Commentary by Linda Dean Cooper

Radical, liberal cancer philosophy has been seeping into Levy County ever so slowly for decades.  This seepage started with a slow march by Landmark Community News, LLC., out of Shelbyville, Kentucky to buy all the locally owned newspapers in the Tri-County area.  Landmark owned the Weather Channel until 2008; when they sold it for 3.5 BILLION dollars to give you some context to their wealth and power.  Landmark has since sold to Paxton Media Group in May 2021. Their mission at the time was to buy up all the local newspapers to have control of the news to promote their liberal agenda in Levy.    All but one, the Levy County Journal, was left standing after the Levy buyouts.  Dixie and Gilchrist did not sell out to the media giant.  The Levy County Journal closed its doors in May 2016 after the death of its owner and publisher, Andy Andrews.  

Another example of liberal cancer is the political chaos in Otter Creek.  Most of us know who the author of chaos is. Conservatives in this county need to pay close attention and take a peek behind the curtain at what is or is not happening with our elected officials. 

It is the government’s job to protect people from conflicts and to provide law and order, not the overbearing, self-serving entity it has become.  The taxpayers go to the polls to elect what they believe are the best candidates to serve the community’s needs and protect them, not to help line the officials’ pockets at taxpayer expense. Nor should elected officials punish businesses or individuals that have a difference of opinion. Elected officials should not be allowed to have an unfair advantage over local businesses that sell the same products they offer such as hardware or office and cleaning supplies.

We used to vote our conscience and happily go back to their daily lives and jobs knowing our elected officials were going to do the job they promised us they would do.  Unfortunately, those days are gone. Citizens should do their due diligence when voting.  I prefer honesty and competency over nice.  Nice isn’t going to get the job done. If someone has been in office for many terms and produced nothing but lip service, that person should not be voted back into ANY office.  Actions speak louder than empty words. 

Two reasons for this post:

1. To emphasize the point of outside radical liberalism influence peddling and attacking of Levy County.  See the commentary on the Florida Phoenix website to read:  Florida observatory may be forced to shut down if county OKs sand mine.  Remember the old saying, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I suggest the locals of Levy go to the site and read.  Apply some critical thinking to pick apart the commentary.  Hint, it is a commentary, and most people will believe it is news, it’s not, so don’t fall into the trap of thinking it is.  Same as my piece is commentary, not a news article.  The Florida Phoenix commentary is an inflammatory puff piece to poke the locals in the eye and stir up the uninformed who have no idea about farming or life in rural counties.  Just like Jason Aldean’s song Try That in a Small Town, we locals understood every word, and have lived it but the libs haven’t a clue so they attack it!   And I don’t want to leave out Oliver Anthony’s song Rich Men North of Richmond. 

2. And lastly, Terry Witt is no longer part of Spotlight on Levy County Government.  We have philosophical differences and I’ll leave it at that.

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Posted January 10, 2023