Mon 08/18/08 10:00 PM:    PRESENT STATUS OF THE PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS TO FORCE THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS
                                                                           TO ACCEPT MY PROTEST OF MR. WENNINGER'S CANDIDACY

There are still many who question what is going on with respect to my petition to the court for a writ of mandamus.  There are also many who question why I am taking this legal action, because they say "it looks bad for your campaign," etc.  So, I'll try to explain as best I can in layman's terms, from my perspective, what this is all about.  My contention, and all the allegations I have made, as cumulatively contained in the legal documents I have submitted to the Board of Elections and Court, and other allegations made below, can be explained as follows:

Let's start with a basic concept that most will readily understand as far as an individual being qualified to hold a certain position in our society.  For example, your family physician, or any physician for that matter, whether he/she be a Medical Doctor [MD], Doctor of Osteopathy [DO], Chiropractor [DC], or a Naturopathic Doctor [ND], each individual that desires to become a physician has to meet certain set standards before he/she can be eligible to be licensed as a health care provider.  The same goes for Nurses, and other health care providers. 

All of these individuals are required to meet certain specific qualifications in order to be licensed to practice.  This means that they must have the education and license required by State statute.  If they do not possess the necessary qualifications or requirements, they cannot be licensed to practice.  The reason these qualifications and requirements exist is mainly to protect the public - you as a patient of one of these physicians - from counterfeits.  It's your health that is at stake if an imposter without the requisite qualifications somehow gets through the system and botches up your surgery, etc.  This is the main reason there are definite requirements of candidates wishing to become physicians.

The same protocol involving requirements and qualifications applies to many other positions in society.  Engineers, real estate agents and brokers, airline pilots, EMTs, dentists, veterinarians, etc., all have to possess specific qualifications before they can legitimately assume the position.  The same goes for police officers, federal agents, and sheriffs.  For sheriffs in Ohio, there are specific qualifications listed in State statutes that are required for an individual to be a valid candidate for that office.  If the person filing petitions to be certified as a candidate for sheriff does not meet ALL the requirements in the Ohio Revised Code, then such person cannot be elected or appointed by law. 

If a person somehow gets past the black letter mandatory election laws, not qualified, but gets elected anyway, the general election case law of Ohio accommodates this anomaly by requiring an elected, unqualified candidate to rectify his/her disqualification prior to assuming the position, otherwise he/she forfeits the seat.  In other words, the seat is vacated, that is, not legally occupied, even though physically occupied by the counterfeit candidate.  

All of these requirements and qualifications are similar to rules for playing a game or participating in the Olympics.  If you break the rules, you're disqualified, or penalized for not playing by those rules.  These qualifications for sheriff candidates are there to protect the public from having an unqualified individual in the position.  For instance, an unqualified person could end up costing the county hard-earned tax dollars wasted, paying legal settlements that should never have presented themselves in the first place.  An unqualified person may not know the law, or have the requisite modicum of understanding and knowledge necessary to manage a department effectively, remaining within actual budgetary constraints.  These rules are there to protect other candidates who follow the rules, so they are not cheated out of the hard work and dedication they put forth to meet the requirements to become a valid candidate. 

That sets the stage for my petition for a writ of mandamus, to force the Board of Elections to accept my protest of Mr. Wenninger's candidacy as being valid and timely.  The reason I had to take this legal step is because Mr. Wenninger has not been playing by the rules since 2001.  After Mr. Wenninger won the primary on March 4, 2008, I, as the only certified opponent to his candidacy, as of March 28, 2008, started to investigate all the data and information about both prior elections Mr. Wenninger had won, beating legitimately qualified candidates.  After researching all the materials and information at my disposal, I came to the conclusion that Mr. Wenninger was NEVER qualified to be a valid candidate for sheriff, but somehow he was able to remain in office for over 7.5 years thus far. 

Under existing election laws, however, I was never allowed to challenge Mr. Wenninger's candidacy at any time before or after the primary, all the way up to the general election, but he was allowed to challenge mine up to May 30, 2008.  That is not fair, and is a direct violation of my equal protection rights under the Ohio and U.S. Constitutions.  That unconstitutionality present in the current election laws gives me the individual standing necessary for me to file a civil case to force the Board to accept my protest against Mr. Wenninger's candidacy. 

My research uncovered deliberate, intentional steps and actions taken by attorneys, elected officials, party officials and party members, that were designed to cover-up Mr. Wenninger's obvious lack of qualifications to be a valid candidate for sheriff.  The main legislative action taken, to cover Mr. Wenninger's lack of qualifications, introduced some legal uncertainty as to the validity of Mr. Wenninger's qualifications for the 2004 election.  This was done through a successful legislative effort to change the law, concerning the educational qualifications necessary to become a legitimate candidate.  This law was specifically engineered for Mr. Wenninger's benefit through the actions of an elected representative helping it along.  This law reduced, or watered-down the educational requirements necessary to satisfy the section of law that Mr. Wenninger had obviously failed to satisfy prior to the 2000 election.  This law reduced the educational level of compliance to qualify to the point where Mr. Wenninger's college credentials would automatically fall within the boundaries of the new statute. 

The fruit of my research essentially came to a halt, that is, until a more mentally sharper individual than myself made the observation that she did not think Mr. Wenninger had a valid Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission [OPOTC] certificate.  Of course!  If he was never legally in the position of sheriff, he could not legally appoint himself with OPOTC as a valid member of the sheriff's department.  That meant his original OPOTC certificate, which was current when he assumed office, started with, what is called in the administrative code, a break in service on his OPOTC certificate the date he self-appointed himself into the sheriff's department with OPOTC.  Four years after that start in the break of service, Mr. Wenninger's OPOTC certificate would completely expire, to the point where he would have to take the whole police academy all over again to get a new certificate.  Without an OPOTC certificate, one is not a peace officer in Ohio, but rather a civilian, legally speaking.  He does not have the powers of a legitimate sheriff, but rather the same peace-keeping power and authority as any other civilian walking the street. 

Are you beginning to see the problem in all of this?  Imagine the liabilities involved in having a person acting as sheriff, when in fact he is not legally the sheriff.  There is the problem of NOTICE.  When was it realized that Mr. Wenninger was not qualified to be a candidate for sheriff?  Who knew he was not qualified to be a candidate for sheriff?  When were others put on notice that there may be a problem with Mr. Wenninger's legal status as sheriff?  These are all pertinent, and extremely important questions, particularly if my allegations about his present legal status are accurate and end up "holding water." 

The record of facts shows that Mr. Wenninger had to know he was not qualified.  His attorneys had to know he was not qualified in 2000, as evidenced by the MEMORANDUM they submitted to the Board of Elections in January 2004, countering Sandy Martin's protest of Mr. Wenninger's candidacy.  The documentation they used in support of Mr. Wenninger's qualifications clearly shows that the college credentials he used in 2000 to support his candidacy was not from a Board of Regents approved college or university.  The judge in open court stated Mr. Wenninger was still not qualified even after Mr. Wenninger was acquitted of "knowingly" falsifying his candidacy petitions.  The legislator and Republican Party members knew he was not qualified or they wouldn't have taken steps to get legislation passed to cover Mr. Wenninger's lack of educational qualifications.  And, even in light of the criminal prosecution taking place against Mr. Wenninger, the Board of Elections did not voluntarily [sua sponte] take any steps to investigate Mr. Wenninger's qualifications.  It is clear that many were involved directly and indirectly in trying to cover up Mr. Wenninger's lack of qualifications necessary to be a valid candidate for sheriff, even well after he had assumed the position.  All of these actions appear to have been part of a pattern designed to maintain an interest in keeping an unqualified candidate in office, contrary to the strict compliance required by Ohio's election laws. 

When you think about the amount of money our county has lost as a result of unqualified decisions made by an unqualified person in office, deliberately kept there through the actions of many individuals and entities to maintain control over the office of sheriff, it doesn't take long for a county taxpayer to come to the conclusion that "I shouldn't have to pay taxes for it to be illegally wasted away!"  Everyone directly and indirectly involved in keeping an unqualified person in such an important county position should be held accountable for all the money lost by "their man."  It's like a gigantic fraud has been pulled off for way too long, to the point where the taxed pocket book is almost completely empty.  The amount of money lost, and that still to be lost, will probably be enough dollar bills to fill the hole left behind after the "BIG DIG."

So, someone please tell me, who, in a position of power and authority, is going to look into this unlawful mess to find out why our tax dollars have been wasted so unnecessarily for over seven years?  Who is going to secure legal counsel to look into recouping all the hundreds of thousands of tax dollars that have been "flushed down the drain" for no other reason than as a result of unqualified decisions made by an unqualified office holder, whose unqualified hold on the office has been deliberately, intentionally, and actively hidden by so many others over the last seven-plus years?  Maybe after the elections, at the start of next January, new office holders will take an interest in finding out the potential of recouping all the money lost over the last seven-plus years by what appears to be on its surface, corrupt activities aimed at one goal or purpose. 

I will take every step to secure my constitutional rights, which are the same rights for others who may find themselves in my position in the future.  If I don't take a stand when I have the legal standing to protect my rights, then I'd be helping along the demise of the two constitutions that are there to protect our rights.  I also find it sickening when others fail to "play by the rules," making the efforts of those who do play by the rules essentially useless because of nothing less than "cheating."  And, then to top it all off, the "cheater" ends up squandering resources at an unprecedented rate and amount never before seen in the history of our county.  If that doesn't make you angry, then you pay my county taxes from here on out.  Money is getting really tight, and it is going to be much tighter in the future.   It's time we all start demanding more of our elected officials.  Vote for competency over party affiliation in the coming elections this November. 

I'm posting a Questionnaire recently received from the Citizens for Community Values.  The only difference between this one posted and the one I actually sent is that I had a grammatical error on the original sent, so I corrected it.  I changed "is" to "are" in this posted copy. 

Go to: http://www.ohioelectioncentral.com/zip_lookup_alternate.asp?zip=45121&plusfour=9670&party=ALL to see how others in our county responded.

The questionnaire reflects my personal opinions on the topics they chose to present for answers.  The problem with this type of a questionnaire, with respect to being a peace officer, is that law enforcement and peace officers are not free to pick and choose which laws they have to uphold.  We've all seen the abortion rights groups protesting over the years with the police arresting many of them when things got out of control.  Same goes for environmental groups, animal rights groups, etc.  Individuals inside the uniforms may not personally like having to enforce laws they disagree with, but that is the nature of that job within our society. 

For our system of government to work properly, citizens have to be willing to take an active role in making sure the laws on the books reflect the standards each community desires to have for an acceptable level of "peace keeping."  Where a law personally irritates you daily, the proper response is to get involved politically to the point where you put the political pressure on your legislators to change the laws to your collective satisfaction.  That is the only way our system of government can work in an orderly fashion.  That's the way it is designed to work.  So, if you don't like something, start writing, calling, and mailing, your legislators to get them off their rump and get something constructive done.  Get others involved in your crusade.  Make it happen! 

Everyone has his/her right to believe and stand for what he/she thinks is correct from their perspective.  Whether one be a Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian, etc., that does not mean any one person in any group is better than another or necessarily "right," in my opinion.  I personally believe that status quo and history are the best indicators of what politicians from all parties have collectively done for us over the years, and right now it doesn't look very good.  Looking at the present situation we find ourselves in as a nation, I personally think that something is, and has been, drastically wrong in Washington D.C. for years, because neither party, Democrat or Republican, could have gotten us into this situation alone without the other party's help to do what has been done, up to where we find ourselves economically, etc., now.

I have been an independent since Vietnam.  I could see no real difference between both parties, except for each party's stand on the social issues, which to me are equivalent to the "trees" as compared to the "forest."  The "forest" has been in the process of being destroyed from the inside out for years, with the perimeter of what is left of the "trees," surrounding the "forest," misleading at best.  One has to admit, nothing really ever seems to change in Washington D.C., no matter which party is in control. 

How many of us locally had any real input into which candidate should be the leading contender for each party's nomination?  Probably nobody.  And all you hear on the street is that nobody really likes either of the two candidates that have been "chosen" for us.  So, where does that leave all of us voters in the upcoming election?  Again it is going to be another voting for "the lesser of two evils" for most individuals who will actually take the time to vote.  "The more things change, the more they stay the same."  I think the way the two-party apparatus of control has evolved has succeeded in psychologically sealing all of us into a mental box that is next to impossible to escape.  Thinking outside of this invisible, persuasive, and all-controlling, box is prohibited mentally by ingrained, unshakable party loyalty. 

