Raymond Coltrain has raised more than $20,000 in his bid for the Rowan County Board of Commissioners.
Coltrain, one of five Democratic candidates in the race, leads all candidates in both in fundraising and spending. And his finance report reads like a who's who of business and politics in Salisbury and much of the county.
His report of donations runs 69 pages. Coltrain went beyond the requirement to list donations of $50 or more. He reported donations of $25.
Among the donors are three members of the Salisbury City Council — Paul Woodson Jr., $50; Mark Lewis, $150; and Mayor Susan Kluttz, $100.
Retired executives of Food Lion are among the donors. Tom Smith gave $1,000 and Ralph Ketner gave $100.
The mix of donors includes doctors, lawyers, longtime party activists and owners of a wide range of businesses, including beer distributorship owners and car dealerships.
Larry and Susan Cloninger, owners of Cloninger Toyota, gave $1,000; Brenda and Gerry Wood, owners of Gerry Wood Kia, $250; Thom and Beverly Dillard, owners of Team Chevrolet, $100; and Donald Clement III, president of Salisbury Motor Co., contributed $100.
Other notable contributors included: Bill Dover, $100; Hall Steele, $100; Nancy and Bill Stanback, $250; Don and Betty Conner, $100; Greg Alcorn, $500; Randy Reamer, $100; Michael W. Agee, $250; Summie Carter, $100; Paul E. Fisher Jr., $200; Gordon P. Hurley, $200; and Paul Weisler, $200.
Coltrain also reported loaning his campaign $1,000.
As of April 28, Coltrain reported spending $7,168.
Of the three county commissioner candidates who filed campaign finance reports, Carl Ford spent the least.
Ford, one of eight Republican candidates, reported spending $122.08, the fee to file for office. Ford reported raising $4,244.25.
Ford saved his yard signs and other campaign materials from prior campaigns.
Candidates who have thus far raised or spent less than $3,000 are not required to file a report.
Donna Peeler, also a Republican candidate, reported raising $4,285 thus far and spending $3,903.
Peeler's contributors included Jean McCombs, widow of the late Rep. Eugene McCombs, $250; Sara Potts, director of the Rowan Housing Authority, $100; Amy Wilhelm, wife of Sheriff George Wilhelm, $100; Donnie Smith, contractor, $250; and Lawrence Behr, of Greenville, $200.
Peeler's major expenditures included $921 with a Houston, Texas firm for yard signs; $1,019 with Brad Steen, of Rockwell, for T-shirts and $138 for membership in the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce. She also reported expenditures of between $50 and $60 for gas at various stations.
In leading all money categories, Coltrain came close to his effort in 2006, when he raised $23,048 before the primary.
Irony : Monday, June 23, 2008 2:06 PM
"Anonymous", do you understand that you commented on one of the very articles the Walton letter appears to be referring to? Seems as if you proved his point!
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Anonymous
Ralph Walton's whimpering about bloggers : Monday, June 23, 2008 5:52 AM
I see from today's Post that Ralph Walton is concerned that this and other anonymous blogs allow certain factions to "dominate." Puh-lease!
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Letter Author: A Vanishing Species
Do Anonymous Blogs Detract from Letters to the Editor? : Wednesday, June 18, 2008 2:55 PM
With the advent of anonymous blogging, could it be that fewer authors are actually sending letters to the Editor? If so, that might restrict us to the "elite" little world of online blogs. Refering to someone on here as "elitist" appears to be worse than questioning their paternity. It also leads to wild speculation as to what new conspiracy theories are lurking below the surface, and who is behind them. In short, an unpredicted result of this anonymous blogging is the new paranoia in Rowan politics. Who'd have ever thought it?
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Karen Puckett
: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 11:18 AM
Apparently the Post can create a registration procedure (like the Charlotte Observer) that can help prevent fraudulent posts. [Salisbury Post editors, please clarify this for us.]
