Many Thanks are in Order!

We did it!!!  Now that I have had a couple of days to let it sink in and to recoup, I want to take a moment to say thank you.  YOU made this campaign a success, and I truly appreciate this opportunity to serve the citizens of Ozark.  

First, I would like my husband, Karl.   Without his support, hard work, and encouragement, I could have never done this.  

I would also like to thank all of the people who contributed time, money, and council to me during this campaign.  I am so grateful for all of your help.

A special thanks to my Mom, who drove all the way from Arkansas to help out on election day, and to those of you who braved the cold weather and manned the polling places or went door to door.  

I am optimistic about the future of Ozark and about the new board members and Mayor Jackson.  I look forward to serving with them and serving the city of Ozark.  Thanks again to all of you for making this possible.

One candidate steps down, and another one stands up.

I just wanted to take a moment and express my disappointment in the City of Springfield's move to force Al Valdivia to drop out of the Ward 1 Alderman's race.  Apparently there is some sort of conflict of interest with Al's current job at the ice park and sitting on the board of alderman should he win the election.  I'm not really sure where the conflict lies.  Regardless, I am sorry to see Al have to do this.  I think he was a great candidate, and I think he would have made a good alderman.  

On a second note, congratulations to another Ward 1 candidate, Linda Burdette, for sticking up for herself in the News-leader.  Linda, along with quite a few other candidates, was personally attacked a couple of weeks ago in the CC Headliner by Mark Spinabella.  Mark, including others, have questioned Linda's motivations for running for alderman due to her recent settlement from the city over un-payed wages.  In an attempt to clear her name, Linda told her story to the News-Leader and they published it.  Whether or not you agree with Linda's politics or her motivations for running,  it takes courage to stand up to a 20 year veteran of the city council.  If she uses this same show of courage in office, I bet she will make a good alderman.  

Since I have taken time to speak of two of the three candidates in Ward 1, I should probably say something about Chis Snyder.  My mention of the other two candidates is in no way a slight to Chris.  I think he is a genuinely nice guy.  He is knowledgeable and has some experience having served as the president of the Chamber.  Plus he is an Ozark Native who is active with the school system and the city's Economic Development Board.  It is obvious that he cares very much for this city.  He too would make a good alderman.  

I think the citizens in Ward 1 have a great problem.  Any three of these folks would make good alderman and I would be thrilled to serve with any of them.

Interview on KSGF with VDJ

I got to do my first radio interview today! It was really exciting. I had never been in a radio studio before, and it was pretty neat. Although it won't be aired on the actual radio program, it is posted on the KSGF website as a podcast. A big thanks to Vincent and KSGF for providing me this opportunity to reach out to citizens of Ozark. Here is the link:

http://www.ksgf.com/ElectionInfo/April09ElectionInterviews/tabid/5928/Default.aspx

There are also many other Ozark candidates' interviews. Get informed and remember to Vote April 7th!

Also, check out tomorrow's Headliner. They have a huge spread with Q&A for all of the candidates.

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

Signs Signs Everywhere Signs

No comment necessary.

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009903200335

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009903210351

CC Headliner to Host Candidate's Forum at the Ozark VFW

Howdy!  I have received confirmation from Donna Osborne that the CC Headliner will be hosting a candidate’s forum at the Ozark VFW on Thursday March 26th.  I think it will start at 7 pm.  I understand that the Alderman candidates will be allowed to speak for 2 mins followed by a Q&A with the four Mayoral candidates.  I am not sure a format or rules have been determined yet.  Although the event is occurring with very short notice, I would like to thank Donna Osborne and the CC Headliner for hosting the forum.  The public should be given opportunity to meet with all of the candidates.    

An uninformed vote is a dangerous vote, so come out to the forum and get to know the candidates.