by Randy Voller

Election time is here and Chatham County is energized. 
After we mailed over 32,000 copies of the September issue we received several phone calls, emails, and letters. 
To clear up a few misconceptions first, we are not the “Chatham Communist Line” nor the right of center “Chatham County Don Lein.” 
Opinions expressed in our publication do not always reflect the beliefs and values of the publisher. We simply attempt to provide space online and in print for a wide variety of voices. 
Will ALL voices be heard ALL the time? Not necessarily in EVERY issue, but in the aggregate and over a long period of publishing we will try to provide space for those voices. That is our stated mission. 
Why did we have so many ads from the Chatham County Democratic Party last month? Because they paid for them and the local GOP did not contract to buy ads. 
Why was a “Blue Ballot” inserted in the paper? Again, the local Democratic Party paid for the privilege of the inserts just like Piggly Wiggly or Harris Teeter pay publications to insert their coupons in papers.
 It is a free market. The local GOP can contract with us in the same fashion that the local Democratic Party does. We will even design the ads. 
Where was the “Red Ballot”? It was MIA as are the answers from GOP candidates Jay Stobbs and Andy Wilkie in this issue. And that’s unfortunate. 
It costs nothing to share with the constituents you’re aiming to represent a little bit about yourself and it only takes a little work and the ability to press “send” to our email address. Answers from candidates start on the front cover. 

Randolph Voller