Small businessmen jump into big city politics
By Lindsay Wolfe
Edited by Pete Shooner
Posted Jan. 21, 2010
Retro camera equipment litters every tabletop in half of Aaron Johnson and Grant Robertson's photography store in Five Points, the F-Stop. In the other half, registration forms and campaign fliers clutter the three crowded desks of the volunteers managing Johnson and Robertson's campaigns for city government – Johnson for mayor and Robertson for city council.
The small business was transformed into campaign headquarters after Johnson, a 26-year-old graduate of USC's media arts program, announced his candidacy in October. Robertson, 26 and also a USC graduate, is running for the at-large seat on city council.
The pair opened their shop in 2008 to address a need for a store in Columbia devoted exclusively to film and to unite film photographers in the area. They've started their campaign to provide a "strong, moral authority in Columbia" that will energize the city's dormant voter bloc.
Their campaign, Johnson says, is about "forgetting all of the political vitriol and working together as a community."
For example, everyone working on the campaign is a volunteer and all share the candidates' artistic background.
"We're basically all artists here," said campaign manager Rachel Thomason. That creativity helps the candidates and their staff "think outside the box" to reach Columbia's non-voters, generally people under age 30.
"I feel the reason people our age don't vote is because we're not inspired, we feel neglected," Johnson said. "We feel like even if we did vote it would make no difference because there are no options."
The campaign is taking advantage of alternative venues to galvanize young voters; it is launching its campaign today at New Brookland Tavern,where local bands will perform: The Cassangles, Say Brother and Grey Egg. The show starts at 8 p.m. and costs $5.
The campaign will be releasing its platform, which focuses on three main points:
- Transparency.
- Infrastructure.
- Civic action.
Robertson wants to make the city's Web site more functional. The most recent meeting minutes available are from August 2009. "There's something really wrong with that," Robertson said.
In terms of both transparency and civic action, Johnson wants council meetings to be moved to a time when working people can attend – nights or weekends instead of the current 9 a.m. on Wednesdays.
"I will definitely do everything I can to open City Hall," Johnson said.
Johnson's biggest concern under infrastructure is public safety. He wants more officers, more foot patrols and more trust between citizens and officers, a relationship that Johnson says needs to be repaired especially in low-income areas.
"We need to transform poverty-stricken areas into mixed-income areas where upper-, lower- and middle-class people are all living together, working together, interacting with each other to foster a sense of social mobility," Johnson said.
Johnson says he's happy to take ideas from anyone, whether those come from a 16-year-old or a rival candidate.
"Our policy is a living document," Johnson said. "We're passionately soliciting any ideas that can help make this city a better place – no matter where they come from."
