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Thursday, February 28, 2008

Voters Speak Out on Hopefuls

By Lee Ross
Mountain View Telegraph
    In Edgewood's heated mayoral race some residents have supported candidates with cold hard cash, and at least one candidate has a few thousand dollars for the campaign trail.
    Town records show that Howard Calkins has had $3,200 in contributions during this quarter.
    Because of the way the town's rules are written, the exact amount contributed to Robert Stearley's campaign is unknown. However, during the same period, candidate Chuck Ring, who has refused to take contributions in the past, recorded $9.27 toward his campaign.
    The contribution came in the form of a banner sign sent to Ring from a high school friend, Lee Walker.
    "I thought he needed a sign," said Walker, who went to high school with Ring in Dexter, southern New Mexico. "He'd make you a good mayor, too, because he's honest ... he's a good man."
    Walker, who is currently living in Alamogordo, said that political candidates in Dexter wouldn't accept contributions, which may be the reason Ring generally refuses to, as well.
    Showing his raucous sense of humor, Walker gave another insight into early developments in Ring's past.
    "He's the only kid I knew, in the third grade, got kicked out for not shaving," he said.
    Sue West, a Ring supporter who lives in Edgewood, doesn't have the same history with Ring, but agreed that he is honest.
    "He's sometimes very abrasive with his remarks, but he doesn't lie," she said.
    West said she's disagreed with Ring, giving the example of his vote to annex Campbell Ranch in 2001.
    Campbell Ranch is planned to be an 8,000-acre community well outside of the area traditionally know as Edgewood.
    Despite that disagreement, West said she thinks Ring is a good leader and has the political experience to back that up.
    "He loves Edgewood," she said. "He really worries about ... what would be best for the town."
    West said she has supported Calkins in the past, but Ring won her over in this election.
    Meanwhile, Johnny Baillio said he continues to support Howard Calkins.
    Baillio said one of the reasons he supports Calkins is because builders and others who come to the town offices are welcomed under Calkins' leadership.
    He said he also likes the way Calkins runs town meetings.
    Baillio also brought up Calkins' plans for road paving and other town developments as reasons he supports the candidate.
    "His plan to improve the roads and give the kids the athletic facilities that we deserve has been on the agenda since he took over," Baillio said.
    Baillio said Calkins is also open to ideas from developers, noted that Calkins works "six days a week for that little, sorry check he gets," referring to the $1,000 a month the mayor receives.
    "Newspaper ads are costing him a fortune," said Baillio, who has contributed some of Calkins' $3,200 campaign funds and donated part of his office space for Calkins' campaign.
    Ellen Wymer chose to give her support, in the form of both money and time, in favor of Robert Stearley. Wymer has put in around $200.
    She was a councilor while Stearley was mayor. In fact, she ran for council because of an issue that she and Stearley agreed on.
    Like West, Wymer was opposed to the annexation of Campbell Ranch.
    "That whole issue sticks sideways in my throat," she said, adding that she would not regularly run for a political position. "My heart is not in politics."
    While serving on the council, Wymer said Stearley listened to residents, ran an open government and put the town's budget into a format that was understandable to councilors.
    "(I had) a better understanding, when we allocated money, what that meant," she said. "He understands the money."
    She said she supports Stearley's notion that the town should grow as it can afford to, which would allow taxes to benefit current residents for projects like road paving.