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Why Tyrone’s Grace Caldwell Wasn’t Re-ElectedThu, 11/05/2009 - 2:21pm
By: TyroneConfidential
The reason is she destroyed her own voter support base. Why she did it defies logic. Caldwell was elected to her first term as councilwoman 4 years ago with great reform expectations by her strong base of supporters. During her first two years in office, Grace’s popularity rose, reaching its zenith in 2007. At the time Grace enjoyed the full trust and support of the business community for her support to change the destructive zoning ordinance. When repeal of the zoning became the major issue in the 2007 election, Caldwell set up a meeting of business people at C-21 Realty to outline strategy to change the ordinance. Councilwoman Gloria Furr also attended the meeting at which Caldwell declared that we all must work to elect a new mayor and 2 new council members who would vote with Caldwell & Furr to change the zoning. The President of the Tyrone Business Assoc. stated that he would deliver all his members to the effort. The plan worked and the incumbents were swept out of office. Aside from support from businesses, Caldwell also enjoyed large support from the residential community of individuals and the Tyrone Neighborhood Alliance. During 2007, the Alliance met regularly to discuss who they would work to elect. At that point, if Grace had wanted to give up her council post and run for mayor, she would have easily won. After the 2007 election triumph, strange changes came over Caldwell. Immediately she was no longer for changing the zoning. Just 4 months into 2008 Grace went back on her promises to the business community and voted against any zoning changes. In 2009 she voted to make a Business Sign Ordinance worse. Suddenly she no longer seemed interested in helping citizens who helped put her in office. She became more secret in government participating in a cover-up of money taken by former employees and refusing to answer citizens letters and questions. Over the final two years of her term Caldwell’s supporters began to talk among themselves about her betrayal. By election time in 2009, Caldwell’s once vast base, had turned against her and were actively working to get her out of office. She had lost the entire business community and the majority of residential supporters. Seemingly oblivious to this loss, Caldwell went to some previous supporters to put up her signs; afterwards some property owners removed her signs in anger. A small group of the once powerful neighborhood alliance held a re-election tea party for Grace, but didn’t invite many of her previous hard working supporters thereby angering them. When the votes were counted, Grace Caldwell, once the most popular people’s candidate in recent memory in Tyrone was unceremoniously removed from office by a resounding 2 – 1 margin. Defeated by Ken Matthews, an opponent who didn’t even campaign and had few actual supporters. Why did Grace Caldwell shoot herself in the foot? Why did she alienate her winning support base? Why did she betray so many people and end her own political career in Tyrone forever? login to post comments | next forum topic |