Jason Sager and John Druzbick are using the media to trade charges as their primary campaign heads into the final two weeks. Sager wants to unseat incumbent Republican Druzbick as a county commissioner, and he issued a media release this week questioning what he sees as Druzbick’s campaign message.
According to Sager, Druzbick is using a slogan resembling one used by the Obama campaign. The message of “forward” was recently seen on the mailers put out by Druzbick and has also been used by President Obama in his re-election campaign.
Says Sager in his media release, “John Druzbick has voted to increase taxes and grow the scale of government on the residents of Hernando County. His record is one that most Republicans would want to have distance from while running for office. . . . I think using a Marxist slogan and one that would show solidarity with President Obama was not a sound choice. The message he is trying to send to the people is confusing at best.”
Meanwhile, Druzbick was quoted in local media as saying that budget numbers that Sager is using in his campaign are not accurate. He cited county Budget Manager George Zoettlein in support. Zoettlein said Sager’s budget figures are including county reserves and utilities expenses that are not part of any revenue from ad valorem taxes. And Druzbick says Sager is mistakenly comparing appples to oranges by equating millage rates and taxes. He says that ignores the huge drop in property values since the local real estate boom went bust six years ago.
The winner of the Sager-Druzbick battle faces Democrat and former commissioner Diane Rowden in November’s general election.