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Letters
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- Written by: Jody Galvan
I’ve realized you are never too young to care about politics, and the older my son gets, the more I’ve started paying attention to the political world around me, and the more conservative my position has become on many issues.
For instance, before I was a mother, I did not believe in the death penalty. I did not believe that any one person, or group of people, should have the right to judge and play God with anyone else’s life. It was my belief that the Lord would decide when our time on Earth was done, and only then would we face Him for final judgment.
Of course, I also used to tell myself the news was actually fiction, because I didn’t want to believe there was so much evil in the world. However, now that I’m a parent, not only am I more realistic, I am a strong proponent of the death penalty. If somebody were to deliberately take the life of my child, that person should be put to death.
I’ve also recognized that every vote really does make a difference, especially this year in Lake County.
We have two major races happening this year, a double whammy – the race for sheriff and the race for district attorney.
This has resulted in mud being flung from one end of the lake to the other. And not just flung at the candidates, but also at their friends, families and supporters. Feelings have been hurt, relationships have been shaken and friendships have been lost.
A friend stated it best – she called it “a perfect storm.”
I have talked to hundreds of people about this election, and the only consensus is it’s time for change.
Alas, I haven’t had any luck finding two people to agree on who or what that change should be. We are definitely a community divided, and it is my feeling these two races will be won and lost by just a handful of votes.
People are tired of hearing why an opponent isn’t qualified or fit for the position he is running for; instead they really want to hear why a candidate is the best candidate.
My vote for sheriff will remain between me and my ballot, but I’d like to share a few of the many reasons I’m supporting Don Anderson for district attorney.
Unlike his opponent, Don has a very versatile background in law – criminal, civil, family, etc. Don is also credentialed to teach law and administration of justice in California colleges. Don’s opponent does not share that same versatility, nor does he have a teaching credential.
Knowledge and understanding of criminal law is an important element of the district attorney’s role and, undoubtedly, Don Anderson possesses that.
What sets Don apart from his opponent is his experience on the other side of the fence. For every crime, there is a victim. Everything I’ve learned and come to know about Don Anderson demonstrates to me that he has been an advocate for victims for his entire adult life.
Like countless others in our community, my family has been, and continues to be, victimized and yet we receive little support and no compassion from the District Attorney’s Office. It’s already inconvenient and time consuming to get from south county to Lakeport, but to then be blown off by the agency that is supposed to have your back is extremely disheartening.
Don Anderson is the only candidate with a solid plan to better serve south Lake County residents; he has promised to open an office in the Clearlake area.
Sometimes it takes a lot of courage to talk about the crime that has been committed against you. Imagine the relief of a victim or witness living in south county, once they have mustered the courage to finally talk to someone at the District Attorney's Office, to have that open door in their own neighborhood.
Don’s opponent has offered his own solution to the residents of south county – a telephone. I could continue to use the telephone at times when I can't make it to the Lakeport office but, this has not proven helpful. And many I've talked to – and myself included – are tired of the run around and/or not receiving a call back.
The Lake County District Attorney’s Office needs Don Anderson to bring that compassion, knowledge, understanding and confidence back to the department.
Whether voting by mail or at the polls on Nov. 2, please cast your vote for Don Anderson for Lake County district attorney.
Jody Galvan lives in Middletown, Calif.
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- Written by: Philip Murphy
No doubt either man will have his work cut out for him if elected, but who has a better chance of success and what will the measure of that be?
If Rod Mitchell is reelected things will likely stay pretty much as they are, his staff will be the same, and there will be a large segment of the law abiding population here that will look at incidents involving the LCSO with a skeptical eye as they do today, not because they don't trust an individual deputy but because they have doubts about their leader.
This is a type of trickle-down effect that may not be fair or logical but the bottom line is that it isn't helpful to have a very large segment of the public thinking, “Will I be the next Dinius?” when they have a contact with a deputy. Our faith that we'll be treated fairly should be automatic and usually was here until recently.
If Rivero wins the public trust and support will be vastly improved on day one, there is no denying that as the primary race proved that by a large margin the voters were not satisfied with the status quo.
There may be a few deputies who either decide to retire or quit, and there will certainly be a period of adjustment as changes are made, meaning for a time the department will likely not work as smoothly as it does today. Plus there could be some additional costs to replace deputies.
Mitchell's supporters will still trust the deputies but have doubts about their boss, and the rest of us will have trust we lost restored. That seems like the best outcome we are being offered.
