FR,

Janet Dunn did you a favor. She decided who you will vote for in this race. As usual you adopt the stance that Dunn can do nothing right and you take the other side of every issue. Janet's letter kept you from actually using your intelligence in making a decision based on the facts and who is the best candidate. Whew what a relief that must be to you. Janet came to your rescue. A nice thank you note to her is in order...don't you think? I have never understood why people simply refuse to use their intellect, do the research and make an informed decision.

Yes, I agree a nice thank you note is in order... It appears that whomever Mr. & Mrs. Dunn align themselves to is DONE...THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU...

I don't believe I said anything or implied anything about who Greg was supporting in my letter. Do you make your assumption based on the fact that I am married to Greg and thus can not have an opinion of my own? When I got married I did not suddenly lose my individuality or subjucate my opinions to him. I understand that there are those who think that when a "wife" speaks she is simply mouthing her husbands words. Of course, if you truly believe that Linda Wells or Peter Pfeifer would allow themselves to be in anyone's pocket then I suppose it is reasonable for you to assume I'm unable (or should not be allowed?) to speak my own mind.

I feel that this is an extremely important election thus I decided to write. I wanted MY friends to know who I supported and why.

Yes, Janet, you are entitled to your own point of view. The folks that think you are only expressing your husband's viewpoint are the same ones that think women should only run the washer and dryer. Of course, they would be Horigan supporters. Bet they are biased about race, too. Essentially, good ole boys. One of the old good ole boys even did a recorded message to folks saying "Don't listen to Cal Beverly and those that say Horigan did something wrong. He has done nothing wrong." Then he used some code words that are offensive. Really made me lose respect for Mr. Harris. I thought he had more sense than that.

That is exactly why I am voting for Robert Horgan. Greg Dunn's support of Wilkerson simply expands his power. For those who don't believe in Greg's power trip, watch what happens if Horgan wins - will Wilkerson run against Dunn's rubber stamper - Linda Wells? Don't think so. But if Wilkerson wins, Horgan will take on Wells and he can certainly beat her, so it all works out no matter what happens.

So RWM you are voting for Horgan because of what now? His stand on the issues? His ability to do the job? His commitment to his community as demonstrated by his involvement and voting record?
No, you are voting for Robert simply because you don't like somebody else. Where is the logic? Look at the candidates, see who adheres closest to your own political ideals. If it is Horgan, ok, but I have not seen you say that here. You said that either Wilkerson or Horgan would be ok as a commissioner. That statement shows a lack of research on your part. Not just reading here, but actually seeking out the candidates,(as I did)and talking to them, understanding where they come from and why. If you had done that, I believe your opinion would change on this race. It's not too late.

It is to late...

Correct me if I am wrong. I seem to remember that you were for Emory and had given money to him. I did not see your name on his disclosure. Must have been an oversight. (like not following the election laws). Now because of one letter you change your support. Balderdash!!!

Okay, Robert, we get the picture.

You are not for Robert Horgan, you are against Greg Dunn, and therefore, since somebody, somewhere whispered in your ear that Horgan is the Sheriff's boy, you decide thats good enough for you.

What exactly is it that you find so appealing about Horgan? What objective facts do you say makes him a better qualified individual than Wilkerson? We know you don't like Dunn and you are spreading these silly rumors to excite the base of voters who can't wait to get Dunn out of there, but these rumors are baseless.

And what exactly do these recorded messages mean when they say Horgan is a "long time" born and Bred pure Fayette Countian? What does that exactly mean? I want facts, not spin.

Leadership stands for something. Horgan has not stood, instead he has sat on his hands 10 out of the last 17 elections. Any of you think that makes him a good candidate to Stand Up to Dunn?

Thats not atute, thats ignorance.

I know many, many people who support Wilkerson, but who will also support Eric Maxwell against Dunn. I won't name names, but all you have to do is read the campaign contributions of people willing to put their names next to Wilkerson's to see who they are.

I'm not going to get into that fight between the Sheriff and Dunn. I see good and bad on both sides of these issues. But I do think that a candidate that merely thinks that he can get elected because he has picked the winning side on an issue that is played on in the newspaper everyday, and yet brings ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to the table, is inexusable.

