In my opinion Ben Smith is by far the best for this county. Ben is motivatated and dedicated to serving the citizens of Sac County. I truely believe that Ben has a vested interest in the county, especially being the fifth generation!! Please everyone remember to get out and vote June 8th. If you are not a registered republican, it is very easy to change your party in order to vote for the primary, just go to the polls on June 8th and ask to change---vote!!!--change it back!! EASY!!
Although I don't disagree that Ben would make a fine county attorney, stating that having ancestors in the county causes one to have the best interest of the citizens at heart is a very dangerous statement. If the county is to grow, we need to become more open to those from the outside rather than make statements like Shannon's which indicate that one has to have been born and raised in the hills of Sac County to earn trust and respect. As a county with little diversity, in-breeding can be both detrimental and helpful. I hope the candidates will focus on skills they can bring to the job and leave family trees out of the picture. (As a side note, there are many important Democratic primary races at the non-county level, so don't be too hasty to change registrations for one race.)
Our current county attorney came from southern Iowa has no relatives in this area or your so called in-breeding. Name on thing he has done since he has been here that has brought jobs, or any other kind of growth to Sac County? We need someone like Ben who has young and new ideas and will prosecutes those that should be and not shove cases under the rug because you don't want to deal with it. GO BEN!!!!! I will change my party affiliation just vote in the primary also.
Name one thing a county ATTORNEY *CAN* do that would bring jobs and/or growth to Sac City. The county ATTORNEY's job is to prosecute criminals, not promote economic growth. Thinking like that is why this country is in the mess that it is - trusting and expecting people to do something they have no power or ability to do.
Of course a population must be accepting and welcoming of non-residents if it hopes to grow. I am not a social scientist, but I doubt it's our County's unwillingness to accept and welcome outsiders that is causing its population to shrink. Sac County is a friendly place.
Candidate Smith has said, on multiple occasions, don't vote for him because he's from Sac County, vote for him because he is the best choice. Ben's credentials speak for themselves. He comes highly recommended by many attorneys and court personnel from the 4th Judicial District (Southwest Iowa) and prior to returning to Sac County, one Judge down there courted Ben to run for an open county attorney position. In my opinion, Sac County is fortunate to have a professional of Ben's caliber choosing to return. I guess I don't see Ben's promotion of his ties to Sac County as a bad thing. Also, it's far from being any substantive platform, rather he's used it as an icebreaker or (re)introduction. Candidate Smith has done a great job explaining why he believes he the best choice, and it has nothing to do with his ancestors.
Because there is no Democrat candidate for Sac County Attorney, the primary election, for all intents and purposes, IS the general election. I was only trying to explain how simple and easy it is for Democrats to temporarily cross party lines and immediately switch back right after the primary or for Independents to temporarily declare a party for the primary and also immediately go back to being independent. I am not for certain what are the many non-local Democrat primary races of which you speak. Maybe you can inform me of them, because from what I can tell there are two (US Senate and US Congress) and the winners of those two races face tough incumbents in Chuck Grassley and Steve King. Knowing they have the option, Sac County Democrats may feel their vote on June 8 would be better spent deciding their next county attorney, rather than their candidate for the general election, and independent voters, knowing they can't participate at all in the primary unless they declare a party (an easy process), may, for the same reasons, feel it is worth their time to not be independent. I already know many Democrats and Independents who are doing this, I just thought others might want to know it's an option and how easy it is to change and switch back.
To me what is dangerous is believing the thousands in this County who can trace their Sac lineage back for generations are inbred.
I've seen the information on Ben Smith but don't really think I know enough yet to say I support him.
How long has he been practicing law? How much experience does he have with criminal law? Does he have any experience with the appeal process? What is his rating with the Iowa Bar (or does he even have one)? What does he believe is the biggest issue facing the position over the next 4 years? What does he believe is the biggest problem with our current official? What prompted him to run for this office?
These are the type of questions I think we should be asking.
I am in the same boat as anonymous. I need alot more information other than Ben works for the Attoney Generals Office and he is a graduate of Wall Lake View Auburn. I think if someone dug deep in to the record they would find the our current county attorney has sent more drug dealers to prison in his seven years than the other two before him did together.
The drug dealers that were sent to prison went through district court because they knew our current county attorney would let them off again and again and again......
One of the things about anonymous commenting is that it keeps you safe from retaliation, and that's why I encourage it, but without your name attached to the comment saying something like, "They knew our county attorney would let them off again and again and again" holds no credibility."
I'm not demanding that you prove it or anything, you're pretty much welcome to say almost anything about people who hold or are running for office that you would like. I think if you were to ask Mr. Smith, (For whom you appear to be in favor,) he would probably tell you that an anonymous allegation of this nature probably does not help him.
And I don’t mean to pick on just you, there was someone earlier who suggested that the police aren’t following proper procedure. You are certainly welcome to express your opinions, but you should know that when people don’t see a name attached to the opinion, you give them one of the most potent tools for discrediting you that exist… your fear of publically backing up what you say.