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Nevermore Indeed. : Wednesday, June 18, 2008 11:18 AM
Unfortunately, Mr. Reaper, er, Raven, (or did I strike a nerve with the Morris comment?) I am not formally affiliated with Rowan politics, I just keep up with the message boards. Why do you continue to just re-hash your grudges and assume people who are critical of your comments even know you? (I don't know you personally) What you don't realize is that when you smear people publicly, people in the public who previously didn't have an opinion of you form a negative opinion (and that goes for those with whom you align yourself). Anyone looking at the Post's web site can tell you and your friends have recently orchestrated attacks against Raymond Coltrain, Ann Brownlee, Ralph Walton, Jon Barber, the RJI and a number of others. I'd almost consider it a badge of honor to be smeared by your group. You and your friends should focus on real issues that impact the public and make a positive impact on public opinion, not your grudges that you try to turn into issues. Not everyone who attacks your comments is "bitter", I actually contend that you are far more bitter. Such continued negativity could cost your friends in elected office down the road, and ruin your own ambitions for office, should you have any.
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Grim Reaper
To Grim Reaper, er, Sides Trickster -- fool : Wednesday, June 18, 2008 11:08 AM
The Grim Reaper speaks of a single mind and is not, nor ever has been, a commission candidate. If Raymonde' Cooltrain is not a political whore of the local special interests, why did he get up Monday night at the county commission meeting and do the symbolic "group walkout" with the blowhards that lambasted the commission about the RJI funding cut off? Cooltrain is not smart enough to make decisions alone, if elected to the commission, so we can bet that Dyke Messinger and others of his ilk will be pulling the puppet's strings just like they do the pseudo Republican's, Jon Barber. And will the ultra liberal Steve Blount be mentoring Raymonde' too? As to cockroaches running from light, we noticed that you failed to give a name. Be careful that you do not check into the roach motel. That is forever. The Grim Reaper is watching.
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"Nevermore," quoth the Raven : Wednesday, June 18, 2008 7:51 AM
Strange that the critic of anonymous bloggers "Reaper" and "others" also choses to hide behind anonymity. Could this be an individual who has twice failed in his own attempt at the seat, and has learned that bitter comments which are NOT anonymous tend to bring him the public's ire? Raymond Coltrain is to be commended for having distanced himself from such sour grapes discourse.
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Anony-Moose
Speaking of names : Wednesday, June 18, 2008 5:59 AM
I wonder if anyone who ever hopes that the Post starts making people give names realizes that can be easily thwarted via fake email? Really, it would be pointless for the Post to bother, if you think about it. Disclosure is only good for the paperless trail it will leave.
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Grim Reaper, er, Sides Trickster : Tuesday, June 17, 2008 3:07 PM
Don't worry Karen, it looks like a lot of the negative comments made by Reaper and others are just Sides/Ford Republican political tricksters (or Democrats like Jeff Morris, wait... they're the same thing!). When you compare Coltrain's experience and judgment to the other three current candidates, the others aren't even close to qualified for this position, regardless of where the money is coming from (I hate to burst bubbles, but in the political world thousand-dollar contributions don't necessarily equate to peddling influence... just look up the contribution records of any of Rowan's state and federal congressmen). I've got a feeling a lot of these negative commenters will mysteriously "vanish" once the Post starts making you give your name on here. Ever seen what happens to cockroaches when you turn the light on?
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Grim Reaper
Is Cooltrain really qualified? : Tuesday, June 17, 2008 8:52 AM
Raymonde' Cooltrain spent his entire working life as a government employee. So what does he know about private business? Nothing. That places him low on the totem pole of qualifications. Of course that might be a little better than a convicted (or at least an "I am guilty") felon. Cooltrain, as a former government supported worker, knows how to hold out his hand for tax money and political contributions, so he likely won't mind giving some away when/if he becomes a commissioner (God help us all). That will please his moneyed supporters concerning their pet projects, like Dykey (Silver Spoon) Messinger and the other uptown big shots that spoke for Mike ("I run a multi-million dollar business") Miller and the RJI. What have you got to hide, Raymonde'? Let the public see your list of contributors and supporters, unless for some reason you are ashamed of them. A lot of folks are pulling for you Raymonde'. How could they go wrong with a man that thinks Jimmy Carter was one of our great presidents?
