Video: Mayoral candidates face off in second debate of 2012 election season
We’ve had several requests to provide a series of videos from the second mayoral candidate debate held Thursday night inside Fayetteville City Hall, just as we did for the first debate of the election season.
The event, sponsored by the Fayetteville Council of Neighborhoods, featured both candidates – incumbent Mayor Lioneld Jordan and former Fayetteville mayor Dan Coody.
FCON chairman Richard Russell played host for the evening while Fiona Davidson, an associate professor of European Studies at the University of Arkansas, moderated the debate.
A coin toss decided which order candidates would deliver their opening and closing statements.
Included below are short videos of both candidate’s statements, including their roughly three-minute answers to each question and their one-minute responses. The event was also recorded by the Fayetteville Government Channel and is available – with higher quality video and audio – at accessfayetteville.org.
Note: For more from Jordan and Coody, see our interview questions.
I believe I just heard candidate Coody say that there are no good businesses on College from Lafayette to the Mall.
Mr Coody, if you hated the place so much when you drove into town, why did you stay?
Mr. Coody simply cannot be allowed to become mayor if he continues to be for putting meters on dickson, that is absolutely the worst thing that could happen to that area. However, I tend to agree with everything else he said. Fayetteville is a progressive city and needs a progressive mayor. We need something to better us as a city and set us apart from the other “big 3″ in NWA.
When Jordan took office in 2009 we were facing the worse recession since the depression. When Coody took office in 2001 we were in the best times our economy has ever seen. Coody racked up $97 million dollars of debt in the best economic times and Jordan reduced that debt by $28.6 million in the worse economic times. How does that happen? This city cannot afford Mr. Coody. Mayor Jordan has visions for the city and we will get to see the benefits of his visions over the next four years. During the past four years he was doing his best from keeping the city from going under from the recession, two of the worse natural disasters and the amount of debt Coody left the city with.
If you haven’t seen the video of how Mr. Coody treats the city council members you should watch it. City Council Members are elected officials and they do not work for the Mayor. Also, he calls a $60 million overrun a “hiccup”
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9186967112750633817#
Fayetteville does need a progressive mayor. Dan Coody is the most progressive mayor this town has ever had, by far. Its not even close. Many of the things we take for granted in Fayetteville now, like our city’s commitment to recycling, sustainability in energy use, tree canopy requirements, trail system and vast green spaces can be attributed to progress made under Dan Coody’s leadership.
I voted for Dan Coody last time, but not again. I’m tired of Coody and his supporters (Coodites…Coodians?) giving him credit for everything. Do you like the trails? I did that. Recycling? Yep, that was all me too. The Internet? I don’t think so Al Gore. That was me!
This is why if I see him at the farmers’ market I’ll cross to the opposite side to spare myself the story of how he is the reason Fayetteville has running water.
Mr. Coody did not do these things. WE did these things. He was a good enough mayor to listen to the people, same as Lioneld Jordan has done, but he makes it sound like he had to pull this city out of the 18the century kicking & screaming. News flash: Fayetteville is a pretty progressive town. We’re going to move forward on progressive ideas regardless. Whoever the mayor is will either get on board or get replaced.
Fayetteville did those things, but did them only with good leadership. Its not a coincidence that so many of the progressive policies and ideas in this city came about during Coody’s tenure.
I see this election as simply a matter of who has better ideas and the ability to implement those ideas.
Dan has better ideas on the parking program that make it friendlier and less punitive.
Dan has better ideas about how to build a parking garage that is mixed-use, rather than one that is just a concrete behemoth, solely funded by parking fees.
Dan has had better ideas about quality of life amenities like the trails, and a proven track record of acquiring and preserving acres of green space.
If you have honestly listened to what both men have had to say about these issues and still conclude that Jordan is the better choice, fine. I can’t even say that its remotely close in my view.
Dan and Lioneld are as different as Matt Petty and Bobby Ferrell with regard to their ability to articulate a vision for Fayetteville’s future.
RE “Fayetteville did those things, but did them only with good leadership.”