If you want to make allegations that actually mean something, include details that can be checked. You don’t have to give up your own identity if you say something like the following example:
“In criminal case numbers, X, X, and X, the county attorney made deals with people who were convicted of dealing drugs so that they could continue to be free, even after a conviction. I believe that this is wrong and that we should have someone new.”
THAT kind of information is checkable and has the added double benefit of allowing you to remain anonymous while giving credible weight to your opinion.
Just a suggestion though… please continue to feel free to post in any style you choose.
Any criminal charge above a simple midemeanor automatically goes to district court. Magistrates can only hear simple misdemeanor cases (traffic violations, simple assualts ect. )and civil claims less than $5000.00 in value. Deals have to made in our current judical system. As an example, Sac County gets one district court day per month for trials. Last month, there were somewhere around 23 cases all scheduled to go to trial that same day. On June 2nd, there are 14 cases set for trial. If deals are not made and pleas taken, then these cases get dismissed. Our judical system simply is broke, and is a mis-justice to all of us.
How about those drug dealers and users that plead the "tax stamp" plea. I would like to know how many individuals with [LINE REMOVED] really have a tax stamp to sell drugs? Maybe I am clueless, but the "failure to affix a tax stamp" plea seems to be one way out of the system.
I wonder if Ben has seen this post and would be able to answer some of these questions that the viewers have? I know he will be at Jerzee's but not everyone will be able to attend that. I think it would be a great way to get the word out. If anyone knows him personally, maybe they could give him a heads up to come and chat!
I doubt Earl has locked up more drug dealers than the last two County Attorneys combined, but I could be wrong. Assuming he has, let me make a few points, all of which are in question form: First, how many of those convictions were the result of airtight, gift-wrapped cases made by strong law enforcement work and subsequent plea bargains (case never saw the inside of the Sac County courtroom). Second, how many of those convictions were based on jury trial convictions/victories (no plea bargaining)? Third, since Earl took office has there been a dramatic increase in the number of drug related charges filed (2002 was around the time meth started becoming more prevalent), which, logically results in more chances for convictions? What has been the ratio of drug charges filed to drug charges dismissed?
I'd be interested in finding out answers to my questions, but I'm pretty sure I already know them. Locking up drug dealers, although an important statistic, is not the sole statistic by which a county attorney's performance should be gauged, and, is not truly indicative of his actual performance, because, as I pointed out above, they (statistics) can be colorfully stated to look much better than they are. Anonymous, Ben has answered all the questions you've raised. He's done so at his morning "meet and greets" and has done so on the record and has even posted videos discussing these issues on his various websites. However, I know that it is very possible you haven't had the opportunity to attend one of his events or view his material. I will make sure this blog is brought to Ben's attention and knowing his willingness to answer questions, I'm sure he would be more than happy to answer/post answers to your questions when he has time. Until then, may I suggest you start at www.votebensmith.com. Also, he's provided his cell phone number and an email address and has encouraged anyone to call him regarding any questions they may have regarding his campaign or him as a candidate.
Since Earl has never withstood the test of a truly contested race here in Sac County, I also think it's fair to ask some of these same questions of him? Don't you?
On a final note, I am disappointed to hear of many instances of Earl knocking on doors around our County and telling voters Ben's position as an Assistant Attorney General was nothing more than a glorified social worker, chaser of deadbeat dads, and debt collector, etc., which, with regards to the latter most mischaracterization, ironically enough, is the one of the few things Earl is touting - collection of fines). Knowing an Assistant Attorney General who held a position the same as Ben's, this couldn't be any further from the truth. Anyway, I applaud Ben for not resorting to these tactics, for running a positive campaign, and encouraging his supporters to promote his platforms, stick to the facts, and to avoid mudslinging.
If you look at the post three about Shannon's, they raise an excellent point that Earl touched on in this week's Sac Sun. Because you are not happy with a supposed "conviction rate", doesn't mean the next guy will do better. In most cases, I choose someone with experience.
I don't know either candidate personally, and I'm sure they are both wonderful people, but is there a reason you can give me that you are unhappy with Earl's record? And if so, what makes you confident Ben can fix these so-called problems? I need to know more than the fact that he is from Lake View, and was senior of the year (yes, I went to his website because I WAS undecided in this election). Just because you are from the area most certainly DOES NOT automatically qualify you to be the best candidate.
I see he is a reservist, which I applaud and admire. But is there a chance of deployment soon? Where would that leave us? Seems heartless to ask, but let's be practical.
I love Sac County with all my heart, but something doesn't add up. He was courted to run for another OPEN county attorney race, and turned it down instead to run against an incumbent of his same party in what also happens to be his home county? Hmmmmm......
Finally, I urge all Republicans to get out and vote next week. If you are not Republican, get out and vote, but not at the Republican primary. If you switch parties for one night, for one race, you are simply turning the election of our county attorney into nothing more than a homecoming king election.
