Pearce’s leadership skills make him best pick for Florence mayor
Published: November 2, 2008
Updated: November 3, 2008
It’s been quite an interesting campaign this year to see who gets chosen to be mayor for the next four years in Florence.
Incumbent Frank Willis was expected to win in the Democratic primary against Stephen Wukela.
But Wukela, who campaigned hard against the incumbent, ended up winning by one vote.
There was considerable confusion among voters about who could and couldn’t vote in the election and lots of potential votes possibly for both candidates didn’t get counted or weren’t cast in the first place.
After a legal battle, Wukela was declared the winner.
But former mayor Rocky Pearce decided to enter the race and in about two weeks had more than enough signatures (more than either Wukela or Willis got in the primary) of qualified voters to put him on the ballot as a petition candidate.
So Tuesday, voters get to have their say one more time.
The campaign has certainly energized both sides and created lots of discussion about the key issues facing Florence.
And that’s been good for the community.
The Morning News supported Willis in the primary based on the overall improvements and accomplishments in Florence during his terms as mayor.
Was there more to be done? Yes.
Were there some issues that needed to be addressed in a more convincing way? Yes.
But the accomplishments far outweighed the negatives.
Pearce, several years removed from the mayor’s office, has built a very successful small business in Florence and has been very involved in recruiting businesses to come to our community.
Those experiences will serve him well as mayor.
He realizes that changes need to be made — community appearance, dealing with crime and infrastructure and helping bring the community together.
Wukela has continued the role of “challenging the establishment.”
But his second guessing of things such as the Florence Civic Center, Freedom Florence, the Veterans Memorial Park, the location of the Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center, the Florence Little Theatre and others wear a little thin.
He criticizes, but he offers no real solutions.
He talks about funding new police officers with money the city spent on the Veterans Park. But he doesn’t realize that was accommodations tax money that can’t all be used for police officers, and that the park helps bring in more tax money over time that will help pay not only for police officers but also other city services.
We understand the campaign tactic. And he has tapped into a frustration and impatience with our city and in some cases the county’s lack of progress on many fronts.
But once the election is over we need real leadership on several fronts.
We need a mayor who can work with all members of city council to move us forward.
We need a mayor who can work with the “establishment” and those who feel neglected or under served.
We need a mayor who realizes that we have the infrastructure in place to make Florence a better place.
We need a mayor who is about more than “party politics.”
And that person is Rocky Pearce.
Reader Reactions
Morning News you choose the wrong person to back.
To start off im surprised we are even a loud to comment on this poor article. I read it twice, and still I wonder why Pearce is getting the Morning Crap’s endorsement. How about you guys just stay neutral and start reporting news without a bias interest! Seems like every news show and newspaper are becoming political. When Mr. Ed comes up for election…I wonder if the Morning News will back him also. Keep the Good Ol Boy network in power.
Pearce more than party “politics” which is a joke. Pearce is a republican (Morning News-take your camera(s) to the republican party headquarters and take a picture…if you know how).
I do agree Pearce can work with ALL members of city council…THEY ARE “ALL” A PART OF THE GOOD OL BOY PHILOSPHY. You guys got something right with the article.
It seems everyone in the community is in an uproar over not getting the “promised” 18 new police officers except the Morning News. Do some reporting on that issue! Would like to know the real reason why, but I guess we never will thanks to this crap newspaper.
Pearce stick to selling insurance to college kids, because you sure can’t run a productive city. You are one of the reasons why this city is in shambles to this day.
When Wukela second guesses things like the Florence Civic center and Verterans Memorial Park…he and everyone else thinks the money can be spent on things we need now. Why add more things the police force has to protect when they don’t have the manpower to protect their on citizens, let alone luxuries. Morning News your right that a different tax paid for the “luxuries”, but it takes employees and tax money to take care of them (E.G.-POLICE/PUBLIC WORKS). The police department and every other employee of the city has more important things to take care of right now. Well, I may be wrong…Maybe Pearce will have one of those crime fighting mobile cameras installed on the “luxury” properties.
To the Morning News…I will never again buy another over priced paper from you after this article, and I hope every other person in the county will do the same. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Once again, STAY NEUTRAL AND REPORT THE REAL NEWS!!!
To Mr. Leatherman <—-Republican also, the citizens of Florence will see you again come election time. You will at least no be getting a vote from me. Did Pearce thank you for all the money you put into his campaign? When your voted out, maybe you can get together with Mr. Ed, because you both will be out of a job. Maybe you and Mr. Ed can split the cost and the POSH restaurant up and running to its full potential.
People of Florence, vote Wukela tomorrow and end the good ol boy network. See you at the polls.
Vote Wukela for Mayor of Florence!
Whomever is responsible at the Florence Morning News for this drivel has reached a new low. You start off with more sour grapes about the old mayor losing by one vote. How long are you going to hold onto that one? Want another appeal? Want to re-air those awesome photos of Frank Willis looking like a deer in headlights when this kid with ideas ignited something in Florence and beat him?