Horgan said he had never been to a County Commissioners meeting.
And this is the man you think is better qualified than Wilkerson?
Wilkerson has been to many, many of these meetings, LONG BEFORE HE ANNOUNCED HIS CANDIDACY.

Horgan has only voted 7 out of 17 times since 1998. Wilkerson has voted 15 out of 15 times since 1998 when he moved here after the primary.

Horgan has voted in Democratic Primaries FOR DEMOCRATs, which is and of itself is not unforgiveable, but it does show his commitment to the ideals that 75% of Fayette Countians believe in.

Wilkerson has not only voted 100% of the time in Republican Primaries in Fayette, he also has been a leader in the Party, been to County, District and STATE conventions, helping other Republicans get elected.

Horgan, has done NOTHING, absolutely nothing that makes him a better candidate. Sure he may be an attractive middle aged man, who owns a business, that has lived here his entire life, but I could name thousands of others who could say the same.

What you need to ask, is WHERE HAS HE BEEN FOR THESE LAST FORTY YEARS?

Perhaps if Horgan is elected he will prove himself worthy of the votes that he gets, but with all we know, with just the objective facts, how can anyone look at this man and see anything other than a johnny come lately who is riding the coattails of those that want to remove Dunn.

Leadership means more than telling everybody what you are against, Its leading when no one is watching, its working for the community and the party, helping to better our lives, without hoping that others will pay attention.

And leadership isn't telling everyone what you are against. Talk is cheap, actions speak louder than words. And Horgan's lack of leadership is mindboggling.

Whose Stooge will Horgan be? If he doesn't care enough to vote as a citizen, then I suspect his votes on the Commission will be just as thoughtless too.

Here is the challenge for you Horgan followers.

Tell me what he has done for the last forty years that sets him apart, head and shoulders, above the other candidates. What makes him worthy of your vote. I know he is riding the "hate Dunn" voters, but what has he done to deserve your vote? Objective facts, not subjective opinions please.

I dare say, there will be none given.

He has been elected...

Mr Hobbs

I am a former Emory supporter, but after the tricks you and the so called Republican Party have pulled, I now support Mr. Horgan. The Party Chairman, his Mama and you have crossed the line in support of Emory. This party is a joke. I will support anyone who you and the others do not. It is past time for the Chairman, you, and his Mama to go.

Emory is probably a good guy. But these endorsements have killed him. These numnuts that call themselves the Fayette Republicans are just a bunch of self-serving clowns like Hilary Dunn. Cal Beverly was convincing but if these endorsements are an indication of who Emory is aligning himself with, I gotta say no. Look at that list in the newspaper ad.

Sure Joey,
You were undecided until you saw the ad in the paper and since you see such a wide variety of people who support Emory, you now have found the reason to support Horgan. This is a riot. Do you think we fell off of a turnip truck yesterday?

Again, not a single HORGAN voter can name anything good about the candidate, only that Emory is supported by too many Republicans.

Thats really sad. So very sad.

I'd say its more sad that Horgan's supporters are so uneducated about the issues, they can not honestly give an opinion as to why he is a better candidate than Emory. So which supporters would you want associated with your favorite candidate? The ones that have a wide range of educational backgrounds and experience who know the issues and character of the candidate and will proudly discuss it openly, or a group of friends that are too embarrassed to talk about the issues, because they don't know what their candidate even stands for.

Oh, I forgot, Horgan is for the people. He's for being an honest Commissioner who will stand up to Dunn.

If he is so dedicated, then where has he been for the last forty years. Or even the last six months? Why hasn't he come to the meetings to challenge Dunn?

You Horgan supporters out there are hearing this, but your response is deafening.

