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COLUMBIA — Ray Boothe paid $300 for a cherry pie Tuesday night.
After two days of voting, the Columbia Professional Firefighters decided Tuesday morning to endorse Bob McDavid for mayor.
Over the last two weeks the group met with all the all of the candidates, organization President Brad Fraizer said. The group also held a forum earlier this month.
"He has a very keen business sense, is very well respected and has a lot of on-the-job experience from his work at Boone Hospital," Fraizer said.
Fraizer said the group has not decided whether to endorse candidates from any of the other city races.
- Columbia Mayor Darwin Hindman casts his ballot Tuesday afternoon at St. Andrews Lutheran Church. "I was excited to vote for the school bond and propositions, as it is truly important for the city," Hindman said. "But when it comes to the vote for mayor, I missed seeing my name there. It was really a final act before becoming fully aware that my tenure as mayor is truly over."
- Volunteer Don Stamper, left, and Greg Croll, the auctioneer at Bob McDavid's campaign fundraiser event on Wednesday, lift an item up for display which eventually sold for $550. The event raised at least $5,000 from the auction alone, not including ticket sales and donations at the door.
“(Bob) McDavid is going to make the city safer,” Boothe said about his decision to spend $300 at a live auction fundraiser for McDavid's mayoral campaign.
The pie was one of several items auctioned off at a fundraising event for McDavid Tuesday night held at the Fraternal Order of the Eagles. His wife, Suzanne McDavid, said they raised about $5,000 during the auction.
The campaign also raised money through $10 ticket sales, which got supporters into the live auction and dinner.
Several members from the public safety community attended the event. Karen and Adam Taylor of Keep Columbia Safe, which advocates for the downtown camera initiative Proposition 1, spoke at the event.
The Columbia Professional Firefighters announced their endorsement of McDavid at the event.
“We looked at them with a very critical eye, and Bob McDavid impressed the hell out of us,” said Brad Fraizer, the group's president.
Boone County Sheriff Dwayne Carey also said at the event he supports McDavid.
“The thing for the county is that anything in the city of Columbia affects how we do business,” Carey said. ‘”I work well with the city manager and the chief (of police), and the mayor is an integral part of making that communication work."
McDavid addressed the crowd about halfway through the event and expressed concern about economic activity and the crime rate in Columbia.
“Columbia is a great town, a great sell,” he said. “We’re going to change the direction of Columbia and move it forward.”
Valerie Barnes, one of the volunteers at the event, said she thought McDavid would be a good transition from Mayor Darwin Hindman. Barnes ran for the Sixth Ward council seat in 2006.
“He’s well respected in the community,” Barnes said. “And I’ve heard his name around Columbia forever, so I decided to get involved with the campaign.”
Missourian reporter Erin Schwartz contributed to this report.
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Comments
Wow, best candidate money can buy. Wake up people, Valerie Barnes is the daughter of a well known developer. A vote for McDavid will mean the days of developers feeding off the city coffers just to make money.
Yup, if you can afford to pay $300 for a cherry pie, Bob McDavid is the mayor for you!
Tim Dance wrote:
"A vote for McDavid will mean the days of developers feeding off the city coffers just to make money."
And how would that be different from now (e. g. Tiger Hotel TIF)? Or might it be just a matter of a greater degree?
Valerie Barnes is also a well known realtor (broker?). A candidate that garners support from that community tends not to attract my vote.
DK
("Barnes said. “And I’ve heard his name around Columbia forever, so I decided to get involved with the campaign.”)
Forever is a long time.
I've heard Ray Beck's name for the many years, which seems like forever, since I've been in your midst. (Haven't heard McDavid's name until now. Guess I don't hang around with the $300 a pie club.)
Why such a big deal about hearing a name forever? Maybe those who have less then local forever presence in your mind, those with meaningful substance, are equally if not more so a valuable asset to this community.
Maybe you've been hearing his name "forever" because like Sam Malone from Cheers. a local baby catcher can be fawned over as much as a retired relief pitcher.
This does not make him the best candidate for Columbia, at this time.
“(Bob) McDavid is going to make the city safer,” Boothe said
How so? Maybe he can hold the police chief accounta....err wait, the mayor can't get involved in personnel issues. Maybe he can ask for more Tas...no that's a budgetary issue. Ah those cameras they will make us....no wait, if i get mugged or killed, it will record my death, but I am still dead...hmmm Maybe he meant McDavid will make US MONEY!!!
People who openly buy a pie for $300 or a wooden box for $550 at a campaign fundraising auction, usually expect that their public demonstration of financial support will ensure some kind of financially oriented return on their "purchase."
A silent auction or a raffle would have been much more dignified.
At the same time, those who support the more philosophical and social justice oriented candidate usually hope for nothing more than social justice and a more humane & philosophical approach to a representative city hall with access and inclusion for all.
(And not just orchestrated, superficial, staged, meaningless, belittled, and "ignored" access.)