By Ron Curry
Manchester, Ky. - "Out on a limb"-- Here I go again!
From numerous sources, I keep hearing the same thing. Fact, fiction, rumor, I don't know but time after time here's what I keep hearing -- "Clay County employers control the elections, most employees feel that they will lose their job by not supporting the same candidate(s) their employer is backing."
"Fact or fiction", it's not for me to say but if true, change is certainly gonna' be a long way down the road. However here's one fact I do know, Clay County has been plagued by political corruption allegations for as far back as I can remember and it seems to me that due to the FBI's keen interest in Clay County politics over the last several years that no employer in their right mind would even consider trying to influence an election by employee intimidation.
It's harmful allegations like this that have and continue to make Clay County, Kentucky appear to the nation as an area controlled by the strong arming of local thugs and should be avoided as a place to live or open up a business in. To me, a notion such as this is so far from the truth that it's laughable and I disagree with this kind of untrue, unwanted and most certainly unneeded negative publicity!
It's election time and Clay County is no different than any other of the 120 counties in the Commonwealth or for that matter, any county in any state in the U.S.. It's to be expected during elections that a certain amount of under the table/behind the scenes activity will be attempted, but personally, I don't believe that there's enough activity of this sort in Clay County, Kentucky to control the upcoming 2014 election.
Election time - Question time!
On Saturday February 22, 2014 starting at 5:00 P.M. at the "round table" in the El Cazador Mexican Restaurant, ClayCoNews & BIGBARN Radio is giving every candidate seeking public office in Clay County, Kentucky the opportunity to better themselves in the election by answering one very simple question.
NO DEBATE, only the single question!
What's the question?
"Why should the voters of Clay County & the City of Manchester elect you to the office you're running for?" Each candidate will be asked the question in the order that they sign in and will be allowed five minutes to answer.
Be sure and let your favorite candidate(s) know about this GOLDEN opportunity that will soon be coming their way.
This event will will be broadcast live on the internet via BIG BARN Radio as well as being video recorded and posted on the ClayCoNews Youtube channel.
Now back to "Who's in control?"
Everyone knows that there are several large employers in the county, so if you live, work and vote in Clay County and are one of those that believes, "vote the way the boss suggests or start looking for another job".
I say this to you: "hogwash", no one is in the voting booth with you and if the election doesn't go the way your company wants, so what! Even if this were true, Who would the employers replace all the skilled, hardworking and dedicated people they employee with? It's impossible!
Look folks, step into that voting booth and vote for the individual that YOU feel is the right person for the office that they're running for.
Just for a minute, THINK! - It's you, the VOTERS that really control Clay County and the direction in which it goes!
If anyone intimidates or makes a threat in any way to you either by themselves or through someone else, simply complain to the Kentucky Attorney General and let them get a taste of what it's like to be a part of the unemployment line.....Gotta' go....My limb just broke off.