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Stranger than Fiction : Monday, June 16, 2008 6:28 PM
The identity of the other $1,000 campaign contribution is a bit unusual. Apparently Karen and others aren't too keen on the idea of disclosure. Nor anonymous blogging. On primary election evening, I heard that Mr. Coltrain was not very pleased with the reporting on his campaign contributions. He cited the same excuses as Karen.
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Karen Puckett
He who must not be named... : Monday, June 16, 2008 10:15 AM
Why doesn't anyone give their name?
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Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain : Sunday, June 15, 2008 7:27 PM
The familiar mantra of the elites was for us not to look behind the curtain. When we had our backs turned, local government dreamt up a plan to investigate political candidates using $23,000 in tax dollars. The Dem chair even tailed a Republican candidate. So when people like Karen take offense at transparency in the political process, it makes us want to know more. It is not vilifying, nor is it conspiracy, to seek all the information about who lurks behind a candidate for public office. It's just "common sense."
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Let all the info hang out
Who is vilifying anybody? : Saturday, June 14, 2008 5:43 PM
Karen, what statement made is vilifying anybody? Do you think pointing out facts as the Salisbury Post has done on contributions is vilifying anybody? Why do you think the law makes such records public? Don't you think we have a right to know? Do you think contribution records should remain secret? You can choose to disregard who is financing a political campaign if you wish. No one is telling you what to do or who to vote for or what facts you should consider before you vote. Would you allow us to consider contributions as well as other factors if that is what we wish to do? Others of us choose to look at all available information before voting. Contributions are relevant. What is wrong with looking at all available information and then deciding who to vote for? Is that really hard to understand?
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Not a Member
$1000 Platinum Club : Saturday, June 14, 2008 4:28 PM
Tom Smith made that other $1000 contribution. That is really strange now.
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Karen Puckett
Don't vilify people who have means : Friday, June 13, 2008 6:29 PM
Why must we vilify people just because they happen to live in more monied parts of the city? Often, these people are those who are philanthropic and willing to share what they have. I still believe the voting results speak louder than the donations and the list of donors does not matter to me as much as the election results. Raymond has shown interest in my part of the county and I've met many "regular" people, such as myself, impressed by his willingness to be of service to the people of Rowan. And now that's enough of that!
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: Friday, June 13, 2008 4:19 PM
Who else made a 1,000 dollar donation?
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Coltrain support: A mile wide, but 1/8 inch deep : Friday, June 13, 2008 2:57 PM
Coltrain's support in the county was more a function of the competition being either unknown (Julian, Phillips, and Lyerly) or TOO well-known (Walton). There just weren't any other strong candidates running as Dems. But the news of the financial contributions from Salisbury leaders and elites did not surface until election day, and most people didn't read the paper until after having voted. There's a lot of time between now and November 4th for voters to orient themselves to the "Final Four" candidates. In that race, there are two other very well-known candidates, including incumbent Jim Sides. Whether you like it or not, the November contest won't be the 'cake-walk' Mr. Coltrain had in May. If he intends to go head-to-head with real competition, Mr. Coltrain will need lots more of those $1,000 contributions like the one made by his wife's ex-husband, and the Cloningers.
