Chester Mayor Wendell Butler is firing back.
Hizzoner has been under fire since billboards started popping up across the city showing pictures of him and President Barack Obama, and noting that the Obama Administration picked the city for a federal program targeting distressed cities. It was one of only six in the nation to be selected.
The wording on the billboards raised a few eyebrows: The Obama team picks Chester and Mayor Butler, and on Nov. 8 so should you.
Butler is facing a strong challenge from Democrat John Linder in a city that is clearly tilting Democratic in its demographics.
Democrats captured two council seats in the last election. Now they are fuming about the billboards, claiming Butler is merely trying to ride the coattails of a popular African-American president.
Butler is having none of it. He paid a visit to the Daily Times on Friday to offer his side of the argument. He maintains the position that he always has - he's not a politician and he leaves that job to someone else. He's simply going about his job of trying to turn around the city that faces huge challenges, and he wants to keep doing it.
He, along with his campaign boss Jim Turner, pointed out they're not the only ones who have used the president's image in political signs. Of course, they might be the only Republicans to do so.
Butler fired back at his critics - which have included this newspaper - with a full-page ad in the Sunday Times.
Who said the newsroom does not produce revenue?
In the ad the mayor produced a letter from Maria C. Johns, deputy administrator for U.S. Small Business Administration. In it she praises the city and explains why it was selected for the Strong Cities, Strong Communities program. It was the same letter referenced by Delco GOP boss Andy Reilly in defending the billboards.
Very nice. But not exactly the president of the United States.
One thing in Butler's ad can't be questioned. He points out the election is not about billboards. We stressed that very thing in our editorial.
That's not going to stop people from talking about it. And thinking that both sides are playing politics with it.
Hizzoner has been under fire since billboards started popping up across the city showing pictures of him and President Barack Obama, and noting that the Obama Administration picked the city for a federal program targeting distressed cities. It was one of only six in the nation to be selected.
The wording on the billboards raised a few eyebrows: The Obama team picks Chester and Mayor Butler, and on Nov. 8 so should you.
Butler is facing a strong challenge from Democrat John Linder in a city that is clearly tilting Democratic in its demographics.
Democrats captured two council seats in the last election. Now they are fuming about the billboards, claiming Butler is merely trying to ride the coattails of a popular African-American president.
Butler is having none of it. He paid a visit to the Daily Times on Friday to offer his side of the argument. He maintains the position that he always has - he's not a politician and he leaves that job to someone else. He's simply going about his job of trying to turn around the city that faces huge challenges, and he wants to keep doing it.
He, along with his campaign boss Jim Turner, pointed out they're not the only ones who have used the president's image in political signs. Of course, they might be the only Republicans to do so.
Butler fired back at his critics - which have included this newspaper - with a full-page ad in the Sunday Times.
Who said the newsroom does not produce revenue?
In the ad the mayor produced a letter from Maria C. Johns, deputy administrator for U.S. Small Business Administration. In it she praises the city and explains why it was selected for the Strong Cities, Strong Communities program. It was the same letter referenced by Delco GOP boss Andy Reilly in defending the billboards.
Very nice. But not exactly the president of the United States.
One thing in Butler's ad can't be questioned. He points out the election is not about billboards. We stressed that very thing in our editorial.
That's not going to stop people from talking about it. And thinking that both sides are playing politics with it.
Comments
First: Who said the newsroom does not produce revenue?
Yeah, that's the ticket... The newsroom is pressed to procuce revenue. As in the decision to not post high school football scores but, instead, of forcing your loyal readers to go through the process of the new method of seeing them. Why don't you just tell your online readers that if they want to see the scores they have to wait until the print edition appears? Please be intellectually honest on it...
And, second, "In the ad the mayor produced a letter from Maria C. Johns, deputy administrator for U.S. Small Business Administration. In it she praises the city and explains why it was selected for the Strong Cities, Strong Communities program. It was the same letter referenced by Delco GOP boss Andy Reilly in defending the billboards." The opponents of Mayor Butler can't have it both ways. They either deny the progress of the City under his administration or they deny the designation of the City's achievments. They have to make choice...