Stephen Wukela entered this race because he care for this city. He wanted to change and enough people stood by him and thought it was time to move Florence forward. Wukela did this after watching his city falling apart around him. Rocky didn’t care until AFTER Willis was beaten. It makes you wonder why he entered in the 1st place. It makes you wonder who those people were “ringing his phone off the hook” to enter the race. It makes me wonder because when Bob Juback asked him on the WBTW mayoral debate “would you (Pearce) have run if Willis had not lost?“ Rocky danced and soft-shoed around it without ever answering the question. Juback even pressed him by reminding Pearce that he never answered the question. Still Pearce did not answer. So I am left to wonder, still. Why did Pearce run?
Morning News, do you not see what more than half of the population of the United States is clamoring for? CHANGE! Not bumper sticker type change but real tangible change. Safer communities by making good on the promise of 18 new police officers is a start. Holding city council accountable for monies and for their actions. No more criminals within our decision making city council. Wukela will finish what he starts.
VOTE WUKELA
“We need a mayor who can work with all members of city council to move us forward.“
So, you are also endorsing Ed Robinson. This is nothing less than an endorsement of bad, even criminal, behavior in our city government. Not the way to move forward, and even at the heart of the “lack of progress on many fronts” of which you speak.
“Those experiences will serve him well as mayor.“
As will the experiences of others; because I remember the first time he was mayor, and people couldn’t wait to replace him because of the way he was acting & the things he was doing. With a vile fortitude that would inspire envy in a cockroach, Ed Robinson has survived in office the entire time; and he knows some of Mr. Pearce’s secrets, too. This is why he’ll be able to get what he wants when it comes to politics on council. Watch & see. It won’t be long before Ed has something new to use to his advantage. If Ed had money, he’d get his advantages the old fashioned way like Rocky’s other proponents - he’d buy them. The time to end this is NOW.
“He criticizes, but he offers no real solutions.“
Can you list for us ANY of the “real solutions” Mr. Pearce has offered, or just more of his parroting of what the figures BEHIND his candidacy want? I for one appreciate criticism in such circumstances because very few people have the backbone to do it.
Certainly not you with this endorsement.
Nick Curtain
Florence, SC
No solutions? I guess the editorial board of the Morning News has elected to ignore the issue of abandonded houses and lots around Florence. I don’t know how they can, since it seems they have had to send reporters out to many lately, to report on bodies being discovered.
Because, if the Morning News considered that issue, one Wukela has been pushing since he announced, they would know that Wukela has in fact offered a solution. Wukela has consistently pointed out that we have the laws and ordinances on the books to take care of these hotbeds of criminal activity. We can condemn these properties, clean them up and hold the owners responsible through liens.
Seems to me that’s a solution. In fact, if I recall correctly, it was one that the Morning News’ first endorsed candidate (Willis) mistakenly said the city could not do. Now it seems everyone agrees these places are problems and agree the way to handle them is exaclty the way Wukela argued. Not only is that a solution, but it sure seems like leadership to me.
And that is really the point in all this. If you really want to measure who is a better leader, simply look at the issues in the campaign. They are all issues Wukela has pushed to the front. What new issue has Mr. Pearce brought to our attention? None.
This endorsement does not matter. Anyone who actually believes the Morning News is endorsing the candidate best for the people of Florence probably believes a vote for Rocky is somehow a vote for change. The reason Pearce is running at all, is because some in this town saw that change was coming and its pretty obvious they feared it.
Too bad. It’s coming.
Everyone knows that the Morning Misprint and its editor will always stand behind the old guard. You prove it time and time again. Your allegiances in the both the primaries and the general election has never been in question. The simple way that you choose to present the news indicates your preference in a not so subtle way. You have closely resembled Pravda and been little more than a mouthpiece for Willis and then Pearce.
Willis’ numerous attempts to get the courts involved didn’t help him. The legal battle didn’t decide the winner of the primaries either, but I understand why you lied and said it did. The courts said that the voters decided that Wukela won and they didn’t want to get involved.
Your “endorsement” of Pearce is much less an endorsement than it is a negative political ad against Wukela. You offer no real reasons to vote for Pearce other than some vague references to experience and leadership. Those are hard arguments to accept when he was beat by Willis so long ago. Lots of people around here remember Pearce and his checkered past and hopefully they will remember that at the polls. We don’t need a leader like Pearce.
You spend a bulk of your endorsement leveling attacks on Wukela rather than providing insight to your selection of Pearce. In fact, you never offer any real positives for Pearce. Instead, you seem content spreading the negative vibe to the voters of Florence. I wonder if the Morning Misprint got paid for such a well placed campaign advertisement? If not, Pearce certainly owes your ad department revenue. Or maybe you just did it as a favor to an old friend.
The fact that everyone that has a stranglehold on power is scrambling and scared of Wukela getting elected and busting up their good ole’ boy system is proof enough that a change needs to be made.
Since the Ed Robinson, Hugh Leatherman, Frank Willis and Morning News have announced their support for Pearce, I know that I must vote for Wukela and convince as many people as I can to do likewise. “Thick as thieves” is the quote that comes to mind when I think of Robinson, Leatherman, Willis, and the Morning News.
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