The recent series of articles on the Benton County Sheriff’s Office should cause us to reflect on how we select people for top law enforcement positions, particularly sheriff.

Sheriffs in Oregon are much like CEOs of private companies. Our sheriff is responsible for a diverse collection of public safety activities including patrol, investigation, jail, parole and probation, civil paper service and emergency management.

While sheriffs do not necessarily need direct experience in all areas, they must have an overall knowledge of how the components interact to avoid inefficiency or even chaos. It is important that sheriffs possess legitimate degrees from accredited institutions of higher education.

Unlike the deputies they oversee, sheriffs are responsible for securing appropriate levels of funding from commissioners, making complex presentations to citizens and business owners, developing strategic plans and managing multi-million dollar budgets. CEOs of companies commonly hold a master’s degree in administration, and for good reason.

Finally, sheriffs must possess absolute integrity. Citizens entrust them with their safety and need to know they are trustworthy. People who fudge facts, submit improper paperwork or cut corners to achieve goals do not have the strength of character to be sheriff. We can look at other jurisdictions where the wrong people were elected sheriff.

Past history is the best indicator of future behavior. As citizens in a constitutional democracy, we should learn all we can about our sheriff candidates, demand that they provide us with solid, specific plans rather than vague promises and hold them accountable for their actions.

Steven J. Oldenstadt

Chief corrections Deputy (retired)

Benton County

Sheriff’s Office

Corvallis

Burright still right man for sheriff job

It is readily apparent that Diana Simpson-Godfrey (her real name) is running scared in the sheriff’s race. We have heard nothing out of her camp other than negative politics, the latest being the flap over Jack Burright’s educational background.

I have a few questions: Don’t we always hear that personnel records are confidential? How did material in Burright’s personnel file get out? Someone perhaps higher up than Burright leaked it?

Since Burright’s entire life is now out in the open, I’d like to know what’s in Simpson-Godfrey’s file. I’m going down to the sheriff’s office this morning and asking for a copy of Simpson-Godrey’s entire life history. I don’t think I’ll get it, but it’s worth a try.

Simpson-Godfrey continues to show me that she is unfit to be the sheriff of Benton County. I’m still voting for Burright. Please join me in doing the same.

Tim Smith

Corvallis

Burright left some questions pending

In reference to Shirley Golden’s letter calling Diana Simpson a true politician, I have to get the following cleared up for me:

Is it Diana Simpson’s fault that Jack Burright did not graduate from high school? Is she also to blame that he purchased a degree from a degree mill and “didn’t think” it was illegal to put that in his resume?

I cannot even fathom how unfair this is to the voters of this county to be informed about this before the election. I think we should have found out after he was elected (should he have won, that is.) That would make everybody feel so much better.

Or is the rule, “If the sheriff does it, it’s not illegal”? Maybe he should just skip that sheriff’s business and go straight for the GOP nomination for president. I think his “discrepancies” would just be small potatoes for those guys.

Christine Waterman

Corvallis

Sheriff should be someone clever

Regarding Shirley Golden’s May 12 letter, “Burright story was an election plant”:

So, Shirley Golden, are you saying Jack Burright did not pretend he had a real degree? He didn’t lie, in other words, and it’s all just political?

It would take a moron to think one of those online degree mills would grant a real credible degree, especially when you have to pay more for summa cum laude. Not that I haven’t thought of going that route to speed up my current nonexistent career options. Hey, I have tons of life experience. Man, I bet I qualify for 10 or more advanced degrees.

So let’s assume Burright is not a moron. Well, then he falsified records. So let’s say Sgt. Burright arrests someone who lies to him in the course of the arrest and the sergeant with the fake degree gets all bent out of shape, claiming it’s against the law to lie to a cop. Whoops. He couldn’t really say that with a straight face.

I mean, I’m sure Shirley Golden wants to vote him in as sheriff, but seriously, he listed an online fake degree as credentials!

I’m sure friends of his are writing letters to defend him. That’s nice. But look, he made some very serious mistakes, and you can paint it as political but fact is, he did it. So, you know, that’s the way it goes.

I want a sheriff smart enough to lie without getting caught. Know what I mean?

Jody Harmon

Corvallis

Tax the annoying cell phone users

A group of corporations sent me a card asking me to write a letter to the editor, so how could I refuse?

I say “Yes!” to a 5 percent tax on cell phones in Corvallis! These scoundrels have been using the public domain for profit without paying for it (the public “airwaves,” over which signals are sent).

They think they don’t have to pay their fair share for the government services we all use, as regular phone companies must do.

In addition, I have to put up with competing cell phone towers sprouting up all over the valley, drivers almost running me over while yapping away on the phone and having to listen to people engaged in the most inane conversations imaginable (“Wassup?” “I dunno” “I’m eating a candy bar”) just because they have unlimited minutes.

Actually, a 5 percent tax is not enough. We should outlaw talking on the phone while driving, and then tax cell phones 50 percent so that we can afford enough police to enforce it!

Andrew Gray

Corvallis