City Candidates Tackle Minimum Wage, Gay Marriage and Ted Cruz

The Tom Green County Democrats set up inside the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts Monday evening to grill the mayoral and city council candidates on the minimum wage, Ted Cruz and gay marriage. The candidates, who in earlier appearances at the Tea Party indicated, and by their own admission, weren’t Democrats in the statewide or national arena.  All of them attempted to mellow their differences with the pointed questions favoring pet national issues of the Democratic Party’s agenda.

The first question of the mayoral candidates was about whether or not the candidates favor increasing the minimum wage. Mayor Dwain Morrison, who is seeking re-election, couched his response in explaining recent pay increases for city employees.

 “In our city, we had those people on the bottom of the (ladder) rung, the [ones with the] entry-level wages, that were not making enough to live. And every one of them was working two jobs to survive. And we saw that,” Morrison said. “We had guys that were making $17,000 and $18,000 [annual pay] and we raised them to the low $20,000s,” Morrison said.

Challenger Nowlin, a newcomer to politics, could not draw on a record at the city, so he explained his leadership style that promotes self-reliance to help his employees increase their pay. “I can guarantee this: Nobody that works for me makes anything close to minimum wage,” Nowlin said. “The first thing I do [with new hires] is tell them how you’re going to work and grow and make more money. I sit them down and lead them through how they’re going to do it; I teach them what they need to do to get there, and they’ll get there. The more money they make, the more I make,” he said.

Neither candidate proposed an ordinance to mandatorily lift the minimum wage paid by San Angelo businesses.

Morrison is Not a Crook

Sparks flew after the initial exchange on the minimum wage. A lady in the audience questioned Nowlin about what she said a friend saw on television. “She said you called Mayor Dwain Morrison a crook on television?”

“Absolutely not,” said Nowlin. “I’ve never said that, I don’t think that. If I ever did I ever imply that, it was a mistake. I don’t think Dwain Morrison is a crook, I don’t think he took any kickbacks, you know. I think he may have made a bad deal. I can accuse him of that. I think he might have wanted us to not find out what happened. But as far as him being dishonest, I’ve never said that, nor do I think that,” Nowlin said.

Morrison, standing to Nowlin’s right grew restless while Nowlin was talking. Moderator David Currie asked the mayor if he’d like to respond.

Morrison, having bided his time, launched into the attack.

“I’ll tell you exactly what he said. And this is on tape because this was recorded. He said, ‘I am not calling Dwain Morrison a crook. However, there’s a lot of other people in this town who have called him a crook, but not me. Because I’m not calling him a crook like the other people in town. This is what he said,” Morrison said.

Nowlin responded.

“Sometimes I say things a little forcefully, but I mean it sincerely. I never said that [you were a crook] and some people have called you a crook. But I’m not one of them,” Nowlin replied. “I want that established and well known.”

The Mayor’s Advisory Council

Nowlin floated the idea of forming a mayor’s advisory council to help him understand city issues from other viewpoints than just his. The council, he said, would be comprised of a liberal and a conservative, blue collar and white collar, and male and female, all volunteers.

One question from the audience contained skepticism that this was in effect an unelected board running the mayor’s seat.

The questioner explained that the elected city council could serve the same purpose, and be more authentic and legal than an unelected board of advisors.

“I expect the people to know who these people are and we’ll give out their phone numbers, too,” Nowlin said. The purpose of the advisory council is to advise the mayor on the issues facing the council before each meeting, he said. “Of course the other council members will have their vote, too.”

Reaching further into the proposed advisory council’s impact, Nowlin explained the powerlessness of the mayor’s position, as both candidates have throughout this campaign. It’s just one vote.

But the questioner pressed. The real city council is elected, your advisory council is not.

“Everybody has advisors. The difference is you’ll know who mine are, and you’ll have their phone numbers.” Nowlin said.

The exchange then took a left turn into crowd chatter, where some members of the audience pondered aloud if the advisory council could be diverse enough to please everyone else in the room.

The Gay Marriage Thing

Andrew Justis, who is a Christian bookstore clerk and former operator of the Christian radio station in town running for SMD 4 councilman, was asked about his definition of marriage, a subtle way to inject the gay marriage issue into the forum. Justis did not disappoint those looking for the straight answer.

“I was curious. What is your definition of a family that you would support” the question was.

“My particular definition of this of course, is a family that is productive. Obviously a man and a woman. But I know others have a different opinion on that,” Justis said.

“But I am curious about what your definition of what that kind of family was…” the questioner pressed.

“Obviously, there’s a leader, and there’s a helper. You know, for my family I am the leader, but my wife, she’s a co-equal with me and has the same amount of power in the family…”

Ted Cruz, Meet Peter

“Mr. Mayor I read in the local paper [actually, she read it in her newspaper-to-her-email, on San Angelo LIVE! here] that you liked Ted Cruz, is that true?”

Both Morrison and Nowlin admitted that Cruz was too far to the right to be successful in his presidential bid. Morrison stressed that he himself, unlike Cruz, was more of a centrist who tries to bring both sides together. Ted Cruz? Too far right, Morrison said.

In the Bible, Jesus foretold that Peter would disown him. "“Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” (Matthew 32:34).

David Currie, who lives out towards Christoval in the county, said that he was the best choice to moderate since he cannot vote in the election. Currie wasted no time injecting popular Democrat Party issus into his commentary throughout the event that gave the evening color.

Behind the forum, an eclectic mix of collectables, including a picture of President Bill Clinton’s second inaugural address, pictures of President Obama’s dogs, and a book by H. Ross Perot were on sale in a silent auction.

Punch and homemade cookies were served.