The Truth will ALWAYS Prevail

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Permalink Reply by Jim Taylor on November 1, 2009 at 5:04pm

Thanks Paul. Those that want to drag our town down and return us to a time and place that Matthews is not so proud of will not pull us with them. I have and will continue to stay focused on the issues important to Matthews and I will always be an advocate for our town. This election has taked some odd turns and I have remained focused on the goal. In this case the goal is the future of Matthews and the ability to continue keeking this community moving forward in the right direction. With the help of good people like you and many other we will be able to do this together. I say together because I need the help of those people in Matthews are happy and proud to call this place home.... They need to get out and vote on Tuesday so that what we have worked so hard for over the past 20 years is not derailed. Team TAYLOR needs support. Let's ban together and fight for what is right for Matthews. Thanks for taking a stand and speaking the truth. JPT

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Permalink Reply by GEORGE YOUNG on November 2, 2009 at 9:35pm

Jim Taylor,

The news story below is based on FACTS. Funds you recieved and VOTES that you made. Anyone can go to www.meckboe.org and read your finance reports. Also the town web site has the record of past VOTES of elected officials.


George Young
Former Matthews Commissioner




Campaign cash
Kara Lopp 30.OCT.09
kara@matthewsminthillweekly.com

Matthews mayoral candidates raise, spend most
Of the 18 mayoral and town commissioner candidates gearing up for Election Day in Matthews and Mint Hill, only three filed paperwork with county elections officials to raise or spend more than $3,000 on their campaigns.

And of those, the biggest spenders are in the Matthews mayoral race between former town commissioner Jack Davis, 63, and current mayor pro-tem Jim Taylor, 45, according to records from the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections. The cash is coming from developers, architects and business owners. In Mint Hill, mayoral candidate Larry Bumgarner is the only candidate who estimated that he’d pass the $3,000 mark, records show.

Candidates who plan to raise or spend less don’t have to file paperwork.

Matthews
Accepting $8,654 in contributions so far, Taylor has raised more cash than opponent Davis, who has received $6,984, according to election board records turned in Oct. 26 and Oct. 22, respectively.

Among Taylor’s largest contributions is $1,000, donated Sept. 21 by Charlotte-based developer Lat Purser III of Lat Purser & Associates, who holds development rights in downtown Matthews along Matthews Station Street. Taylor also received $200 on Sept. 15 from Lat Purser paralegal Thomas Roberts. The cash came about three weeks before town commissioners voted to prepare contracts to sell a one-third-acre vacant lot at 111 Matthews Station St. to restaurateurs Purser is representing. They plan to build a Pure Taqueria restaurant on the lot.

Taylor, who voted in favor of the proposal, said the contribution was “absolutely not” connected to his vote.

All of his contributions have come without strings attached, Taylor said.

“I’m just upset that people are taking this campaign and dragging it through the mud and the dirt and making the entire town government look bad, and I’m refusing to go there,” he said. “Everything is disclosed in that report and I think it’s all on the up and up.”

Purser said Oct. 26 that the timing of the donation to Taylor’s campaign was coincidence. Taylor called asking for a donation and Purser decided to give. He supports Taylor for mayor because “he has a good understanding of where Matthews is going,” Purser said.

“I don’t think people understand we’re being paid a fee by Pure (Taqueria) ... We get paid whether they win or lose,” he said. “I didn’t even know it was an election year. I’m not a political person anyway, it’s just not what I do. I work with politicians and I know them, but I don’t get into all the campaigning and the promises and all that.

“I honestly don’t know many mayors or council members that would compromise their vote because of a contribution.”

Taylor received his largest contribution, $2,000, Sept. 9 from J. Addison Bell, chief executive officer of Matthews’ Carotek Inc. The company received unanimous approval from commissioners in June for a zoning change. Bell didn’t return phone messages by press time.

Both mayoral candidates have accepted significant contributions from Eddie Williams, owner of Williams Wrecker in Matthews.

