Think it has anything to do with the attention the property tax issue has suddenly received? Yet another county social service fraud?

At-large Mecklenburg County Commissioners Reject Debate Plans

For Immediate Release Monday, Sept. 27, 2010

Contact: Carol Gifford: 215-872-9239 (cell)

Charlotte, NC — Democratic Mecklenburg County Commissioners Dan Murrey, Jennifer Roberts and Harold Cogdell, Jr. have declined to participate in a debate tentatively scheduled for Monday, September 27, 2010 noting that debate organizers failed to provide accurate information.

The debate was to be sponsored by Speak Out Charlotte, a known conservative talk show on cable access channel 21, moderated by Republican former county commissioner Jim Puckett.

The Democratic at-large commissioners issued the following joint statement:

In originally agreeing to participate in this debate, the hosts represented to us that it would be taped for rebroadcast on TV News 14, the Government Channel and other local news outlets in its entirety. However, the news director of News 14, when contacted, stated that no such agreement exists and he was not aware of the event.

Given this misrepresentation and the show’s history of promoting single perspective viewpoints, we lack the confidence that this debate will provide the public with any meaningful opportunity upon which to compare and contrast policy differences between candidates.

We have all agreed to participate in the debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters to be aired on WTVI. We hope that Mecklenburg County voters
will watch that event to better acquaint themselves with the candidates and their positions. We are also willing to participate in additional debates
with a neutral venue, a professional moderator and a balanced format.

Dan Murrey

Jennifer Roberts

Harold Cogdell, Jr.

Towns with 3000 residents have more robust, actual public policy debates than Charlotte does. Just sad.

Update: The debate will go on — with empty chairs. I am of two minds about this approach. One, yeah a few hours before an event you get what you deserve. But two, that lopsided reality will convince some the deck was indeed stacked against Dems.

Update II: The UPoR take.

Update III: And they’re baaack. Dems change directions again. I swear it was the result of this blog post by the UPoR edit page this afternoon declaring that, “The Democrats don’t look good on this one. Pulling out the day of a debate is bad form.” The UPoR should tell them to wear dog poo on their heads just to see what would happen. Forty percent chance they’d do it.