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| ELECT ROB BOVETT 4/30/2008 ELECT ROB BOVETT It is said that all politics are local, and no cliché could be more true for Lincoln County voters when they consider their ballots for the May 20, 2008 primary election. If you listen to the pundits, the Democratic nomination for President will go to Barack Obama, as once again Oregon voters are left in the cold in the decision making process.
And you'll be asked to choose from six Democrats to see which one will serve as cannon fodder this November when they will face Republican incumbent Gordon Smith in the race for the U.S. Senate. The only meaningful decision Lincoln Co. voters will make this May 20 is to choose between incumbent Bernice Barnett and challenger Rob Bovett to decide who will sit in the District Attorney's office for the next four years. And our money is on Rob Bovett. Why do Lincoln Co. leaders, all four county law enforcement associations, more than 40 individual peace officers and many attorneys in private practice back Bovett? Because they believe that change is needed, and needed now, in the office of the District Attorney. The entire law enforcement community, including former prosecutors, has said that under Ms. Barnett's stewardship, cases linger on the District Attorney's desk, and because of the resulting delays criminals are not promptly held accountable and commit more crimes. Depoe Bay's Rhonda Newman is a case in point. Last May 11, she was arrested on two felony charges. She was arrested twice more, including another felony arrest before being arrested once again on felony and misdemeanor charges on Jan. 31, 2008. All four cases will be tried May 28, 12 ½ months after the initial charges. It is also said that Ms. Barnett's mismanagement of the office chases away experienced prosecutors and staff and that her micromanagement of law enforcement and other partners has led to a breakdown in collaboration. These three factors combine to explain Lincoln County's soaring crime rate while the rest of the state enjoys a decline. Instead of addressing these issues head on, Ms. Barnett's campaign has taken the low road to date by attacking Mr. Bovett. She has said that Bovett's support from the law enforcement community makes him beholden to them. Nothing could be further from the truth. In the war on meth, Mr. Bovett has consistently taken the lead. He authored Oregon's trailblazing law that restricted purchase of the necessary ingredients to manufacture meth, leading to a 96% decline in meth labs in Oregon. If anything, law enforcement owes Mr. Bovett a debt of gratitude. Ms. Barnett attacks Mr. Bovett's lack of management skills rather than discussing the shortcomings, real or perceived, engendered by her management of the office. She questions his crime statistics frequently, but they come straight from the State of Oregon and are not subject to the local massaging of the numbers she presents to her audiences. Ms. Barnett declined to meet Mr. Bovett in a debate in Depoe Bay sponsored by the Beacon, even though she was offered a choice of dates and starting times, a neutral moderator and questions taken from other debates in the county. By contrast, Mr. Bovett reserved both proposed dates on his calendar. By her inaction, Ms. Bovett deprived voters from Otter Rock to Gleneden Beach of the chance to learn more about both candidate's positions. Among the broad spectrum of supporters stepping up to the plate for Rob Bovett you'll find Lincoln County Sheriff Dennis Dotson, Lincoln County Commissioner Don Lindly, Former Lincoln County District Attorney Daniel Glode, City of Depoe Bay Mayor Jim White, respected Newport attorney Jeff Ouderkirk and the Editorial Board of the Depoe Bay Beacon. Your ballots for the May 20 election will arrive in the mail shortly. If you want a cohesive, integrated law enforcement system in Lincoln County to protect your home, property and identity, watch over your personal safety and put criminals behind bars on a timely basis, please join us and elect Rob Bovett as our District Attorney. Author Name Staff - |
