bothwell for buncombe

Progressive groups endorse candidates

Confused about the election: click here to see a list of endorsements by generally progressive groups in Buncombe County and North Carolina.

Bothwell announces economic booster plan

Cecil Bothwell has advanced a "no cost" plan that will benefit everyone who participates and which could easily save the county and its citizens tens of millions of dollars. Sound too good to be true? Your home takes more energy and produces more pollution than your car. Combine that with your place of work and you can see why green buildings and homes are a good idea. Bothwell advocates conservation NOW. Click on the Economy button at the right.

About the candidate

I got my education by swinging a framing hammer all day and reading at night. When my pick-up broke down I got a manual and borrowed some tools and learned how to rebuild an engine. When the local power company decided to build a nuclear plant and charge customers for "construction work in progress" I unplugged, bought some solar panels and lived off-the-grid for 21 years. My first computer was a hand-me-down, literally a pile of parts in a basket, so I got a manual and put it back together. Twenty-five years later, I still do my own computer repairs.

After a couple of decades as a building contractor, I shifted into writing and since the late 80s I've been an investigative reporter, editor and publisher. I have four books in print and have won a handful of national awards for investigative reporting, criticism and humorous commentary. I was managing editor of Asheville's Mountain Xpress for a couple of years and before that, founding editor of the Warren Wilson College environmental journal, Heartstone. Today I'm news editor of the Asheville City Paper and I'm working on a couple more books.

I tutor twice a week at the W.C. Reid Community Center (with the Partners Unlimited program); I participate in a weekly Buncombe County jail ministry I started at my church; I'm a board member of two charitable organizations which fund educational projects in Guatemala and Bolivia respectively; I'm chair of the Human Rights Team at my church; I lecture on sustainable energy and sustainable communities at schools, colleges and the annual Southern Energy and Environment Expo. I'm an organic gardener, drive a hybrid and my other car is a canoe.

Bobby Medford: A case in point

Since former Buncombe County Sheriff Bobby Medford was indicted last December, any number of journalists and news media outlets have reported on his alleged crimes. I started doing that back in 2002, before they pulled his claws and fitted him with a radio transmitter anklet. When Medford personally threatened me (on the phone) I was rattled, but I didn't quit.

When I heard from multiple sources that he told associates he would "take care of" the reporters who came after him, I was even more rattled, but I kept on.

In 2002 and 2003 I documented and reported his obstruction of justice.
In 2004 I reported on what appeared to be the illegal hiring of Medford's son by the department with approval from the Board of Commissioners.
In 2005 I reported on criminal neglect of inmates in the Buncombe County Detention Center and documented perjured testimony by a one of Medford's officers.
Also in 2005 I reported on Medford's links to illegal video poker operations in the county.

During my investigation in 2005, two former deputies told me ON THE RECORD, of payroll fraud ordered by Medford and which benefited the sheriff and his administrative staff. I took this information to all five incumbent Buncombe County commissioners, the County Attorney, the District Attorney and the state Attorney General. Nothing happened.

In fact, I soon received a letter from Medford's attorney, denying me access to records WHICH I HAD NEVER REQUESTED FROM HIS DEPARTMENT.

I believe the phrase goes, "Something's rotten in Denmark."

Frustrated and fed-up with the failure of the county and state to take action, and at the urging of (then) Chairman Mark Swanger, of the Haywood County Board of Commissioners (who was formerly head of the FBI division which investigates criminal activities among elected officials), I wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney Gretchen Shappert, in Oct. 2005. I detailed all of the criminal activity I could document and urged investigation. Again, per Swanger's suggestion I copied the letter to the local FBI office and to Asheville Police Chief Bill Hogan.

Put that letter side-by-side with the 19 page federal indictment and you'll see I didn't miss a lick. In fact, at Medford's bond hearing in January, one of the members of the prosecution team leaned across the bar and shook my hand. "You must be Cecil Bothwell," he said. "We've been reading your work. You had this figured out two years ago."

I just nodded.

In November, 2006, the arrests began and the story will continue to play out when Bobby Medford goes on trial, April 29.

Why am I writing all this on a campaign Web site? This is the history and the attitude I will bring to Buncombe County government. Government in the sunshine. No tolerance for official corruption. Telling the citizens first instead of letting them be the last to know of energy leases and back-room deals.