I am an astute voter for Robert Horgan. I have lived here in Fayette for nearly 25 years. It was a close call, but I am voting for Mr. Horgan. Mr. Wilkerson is a decent person and would make a decent public official. Unfortunately I find that his affiliations with a group of political groupies that were nearly exorcised from Fayette 20 years ago to be unacceptable. Even Mr. Wilkerson’s campaign material is the same tired old, disengenious platitudes that politicians mindlessly regurgitate. Mr. Wilkerson’s campaign mailer: “For our families; for our future; balanced growth; cut taxes.” How quaint; how humorous; how insulting. It is reminscent of Mr. Pfeiffer’s campaign. Pfeiffer, also a party hanger-on for years, promised fiscal conservatism and one month after taking the oath of office he saddled the taxpayers with a tax increase double whammy----valuation increase and a rate hike. Either he is naive; doesn’t know the policies of Commander Dunn or he is simply deceiving us. Some conservative. And to boot— both Pfeiffer and Wilkerson seem to be in clutches of a too long serving Commission Chairman.

No; I am voting for the small businessman. The man who has made payrolls. Can anyone else on the commission claim that? I don't think so. So he hasn’t hobnobbed with the breakfast crowd and the lawyers. That may be a good thing.

Personally, I was quite impressed with the names in his ad in the newspaper. It was a wide variety of community leaders. If they are endorsing him, then I will vote for him.

I'm sorry you feel that way about the party. Suffice it to say, that if you let the qualifications of the individual be of less concern for you then who is supporting them, then I'd say that you are probably a likely Horgan voter anyway.

Shame that substance doesn't matter, but voting against Wilkerson because I support him is sad.

For your information, although the Party took a very straight forward approach in informing the electorate about the qualifications of the candidates, no where did the Party ENDORSE anyone.

Each candidate had the opportunity to do a mailing in our newsletter, only Emory agreed to do so. I personally told Mr. Hughes about it, and he apparently either forgot or doesn't want to admit it. I know two people contacted Mr. Horgan and he did not respond either.

The fact is the Party merely informed the electorate of who the candidates were and how they voted in the past. If this information is not important to you, then ignore it. However, the Party believes that this information is crucial in making sure that only informed voters should be deciding who our elected officials are.

So pretend like I changed your mind. We know it is not true. You support Horgan for no real reason. So you create one.

My challenge is still there! PLEASE PLEASE Somebody tell me how Horgan is more qualified than Wilkerson or for that matter Hughes?

You horgan supporters refuse to accept the challenge because you don't have an objectively right reason for voting for him.

Mr. Hobbs

He has lost the only race he ran. He is a nice man and I did work for him in his last run for office. I would support him if he had the guts to come out and say what you, the Chairman, and his Mama did was dirty and he had nothing to do with it. You or someone from the so called Republican Party filed the complaint against Mr. Horgan, but it is you who should be investigated.

Wow, Dobbs, you are really wound up about this. Take a break, it is not that important. Either candidate will be a good commissioner. In fact if they get in a runoff, which they probably will, I'll sit that one out and let you and others decide.

To answer your question about what Horgan has done, He has run a sucessful business in a city and a county that tries very hard to punish small independant businessman. Making a payroll every week and creating jobs all while providing a service to citizens may not seem important to you, but it is a lot harder than attending a few breakfasts and voting all the time - plus you learn more by doing something than you do by talking about it.

Hampster, It is great that Robert Horgan has run a small business.
However, there are those of us who run a business, attended the occassional breakfast (and luncheon and benefit dinner), and debates, and commission meetings, and community events, and meetings of our chosen civic organizations and still found time to vote in every election. Why? We make the time because it is important and an obligation as a good citizen. Doing what Robert has done is ok, but most of us have done that and much more. If Robert, or anyone else does not have time to do these other things, how will they find the time to do a credible job as a Commissioner?

Dear Hamster,

You proved my point exactly. You can't explain what qualities that this fellow brings to the table that are objective. Sure he started a business, Fayette is filled with them. I started one myself, but I'm not going to set that down as my most proudest of accomplishments.

Why can't he at least attend one county commission meeting before he runs?
Why can't he show consistent interest in civic duties such as voting before he runs?
Why can't he show consistent political interests with one party before he runs?

His motives may very well indeed be "pure" but Republicans, true Republicans try to expect the best and most out of all of us. We don't rely upon the lowest common denominator. After this election, if he loses, we will never see him cross the threshold of a single commission meeting. He will never come to a single political event.

The voters of Fayette Should expect more. You should as well.

