Since I've spent a fair amount of time over the years involved with many different issues involving the sheriff's office (Taser use policy, anti-nepotism policy, Internet technology and used equipment purchasing policy, Drug Enforcement Administration anti-pot funding, LCSO weapons choice, night time speed limit on the lake, and was chosen by the sheriff to screen questions for him on the Dinius case, etc.), I can say that I have had a lot of opportunities to get to know Rod Mitchell.

I have found him to be an intelligent, articulate and skilled debater, and have been impressed with his willingness to change his position over time when the facts warrant it.

However, for years I have believed that because of a two-tiered system of discipline at the LCSO there was trouble ahead, and that concern has been proven correct as we see multiple lawsuits filed against the sheriff/LCSO by deputies who claim this is true.

But the moment I knew that I couldn't vote for Mitchell was when he came to the Board of Supevisors a full week after the helicopter crash and told the board, “I haven't had a chance to talk to Dave (Garzoli) about it.'”

It was an in-your-face way of saying that he didn't give a damn about the outcry over this fiasco coming either from the public or the supervisors.

Rod Mitchell has always resented the fact that the Board of Supervisors holds his purse strings and has to approve every dime the LCSO spends, he seems completely unclear on the fact that this system was created to provide a check-and-balance function that encourages proper oversight and is a vital protection against abuse – maybe this is why no supervisor has endorsed him.

Then came the Rhonda Rully complaint against Mitchell's rival, Deputy Francisco Rivero. It's a clear example of an abuse of power as this nonevent should have been cleared up in an afternoon rather than be drug out for months in an obvious effort to unfairly discredit Rivero.

The last point I'd like to make is how could anyone make a case for the LCSO being in good hands when we've seen so many deputies fired (Beland, Morshed, Perdock, Garzoli, Correctional Officer Rusty Wright) and others have quit in disgust. Rod Mitchell has to be held accountable for his major staffing problems.

I think Frank Rivero is a good man but don't believe he can gain the confidence of the bulk of the public and the deputies. It's clear to me that the only man who can do that is Jack Baxter.

Baxter has shown he has far more experience, integrity and better judgment than his two rivals so he has my vote.

I hope he will have yours, too, so the LCSO can get back to fighting crime instead of battling itself.

Philip Murphy lives in Lakeport.