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Opinion
I am proud to publicly offer my personal endorsement of Anthony Farrington for district attorney.
For years, I struggled living in a domestic violence situation with my children and pets in Lake County. My job knew about it, my kids' school knew, my neighbors knew. It was a humiliating and lonely time for me. I didn’t stay in the situation because I wanted to, but because I had to stay at that time. Domestic violence is not only physical. In fact, it is physical after periods of financial, emotional & mental abuse. Coercive control plays a huge role in why many victims of domestic violence stay for as long as they do.
Eventually, I realized that I needed to get out of the situation and fast, that he wasn’t going to just change into this different person and I wasn't being a great parent by staying with an abusive partner regardless of the reasons why.
I started calling the police for help on a regular basis. Sometimes they would show up and other times they would not. Nothing good would ever come from calling the police for help, at least not for me. Dispatch was rude and the police didn’t have the ability to help even though they wanted to and encouraged me to keep contacting the DA’s Office. I felt helpless and even suicidal at times.
It was on me to find a way out of the situation I was in on my own. As such, I needed to hire an attorney to help me, and so I hired Anthony Farrington. He listened to me. He heard me and understood how difficult my situation was. He knew it wasn't as simple as just leaving.
I wasn’t fighting this battle alone anymore, I finally had someone who believed I could get out of this with my children. The court had let me down time and time again by allowing my abuser to contact me and violate the restraining order with no repercussions. I would report the violations, but once they got to the District Attorney’s office under Susan Krones nothing was ever done, so my abuser continued to contact me for years until I had finally escaped his grip.
Enough was enough. After obtaining a three-year permanent domestic violence restraining order, I had no choice but to let the protective order expire, and in doing so, I made a personal decision not to testify in a criminal matter that was filed years later.
I needed to get my peace back and this was a decision I had to make. The courts and the District Attorney’s Office were not helping anybody. They were unorganized and unprofessional at best.
It appeared to me that the District Attorney’s Office was treading water and about to drown. They allowed my abuser to repeatedly traumatize me even more through the court system.
In 2022, I finally had enough of the back and forth between the court and the District Attorney’s Office, and gave up trying to fight for my peace, or boundaries and/or any kind of “justice.” My abuser moved out of state and today continues to contact me on a weekly basis, but now I have the skills after many years of therapy to deal with it and my children are safe with me thanks to Anthony's persistence in working so hard for us.
During trial and throughout all the law enforcement calls and inaction by the District Attorney’s Office, Anthony never gave up. He was tenacious and always had myself and my children’s best interests at heart; and even though he fought an uphill battle for us, he made sure my children and I were as safe as we could be. He always took my calls and called me back.
He genuinely cares about the citizens of Lake County, our children and our well-being. He would make an excellent district attorney, one that we could trust to fight for victims of domestic violence by giving them a strong voice followed by action.
He will be a district attorney who will stand up to criminals and hold them accountable. He will help the police get the backup from the DA’s Office they desperately need to get things done in this county.
Ashley Martin lives in Clearlake, California.
For years, I struggled living in a domestic violence situation with my children and pets in Lake County. My job knew about it, my kids' school knew, my neighbors knew. It was a humiliating and lonely time for me. I didn’t stay in the situation because I wanted to, but because I had to stay at that time. Domestic violence is not only physical. In fact, it is physical after periods of financial, emotional & mental abuse. Coercive control plays a huge role in why many victims of domestic violence stay for as long as they do.
Eventually, I realized that I needed to get out of the situation and fast, that he wasn’t going to just change into this different person and I wasn't being a great parent by staying with an abusive partner regardless of the reasons why.
I started calling the police for help on a regular basis. Sometimes they would show up and other times they would not. Nothing good would ever come from calling the police for help, at least not for me. Dispatch was rude and the police didn’t have the ability to help even though they wanted to and encouraged me to keep contacting the DA’s Office. I felt helpless and even suicidal at times.
