Last week, nature photographer and U.S. Postal Service worker Sparkle Clark sent out a news release saying she would have a news conference today at 2 p.m. to announce her candidacy for mayor.
Yesterday, candidate Steve Benjamin sent out a news release saying he would also hold a news conference today from 1:45 p.m. to 1:55 p.m.
1:55 pm.? It looks like Clark is being big-footed on her first news conference. But Benjamin campaign manager Joseph Oppermann said he didn’t know about Clark’s news conference when he scheduled Benjamin’s news conference.
Clark plans to run a “clean, lean and green” city government, with an emphasis on the green. Her news conference is scheduled for the Broad River Diversion dam off River Drive in North Columbia.
Benjamin plans to speak about the cuts at the Fire Department, followed by a tour of fire station 9 — which is one of the stations that has less staffing because of budget cuts.
Adam Beam covers the City of Columbia for
6 Comments
I guess postal service employees aren’t covered by the Hatch Act then, or since our local elections are nonpartisan then it’s OK?
Josh, that is correct. The Hatch Act Reform of 1993 allows me to run for a non-partisan office.
Joey Oppermann sent a request to me this past Saturday, Oct 31, to be
a friend on Facebook. He had evidently read my Sparkle for Mayor
Facebook page and wanted to be “friends”.
On that Facebook page, the announcement of the news conference that I was having
on Tuesday, Nov 3 at 2 PM. was posted all over it.
So, Adam, you were right. This is just politics as usual…the kind of politics that
I won’t play. No, I didn’t accept him as my “friend”. Maybe, I will when he posts
a public apology for trying to undermine my news conference.
It seems that Steve Benjamin is concerned about Sparkle Clark’s candidacy. Instead of dueling press conferences perhaps they should have a debate. A high-profile attorney like Mr. Benjamin surely wouldn’t have a problem with that, right?
Best of luck Sparkle, we need all of the good candidates we can get. Some fresh ideas won’t hurt Columbia at all, that’s for sure.
Thanks Josh!
I agree, a fresh face and new and passionate ideas for Columbia’s future. What a concept. Go Sparkle