Voters also should understand that Lake County's prosperity is directly tied to our image in the eyes of Bay Area residents.
With a slew of high-profile lawsuits facing Mr. Mitchell that image is going to be threatened again and the best way to reduce the harm is to have Mitchell referred to as “former Lake County sheriff” in news reports.
As it is the perception is that Lake County is some sort of legal Twilight Zone for visitors, there is no faster way to change that than to elect Frank Rivero and show the people who are thinking of bringing their vacation and investment dollars here that we have cleaned our own house.
Philip Murphy lives in Lakeport, Calif.
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- Written by: Barbara Britton
The first Congressional District of California is a big district encompassing Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake, Napa, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
If the media is correct and the control of the House of Representatives goes to Republicans, what of Nancy Pelosi?
A better question is, why should we keep the status quo when his leader will no longer be Nancy Pelosi?
I say vote out Mike Thompson, his clout will be gone!
Vote for the new guy who will be of the same political party as the new Speaker of the House. Loren Hanks will automatically have party clout. He recognizes the importance local industry has on the local economy.
Vote out the incumbent status quo and vote in Loren Hanks. Check out his Web site, www.hanksforcongress.com/.
Barbara Britton lives in Yountville, Calif.
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- Written by: Carol Stambuk and John Thornton
As many of you know, the sailboat Lynn was a passenger on was hit from behind by a speedboat operated by Chief Deputy Russell Perdock who was traveling at a very high rate of speed, between 45 and 50 miles per hour on a dark night. The sailboat was slowly moving toward shore at the time of the impact.
Sheriff Rod Mitchell and District Attorney Jon Hopkins made the decision to charge the wrong man for the accident caused by Russell Perdock which resulted in Lynn’s death. In our opinion, they did everything they could to protect Perdock and go after Bismarck Dinius.
Despite repeated, numerous statements and letters to the court by Lynn’s family, friends and me stating that the wrong man was being charged, Mitchell and Hopkins still moved forward with charging Bismarck Dinius.
Their whole case was based upon their belief that the sailboat did not have its running lights on. They were completely wrong because it was proven during the trial by expert testimony and witnesses that the running lights were in fact on.
In the Sept. 29 sheriff candidates' debate hosted by the Lake County Bar Association, Mitchell made a statement that alluded to people making mistakes. He should know because he made an egregious mistake with the Bismarck Dinius case by not seeing that the responsible person was charged, Russell Perdock.
Hopkins made the same mistake and we believe that strongly contributed to him being voted out of office. In one of the interviews conducted by Dan Noyes, Hopkins was asked about the fact that
there were several witnesses who saw running lights on the sailboat before Perdock crashed into it. Hopkins adamantly stated, “No, no there were not!”
That isn’t a mistake on Hopkins’ part – it’s a completely inaccurate and wrong statement, which Mitchell completely agreed with, and one that was made to protect Russell Perdock. It was proven during the Dinius trial that the lights were on. Hopkins and Mitchell chose to ignore that fact.
The jury didn’t ignore that fact and they got it right. They unanimously acquitted Dinius because they knew the wrong man was being charged. They knew that the sailboat had its running lights on. They recognized the proof when it was presented to them. Russell Perdock should have been charged so that Lynn’s family and friends could have received justice. But, because of Mitchell and Hopkins, we were denied justice.
What makes it even worse is that Lynn was also a peace officer and it was and continues to be an insult to her family and friends that there was no justice for her whatsoever.
It is for this reason that we fully support Frank Rivero for sheriff. I learned about Frank Rivero from people who live in Lake County, and because of what I heard about Frank, I contacted him towards the end of the Dinius trial. Frank has the character, morals and ethics to be sheriff of Lake County. Lynn’s family is in support of him because he had the courage to stand up and tell the truth about the case, when his job was in jeopardy for doing so. He knew the case was being handled wrong, and he spoke up. He is a man who will do the right thing for the county, not play into the “good old boys club” that is in control right now. We believe that he will succeed as your sheriff where Mitchell has failed.
The good people of Lake County have the opportunity to make a change for the better. It started with voting Hopkins out of office and now you have the opportunity to end Mitchell’s job and vote in a man who will work very hard for you, your families and all of Lake County.
On behalf of John, Lynn’s family, her friends and myself, we urge you to vote for Frank Rivero on Nov. 2!
Carol Stambuk lives in Rocklin, Calif., and John Thornton lives in Carmichael, Calif.