Dear Editor…

In the SJ Update mailbag today we find this letter from Tom Evans in Olga…

The Art Of The Steal

Good government is priceless.

But it’s being stolen from us.

I have 44 years of experience practicing law. Prosecutor. Assistant DA. Assistant AG. Attorney for three different police departments. City Attorney for 27 years. State Court. Federal Court. Court of Appeals. U.S. Supreme Court.

I know good government when I see it.

Randy Gaylord represents good government. His opponent does not.

Randy’s opponent makes his money mostly by suing San Juan County. In other words, by suing you, the taxpayer.

Randy’s opponent has many lawsuits/claims against SJC. One of these is about placement of political signs.

There was no need for this lawsuit. No one, I repeat, no one ever questioned the lack of enforceability.

Randy’s opponent saw an opportunity to make money on this. Ride in, legal guns blazing, and shoot what amounts to a dead horse. Ask for $10,000 of taxpayer money for “saving” us from something that had never happened and would never happen.

Randy’s opponent also knows he must blame the victim. “Gaylord, you did this terrible thing. You left an ordinance on the books covering something that never happened/never would happen, and you did this because you are the incumbent and you wanted to make it tougher on your opponent.” [paraphrasing]

Yet another perfectly honest, hard-working public official spends countless, unnecessary hours defending against an opponent-opportunist intent on trashing his reputation, government, and taking taxpayer money.

The other suits – one demands $10 million against SJC – giving Randy’s opponent a typical $3 million fee of interest. Randy’s team has also been threatened. His opponent says he will file an ethics complaint unless he is paid $4,200. Alex McCloud chides Randy in that same case for making a “Federal Case” by going to Federal Court thus eliminating local bias, insuring a fair trial, and handing off the time loss and legal defense expense to our insurance carrier.

The Art Of The Steal is playing out right here – right now – and is perfectly capable of doing the same kind of damage we see nationally. We must never, ever stop paying attention.

Tom Evans
Olga

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