SCHEDULING CONFLICTS

How busy could a retired cop be? Apparently pretty busy, if you are Wes Barr, the Republican candidate for Sangamon County sheriff. Barr, the odds-on favorite to win in November who retired from the department last year, says that he won’t debate Democratic challenger Jeff Regan at an Oct. 19 town hall meeting sponsored by WICS television. Invitations went out in July and Regan, a retired state police officer, accepted. Getting Barr on board proved more complicated. A meeting in September between station management, Barr’s campaign manager and Regan resulted in no commitment from Barr’s side. Afterward, Regan issued a press release criticizing Barr for playing hard to get. “It’s disappointing that my opponent is so unsure about taking this opportunity to let voters compare their options and make an informed choice,” Regan said. “The people of Sangamon County deserve a sheriff who shows up to answer tough questions and doesn’t play games about engaging in public debate.” That did it, so far as Barr was concerned. In an Oct. 1 press release issued one week later, Steve Schoeffel, a political consultant who is working for Barr, cried foul and blasted Regan for issuing the release. “We were shocked Wes’ opponent would choose to poison in this manner a process that seemed to be moving forward,” wrote Schoeffel, who said the would-be sheriff had a “schedule conflict” that prevented his attendance at the proposed debate. “In light of Wes’ opponent’s decision to attack and grandstand this week, it is clear a civil discussion of the issues is not his goal.” And so Barr won’t debate. Too bad. If this debateducking would-be sheriff can’t make room in his schedule for a debate that’s been more than two months in the making, lord knows how he’ll find time to run a jail and solve crimes.