Former County Council dist 3 candidate Ellen Darden rips Daytona Beach News-Journal on campaign story that puts negative spotlight on at-large candidate Margie Patchett

Far left file photo by Henry Frederick

Former Volusia County Council dist. 3 candidate Ellen Darden, shown far left, is livid with the story published Tuesday in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, "County Council candidate puts financial woes into public view," which takes dead aim at Volusia County Council at-large candidate Margie Patchett, shown here in the middle photo, which clearly favors her opponent, former state Rep. Joyce Cusack, shown far right.

Darden, who ran in the primary for the district 3 seat that has George Trovato and Joie Alexander squaring off in the November runoff, wrote a letter to the Daytona Berach newspaper regarding the bullseye on Parchett and sent a copy to NSBNEWS.net.  Here is Darden's letter:

I was dismayed to see the October 5th front page article on the current financial issues facing County Council At-large candidate Margie Patchett and her husband. Why would you stoop to that level, singling out one family when so many are experiencing the greatest financial misery of our lives? Start running stories on every prominent (or not so) person in Volusia County who has been personally and professionally hit by our current huge recession, and you’ll expand the daily News Journal to the size of the Sunday New York Times. Only without any extra advertising because almost everyone around here is broke!

Her opponent in the upcoming election, Joyce Cusack, has a lot to answer for in using this misfortune to score political points off her rival. Arrogance, opportunism and lack of empathy came to mind as I read her remarks. It is not shameful to be one of the many victims of these rare and awful financial times. I am a Realtor, and I see financial setbacks everywhere happening to responsible clients, colleagues, friends and, yes, family. These are people who have always carefully managed their finances and are now seeing their nest eggs go down the tubes.

If anyone should feel shame, it is Joyce Cusack. She might be feeling cozy with her government pensions and long history of feeding at the public trough and spending the taxpayers’ money, but she should not be feeling superior. Her remarks along with her poor record as a past public official demonstrate a great deal about the content of her character.