VansOpinion - DONLAN, BOLES AND CARLSON, PUT-UP OR SHUT-UP

At a monthly meeting of the Lincoln Independent Business Association (L.I.B.A.) four county commissioner candidates, two incumbents (both Republicans) and two challengers (both Democrats), addressed a large audience of local business movers and shakers. It was unfortunate, in my opinion, that both challengers used the event to take what I consider cheap shots at their opponents. Now, they should be held by the people to account, and to either "Put-up or shut-up."

There are two time worn political axioms which should be mentioned here. First, "Once you go negative, you can never go back positive." Second, "The only thing you accomplish by slinging mud is loosing ground." Former Lancaster County Democratic Party Chairman and now candidate Mike Donlan who is opposing Republican incumbent Bernie Heier has a well established history of being involved in slash-and-gouge campaigning. On the other hand, soft spoken Democratic candidate Wayne Boles, a political newcomer, disappointed many be throwing a blow below the belt at his Republican opponent, incumbent Larry Hudkins.

Boles was picked by his party to fill a slot vacated when the actual elected opponent nominated by his party at the last primary election took a job in another state and backed out of the campaign. Frankly, I though the Democratic Party officials did a pretty good job in persuading Boles to be their candidate in the forthcoming general election. If he had elected to "stay positive", continue to be soft spoken and avoid highly controversial and partisan loaded issues, he might have had a good chance to give Hudkins a run for his money. Aside from the fact that I believe him to be a nice guy, Wayne blew it today, even though he was not nearly as caustic as Donlan.

Political literature circulated by Mike Donlan, while it contained the "Union Bug" did not contain the required information as to who paid for the advertising piece. Under the heading of "Ethics" Donlan stated that he "Does not have financial conflicts with Board policy" Regarding the "Board" he stated "Allows Mike's opponent, Bernie Heier, to develop acreages for profit while also writing the acreage development rules. He goes on to quote Planning Commissioner Jon Carlson (a City Council member wanna be) as saying "I think Heier's votes profit him personally."

Wayne Boles took a swat at Hudkins being involved in developing property, but I believe the record would show the properties Larry developed were in the town of Malcolm rather than "in the county."

As we watch national news and even in our local newspaper we note, CBS has had to apologize for airing comments slanderous to president Bush based upon phony, falsified and possibly forged documents which have been shown to have had their origin in or very close to the John Kerry's campaign. Our local candidates don't need to stoop to that low level of campaigning in their bids for public office. If Mike Donlan, Wayne Boles and Jon Carlson can not back up their statements with proof positive that Bernie Heier and Larry Hudkins or either of them have unlawfully abused their public positions as Lancaster County Commissioners, they owe Heier and Hudkins public apologies.

Bottom line, I call upon Donlan, Boles and Carlson to PUT-UP OR SHUT-UP. To do less will show the people who will go to the polls in November that they are far from being the upstanding gentlemen they want us to believe the are. I believe the leadership of the Democratic Party would be well advised to "Wood-shed" these guys before they further embarrass the party of Roosevelt, Kennedy, and my friend Jim Exon.