Money makes the world go round, at least the political world.
Some people seeking political office will see their journey — at least this time around — end when the primary wraps up Aug. 26, and everyone is feverishly making sure they’ve raised enough money to eke out that win.
But who is giving to the candidates? Where is that money coming from?
The Laker/Lutz News crunched some of those numbers, looking to see how much Pasco County Commission candidates have received from developers, how much they received from people living inside the county — two key factors that keep coming up in the race.
The results are a little surprising. Especially for the only incumbent in the race, Henry Wilson Jr. He won a surprise trip to the dais in 2010 without much money at all, and certainly none from those looking to benefit from real estate development in the county. In fact, Wilson told a political forum recently that when it came to developers, “the first time around they didn’t support me, and the second time around, they still didn’t support me.”
Except they are supporting him. When accounting for developers and those involved in real estate, Wilson has raised more than $10,000 — 29 percent of his total donations.
How did Wilson respond to that revelation? Read it right now in the print edition of The Laker, available now throughout the community, or online with our free e-edition by clicking here.
Also find out why one candidate has raised far more money outside of the state than he has in Pasco County, for a seat representing the county. It’s all in this week’s The Laker, available now.
If you want to learn a lot about your community, sometimes all you have to do is visit your local cemetery. It’s filled with a tremendous amount of history from those who helped build and even pioneer a community.
But sometimes, cemeteries that aren’t maintained can become history, as reporter Michael Murillo found out almost happened with Mount Carmel Cemetery on Ehren Cutoff.
“The African-American cemetery, located off Ehren Cutoff, is a throwback to a different time — a time of segregation, and later, a time of neglect,” Murillo wrote in his regular column, Presenting the Past. “It’s in better shape now, thanks to the Pasco County Black Caucus, but it’s clear that this is not a modern burial site. IF you drove past it, you’d probably never know what it was.”
What are the efforts to keep this cemetery alive? Found out in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available in your driveway or on newsstands, or right here online with our free e-edition by clicking here.
Finally, if you’ve never tried barrel racing, then this weekend might be your chance to finally do it.
Kristy’s Can-Cer Vive Benefit Barrel Race is set for Aug. 16 at Double R Arena in Dade City. The goal? To raise money for Kristy Bryant Flynn, diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The event is being organized by Flynn’s childhood friend, Tanya Dadez, who wanted to try and do something to help offset some of the high medical costs Flynn was racking up.
“Sje’s just the epitome of innocence and wholesome and everything good that you could possibly imagine,” Dadez told reporter B.C. Manion. “She never says an ill word about anybody.”
Find out how you can help Dadez’s angel, and have some fun in the process, in this week’s The Laker. Read the print edition right now, which you can find all over town. Or don’t even leave your computer, and read our e-edition right here.
Oh, and are you ready for some football? We continue our preview of all the local gridiron teams this week from reporter Michael Murillo with the Wiregrass Ranch Bulls.
All of these stories and more can be found in this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, available in newsstands throughout east and central Pasco County as well as northern Hillsborough County. Find out what has your community talking this week by getting your local news straight from the only source you need.
If The Laker/Lutz News is not coming to your door, call us to see where you can get your copy at (813) 909-2800, or read our free e-edition by clicking here.
And see The Laker XL with our brand-new video!