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Larry Wright
Think Ahead and better list : Friday, June 13, 2008 1:19 PM
The County Commissioners were fully justified in fighting the forced annexation attempt with county money. There are two reasons - both having to do with county tax funds. First, if the annexation attempt had been successful, Rowan County would have lost between $180,000 and $240,000 annually in sales tax revenue. Second, previous recent annexations have cost the county over $1,000,000 annually in lost sales tax revenue. So it was not all about private citizens losing money, but about a huge potential tax loss to the county. The County Commission was therefore fully justified in its action. Forced annexations, indeed all annexations, cost all of the county citizens, even those in the city. why? Because as the city takes more of the sales tax dollars, the County suffers the loss of the sales tax dollars, and must either cut services or raise the tax rate. Forced annexation is very wasteful because it results in duplication of services. The citizens have already provided themselves with water and sewer service by paying for their own wells and septic tanks. With forced annexation, the city then duplicates those services by running their water and sewer lines to those same homes. The current combined cost for Salisbury to do this is $320 per foot. So forced annexation is very wasteful. Voluntary annexations such as occured with Forest Glen are somewhat more efficient as the annexation occurs before the homeowners have paid for wells and septic tanks and so these services are not duplicated. As regards "A better list" - Why don't you get the list of donors and take a look at it yourself? I have the list and most of the Coltrain contributions are from people within the city. It is replete with contributions from the wealthy people of Salisbury. My guess would be that close to 75% of his money came from Salisbury. He got little support from other muncipalities. If you want to go thru the list, contact me and we can do it together and post the results. Your analysis of where the votes came from is interesting. Obviously he has wide support. Where his money comes from is also a valid point for voters to consider. I much prefer an independent County Commission and feel that if one gets financial support from Salisbury city officials and the country club crowd, then maybe I will chose to vote for another candidate.
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BPWXY
A Better List : Friday, June 13, 2008 8:06 AM
Let the voters speak! Not the money. Look at the May 7 "Salisbury Post." Add up the votes from precincts in the City. If I'm not mistaken, the city precincts are West Ward I&II, South Ward, East Ward, West Innes, North Ward, Milford Hills City, West Ward III. (Someone, please correct me if I'm missing any.) When those are added up, you have 1708 votes for Raymond Coltrain. You have 1180 "Office One- Stop" votes, which could have been made by anyone in the county. That means Raymond received votes from at least 4312 "non-Salisburians." (probably more) Please don't insult the intelligence of voters from "out in the county." Raymond appeals to everyone because he supports the entire county. I'm very frustrated by how he's been misrepresented by these posts.
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Seeing through muddy water : Thursday, June 12, 2008 6:53 PM
That's okay, Larry. When there are not enough facts in evidence for those who want to defend the status quo, they're willing to invent them. "He that hath an ear, let him hear."
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Again, Its About Thinking Ahead : Thursday, June 12, 2008 5:51 PM
I understand the fee issue that the commissioners latched onto, however the issue isn't as easy as subtracting two numbers. The commissioners set bad precedent to fight private battles with public money (the commissioners realized they'd made a mistake when Rockwell proposed annexation and citizens asked the commission for money shortly thereafter... despite what some on the City Council may think, we've got to factor in that Salisbury isn't the only municipality in Rowan capable of annexation). I would almost (again, almost) have commended the commissioners had they allocated the money to lobby the legislature to actually fix the annexation law instead of threatening a courtroom spectacle. It really goes back to doing some planning and thinking ahead, which, again, isn't a strength of this current commission.
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Response to Larry's Response : Thursday, June 12, 2008 12:00 PM
The committed funds were never spent. And the revenue that the county would have lost, which it now continues to receive, is about $180,000 per year for that area alone. Think about it.
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Response to Larry Wright : Thursday, June 12, 2008 9:48 AM
Larry I like a lot of your posts, but you need to carefully read my "Little Planning" post. I did not say that the commissioners spent $200,000, I said they committed $200,000 (and it actually did cost the public, because significant county time was devoted to this issue). I am against forced annexation/city influence as well and realize its an emotional issue, but please check YOUR facts.
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Larry Wright
You can get financial Contribution List : Thursday, June 12, 2008 7:34 AM
If you want the entire list of reported contributors to political campaigns, just go to the Board of Elections and request it. You only pay for copying costs. It is publically available information.
