A Sumter County Commission incumbent fond of crying “Fake News” when questioned about last year’s 25 percent tax hike has turned to the Villages-News.com news archive for ammunition to attack an election foe.
Villager Steve Printz, seeking a second term on the county commission, has assigned his campaign rival Dan Myslakowski the Trumpian-style nickname “Dangerous Dan,” in an attack ad mailed to Sumter County voters. The direct mail piece cites a March 6 Villages-News.com story which unearthed a nearly decade-old arrest of Myslakowski in Michigan.
“Beware of Dangerous Dan and his anti-police record,” the mailer warns.
Printz is facing Myslakowski and Villager Oren Miller in the Aug. 18 Republican primary.
Printz has raised $71,700 for his campaign, most of it coming from contractors who have a strong interest in currying favor with the Developer of The Villages. Printz made the motion this past September for the 25 percent tax increase after two heavily attended public hearings at Savannah Center. It was the hugely unpopular tax increase which inspired Printz’s opponents to file to run against him. Incumbents Al Butler and Don Burgess also drew challengers angered over the 25 percent tax hike and the perception that the public outcry was ignored by the stone-faced commissioners.
Printz, Butler and Burgess have pooled their money to buy ads in The Villages Daily Sun to brand last year’s 25 percent tax hike, “Fake News.”
During the month of July, Printz spent $28,889 with the Tallahassee consulting firm ’96 Consulting & Marketing. That money has been poured into the direct mail campaign.
Printz’s spending with the Tallahassee firm dwarfs the $5,927.40 he has invested in his re-election hopes with the Daily Sun. It appears that Printz, Butler and Burgess are focusing on the voters in the newer areas of Fenney, Marsh Bend, Linden and De Soto where the Daily Sun has lower penetration.
Butler has spent $28,889 with ’96 Consulting. Burgess has also spent $28,889 with the Tallahassee firm.
