Sheriff Debate

whattheheck, We agree on this eligiblity for sheriff thing. It was brought up earlier this year but has been sweeped under the rug as of late. There's no way the Goof can win anyway. PS That antenna looks very familiar.

Could Mr. Gough be the next administrator for Anderson County and is just getting his name before the public? Just a thought.
Al Brown

How about the IED smoke just ahead?

Yes, that too.

FYI

For those who are still interested in the sheriffs race…

Oct 16th 830am.
WAIM will have a forum with John Skipper and Dennis Gough on the Rick Driver Show.

Oct 16th at 6pm.
There will be a Candidates (to include the sheriffs race) Forum at the Caroline Community Center in Williamston.
(Corner of School Street and North Hamilton Street)

Oct 17th at 800am
There will be a Sheriffs Forum at the Anderson University Library hosted by WRIX and AIM.

Vote John Skipper Nov. 4th.

Im surprised Dennis Gough has any support at all. His ideas are not very well thought through and he seems to have little knowledge of county law enforcement.

Not just county law enforcement, but State law...That is what scares me more. The fact that he is so "sue" happy is not something we need either.

Not just county law enforcement, but State law...That is what scares me more. The fact that he is so "sue" happy is not something we need either.

-whattheheck

How can he even be a candidate on the ballot if he isnt qualified? This is something I dont understand.

Loop holes in the law I would assume. I am not even going to pretend that I understand it myself. The only thing I know is that I will be voting for Mr. Skipper on Nov. 4th and I will be doing my best to get the word out to all I can do the same.

As I stated on the other forum, Dennis Gough is for the people.
Will Skipper be willing to take only $1.00 paycheck until the budget is straightened out? Mr. Gough will. Then at that point, he would take a pay check, but no more than 5 percent more than his highest paid officer.

The budget is already "strightened out" and has been according to Sheriff Crenshaw for the past two years... so I guess Mr. Gough would go in making that 5% less paycheck from the start.

It is my understanding; and that of the people who have lived here longer than say ohh...two or so years; that the budget mess was during the first full budget year of the current admin. Since that time...per the current sheriff and Anderson County records the SO has been within its budget as of late.

So I would like to ask you sir/madam...Do you know something that others do not???

Mr. Gough is nothing more than a used auto salesman with that line. And you look like you are in the need of a nice red pinto with very low miles... wink wink.

Vote John Skipper Nov. 4th

There are so many ways I could respond in this post. I could make a ton of jokes here. However this isn't a laughing matter. I could come across as mean spirited. However I think Gough's heart is in the right place, thus no reason to be mean about it. I will attempt to state the reason's one should NOT vote for Gough, and do it in a tactful, logical way.

1st. He states he will take a 1 dollar paycheck until the budget is straight. From my understanding the budget is already straight now. I was under the assumption from what I've read, that after the first or second year, Mr. Crenshaw had the budget back in the black. This being the case, It's like me saying I wont take a paycheck until I need the money. Guess what, I already need the money.

2nd. The Sheriff needs to not only have a working knowledge of the business side of administration, but needs an equal understanding of the laws of this state. I'm not even going to go into the "can he even run" argument. I'm talking about the "work at the pleasure of the Sheriff" law. Mr. Gough wants to talk of unions and FOP topics. These all sound good on paper. However, the law states that a Sheriff can let anyone go at any time for any reason. We have already seen this. Do I like this law? No. Do I understand the reason for this law? Yes. However, if I like it, or understand it, is not the issue here. The point is, it's the law, and thus I have to follow it. I'm not afraid to say I don't like, nor understand the marijuana laws. However again, it is the law, so therefore I not only follow it, but as a former narc, had to enforce it. Anyone in law enforcement has a duty to embrace, follow, and enforce the laws on the books in this State. "We did it this way in...." makes no difference. You are not "in...." anymore. Your here, in South Carolina, and therefore have to play by the rules of South Carolina.

3rd. For those who don't know, Mr. Gough is ALREADY threatening law suits. He's ALREADY talking about lawyers from New York, or something like that. This county is, and as well should be, sick and freaking tired of this "I'll sue" mentality. Our courts are tired up with such frivalous actions. We, the tax payers, are the ones who lose here. Our own county council seems to keep lawyers going at each other. It's the new "white collar drive by". Uneducated cowards settle disputes with "gats", educated cowards settle them with law suits. Either way, the one "pulling the trigger" is not the one who usually suffers. We all, as a society, suffer from this way of thinking.

4th. A Sheriff is "where the buck stops". Any mistake made in the department comes back on him. This is part of the reason for the "work at the pleasure of the Sheriff" rule Mr. Gough is not understanding. The misdeeds of a deputy, overspending, misspending, statements to the press, or public, or mistakes made by the Sheriff's office that free guilty suspects, all fall back on the Sheriff. In light of this, a Sheriff needs to have the ability to be thorough, complete, and precise in all he does, as well as all he represents. He needs to ALWAYS strive to make sure his "I's" are dotted, and his "T's" are crossed. We are fortunate enough to have a glimpse of Mr. Gough's ability at this by checking his very own web page. From what I've been reading on AIM, I decided to check his web page out. As well as I'd advise all of you to do. It's http://www.sheriffforthepeople.com/. I want each undecided voter to check this out and tell me, does it appear to you that this man has the ability to cross his "I"s" and dot his "T"s". Again, it would be funny if this issue where not so important. I will let you look at it, and you be the judge. I don't expect perfection in anyone. I do hope, want, and expect a constant drive for perfection however. Do you see this in this web page? Those with children in at least middle school, have them check it out and see if they can find the numerous mistakes in this web page. We have already paid for an accountant to keep up with the budget. Are we now going to have to pay for an editor as well. A thousand other people making a mistake does not negate the fact if I, or anyone else makes them. And if by chance (or more common, by probability) I make one, then you better be dang sure when it's pointed out, I'm going to try to go back and fix it. These inexcusable mistakes have been pointed out several times. The answer seems to be, "everybody makes mistakes" or something along the lines of "he's not an English teacher". Is this how all mistakes are going to be handled? Is this the type response to mistakes we want from our Sheriff."

