Candidate for City Council, Caiden Cowger, released an advertisement regarding a recent proposal to increase building permits, which hikes fees 200% to 350% from the original rate.
“Something very troubling was uttered by Mayor Rick Edwards at the last city council meeting,” Cowger stated on Facebook. “The people of Buckhannon were told that the fees on building permits would be changed back to the original rates before the increase; however, Mayor Edwards released a plan that just reduces the rates from $12 to $6 for projects under $100, which is still a 200% increase. On projects from $100 to $1,000, it places a 350% increase at $9. TO MAKE MATTERS EVEN WORSE: Edwards wants to remove the council’s power to decide building permit increases, and instead leave it up to a board, which he appoints. This will allow him to stack the board, which gives him the ability to easily instruct a building permit increase at his discretion. He has basically become a miniature dictator.”
“Thank you Caiden for defining terrorism,” Edwards responded. “Because increasing 2$ must be as bad as bombing and killing. I am truly disappointed as a Republican, and American. Dude….seriously, you are a junior in HS, and a Limbaugh throw away. You don’t know diversity, you don’t know taxes, and you have no kids. You are a single child, that has been baby’d and had no clue to realism.”
Edwards (who has two active arrest warrants in Texas) continued, stating that Cowger is ineligible for the position, because he has never had a “real girlfriend.”
“Have you had a real girlfriend, felt love, lost love, had children…of course not. I am not playing anymore. You figure out how a kid, as a Junior can sit on council. Then convince my fellow citizens how you will go to Charleston and provide assistance for our citizens. (I will advise you,,,call them 1st. before you respond.) and then get a coalition of 3 cities. AGAIN…”
Edwards then liked his own comment on Facebook.
“You tell me how an active fugitive can sit in the position of Mayor,” Cowger responded. “I am also a business owner, pay taxes, named by Talkers magazine as being the youngest syndicated radio host in the history of talk radio, named as being one of 30 most influential Republicans under 30 by Newsmax, along with Red Alert Politics. I am not one to brag, but if you are going to make false claims, I am going invalidate them. I am also friends with Mr. Limbaugh’s cousin (who is a pianist), and they have a very nice family. We have also had several Presidents who have never had children, and one was never married. You have nothing left, but to respond with adolescent-like insults, because you have no substance to back up a credible argument. While you keep making my age an issue in this campaign, you are making it clear to everyone who the real ‘child’ is in this argument.”
Edwards first attacked Cowger just days after the city council candidate announced his candidacy.