Individual willingness to make the difficult choices to break outside that mentally "locked-box," is what is going to have to be done soon, if there is any chance of ameliorating the devastating changes that confront us as a nation at this time.  It's not a political party thing where one party is more correct than the other.  It's a matter of survival, keeping our way of life intact locally as much as physically possible.  To me, it's like being on the ship in the Navy, out in the middle of the ocean, thousands of miles from land.  If the ship goes down, we all went with it, no matter where one worked inside the hull.  If it went down, and you were lucky enough not to get sucked down with it, then you were really on your own!  It's going to take some real collective, county-wide "team" effort to survive the future the way things are going.  Gloom and doom?  Not really.  Just actuality. 

Question:  What are your plans for the un-marked Ford Expedition when you become elected Sheriff? Do you have any statistics on the amount of calls that Sheriff Wenninger has responded to? Next question, if everyone is driving these vehicles home, when someone needs a Sheriff, why aren't they being called out? If they are - how many times is that happening?  Anonymous

Answer:  Thanks for your questions, Anonymous.  Ford Expedition goes to the Chief Deputy for "official use only," and that includes taking it home and back to work, as he will be on call, as well as I.  I will purchase my own vehicle and donate it to the department, and use it for the four years I am in office, and if we don't have enough money for fuel, I'll buy it myself and donate that too to the county.  I prefer a truck.  It won't have a 150+ mph capability, but will be able to traverse just about any terrain in the county, up to where an ATV can take over from there, and then by foot.  Hopefully a blanket mutual aid agreement, in effect on January 5th, 2009, throughout the county, will reduce the need for any one deputy on duty to fly up and down, from one part of the county to another, because he is the only officer available to make the call, providing heart-attack victims a better chance of surviving, etc. 

I have no statistics on how often the "sheriff" and other deputies respond from home to calls, but know only what I have been told by several people in the know.  I saw him one time at a homicide scene in the evening on Lower Cumberland Road.  The only deputy I personally know to have responded numerous times to calls on off hours is Chief Deputy Johnny Schadle.  I know he responded to many calls because I actually saw him at a few on scene even when still a detective.  When others have been called out from home using those take-home cars, you will have to ask the present administration on the policy and statistics for those instances. 

Many question why my signs are not in certain places whereas there are many in other places in the county.  I do not go around asking if I can put my signs in people's yards.  The way I see it, if someone wants a sign in their yard they will ask for one.  My signs are not to be placed within the right-of-ways on the highways.  That is an illegal placement of signage.  What is the subliminal message, if one of my signs is placed illegally within the right-of-way?  Answer: The laws don't apply to Varnau the same as they do to everyone else.  Example of illegally placed signs.

This is an election for sheriff, and everything involved in the overall process and protocol should be done within the bounds of the rule of law.  The sheriff is the top peace officer in the county, and the laws that apply to every other citizen in the county apply the same to the sheriff and other law enforcement officers.  Being sheriff is not being a King, or some potentate that is above the laws everyone else has to observe.   The sheriff puts his pants on the same as every other person in the county.  The only difference is that he/she has the responsibility to uphold and enforce the laws equally across the board, and such equality includes whoever is holding the position of sheriff in our county government.  Those working in the criminal justice system are supposed to know the law better than the average citizen, thus, such individuals should be held to a higher standard of compliance, by definition.  They should know better. 

If anyone wants a sign to place in their yard, that sign becomes their personal property, with the exception that I reserve the right to remove any sign with my name on it from any illegal placement.  If you want a sign or bumper sticker, please send me an e-mail, or call for one, and I'll get one to you as soon as possible.   

Answer:  An old Navy buddy from off the ship.  We single-handedly covered Sasebo, Japan, and that water festival they had those days we were in port,  back in the early 70's.  Thanks for the input, John. 

Question:  Our efforts to organize an open forum between you and Dwayne Wenninger have begun. We are about to invite the two of you to a gathering, being courteous enough to allow your opponent to name the evening, any time in early October. Plenty of time for publishing and dissemination of the results would allow voters to decide who is the better choice. The newspapers, seemingly, are interested in covering the event. Allies of you and your opponent will have comparisons, and platforms clearly defined for them.

Who is the head of the Republican central committee? He/She will also be sent a notice of this event and may be able to convince the GOP's chosen candidate to step forward and answer questions posed to him by the citizens of Brown County. It seems as though, if they endorse him , they would have some influence on his responsibilities and how he demonstrates them.

What are your thoughts on this matter?

Chuck Krainz - Brown County Independence P.A.C.

Answer:  Thanks for the information, Chuck.  I only have two dates scheduled so far in October - Saturdays, the 4th and 11th are already booked for me to the point where I will most likely not be able to participate at any time on those two days.  Other than that, the rest of the month is completely open for me. 

Might I suggest that you also schedule a debate between the two candidates running for prosecuting attorney, as that position is as important as as the sheriff position.  Lack of cooperation between the sheriff's office and prosecutor's office has been part of the overall problem with respect to the efficient functioning of law enforcement in Brown County over the past two terms. 

I believe at this time as I write, the head of the Republican Party is still Paul Hall of Paul Hall Insurance in Mount Orab. 

I'm open to debating Dwayne any time you are able to setup a time and place to do such. 

Question:  After several more conversations regarding the initiation of a process to schedule a debate between you and your opponent, people have been expressing the opinion that the Republican Party has 'asked' Dwayne Wenninger to step down from his candidacy.

Do you know anything about this? Have the GOP local leaders finally come to their senses?

Chuck Krainz Brown County Independence - BCI

Answer:  Thanks again for the interesting question, Chuck.  I don't know if there is anything to this rumor that is going around.  I too had heard this said while on duty down at the Tobacco Festival this last weekend.  I also heard the same from a completely different source northward in the county.  Did this happen?  I haven't the slightest clue whether it did or not.

From my perspective, I can't believe not one person in the last 7.5 years has taken the time to actually thoroughly consider the legitimate question of Mr. Wenninger's eligibility to be a valid candidate at any time, and then take the necessary steps to get something done about it until corrected.  I would have also thought that any party, Republican, Democrat, Independent, Libertarian, etc., would have thoroughly vetted any candidate being backed by their party for election to office.  I vetted myself - not being associated with any party. 

Imagine the potential damage to the integrity and trustworthiness of a party that inadvertently or actively took steps to support an unqualified candidate on the county ballot.  Furthermore, imagine the potential credibility damage to the Republican Party and its hierarchy if Mr. Wenninger was never qualified to be a candidate, all the way back to 2000, and it is shown that operatives in the Republican Party, including a sitting Ohio House Republican representative, took part in steps designed to cover-up the fact that Mr. Wenninger would not be qualified in 2004, if something was not done to rectify his lack of educational qualifications.  If all of this is true, in a sense, Mr. Wenninger will become a "tar baby," and many will be trying to find some kerosene to help free themselves from the sticky mess they find themselves in time. 

Consider further, if such turns out to be true, the potential backlash.  If the allegations in my protest, which I am trying to get before the Board of Elections, turns out to be true, after all the settlement money [in excess of $600K thus far, expected to easily go over $1M] and lawsuits that the county has had to dump as a result of an unqualified candidate's actions in office - because the people of our county were duped into thinking the candidate was qualified to hold the office - as a result of the successful efforts by many in the Republican Party to keep it all under wraps, imagine the potential legal repercussions that come to mind. 

There is more.  If the Republican Party hierarchy has "created a monster" problem, and they are aware of it, have they taken active steps to notify the proper authorities to force their unqualified, disabled candidate to step down, if he refuses to do so?  If that happens, the Coroner will be the Sheriff until January 5th, 2009.  What, if any, civil liability does the party incur by not taking the proper steps to protect the public at large from an imposter holding office, possibly taking more actions that could result in more financial liability for our county, if they don't notify the proper authorities.  It's a mess!  But, sooner or later someone has to "take the bull by the horns" and do the right thing. 

Cheating, to displace those who have honestly worked hard and abided by all rules and procedures to become legitimate candidates in our election process, should never be awarded by turning a blind eye, or held up as some character trait to be desired by those involved in any game or process.  If cheating to get ahead is what we are teaching our children to emulate, then our society has deteriorated much more than I realize at this time. 

The court will decide on my request for a writ of mandamus as early as September 4th.  If I get the writ, then the Board of Elections will have to accept my protest of Mr. Wenninger's candidacy as being valid and timely.  The only delay would be if the prosecutor's office chooses to appeal the decision of the Common Pleas Court to the 12th Circuit Court of Appeals.  This, in my opinion, would be nothing more than a stalling tactic to push the inevitable closer to the election, or past the election, for the legal issues involved are "black and white" in this case.  If by chance nothing is decided in time before the election, and my request for a writ of mandamus is not completed by the election time, it becomes moot.  If Mr. Wenninger wins the election, I will then have another bite of the same legal process apple to get the issue of his eligibility before a court by requesting a writ of quo warranto. 

So, this is far from being settled at this time - just a delaying of the inevitable.  It could go on well past the election November 4th.  In any event, if the substance of my protest is accurate, the county and those responsible for protecting the public's interests, by removing Mr. Wenninger from office, as a result of his ineligibility to hold the office, still have a "monkey on their back" to do something.   This website and my court case has provided enough notice to everyone that there is something existing that is potentially very damaging to the county's interests the longer it is allowed to exist. 

It is the responsibility of those elected officials who have the requisite jurisdiction over legal problems like this to do something, if they are aware a problem exists.  Please, any future questions on this should be directed toward those who did not do their job when they had the duty to act, not me.  We'll see what happens in the coming days, weeks, and months.  Contact the Republican Party hierarchy.  Contact those whose duty it is to protect the public at large from unqualified individuals holding office.  Contact the investigative reporters at the newspapers, TV, etc.  I am already doing what I have legal standing to do at this time, after being confronted with much that didn't pass the "smell test." 

Just my take on it all, FWIW. 

Question:  I have been trying to contact the Brown County Republican Party via Email. Their site has been down for months, is this out of convenience to them? Maybe they could request the services of Harry Martin of Martin Ind. to fix their website. Do those Republicans not want to answer questions? This is a major election year, one would think a party would want their site operating during such an important year.

Go ahead Brown County Republicans, keep your heads in the sand. You would not want to ask Mr. Wenninger to prove himself and un-seal the court case. I am sure none of you will ever ask Sen. Niehaus what his hand in this apparent cover-up was.   Scott

Answer:  Thanks for the question, Scott.  When you have the time to do so, Scott, send me the URL for that website page so I can post it here.  I'll try to find it using Google.  There is no need to unseal that court case.  You can figure out that for there to be any case in the first place there had to be an issue that needed to be resolved.  Unsealing it is not necessary.  Thanks anyway for your questions.  I have no idea why their website would be down for such a long time during an election year. 

Question/Comment:  Dennis Varnuke (Mister healthy living, vitamin popping) at a Tobacco Festival that is something I would have liked to have seen Ha-Ha.  Anybody put up a burning cross in your front yard yet?   I'm surprised the Democrats in OH haven't outlawed growing it, but if they did that then they couldn't tax it.

Hey, what do you think about the exciting news from Xenia?  First it is the Burger King Bather, or everyone get his 15 minutes of fame (Jonathan found that one on Drudge, I have now disavowed it as my home town) then it is a WW II grenade in the Xenia sewers yikes!!! Glad I wasn't driving the vacuum truck.  Imagine the mess that would have made if it had gone off in the truck

Good Luck on the race.  Myself, I'd rather be sailing here on Puget Sound.   Dave

Answer:  Long time no hear, Dave.  Was just looking at one of the Truxtun's websites last night, reading about that 8,600 mile run we made at an average speed of 29 knots from the PI to Perth through the Indian Ocean, after taking out all those fishermen's nets in the Strait of Malacca on the way.  I think it is still the world's record for highest speed transit of any ship ever, right?  Try calculating how many U235 atoms we split getting that done!  Nothing like being a world record holder for so many years after watching those records broken time and again during the Olympics.  Ha!  Next time you see Brad, tell him I said "Hi."  Later. 

Question:  I was reading the attached affidavits that were filed in Wenninger's case. I noticed that on the Lee Spievack affidavit that Tammy Dillinger notarized the form on 3-24-03.  How proper is it for a employee to notarize an item that is of direct importance to her supervisor's qualification's?  Or should it have been notarized by a neutral impartial party?  Anonymous

Answer:  Thanks for the question, Anonymous.  Practically speaking Probable Cause Affidavits are routinely notarized by personnel working within the department.  All the notary is doing is verifying who is signing something and witnessing the signature on the document that the signer has sworn to.  In this instance, considering the gravity of the situation involved in the underlying substance of the case, one could argue that someone else should have done it, but in reality this has no effect on the overall issues involved in the matter. 