What has Earl done?? You say you don't know either candidate, why not? Have you bothered to call either of them and ask a question?? Earl has been here 8 years and you don't know him? I would think that in 8 years, you may have run into him at sometime. Talking about things not adding up, Why did Earl decide to relocate to Sac County? And why did he leave his other County Attorney position?? And where was it?? Earl seems to spend more time telling us what Ben hasn't done rather than what it is he has done or will do. But finally, I am glad that you waited until the day after Memorial Day to take the shot about the possibility of Ben being deployed! Yikes!
I would like to say that I know both Ben and Earl. While I am happy to not have had the pleasure of socializing with them in a criminal type setting as a defendant, based on knowing their personalities, insights, etc, as well as how each have carried themselves through their campaigning, I can say that Ben has definately taken the higher road. Earl came to my door to tell me why he was the better candidate for the job. I was waiting to hear conviction rates, etc. Rather it consisted of stating he has been a county attorney for so many years in various counties. He also told me that Ben was a glorified child support collector at the AG's office. Now, I know that campaigning often times means that people take digs at the expense of others but that ABSOLUTELY turned me off to Earl. I also know that some decisions that Earl has made are not good ones, everyone makes mistakes but some are bigger than others. I do question the reasons he makes some of his decisions as some seem biased and not consistent. Some say that Ben has not enough experience and Earl is one of them. Well, neither did Earl many years ago when he was elected as Co Attorney. Everyone starts somewhere and I think Ben's record speaks for itself. He's open to talking to anyone. He sat down and talked with my husband and I for over an hour one day. I don't feel that Earl has done an exceptional job. I think he's gotten complacent in his job functions and with being uncontested in every election, I can see how one would get lax in their job duties. If no one is threatening your job, why change? I also think the good ol boys club needs to be broken up a bit and some change needs to take place. Ben's a reservist...I think that's exceptional, commendable, and something to be proud of. Yes, as a reservist there is a change he COULD be deployed, not definate. Should he be punished by not getting your vote just because he's serving YOUR AND OUR country? No. In the case of deployment, the attorney general's office would step in and take over until his deployment was over...not a major catastrophy as one would deem. Again, it's not definate and that in no way, shape or form should be a deciding factor to tip a fence voter one way or the other. I hope that those of you that don't know Ben well take him up on his offer to call or email. I doubt Earl has been as open about offering his communication contacts. So far all I've gotten from him is he's just better because he's old.
If Earl practices law like he writes informational flyers to be mailed out in the county, WE ARE SCREWED!!! My child can do a better job!!! ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS LOL!!!!
LOL and on that note above Anonymous, for as much as Mr. Hardisty gets paid, one would think that he could possibly purchase some nice political campaign signs rather than have a preschool class stencil paint his black and white plywood signs. My 4 year old could do better but he didn't call me to help. BOO! LOL
If Ben has supposedly "taken the higher road", why is he running for the Republican nomination for county attorney, but encouraging non-Republicans to switch their party affiliation for one night? If he wanted to beat Earl in a general election where everyone can vote, he should have ran in the general election as an independent. Having people switch parties for one night to win a party nomination for an election is equivalent to a "Shirley Phillips for school board" type campaign.
"Name one thing a county ATTORNEY *CAN* do that would bring jobs and/or growth to Sac City. The county ATTORNEY's job is to prosecute criminals, not promote economic growth. Thinking like that is why this country is in the mess that it is - trusting and expecting people to do something they have no power or ability to do."
There are more than 8000 registered voters in Sac County. Over 40% identify themselves as No Party. In the last primary, only 300 Republicans voted. Do you really think that 4% of the registered voters should determine who the next county attorney is?? I don't think this should be a good old boys club. Ben is not doing anything behind closed doors, it is all in the open.
there ae 8000 registered voters in sac county?? I didnt know they even had 8000 people in the county, nevermind living breathing of-age registered voters. Guess I learned soemthing today
To anonymous at 11:33 p.m.: If you want us to go "look at why he left his last job..." you need to tell us where we might go to do so. Otherwise you are at risk of having your comment written off as an unfounded insinuation, perhaps part of a whisper campaign. Present your evidence so we may evaluate it.
NO MATTER WHO YOU VOTE FOR - Educate yourself, and read the interview of both candidates in this week's Sac Sun. It is interesting to see how the position actually works, it's not as cut and dried as we all think.
If you switch parties that night to vote, do you also intend to cast a vote for Republican nominee for governor? If so, you really should vote for that person in the general election in November. If not, then why are you doing it? Do you really understand what you're voting for? Remember, this is a primary, not a general election. This is supposed to be only for Republicans to decide who would best represent their party on the ballot this November. It is not to put a person in office. If you really want Ben in, and you a not a Republican, write him in in November's GENERAL election.
So does that mean that because I am one of the more than 40% that consider myself Independent, I should not vote on Tuesday??? As an Independent, I have been getting literature from the Republicans seeking the Republican Governor nomination. Maybe you should tell them not to be courting my vote because you made a new rule that says I can't vote. Oh yeah, if you really want Earl and you are a Republican, you can write him in at November's GENERAL election!
