Spartanburg City Council

[Sparkleman 51]

According to a couple of sources I have spoken with a certain city councilman (Reader) showed up at a downtown nightclub and was apparently drunk when the whole altercation involving his son went down. How does he get a free pass and not get arrested for anything? Is the council above the law here or is it because its a black/white thing and the Sptbg Public safety dept are apparently are not trained to handle such a problem?

This whole thing smells really bad and makes council look bad and the fact that they won't discuss it further feels like a cover up is coming.

[roads-scholar 52]

According to a couple of sources I have spoken with a certain city councilman (Reader) showed up at a downtown nightclub and was apparently drunk when the whole altercation involving his son went down. How does he get a free pass and not get arrested for anything? Is the council above the law here or is it because its a black/white thing and the Sptbg Public safety dept are apparently are not trained to handle such a problem?

This whole thing smells really bad and makes council look bad and the fact that they won't discuss it further feels like a cover up is coming.

I haven't talked to anyone about this incident nor was I on the premises when it happened but my reaction is that the whole thing was overblown by Councilman Reeder, his son, the media, and perhaps the proprietor of the nightclub. Mr. Fisher, the Director of Public Safety, probably sat down with the parties involved, including Councilman Reeder, determined the facts, and reasoned with them to the point where emotions simmered down.

I was once involved in a similar, albeit much smaller and less publicized [racial] incident where the Public Safety Department quietly got involved and calmed everyone down to the point where all was forgiven and [hopefully] forgotten. I credit director Fisher with maintaining the racial harmony in a city where African-Americans are well represented on the city council but have little say or economic clout otherwise.

I also credit the nightclub owner who seems to be trying to keep thugs and troublemakers out of his establishment. I'm not into the nightclub scene but, other than the Reeder incident, have not heard or seen of any problems since the club opened.

Do I think there was a cover up? If that's what you want to call Director Fisher intervening, then yes there was a cover up. Do I I think city council was complicit? Probably not.

Historically the white establishment and prominent African-American leaders in Spartanburg have worked closely and quietly to prevent racial tensions and, when tensions did start to boil over, kept them from getting out of control. These men also discouraged agitators, both black and white, from creating other problems. Extremist groups like the Ku Klux Klan have never gained a foothold in Spartanburg.

[Spartan 624]

He shouldn't had gotten off. I had the same reaction. All it shows is that Council gets preferential treatment with the police department.

[Sparkleman 51]

Reeder is a complete embarrassment to council and the city in this matter. If he cared about the city or had any balls, he'd resign. I know he won't because of his power complex. One good thing about this is that he will not run unopposed next year. Phillip Stone from Hampton Heights has stepped up to run against him on the basis that he down't think its right for Reeder (or anyone else) to run unopposed. Maybe voter turn out will be light that day and all of Hampton Heights will show up and show Reeder the door.

Don't get me wrong as its not a black/white thing, but do we really want to get to a point where the city is beginning to come together and grow, and certain folks get to be above the law? Where is Steven Seagal when you need him?

[roads-scholar 52]

Reeder is a complete embarrassment to council and the city in this matter. If he cared about the city or had any balls, he'd resign. I know he won't because of his power complex. One good thing about this is that he will not run unopposed next year. Phillip Stone from Hampton Heights has stepped up to run against him on the basis that he down't think its right for Reeder (or anyone else) to run unopposed. Maybe voter turn out will be light that day and all of Hampton Heights will show up and show Reeder the door.

Don't get me wrong as its not a black/white thing, but do we really want to get to a point where the city is beginning to come together and grow, and certain folks get to be above the law? Where is Steven Seagal when you need him?

I hope Stone can at least make the race competitive. Too many incumbents on the council have run unopposed and that's not good for the city.

[Spartan 624]

I think part of the problem is that because the city is so geographically small, and the people with the means to run a campaign is even smaller, that there just isn't enough competition. If there were more economic diversity within the city limits it would likely impact that very problem. JMHO.

[westsider28 242]

In City Council voting: Sterling Anderson beat incumbent Joe Spigner pretty comfortably in District 1. Jan Scalisi defeated Vance Hammond to take Renee Cariveau's District 2 seat. Robert Reeder kept his District 3 seat by only 3 votes over challenger Phillip Stone (254-251). There will be an automatic recount for that vote, but it's unlikely to change. Voter turnout was extremely low (6.5% county-wide), as usual in non-presidential election years.

District 1 article

District 2 article

District 3 article

Not too thrilled Reeder was re-elected. However, I'm glad to see a few new faces on City Council, particularly Sterling Anderson. I hope they can make a positive impact on the future of Spartanburg.

[spartanburgh 87]

Robert Reeder should have been kicked off Council when he showed his true self at Rome.

[Spartan 624]

Well, at least Joe Spigner is out. I don't know anything about the incumbents, but I was never a Spigner fan.

[Spartan 624]

Linda Dogan has been voted out of office. She was by far my least favorite councilmember - always a stick in the mud about everything, and generally voting against things that are good for the city as a whole. It remains to be seen how this new person will work, but I'm of the opinion that change is a good thing in local politics.

 

 

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20131105/ARTICLES/131109828/1112?Title=Brown-unseats-Dogan-in-Spartanburg-council-race

[Sparkleman 51]

I know Erica Brown personally and I can tell you she is going to be GREAT! Talk about someone who is looking towards the future for Spartanburg and how to best get there, you could not come up with a better person. She will bring a lot of fire and doing what's best for Spartanburg going forward instead a someone just there for the job like Dogan (love how after she lost, Dogan said she really wasn't sure her heart was in it this time. What a sore loser!) and Spigner (douchebag) were. Brown is especially fired up about instituting all the changes and improvements on the northside where the new Farmer's market complex is taking place.

 

This is a huge win for Spartanburg!

[roads-scholar 52]

I communicated with Linda Dogan back in the early 2000's about 2-3 matters that were important to me.  I found her willing to listen and willing to get involved on my behalf.

 

Linda was certainly an independent and outspoken voice on the council - generally expressing opinions that were often contrary to that of the other council members.  I think she saw herself as being something like a 60's throwback - part radical, part leftist, part feminist, part iconoclast, part populist who spoke for the African-American community against the established [white] power structure in Spartanburg.  Her political base was small and apparently abandoned her yesterday.

 

I don't know Erica Brown but I'm excited about her.  At the least she will bring fresh perspectives to the council.

[westsider28 242]

The bad news from a few weeks ago was that Sterling Anderson (District 1 - west side) resigned to take a full-time position with the Air Force. (H-J article)  He has been a big supporter of bike and pedestrian projects, parks, and downtown development, so I'm sad to see him go.  There will be a special election to fill his seat on January 21.

 

I don't know Erica Brown personally, but everything I've heard about her has been extremely positive.  I'm really looking forward to having a new, young voice on City Council (especially representing the Northside, with all that's going to be happening there in the future).