And yet people were so tired of that “good leadership” that five candidates ran against it– and three of them ran viable campaigns. Where is the widespread organized opposition to Mr. Jordan’s supposed bad leadership?
RE ” Its not a coincidence that so many of the progressive policies and ideas in this city came about during Coody’s tenure.”
That’s very true. Trails were a concern in northwest Arkansas by the late 1990s, and the federal government was throwing money at them. Sustainability and environmental legislation were popular trends, and it was easy to jump on the bandwagon when there was lots of money. Of course, Fayetteville’s boarding of the bandwagon was not as wholehearted as it could have been, given Mr. Coody’s lack of support for hillside protection and impact fees for developers. Fayetteville was able to sprawl extensively under his leadership. Real leadership would have produced a temporary moratorium on development, and/or greater control over it. What Fayetteville got was run-of-the-mill, highly-publicized trend-following.
You can’t say that Mr. Coody showed good leadership by following trends and continuing the work of others, then turn around and say that Mr. Jordan is a bad leader because– what? He follows trends and continues the work of others?
No amount of nostalgia will negate the very real, very widespread disgruntlement with Mr. Coody’s leadership. Neither will attempts to make Mr. Jordan appear worse.
Glutenfree, recycling began in Fayetteville before Coody! Fred Hanna and his wife did at least one educational video that I can recall.
Greenspace Coody claims? Guess you’re ignoring the facts and supporting documentation presented here: http://www.lioneldjordan.com/Political_Fact_Check__2_with_References.pdf
Wait, was it Dan Coody who sat in that tree at the current Kohl’s site? No, it was Mary Lightheart and Dan was only one of several candidates for mayor that year. He went out for a photo op, but one of the other candidates that year got arrested for his perhaps over-zealous but sincere support of her efforts.
And now it is possible to recycle #3 through #7 plastic. It might not be visionary, but it’s innovative. If only Mr. Jordan had the vision necessary to get people to put their recyclables in the proper bins at the recycling drop-off site. (I doubt that even Mr. Coody could do that.)
RE: ” Dan Coody is the most progressive mayor this town has ever had, by far. Its not even close. Many of the things we take for granted in Fayetteville now, like our city’s commitment to recycling, sustainability in energy use, tree canopy requirements,”
Enough of this BS. Mr. Coody talks a good game, but he doesn’t put his money where his mouth is. During his last term as Mayor from 2005-2008 while posturing as a leader for sustainability, he reported on his annual Statement of Financial Interest that he and his wife held personal stock investments in the following corporations:
*Exxon/Mobil (as in Exxon Valdez)
*British Petroleum (our friends in the Gulf of Mexico)
*Republic Services (which was fined $1 million by EPA for violation of the Clean Water Act and in Newsweek’s “Green Rankings” of the 500 largest corporations on their track record on a number of environmental issue was ranked 448th out of 500 overall, and 46th out of 50 in their industry)
*Nabor Industries, Houston (oil and gas drilling on Alaska’s North Slope and most major oil and gas producing regions of the world, including offshore drilling)
*Ensco International, Houston (a global provider of offshore drilling services to the petroleum industry, operating across six continents and drilling in virtually every major offshore basin around the globe)
*Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, Brazil (The world’s second largest mining company, ranked by Public Eye as “the worst company of the year” with “a major stake in the consortium engaged in building the notorious Belo Monte Dam Complex in the Amazon [that] will have disastrous social and environmental consequences, including the forced relocation of 40,000 people and devastation of a riverine ecosystem that is the basis of survival for indigenous communities, riverbank communities and fisherfolk – who have not had a voice in the matter, nor will they receive adequate compensation.”)
*McDermott International, Inc. Panama (a leading engineering and construction company focused on executing complex offshore oil and gas projects worldwide)
*Mosaic Company (the world’s leading producer of concentrated phosphate used in producing commercial fertilizer)
*National Oilwell Varco, Houston (an American multi-national corporation that manufactures land-based and offshore oil drilling rigs)
That little hypocrisy was never reported by our local watchdog media, but it deserves some explanation. How will you or Mr. Coody now spin those personal corporate investments as progressive or environmentally sustainable?