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Tired of getting hosed by liberal Salisbury elites
No fault in Larry's logic : Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:39 PM
Larry's right about this. Even though Raymond Coltrain has freedom of association, that does not mean others must clientele with his crowd. Nor vote the way they vote. There are lots of car dealers, big landowners, and basically a boatload of prominent country clubbers who comprised the bulk of Coltrain's donor list. It's enough to make Democrats question his corporate welfare issues like tax incentives and farmland preservation paid to big landowners. Coltrain even reported some contributions under the $50 threshold for reporting, too. At least for that, his honesty should be admired. And yet, as Larry has observed, the agendas of the big money in Salisbury might not be the same as the agendas shared by non-Salisburians that the City keeps trying to hose.
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Larry Wright
Re: Following the Money Trail & little Planning : Wednesday, June 11, 2008 1:45 PM
One can learn a lot by following the money trail. The City Counsel and attorney backed the candidate that they agreed with the most. That is their privilege. It is our responsibility to note their contributions and vote accordingly. The county commissioners did not spend $200,000 on fighting forced annexations. They actually did not spend any money fighting forced annexation. We highway 150 area residents paid all of the costs for the attorney. Better go back and check your facts.
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Let's be careful what disclosure we ask for . . .
Or we might get it : Wednesday, June 11, 2008 1:15 PM
Karen, as much as I like Raymond Coltrain, I do not think it would be to our candidate's advantage for you or anyone else to publish that 69 pages of donors. I was shown that booklet by some annexation opponents, and knowing who all else contributed, it would only made things worse for Raymond. Be glad there was so little column space in the Post to print the complete list.
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A Little Planning COULD Go a Long Way : Wednesday, June 11, 2008 9:06 AM
The poster "Independent Commission" has hit the nail on the head... in shifting blame from the commissioners in the Russell fiasco, he/she has highlighted the major flaw of a number of our current commissioners (and the supporters of Russell's ouster). They are too focused on immediate returns and satisfying public opinion (hastily getting rid of Russell without doing the proper diligence on cost, hastily committing $200,000 in hard-earned taxpayer money to fight the private battle over annexation, attempting to douse the wind tunnel proposal (and send jobs/industry out of Rowan) by leaking it to the media... I could go on), and they don't think for a minute about long term costs or ramifications. When you add up the money these commissioners have thrown around (whether spent or not) on the Russell and annexation fiascos alone, it comes to roughly $469,000. These commissioners claim to be for the "little man", but it sounds like they're being pretty cavalier with our money. I don't have $469,000 to throw around... do you?
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Karen Puckett
Not big bucks : Wednesday, June 11, 2008 6:20 AM
I disagree that Raymond Coltrain would be "beholden" to the city council for their contributions. Not to put them down, but their contributions of $50, $150, and $100 weren't exactly huge. As I indicated in my earlier post, I wish the Salisbury Post would have listed "regular" people from out in the county --like my husband and myself -- who made contributions due to our belief that Mr. Coltain is not partial to the city of Salisbury but is concerned about the entire county. I think he had a long list (69 pages!) of contributors because so many people believe in him.
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Following the Money Trail
Dog Days for Candidates : Wednesday, June 11, 2008 5:43 AM
"For an Independent County Commission" has a point there. What part of "public disclosure of campaign contributions" do the Coltrain supporters object to? The Salisbury Post doesn't make the news, it merely reports on the news. And if candidates or their supporters don't like the public disclosure of their contributors, they can "self-police." Yes, I think it is highly damaging that a quorum of city council donated to the Coltrain campaign, and now we learn the City Attorney gave, too. In the future, perhaps he and other candidates will be more judicious in accepting contributions from just anyone. There's an old saying, "When you lay down with dogs, you wake up with fleas."
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For an Independent County Commission
Who gave Russell his Ludicrous Contract? : Tuesday, June 10, 2008 9:04 PM
Chamberlain and Sides were not responsibile for the ludicrous contract that allowed Russell to collect the $250,000 gaveaway when he was fired. Who wrote and approved that contract? Put them blame on them, where it belongs. It was the city council crowd that were on the County Commission. The Commissioners on the board when Russell started his investigation should have fired him or at least stopped him, but no, they had no guts and did not put him in his place or else they agreed with him. Sorta reminds me of how city manager Treme runs the Salisbury City Council. Who is smearing Coltrain and Lylerly? Lyerly pled guilty to a felony and the Salisbury Post reported it. Coltrain accepted contributions from the City Council members and the city attorney. The Post reported on that. No one is suggesting he should not accept the contributions. The Post chooses to report facts about candidates. That is not smearing anyone. The Salsibury City Council's choice for County Commsissioners will certainly not be my choice. I want a County Commission that is not beholden to the Salisbury City Council.
