Dear Editor,
I am pleased to see that our present sheriff has an opponent. I hope Mr. Martin will win thus removing Mr. Charewicz from office.
Let me explain why. I had concerns about the ethics and practices of our sheriff. I contacted the Attorney General and also openly expressed my concerns to others, which is my constitutional right to do.
Mr. Charewicz apparently thought otherwise and proceeded to substantiate my complaint about him by writing a letter on Sheriff letterhead to my employer, who is the owner of a towing service, informing him that if I continued to speak out, he would see to it that the sheriff department would no longer allow this towing company to be on their list as a towing service. This action would virtually eliminate any towing jobs unless the stranded motorist made a specific request. How many stranded motorists know whom to contact? Can you imagine a small business owner having his business and livelihood destroyed because of an employee’s personal actions?
When will we put an end to these bullying tactics by our elected leaders? Who works for whom? Aren’t blackmail and extortion crimes? Don’t we have the right to express our views without fear of oppression?
Regardless of what people may think about my concerns or of me, I believe that this action by the sheriff should be seen as corruption in government by an elected official using his position in office to do harm to a local business in order to benefit himself personally. This is, I believe, a violation of the law and an abuse of his power. Since when is it wrong for us to bring our concerns to the Attorney General or express our concerns to others? If he will do this, what other things is he capable of?
Lloyd Pionkowski
Paid for by Citizens for an Open and Honest Government, Robin Mielke, Treasurer.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s agent or committee.