Collins and Orr will go toe to toe to become mayor. On whose side will the Chamber of Commerce land?

BY RICHARD JOHNSON

       So now that the local rag has run a second piece on their champion running for mayor, we can pretty much write this publication off for legitimate journalism on the campaign trail.
       Mayoral candidate and Bicycle Station owner Patrick Collins is their King Midas and everything he touches turns to gold. He's Cheyenne's 2020 vision. Farsighted, not near-sighted.
       Since I have nothing better to do this morning, let me dissect the way I think the mayoral campaign will pan out this year. Granted, this was written under the assumption that the incumbent will run (Mayor Marian Orr filed for re-election this week).
       First off is the pandering to the voters with key talking points. They usually start off with something like

Patrick Collins

this: “I love Cheyenne, but I really believe that Cheyenne could do better.” Check off the emotional connection while reaching out to the disenfranchised voter. Remember, a campaign slogan is the first lie a politician will tell you.
       “One of the topics that I’ll work on, if I’m elected mayor, will be to make sure that we have a respectful relationship with the council and all the other elected officials and nonprofits in both our county and state. From my perspective, we’re not going to be able to work our way out of this financial crisis without being able to work together."
       The working together piece is going to be one of the paramount argument against the incumbent.
       What you have to realize is, you don’t need the full council to agree with you. Just five of them can push your agenda forward. In the honeymoon period, the first six months you're elected, you can expect even more so. It’s a period to show the camaraderie of a new regime.
       It’s a solidarity move for the public to show, “Hey, see, we can work together.” It's also the time that political alliances will be made for the next four years. These conversations are already happening but will become more airtight after election day.
       Another talking point is …
       "Focusing on economic development” and important catch phrases are, “I'll keep Cheyenne's growth at 2-4%." Wouldn’t want to get too "big city" on y'all.
       Infrastructure means another campaign about potholes. My god, will

Marian Orr

someone just admit there isn't enough revenue to fix every street? The best paved road is the one out of Cheyenne for better opportunities.
       “When it comes to economic development, I’m sure that companies that want to come here know this is a great place to do business”
       OK, this is just bullshit. Cheyenne doesn’t have enough workforce to sustain the economic development that the community spews to the politicians. It's not the Cheyenne Business Community being unfriendly; we can't fill the positions.
       Remember Smuckers? The retail giants that are used to coming into communities are meeting or will meet development code requirements. It’s the mom and pops that are begging to have corners cut or catch a break.
       When a new rich entity doesn't want to deal with the requirements for parking or planters, they just take a trip to the mayor's office and pay the hefty fees for variances and

exceptions. Small businesses aren't that rich or that lucky. When it comes to the big money, the mayor directs staff to look the other way. That’s the politicians’ business-friendly model.
       Now that the mayor has decided to run, this will be a tougher nut to crack two-fold for any challenger.
       Despite one of the worst political years ever in 2019, the incumbent could show working with council on the courthouse, the Hitching Post and to lesser extent The Bell Building, the Atlas Motel, Cole Shopping Center and the new construction on College and Pershing.
       I am really interested in the community leader/organization endorsements. I've already written off our local newspaper; you can't expect them to go against one of their own.
       The Chamber is Commerce endorsement is one to watch. Will they back their hero, Collins? I'm guessing they will. Even they have been involved with the incumbent on current projects and champion her on several occasions.
       I can't wait to see how the combatants go after this endorsement, or, if the Chamber will play it safe not to alienate either party. Don't forget, Cheyenne’s incumbent mayor was also recognized for her “business friendly” policies with the 2018 Business Advocate Award. When they say that about you,  you're, “Cheyenne’s biggest cheerleader.”
       I'd rather have a coach leading the game than a hype man bouncing in front of the masses. “We are dynamite! Cheyenne is gonna win tonight! We are dynamite! Go light that stick and start that fight! We are dynamite! Get fired up and score all right! We are dynamite! Cheyenne is gonna win tonight!"
       For once Cheyennites may agree with me that they hate politicians at their door. The current pandemic will have voters on edge with door-to-door knocks and paper leaflets. That could potentially mean a larger expense election with TV, radio and print media campaigns.
       Social media will still be used, but it will be more textual than visual due to no photos with constituents. Gonna be hard to show that beautifully marketed face under a mask. Unfortunately, that means more blight with political yard signs.
       I will continue to follow this story as it develops to see the accusations of how much money all parties spent during their terms and the economic implications that followed. Also, how their decisions impacted the city’s bonding capacity or future grant opportunities.
       I'm always looking forward to the comments on the threads after the primaries, when the mud really starts to get thrown.
       City manager anyone?

       Richard Johnson is a former City Council member from Ward 3 on Cheyenne’s east side.