It was on me to find a way out of the situation I was in on my own. As such, I needed to hire an attorney to help me, and so I hired Anthony Farrington. He listened to me. He heard me and understood how difficult my situation was. He knew it wasn't as simple as just leaving.
I wasn’t fighting this battle alone anymore, I finally had someone who believed I could get out of this with my children. The court had let me down time and time again by allowing my abuser to contact me and violate the restraining order with no repercussions. I would report the violations, but once they got to the District Attorney’s office under Susan Krones nothing was ever done, so my abuser continued to contact me for years until I had finally escaped his grip.
Enough was enough. After obtaining a three-year permanent domestic violence restraining order, I had no choice but to let the protective order expire, and in doing so, I made a personal decision not to testify in a criminal matter that was filed years later.
I needed to get my peace back and this was a decision I had to make. The courts and the District Attorney’s Office were not helping anybody. They were unorganized and unprofessional at best.
It appeared to me that the District Attorney’s Office was treading water and about to drown. They allowed my abuser to repeatedly traumatize me even more through the court system.
In 2022, I finally had enough of the back and forth between the court and the District Attorney’s Office, and gave up trying to fight for my peace, or boundaries and/or any kind of “justice.” My abuser moved out of state and today continues to contact me on a weekly basis, but now I have the skills after many years of therapy to deal with it and my children are safe with me thanks to Anthony's persistence in working so hard for us.
During trial and throughout all the law enforcement calls and inaction by the District Attorney’s Office, Anthony never gave up. He was tenacious and always had myself and my children’s best interests at heart; and even though he fought an uphill battle for us, he made sure my children and I were as safe as we could be. He always took my calls and called me back.
He genuinely cares about the citizens of Lake County, our children and our well-being. He would make an excellent district attorney, one that we could trust to fight for victims of domestic violence by giving them a strong voice followed by action.
He will be a district attorney who will stand up to criminals and hold them accountable. He will help the police get the backup from the DA’s Office they desperately need to get things done in this county.
Ashley Martin lives in Clearlake, California.
- Details
- Written by: Ashley Martin
I recently read that Mrs. Rena Roush from Kelseyville Unified was named teacher of the year for Lake County 2022.
I am writing this letter to commend that choice and offer additional praise for her.
My son was a student in good standing at Kelseyville High School in 2020 when the pandemic closures began.
He had a difficult time navigating the murky waters of the COVID shutdown situation with the teachers and the administration at Kelseyville High School so much so that he was considering dropping out of high school completely. In fact, we pleaded with the school board to help us to no avail.
Luckily, we found Mrs. Roush at the Kelseyville Learning Academy and she was instrumental in helping my son complete the high school education that he deserved.
He enrolled as a dual enrollment student at Mendocino College and earned double credit toward high school and completed online courses that were equivalent to what he could have done in person. He graduated six months early and is poised to attend the college of his choice.
She taught with compassion and a keen perception of students' learning needs.
I commend the Lake County Office of Education for choosing Mrs. Roush as the teacher of the year because not only was she a beacon in the fog for our son, she renewed our trust in public education.
We are so thankful for her efforts in assisting our son to achieve a high school diploma and for her efforts in helping him learn that challenges can be overcome with perseverance and a positive attitude.
Thank you, Mrs. Roush, this is a well-deserved award. You will be a part of our family story forever. You have made a difference in our lives.
Pilar White lives in Kelseyville, California.
I am writing this letter to commend that choice and offer additional praise for her.
My son was a student in good standing at Kelseyville High School in 2020 when the pandemic closures began.
He had a difficult time navigating the murky waters of the COVID shutdown situation with the teachers and the administration at Kelseyville High School so much so that he was considering dropping out of high school completely. In fact, we pleaded with the school board to help us to no avail.
Luckily, we found Mrs. Roush at the Kelseyville Learning Academy and she was instrumental in helping my son complete the high school education that he deserved.
He enrolled as a dual enrollment student at Mendocino College and earned double credit toward high school and completed online courses that were equivalent to what he could have done in person. He graduated six months early and is poised to attend the college of his choice.