5th. As someone put it on another site, Mr. Gough is like a used car salesman. His "I've worked with so and so" is nothing more than an attempt to sound impressive. I myself have worked cases with DEA, SLED, FBI, Secret Service, DNR, and numerous other county, State, and Federal agencies. Does this sound impressive? Of course, to someone who doesn't know the whole story. Let me give you an example here. As a rookie road deputy in Greenville county, a bank was in the process of being robbed in Greenville county, right at the county/city line. There so happen to be a city officer close by who arrived while the suspect was still in the bank. A hostage situation arose at this point. I happened to just be leaving Bob Jones University after a day at the pool for dive team training. This bank was only a block away. I arrived as the second officer on scene. I held a perimeter as other officers arrived. In time the FBI, hostage negotiators, SWAT, EMS, aviation units, as well as other agencies arrived. All I did here was stand by my car, about 100 yards away and watch the bank. That's ALL I did, while all these other agencies did what they do. Now, I could honestly say, on that day for a quiet a few hours I worked with the FBI, SWAT, hostage negotiators, and all the rest that were there. The thing is "working WITH" someone means nothing. It sounds great on paper. However the times you are "lead" agent is the one's that are impressive, and something to tell. By calling to attention to cases I've "worked with so and so" shows how few times I've actually been "lead". When you try to sell me a car, if you go on and on about how new the windshield wipers are, it leads me to believe there is not much nice about the REST of the car. All this "I've worked with" and "I'll take a dollar pay" and "I'll do like a Sheriff almost a whole county away does", are nothing more than light shows, smoke, and fireworks covering up a singer with no talent.

6th. This whole "Sheriff Joe Arpaio thing is another example of both "smoke and fireworks" and not understanding our State laws. Mr. Gough, the Sheriff does not run a prison, it's a jail. There are a lot of people in jail who have not been convicted of anything. They are, by law, innocent people. (again "by law") How are you going to make all these innocent people do all these things you've talked about? Again, this all sounds good on paper, but let's see how these actions and "savings of tax payers money really work out. From http://www.arpaio.com/wordpress/?p=91 we see the results of Mr. Gough's hero and one whom he wants to run OUR Sheriff's office like:

"Vermin, filth, medical care suggestive of POW camps, chronic mismanagement, the wanton destruction of records, and a steady parade of corpses in Maricopa County jails have cost taxpayers an astonishing — and until now, undisclosed — 41.4 million dollars.

Joe Arpaio has perpetuated his reign as “America’s toughest sheriff” with an open checkbook.

Your open checkbook."

Which in turn would be "OUR" open checkbook. Again, all this "tough on prisoners" stuff sounds good, until we start actually paying for it. 41.4 MILLION. I have to say, after that figure I'd carry Mr. Crenshaw on my shoulders back into the offices on Camson Rd.

7th. All these things I've listed still don't come down to the simple fact, John Skipper is qualified, experienced, and intelligent enough to do the job he is running for. I don't care who he used to work for. I'm tired of this "but he worked for Taylor" stuff. Crenshaw worked for Duck. Most officers who have worked in law enforcement (well most anyone who has worked in anything) has worked for substandard supervision before. (I am by NO means saying Taylor was substandard. I worked for him and enjoyed the experience greatly.) If anything, working for a substandard supervisor will show you how NOT to do things. I'll judge the man, and who he appoints to what, before I'll give a rip about who he used to work for. Say what you will Mr. Gough, I'm sure from the places you've worked, I can find one or two knuckleheads you've worked for. Are you saying this just isn't the case?

Now, I hope I have put out what I'm seeing, in an informative way. It would have been way to easy to joke and scorn here. I think Mr. Gough may truly have great intentions, and a great heart. He does seem to have a bit of temper problem however, judging from the debate. However I will let that slide as passion there. Nothing wrong with passion about the job. Heck I was the same way. You just have to know how to control that passion. I don't know if I, or anyone, can change anyone's mind on how they vote. I just want to try to clear this picture up for those who may be blinded by the smoke and lightshow. If you want to find out the truth about a used car, don't ask the salesman, take it to a mechanic.

Why this discussion? Gough according to state law is not elgible to run for sheriff.

-a-venter

The budget is already "strightened out" and has been according to Sheriff Crenshaw for the past two years... so I guess Mr. Gough would go in making that 5% less paycheck from the start.

It is my understanding; and that of the people who have lived here longer than say ohh...two or so years; that the budget mess was during the first full budget year of the current admin. Since that time...per the current sheriff and Anderson County records the SO has been within its budget as of late.

So I would like to ask you sir/madam...Do you know something that others do not???

Mr. Gough is nothing more than a used auto salesman with that line. And you look like you are in the need of a nice red pinto with very low miles... wink wink.

Vote John Skipper Nov. 4th

-whattheheck

Ditto. All this was straightened out after year one. Once Crenshaw took his budget over and separated it from the county he had no further problems. There was no debate; it was Skipper all the way. Gough has no clear understanding of what he can and cannot do under South Carolina law.