I was reflecting on the convention center issue, and am struck by how pivotal a role Dick Shellenberger played. He was the endorsed Republican coming into office, with more votes than anyone in recent memory. A year later, he couldn’t get elected dog catcher.
All Dick had to do was go along with his party, and the project would’ve been built and he would still be county commissioner. But he didn’t. Simple Dick Shellenberger thought it was wrong to burden the taxpayers, and he stood up to Gib [Armstrong], Dale [High] and the rest of his party — which meant his fellow congregants and neighbors — and found himself shunned for life, and broke as hell.
To my mind, he was a hero – like Randy Carney; Ron Harper, Jr.; April Koppenhaver; you; and Molly Henderson. And Dick paid an incredible price, no?
Yeah. Dick was a great guy. Shut down his restaurant in the middle of the night and didn’t have the courage to face his employees but just posted a note on the door.
Who bailed him out? And what did he do to pay off that debt?