Dear Editor,
I am Dale C. Bills, chairman of the Putnam County Republican Party (PCRP). There has been a lot of swirl, misinformation, and innuendo as of late regarding the so-called “secret” Putnam Development Authority (PDA) and Board of Commissioners (BOC) candidate recruitment meeting on Feb 4th at the Equestrian Club, Eatonton.
The participants included developers, business owners, real-estate agents/brokers, Putnam County Development Authority members, and the Greene County Economic Development director. My counterpart from the Greene County Republican Party was also in attendance.
I was invited, as a courtesy, by a Putnam County Development Authority member, as a courtesy, to come to a group meeting because, he said, “I should know what was going on.” A member of the Greene County Economic Development invited my counterpart, likely for the same reason.
It was not a “campaign event,” it was a recruitment meeting, no more, no less. Neither I nor my counterpart was involved in its coordination in any way. PCRP has not and does not endorse Republican Primary candidates.
After introductions (I counted 41 attendees), and “pep talks” from a local prominent developer, a local business owner, and others, there was a solicitation for BOC candidates for Districts 3 and 4, and the chair. George Hooker, Grady Paul Gardner, and Charles Gray each raised their hands, declared their candidacies, said they would run, and would appreciate any support.
Let me be clear: although somewhat unorthodox, it is PCRP’s mission to recruit candidates; there is nothing nefarious in a special interest group also recruiting candidates. There is also nothing wrong with answering the solicitation or asking for support.
What I don’t understand is candidates not owning up to it, or members of this special interest group not confirming or denying that they are supporting, volunteering, or influencing their candidate’s campaign? Why not be honest about it? Not doing this creates a mystery and fosters unwarranted conspiracy theories. To keep on with only the flimsy “I’m my own man” hurts the campaigns and the integrity of the candidates.
In my opinion, own it, and move on.
Dale C. Bills, Putnam County Republican Party Chairman