1. FACT: Whisper campaigns are being conducted by people interesting in electing both Earl and Ben. NOT A FACT, BUT A CONCLUSION I'VE REACHED BASED ON MY OBSERVATIONS: I am under the impression that both of them are aware of it because I’ve heard the same things from their lips that I have heard “whispered.” I guess it’s possible that this is mere coincidence, but that would not at all match up with what I know to be true about Sac County politics.
2. The person that is so concerned about people switching parties is forgetting about the history of the politics of the parties.
Republicans, (the party of which I am most often a member in those years when they are running actual conservatives, instead of just people they think will satisfy the sheeple with their looks or their war record,) are often openly encouraged to switch parties at primary time and help vote-in the weaker Democrat opponent. (As a matter of fact, during the 2004 election, we Republicans were being actively encouraged by our leaders to become Democrats to try and get Dean nominated to be the Democrat facing Bush at election time. Almost worked, too :)
This case is completely different though. People are being encouraged to switch to the Republican party for no other reason than because in this particular and singular case, the primary effectively IS the election. You people that are afraid of folks switching sides during this primary because you think that Earl will get hammered, are forgetting how many Democrat friends of Earl you may be discouraging from helping him out.
The bottom line is that the hypocritical criminals in charge of the Republican and Democratic parties haven’t actually changed the rules to disallow non-land owners from voting...
…yet.
So please, take advantage of and treasure your ability to openly change your party and participate in any primary you want while you are still able.
One last thing. For what it’s worth, in my casual conversations with folks, (and I’m not going to pretend it was some huge number of people… it was about 20 totally random people of whose political affiliations I’m completely unaware,) people seem to remember drug dealers having it much easier before Earl arrived. So much so that they were shocked when they read the comment to the effect that Earl wasn’t tough on drug dealers. This was 20 out of the 11,000ish people in Sac County, and they were all from Sac and Lake View.
My personal perception too, is that drugs were far more casually accessable back in the 80's and 90's... to the point that the police were cluelessly offering on the spot amnesty to high school students for seatbelt and speeding violations if they would just please, please, tell them something, ANYTHING about where the massive quantity of drugs in Sac City were coming from.
Curt - I recently had a conversation with an attorney from a neighboring county who said essentially the same thing you said about Earl. He said that Earl comes off as a real mild-mannered guy, but is a real go-getter in the courtroom. He seemed quite surprised that the residents would be disappointed in his job performance, then added on top of that how much money he has saved our county by doing labor negotiations, which he added most attorneys, including himself, would not do. He really seems to have the respect of his colleagues. I guess that was the thing that finally pushed me over the edge and made me decide to vote for Earl. I'm sure Ben will make a fine attorney, whether it be here or somewhere else, but I have decided to cast my vote for experience.
Earl has saved the county thousands of dollars by working with the Board and union. A lawyer that would have to be hired by the Board costs lots of dollars an hour. With Earl, that's part of his salary. The union has not gotten away with the big raises since Earl took over. It used to be that the Board had to give up because the lawyer they had to hire cost so much, they had to quit. Go Earl!!!!
and during the past 5 years, the county attorney's budget has increased by 40%. Savings of thousands of dollars verses many more thousands of dollars of espenses!! Somehow the savings doesn't match the cost incurred!
What makes you people think that Ben would be unwilling to do labor negotiations. Ben is going to save our county $20,000 per year off the top by getting rid of our assistant county attorney who does very little right now. He's going to handle it all himself. You really ought to talk to Ben and find out yourself what he plans to do. GOOOOOOOO BEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish he would think twice about eliminating any positions right now until he gets in office. He may be eating his own words.....I believe the assistant county attorney is doing A LOT more work then he thinks....
Yes, we will see just how many of his promises he will be able to keep. I hope all of them, I doubt we will get Earl to come back if we are unhappy with his job performance.
Copyright (c)2007-2010 Curtis Bloes All Rights Reserved
In my opinion Ben Smith is by far the best for this county. Ben is motivatated and dedicated to serving the citizens of Sac County. I truely believe that Ben has a vested interest in the county, especially being the fifth generation!! Please everyone remember to get out and vote June 8th. If you are not a registered republican, it is very easy to change your party in order to vote for the primary, just go to the polls on June 8th and ask to change---vote!!!--change it back!! EASY!!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't disagree that Ben would make a fine county attorney, stating that having ancestors in the county causes one to have the best interest of the citizens at heart is a very dangerous statement. If the county is to grow, we need to become more open to those from the outside rather than make statements like Shannon's which indicate that one has to have been born and raised in the hills of Sac County to earn trust and respect. As a county with little diversity, in-breeding can be both detrimental and helpful. I hope the candidates will focus on skills they can bring to the job and leave family trees out of the picture. (As a side note, there are many important Democratic primary races at the non-county level, so don't be too hasty to change registrations for one race.)
ReplyDeleteOur current county attorney came from southern Iowa has no relatives in this area or your so called in-breeding. Name on thing he has done since he has been here that has brought jobs, or any other kind of growth to Sac County? We need someone like Ben who has young and new ideas and will prosecutes those that should be and not shove cases under the rug because you don't want to deal with it. GO BEN!!!!! I will change my party affiliation just vote in the primary also.