Wow. The crazy has reached new levels.
I guess the Coodys building the most energy-efficient home in the entire nation is just an elaborate ruse.
Must be a ruse. check out the power haus in sarasota FL. 118 LEED minus 22 HERS. no need to lie.
RE “Mr. Coody talks a good game, but he doesn’t put his money where his mouth is.”
I disagree. Mr. Coody’s house is a perfect example of putting his money where his mouth is. He spent money to build it, and he talks about it a lot.
However,
RE “I guess the Coodys building the most energy-efficient home in the entire nation is just an elaborate ruse.”
In a way, it is so far, as far as demonstrating its applicability to retrofitting existing homes or building affordable housing is concerned. Mr. Coody has said that his home cost $100 per square foot to build, which, having built a rather energy-efficient house myself lately, I find a little hard to believe. How much was the cost lowered by discounts on materials and construction, rebates and tax subsidies that no are no longer available, and sweat equity? (Apparently NextGen made a deal on the LED lighting, and Mr. Coody was able to take advantage of a rebate on PV production that he helped put into place– lucky guy– and which has expired.) What is the level of finish? So far he’s received a lot of good press without any attendant scrutiny.
Mr. Coody objected to developer impact fees to cover infrastructure costs for new development, and engineered residential foundation work done on hillsides because they would make housing “too expensive”. How much did he spend for consultants to coordinate the design of his building envelope with the designs of his HVAC and his photovoltaics? (Actually, apparently nothing, as he was able to throw “common sense” and money at the project.) Was the home engineered for efficiency of materials, resources and energy? How efficient is his home in terms of energy savings over time versus cost of resources to attain those savings? Materials and installation for sprayed foam insulation and photovoltaics are specialized and expensive. How would all of these costs translate to a cost per square foot in a new development? Is the average home buyer going to be able to finance a home against eventual energy-savings payback– as opposed to actual construction costs?
I think that Mr. Coody’s home is an exciting project, and I look forward to seeing any useful information that is ever made available about it. So far it seems more an exercise in self-aggrandizement (Mr. Coody admits that there is an ego component in its design and construction) than the useful laboratory it will eventually be.
@David Franks:
How long have you lived in Fayetteville? Dan Coody was the first person in city government to propose a trail system in Fayetteville. He was talking about this back in 1991, and his hard work and dedication to the idea is what paved the way for the city acquiring right of way for the system that we now have.
Can anyone here dispute that? Dan Coody was the first and foremost advocate for a city-wide trail system, before he was even mayor. Many scoffed at the very idea of spending money or planning for a trail system, questioning its value to the city.
Giving the man credit for being visionary and leadership is not an attempt at revisionist history. Many of us remember the fight Dan put up to advocate for trails. That vision and leadership is an example of why he was elected mayor in the first place.
I have not suggested that Dan followed the trends and work of others IN FAYETTEVILLE. Dan did bring new ideas to Fayetteville from other places. They were good ideas.
Fayetteville grew immensely during Dan’s tenure. The quality of development did increase over what it had been in the previous administration. Has the quality of development improved under Lioneld Jordan? I think the answer is no.
As for a hillside ordinance, preventing any and all new development in the “hilly” parts of Fayetteville (which is about 80% of the central city) isn’t conducive to reducing sprawl. Which do you want? A moratorium on building in the central city, or less sprawl? You can’t have both.
Dan originated and pushed the idea for City Plan 2025. The very document that attempts to guide the development of the city in a denser, less-sprawling manner. Prohibiting sprawl is at the very essence of the document. The recent resurgence in South Fayetteville is a direct result of the master-planning of the neighborhood under the City Plan 2025 guidelines.
You can talk about the “widespread disgruntlement” of the citizens of Fayetteville. You cannot refute the big and innovative ideas Dan Coody brought to this city. You can take them for granted and assume that we would have progressed the same without Dan’s leadership, but I believe in doing so, you discount a very intelligent, very forward-thinking leader that Fayetteville has been fortunate to have.
I’ve listed some of Dan’s great ideas and innovative approaches. I haven’t seen anybody list any of Lioneld’s. What great innovation and ideas has Lioneld Jordan brought to Fayetteville?
