EDITOR:
Something stinks in the woodpile. I recently was on the Republican Central Committee but I have to point out something that has me concerned with Joe Vanover, our candidate for the second district commissioner position. Maybe everything is copacetic but usually when something walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it is a duck.
When I looked at Mr. Vanover’s campaign contributors I found 29 contributions from attorneys or a legal PAC for almost $13,000 dollars. He has also received almost $6,000 dollars from current commissioners, administrators and elected officials, some of which he would decide their budgets if elected.
On the housing front, the treasurer on his campaign committee is Peggy Swaney, the Swaneys who just happen to own land on Rural 92 Hwy. that a previous commission shot down for a subdivision due to the “Master Plan” not being followed. The Swaneys and other homebuilders have donated over $2000 to Mr. Vanover. Think there will be a large subdivision on that dangerous rural two lane highway in the future if he is elected? I do.
If we had any idea where Joe Vanover stood on anything this would not be so worrisome but we don’t, just look at his website (vanoverforcommissioner.com). It’s one pandering statement and a nice picture of the family.
Joe Vanover was also on the Republican Central Committee when I served, this was also an elected position. The running joke at the time was that all he was good for was to move to adjourn the meetings–that is, when he actually showed up, as he only attended about every fifth meeting. Joe did not help with fundraisers, did not sell tickets, did not walk doors and only worked at the polls when his wife ran for school board. I cannot think of a single substantial thing he did while in this elected position and I attended almost all meetings.
In this county where Daffy Duck could get elected with “R” behind his name on the ballot I think you might want to think twice about electing this Republican, as he sure seems beholden to a lot of people and appears to have never taken a public stand on anything. Unlike David Park, the Democratic candidate (park4platte.com).
Have you ever seen any political statement, letter or anything in this paper from Joe Vanover…EVER?
At least we know Mr. Park is for transparency, keeping the parks and law enforcement tax, safety and spending our money wisely. Reading the paper, I also see Mr. Park’s letters and this will be a full time job for him, not a $60,000 dollar supplement as it would be to Mr. Vanover’s current attorney position.
Several weeks ago you had a letter to the editor suggesting that having an attorney on the commission would be a great thing. We elected a Republican attorney to the county treasurer position and how did that work out for us? Or am I the only one that watched the local news about how he fell for an email scam which could have cost the county about 20K?
Is it so hard for attorneys to make a living in the legal profession they all have to run for county government positions, or is it just an easy way to make a buck?
The donations and past actions lead me to believe Joe Vanover will just be a puppet for multiple people all of whom have made substantial donations to get him elected. He will get our $60,000 dollar salary, phone in the job and keep the status quo in Platte County exactly as it is now, with a commission legally defaulting on a loan then wanting a $65 million dollar unneeded jail while our bond rating went to junk status, praising an employee of the county who “misplaced” $2,000 and loaned out our equipment, and now using the federal CARES millions not as it was intended.
Local elections have very little to do with party affiliations. This is one year I have a Trump and a David Park sign in my yard, and I won’t be voting a straight party ticket. I hope you will do the same.
–Kirby Holden
Rural Platte County
