City Council candidates begin campaigning

With just 18 days until the primary election, Carbondale City Council candidates are in high gear preparing their campaigns and trying to get their messages heard.

A total of 12 candidates, including incumbents Chris Wissmann and Corene McDaniel, are vying for three open seats on the city council. The third seat was vacated when Councilwoman Maggie Flanagan announced in November that she would not run for re-election. Flanagan served on the council for more than a decade.

After the primary election, six candidates will remain in the race. The general election is slated for April 5.

While economic development seems to be the most popular issue among the candidates and attending council meetings and going door-to-door the top two campaign tactics this election year, here is a look at what the candidates are saying and doing one-by-one.

TyJuan Cratic
Age: 20
Occupation: SIUC student, sophomore political science Campaign Slogan: Improving our community...Renewing our hope Major Issues: Medical malpractice, economic development and funding for primary education

TyJuan Cratic said he has been busy promoting his campaign by meeting with city officials, including the Carbondale Main Street director, the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development.

Cratic said he has also met with Cheryl Presley, Director of Student Health programs, about medical malpractice issues in southern Illinois, one of the issues he will be pushing in his campaign.

Cratic said he plans to pass out handbills and have T-shirts made, and now has his website: www.TyJuanCratic.org, up and running. Other issues Cratic said he would be highlighting are economic development in the area and funding for local schools.

Cratic, a sophomore studying political science, said he wants to get out and talk to people and get them to support his message.

"I just plan on getting out and just basically talking," Cratic said. "Since we only have 18 days left until the primaries, it's going to kick into high gear and really get things going. It's going to be a good election."

Rhett Barke
Age: 29
Occupation: Partner, part owner O'Neill and Barke Law Firm
Campaign Slogan: Committed to Carbondale
Major Issues: City blacktopping, smoking policy

Rhett Barke said he has been campaigning by attending city council meetings and putting out yard signs.

But beyond that, Barke said his campaign would take a "front-porch" approach. "I want to listen to what the people are going to say and what they want done," Barke said. "And view those ideas and put them with my own ideas and see if we can come up with a solution to the problem."

A 2001 graduate of the SIU School of Law, Barke said he wants to see the community and local businesses strive economically. He said he purchased his yard signs through Silkworm at a higher price to exemplify this belief. "I do believe that the smaller businesses, the local businesses, need to have the community support as well," Barke said. "They [yard signs] may have been a little more expensive, not by a whole lot, but I wanted to support the community businesses."

Barke said some of his major issues are Cole's smoking policy and the city's blacktopping plans.

He said he wants to make sure the city is not overspending by taking on large projects that would hinder its ability to deal with future issues. Barke declined to comment on any endorsements and support he has received and said he would like to let his supporters speak for him. Despite the effort put into putting out yard signs and going door-to-door, Barke said the hardest part of the campaign process is simply informing people of the primaries.

"One of the toughest challenges is really getting people to realize there is a primary." Barke said.

Angie Kaye
Age: 51
Occupation: part-time instructor at John A. Logan College
Campaign Slogan: I'm the candidate who has lived in all four quadrants of the city and can represent all people.
Major Issues: City's finance, TIFF Districts, economic development and capital improvement.

Angie Kaye said although she plans to take it easy until the general election, she has been going door-to-door and passing out flyers and brochures. She said she wants to give people a chance to get to know who she is and what she is about and will spend the next couple of weeks before the primaries "in the streets."

"That's our real goal in the next two weeks," Kaye said. "Hitting the streets, getting to the people all across town."

A former city employee, Kaye said some of her major issues are the city's finance, TIFF districts, economic development and capital improvement. Kaye said she has also been attending city council meetings to help prepare her for the election and, if money permits, will purchase yard signs. She said having worked in the city's finance department for more than ten years she misses being involved in city government and thinks she has a lot to offer the council.

"I think with the talents I have, I would be a real asset to the council," Kaye said. "I feel I have something I can give back to the wonderful town that I've grown up in."

Kaye has also planned a fundraiser event for later this month. "An afternoon of Music with Shadi Frick on the saxophone and Mel Goot on the piano" will be held Sunday February 20 at 2 p.m. at the Carbondale Elks.

Andrew Young and Justin Eckman
Andrew Young
Age: 25
Occupation: Pick's Liquor Store manager

Justin Eckman
Age: 23
Occupation: SIUC Student, junior University Studies; Pick's Liquor Store employee
Campaign Slogan: Dedicated to strengthening the bond between SIU and Carbondale.
Major Issues: Student housing, smoking policy

Andrew Young, who is campaigning with friend Justin Eckman, said the two have begun hanging fliers at local businesses, around campus and in residential areas.

Their campaign slogan, "Dedicated to strengthening the bond between SIU and Carbondale," reflects the reason they are running together.

"He and I see eye-to-eye on almost everything," Young said. "We figured the City Council could use the help having two people [who are] more informed about the students."

Young said he and Eckman also plan on going door-to-door and having banners made.

Major issues the two have with the city are Mayor Brad Cole's proposed smoking policy, which would waive liquor license fees for business that go smoke-free, and student housing.

Young said Cole's smoking policy would not benefit small business that could use the money, and the city's proposal to eliminate trailer parks takes low-price housing options away from students who need them.

So far the pair have paid all of their expenses out-of-pocket, but Young said Rend Lake Beverage and Pick's Liquor have offered to help sponsor banners and posters.

"Based on our limited resources, we're doing as well as we can," Eckman said. "We don't have signs all around town, we don't have money to do that. One of our main things will be word of mouth."

"We're looking to get votes from everyone," Young said. "We want the Carbondale residents, along with support from the SIU students."