She taught with compassion and a keen perception of students' learning needs.
I commend the Lake County Office of Education for choosing Mrs. Roush as the teacher of the year because not only was she a beacon in the fog for our son, she renewed our trust in public education.
We are so thankful for her efforts in assisting our son to achieve a high school diploma and for her efforts in helping him learn that challenges can be overcome with perseverance and a positive attitude.
Thank you, Mrs. Roush, this is a well-deserved award. You will be a part of our family story forever. You have made a difference in our lives.
Pilar White lives in Kelseyville, California.
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- Written by: Pilar White
Over the years, I haven’t paid much attention to the job of treasurer-tax collector, and now I realize it is so much more than just collecting property taxes.
After listening to Patrick Sullivan on the campaign trail, I also see how much our county has been held back by poor policies and practices. We could be enjoying a more robust county budget.
Patrick Sullivan was recruited to work in Lake County three years ago to work on the county administrative officer’s staff to address some of the long-neglected issues in the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office utilizing the experience he had gained working on similar programs in Mendocino County.
County funds were being kept in no or low interest-bearing accounts; he brought in professional money management which will result in a several million dollar boost to our returns over the next five years.
He instituted a program to locate all of the vacation rental properties in the county and ensure they were paying the required taxes to the county — many were not. And, in anticipation of finally making sense of the tax defaulted property situation and whittling down the backlog, Mr. Sullivan worked with the other departments in the county to set up a GIS site on the county website where anyone can view all the properties on a map and the minimum bid required on each. You can see it here: http://gispublic.co.lake.ca.us/portal/home/.
He has many solid ideas that he wants to implement when elected Lake County’s treasurer-tax collector. The defaulted tax rolls contain many properties where the penalties owed are more than the property is worth. They become dumping grounds that blight neighborhoods and cause added strain on code enforcement. There are many programs that can turn these properties into good use by our communities.
Patrick Sullivan wants to speed up the processing of tax payments and add additional payment options for making payments online. It is possible that through greater use of credit card payment acceptance across county departments, the cost to use credit cards for payments could be lowered.
Finally, Mr. Sullivan will work on building a strong staff with cross-training and opportunities for advancement within the department. It makes no sense to abandon programs because the person responsible for it retires. There are also programs we are not using, despite having the software available to do so, that would bring in much needed funds e.g., the ability to intercept state income tax refunds from people who owe money to the county.
It is tough work to rebuild a department, but Patrick Sullivan has the skills and know how to take our Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office to the next level. Please see his list of more than 150 endorsers who agree with me. www.patricksullivanforlakecountytreasurer.com/endorsements.
Please vote for Patrick Sullivan for treasurer-tax collector on June 7. It will be better for all of us.
Mary Benson lives in Lower Lake, Calif.
After listening to Patrick Sullivan on the campaign trail, I also see how much our county has been held back by poor policies and practices. We could be enjoying a more robust county budget.
Patrick Sullivan was recruited to work in Lake County three years ago to work on the county administrative officer’s staff to address some of the long-neglected issues in the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office utilizing the experience he had gained working on similar programs in Mendocino County.
County funds were being kept in no or low interest-bearing accounts; he brought in professional money management which will result in a several million dollar boost to our returns over the next five years.
He instituted a program to locate all of the vacation rental properties in the county and ensure they were paying the required taxes to the county — many were not. And, in anticipation of finally making sense of the tax defaulted property situation and whittling down the backlog, Mr. Sullivan worked with the other departments in the county to set up a GIS site on the county website where anyone can view all the properties on a map and the minimum bid required on each. You can see it here: http://gispublic.co.lake.ca.us/portal/home/.
He has many solid ideas that he wants to implement when elected Lake County’s treasurer-tax collector. The defaulted tax rolls contain many properties where the penalties owed are more than the property is worth. They become dumping grounds that blight neighborhoods and cause added strain on code enforcement. There are many programs that can turn these properties into good use by our communities.