No matter what Mr. Spievack said in his affidavit, the Technichron Technical Institute was not approved by the Board of Regents, which was the mandatory requirement necessary to qualify in 2000 as a candidate, as far as educational experience was concerned, if one did not have the mandatory supervisory requirement satisfied, which Mr. Wenninger also failed to satisfy.  If you look at the last page of Exhibit #2, you will not see, under "approvals:" the Board of Regents listed, but rather the Ohio State Board of School and College registration number.  You raising this question, however, demonstrates the need to always avoid "the appearance" of things that could prompt such questions. 

Question:  Where are the attachments?   You should tell your friend to quit making jabs at Democrats.  Many registered Democrats regularly vote across party lines, as I have for many years.  Marie

Answer:  Thanks for your input, Marie.  The attachments to my response to the motion to set aside are in the document accessible using this hyperlink:
Response-08-28-08.pdf

With respect to Dave's jabs at Democrats, this just reiterates to me why I am an independent, along with the other 19,000 or so registered independents in Brown County.  Like you, I am mainly interested and concerned about putting people in office who are there to do the job, and do it for the right reasons.  If it's not a Republican taking jabs at Democrats, it's the other way around.  All one needs to do now to see all the jabs, since both Presidential candidates have chosen their running mates, is read the news articles and opinions. 

The way I see it, these kind of "non-provable" jabs do not deal with facts, but rather tend to support the child's "my popsicle is bigger than yours" mentality.  I know both Democrats and Republicans that don't want higher taxes.  It's not a function of to which party they belong.  It is the kind of conduct that clouds the real issues facing our country today.  So, I'll let you tell him by posting your response above. 

Good luck in trying to change any individual's mind that looks at one party as being more responsible than the other for where we find ourselves today.  Neither party alone could have gotten us where we are today.  "It takes two to Tango," is the saying, and I think we, who actually have no real say in anything, are the ones that are going to suffer greatly shortly.  We have all been "Tangoed" to death by both parties, in my opinion. 

Party politics is uniquely suited to getting a lot of "wrong" people elected, in my opinion.   After doing this campaign stuff now for a couple of years, it is clear to me that the majority of citizens are not interested enough in the political process to even take the time to read and understand the information that is available to them.  There will be people showing up at the polls on election day, saying, "Who is Gusweiller and Wallace, or Meranda and Anderson, or Jennings, Geschwind and Egan, Steele," etc.  Guaranteed! 

Answer:  Unless told otherwise, I usually publish what comes in unaltered.  I try my best to filter and not publish unsubstantiated darts.  I do not publish last names of anyone unless told to do so.  So, they don't know who you are, except for John in IL, you remember him from E Division, Dave.  Anyway, your character in this reply shows forth loud and clear.  I'm sure Marie will be reading it next time she is on the computer. 

Question:  I have noticed that not only do some of Sheriff Wenningers [sic] supporters sign anonymous on your website...but most of the anonymous email [sic] are yours. With that being said..can you tell me why you feel you have to sneak around with a tape recorder every where you go ? Does a nazi [sic] tatic [sic] like that give you some sort of a [sic] advantage ? And since you want to bring wives into your attacks..what about your wife ? Tell us has she used a sneak recorder before ??? Also...I sure hope you find out who stole tractor oil. My God ! Those horrible Wenniger [sic] supporters will stop at nothing ! Now you can start into you [sic] two page [sic] I'm right tirad [sic] ! ANONYMOUS !

Answer:  Thanks for your mail, Anonymous.  Contrary to your imagination, not one of the letters I have posted was "sent to myself."  A couple of my supporters have sent me some of the questions posted, but they used their middle names.  I was not aware of that until I was told by them that they sent the particular questions.  So, sorry to "break your bubble," but not one question posted on this site was sent to me, by me.  I've put yours up the same way I have put up every one that comes in from the website.  I have no way of telling who sent the mail in because it is totally anonymous the way I have it set up.  You have to provide your name and e-mail for me to know who sent it.  They also come in without names and e-mail addresses. 

I don't "sneak" around with a recorder everywhere I go,  I have used recorders for years to protect myself and keep people like you honest.  Nazi's would not like recordings at all because such would readily disclose their evil deeds.  It's exactly the opposite of what you suggest.  Everything you say and do is being recorded anyway, but not by me. For sure, within a hundred years or less, you will be confronted with everything you have said in life, and I sense it isn't going to be pretty.  But that is your problem.  I haven't the slightest idea of what you are going to be doing for the rest of eternity, but I sense I would not want to be walking in your shoes into it.  Just my personal opinion.

I am not aware where anyone's wife has been "attacked" in anything I have posted, but as far as my wife is concerned, I wired her up when she was the hospital commander at McConnell AFB, to record the crimes being committed against her by the Wing Commander at that time.  It worked extremely well.  It was impossible for him to deny what he did say when confronted with the evidence straight from his mouth. 

I have two more recordings of Senator Niehaus that have not yet been made public on the website.  Two of the recordings have him explaining why, and what, he did with respect to the amendment he had pushed through the Ohio House to dilute the educational requirements down for sheriff candidates, so Mr. Wenninger's lack of a Board of Regents diploma would not matter.  Senator Niehaus in the third recording went out of his way to find me at the Sardinia Parade to tell me he had absolutely nothing to do whatsoever with that amendment.  He was trying to wash his hands completely of having anything to do with it at all.  He supposedly now didn't even know about it back when it happened, as told to me on the day of the Sardinia Parade.  So, I ask the question, when was Senator Niehaus telling me the truth?  Was it in the first two recordings, or in the last???  You be the judge.  I'll put the last two recordings up soon.  The first is here. 

After hearing the three tapes, I think most "thinking" individuals will realize that we need a permanent change in representation with respect to the Senator's seat, since Gregory A. Napolitano (D), an attorney, in the top 10% of his class in law school [just like Jessica Little (R) in the top 10% of her law school class too] will be running against Senator Niehaus on the November ballot.  It's no secret, Mr. Napolitano has MY vote!   

Nowhere on this website have I ever said I was "right," or had all the answers.  I've been wrong many times, but I learn from them to try and not make the same mistake twice.  Please show me where I have made the statement anywhere that everything I have said is "right."  If it seems to you that you think I am wrong, please send me the facts that refute what I have posted. 

Facts are a hard thing to deal with at times, particularly when they don't fit your imaginations.  I don't see Mr. Wenninger countering anything I have said on this site since I started posting it.  In fact, he has been dead silent.  Maybe at the Russellville Meet The Candidates he will open up and start to tell everyone that what I have posted is a bunch of lies, not to be believed by anyone.  You know, the best way he could do that is to play his "Ace of Spades."  He's been quietly holding it sealed for five years now, just waiting to unseal it and trump everything I have said on this site and filed in the court.  That would be that court transcript from his trial back in 2003.  I'm sure you would agree with me that this is something he should just do to settle the issue once and for all, correct???  Oh, maybe I know why he hasn't done that yet.  Maybe there is some tractor oil on it, and he's still trying to figure out how to get it off the paper?   

Anonymous, you have to hide because, why?  Are you afraid to identify yourself because you have not cut the umbilical cord yet?  I won't publish your name, and will not give it out to anyone.  So, feel free to contact me at any time with the facts that show where I am "wrong." 

Question:  Was Rita Plank [sic] ever recorded by you ???? And if so..who heard this recording ? Who did you take it to ? Also I never said or thought you were emailing [sic] yourself ! (Guilt feeling exposed ?) Why would you even mention something so pety [sic] as tractor oil drained on your website ? Do you have information or fact about this ? If so "Say IT" Stop your underline cheap shots. You keep going on..on..on..on...on about Sheriff Wennigers [sic] education no matter what question your [sic] asked. But every one knows you are much smarter than every one with "Dog Gromming [sic] Degrees etc". A famous Pharoh [sic] once said "LET HIM (you)RAVE [sic] ON SO MEN KNOW HIM TO BE MAD" That fits you perfect Dennis. Come November will prove it. Go back to school and get you another degree in something else !  Anonymous

Answer:  You're back!  Thanks again, Anonymous.  I was hoping I would find that you agreed with me that Dwayne should unseal the court record from his trial back in 2003, but apparently you forgot to answer that question. 

As far as Mrs. Planck goes, I am not going to violate ORC Section 2921.22, you can count on that!  So, let your imagination run wild. 

To quote you immediately above: "Also I never said or thought you were emailing [sic] yourself !," and in your last mailing you said: "but most of the anonymous email [sic] are yours."  As I sit here and re-read what you have written, I have to ask myself, if the words "yourself" and "yours," identify the same person - me.  I stick by what I write from one day to the next.  If I make a mistake, I admit it.  In less than three hours you have contradicted yourself in print, and are unwilling to admit it, even deny it.  So, what am I supposed to think.  You're not Senator Niehaus are you?  "Guilt feeling exposed?"  No.  A genuine liar exposed, in print!  Quick, grab a mirror. 

Surreptitious draining of tractor oil from a supporter's tractor, in an attempt to have him destroy his tractor, is, Mr. Anonymous, another felony.  It's too bad the surveillance video equipment was not up the day it was done.  There is a police report on this incident.  Public record.  Go get yourself a copy at the SO under the Ohio Open Records Law. 

Degrees don't mean much to me.  Never did.  Don't post them on my office walls, like most people do that have them.  I doubt I could even find them right now.  I feel perfectly comfortable just being me.  I worked for them because to get anywhere in this world, there are requirements, such as those to be a valid candidate for sheriff.  My degrees were needed to be a legitimate candidate since I did not have the supervisory experience of Corporal or higher.  They are indicative of a basic level of competence necessary for certain jobs, so, for instance, one doesn't end up wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers money settling lawsuits that should never have happened due to not being qualified.  Do the words "mandatory," "strict compliance," "shall not be elected or appointed unless meeting all the following requirements," "not qualified, yet elected, must rectify disqualification immediately upon assuming office, otherwise forfeits the seat," and "seat is vacated," mean anything to you?  That's why Mr. Wenninger's lack of educational credentials is the touchstone to everything I have standing to contest in the court at this time, as a legitimately qualified candidate who HAS followed the law - "the rules of this game." 

The LAW is quite clear.  Let's put it this way.  If my protest is correct, or right on point, then what you are complaining about will be shown to be without merit.  If my protest does not hold water, my legal analysis is defective, then I'm wrong.  I lose.  If Mr. Wenninger wins the election, then the people of Brown County and all of law enforcement within the county can live with four more years of the same service from Mr. Wenninger as these last 7.5 years.  I'm in it only because I have seen where a lot of my tax money has been squandered for no valid reason whatsoever, and because I think the people of this county deserve more from the person they are paying $58,000/yr or more to be their full-time sheriff.  I don't think taxpayers intended that $58K to be a service-less stipend supplementing a private concrete business income.

Whatever the people of this county desire to have for the next four years from the sheriff's office will be decided on November 4th, unless my protest material is accurate and correct.  My protest material will be considered one way or another, before or after the election, either by the AG before the election, or the courts after the election.  If the AG rules against it before the election, the courts will look at it after the election.  While I have standing, I will take every step to correct what I perceive to be legally wrong.  If I'm right, and it is decided before the election, then Mr. Wenninger's name may be on the ballot, but he will be ineligible, thus, I will be unopposed. 

The person who really lost, in any scenario you can think of, is Captain Don Newman, Ripley PD, who rightfully should have been the Republican nominee of his party.  He was genuinely qualified to be a legitimate candidate.  Don played by the rules his whole career; struggling all the way financially; did it by the book, and was cheated out of his rightful claim to be the nominee.  If Mr. Wenninger is found to be ineligible, then the Republicans who vote party line should be writing Don's name in on the ballot, in my opinion.  If my protest is correct, it is the Republican Party that really needs to do some soul-searching, in my opinion.  If it is not part of the solution, then it is part of the problem, in my opinion. 

If I'm "MAD" about anything it is liars, corrupt individuals, cheats, crooks, thieves, and those who fail to do their duty to protect the citizens of this county from the same that are allowed to keep doing what they are best at doing without any consequences.  And, it's not only me!  There is a ground-swell of citizens who have "had enough" of the same good-old-boy crap, citizens who want the rule of law dished out equally to all who live within the county limits.  So, it's not just me who is "MAD" at this time.  I'm just volunteering to do my part to help clean it up.  Call me a "fool" if you wish, but I still think the "good" outnumber the "bad."  I think the majority are backing a MAD "Moses," wanting the rule of law back into Brown County equally across the board.  This isn't a movie, yet.  I could be wrong.  We'll see shortly. 

