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Saturday, December 7, 2024 - 05:33 AM

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

First Published in 1994

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

Greenville County Republican Candidates Jay Rogers and Alex Reynolds have ties to Democrat and ultra-liberal Ennis Fant

Better Greenville Campaigns for both Parties

Ever heard the old English proverb, “Birds of a feather flock together”? This proverb means that beings of similar type, interest, personality, character, or other distinctive attributes tend to mutually associate.

There is a mystery behind a campaign organization that calls themselves “Better Greenville.” No one knows who is behind this group. They have a website, www.bettergreenville.org, but that is pretty much all that is known of them.

This dark money group, who some have said is a group of developers looking to make a fortune in Greenville, has been sending a large number of campaign mailers on behalf of candidates on the Greenville County Council who oppose a more conservative agenda.

During the weeks before the June 11th primary, this secret group endorsed Republican candidates: Butch Kirven, Chris Harrison, Mike Barns, Jay Rodgers, and Alex Reynolds. Three of those were incumbents that lost in the June 11th election: long-time member Butch Kirven, Chris Harrison, and Mike Barns – all who voted for last year's tax increase.

In this current June 25th runoff election, Better Greenville is still endorsing and campaigning for Greenville County Council candidates Jay Rogers and Alex Reynolds. But what is interesting is that these same undisclosed associates, which support moderate Republicans against more Conservative Republicans, are also sending out campaign mailers on behalf of Democrat and ultra-liberal Ennis Fant in District 25.

We may not know who is behind this dark group. Still, the fact that they are supporting Ennis Fant, a diehard liberal, gives us enough information that if their ideological feathers reveal that “Ennis Fant Delivers,” then you can bet that who they support, no matter the party, are candidates who are like Ennis Fant to some degree or at the least lean in that direction. They are hoping that these two candidates will be an asset to Ennis Fant, who proudly calls himself the current “third in seniority” but soon-to-be “#2,” which he believes will give him mandatory positions next year.

As Republicans who self-proclaim to be conservative, Jay Rogers and Alex Reynolds should immediately denounce publicly their support and disavow their endorsements. But we have not seen that during this whole election primary, and we do not expect it either. Both Rogers and Reynolds have quietly accepted their dark money campaigning on their behalf, even allowing their campaign colors and themes to be used.

This exposes these two candidates to what they are really about. One can’t help but assume that their feathers are as dark as their supporting consortium counterparts who obviously support liberal agendas.

This dark money confederation says in its campaign material that Ennis Fant has a legacy of defending Greenville’s communities and proudly states that he is a champion and longtime supporter of President Biden. They claim that “Ennis Fant is on our side.” What? And their money and support are accepted by so-called conservative candidates - Rogers and Reynolds.

It is interesting to see in a letter written by Ennis Fant himself after the June 11th primary to his district, where he calls the voters, who voted out the three candidates who defeated the tax-increasing incumbents, racist white people trying to undermine the Greenville community by funding his own people against them even in his own district.

In this letter, Ennis also calls the voters of Greenville County districts racist Republicans and uses the term “better” a few times, even once in red ink, which makes me think he may know who is behind "Better" Greenville.

It is clear that Democrat and liberal Ennis Fant is a candidate that Better Greenville is supporting and campaigning for. However, they also support the campaigns of Republicans Jay Rogers in District 22 and Alex Reynolds in District 20.

At first glance, you know something is wrong. As many are trying to get into the details of this group, the most obvious fact is simple and seen. We do not need to know who is behind Better Greenville to know they are not "better" for Greenville.

This political action committee works “secretly” outside the election and ethics laws. Anyone can donate “anonymously” to this group, and my understanding is any amount. They should reveal themselves, and if you cannot be proud of your feathers and who you flock together with, then stay out of our elections.

So far, most of their feathers have been plucked in the June 11th primary. Let’s finish the job and pluck the rest of their feathers this June 25th in the runoff election.

As this anti-conservative dark assembly supports Jay Rogers against true Conservative Frank Farmer and supports Alex Reynolds against true and proven Conservative Steve Shaw, who voted against last year’s tax increase, it is time to send those featherless chickens back home to roost by voting Farmer for County Council District 22 and Shaw for County Council District 20!