You Know You're on the Right Track when the Good Ol' Boys Start to Sweat

Wow! This election is beginning to heat up. You may have recently read a couple of Guest Editorials in Christian County Headliner written by Mark Spinabella and Rick Amos which were intended, in part, to discredit and defame my campaign. If you didn't read it in the paper you can see them here:

http://www.ccheadliner.com/articles/2009/03/25/opinion/doc49c9056d04461856110029.txt

and here:

http://www.ccheadliner.com/articles/2009/03/25/opinion/doc49c9062472aa5264478142.txt

It's easy to see why it's so hard to get descent people to run for office.

It is too late for me to refute their claims in the Headliner, so I will do it here.

1. There's no 'I' in 'TEAM'. The only team I'm aware of is the one posted on the sign downtown. Apparently Mark and Rick failed to notice, but my name's not on it. Now, there are some candidates I agree with more than others, but I have found common ground with almost all of the candidates running for office, including my opponents. Honestly, I am more than thrilled to see so many interested in the success of Ozark. That is a victory in itself. And if you're wondering where my loyalties as an alderman will lie, I only have 2: 1) You, the citizen, and 2) your wallet.
2. Libertarian-like activist leader? Wow....sounds dangerous. All you need do to figure out where my political affiliations lie is type "Melissa Wagner Ozark MO" in a google search....or just ask me. I put little elephants on my push cards for goodness sakes. I guess I didn't make it clear enough for Rick Amos. Let me try again. I am a conservative Republican and I currently hold the vice chair seat with the County Republicans. I guess that makes me an activist leader of sorts. By the way, if more regular folks would start being 'activists' and getting involved in the political process maybe our community wouldn't make the paper so much.
3. Public Misinformation 101. Well, I did take a public speaking course in college, but I must have missed the professional public misinformation chapter. I didn't know you could be professionally trained in such a thing. The only public misinformation I've seen lately was yesterday in the Voices section of the Headliner. My professional training was in Mathematics and Computer Information Systems at the College of the Ozarks.
4. Driving Force. The only driving force in this campaign is you, the citizen and my concern for this city. Has Claude Kinser been an asset to my campaign? Absolutely. He is an Ozark citizen who lives in my ward who supports my campaign. Claude donated $205 in the form of yard signs and has gone door to door for me. There have been many upstanding members of this community who have financially or otherwise supported my campaign. All of which I am so grateful for. If you would like to see my official campaign finance reports, they are all available at www.mec.mo.gov.
5. Flip-Flop Blow Out. As for Mark's accusations that I once seemed like a good candidate but am now a bad candidate: My principals are the same today as on the day I spoke at my first city council meeting. And they will remain the same should I be voted into office. Apparently, what's changed is Mark's opinion. Perhaps he's realized that I am not going to set aside my principals of small government, low taxes, and fiscal responsibility for political gain or influence. Perhaps he's figured out that I am not afraid to buck the status quo when the need arises.
6. Threat Level: RED. Wow...I didn't realize that as a concerned citizen who participates in and sometimes disagrees with the city government, I could be one of the biggest threats to Ozark's success in past 30 years. Impressive. I never realized I wielded such power. I think the threat that Mark perceives is not to Ozark but maybe to his 'power'. If you want to talk about threats to Ozark's prosperity I could name a few biggies that have occurred during Mark's 'tenure', but I am not in the business of personal attacks.
7. Progressive Thinking. Guys, we all know that means liberal. Say what you mean, and mean what you say.

To sum it all up, if Mark and Rick were endorcing my campaign there would be no reason for me to run.

I hope this helps you understand where I am coming from and why I am running for this office. I care very much about the citizens of Ozark, and I would like to see the city government start makeing you the priority.

If you have any questions or concerns I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to call me anytime at 417-231-1045