Question:  Dennis, When I wrote "You" and "Yours"..My comment was about "Your Supporter".."Your Website"..O.K. ?

Dennis, Can you EVER answer a question or reply about yourself without going into a two page tirad [sic] and bring Sheriff Wenniger [sic] and seal [sic] papers into it ??? I am asking about YOU !

I really enjoyed your childish answer about "Tractor oil" and stained papers. As always you make my point for me and that is you have no point. NOW..Can you answer the question ???? Do you have proof or any facts that the tractor oil drained was any how connected to Sheriff Wenniger [sic] or a supporter of his ???

Did any one other than yourself listen to the Plank [sic] recording ? And if so who and where. Surley [sic] the above two questions have nothing to do with "Sealed tractor oil stained papers. [sic]

Question #3 Do you belive [sic] the "Holocaust [sic] happened to the Jews in WWII ? If not Why ? "ANONYMOUS"

Answer:  Thanks again for your mail, Dwayne, oops, I mean, Anonymous.  Words are important, and the way they are constructed into sentences and paragraphs is determinative of what is conveyed.  Thanks for the "clarification."

This is a two-way street.  I've answered your questions so far in detail, and you complain that I am not answering your questions.  You have not even answered one of mine.  Try answering just this one question to you:  Do you agree with me that Dwayne should have his case file unsealed?  Yes or No?  It doesn't get any simpler than that.  Now I'll proceed with an exhaustive answer to your present questions.  Don't go complaining again because it takes some space to answer your involved questions.

I'm glad you enjoyed my humor about the tractor oil.  I thought you'd like that.  Several already have.  Even though I am almost 60, my mind and resolve is at least 30 years or more younger than my age.  If I were aware of any "proof" of who drained the tractor oil from one of my supporter's tractors, draining the oil out, catching it, and taking the drain plug and dip stick, so as to leave no trace of anything out of the ordinary present, so he would start it up and ruin his motor, I surely wouldn't tell you what I knew about it.  Stuff like that will become evident in time, one way or another, while those who did it sweat it out.  Some already "sweating" are starting to come out of the woodwork.  They see the handwriting on the wall and desire to cut the umbilical cord that will eventually drag them under.  It is getting interesting!  I think the whole house of cards will fall in time.  Just my opinion. 

Your two questions about these two felonious conduct incidents I have already answered completely.  I am not a deliberate law-breaker.  If I break the law, I should be held to the highest standard for breaking any laws being an attorney, just like Mr. Wenninger being "sheriff."  Those who hold positions in any part of the criminal justice system should be able to be trusted completely by the voting public.  I answered this above, and will reiterate here again.  I would not violate ORC Section 2921.22.  Go figure. 

I have been told through the grapevine, that goes all the way back to the top, that Mr. Wenninger will finally start "fighting back."  Several have told me that these e-mails are from Dwayne for various reasons.  Doesn't matter. They may be.  Nevertheless, they do give me the chance to expound my position so people know "who I am."  I've also heard that Mr. Wenninger is spreading the word that I am terrorizing the children in our neighborhood because when my wife and I ride our bicycles I have my gun strapped to my ankle, clearly visible, as we ride our bicycles up and down the street.  Well, if the sheriff would keep his dog tied up, so that it is not running around the neighborhood, doing her deed on other neighbor's property, along with the other three dogs that are allowed to run loose down the road, maybe we would not need that final protection available to us while riding our bicycles.  I'm sure other bicycle riders would side with my views on this protection "insurance."  As far as scaring the neighborhood kids, he's probably talking about his two boys, because I suppose they rarely see a gun strapped to their father's side.  I know the other children in the neighborhood, being country boys and girls, know what guns are, and probably know how to use them too. 

Question for you.  What prompted you to ask me if I believed the Holocaust happened to the Jews in WWII?  The first time I heard about this allegation was after my attorney asked me about this same thing, after attorney Nick Ring had mentioned to her that he had heard I was a Nazi.  Then the next thing I know I am receiving an e-mail from a person in Florida who told me that he was talking to an officer up here who also supposedly told him that I did not believe the holocaust happened.  Yep, all the way to Florida, I am now being called a Nazi.  I find this very interesting, indeed.  I'm not positive where this allegation started, but have a very good idea of who and why it was started, but they have not admitted to me yet that they were the originators of said story.  I'll find out sooner or later.  You can count on that.  I suppose the next thing they are going to allege is that my wife, Judith, is also a Nazi.  Don't start spreading that one now, because she really enjoys her job, working with the people at her office. 

As far as the holocaust goes, and all other controversial topics that anyone attempts to associate me with, I have never been a member of the Nazi Party, Skinheads, White Supremacists, Black Panthers, KKK, British Israelites, or any other group you can imagine, nor have I ever supported any.  I used to be in the NRA, but left it after what they did to Neal Knox years ago.  I was more 2nd Amendment oriented than the NRA at that time.  I also belonged to the American Pistol and Rifle Association, which went defunct and turned over their membership to the Gun Owner's of America.  The only other organizations I belong to now are the Ohio Bar Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the American Legion. 

After working as an intelligence analyst for the Air Force, with a Top Secret SCI clearance from 1982-85, it was clear to me that the way to figure out what people are thinking, and their mindset, is to read what they espouse in their publications.  I have an extensive collection of books, videos and documentation on just about every subversive group and controversial issue known to man.  Many items were given to me after a relative who was an American Independent Party member passed away.  I have books on Nationalism, Communism, Socialism, Independent Sovereign Society, Black Panthers, National Vanguard, British Israelism, and on, and on.  I have a copy of The Turner Diaries, Mein Kampf, Kadafi's Green Book, Mao Tse Tung's Red Book, The Super Drug Story, None Dare Call It Conspiracy, etc.  I also have several revisionist books and a video made by a young Jewish guy on the holocaust, one book of which I had shown to a couple of individuals some time back here in Georgetown.  These individuals do not believe the Bible is the Word of God, which is their personal choice.  I happen to believe that it is what it claims to be. 

In any event, I guess because I own that book, I am automatically a Nazi.  Glad I didn't show them my Black Panther pamphlets!  If I lived in Germany or Austria, and had that book in my possession, I'd be jailed for breaking the law.  The other thing I had said, after visiting Dachau, when my wife and I were stationed in Germany, was that some of the stuff claimed, like "they walked people in the front door and right out the back to be gassed," did not fit the facts.  Well, that claim didn't make any sense to me completely after seeing all the photographs on the inside of the museum at Dachau.  They may have marched the women and children through the front door and out the back, but I am absolutely positive they did not do that with the hundreds of individuals running the lathes and mills that were making guns and weapons for the German Army front lines.  Any machinist knows that you cannot put a person on an engine lathe, especially WWII vintage machines, and have them making good parts right away.  It takes months and years to train a machinist to be on his own making his own setups and turning out good parts.  So, I guess where I find stuff that is practically absolutely impossible, as compared to the stories about "front door to back," such stories are not entirely accurate, in my opinion.

There!  Now I have answered your questions in detail any politician would never honestly touch.  But I'm not a politician.  To me all people, whether white, black, yellow, red, male, female, homosexual, heterosexual, Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, any religion, Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, any party, etc., are one and the same as far as being entitled to respect and equal justice under the law.  I have literally lived in Asia for four years, and Europe for three.  I have seen many other parts of the world while in the Navy on board the USS Truxtun DLG(N)-35.  I have seen how some Americans treated the old Philippine gentlemen who would be in the men's restrooms, holding a towel and soap for us when we were ready to wash our hands.  I saw how many sailors would toss their tip for them in the urinals with all the VD-contaminated urine so they would have to fish the coins out and wash them off.  I saw how sailors would toss half-dollars into the Olongapo River [filled with sewage from the city of Subic Bay]  for the scantly clad girls and boys in their boats, by the bridge from the base to the city, just so those kids would have to dive into the sewage water to get the coins.  I don't know how they found them, but they did.  Disgusting to me! What's the purpose of treating anyone in the world like that???  I have seen how people treat other people around the world, and I have seen corruption all the way to the top of our national government while my wife was in the Air Force.  I'm TOTALLY sick of it all!  Things have to change, and the best place to start is on the local level.  Let my accusers abound.  You will never see me saying to anyone anything like, "get that &%$# Mexican out of MY jail."  And, furthermore, I doubt that my wife, Dr. Varnau, one of the five OB/GYN's at Health Source in Georgetown, would have stayed married to me for over 31 years, if I were what you are trying to paint me at this time, with questions and rumors started by unscrupulous individuals.  It's the politicians that have broken the public trust that should be treated to the MAXIMUM extent of the penalties under the law. 

Now!  I have answered your question on the holocaust matter.  To YOU: Should Dwayne unseal the court record of his trial in 2003?  Yes or No?  I've made it so simple for you to respond.  You don't have to write a two-page answer.  Thanks for your answer in advance. 

Question:  You know Dennis..you proved my point for me again about your ramblings. I know I'm not as smart as you (Or most other people in BC). I'm not running for office ! YOU ARE ! I do not answer to you. You make cheap shots and expect the voters to fall for it. Someone scratched my car last week Dennis ! Must have been one of your supporters ! HUH ??? You cannot answer a simple question put to you with out rambling on about the Sheriff. You know Dennis I like doing this, each email [sic] makes you look crazier each time. What in God's name does PI and tossing coins in the the [sic] river have to do with my questions ? I think you can not take your own medicine ! I DO NOT CARE ABOUT 2003 LET ALONE SEALED PAPERS ! I care about right now ! Who cares about you wanting to let everyone know you carry a gun ? You make yourself look ridiculous Dennis. And By the Way I served my country in the Navy 4Yrs. 1 Yr. Army Res. I've been to [sic] P.I. I do not brag or mention about it or being to college. You may not hang up your diploma's, but you sure like to mention [sic] all the time Dennis. ANONYMOUS !!

Answer:  Thank you, Anonymous.  Yes, you are correct.  I am running for office.  Whether you are or not, I'm not sure, especially when you already ruined any credibility you may have had with your first two mailings, denying what was clearly in print.  I'm just glad I am able to keep on proving your points. 

It is really odd, that all the facts I have posted are "cheap shots."  I'm not asking anyone to "fall for anything."  If anyone wants to know anything about me, they can read my postings or talk to me personally.  I have absolutely NOTHING to hide in my background or life.  It's all an open book, and I have all the documentation to support it all.  That's the German in me.  [Oops, Germans were Nazis, ergo, therefore Varnau must be a Nazi.] 

If someone scratched your car, you need to make a police report.  That's what I tell my supporters to do.  If there is no report, it didn't happen.  Go make the report and while you're at it, pick up a copy of the tractor oil drain report too.  If one of my supporters did such, I'm for prosecuting him/her to the MAXIMUM extent of the law.  You agree, right? 

Yep, I'm a "wild and crazy" kind of a guy, particularly when it comes to "holding feet to the fire!"  I need the kind of medicine you are providing me, to keep me humble.  I too know I am not intelligent.  I can immediately list five other individuals who are more intelligent than I right now, and most are females.  Intelligence is not something I have bragged about because I was just average throughout high school, college, and law school. 

What the election has to do with is INTEGRITY.  Integrity is much more important than intelligence.  I'll choose the "slowest" individual in the group who is honest to be on my team, over the smartest crook, every time. 

I was proud to serve my country, and would still do so if called.  Just because it is a fact that my wife and I are both Vietnam Veterans, I don't see that as a "bragging" right.  I did my time, and you did yours.  I'm proud of my time in the Navy.  A lot of my best friends today were guys that I served with in the Navy.  I have a lot of good memories from my time in the service.  It's funny how one seems to forget the bad times. 

You didn't answer the question.  You should care about the "sealed papers."  Why were they sealed in the first place?  If unsealed they should support your side to the point where you would have a "slam dunk" over every fact I have printed on my website.  Slam DUNK!  And you don't care about it?  Come on now?  Let's be honest here.  You don't care?  Really now? 

Comment:  Let me say that it looks like this person is worried about what proof you may have linking Dwayne (or an accomplice) to the crime. Just my intuition, but it seems he is trying to get you to say what it is so they will know what they are dealing with!  Just to see what you really know.  Marie

Answer:  Thanks for the mail, Marie.  Lots of information getting out with these e-mails.  It is so obvious that this person is directly connected to whomever was involved in the oil drain incident, in one way or another, either as an accomplice or friend of whomever was involved.  "Birds of a feather" somehow always seem to hang around together.  I agree with your take on it. 