ReplyDeleteName one thing a county ATTORNEY *CAN* do that would bring jobs and/or growth to Sac City. The county ATTORNEY's job is to prosecute criminals, not promote economic growth. Thinking like that is why this country is in the mess that it is - trusting and expecting people to do something they have no power or ability to do.
ReplyDeleteOf course a population must be accepting and welcoming of non-residents if it hopes to grow. I am not a social scientist, but I doubt it's our County's unwillingness to accept and welcome outsiders that is causing its population to shrink. Sac County is a friendly place.
ReplyDeleteCandidate Smith has said, on multiple occasions, don't vote for him because he's from Sac County, vote for him because he is the best choice. Ben's credentials speak for themselves. He comes highly recommended by many attorneys and court personnel from the 4th Judicial District (Southwest Iowa) and prior to returning to Sac County, one Judge down there courted Ben to run for an open county attorney position. In my opinion, Sac County is fortunate to have a professional of Ben's caliber choosing to return. I guess I don't see Ben's promotion of his ties to Sac County as a bad thing. Also, it's far from being any substantive platform, rather he's used it as an icebreaker or (re)introduction. Candidate Smith has done a great job explaining why he believes he the best choice, and it has nothing to do with his ancestors.
Because there is no Democrat candidate for Sac County Attorney, the primary election, for all intents and purposes, IS the general election. I was only trying to explain how simple and easy it is for Democrats to temporarily cross party lines and immediately switch back right after the primary or for Independents to temporarily declare a party for the primary and also immediately go back to being independent. I am not for certain what are the many non-local Democrat primary races of which you speak. Maybe you can inform me of them, because from what I can tell there are two (US Senate and US Congress) and the winners of those two races face tough incumbents in Chuck Grassley and Steve King. Knowing they have the option, Sac County Democrats may feel their vote on June 8 would be better spent deciding their next county attorney, rather than their candidate for the general election, and independent voters, knowing they can't participate at all in the primary unless they declare a party (an easy process), may, for the same reasons, feel it is worth their time to not be independent. I already know many Democrats and Independents who are doing this, I just thought others might want to know it's an option and how easy it is to change and switch back.
To me what is dangerous is believing the thousands in this County who can trace their Sac lineage back for generations are inbred.
a county ATTORNEY CAN PROSECUTE!!!! MIGHT JUST PROMOTE SAC COUNTY AS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE IF WE STOP LETTING EVERYONE OFF THE HOOK!!!!
ReplyDeleteTo the commenter that wrote the comment that started with the following sentance:
ReplyDelete"I would really like to see a county attorney who cares about the drug issues in this county."
I agree that the person you are writing about is a drain on the system, but they can be identified with your comments, so I can't print it. Sorry :(
I've seen the information on Ben Smith but don't really think I know enough yet to say I support him.
ReplyDeleteHow long has he been practicing law?
How much experience does he have with criminal law?
Does he have any experience with the appeal process?
What is his rating with the Iowa Bar (or does he even have one)?
What does he believe is the biggest issue facing the position over the next 4 years?
What does he believe is the biggest problem with our current official?
What prompted him to run for this office?
These are the type of questions I think we should be asking.
I am in the same boat as anonymous. I need alot more information other than Ben works for the Attoney Generals Office and he is a graduate of Wall Lake View Auburn. I think if someone dug deep in to the record they would find the our current county attorney has sent more drug dealers to prison in his seven years than the other two before him did together.
ReplyDeletewell that would depend on if the police followed procedures!!
ReplyDeleteHow about the dealers that got off with a slap on the wrist with 3 children present during the bust?
ReplyDeleteFrom what I hear, Ben will be at Jerzee's on Friday at 5pm
ReplyDeleteThe drug dealers that were sent to prison went through district court because they knew our current county attorney would let them off again and again and again......
ReplyDeleteOne of the things about anonymous commenting is that it keeps you safe from retaliation, and that's why I encourage it, but without your name attached to the comment saying something like, "They knew our county attorney would let them off again and again and again" holds no credibility."
ReplyDeleteI'm not demanding that you prove it or anything, you're pretty much welcome to say almost anything about people who hold or are running for office that you would like. I think if you were to ask Mr. Smith, (For whom you appear to be in favor,) he would probably tell you that an anonymous allegation of this nature probably does not help him.
And I don’t mean to pick on just you, there was someone earlier who suggested that the police aren’t following proper procedure. You are certainly welcome to express your opinions, but you should know that when people don’t see a name attached to the opinion, you give them one of the most potent tools for discrediting you that exist… your fear of publically backing up what you say.
If you want to make allegations that actually mean something, include details that can be checked. You don’t have to give up your own identity if you say something like the following example:
“In criminal case numbers, X, X, and X, the county attorney made deals with people who were convicted of dealing drugs so that they could continue to be free, even after a conviction. I believe that this is wrong and that we should have someone new.”
