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  Chairman David Gantt, who joined Jones in supporting the nondiscrimination amendment two weeks ago, said he had spoken previously about the issue with each commissioner individually. He said he was voting against taking up the amendment again only “because I think the result (of a vote) is the same.”
  http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20120822/NEWS/308220016/Nondiscrimination-effort-fails-again
  
  But although Gantt said he supported the protections proposed by Jones, he joined with the majority in declining to support her move to change the procedural rules, so it died for lack of a second. Gantt said he had talked to each of the commissioners before the meeting and determined that an additional vote on the amendment would've resulted in the same outcome as it did on Aug. 7.
  http://www.mountainx.com/article/45098/Commissioners-approve-personnel-ordinance-reject-LGBT-protections
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  By timothypeck
  09/04/2012

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  A major point of clarification:
  
  David Gantt did NOT vote against Jones' amendment to add specific language to protect county LGBT employees at the Aug 21 meeting. What happened was that he declined to second her motion to vote on it again after it had failed at the previous meeting. As he said at the Aug 21 meeting, he had talked to the other commission members and each told him that they had not changed their mind. So he made the decision that an additional vote was moot.
  
  Of course, you can say that he should have seconded Holly's motion to vote again. But please be clear-- There was no vote on the issue at the Aug 21 meeting! It WAS voted on at the Aug 7 meeting, and Gantt voted in favor. But please feel free to wipe that memory of his "spine" from your biased memory banks.
  By zulu
  09/04/2012

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  This cartoon states I voted against protection of LGBT rights.
  
  On August 7, I voted FOR an amendment to Buncombe County’s personnel policy supporting the rights of LGBT employees. After the majority of the Commission voted against this amendment, the unamended policy that passed required a second reading. Once amendments are defeated, Commission rules prohibit another vote on failed amendments without a member of the majority reversing their vote. At the second reading of the policy on August 21, a motion to suspend the rules was made based on a possibility that one of the majority might change their vote. I knew first hand that no one intended to reverse their vote. The motion died for lack of a second, confirming my understanding.
  
  I continue to support and will work toward non-discrimination for ALL County staff, including LGBT employees.
  
  David Gantt
  Chairman of Buncombe County Commission
  
  By Daivd Gantt
  09/05/2012

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  David Gantt, of all of the public servants I have known, has demonstrated one consistent quality: courage.
  
  The irony of this symbolic attack on his character is that during his sixteen years in office he has always been a bulldog for environmental protections, public school funding, investing in Buncombe's future for job creation, and standing up to bullies who have tried and failed to keep him from standing firm on these principles.
  
  As Commissioner and then Chairman, David has done all of this while earning Buncombe County a AAA bond rating, clearly stamping the gold standard for fiscal responsibility on his leadership.
  
  The irony of being attacked for being spineless after standing up for the principle of non-discrimination for ALL hardworking, competent Buncombe County employees makes me wonder what kind of sandbox politics some folks are playing these days. I stand with many others and am proud to support David Gantt, because he has made a difference to make Buncombe County a better home for all of us.
  
  Keith Thomson
  By Keith Thomson
  09/07/2012

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