Overview of the Sheriff's race in the Republican primary in Oconee County Georgia
The fact that there was a near fracas at the first forum between the campaign manager for Trey Downs and an Oconee County Sheriff's Deputy that did nothing is enough to tell you who to vote for in this race. The fact that Congressional challenger Stephen Simpson stepped in between the big boy running Trey Downs' campaign and the completely non-aggressive deputy should also clue you in as to who to vote for in the race against Paul Broun for the 10th District Congressional nomination, but I will save that for another day.
It seems someone was slashing Trey Downs' many campaign signs throughout the county, even in his father's yard resulting in a police report. It is a shame that has occurred, but you are kidding yourself if you do not take into account the fact that some of your signs are going to be trashed. Now even with my far flung intelligence network, I cannot possibly maintain surveillance on every sign, deputy or even fundraiser, but I do not think that any Deputy in their right mind would possibly ever tear down campaign signs on their own time or the county's, but that did not stop someone large from making that very accusation in public and loudly at the first gathering of candidates.
All politics is local, and this local contest has become entirely too expensive, too contentious, and too damn angry for my kind of political persuasions. I have lived next door to a Sheriff's Deputy, and had others renting in my subdivision, and I really do not think they would take to removing yard signs. Would a kid do it, hell yes they would, especially in the 16-18 year old range. But would someone risk their job, their boss's job, the personal embarrassment to themselves and their department, to go slash some opponent's yard sign? I really doubt it.
I voted for Scott Berry because he listens to me and looks me in the eye when he replies. I work with the Oconee County Sheriff's Department on a semi-weekly basis professionally and have never had any problems or difficulties what so ever. I have established a rapport with Sheriff Berry that I fear would not be there with his opponent if he were to lose this very close local race. Sure there are some hard feelings left over from my own pathetic attempt at becoming Mayor of Watkinsville, but I think Trey has largely run a very effective campaign except for several rather glaring errors, the least of which being the 600 page .pdf file being published without first going over it with a fine tooth comb in the wikileaks of Oconee County.
Could things be improved in the Sheriff's Department locally? Hell yes they could, and Sheriff Berry is not one to wait around to make the changes necessary, be it room service or whatever.
Is there a lack of communication, perceived, real or otherwise, between the Oconee County Sheriff's Department and the City of Watkinsville Police Department? Most likely, but I am not a law enforcement official, so I am not about to go and tell Chief Lee O'Dillon (or anyone else) how to go about their business or to solve their problems.
I have been very impressed with the ease and quickness with which the current Sheriff's Department has implemented social media into spreading the word of any potential conflagration or accident locally. I think Chief Weems deserves a lot of credit for that, and yes Sheriff Berry has been burned by letting people film in the jail and arresting the son of local fast food magnates for DUI. There are always going to be enemies lurking in the shadows and in plain sight when you put people in jail for a living.
I can make dime store prescriptions and predictions all day long. I can tell you why I voted the way I did, and what makes me feel secure as a home owner in Watkinsville. I do think Trey Downs could be Sheriff of Oconee County some day, but he should stay in one position in one juridiction a little longer for my human resources tastes. I would suggest building bridges and not burning them. This race will be very, very close and decided by less than a couple dozen votes. So please get out and vote today while you can in the rain (until 4:00 pm this Saturday).
By far the worst part of this race has been the personal attacks and prejudice that have appeared on both sides of the race. One candidate for another local race made an offhanded remark at a local political gathering insinuating one candidate for Sheriff was cheating on his wife. Another discussion yielded the assessment that one candidate's wife skin color was a reason not to vote for him. Both of these hateful lies have no place in anyone's assessment of voting, but must be addressed in a larger sense to show how slow we are as an electorate to evolve beyond the sensational and the gossip.
It seems someone was slashing Trey Downs' many campaign signs throughout the county, even in his father's yard resulting in a police report. It is a shame that has occurred, but you are kidding yourself if you do not take into account the fact that some of your signs are going to be trashed. Now even with my far flung intelligence network, I cannot possibly maintain surveillance on every sign, deputy or even fundraiser, but I do not think that any Deputy in their right mind would possibly ever tear down campaign signs on their own time or the county's, but that did not stop someone large from making that very accusation in public and loudly at the first gathering of candidates.
All politics is local, and this local contest has become entirely too expensive, too contentious, and too damn angry for my kind of political persuasions. I have lived next door to a Sheriff's Deputy, and had others renting in my subdivision, and I really do not think they would take to removing yard signs. Would a kid do it, hell yes they would, especially in the 16-18 year old range. But would someone risk their job, their boss's job, the personal embarrassment to themselves and their department, to go slash some opponent's yard sign? I really doubt it.
I voted for Scott Berry because he listens to me and looks me in the eye when he replies. I work with the Oconee County Sheriff's Department on a semi-weekly basis professionally and have never had any problems or difficulties what so ever. I have established a rapport with Sheriff Berry that I fear would not be there with his opponent if he were to lose this very close local race. Sure there are some hard feelings left over from my own pathetic attempt at becoming Mayor of Watkinsville, but I think Trey has largely run a very effective campaign except for several rather glaring errors, the least of which being the 600 page .pdf file being published without first going over it with a fine tooth comb in the wikileaks of Oconee County.
Could things be improved in the Sheriff's Department locally? Hell yes they could, and Sheriff Berry is not one to wait around to make the changes necessary, be it room service or whatever.
Is there a lack of communication, perceived, real or otherwise, between the Oconee County Sheriff's Department and the City of Watkinsville Police Department? Most likely, but I am not a law enforcement official, so I am not about to go and tell Chief Lee O'Dillon (or anyone else) how to go about their business or to solve their problems.
I have been very impressed with the ease and quickness with which the current Sheriff's Department has implemented social media into spreading the word of any potential conflagration or accident locally. I think Chief Weems deserves a lot of credit for that, and yes Sheriff Berry has been burned by letting people film in the jail and arresting the son of local fast food magnates for DUI. There are always going to be enemies lurking in the shadows and in plain sight when you put people in jail for a living.
I can make dime store prescriptions and predictions all day long. I can tell you why I voted the way I did, and what makes me feel secure as a home owner in Watkinsville. I do think Trey Downs could be Sheriff of Oconee County some day, but he should stay in one position in one juridiction a little longer for my human resources tastes. I would suggest building bridges and not burning them. This race will be very, very close and decided by less than a couple dozen votes. So please get out and vote today while you can in the rain (until 4:00 pm this Saturday).
By far the worst part of this race has been the personal attacks and prejudice that have appeared on both sides of the race. One candidate for another local race made an offhanded remark at a local political gathering insinuating one candidate for Sheriff was cheating on his wife. Another discussion yielded the assessment that one candidate's wife skin color was a reason not to vote for him. Both of these hateful lies have no place in anyone's assessment of voting, but must be addressed in a larger sense to show how slow we are as an electorate to evolve beyond the sensational and the gossip.
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