THAT kind of information is checkable and has the added double benefit of allowing you to remain anonymous while giving credible weight to your opinion.
Just a suggestion though… please continue to feel free to post in any style you choose.
Any criminal charge above a simple midemeanor automatically goes to district court. Magistrates can only hear simple misdemeanor cases (traffic violations, simple assualts ect. )and civil claims less than $5000.00 in value. Deals have to made in our current judical system. As an example, Sac County gets one district court day per month for trials. Last month, there were somewhere around 23 cases all scheduled to go to trial that same day. On June 2nd, there are 14 cases set for trial. If deals are not made and pleas taken, then these cases get dismissed. Our judical system simply is broke, and is a mis-justice to all of us.
ReplyDeleteHow about those drug dealers and users that plead the "tax stamp" plea. I would like to know how many individuals with [LINE REMOVED] really have a tax stamp to sell drugs? Maybe I am clueless, but the "failure to affix a tax stamp" plea seems to be one way out of the system.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Ben has seen this post and would be able to answer some of these questions that the viewers have? I know he will be at Jerzee's but not everyone will be able to attend that. I think it would be a great way to get the word out. If anyone knows him personally, maybe they could give him a heads up to come and chat!
ReplyDeleteI doubt Earl has locked up more drug dealers than the last two County Attorneys combined, but I could be wrong. Assuming he has, let me make a few points, all of which are in question form: First, how many of those convictions were the result of airtight, gift-wrapped cases made by strong law enforcement work and subsequent plea bargains (case never saw the inside of the Sac County courtroom). Second, how many of those convictions were based on jury trial convictions/victories (no plea bargaining)? Third, since Earl took office has there been a dramatic increase in the number of drug related charges filed (2002 was around the time meth started becoming more prevalent), which, logically results in more chances for convictions? What has been the ratio of drug charges filed to drug charges dismissed?
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested in finding out answers to my questions, but I'm pretty sure I already know them. Locking up drug dealers, although an important statistic, is not the sole statistic by which a county attorney's performance should be gauged, and, is not truly indicative of his actual performance, because, as I pointed out above, they (statistics) can be colorfully stated to look much better than they are.
Anonymous, Ben has answered all the questions you've raised. He's done so at his morning "meet and greets" and has done so on the record and has even posted videos discussing these issues on his various websites. However, I know that it is very possible you haven't had the opportunity to attend one of his events or view his material. I will make sure this blog is brought to Ben's attention and knowing his willingness to answer questions, I'm sure he would be more than happy to answer/post answers to your questions when he has time. Until then, may I suggest you start at www.votebensmith.com. Also, he's provided his cell phone number and an email address and has encouraged anyone to call him regarding any questions they may have regarding his campaign or him as a candidate.
Since Earl has never withstood the test of a truly contested race here in Sac County, I also think it's fair to ask some of these same questions of him? Don't you?
On a final note, I am disappointed to hear of many instances of Earl knocking on doors around our County and telling voters Ben's position as an Assistant Attorney General was nothing more than a glorified social worker, chaser of deadbeat dads, and debt collector, etc., which, with regards to the latter most mischaracterization, ironically enough, is the one of the few things Earl is touting - collection of fines). Knowing an Assistant Attorney General who held a position the same as Ben's, this couldn't be any further from the truth. Anyway, I applaud Ben for not resorting to these tactics, for running a positive campaign, and encouraging his supporters to promote his platforms, stick to the facts, and to avoid mudslinging.
If you look at the post three about Shannon's, they raise an excellent point that Earl touched on in this week's Sac Sun. Because you are not happy with a supposed "conviction rate", doesn't mean the next guy will do better. In most cases, I choose someone with experience.
ReplyDeleteI don't know either candidate personally, and I'm sure they are both wonderful people, but is there a reason you can give me that you are unhappy with Earl's record? And if so, what makes you confident Ben can fix these so-called problems? I need to know more than the fact that he is from Lake View, and was senior of the year (yes, I went to his website because I WAS undecided in this election). Just because you are from the area most certainly DOES NOT automatically qualify you to be the best candidate.
I see he is a reservist, which I applaud and admire. But is there a chance of deployment soon? Where would that leave us? Seems heartless to ask, but let's be practical.
I love Sac County with all my heart, but something doesn't add up. He was courted to run for another OPEN county attorney race, and turned it down instead to run against an incumbent of his same party in what also happens to be his home county? Hmmmmm......
Finally, I urge all Republicans to get out and vote next week. If you are not Republican, get out and vote, but not at the Republican primary. If you switch parties for one night, for one race, you are simply turning the election of our county attorney into nothing more than a homecoming king election.
I welcome other's thoughts on this matter.
What has Earl done?? You say you don't know either candidate, why not? Have you bothered to call either of them and ask a question?? Earl has been here 8 years and you don't know him? I would think that in 8 years, you may have run into him at sometime. Talking about things not adding up, Why did Earl decide to relocate to Sac County? And why did he leave his other County Attorney position?? And where was it?? Earl seems to spend more time telling us what Ben hasn't done rather than what it is he has done or will do. But finally, I am glad that you waited until the day after Memorial Day to take the shot about the possibility of Ben being deployed! Yikes!
