Candidate filing started Monday, which means the levee of lunacy has broken, flooding the election with every gadfly, nutjob and ax-grinder who can pay the $205.88 filing fee ($242.36 for mayoral aspirants).
It may be democracy, but it ain’t pretty.
In Durham, Steve Schewel is running for re-election for his at-large seat, but incumbents Eugene Brown and Diane Catotti, tired of the abuse that comes with being an elected official, aren’t seeking another term. That means the Council will lose much of its Snark Factor, which we greatly admired. (Don Moffitt, will you step up?)
One of the levee-breakers is John Tarantino, a Republican who since 2009 has unsuccessfully run for Council, state Senate and school board. (You can’t blame a guy for trying.) The other day we ran into Tarantino the Troubadour on the Bull City Connector, where he was gently plucking his acoustic guitar. Yep, he’s running. Fourth time’s the charm.
Tarantino fancies himself a 21st-century Mark Russell-cum-Tom Lehrer, and often serenades Council at its work sessions. We have to admit most of his musical satire is quite funnyexcept for when he wore a sombrero to croon a version of “Margaritaville” to Police Chief Jose Lopez. (We found the racism offensive, yes, but also the Jimmy Buffet.)
Will we vote for Tarantino? LOL, nohis social and political views are positively Cro-Magnon. But we will toss a dollar in the tip jar.
Reach the INDY‘s Triangulator team at triangulator@indyweek.com.
