidate for mayor. He is a graduate of Davidson College, where he served as student body president and was a Root-Tilden-Snow Public Interest Law Scholar at New York University. Visit www.anthonyfoxx.com for more information.
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Jill Santuccio
Press Secretary/Deputy Communications Director
Anthony Foxx for Mayor
704.361.8896
www.anthonyfoxx.com