St. Louis businessman and prospective Republican gubernatorial candidate Dave Spence brought his largely self-financed campaign to Sedalia on Friday, accusing Gov. Jay Nixon of “cronyism” and decrying a number of state departments and regulations.
Spence, 53, served as president of plastics manufacturer Alpha Packaging for 27 years, a business he guided from 15 employees and $350,000 annual sales in 1985 to an 800-employee, $200 million company when he sold it last fall.
kAmw6 E@=5 >6>36CD @7 E96 !6EE:D r@F?EJ !249J56C> r=F3 96 :D “2 E9C@H324< 8FJ[” H9@D6 92D 2? @FED:56C DE2EFD 2D 2 7:CDE\E:>6 42?5:52E6 7@C @77:46]k^Am
kAm“x =@G6 36:?8 E96 F?56C5@8] %92E’D H96C6 x 2>] x C6=:D9 E92E C@=6[” $A6?46 D2:5] “x 2> 2 36=:6G6C E92E D:>A=6 :D 36EE6C] {6E D 86E C:5 @7 D@>6 @7 E9:D 4=FEE6C] {6E’D 86E C:5 @7 D@>6 @7 E96D6 C68F=2E:@?D] {6E’D 86E C:5 @7 E96 A6@A=6 H9@ >2<6 E96D6 C68F=2E:@?D H9@ 92G6 ?6G6C 366? :? E96 C62= H@C=5 — H9@ D:E :? 2 4F3:4=6 D@>6H96C6 2?5 E6== FD 9@H E@ CF? @FC =:G6D]”k^Am
kAm$A6?46 D:?8=65 @FE E96 |:DD@FC: s6A2CE>6?E @7 }2EFC2= #6D@FC46D[ H9:49 96 42==65 “E96 3:886DE A2:? :? E96 ?64< :? E96 H9@=6 DE2E6[” E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 t4@?@>:4 s6G6=@A>6?E WstsX 2?5 “E96 pqrD @7 C68F=2E@CJ 286?4:6D E92E H2?E E@ 86E :? J@FC 92:C” 2D 36:?8 :?9:3:E@CD E@ ;@3 8C@HE9 2?5 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E 24C@DD E96 DE2E6]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 E96 sts[ F?56C }:I@?[ 92D 366? DE27765 H:E9 3FC62F4C2ED 5:D4@??64E65 7C@> “C62= H@C=5” 6IA6C:6?4[6 H9@ H2DE65 >@?6J @? AC@;64ED[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 72:=65 |2>E6< &]$] x?4][ 2 r9:?6D6\@H?65 2CE:7:4:2= DH66E6?6C 724E@CJ @776C65 23@FE Se_ >:==:@? :? E2I :?46?E:G6D 2?5 =@42= 3@?5D E@ =@42E6 :? |@36C=J] %96 4@>A2?J 72:=65 27E6C :E H2D F?23=6 E@ >2<6 :ED 3@?5 A2J>6?ED]k^Am
kAm“x? 2== E96 DE2E6 286?4:6D :E :D 4C@?J:D>[ 4C@?J:D>[ 4C@?J:D>[” $A6?46 D2:5[ 4=2:>:?8 E92E }:I@? EC:65 E@ 5F4< C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 7@C |2>E6<]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 96 H@F=5 DFAA@CE C:89E\E@\H@C< =68:D=2E:@? E92E H@F=5 6?5 4@?EC24ED E92E C6BF:C6 6>A=@J66D E@ ;@:? F?:@?D 2?5 A2J 5F6D 2D 2 4@?5:E:@? @7 6>A=@J>6?E[ 2?5 H2D 4C:E:42= @7 AC6G2:=:?8 H286 =2HD E92E 96 D2:5 H6C6 :>A65:?8 E96 C63F:=5:?8 @7 y@A=:? 27E6C =2DE J62C’D E@C?25@]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< F?:@?D 2C6 DF3;64E E@ 4@>A6E:E:@? =:<6 2?J3@5J 6=D6] %96J 92G6 E@ AC@G:56 G2=F6[” 96 D2:5[ ?@E:?8 E92E F?:@?D 244@F?E 7@C @?=J g A6C46?E @7 |:DD@FC:’D H@C< 7@C46]k^Am
kAm$A6?46 7:6=565 2 ?F>36C @7 BF6DE:@?D 7C@> !249J56C> >6>36CD @? E@A:4D C2?8:?8 7C@> H96E96C E@ >2<6 x?E6CDE2E6 f_ 2 E@== C@25 — 96 H2?ED E@ “H2:E 7@C 2== E96 724ED” 367@C6 564:5:?8[ 2?5 9:D A@D:E:@? @? |:DD@FC:’D >:?:>F> H286 =2H]k^Am
kAm|:DD@FC:’D a__e !C@A@D:E:@? q[ H9:49 A2DD65 H:E9 fe A6C46?E @7 E96 G@E6[ C2:D65 E96 DE2E6’D >:?:>F> H286 E@ E96 7656C2= =6G6=[ E96? E:65 7FEFC6 25;FDE>6?ED E@ 492?86D :? E96 r@?DF>6C !C:46 x?56I]k^Am
kAmu@==@H:?8 9:D C6>2C<D[ $A6?46 E@=5 C6A@CE6CD 96 @AA@D6D E96 7656C2= >:?:>F> H286[ 3FE D66D E96 DE2E6 =2H 2D “E96 H:== @7 E96 A6@A=6]”k^Am
kAm“x H@F=5 ?@E ECJ E@ @AA@D6 @C C6A62= E92E[” $A6?46 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 96 H@F=5 2=D@ AFD9 7@C D49@@= 49@:46 :? 72:=:?8 5:DEC:4ED[ 2D H6== 2D “5646?EC2=:K:?8 4@?EC@= @7 D49@@=D @FE @7 y6776CD@? r:EJ]”k^Am
kAm$A6?46 ;@:?D z2?D2D r:EJ 4@?DF=E2?E q:== #2?5=6D 2D A@E6?E:2= #6AF3=:42? 42?5:52E6D E@ 7246 }:I@? :? E96 }@G6>36C 86?6C2= 6=64E:@?]k^Am
