From the blog on DeLucaShow.net:
\”Sheriff Roscoe P. Swanson has suffered some much deserved criticizm over the air courtesy of me in the past year. From the Hope Steffie incident to budget mismanagement (including the nice Lexus he drives at taxpayer expense), I\’ve taken every opportunity to remind Stark County how inept this individual is at running one of the most important governmental offices.
In November the \”not so bright\” electorate of Stark County voted this incompetant bumpkin back into office. His challenger, the much more experienced and even tempered Larry Dordea, lost by some 20,000 votes.
After the overwhelming re-election of Mr. Swanson, I decided to back off a bit. I figured \”hey, the people have spoken\” and my opinions of the Sheriff were better left to myself. I bit my lip when the Sheriff \”retired\” at the end of 2008 so he could begin collecting his pension (double dipping) at the start of 2009. I kept my mouth shut about how many of his own staff have expressed their disgust that they\’ll have to work under his regime for another 4 more years. I\’ve said NOTHING about ol\’ Roscoe… until now.
On December 29th, the Stark County Commissioners held a public hearing on the plan to increase the counties sales tax by .25%. Many elected officals along with everyday constituants stood up and made speeches both for and against the sales tax increase. Then Sheriff Roscoe stood up. Here\’s a transcript of his tyrade:
Thanks for giving me the time. Also, Jane, thanks for your service over the years. We didn’t always see eye to eye. You and the milk and I don’t get along. If you want to send 1,200 cartons of milk out a day, Mr. Haas, you can do so.
You guys were elected to run Stark County government. I was elected to be sheriff. I’ve done some unpopular things as sheriff because it was required by law that I do it. I know the financial difficulties we’re in. No one knows more than me. In 2003, you cut my budget; I laid off 64 people. This year you cut my budget; I laid off 23. Due to those layoffs I had to close parts of the jail because there was no one there to watch the prisoners.
Of course some in the public thought the sheriff will just let out prisoners to scare us. That’s so B.S. it makes me puke. What I’ve heard here today makes me sick because people don’t come in here educated, don’t know what the hell they’re talking about.
They read the newspaper. They come in here with some bull crap someone has put in their mind. But they’ve not yet gone to county government to draw your records, to get the Auditor’s records, to go to the Treasurer and research it and get the honest to God truth about where we stand financially.
I applaud you. I support the tax. If I get nailed again, I’m going to lay off some more people. I don’t want to do that. It’s very hard to do. But I have to live within my budget. It’s against the law for me not to. I’m going to close portions of the jail down; that’s going to make the judges unhappy. It’s going to make the public unhappy. But what goes around comes around and that’s what has to be done.
If you don’t like it, don’t vote for me in four years because I’m retired. And I’m one of those double dippers. And I’m proud that I’m a double dipper. And in two more years I’m going to retire from the military and I’m going to double dip there, too. Ok?
So you’re going to live with what you want. You don’t want this tax, then you’re going to live with what it brings you. That’s all you’re going to do. Some of you aren’t a victim of crime in here, nor are you a person who’s had to call 911. Ok?
You’ve never come to the Stark County Sheriff’s. Who eats the most of Stark County government money? Who eats it? The Stark County Jail? My budget’s $16 (million), $17 million. Plus, with the rest of criminal justice with it we consume all of it. That’s what the people want.
I’ll do what you want. No tax. No deputies. I’m lucky to have two people on the road now. If you live in an unincorporated area, I’ll get the car there when I can get it there. If I can’t – FUCK them. They just don’t come out of the sky. You’ve got to pay them. They deserve a salary just like everybody else who works.
But they aren’t paid enough. If you think the deputies are paid too much or the police officers are paid too much in this county then you go to work for law enforcement. Every day they put their life on the line for this county. And they go home and their mothers, their parents, their children are praying they did get to go home that day.
If you don’t like it, move somewhere else where you will like it. I support you (commissioners) 100 percent. Thank you for having the balls and the ability to do so and the gumption to do so and I applaud you. If they don’t elect you again you can rest with yourself that you did the right thing. Thanks.
Wow! Although it\’s impressive to hear an elected official use such profanity, I really don\’t think it\’s appropriate. ESPECIALLY when it\’s directed toward the people that reelected this douche back into office.\”
While I am a democrat, I did not vote for this idiot.
I voted for Dordea (R).
I am so glad I did not vote for Swanson.
Left by W8JKC on January 15th, 2009