ReplyDeleteI would like to say that I know both Ben and Earl. While I am happy to not have had the pleasure of socializing with them in a criminal type setting as a defendant, based on knowing their personalities, insights, etc, as well as how each have carried themselves through their campaigning, I can say that Ben has definately taken the higher road. Earl came to my door to tell me why he was the better candidate for the job. I was waiting to hear conviction rates, etc. Rather it consisted of stating he has been a county attorney for so many years in various counties. He also told me that Ben was a glorified child support collector at the AG's office. Now, I know that campaigning often times means that people take digs at the expense of others but that ABSOLUTELY turned me off to Earl. I also know that some decisions that Earl has made are not good ones, everyone makes mistakes but some are bigger than others. I do question the reasons he makes some of his decisions as some seem biased and not consistent. Some say that Ben has not enough experience and Earl is one of them. Well, neither did Earl many years ago when he was elected as Co Attorney. Everyone starts somewhere and I think Ben's record speaks for itself. He's open to talking to anyone. He sat down and talked with my husband and I for over an hour one day. I don't feel that Earl has done an exceptional job. I think he's gotten complacent in his job functions and with being uncontested in every election, I can see how one would get lax in their job duties. If no one is threatening your job, why change? I also think the good ol boys club needs to be broken up a bit and some change needs to take place. Ben's a reservist...I think that's exceptional, commendable, and something to be proud of. Yes, as a reservist there is a change he COULD be deployed, not definate. Should he be punished by not getting your vote just because he's serving YOUR AND OUR country? No. In the case of deployment, the attorney general's office would step in and take over until his deployment was over...not a major catastrophy as one would deem. Again, it's not definate and that in no way, shape or form should be a deciding factor to tip a fence voter one way or the other. I hope that those of you that don't know Ben well take him up on his offer to call or email. I doubt Earl has been as open about offering his communication contacts. So far all I've gotten from him is he's just better because he's old.
ReplyDeleteIf Earl practices law like he writes informational flyers to be mailed out in the county, WE ARE SCREWED!!! My child can do a better job!!! ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS LOL!!!!
ReplyDeleteEarl came to my door too, I just chose not to answer.
ReplyDeleteLOL and on that note above Anonymous, for as much as Mr. Hardisty gets paid, one would think that he could possibly purchase some nice political campaign signs rather than have a preschool class stencil paint his black and white plywood signs. My 4 year old could do better but he didn't call me to help. BOO! LOL
ReplyDeleteI just wonder if everyone would be this passionate about it of there weren't a "local guy" challenging for the position.
ReplyDeleteIf Ben has supposedly "taken the higher road", why is he running for the Republican nomination for county attorney, but encouraging non-Republicans to switch their party affiliation for one night? If he wanted to beat Earl in a general election where everyone can vote, he should have ran in the general election as an independent. Having people switch parties for one night to win a party nomination for an election is equivalent to a "Shirley Phillips for school board" type campaign.
ReplyDeletemaybe because.... i don't know? he is a Republican!
ReplyDeletethen ask only Republicans to vote for you in the Republican primary.
ReplyDeleteRead the whole quote before you reply. And if you did, make sure you understand it before you reply.
To whomever said this:
ReplyDelete"Name one thing a county ATTORNEY *CAN* do that would bring jobs and/or growth to Sac City. The county ATTORNEY's job is to prosecute criminals, not promote economic growth. Thinking like that is why this country is in the mess that it is - trusting and expecting people to do something they have no power or ability to do."
Thanks for the laugh...very true!
There are more than 8000 registered voters in Sac County. Over 40% identify themselves as No Party. In the last primary, only 300 Republicans voted. Do you really think that 4% of the registered voters should determine who the next county attorney is?? I don't think this should be a good old boys club. Ben is not doing anything behind closed doors, it is all in the open.
ReplyDeleteEarl Hardisty must go!!! Look at why he left his last job as a County Attorney. The answers will surprise you.
ReplyDeletethere ae 8000 registered voters in sac county?? I didnt know they even had 8000 people in the county, nevermind living breathing of-age registered voters. Guess I learned soemthing today
ReplyDeleteThe 8000 probably includes dead voters, who often make the difference in close elections. Remember vote early and vote often!
ReplyDeleteTo anonymous at 11:33 p.m.: If you want us to go "look at why he left his last job..." you need to tell us where we might go to do so. Otherwise you are at risk of having your comment written off as an unfounded insinuation, perhaps part of a whisper campaign. Present your evidence so we may evaluate it.
ReplyDeleteNO MATTER WHO YOU VOTE FOR - Educate yourself, and read the interview of both candidates in this week's Sac Sun. It is interesting to see how the position actually works, it's not as cut and dried as we all think.
