They say being negative is effective

I want to be as negative as I can in this column. The “experts” tell candidates for public office that negative ads are very effective.

Don Estep is publisher of the News Journal.

So I’ll be negative. I hate your negative advertisements. If you believe the lies, slander and images that are misleading in political advertising on television, then I feel sorry for you.

I’ve written this column before, just about every big election. I am not convinced that the billions of dollars spent on television advertising is that effective, but the “experts” tell me I am wrong.

The governor of New York said he was going to spend $100 million in Florida on the presidential campaign. Can you imagine that?

Ok, you got me. It’s sour grapes on my part because all that money is spent on TV advertising, but very little in newspapers. Thank goodness there are some candidates who still believe in the effectiveness of newspaper advertising.

It is understandable that very little campaign money is spent on advertising by local candidates. It is not cost effective. That is why our newspaper is soliciting information from contested offices in the local elections to better inform you as you go to vote.

The “experts” on television news remind us often of the undecided voters. Baloney! If you haven’t made a decision on the state and national races by now you don’t deserve to vote.

And the debates. Come on, give us a break. Or better still give us a moderator that can control the candidates.

I may get that chance as a moderator if Bruce Carpenter, director of the Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, can organize a “Zoom” forum for local candidates in Williamsburg and Corbin. He is working on it.

He has a great idea if he can pull it off. He will need the cooperation of the candidates and if that happens you can log in on your device and hear each participant answer questions that will be submitted by Chamber members. Watch social media for any announcements.

As moderator, my job will only be to read the questions and advise the candidates when their time is up. I’m sure we would not have the problems that the national media has.

It is an interesting concept, one I hope Carpenter can make happen. Whether or not he can pull this off, Zoom offers a lot of potential to our government leaders as a way to involve more citizens in our governing processes.

I will not submit any of my personal questions on Zoom, but for those running for office for the Corbin City Commissioners race, if you have any clout with the state highway department, then I will vote for you.

Kentucky Street, which is Highway 25 through Corbin, is like driving over a washboard.

And Highway 312 up Gordon Hill. I’ve been writing about it for eight years. There is a pothole at the intersection of Kentucky and Gordon that has been there all that time. A lot of hoopla was made last year when the state put a shovel full of patch in it. Come on, fix the thing! I’m tired of complaining.