RE “How long have you lived in Fayetteville?”
Since 1979, off and on.
RE “Dan Coody was the first person in city government to propose a trail system in Fayetteville. He was talking about this back in 1991″
RE “He was talking about this back in 1991, and his hard work and dedication to the idea is what paved the way for the city acquiring right of way for the system that we now have”
I don’t remember– was Mr. Coody an alderman at any time between 1993 and 2000? His campaign biography is not clear on this. If not, why not?
Fred Hanna’s memo that authorized taking the first steps toward creating part of the Frisco Trail does not mention Mr. Coody (an oversight, I’m sure):
“DEPARTMENTAL CORRESPONDENCE
“To: Alderman Bob Davis
From: Fred Hanna, Mayor
Date: October 1999
Subject: Railroad Right-Of-Way
___________________________________________
“Reference is made to your memo dated October 15, 1999, regarding the possibility of constructing a trail along the old railroad alignment between Spring and Prairie Streets.
“As you stated in your memo, we do need to have surveys of the entire length of the old railroad. It is not possible to determine the actual ownership since some of the property has been sold and some of the deed descriptions do not coincide with what is being claimed. We also need to determine where the trail could be located within the old right-of-way.
“Funds are available from the Sidewalk and Trails program to purchase the right-of-way, employ an engineer to perform surveys and design of the trail, and construct the trail if everything can be worked out.
“We will proceed with hiring the engineer as the first step, and once the information regarding the right-of-way and a preliminary location of the trail has been determined, I believe negotiations with the railroad company can be undertaken.
“CV:msm
“c Charles Venable
Chuck Rutherford
Ed Connell”
RE “That vision and leadership is an example of why he was elected mayor in the first place.”
Vision and leadership in the face of a booming economy and popular societal trends. Oh, the adversity! What do you suppose got him voted out? By the way– I voted for Mr. Coody.
RE “Giving the man credit for being visionary and leadership is not an attempt at revisionist history.”
Neither is pointing out that he had a lot of help. Neither is pointing out that he was voted out of office because, apparently, vision and leadership aren’t everything.
RE “Dan originated and pushed the idea for City Plan 2025. The very document that attempts to guide the development of the city in a denser, less-sprawling manner.”
Unfortunately, he refused to take direct steps that could have immediately addressed the issues created by sprawl.
RE “As for a hillside ordinance…. You can’t have both.”
Neither can you. Mr. Coody did as much to promote sprawl as he did to promote sustainability.
Sustainable? http://jonah-m-tebbetts.blogspot.com/2008/08/dan-coody-should-resign.html
RE “You cannot refute the big and innovative ideas Dan Coody brought to this city.”
And you cannot refute the fact that, for whatever reason, Mr. Coody was voted out of office despite the great and innovative trends he and the people of Fayetteville were able to follow during a good economy.
RE “What great innovation and ideas has Lioneld Jordan brought to Fayetteville?”
Since we’re crediting work before holding the office of mayor, Mr. Jordane was vice-mayor when he voted for the city plan– Mr. Coody didn’t do it all alone. Not curtailing city services or laying off city employees during the deepest recession in eighty years seems like a good idea. The streamside protection ordinance seems like a good and innovative idea. Not inciting five– well, three– people to run against him seems innovative, compared to the last guy. Again, maybe overweening vision isn’t everything. Maybe a bit of vision and a bit of personality suit people better.
Nobody has ever answered the question: where was Mr Coody between November 2008 and the start of this campaign season? One need not be mayor in order to be a concerned, involved citizen.
I was surprised to notice that glass no longer needs to be separated last time I was at the recycle place. I believe this is part of the change to allow bars to recycle, as they can now recycle mixed glass.
Replied in the wrong spot… it’s up there somewhere, about #3 – #7 plastics recycling.
Why don’t we start with a balanced budget. Rebuilding the infrastructure.
Rebuilding infrastructure generally requires the issuing of bonds, which a lot people on here consider to be unacceptable DEBT!!!!!11
But seriously, what specific infrastructure needs do you feel need addressing?