In reference to the mayoral debate between Rick Gray and Charlie Smithgall on Wednesday, editorial “Mayor Gray’s October surprise” comments:
“Then came time for closing statements. This is when candidates thank the host (Lancaster Newspapers and the Chamber) and audience members, and make one final pitch for votes…Gray citing Smithgall’s assertion during the debate that the city was spending and borrowing too much, said, ‘He (Smithgall) didn’t mind taking $300,000 in bond money from the county to preserve his firing range in southern Lancaster County.’
“Gray did not say Smithgall accepted county bond money to preserve his property as ‘farmland’ – which he did. Gray said he did it to preserve his firing range, as though the county paid him to permit its Special Emergency Response Team to use the firing range. In fact, Smithgall allows SERT to use the range for free…
“We see it for what it was: a cheap shot.”
WATCHDOG: Two wags of the tail. This was a very fair presentation of what took place. Our only regret is that the editorial wasn’t echoed across the editorial page by the liberal Intelligencer Journal.
Incidentally, an extra ‘wag of the tail’ for Executive Editor Barbara Roda. Like NewsLanc’s publisher, it was apparent she too was shocked at Gray’s “cheap shot.” It is to her credit that she allowed Smithgall “thirty seconds” to rebut the charge.
Those that are prone to take ‘cheap shots’ usually don’t have leg to stand on.
I’m sure that Mayor Gray was aghast that LNP allowed candidate Smithgall the opportunity to respond.
What’s more important…getting to a birthday party; or alllowing the facts to be shared??????
EDITOR: He ran ‘like a thief in the night.’