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Looking for Answers
Raymond's not a bad guy at all : Tuesday, June 10, 2008 7:23 PM
Raymond is not a bad guy at all. In fact, he's a fairly nice guy. What I fear is that he's so politically naive, because he never stakes out any real positions. And when he attends events, he stays long enough to deliver an opening prayer, or to lead in the pledge of allegiance, then he give the same 4-point campaign speech and leaves early. It's like he doesn't really commit to anything. I don't know how he would stand on any issues except farmland preservation, and he's never stayed in one place long enough to answer the question on exactly how much he'd commit to that program each year. I would like to know. And I would like to know whether he's got a thick enough skin to play politics when its necessary. Or if he's just an inept political novice like Jon Barber, who will have his lunch eaten by more effective, more savvy leaders.
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Karen Puckett
Raymond is the one! Yay Rowan County! : Tuesday, June 10, 2008 10:41 AM
My husband and I live in the eastern area of our wonderful county and have been very impressed with Mr. Coltrain's expertise on areas related to all needs - county-wide. We and most likely many others from the county have also have sent financial support to his campaign...but we weren't listed in the Post article! Even still, don't city council members also reside in Rowan County?
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Someone has a Short, er, Selective, Memory : Tuesday, June 10, 2008 9:38 AM
Whats unbelieveable is that someone took the time to dig this up after over a month. And I'm sure the poster that mentioned the Russell "fiasco" also remembers that it cost the county in excess of $250,000 to oust Russell (seven or eight times what was spent on the investigation itself), and the bill for that should rest solely on the shoulders of Chamberlain and Sides. Until we see some of our current commissioners for what they are, and until we stand up to people just out to smear well-intentioned candidates like Coltrain and Lyerly for their own self-serving interests, we won't be able to heal this poisonous climate our current commissioners have created, and jobs and industry will continue to go everywhere but Rowan.
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For an Independent County Commission
Why no Laura Lyerly? Why not Laura Lyerly? : Monday, June 09, 2008 9:13 PM
What do you want to bet that Lyerly also got some contributions from the City Council? Probably she did not have to list her contributions., and so they were not made public. I betcha banker Lewis gave her money!! Who is suggesting that Coltrain is a horrible person? No one has mentioned that. Do you get your excercise jumping to conclusions? A few years ago the City Council had their friends running the County Commission. Have you forgotten the mess they made? Do you remember the fiasco that gave us the ball park, and the support that Russell got from them in chasing after "Common Sense"? I haven't. So if the City Council is supporting a candidate for the County Commission, that is one strike against him.
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Everybody loves Raymond : Monday, June 09, 2008 2:08 PM
With his years of service on the Salisbury EDC Board, and his membership in the Salisbury Rotary Club, who else should the City Council lend their support to? Also, with an address on Confederate Avenue, it is only natural that Mr. Coltrain's neighbors in the country club have more disposable income to contribute. That doesn't make him a horrible person.
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City Council Critic
City Council's Choice is Obvious : Sunday, June 08, 2008 9:05 PM
Besides the three City Councilmen, the city attorney also contributed. Looks like the city officials really want Coltrain on the County Commission. If they are for him, that is a good reason to NOT elect him. We need people on the County Commission who are independent of the City Council.
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Taxed to the Bone
Salisbury Council Quorum? : Sunday, June 08, 2008 6:23 AM
How is it that this news link received no comments? Especially since three of the five Salisbury council members contributed to this gentleman's campaign. That is a quorum.
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Police identify 20-year-old man killed in shooting with officers