Williams gave $1,000 to Taylor on Aug. 20 and $500 to Davis on Sept. 28, records show. Taylor voted in favor of the company becoming the town’s primary wrecker service at the board’s May 26 meeting. Commissioner Bill Dixon was the only commissioner opposed to the measure. Williams did not return messages for comment, but instead had an employee call Oct. 23 to say Williams was preparing to go out of town and wouldn’t be able to return calls by press time.

Davis’ largest contributions have come from local business owners including Harry Williams, of Matthews Exxon, who donated $600 July 28. Jose Holland, manager at Beantown Tavern, gave $500 the same day. Beantown owner Donnie Gaskins has donated $500. Davis has also received $100 cash from Matthews’ attorney Charles Bennett, of Weaver, Bennett & Bland, who is supporting Davis in the filing of an ethics complaint against the town. The law firm’s attorney, F. Lee Weaver, also has donated to Davis, giving $150, records show.

Davis said the contributions don’t come with IOUs. He said with the exception of one of his print ads, he’s never solicited any cash contributions.

“I would hate to think that either (mayoral candidate) would jeopardize our ethics. (Money is) no reason to jeopardize our ethics. If (it) is, there’s no ethics to start with,” Davis said. “Why people give money, or who they give it to … is up to them. As far as who gives what, I don’t even think about that,” he said.

Mint Hill
Larry Bumgarner, 54, said he planned to spend about $10,000 on his campaign to become Mint Hill mayor. Instead, he estimates that he’s only spent about $2,000 – but it’s all been out of pocket. The most recent campaign finance report he submitted showed only $100 on hand. He hasn’t accepted any campaign contributions and has paid for campaign signs and advertising on his own, he said.

“I was going to spend more money but I started to hear from the people, ‘You’ve got my support, you’ve got my support,’ so it was like ‘OK I don’t need to spend more,’” Bumgarner said.

Want to know more?
To review campaign finance reports visit www.meckboe.org and click “Campaign Finance Reports,” listed under the “Candidate Information” tab. - Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly

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Permalink Reply by Nancy (LaFond) Moore on November 2, 2009 at 12:23pm

Thank you, Paul. Your opinion of me means a lot. So do your words.

I think it's easy to talk about others when you don't know anything about the issues. "I don't know what I'm talking about, therefore I will talk about so-and-so." It's like listening to the teacher in the Peanuts movies, "Wah wah wah wah wah wah???" :-)

Truly, one of my favorite quotes is "The pen is mightier than the sword." The spoken word can cut like a knife, but the written word can cut and keep digging. Even after an apology is spoken, or a retraction printed, the printed word can be etched in one's mind as if it is still in print. I believe, too, the sword is double-edged. When the written word is the truth, the "pain" of the cut is not really pain, but embarrassment. When the written word is false, it is simply pain. It is malicious and hurtful. My written words in this forum in response to questions posed by Adam Brooks were the truth. Responses to those truths were false. Subsequently, I was attacked, in public and by a mayoral candidate, who, for some unknown (and bizarre) reason, wrote many untruths. Interestingly enough, the one that sticks out in my mind, and quite possibly because it affects thousands of my neighbors, is the fact that this mayoral candidate claims that I stated that I no longer live in Matthews.

Let me reiterate my introduction at the Chamber of Commerce Candidates Forum. It's not exact . . .

I believe that one of the most important qualities that anyone can have is the ability to listen. I also said that, I live in Matthews, I am raising my family in Matthews, and that, while I would like to say that I work in Matthews, the truth of the matter is, while we have a Matthews mailing address, our office is right over the line and if you Google our address you have to put 'Charlotte' to find us.

So, where do I live? BRIGHTMOOR!!! It's only the largest subdivision in Matthews with about 550 houses!

My other thought, and a very important one, is that if this mayoral candidate is treating me this poorly publicly, prior to the election, how will he treat me, both privately and publicly, should we both win?

I would like to know what he stands to gain by publicly attacking me??? I really don't get it at all . . .

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