Question:  There you go again Dennis, proving my point about you AGAIN ! I never knew a thing about "Tractor Oil Drained" until I read it on your website. I'm not running for office and I have never been nor ever will be a petty criminal. You CANNOT stand the questions put to you ! You have to make it about me ! You have no proof or fact that someone supporting the Sheriff done such a petty crime...DO YOU ?? You are and have proved it that you are a "Cheap Shot Artist". Since your [sic]  so in love with yourself and like to tell everyone about how smart you are and ALL your degrees Dennis. Have you ever practiced law infront [sic] of a jury ? If so how many times, what kind of cases were they ? Dennis..You are nothing more than a sad person. I truly am scared of someone who thinks like you ! (You can surly turn this sentence around on me) I will put my past. education etc up against yours any time.

Answer:  Thanks for the mail, whoever you are?  I'll assume it is from Anonymous to answer.  I am so very glad I have been able to prove your points again and again for you.  At least I am good enough for something in this dialogue.  The questions you have put to me have me sulking, looking for the nearest rock to climb under at this time. 

Excuse me, but it is you who has been raving so much about my educational achievements and how "smart" I am.  Not me.  I know better.  That stuff is there, you are correct, but I don't lean on it to the extent you have in your mailings.  It's kind of like you feel somewhat intimidated just because I took the time to accomplish something you have apparently not done yourself.  Degrees do not make people who they are in life, at least not "real" people.  For you degrees appear to be something of superior significance.  That, is very sad. 

I have never practiced law in front of a jury, never said I did.  I think you have worked yourself up into a frenzy over something of little if any significance, except that it is apparent you are somewhat concerned about alleged felonious conduct that has taken place.  A little advice here.  Don't be on the wrong side of the fence when the hammer falls.  If you were involved in any way, be sure that you're not sucked down too with the bad boys.  That's about all I can say to you. 

You don't answer my extremely simple questions, after I take the time to answer your somewhat unbounded questions.  You may not be a petty criminal, but you sure are intellectually dishonest, to say the least.  Next time be a real man.  Identify yourself.  Don't hide behind cyberspace like a little suckling hiding behind his mother's skirt.  My word, four years in the Navy and one year in the Army Reserves, and you don't have the minimal courage to stand on your own two feet and be a man.  That's sad, indeed. 

Question/Comment:  I have to say, I feel that the papers should be unsealed. I used to be a supporter of Sheriff Wenninger- had his sign in my yard the first time he ran, and voted for him. I even supported him with the qualifications deal UNTIL he sealed the court records. It made me think and wonder. WHY would anyone want to seal a record that (supposedly) proves that they are innocent and that the "allegations were hogwash"? If it was me, I would have wanted the transcripts printed front page newspaper with special attention to certain people, hey I'm qualified, instead of sealing them where no one can read them. The records in my humble opinion, should be open as they pertain to something that effects the general public.. I am voting Varnau, I feel that you are a very honest person who will help eliminate the "back scratching contest". I have also spoke to a lot of people about you, and have heard several people who were "on the fence" agree they were voting Varnau after they heard the Sheriff's filthy mouth!  Anonymous

Answer:  Thank you for the mail, Anonymous.  I was thinking, the other anonymous will accuse me again of sending this to myself since there is no name attached.  But then again, even if there were a name attached, it would not necessarily be the person who actually wrote it.  Nevertheless, I did not send this mail to myself, "for the record."  I guess the bottom line will be the election and its results as far as who is, and who is not, voting for me, to prove who wrote these e-mails, coming in through my website. 

I guess another way to determine what kind of a person I am, besides from what you can glean from my website, is to ask around about my wife, what kind of person she is, for some insight.  Obviously, she is a "saint" for putting up with me for over 31 years.  [Please note: I have her "trained" well.]  She and I have the same views on just about anything you can discuss.  She is more quiet than I [as you can see from my website], but we have the same compassion for others, generally speaking.  Thanks again for your input, whoever you are.  Sincerely. 

Question/Comment:  Dear Anonymous and Dennis,

I spend my time reading the postings on this site for one reason and one reason only. I could care less if Dennis and the Current Sheriff oppose each other or if they include Barney Fife in their race.

I will make this statement as I have a spine, I do not have any personal problems with Sheriff Wenninger nor have I with you except for the insistence on your part to still include my wife in this election year battle and mud slinging.

When it comes time to vote I will vote, its my vote and its nobody’s damn business who I cast it for.  Its my vote and the rest of the world can kiss my rear end if they don’t like it.

I do care about IDIOTS like "ANONYMOUS" here who wish to cast dispersions upon my wife, an employees of the Sheriffs Office, "NOT" a candidate in your idiot race. She is not seeking office, she has done no more than honestly and openly conduct her duties for more than 20 years and with over four Sheriffs.

For your information "ANONYMOUS" the notary you are so anxious to point fingers at takes that legal duty very seriously and has not nor would not do anything illegal or improper in the regard and if it were possible to file slander charges against a worm like you I would in a second. Of course your "ANONYMOUS", is another word for, spineless, yellow, coward!!

Dennis, exactly who would you be referring to causing improper appearances?? Tammy Dillinger?, the employee who as a part of her duties notarizes documents she is instructed to do in the course of a work day?

I really hope your're not going to make this a trend, I told you and you well know by now my wife, Tammy is not and will not be part of this ridiculous political game being played out in this Sheriffs Race. I could care less if you and the Sheriff get dueling pistols and go at it at 50 paces.

You, nor anyone else is going to slur my wife’s name or reputation due to your stupid damn politics. As God is my Judge I will consult an attorney on my own and if anytime I can make any case for civil action against any parties making false or inaccurate statements regarding Tammy and her employment at the Sheriffs Office I will file suit so fast it will make your head spin.

I respect your service Dennis, I served as well, in a different era and place. I lost friends while serving and I encountered IEDs as part of my assignment on a daily basis. As a result I assure you taking on those who wish to cast dispersions on my wife is a walk in the park.

I have the determination to "LEGALLY" stand up top "ANYONE" foolish enough to decide to make my wife part of the fodder of your election bid. MY wife is an honest hard working individual who has seen four Sheriffs in Office to date and with all four has done one thing consistently, perform her duties for the person in the position, legally, honestly and to the best of her ability.

She has done this despite whatever idiot filled political party they belong to.

The sad thing is where independents once seemed as a branch of hope in a overly corrupt two party system it is now become mostly just another branch or avenue for self proclaimed saviors.

I am sick of it, do what you want but don’t bring my wife into you game anymore!

P.S. if any of you “fine” political candidates wish to lease a spot for your signs in my yard I will be happy to oblige at the cost of $1000.00 a week per sign, I will post your stickers on my truck for $200.00 per day per sticker. ANY PARTY, ANY RACE for OFFICE.

If any of you know the “numb nut's running for the Presidential, Senatorial and Congressional races my offer is extended to them as well.
CASH UP FRONT!!!  Jim Dillinger

Answer:  Jim, thanks again for your mail. and your concern.  Sorry I could not post this any sooner, but I worked the mid-shift the other night with Captain Don Newman, and it takes me a day or two to get back on schedule. 

No one has cast any doubt upon your wife's reputation or dedication to her job.  Everyone who knows her is aware of her dedicated service to the department and our county.  The only thing stated here on this website has been cold, hard, irrefutable facts.  She has not been libeled in any mail posted on this website, nor will she be in the future. 

I do share your concern though, in light of the mental anguish caused to you, just because she is in a public service position that is so closely tied to the top administrative position.  You note that your wife has worked for four sheriff administrations thus far.  If I win she will then be working for her fifth.  My plan is to start from scratch with everyone in the department having new, empty, personnel folders, that is, empty of everything but their resumes, certificates, etc. 

All the past administrative/disciplinary action documentation will be archived.  I will, however, strive to accommodate having people working in positions where their daily duties will have minimum potential for causing the least amount of angst and mental anguish to their families, so the present situation like that you are periodically experiencing now will have as little chance of ever happening to you again.  It is clear from the news of the last week or two, that anytime anyone is "connected" with those who are running for public office, they, by the nature of their positions or family ties, automatically become entrained by the historical facts involving them, as a result of their position and relationship to the candidates themselves.  It is impossible to change history after the fact in order to erase all connections and ties to past situations and events. 

Question/Comment:  I agree with your assessment, Dennis.

I read Mr. Anonymous’ narrative and his or her statement that he did not care about anything prior to 2003 and this was more of the same got my attention. I am surprised at the attitude, however, I will support his right to take the position he believes in. American government allows voters to make their own decisions and cast their vote accordingly. These voters put some greats such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, JFK and Ronald Reagan in the White House. The same voters also put such political personages or demagogues like R. M. Nixon, Hewey Long and Joe McCarthy in power.

The Latin phrase of caveat emptor which translates to "let the buyer beware" applies to this Sheriff’s election. Mr. or Ms. anonymous elected not to identify themselves, and considering some recent events this is very likely justified. I will direct your readers to a recent article in the county papers where they reported Sheriff Wenninger embarrassed an employee of the Georgetown UDF for displaying a "Varnau for Sheriff" sticker and allegedly threatened to file charges on her son, a former Sheriff’s Office employee. The Sheriff states he merely wanted to explain to her why he had to terminate this employee. The facts are this was done while on duty on the County payroll. Notice the lady no longer displays that political sticker on her vehicle. I would like to view the video of a six foot, 200 lb official intimidating a five foot six, late forties or early fifties, mother, a legitimate citizen just trying to make a living.

I view this as a serious violation of that lady's civil rights, the UDF business, and the owner of that store or any employees on duty. This is reminiscent of bullying kids, not the Chief law enforcement officer of the county. This type of perceived intimidation easily justifies the anonymous position, although this person appears to be the sheriff, or a very close supporter of the Sheriff. I will ask that your readers view the Brown County Sheriffs Office and evaluate the facts from 2001 to date, just like a race horse you can judge it by their track record.

I see a lot of smoke coming from Wenninger's Office.  Any reasonable person can easily surmise that there is a serious fire hazard here. I have collected the following facts in four separate categories for you and your readers’ consideration.

1. Service to the Community
A part time Sheriff is making over fifty thousand dollars a year. How many of us have heard the Sheriff state "I only have to work eight hours a month!". Most of us don’t make that much working full time. I was unable to find any such specification in the Sheriff’s Code or the Ohio Administrative Code. I checked and the Sheriffs of Adams, Highland, Clermont and Clinton Counties work at least a forty-hour week and often  substantially more.

Failure to serve subpoenas

2. Cooperation with Other Agencies
Investigators from the Prosecutors Office were blackballed from coming into the Sheriff’s Office even while on duty conducting official business.

Village Officers were prohibited from leaving their area to assist Deputies even though their policy required that officers escort or assist the Fire and EMS personnel when they leave the village.

Judgments:  A $ 210,000.00 civil action pay out for violating an inmates civil rights.

Remember the big hole dig in the Fayetteville area, which lead to another civil action against the County and scheduled for trial in the near future. Consider that the Law Enforcement Agency with primary Jurisdiction/Clinton County did not participate in this endeavor.

The UDF incident previously narrated is at the very least a serious lapse of judgment and a worst a criminal and civil rights violation.

Remember the Special Prosecutor from Hamilton County and the name calling by Sheriff’s Staff towards the Brown County Prosecutor. After many man-hours and taxpayers dollars the grand jury came back with a "no bill" just as the Prosecutor had predicted before the appointment of a special prosecutor.

3. Reputation
Two corrections officers were prosecuted and convicted of bringing contraband into the Jail. Who was supervising these personnel? Is it possible this occurred after the monthly eight-hour service requirement?

The Sheriff purchased a stolen large screen TV set from Scotty Webb a known offender at a seriously discounted price. Mr. Webb was convicted of this theft in July 2008.

In my opinion the Sheriff’s web site discontinued its guest book correspondence as direct result of questions related to the Webb incident.

4. Personnel and Union Relations
Three separate incidents of unlawful termination, reduction in rank and lay off.

One employee was reinstated with back pay and benefits on three different occasions a loss of close to three years service to the community. We paid for services we did not receive due to administrative bad judgment.

A $ 75,000.00 pay out to another employee for a wrongful termination. Again we the taxpayers paid for services we did not receive.

At least five separate grievances currently pending arbitration. A single grievance on contractual issue or a non-disciplinary action in a law enforcement agency on its 9th or 10th contract is a lot. Labor contracts in the public sector are for as little as one year to as much as three years. In over fifteen years I recall only one arbitration under Sheriff Crawford when the FOP Union successfully defended Mr. Wenninger when he was prematurely terminated for political activity. For the benefit of the public which may be not be aware of this - a public employee in Ohio may not participate in partisan politics. There are some exceptions, however, this is beyond the scope of this narrative.

