To the Editor:

My, that was quite a headline on Margery Abel’s letter appearing in the March 28 edition of the Franklin Press. “Buying local elections – this is how FreedomWorks.”  The headline is as fallacious as the story that followed. Where to start? Ms. Able is apparently still smarting over Sen. Jim Davis’ defeat of John Snow.

For openers, Ms. Abel states “FreedomWorks, a national organization, funds local candidates for election who will promote its agenda.” Our agenda, so you will know what she is talking about, is “Lower Taxes, Less Government, More Freedom.” Shame on us. Evidently Ms. Abel advocates “Higher Taxes, More Government, Less Freedom.”

She says, “The Supreme Court decision, Citizens United, allows corporations to contribute unlimited campaign funds to candidates.” The North Carolina 2012 Campaign Finance Manual states, “It is unlawful for any corporation, business activity, labor union, professional association or insurance company to directly or indirectly contribute to a candidate.”

She says, “”Evidence points to individuals locally connected to FreedomWorks contacting area Democrats to recruit a candidate for the upcoming primary.” Ms. Able, I challenge you to present your evidence. Such a person should be outed.  

She says, “In 2010 Jim Davis, backed by corporate funding, defeated John Snow, who was funded mainly by local donations. Of the $569,409 in Snow’s campaign expenditures, $56,757, or (9.97 percent), was provided by local donations. Davis spent less, and had a greater percentage provided by local donations.

A few years ago, a number of us FreedomWorks people visited then Sen. Snow in his office in Raleigh. I showed him a graph showing the ever-increasing state expenditures for education. The slope was at such an alarming rate, at some point it would consume the entire state budget. I asked him what the answer was in slowing down the rate of spending. “There is no answer” was his reply. This may explain how the state budget got so far out of whack. You may not like them, but there are answers and they are being legislated.

As for FreedomWorks locally, we meet once a month, and for the past several months, our programs have consisted of presentations by candidates for various offices in the upcoming election. Questions and answers follow and we learn, first hand, the values, strengths and weaknesses of each. By the time to vote comes along, we are prepared. When elections aren’t in play, we have speakers educating us on important issues at our meetings.  

Our November meeting is annually reserved for a report from Sheriff Holland, who leaves with a substantial contribution for “Shop with a Cop,” collected from our members. We have traveled to Raleigh and Washington to share our thoughts with elected officials.  We have sponsored several patriotic rallies in Franklin, where honoring our country and promoting freedom is our agenda.     

This, Ms. Abel, is how FreedomWorks in Macon County.

Don Swanson,

Director, Macon County FreedomWorks

Franklin