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Will Debates Provide Spark?
Posted
9-30-1999
Well here we are thirty days from the election and NOTHING! Have the
Republicans resigned themselves to the fact that it is a battle between them
for the third spot? If that's the case why aren't they at least challenging
each other? You would think they would go after Tom Ceraso figuring he only
won our primary by 454 votes or me since I'm in office and have a record.
Nothing. Zilch. Thirty-three days until a new Board of Commissioners is
elected, and this is one quiet election.
The only thing I can figure
is Maryln Davis believes if she keeps quiet and gets Republican votes and
the Vidmer loyalists (who care nothing about our party like Dick himself)
vote for her she's OK. She must really be counting on Tom Ceraso to be her
buddy when she gets in or you'd think she'd rather have another Republican.
Vidmer double-crossed me the last time and pushed for Terry Marolt. So it is
not surprising that he is pushing Maryln and Tom. But I think political
insiders like Dick, control less and less each election.
Scott Conner probably feels
boxed in. He recognizes that under normal circumstances, he's battling
Maryln for third place, yet he doesn't want to attack her and alienate his
Republican base. So what does he do? If I had a clear answer, I'd be a
political consultant somewhere and make a lot more money than a county
commissioner.
Those folks that don't know,
and might not meet any of us will decide this election. They will vote based
upon what they read, hear or see from advertising and news stories. The
challenge is getting known by those people who don't go to rallies, but want
good, honest government. I believe that there are enough people fed up with
the same people getting all the contracts and all the jobs. I hope that they
can determine which candidates want more of what we've had for the past
fourteen years and which candidates are committed to competition for
professional services and proactive, responsible government.
One thing is certain; the
days of the Vidmer-Marolt coalition are soon over. The party was ending for
them anyway and new commissioners will be held to a higher level of
accountability. The media scrutinizes what we do more closely and the public
is fed up with politicians that talk one way, but act another.
I've stayed consistent to the
principle of running this business like I'm spending my OWN money, not
someone else's. I'm frugal (my wife says cheap), but that is the only way to
responsibly run government. I'll spend when necessary to improve operations,
but I'm not doing it to take care of buddies. Someone once told me that in
politics, if people say they're your friends but want you to do something
that is not right, then they really aren't your friends anyway.
Well, the debates start next
week so perhaps that will liven up this snoozer of an election. Stay tuned,
and let' see how much open, clear dialogue there is by the candidates
identifying their strategy to solve the challenges ahead for county
government. |
