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| A. E. Newman's old pickup truck |
Post: 903
Delivering his fourth political stump speech at Canaan this morning, A. E. Newman, Independent candidate for Southern District Associate Commissioner, asked a small crowd of locals to consider voting for him in November of 2012. Newman spoke standing up in the bed of his old, rusty pickup truck. Here is the text of his prepared speech .....
Friends and Neighbors,
Thanks for coming out on this sunny but chilly October morning! I hope you've helped yourself to a complimentary cup of coffee. If you haven't, please see my assistant, Freida Dunderbak, right over there under that big old oak tree.
Friends and Neighbors, I've been working on my campaign platform since I announced my candidacy for the office of Southern District Associate Commissioner. It is coming together nicely, and I plan to unveil it before the month is up.
Rather than outline all the individual planks in my campaign platform today, I would like to tell you in a general way why I am running to unseat Jerry Lairmore of Owensville.
Number 1: LEADERSHIP! We need a change in the county's leadership. We need someone who can work effectively and harmoniously with Northern District Associate Commissioner Matt Penning. Mr. Lairmore (and Mr. Jost for that matter) seem incapable of doing that! I spoke about this problem the other day up in Hermann. Mr. Lairmore made a statement in a recent open meeting of the County Commission that he didn't have Matt Penning's telephone number and therefore had "no way to contact" him about an important county matter! Folks, that's just ridiculous! In plain talk down here in God's country, we call it "BULLSHIT"! Either Lairmore is totally incompetent and NOT resourceful enough to be a county commissioner OR he is just flat out lieing! We all know that Lairmore plays his little "games", but we don't need "game playing" in county government! We have pressing problems to address!
Number 2: REPRESENTATION! We need someone who will represent your interests and not just the interests of a few influential families in Owensville. Jerry Lairmore is NOT representing your best interests. He is doing the bidding of a few people in Owensville. That has to STOP!
Number 3: COUNTY SEAT LOCATION! We need someone who will discourage misguided citizens from wasting time on the periodic ballot petition drives to relocate the county seat. Let's quit fighting about the county seat, folks! We all lose if we spend our time fighting with our neighbors in the northern district. Instead, let's accept the fact that the county seat IS in Hermann. Let's work together to preserve OUR historical courthouse building in Hermann, and let's expand the county's government center if it is indeed necessary. If we work with the folks in Hermann to preserve and renovate the courthouse, they will work with us to upgrade some of our infrastructure down here in the southern district. I pledge that I will work to improve our county roads and bridges in the southern district, and I will work to upgrade facilities at the county fairgrounds in Owensville. But I will not spend any of my time working to relocate the county seat.
Number 4: JOBS! Jerry Lairmore is doing absolutely NOTHING to attract good-paying jobs to this area. To the contrary, his puppet masters don't want him to bring progressive industry which would
offer better wages, salaries and benefits to the hard-working people of our local area. Lairmore and his bosses are all about preserving the STATUS QUO! I will shake things up! I will go out and invite industry representatives to come and see all the good things our local area has to offer. And I will do it whether or not I get any help from the Owensville Board of Aldermen or the Owensville Chamber of Commerce! And if the "good ol' boys" in Owensville resist progress, I will work with the folks in Bland and Canaan and other neighboring small towns to bring good paying jobs to our area.
Number 5: FINANCIAL CONTROLS! The county's financial systems, procedures and controls are completely OUT OF CONTROL! We've had major deficiencies noted in the Missouri State Auditor's reports of 2002, 2006 and 2010. NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING is being done to improve our systems, procedures and controls! I will work with Commissioner Penning to focus attention on these matters!
In closing, let me just say that I appreciate all of you coming out early this morning to support my candidacy. Some have asked if they can donate money to my campaign. I appreciate that, but my campaign is 100% self-funded. Why should I ask you for money? The position of associate commissioner pays well, and I have done well with my cattle operation near Bland. What I do ask of you is to help me get my message out and to consider voting for me in November 2012. Please help me in that way! I will be forever grateful!
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