I could add several other incidents in each category. There are too many to narrate in this forum. Everything narrated is accurate and can be easily verified with minimum inquiries into existing public records by any concerned citizen. I hope I have encouraged some of you to ask the questions. Those of us in legal or law enforcement careers have seen these events transpire. The facts narrated here are all after 2003, and are unrelated to the Sheriffs qualifications for office, which at least one person views as the same old stuff. I will also remain anonymous because I am in the career field and have loved ones dependant on me. I have made up my mind. I only ask that the readers evaluate these facts and make an informed decision for our mutual welfare. Ask yourself are we better off today than we were in 2001? Caveat emptor.

Answer:  Thanks for your mail, Anonymous. 

Comments/Question:  I have tried to send Dwayne a letter inviting him to describe his candidacy to a growing number of independent voters in Brown County. It was frustrating due to the lack of any E-Mail address on his Sheriff Department's website. One of his Deputies informed me that I should use his "tip" page to contact him directly. That should be reserved for criminals, but I used it anyway.

That was the final straw for me. I have had all I can stand. From my first impression (over 7 years ago) of the B.C.S.O., until the other day's disappointment, I have tried to maintain some semblance of respect for law enforcement here in my County. No longer.

Dennis, I have great respect for your legal endeavors, attempting to hold those responsible, in court of law, for, ACCURATELY determining that a candidate is eligible to run and serve. That process will be thwarted by those that hold power without wisdom and have too much at stake. They have done us a great disservice.

I can come to no other decision than, "the gloves are coming off".

If there are any other voters out there who express their support for your candidacy that still insist on anonymity, I would ask them. How are you going to assure a successful outcome for Varnau? Do you intend to sit back and say, "good luck"? I have heard, seemingly, intelligent people say "Dwayne is my friend". That's fine and dandy, go have dinner with him and/or his wife. I am sure they are fun. HE IS NOT SHERIFF MATERIAL!!!

Let's win this election the old fashion way. If you support Dennis, tell 5 people who you are going to vote for on 11/4/2008 and WHY. Then induce them to talk to 3 more, and those to 1 additionally. Do not be diverted from the conversation by those who ask about Presidential aspirations. Or the cost of gas. Or the state of the economy. Focus. GET VARNAU IN !!!!!

We now have 56 days in which we change the way things are done in Brown County. We can sit on our hands and fret, or we can stand up and be heard. I myself, will be heard by several hundred people, friends, neighbors, and strangers alike. I expect you to talk to your five.

Take back our County.... it's our home.

What do you think, Dennis?

Chuck Krainz

Answer:  Thank you for your mail, Chuck.  My first thought, Chuck, is to say, "Calm Down."  Ha! 

What I can say is that there are many other individuals out there who "vent" similarly as you.  Problem is there are many out there who are genuinely afraid of retaliation, particularly after some of the things that have already happened to some of my supporters.  As Anonymous pointed out, there is not enough evidence to connect anyone to any of the incidents, except for the UDF incident where Mr. Wenninger is clearly on the surveillance video acting out that June 25th at 06:55:00.  So, I suspect that a lot of Mr. Wenninger's signs out there now are there because many are afraid to say, "No," whereas with my signs a lot are afraid to identify themselves as supporters for the exact same reasons I already explained above.  That, in and of itself, speaks loudly to me as I travel the county. 

Personally I feel that things are heading in the correct direction, that is, from my perspective.  You have to remember, and I'm not the only one who knows this, that there are a lot of individuals in Brown County who have "skeletons in their closet" that they cannot afford to have aired out publicly under any circumstances.  You can watch the way things progress daily, as if someone "cracked the code," watching what the next move is that will be taken for "cover" purposes before it actually transpires.

Have no doubt, however, I will carry on to the end everything I have standing to complete.  It doesn't matter how many signs are posted, or how many votes are accumulated, people have to abide by the rules in all "games."  For those who have been cheated out of their rightful claims over the last two elections, I'll carry on all the way for them.  The longer it goes, the more momentum it gains, the more damage it will do in the end to those "holding the bag."  It's like a ticking time-bomb that nobody knows how or when it will explode.  But when it goes off, there are are going to be a lot of people and entities with "egg" all over their face. 

As far as my court case, ideally, being a case of first impression throughout the whole nation, I'd like to see it go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court as an appeal from the Ohio Supreme Court.  They may or may not take it, but I think by the time it gets to that stage, they just might want to look at it, particularly since the law involved is boldface, black-letter law that will not take long to decide.

Next step is to take today's Common Pleas decision to the next higher court, etc.  If that fails to get settled in time before the election, then it would be in the best legal interest for Mr. Wenninger to win the election, so I have standing to take the protest material directly to the court for its evaluation of the election laws as they concern eligibility, etc., for a quo warranto writ or writ of prohibition.  There will be no time constraints on taking that through the courts, as the election deadline will not be present anymore.  Signs and election victories will have absolutely no effect on halting my standing to continue on with the legal process.  When opposing counsel agrees that the law is on our side; when the Board itself agrees that my Constitutional rights have been violated; when the Magistrate clearly delineates a concise legal decision in his journal entry that is right on point; one has to wonder who is right and who is wrong with respect to today's decision.  Obviously, in my opinion, the Magistrate is right-on, and I'll do everything possible to prove that point.  Read the documentation and decide for yourself.  As soon as I get a copy of the journal entry, I'll post it to the website for all to read. 

When it comes to appeals, remember that under the existing election laws, I, as an independent, am not allowed to challenge my partisan candidate at all, at any time prior to the primary, after the primary and before the general election.  I was not a viable candidate until March 28th when my candidacy was approved by the Board of Elections.  Mr. Wenninger could protest my candidacy up until May 30, 2008.  Now, let's say that the speed of the legal process makes my civil action become moot by going past the election day.  The whole process is unconstitutionally biased against independents because the partisan candidates get several more months to challenge each other, whereas I, as an independent, am hamstrung with way less time to prove the legal ineligibility of a partisan candidate prior to the general election.  This is also not constitutional.  I do have a case that can go on after the election.  I was told that I cannot bring a quo warranto case up after the election, if Mr. Wenninger wins the election.  That may be the case legally speaking.  The person who told me this surely knows what he is talking about, and he has many more years of legal experience than I.  Nevertheless, there are serious constitutional questions surrounding this whole case of first impression anywhere in the whole nation.  I personally believe that there are legitimate legal issues present in this matter that can be carried on past the election with some kind of a legal action for a special writ of some sort.  The facts dictate that anyone who is not a partisan candidate is completely and totally at a disadvantage with respect to competing against a partisan candidate, if such partisan candidate is not legally qualified to be a candidate, and the present process under the election laws fails to filter such person out of a race for one reason or another.  I will have been effectively stopped by time limitations to prove my point with what appear to be deliberate machinations, whereas any partisan candidate automatically has way more "legal process time" to prove my ineligibility, if they had to go to court to do so, using the "normal course of the law" to do it.  I don't quit until the job is finished - one way or another! 

Bottom line in all of this, is this.  If the people of Brown County are satisfied with the job Mr. Wenninger has done in the Sheriff's Office for the last 7.5+ years, then they can elect him into it again.  If their tax money doesn't mean that much to them, where hundreds of thousands can be flushed down the drain for no legitimate reason, then I guess I'll have to pay, along with everyone else, the increases that will be foisted upon us to cover the next law suit settlement that comes down the pike with "four-more-years" of the same.  And if CORSA dumps coverage of our county, those tax increases will become unbearable indeed in light of the declining dollar, jobs, and take-home pay.  I guess I'm lucky that I don't have a family to support at this time.  I personally don't think things are going to get any better, but worse.  We are now going to be bailing out Freddie and Fanny.  Where is all that money going to come from?  Legitimate, simple questions need to be asked of our elected representatives, and cogent answers demanded from them. 

Problems can be easily identified, but if the majority just don't care, there is not much that can be changed, so we all suffer together collectively under a general lack of interest about what is going on in our county.  I can only do what I can do, you can only do what you can do.  Be satisfied with your efforts, is all you can hope for at this time.  Hang in there and don't quit!  Remember, you can always be there to say, "I told you so," in the end, if that be the case.  FWTW. 

Comments/Questions:  I was given your bumper stocker and a leaflet today by someone. I logged into your website and spent a few hours on it, and I have a few comments and questions for you, and a few thoughts of my own to address.

1) Sheriff Wenninger has his nerve to call you into his office and curse you out and use our Lord's name in vein like he does. He is an elected county official and should be professional. It looks to me you were looking out for the county (particularly his rear-end), and the safety of our fire dept crews. If he had an issue, he should have politely said I think this conversation is over and it's time you go on your way, we'll finish this up later instead of using multiple dirty words and cussing. Shame on him!

2) Why in the heck would you when you obviously know you are being taped talk like he did? Man, he's down right stupid. No wonder why stuff goes on in our county like it does.

3) The letter to Mt. Orab makes no sense. If they have a situation out of their village and they request a village unit to respond, the only person who possibly might have an issue is us taxpayers of Mt. Orab who pay for police protection. However, I doubt anyone (with any common sense) would have an issue of providing a service to someone who needs help, regardless of who is paying for the service. I live in Mt. Orab, and if the PD need to go to Five Mile for a life/death situation, I have no problem at all! Just think of someone is a mile out of town having a heart attack, and goes into cardiac arrest, and for some reason EMS is delayed, ie: train crossing , only truck out, no crew available, etc. I thought all Brown County Law Enforcement vehicles are equipped with an AED for that purpose. I donated money to that program when it was started, with the thought that it would be used to save lives. If you can get the AED on them quick, especially with good CPR, yo!
u just might be able to save that person's life or at least, give them a chance, rather than sitting there watching the fire department on their way by because the SO says you can't go. Yes, there is a potential for a liability issue if the unit is out of their imaginary line/jurisdiction with their insurance company. HOWEVER, all would be needed is a blanket mutual-aid agreement which would solve that, as you intend to do. That's how it is in other places. Plus, the good Samaritan act would possibly cover anything first aid related with Law Enforcement.

Wouldn't a meeting be nicer between MOPD and Fire and the Sheriff to discuss the matter if Dwayne has a concern with it than sending that letter, that way the FD could explain.

In which, the sunshine law was violated by Sheriff Wenninger. The letter is a public record- he has no right to say anything to you about reading it. Yes, a good LEO has their eyes open at all times. He can't answer that question, as he might get sawdust or concrete in them!

4) Radio Equipment/Harry Martin. Just how much do we pay Harry per year to maintain the radio/emergency warning equipment in the SO vehicles? Who does all of the other Police Departments use? How much or has Harry donated for Dwayne's campaign? I guess the free website by Special Deputy Harry Martin might be a perk... I guess they use Special Deputy Harry Martin's radio service and Deputy Dave Johnson's Southern Ohio k-9 school for all of their needs. Gotta keep it in the department! Don't forget the purchase of oil for the cruisers. How do you intend to do the radio work, and the rest of purchasing, for that matter?

5) I find it weird, I can drive in Clermont County, Highland County, Adams County, Hamilton County, Clinton County, Montgomery County, etc and 9/10 times I see sheriff's vehicles sitting along the road, with a person in them, usually running radar, or patrolling. When I'm in Brown County, I hardly ever see a Sheriff's Vehicle. Is their always a car out on the road? Brown County needs at least three cars out. The Expedition needs to be marked and a light bar/siren needs to be put on top. If he's so "protected and endangered" that he don't want anyone to see him, then why is he at festivals socializing enjoying a beer! No, I'm not saying anything about drinking beer as the man does have a right to enjoy a beer as long as 1)he's off duty, 2)he's not driving.

6) People intimidating your supporters, that is ridiculous. That is the reason why I will not sign this. Every day when I come home from work and hit the brown county border, I don't want the whole fleet to "come out of their hiding" and pull my family and I over and harass us.

7) Look at the SO's personnel list. How many people have the same last name?

8) What is the status of the Cheryl Fossil case? That was big TV headlines, and just went to nothing. How much was spent on that? Is anyone in jail because of it?

9) It's time for change! I thought that back in 2000. That change is going to take time, but I think, from reading this site and hearing people talk about you, it will happen with VAR-NOW!   Anonymous

Answer:  Thank you for the mail, Anonymous.  At first I thought you were a long-time supporter, sneaking in another pitch, but then realized your letter doesn't "fit" the rest completely. 