ReplyDeleteIf you switch parties that night to vote, do you also intend to cast a vote for Republican nominee for governor? If so, you really should vote for that person in the general election in November. If not, then why are you doing it? Do you really understand what you're voting for? Remember, this is a primary, not a general election. This is supposed to be only for Republicans to decide who would best represent their party on the ballot this November. It is not to put a person in office. If you really want Ben in, and you a not a Republican, write him in in November's GENERAL election.
ReplyDeleteSo does that mean that because I am one of the more than 40% that consider myself Independent, I should not vote on Tuesday??? As an Independent, I have been getting literature from the Republicans seeking the Republican Governor nomination. Maybe you should tell them not to be courting my vote because you made a new rule that says I can't vote. Oh yeah, if you really want Earl and you are a Republican, you can write him in at November's GENERAL election!
ReplyDeletemy 2 cents.
ReplyDelete1. FACT: Whisper campaigns are being conducted by people interesting in electing both Earl and Ben. NOT A FACT, BUT A CONCLUSION I'VE REACHED BASED ON MY OBSERVATIONS: I am under the impression that both of them are aware of it because I’ve heard the same things from their lips that I have heard “whispered.” I guess it’s possible that this is mere coincidence, but that would not at all match up with what I know to be true about Sac County politics.
2. The person that is so concerned about people switching parties is forgetting about the history of the politics of the parties.
Republicans, (the party of which I am most often a member in those years when they are running actual conservatives, instead of just people they think will satisfy the sheeple with their looks or their war record,) are often openly encouraged to switch parties at primary time and help vote-in the weaker Democrat opponent. (As a matter of fact, during the 2004 election, we Republicans were being actively encouraged by our leaders to become Democrats to try and get Dean nominated to be the Democrat facing Bush at election time. Almost worked, too :)
This case is completely different though. People are being encouraged to switch to the Republican party for no other reason than because in this particular and singular case, the primary effectively IS the election. You people that are afraid of folks switching sides during this primary because you think that Earl will get hammered, are forgetting how many Democrat friends of Earl you may be discouraging from helping him out.
The bottom line is that the hypocritical criminals in charge of the Republican and Democratic parties haven’t actually changed the rules to disallow non-land owners from voting...
…yet.
So please, take advantage of and treasure your ability to openly change your party and participate in any primary you want while you are still able.
One last thing. For what it’s worth, in my casual conversations with folks, (and I’m not going to pretend it was some huge number of people… it was about 20 totally random people of whose political affiliations I’m completely unaware,) people seem to remember drug dealers having it much easier before Earl arrived. So much so that they were shocked when they read the comment to the effect that Earl wasn’t tough on drug dealers. This was 20 out of the 11,000ish people in Sac County, and they were all from Sac and Lake View.
My personal perception too, is that drugs were far more casually accessable back in the 80's and 90's... to the point that the police were cluelessly offering on the spot amnesty to high school students for seatbelt and speeding violations if they would just please, please, tell them something, ANYTHING about where the massive quantity of drugs in Sac City were coming from.
Curt - I recently had a conversation with an attorney from a neighboring county who said essentially the same thing you said about Earl. He said that Earl comes off as a real mild-mannered guy, but is a real go-getter in the courtroom. He seemed quite surprised that the residents would be disappointed in his job performance, then added on top of that how much money he has saved our county by doing labor negotiations, which he added most attorneys, including himself, would not do. He really seems to have the respect of his colleagues. I guess that was the thing that finally pushed me over the edge and made me decide to vote for Earl. I'm sure Ben will make a fine attorney, whether it be here or somewhere else, but I have decided to cast my vote for experience.
ReplyDeletehow much $ has been saved by doing labor negotiations??
ReplyDeleteEarl has saved the county thousands of dollars in labor negotiations and the union not getting the big raises they were asking for.
ReplyDeleteEarl has saved the county thousands of dollars by working with the Board and union. A lawyer that would have to be hired by the Board costs lots of dollars an hour. With Earl, that's part of his salary. The union has not gotten away with the big raises since Earl took over. It used to be that the Board had to give up because the lawyer they had to hire cost so much, they had to quit. Go Earl!!!!
ReplyDeleteand during the past 5 years, the county attorney's budget has increased by 40%. Savings of thousands of dollars verses many more thousands of dollars of espenses!! Somehow the savings doesn't match the cost incurred!
ReplyDeleteWhat makes you people think that Ben would be unwilling to do labor negotiations. Ben is going to save our county $20,000 per year off the top by getting rid of our assistant county attorney who does very little right now. He's going to handle it all himself. You really ought to talk to Ben and find out yourself what he plans to do. GOOOOOOOO BEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGOOOOOOOOO BEN is right!!!!
ReplyDeleteanybody ever think EMS people etc.. maybe deserve raises ... just throwing it out there
ReplyDeleteI wish he would think twice about eliminating any positions right now until he gets in office. He may be eating his own words.....I believe the assistant county attorney is doing A LOT more work then he thinks....
ReplyDeleteYes, we will see just how many of his promises he will be able to keep. I hope all of them, I doubt we will get Earl to come back if we are unhappy with his job performance.
ReplyDelete