In Response to a recent KCDZ Editorial:

Was Supervisor Derry deliberately hiding a campaign contribution by allowing Postmus to hold it for him?

I don’t know but I know this. There was a lot of finger pointing and plenty of desperate accusations as our drug addicted Tax Assessor and his pill popping entourage bit the dust!

I think the circumstances indicate Derry was guilty of a brain-fart ok, but if you think him a criminal consider that the California State Attorney General Jerry Brown, a democrat and aspiring Governor, would have certainly prosecuted a crooked republican County Supervisor, if he thought there was a chance to prevail.

Truly the AG felt the facts couldn’t support a conviction or he wouldn’t have offered a deal but why did Derry take the deal?
Whether one is guilty or not, going to court is a crapshoot… in slow motion. Derry had a better than even chance to win and if he didn’t the appeals process could delay punishment for many more years anyway. So again, why would he accept a deal, especially if he was innocent of any wrongdoing?

Well, let’s remember that as long as those charges were pending Derry’s voting ability was restricted by law and that situation was handicapping our county’s entire supervisory process and hindering our district’s participation in matters important to us.
Imagine the difficult decision he had to make. A long battle to clear his name would impede his ability to properly serve because the restrictions would continue as long as the case was open. By accepting the deal and settling the case he could properly resume his responsibility to us but it would leave us wondering if he really was trying to hide the $5,000 that was contributed to his campaign… by a contractor friend of Postmus’.

We should understand that a trial would have taken years and even a favorable outcome would not restore his reputation. It was in the toilet from the moment he was accused. Only hard work and time can fix that but here is what is most important to all of us. Continuing the restrictions would have left the legitimacy of many important Board decisions in question. It was an unacceptable situation that had to be corrected. He corrected it.

Dear Mr. Daigneault:
I think Supervisor Derry was wrongly charged and would have eventually been exonerated. You obviously disagree and that’s alright but he did do what was needed to restore this district’s full voting power and our contribution to San Bernardino County’s future.

I hope you realize the use of your station to demonize our Supervisor is the same as campaigning for his challenger and I wonder if you really think Mr. Ramos will give the Morongo Basin the hands on attention Supervisor Derry has.

Derry actually attends our MAC meetings and other important functions. Do you think Ramos will?

Derry has helped our club with desert clean ups, particularly with the tricky and ongoing problem of the disposal of thousands of tires. I cannot picture Ramos being bothered.

Derry attends the meetings and supports the efforts of many of the Basin’s non-profits and often provides some pretty good entertainment at fundraisers too. Derry does Sinatra, what does Ramos do?

Derry balanced the budget without raising taxes three years in a row. He cut back on the perks elected officials get. He cut his own pay by 25%. He authored the sunshine ordinance. Does Mr. Ramos even know what the sunshine ordinance is? Ask him.

Derry is fighting recent regulation that denies building permits for homes that must use hauled water and he is fighting the unrealistic and unnecessary changes the state is proposing for septic system regulations that will adversely affect our friends and neighbors in the unincorporated desert areas. Ramos knew nothing about these issues when he attended the Lucerne forum. I doubt he knows today.

Derry exposed the now infamous “San Bernardino International Airport Scam”. He restored property rights by abolishing the OHV permitting nonsense. He took an active role and was no small part of stopping “Green Path North”. He has taken the lead in the effort to stop the “Illegal Fire Tax”.

Derry secured the funding for the well at the Johnson Valley Improvement Association. He is a regular at Homestead Valley events and I think organizations in Morongo, Yucca, Joshua Tree and 29 could make equally appreciative reports.

Derry recently took a stand against the sale of Cadiz water which I don’t think is as popular a position as the squawking minority would like us to believe. Nonetheless it’s another issue our friend from the reservation knew nothing about.
Mr. Daigneault, irrespective of the charge that was subsequently reduced, I do believe Supervisor Derry has earned our support.

Mike Hawkins, Yucca Valley