In response to your Question #3, there was actually an incident down near Aberdeen a few years back.  Two Aberdeen patrolmen were in a police cruiser equipped with an AED and both were qualified to administer basic life support.  They were within a mile of the individual having a heart attack out in the county territory, whereas there was no deputy around in the area.  They called in and said they could respond to the scene, but were told to stand down as the sheriff's department would take car of it.  By the time the sheriff deputy arrived on the scene 20-30 minutes or so later, the person was found dead.  Now, there is no guarantee the person would have survived if they had been allowed to respond, however, I have been told by several life squad personnel that had they gotten there within a few minutes, the victim may have had a good chance of survival.  This is all documented fact, available on the 911 tapes and as told to me by the two officers who were involved at that time. 

So, I agree with you completely!  A blanket mutual aid agreement is what is needed in this county immediately for a safety net to better cover all citizens in our county.  It makes absolutely no sense at all to me to have an officer sitting idle close to an incident happening, and he is not allowed to respond and get the situation under control until a deputy arrives.  I'd have that ready to go on January 5th, if elected. 

Question #4, again, some of this has already been covered earlier on the site.  I would use the competitive bidding for contract work.  I think that is what is required by law.  I would not incrementally make payments to get around what the law requires or intends to happen on business deals with government entities.  It will all be above board completely.  I will not indulge in surreptitious dealings aimed at lining my or some family member's pocket with public funds.  I will not have any family working in any government job within the county while I'm in office.  It is the appearance of impropriety that the public immediately picks up on, generating the public sarcasm and distrust of government in general.  That's my opinion. 

Question #5:  If funding gets so bad that we cannot afford to have many cars on the road at all times, I'll be on the road myself with my fuel to fill in where needed.  I look at this job as a public service sector position completely.  It, to me, is a volunteer position in the sense that the people have placed their trust in someone to look after their safety and deal equally with all when it comes to the law.  I view it as being similar to the doctor/patient relationship, where it is officer/citizen instead.  Citizens come first, then officers, then me in that pecking or "triage" order. 

Question #8:  I believe that the Fossil case is at the appeals level still, waiting for a decision to be handed down on the appeal. 

Question:  I was given a flyer for Jessica Little yesterday with your name in small print at the bottom.  Are you part of that race?  I have never heard of her before I saw her signs a few months ago. I would love to see all new blood in this county. I hope she would know the difference between right and wrong.

No offense intended but I would like to have someone able to take you before the grand jury if you ever broke the law such as buying a stolen TV set. I hope to see you get in there and clean up this mess. I wonder if Rickey or Little will bring D.W. before the Grand Jury for the T.V. set?    Harold S.

Answer:  Thank you for the mail, Harold.  Yes, I did print the flyer with Jessica Little's name on it, paid for out of my campaign funds.  She had nothing to do with it at all.  I did it on my own.  I am not part of that race, other than I personally believe that between the two individuals running in that race, she is the most qualified.  I am only pointing out what I believe to be the facts here.  If I am elected and Bob Rickey is elected, I'd do the exact same job for him as for her.  I am absolutely positive that Mrs. Little does know what's "right" from "wrong." 

I have already been castigated, in a polite way, three or more times in the last few days, for doing what I have done with respect to telling the truth about how I see the candidates in two other races.  I have been told I will lose my Democrat base by showing my support for Jessica Little, a Republican, however, I also openly support Gregory Napalitano (D) over Senator Niehaus (R) in their race.  Please try and understand that I am not a career politician who wants this job to line my own pockets at the expense of the taxpayers, or for some personal interest or gain I have designs on ahead of time.  I am in this race solely because of what I witnessed while in the prosecutor's office as an investigator. 

My wife and I have settled here in this county and are not planning on moving anymore in our lifetime.  My opinion is that county law enforcement by the Sheriff's Office is severely deficient in many ways, and is in need of someone who will do the job, full-time, FOR THE PEOPLE, like a volunteer doing it for the people first, officers in the department second, and myself third , if necessary.  "Protect and serve" the public first.  I look at it the same way as my wife looks at her job now and when she was in the Air Force as Commander every where she went, from OB/GYN Clinic Chief, to Chief of Medical Staff and Medical Operations Squadron Commander, to hospital Commander.  The patient always came first [even to this day], then her troops, then she and her family, me, third.  I view being Sheriff exactly the same way with the citizens being equivalent to "patients," and all officers in the department second in the "triage process."

I'm an independent.  I'm a voter too, not a politician.  I have the right to back whomever I think is the best person for the position.  That's exactly what I will do, and will not surreptitiously do so "under the table" like a "sneak" the way regular dirty politics is carried on every four years.  Here's an example of what I was told recently: "I think you are making a big mistake.  It is difficult enough for an independent to be elected, without aligning, 'connecting' to other candidates.  Independent candidates should (in my opinion) be completely-free of the 'party/s candidates.' It is right and fine to have a personal choice, but that choice should remain personal.  You are  going to alienate the Democrats, with your endorsement of a Republican.  You may not like what I write, but it is the political truth. I served many years as a party member and committeeman and it is that gained wisdom I now share with you."  I am absolutely positive that this person is probably 100% correct in the political wisdom of the advice, after being totally consumed by partisan politics for many years.  But it is my view, however, that "politics" gets more crooks into office than just using common sense to vote for the person most qualified in credentials and experience, both life and professional.  I am completely "free" of all parties and candidates.  Not one candidate owes me anything, and I owe no one running in this election anything either.  I owe no one any political favors, as I am not financially backed through contributions by anyone but my own.  I'm absolutely neutral in every aspect in order to do the job equally across the board for everyone. 

I endorse, as an independent, both Democrats and Republicans, and any other party's member who may be the best qualified and experienced to do a particular job, from my perspective.  I have no favorites except for picking the one I deem to be the best person for the particular position no matter what party he/she is in at the time.  People change parties whenever it suits their "political" needs of the moment. 

In the race for prosecuting attorney, take and put the credentials and experience level of both vying candidates side-by-side yourself, and see if I am not calling the facts as they actually exist.  I have heard someone said they are backing Mr. Wenninger because he once pulled her out of a ditch.  I've pulled people out of ditches, and changed tires for them too, but I didn't get the county into a bunch of lawsuits unnecessarily, to the tune of already over $600,000.00 dollars in settlements, with more to come, and more new lawsuits filed almost every month.  That tow cost her more than she was aware, as the taxes she paid to the county were being squandered down another legal "rat-hole" channel as the real cost of her tow at that time. 

If I'm making a big mistake, then it is obviously mine alone to make.  I can live with it, or I wouldn't have made it.  At least everyone knows where I honestly stand on the issues and candidates.  I am not inclined to lie about what I really believe.  I have found though that even after asked what I think, if I end up telling the truth about how I truly see it, I am immediately attacked because I told it like it is in my mind, as if it would have been better if I had lied instead.  Well, I'm for this county community, as it is my home too.  I'm going to do for it what I believe to be in the best interest of everyone else collectively, as much as humanly possible. 

So, if anyone thinks Mr. Wenninger is more qualified and experienced to do the job better than I, then they can vote for him.  If anyone thinks I can do the job better than he, then they can vote for me.  One way or another it will all be over in 54 days, and then everyone can live with the choices they made on election day, that is, if they even take the time to come out and vote.  Life will go on, one way or another, in a race to each of our graves.  I have plenty of job opportunities and things to do waiting for me, no matter which way the election goes on November 4th. 

On your second question, the Sheriff is under the exact same laws as everyone else in the county.  Whether the laws are applied the same to him or not depends on how others responsibly fulfill their duties.  If I were to break the laws, any laws, misdemeanor or felony, I should be held to the same standard as everyone else walking through the courthouse doors.  There should be no difference.  Misdemeanor offenses have a two-year statute of limitations.  Felonies have a six-year statute of limitations.  I would expect that if I were to be indicted by a grand jury for a felony offense, as sheriff, the current prosecutor would most likely step down and have someone else step in from outside to do the job. 

Comment:  Hello Dennis, I guess some crazy things are to be expected when the pot is stirred. I believe you have more support than you know!! That tends to make some, angry. We had two yard signs on our lawn, but someone must have had a need for one of them and took it. If they needed it to show support, I'm all for it?! Keep up the good work, and see you at the fair!!! Steve

Answer:  Thanks for the mail, Steve.  It seems that some of my signs are suffering the same fate as Captain Don Newman's did in his run for the nomination in the primary.  I know of three of my signs that have disappeared since they were first passed out for placing.  Don's disappearing signs were attributed to the wind, but it was strange that the wind only took his out from among several to a dozen signs all around his while none of the other signs disappeared. 

I still have about 100 signs left to pass out from the 500 I started with, minus a box of 25 signs and stands that inadvertently "disappeared" a few months back.  I only give them to those who request them.  I do not put them everywhere on a whim just to artificially make it look like I have more support than I actually have out there.

Many frequently asks me "how is the campaign going."  To be honest, I really haven't the slightest clue.  From one's perspective, of course it looks okay, but how can anyone "read" the overall condition?  I suppose some pollster could come up with an educated guess. 

I have filed my intent to be in the parade, so if you are free to do so, please come and participate in it with as many others you can convince to come walk or ride in the parade too.  That will be the final parade in this election cycle. 

CAVEAT:  Please note that Jessica Little (R) is not endorsing my campaign at all.  She has no say in my campaign, only my wife and I.  I, as a qualified elector, am endorsing her based solely upon the experience levels of both candidates running for the position of prosecuting attorney.

Before you get started on this portion of the whole story about Senator Niehaus and the legislative amendment that reduced the educational requirements to be a valid candidate for sheriff in 2003, you need to go back and read this first, then read this second, using your "back arrow" button on your browser to come back here.  After you have read those two posts, then continue on here listening to two other conversations I had with Senator Niehaus, after the first phone conversation I had with him on Wednesday, March 19, 2008.

The second conversation I had with the Senator was on Monday, May 5, 2008, about 1200 hrs at the Administration Building in Georgetown, the same day after my Board of Election hearing on my protest of Mr. Wenninger's candidacy, which was rejected by the Board and is now in the "natural course of the law" at the 12th District Court of Appeals in Middletown, OH.  Pay particular attention to Senator Niehaus' attitude that this whole situation is essentially Brown County's problem.  If Senator Niehaus represents Brown County, isn't a "problem" located in Brown County also automatically one of "his problems" too as our representative in the House or Senate???   If, in fact, he was part of the reason why the "problem" sprung up in the first place, is he indicating that it's not any concern of his now, because it is now "Brown County's issue?"

The third conversation I had with Senator Niehaus is in two parts around 1300 hrs. at the Sardinia Parade on Sunday, June 29, 2008. The conversation was interrupted by others so it is in two parts.  Here's the first part.  Here's the second part.  Also associated with this conversation is the Ohio Legislative Service Commission.  This is the letter they sent me along with copies of the bills as they were preserved in the House and Senate.  Is Senator Niehaus trying to "wash his hands" of the whole scenario???  You be the judge, jury, and VOTER on November 4th. 

Senator Niehaus has stated that I completely mislead the substance of the amendment that was attached to the Korean War Veteran's High School Diploma Bill, in that it did not include Dog Grooming Diplomas as being acceptable.  I think it does.  The documentation alone indicates not only Dog Grooming Diplomas are acceptable, but also Bar Tending Diplomas, etc. 

Please review all the information available and see for yourself if my allegations "hold water."  Then, when it comes time to vote absentee or at the general election, please remember what you have read and heard from this website.  I'll publish all comments that are not libelous, either pro or con, without publishing your last name or e-mail address, unless you request otherwise. 

Question/Comment:  This is Jessica Little and I am writing to you concerning the billboard on 68. I am distressed over the implication that I am endorsing your candidacy for Sheriff. Although I am appreciative of your support and that of your supporters, you know I would not have authorized an advertisement of such a nature. I am respectfully asking that you remove the billboard or at lease [sic] my portion of it.

Respectfully submitted,
Jessica Little

Answer:  Jessica,

I am sorry for any distress I may have caused you by backing your candidacy, however, just because I am a candidate myself, I am still an eligible elector and have the right to back anyone I desire in any election, openly and publicly, spending my money as I see fit. As an attorney you must realize I have the right to do so? I made it clear to someone else that I was backing you over Mr. Rickey, solely because when I compare the credentials of you two, it is clearly obvious to me that you have more experience than Bob. In fact, I was in the prosecutor's office when Bob worked there, so I know how much experience he has as compared to what you have done as an assistant prosecutor. Bob's a nice guy, and pretty intelligent, but when it comes to experience, he needs more time-in-grade to be able to fall into that position. There is not going to be enough money to spend to "train" a prosecutor to do that job, hiring others to do the work while Bob gets the experience. We've already seen this with respect to the Sheriff's Office for the last 7.5+ years. We don't need to spend taxpayers' money on trainees. We need people who can hit the road running. We need individuals who know the law and follow it equally across the board.