So ultimately, your answer for Horgan is? . . . you don't have one.
I suspect you voted for Bill Clinton too, since he was articulate, attractive and felt your pain. Being a good candidate means having some substance to your resume other than just being some "good ole boy".

If you honestly believe that this is all that is necessary for you to contribute your vote to his race, then so be it. Now I realize how your other posts are filled with subjective opinions rather than cold hard facts.

If we get Horgan, then we will get what we deserve. Someone who has no idea what he is doing, and will let someone else tell him how to do his job. Sure that might be you, and Sam Chapman and his bunch, and if thats what you want, then so be it. But don't pretend like Horgan has any of the real credetials that we need as a county commissioner, especially in comparison to Wilkerson.

You should just say, "Symbolism over Substance" and be done with it.

While Wilkerson reportedly voted in every past Fayette election since 1998, including all the Republican primaries, Horgan, in contrast, reportedly skipped some elections and voted in some Democratic primaries.

I well recall the primary presidential elections of 2004. On the Republican side, there was only one candidate (George W. Bush). On the Democratic side, one had Kerry, Edwards (from NC), Dean and others. It seems more normal to me to want to influence the Democratic election than to go vote, zombie-like, for the one and only candidate on the Republican ballot.

Skipping elections is also more principled than choosing among people one doesn’t know. In a county like Fayette, most candidates are selected in the Republican primary, and they have no opposition in the next general election. So there is little point in voting in the general election. When there’s only one name on the ballot, what’s the point?

Attending county commission meetings is an odd pastime. A lot of it is boring, and since the spectators do not have all the paperwork that the commissioners have been looking at, they hardly know what’s going on. Normal people rely on the press to cover what’s important.

It is completely unrealistic for us to expect the candidates to be perfect. There’s no Mother Teresa among them, even though one of them, I noticed, is relying on his so-called Christian values. To the extent mediocrity is normal, I’d prefer a candidate who is outstanding to one who is just normal. But I wouldn’t criticize Horgan for his voting record.

Eyinvest,

This is very good feedback and you obviously have thought this through. I would like to share some feedback with you. You see his voting record is a very good reason why you should not vote for him.
Let me elaborate.

I am sure that there are thoughtful people like you who would go through the thought process you describe for the 2004 primary.
Unfortunately, knowing Robert Horgan as I do, I assure you that none of what you describe occurred to him. He does not think about politics like that. I know because we have talked about it.

Skipping elections because you do not know the candidates may be normal for you, but that does not make it right. Elected officials MUST know what is going on around them. They have to take the time to understand issues, weigh the pros and cons and vote as their conscience guides them. Robert has not demonstrated his willingness to do something as simple as study the candidates for an election and make a decision. If he has not taken the time to do that, how in the world could we expect him to tackle the complex issues that face the county. Is Robert going to skip votes on the commission because he did not take the time to study the issues?

Attendance at commission meetings may be an odd pastime for the average citizen, but if you were planning to be part of the group would you not want a complete understanding of how things work?
Mr. Horgan had no idea when or where the commission meetings were held before he started this. He did not know that it was part of a regular schedule set at the beginning of each year. And then he wakes up one day and says "I think I will be a commissioner, when do they meet?"

If you rely on press coverage to form an opinion then you are taking a huge risk. Someone who wants to be part of a group of elected officials should take the time to understand the dynamics of the group and that can only be done by being there, more than once or twice.

As unrealistic as perfection may be, I am surprised that you are willing to settle for mediocrity at all. We should want the best person for the job. The best person by definition is probably not normal, but at least a cut above the average citizen.

Unfortunately, Robert Horgan is ill equiped to handle this job. He is not normal. He is less than mediocre and I am not willing to settle for that, and I do not believe you are either.

Actually Horgan voted in all the general elections so he must have seen the point in voting then.

You are an angry man, Mr. Hobbs. The election next week for county commisioner should not be this important to anyone. Run your spell check, breathe deeply , take a week off and come back next Tuesday March 28 and vote for the candidate of your choice.

Sorry, I am out of character, but the Hamster is over here egging me on. He's nuts as well.
meow