THE STAKES ARE HIGH
9-6-08
We do not blame Johnnie Leashore for asking for a recount. If we had lost an election by only 8 votes out of some 800 cast, we would ask for a recount. What is ironic is that Leashore was the most vociferous critic of Williamson and Cain when they were questioning whether the voting machines could be fixed or tampered with. Leashore insisted the machines were accurate, that ES&S, who supplied them, were honorable and that City Clerk Lois Williams, who was overseeing the election, was the most honest person this side of Mother Teresa. However, it is now Leashore who wants the ballots counted, NOT BY MACHINE, but by hand.
The people of Selma understand what is at stake. For Leashore, at least $40,000 a year from the taxpayers and all the trips all over the country he can take. Councilman Cain reported at the last meeting that Leashore and Crenshaw or the Crenshaw 4 had spent more than $60,000 of city funds on trips in the last 3 years. Not only does Leashore stand to lose all the money he gets from being a member of the Council and the more than $25,000 a year he gets from the Water Board and all the free trips he can take, Perkins will be removed from his $25,000 a year job as Superintendent of the Water Works and Collins Pettaway, Jr will be removed from his job as Water Board attorney. Only the Lord knows how much Pettaway has been paid as Board attorney to keep a certain Council appointee off of the Water Board for more than a year plus a retainer and for other "legal" duties.
There are hundreds of thousands of dollars riding on this recount Monday. Without Leashore on the City Council, the citizens of Selma can look for a productive, congenial City Council and Mayor-Council relationship in the next 4 years which will allow our city to progress. For the past 4 years, Crenshaw, Leashore, Randolph, and Venter have not had one original idea of their own. Their sole purpose on the council was not to work with the Mayor, but to work FOR the Mayor. Their purpose was not to serve the people of their Wards, but to serve the Mayor. Now it looks like 2 of them (Venter and Leashore) have been removed by the voters. We expect Randolph to be cooperative and Crenshaw to be a non-entity for the next 4 years on the Council.
There are rumors, unfounded we hope, that Leashore, Perkins, and Pettaway are trying to get the Water Board to change its By-Laws so the three of them can remain in their positions. After the recent election, they need to understand that the people of Selma will not stand for such an outrage! We trust Brother Vick and Rev. Goodwin are going to stand against this travesty until the Council appoints a fifth member to the Water Board after November 3.
There is much at stake in the recount Monday. We hope the recount will put this matter to rest once and for all and that the Crenshaw 4 will now be the Crenshaw 1 plus Randolph!