Patrick Sullivan wants to speed up the processing of tax payments and add additional payment options for making payments online. It is possible that through greater use of credit card payment acceptance across county departments, the cost to use credit cards for payments could be lowered.
Finally, Mr. Sullivan will work on building a strong staff with cross-training and opportunities for advancement within the department. It makes no sense to abandon programs because the person responsible for it retires. There are also programs we are not using, despite having the software available to do so, that would bring in much needed funds e.g., the ability to intercept state income tax refunds from people who owe money to the county.
It is tough work to rebuild a department, but Patrick Sullivan has the skills and know how to take our Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office to the next level. Please see his list of more than 150 endorsers who agree with me. www.patricksullivanforlakecountytreasurer.com/endorsements.
Please vote for Patrick Sullivan for treasurer-tax collector on June 7. It will be better for all of us.
Mary Benson lives in Lower Lake, Calif.
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- Written by: Mary Benson
I received a flyer from Anthony Farrington who is running for district attorney.
In it he states, “Lake County motels have become magnets and safe havens for criminals and a revolving door for the homeless.”
I find this statement to be disrespectful to the motel owners and the homeless.
Motel owners provide a service to our county and are respected and valued business people. Mr. Farrington states that he will work with local code enforcement to fine or jail motel owners that he deems to be noncompliant. Does that mean that a motel owner would need to do background and criminal checks on every guest?
Actually, this a moot point as the DA's Office has no jurisdiction over zoning laws and enforcement.
Regarding “being a revolving door for the homeless,” why is this a problem for Mr. Farrington? If a person without a home gets to spend any time at all in a motel, it is a well-deserved respite from the misery of the streets.
At a debate, Mr. Farrington stated that to combat homelessness we must fund law enforcement. Is that really his solution to helping the homeless? Also, the DA’s Office has no control over funding law enforcement so again, it is a moot point and demonstrates his lack of understanding of the DA’s role.
I am voting to reelect Susan Krones as district attorney. She has a proven reputation for being ethical and a fighter for everyone's rights. She knows the law and what is or is not in the jurisdiction of the DA’s Office.
Experience is everything. Ms. Krones has 26 years of experience in the DA’s Office and 6 years as an Army captain. She knows the laws and keeps up to date on the myriad changes.
Please check her web page to see the multitude of endorsements she has received, and they still keep coming. That is because people in our county know she is the best candidate.
Join us in voting to reelect Susan Krones for DA on June 7.
Pollyann Johnston lives in Kelseyville, Calif.
In it he states, “Lake County motels have become magnets and safe havens for criminals and a revolving door for the homeless.”
I find this statement to be disrespectful to the motel owners and the homeless.
Motel owners provide a service to our county and are respected and valued business people. Mr. Farrington states that he will work with local code enforcement to fine or jail motel owners that he deems to be noncompliant. Does that mean that a motel owner would need to do background and criminal checks on every guest?
Actually, this a moot point as the DA's Office has no jurisdiction over zoning laws and enforcement.
Regarding “being a revolving door for the homeless,” why is this a problem for Mr. Farrington? If a person without a home gets to spend any time at all in a motel, it is a well-deserved respite from the misery of the streets.
At a debate, Mr. Farrington stated that to combat homelessness we must fund law enforcement. Is that really his solution to helping the homeless? Also, the DA’s Office has no control over funding law enforcement so again, it is a moot point and demonstrates his lack of understanding of the DA’s role.
I am voting to reelect Susan Krones as district attorney. She has a proven reputation for being ethical and a fighter for everyone's rights. She knows the law and what is or is not in the jurisdiction of the DA’s Office.
Experience is everything. Ms. Krones has 26 years of experience in the DA’s Office and 6 years as an Army captain. She knows the laws and keeps up to date on the myriad changes.
Please check her web page to see the multitude of endorsements she has received, and they still keep coming. That is because people in our county know she is the best candidate.
Join us in voting to reelect Susan Krones for DA on June 7.
Pollyann Johnston lives in Kelseyville, Calif.
- Details
- Written by: Pollyann Johnston