Chris Wissmann
Age: 35
Occupation: Editor of the Nightlife
Campaign Slogan: Building a strong community for a positive, progressive Carbondale
Major Issues: Economic Development, rental properties, bike path plan

Incumbent Chris Wissmann said he has started campaigning by going door-to-door, where he has been getting good reactions, despite the chilly temperatures of late.

"We're getting great reception," Wissmann said. "But it has been unbelievably cold. It takes a lot out of you."

Wissmann, who is finishing his first term on the city council, said he has also purchased yard signs, but they are only a small part of his campaign. "The most important thing to me is the message," Wissmann said. "The yard signs are nice, they're a neat way to make people aware of the fact that an election is coming up and make them think about me a little bit.

"But the election shouldn't be about me. It should be about ideas, it should be about goals for the city, and how we're going to achieve them. And you can't do that with yard signs."

Wissmann said he is in the process of developing fundraisers but will finance most of his campaign out-of-pocket. He said he is taking donations, but has set a limit of $25 per person.

"I want to try to retain some independence as a candidate and as a council person," Wissmann said. "If that's what loses me the election then I don't deserve to win."

Donald Barrett
Age: 48
Occupation: Carbondale police officer, part time instructor at John A. Logan College
Major Issues: American Tap Purchase, pay raises for city employees

Donald Barrett said his primary method of campaigning will be simply getting out and talking to people. "I'm not a typical politician," Barrett said. "I'm not a politician at all." "You're not going to see a lot of signs with my name on them all over town. I feel like voting for somebody just because you saw their name on a sign is a silly reason to vote at all."

Barrett said he will not be hosting any fundraisers and has not asked for any endorsements. He also said he will not be taking contributions and will pay for all of his campaigning expenses.

"I don't want to be beholding to anybody," Barrett said. "I want everybody to be on equal footing as far as any decisions I might make as a council member." Barrett said the biggest issue he will be pushing in his campaign is the city's purchase of the American Tap building, which he says was not worth the purchase price of $150,000.

"It takes working people like you and me along time to make that much money and to pay that much in taxes to buy that," Barrett said. "I'm a working man, and always have been. I'm looking at things from a working man perspective." As a Carbondale Police officer, former president of the Carbondale Police Officers Association and member of the Carbondale Police Pension, Barrett said he thinks his experience on the inside will be of value to the council.

"I think I have a lot of experience in city government from the inside," Barrett said. "I have a lot of experience with looking at the city from within, and I can see the things they do right and some of the things that they do wrong."

Hugh Williams
Age: 52
Occupation: SIUC graduate student, administration of justice
Major Issues: Koppers Factory, Human Rights Commission

Hugh Williams said so far he has not been doing a whole lot of campaigning for the primaries.

"I didn't want to start too early and have the voters forget me," Williams said. However, Williams said he does plan to disperse signs and bumper stickers and will do a little door-to-door campaigning.

But in spite of all the signs and stickers, Williams said he is running a low-budget campaign.

"I don't have a lot of money to put into advertising," Williams said. "I'll hopefully make my contacts through word of mouth. I think that's the most effective way to do it."

Williams said he would like to see the Human Rights Commission re-organized to become more effective. He said he does not see the need for a swimming pool when the city is allowing current structures to fall apart.

"The city's being inconsistent," Williams said. "They're talking about building a swimming pool, but yet they're letting the Varsity Theatre, which is a nice building, basically fall into disrepair. I think we should be more concerned about using the current facilities that we have instead of building new ones.

"Something like a swimming pool would just be another burden for the city."

Joel Fritzler
Age: 43
Occupation: Business development specialist, SIUC Research and Development
Major Issues: City's comprehensive plan, city infrastructure, Koppers Plant

Joel Fritzler said he has begun campaigning by posting signs, calling people and, his favorite part of the campaign process, going door-to-door.

"Two years ago my favorite thing to do was just going door-to-door and talking with people and finding out what their concerns are," Fritzler said. Fritzler, who has been attending City Council meetings since 1996, ran for a council chair two years ago but lost to Chris Wissmann in the general election.

He said this year he hasn't really changed any of his campaigning tactics and that he just wants to give people the chance to get to know him. "I don't have any grandiose plans or anything," Fritzler said. "The best thing to do is get out and know the people."

Issues Fritzler said he would be pushing in his campaign include updating the city's comprehensive plan and developing the city's infrastructure. So far Fritzler said he does not have fund-raising events planned but will accept small contributions.

He said much of his campaigning efforts would pick up after the primaries, which he said he plans to make it through. Fritzler said other than that he is excited to see so many people running for City Council chairs.

"I'm really happy to see 12 people running for City Council, especially having students on the ballot," Fritzler said.

Corene McDaniel
Age: 56
Occupation: Hairdresser, co-founder of the African-American Museum
Campaign Slogan: Experience, energy, excellence
Major Issues: Economic development, city green space

Corene McDaniel said she has "all kinds of strategies" planned for her campaign. McDaniel said next week she will be putting out signs, sending out mailings, going door-to-door and playing host to several teas and coffees - but not a day too soon.

"I think if we do it too soon, people will forget," McDaniel said. Her long list of engagements and community events include the Taste of Chocolate, the WDBX Valentine's Day Ball, the African-American Museum soul food dinner and the Finer Womanhood Banquet.

One of two incumbents, McDaniel is finishing her first term on the City Council and said she is carrying he campaign in the same manner as before. However, McDaniel said her tactics would definitely change after the primaries.

"It worked," McDaniel said. "I don't think I really need to change anything." McDaniel said she does not have any fund-raisers planned but will play host to several events to interact with community members and allow them the chance to get to know her.

"I have really enjoyed being on the council," McDaniel said. "I want to be that voice, and I think I've done a good job."
McDaniel also has a Web site: www.corene4u.org.

Candidates David More and Taurian Harris did not return repeated requests for comment.

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