Opinion
Don Anderson is unassuming and quietly confident. Listening to Don you get the distinct feeling that he’s old school. By that I mean, if he gives you his word and offers a hand shake, that’s a deal you can take to the bank. Why do I make this observation?
Don Anderson listens more than he talks. And when he talks – he doesn’t back down. For example, Don wants to open an office in Clearlake. His opponents, Jon Hopkins and Doug Rhoades, don’t like the idea. Well, if you live anywhere in the south county area – and even if you don’t – you surely understand the area is underserved. His nay-saying opponents had a multitude of reasons why they didn’t think it was a good idea, like things are working just fine the way they are. Don was not dissuaded making the point that a leader makes priorities and budgets on that basis.
Unlike his opponents, who don’t seem to have any specific plans to bring some sunshine on their office, Don Anderson will institute both an open door policy and a citizen’s advisory board. After the now infamous Dinius case, I don’t understand why anyone would not want to involve the public in a meaningful way.
I will say Don Anderson’s opponents present well – that is they seem practiced in public speaking. That’s fine, but to do a job well, especially a leadership job like district attorney, you need to be more than a smooth talker. You need to perform well under fire – real fire that is, not just hyperbole.
I found out Don has been under fire, and in a way his opponents have not. A case in point is the implication made by Jon Hopkins that his opponents were afraid to fight for public safety, to which Don said, “Don’t look at me when you say fear of fighting for public safety. I’ve got more scars from my days as a deputy sheriff than you can know. I’ve been attacked many times, shot at twice, and shot once. I can tell you fear never has and never will stop me from doing the right thing.”
I also found out that Don was shot apprehending the killers of Sgt. Richard Helbush, his friend and co-worker. Based on this I don’t think anyone can question Don Anderson‘s courage under fire. It sure made me confident that Don will not only take on tough cases – but he’ll win.
There’s one last thing I want to share about Don Anderson. He does about 20 percent of his work pro bono. So, while his opponents are boasting their memberships in clubs and organizations, Don is out quietly helping people – in a tangible way – for free.
I, for one, am tired of slick and glossy politicians – the ones full of empty promises, who love to ride on the coat tails of anyone who will make them look good. We don’t need polished; we need honest, intelligent and capable.
The only one in the pool of candidates running for district attorney that I’m convinced will be true to his words and convictions, and who will not turn his back on you, is Don Anderson. If you haven’t already done so, take a good look at him. I did and he’s got my vote.
Jody Galvan lives in Middletown.
- Details
- Written by: Jody Galvan
The Lake County Fire Safe Council would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who made Lake County’s first Wildfire Safety Expo a success.
The support from our local fire protection districts was wonderful, and we’re deeply grateful for their participation and assistance. Having all the districts participate in the event was truly exciting. We especially appreciate their time and effort in helping to organize this first-time event.
Our thanks to Cal Fire, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management for their strong support and help in making our first event such a success. The expo was a great example of the partnership of local, state, and federal fire protection agencies coming together to serve the local citizens, and it was inspiring to see.
When it comes to partnerships, we can’t say enough about what a pleasure it was to work with Kelseyville Lumber. We’re grateful for the use of their facility, and value the assistance they gave from the planning phase, and throughout the day of the event. We look forward to working with them again, and are thankful for their generosity and belief in the Wildfire Safety Expo. Thanks also to Woody’s Café for offering that wonderful outdoor barbecue! As always, the food was great.
To the County of Lake, and the businesses, agencies and organizations that participated; thank you so much for helping our community be better prepared for this year’s fire season. We’ve already received many positive comments about the information, products, and services that were displayed at the expo, and we thank you for spending the day with us. We look forward to working with all of you next year.
Congratulations to Dan Critser of Kelseyville for being the lucky winner of the weed trimmer that was raffled during the event. We’re especially grateful to the estimated 500 citizens who took the time to visit the Wildfire Safety Expo. They were able to learn what they could do to protect their homes and help our firefighters.
As residents of Lake County, we know that fire season is not to be taken lightly. We appreciate those residents who understand that they should not rely on the fire departments alone to protect all the homes in Lake County. Visitors to this event made the effort to learn what they could do to help their homes survive a wildfire.
To our firefighters; to the men and women from our local, state, and federal fire protection agencies … thanks to all of you for the job you do, and for your dedication and commitment to protecting communities not only during wildfire season, but all year long.
We sincerely hope that the Wildfire Safety Expo helped Lake County’s citizens learn more about what they need to do to help you do your jobs. Most important, we hope they learned what they can do to help keep you safe.
Linda Juntunen is coordinator for the Lake County Fire Safe Council.
- Details
- Written by: Linda Juntunen
How to resolve AdBlock issue?