It's inevitable that with any election, there's going to be some candidates who feel the need to spread rumors and lies to help themselves get elected. In some cases, this is based strictly on ignorance, but in most cases, those candidates know they lack the leadership skills and ideas to defeat their opponents, so they attempt to tear them down through rumors and lies. And as you may suspect or have already heard, we are no different here in Guin in that some of our city council candidates and one of our mayoral candidates have based their entire platforms on fiction.
So, as a service to voters of this city, I want to take a few moments to debunk some of the fiction you may be hearing by providing you with actual fact related to the hot rumors of the day.
Rumor/Fiction: There is money missing from the city's general fund.
Fact: We have two accounting firms who perform audits for us each year. Those audits provide us with a detailed listing of each and every asset the city has, the amount of money brought into our accounts and where it came from, and the amount of money going out of the city's accounts and how it's being spent. The mayor and city council members also receive a monthly report outlining our financial situation for the month and how we compared to the previous year. So, if there were money missing from any account the city owns, it would have been noted a long time ago.
Rumor/Fiction: As mayor, I'm going to clean house and fire certain city personnel.
Fact: In any government leadership position, there are checks and balances in place to prevent abuse of power. This would be considered one of those situations. Whether or not some of our current candidates realize it, there are certain positions within City Hall which are appointed by the city council and the mayor cannot remove those who are appointed without cause. Those positions include city clerk, city court clerk, police chief, city attorney, and fire chief. A city council may choose to appoint someone other than who is in those positions now or they may choose to keep them as they are. Either way, the mayor has no authority to fire those people without cause. Furthermore, those salaries are set by the city council and can be changed only at the will of the council, not the mayor alone.
Rumor/Fiction: The mayor of Guin is a part time mayor and his salary is too high for a part time position.
Fact: There is no such thing as a part time mayor. When a mayor is elected to office, he holds that position 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for at least four years. The mayor of Guin makes approximately $18,000 per year. Personally, given the importance of the position and the amount of work involved, especially related to recruiting industry, $18k is way less than what he or she should be paid. Unfortunately, our resources don't allow us to pay our mayor what he or she should earn. Make no mistake though, no matter who's elected to that position, I would expect that he performs those duties as Mayor Segraves has by putting his heart and soul into it and doing anything possible to move Guin forward. If a candidate feels the position is part time, he might need to reconsider his commitment to the city of Guin. At such a critical point in Guin's history, voters need to demand a mayor who is willing to give an overtime effort for a full time job.
Rumor/Fiction: I have three prospects who are interested in opening a business in Guin.
Fact: If someone truly loves this city and wants to see it succeed, he or she would not wait until they are elected to office to bring business prospects forward. Personally, that shows me a little about their integrity. They're more interested in how those alleged prospects can help them get elected than how they might help Guin grow.
So, as you can see, the rumor mill has been running rampant. Part of my goal for this blog is to do just as I have tonight and refute many of the rumors and lies you'll hear over the next month as we elect our city leaders. As I hear them, I'll bring them to this forum and will always address them with fact. If you hear more, please let me know and I'll be glad to address them as they flare up. Integrity is a characteristic we should all expect from our potential leaders. We all need to remember that anyone who would lie to you to get elected will ultimately do the same after he is elected to office. Are these the people we want directing us over the next four years? Not me.
Please feel free to pass a link to my blog on to your friends around town. I think it's important for us to inform everyone of the issues important to our community and this is my way of doing that.
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8 comments:
Very well said. Mayor Seagraves has done an outstanding job as a FULL time mayor. Part timers need to pull out of the race and let Guin move forward.
What I like about the way you have dispelled these myths is the fact that public record plays a factor. If someone does not want to believe what you say about each matter, he or she can simply search out the facts. Ahh, the beauty of public records. Another rumor circulating is that Mayor Segraves turned down an emergency vehicle manufactoring plant because of Magna. Truth: That emergency vehicle manufactoring plant was never seriously seeking Guin as a site. Guin, Winfield, and Hamilton all advertised their sites as the company flew over and looked at each one. For the emergency vehicle manufactoring plant, it was more use Guin, Winfield, and Hamiliton as bait to get what they wanted out of another area. Sort of like Rich Rodriguez when he used Alabama to get more money from Virginia. Keep up the good work Bobby!
Great job Bobby! This is a great idea to help voters distinguish fact from fiction.
Thank you guys for your comments and thank you Whitney for reminding me of that particular rumor. Regardless of what anyone believes, Mayor Segraves has never turned down an opportunity to bring in industry. The Magna project was important, but he has never jeapordized another project through his efforts to bring Magna in.
I think Whitney Webb should run for council too! By the way, voters should think about where some of these candidates kids and grandkids go to school. Guin needs to put 7 members in there that will "SUPPORT" everything for Guin. WOW! You go to a ballgame and see a Guin City Council member and family wearing a black and gold shirt!
That's right. Why doesnt someone ask a certain council member where their daughter went to high school?? Guin must not be good enough.
its time for a change. the current mayor and council have done little to improve the town of guin. this is the 21st century and its time that guin start living in it with new people in charge. all this he said she said grap is childish. if you want to be elected you should run on your on merit not try to run your mouth about other candidates. guin needs new businesses that create new jobs and keep our kids from leaving and never coming back after graduation. thats why i think we need all new people in charge and out with the old.
I agree with one thing - ALL candidates should run on their own merit. I've contended from the very beginning that voters need to talk with candidates and find out what they're all about. We shouldn't rely on rumors and lies to elect a candidate, but rather their views and ideas for a better Guin.
I will never apologize, though, for answering falsehoods with factual information. I think it's very important for our citizens to know the facts and elect those candidates who are forward thinkers.
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