I am also backing Mr. Greg Napolitano, a Democrat, over Senator Niehaus. You will see why as soon as I get the material posted on my website, hopefully sometime today. I have already backed him openly too on my website, and will continue to do so. I back whomever I think is the best candidate for the job, which is why I am an independent. I've only concentrated on your race and his because of the connections made as depicted on my website with respect to the Senator's race, and because if elected Sheriff, the prosecutor's office and SO have to work together, which is something nobody has seen for the last two terms here in Brown County. I've witnessed the "two party system" literally destroy our country, and I think the current news items in the media prove my point without any doubt. Neither party could have done what has been done to our country by itself without the other party's help in doing it. Napolitano also has not endorsed my candidacy, but I have the right and means to support his if I choose to do so.

It does not bother me in the least whether you or Napolitano endorse me or not. Such has no bearing on my campaign or my views on this.

As far as removing the billboard, I have already paid in full the lease and other fees for that billboard. I will not be making any changes to it all the way up to the November 4th election. The only changes I expect is more people paint-balling it in the future, or vandalizing it. We are prepared for that now and hope to catch whomever is doing such things in the future.

Again, sorry for any distress. If I get elected I can work with whomever gets elected as prosecutor, whether it is your [sic] or Bob. If elected, I am hoping that it is you who gets elected, solely based upon the comparison of experience levels between you and Bob. Period.

Now you see why I hate "politics." Whatever happened to free speech in our country, and backing the best candidate for the job????

Sincerely,
Dennis

Comment:  I just want every body to know that you will make a wonderful sheriff and "homeopathic doctor." I had terrible eczema on my hand. It itched so bad, I could not sleep. My hand was raw. I went to two top dermatologists in Cincinnati. No help. They said I have to live with it. You suggested using a homeopathic cream and drops that you use to help your knee. After 2-3 months, my hand is normal and I rarely have a problem with it. You have my eternal thanks for helping me. Serving people is a noble deed which I am sure you will do, unlike the system in place now.

Judy

Answer:  Thanks for the testimonial, Judy.  Western medicine is great for acute medicine, but the worst for chronic conditions.  Always wanted to be a surgeon when I was younger, but glad I did not go that route, as I don't think I could put up with the patients like my wife does.  Nevertheless, I've always had an interest in medicine, particularly because the body is like a machine, only biological.  It works on a limited number of nutrients, water, etc., and all those western medicines that are given for chronic conditions just add more toxins to the body that have to be removed by the internal organs and systems.  It is probably the foremost reason why there is so much arthritis in our country.  It is from toxic drugs that mask the normal body reaction to the disease process by eliminating the "runny nose," etc., while eliminating the runny nose allows the toxins to go internal rather than external, which is the more efficient way to expel toxic material in large quantities.  Most skin disorders are from internal toxin buildups.  Glad it worked for you. 

I had to send in an order for more homeopathic supplies and the salesman said he would send some extra brochures for my table at the Fair this next week.  The salve you used to do it was called Zeel made in Baden Baden, Germany, and distributed by Heel in Albuquerque, NM.  http://www.heelusa.com/Index.aspx Their stuff works great!  They also sell Traumeel for acute sports injuries, etc.  Most Naturopathic Physicians and Chiropractors can order this stuff if you let them know where to get it.  Most M.D.'s haven't the slightest clue about homeopathics, in fact are trained away from using them in favor of the expensive drugs made out of petroleum that are dispensed daily through typical pharmacies for BIG BUCKS.  Most medical doctors condemn homeopathics as quackery, yet, as can be seen from above, they do work with no side effects.  Been using them since 1988 myself.  That salve got me through the police academy.  They called me "grandpa" in the academy, and regularly asked if I remembered to put my Depends on, but I finished the course, and they didn't, thanks in part to these two salves and a little determination.

Question:  Dear Dennis: You've said that you endorse Jessica Little over Robert Rickey due to Jessica having more experience than Mr. Rickey. However, I have heard that Mr. Rickey HAS worked as a prosecuting attorney and HAS been an attorney longer than Jessica has. And as far as the billboard with Jessica goes....It is unfortunate that people like you are too worried about what they CAN do as opposed to what they Should do. In other words...maybe you SHOULD remove her picture if that is what she wants.   Anonymous

Answer:  Thank you for the mail, Anonymous.  Mr. Rickey did work as a prosecutor in the Brown County Prosecutor's Office, while I was working there as an investigator.  He only worked there for for a half year or so, I cannot remember, but I'm sure you could call the office and see if they can tell you how many months he was there.  I know it was less than a year.  Bob, as I recall, only did Municipal Court cases.  Not sure if he did any jury trials during that time.  Prior to that I understand that Bob was a labor law attorney for five years.  He has been an attorney longer than Jessica Little by about a year, but that extra year was not even as a prosecutor. 

Jessica has three years in the Adams County Prosecutor Office, doing everything a prosecutor has to do, plus, she has a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. I know what I can do, and what I can't.  I can straighten up what is wrong with law enforcement in this county, which is why I am running for the office.  No other reason.  As far as that sign goes, nothing will change between now and election day, except for the damage caused by those who like to break the law with impunity in our county.  That will change if I get in, along with someone like Jessica Little getting in too.  Check out her bio on the Danny Bubp website for yourself.  I did.  Then ask Bob to post his bio so you can compare it with Jessica's.  http://www.bubplawoffice.com/Bubp%20web%20page/jessica.htm  Whether Jessica "wants" it removed or not is not a factor at this time.  I have completely paid for what is there now all the way through November 4th. 

I do regret that my exercising my constitutional right to free political speech, that is not libelous or infringing on any copyrights, has caused Mrs. Little some potential problems.  Already through the "grapevine" I have received information from Ripley and Mount Orab that indicates the Republicans supposedly have given her a hard time just because I have endorsed her publicly.  Imagine that!  An independent endorses someone because he thinks that person is more experienced, and the Republicans get MAD????  I guess I should have endorsed Mr. Rickey, a Democrat, instead.  But, maybe then the Democrats would get MAD????   Well, I do endorse Mr. Gregory Napolitano (D) over Senator Niehaus (R), as I explained above in detail.   

Whatever happened to common sense along the way with respect to "politics?"  I have also been told that some higher ups in the Republican Party say I am "nuts" and crazy because of my personal stand on things, and because I tell it like it is, instead of being a typical politician who "can't remember," won't answer the question, etc.  The reason why, I think, is because I have probably upset their political power "apple cart," and they don't like that one bit.  I had heard that one higher up said something to the effect that I would never succeed with my court case in any court here in Ohio.  I'm starting to believe that now.  But what they don't realize is this.  If they are successful in delaying my case past election day, making my case moot, that is what will give me the standing to proceed onward after the election in the courts with another unconstitutional claim present in the current election laws, if, Mr. Wenninger wins the election.  So, one way or another, my protest will be heard, sooner or later either by the Secretary of State or another court, even possibly the U.S. Supreme Court, if they would take it since it is a case of first impression.   

Here's another one I suggested last year, wherein I was called a "nut" [by someone who employed me in the past], knowing that we would eventually get to this point in time with respect to the dollar's viability, by "reading the tea leaves" in the financial news published all over the world through the Internet..  I told several people of authority that our county should be looking into establishing our own local currency for use here in our communities.  Take a look at the links on this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BerkShares   By having our own local currency we, as a county, would be more able to weather the storm coming with the dollar's demise.  It is going to be worse than the last depression, and nobody seems to want to prepare for the worst case scenario coming.  Reason I was looking at this is because we are not going to be able to throw everyone in jail who is stealing food to keep their families alive.  We will have to do something to alleviate the potential for the increase in crime associated with a total collapse of the dollar and loss of jobs county-wide.   It's already started with DHL.  Stand by for more, because it IS coming, and it will have a MAJOR impact on law enforcement in our county. 

I've always looked at it this way.  If you prepare for the worst case scenario, and it turns out to be a lesser event, then what you end up with seems like paradise as compared to what did not happen.  I guess that is ingrained in me from working in the nuclear plant on board our ship.  A "meltdown" was always possible, if you did the wrong thing at the right time.  But, I'm the "NUT."  Go figure.  I guess the only consolation I will have along with the rest of us, who can see what is coming, is being able to say, "See. I told you so!"  Maybe it won't be so bad for our county,  if we can vote in people who will work to recoup the losses we have experienced over the last 7.5 years from those who are really responsible for them happening.  Boy, there sure seems to be a lot riding on these elections this November 4th!  Looks to me like there is potentially a LOT at stake for many.  The tails just need to be permanently pinned on each culprit responsible. 

Last week between Monday and Saturday my website had 5,658 total hits, from 339 visits, unique visitors 123, visitors who visited once 81, visitors who visited more than once 42.  So, people are reading what I am posting.  Every week approximately 80-130 unique visitors look at the site.  Get the word out to others.  Wake them up to what is going on in our county, and in this upcoming election. 

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=28564

Comment:  Establish our own currency?!?!?! Our own currency in Brown County?!?!?!? ATTENTION PEOPLE OF BROWN COUNTY!!!: Please vote Dennis Varnau for SHERIFF so he doesn't run for county commissioner!!!!!!!!  Anonymous

Answer:  Thanks for your input, Anonymous.  You have correctly identified who would be most responsible for the future planning of what could help protect our county for the rough times ahead - the commissioners.  I can only suggest potential solutions to problems that will eventually hit us right where it will hurt the most - in our pocketbook.  I would have no part in its implementation.  Have no fear, Anonymous, I will never run for commissioner.

Question/Comment:  Couple things I wanted to say here.

First, I am glad that you have the guts to stand up for what you believe in. You found a candidate that you support for an election and you voiced your opinion as is your God given and constitutional right. You have always been a honest, hard working, strong minded and professional man and Jessica is lucky to have your support. I can't believe the party system has struck once again in this county. You exercised your right to voice your opinion and because our party system is about which party someone belongs to instead of who is right for the job, you are taking heat for it. What is this county and country coming to when you can't speak your mind?! Keep up the good work.

Second, shame on those individuals who want to attack you for your belief. This country is going down the gutters quickly and I don't see how we are going to regain what this great nation used to be. To launch a personal attack on you for bringing that up and letting people who view your page know what is right in front of them is childish.

Dennis, you have my support 100 percent. You stay the person you are because you are what this county needs. It's time for the good old boy network, overspending, lack of community protection, corrupt administration and lack of giving a crap to stop. Too many people have been hurt or worse because our "sheriff" won't come in the office long enough to see his department is refusing to respond to calls and/or take police reports. It's got to stop.

Varnau for Sheriff 2008!

Tosha

Answer:  Thank you for the mail, Tosha.  Since I started this website, I have learned that the Internet is the biggest "stick" available for hitting the "information piñata" that exists out there on the street.  You would not believe the amount and type of "CI-type" information that comes in through print and voice communications just because of the things I am bringing to people's attention, by making these stories and incidents all available on my website!  [Really the newspapers should be doing this kind of stuff.]  Some of what is provided is "unbelievable" to me at first, but then as it fits other independent information, I realize it just might have some veracity after all.  Some of the information I had to pass on "up the chain," as it fit some missing pieces in things I used to deal with at the Prosecutor's Office.  I've also found out irrefutable information on just why nothing is ever done, that should have been done years ago, or done even now.  In time it will ALL come out.  The Bible is so precisely correct where it says, "be sure your sin will find you out."  It will be embarrassing at least for some, and much worse for others. 

Since the new billboard went up Tuesday evening, I have essentially learned everything about the current innermost political workings of the Brown County Republican Party from at least a half dozen different source connections.  I'll get into that in an answer to another letter received today, following the next letter I received today.  Thanks again! 

Comment:  You might ask Mr. Anonymous if he saw the mess at gas stations and other businesses this week? People literally in fistfights, yelling and screaming. The police had to respond.  I personally saw a gas station raise its price by a dollar and then thought better about it. This was a minor crisis. What happens in a major event? I can assure you in a regional crisis, Brown County will fall at the end of the list for outside help. I was told by the The Enquirer recently that Brown County does not exist on their map. No editor assigned.

A county plan for local control to get people fuel, power, food and water might be quite welcome, even necessary. Talk to the people in this county still waiting for help.

Our dollar is quickly falling in value. Brown County might be happy to have their own reserve currency ready and peace of mind with local control. No martial law needed here! I must be a nut to say all this!

Glenn

Answer:  Thank you, Glenn, for your input.   In the last few weeks I have been attacked the same way Pat Buchanan was attacked by the media when he was labeled a Nazi.  I met Mr. Buchanan in Wichita when he was running for President.  Voted for him too.  Had him autograph my copy of his book at the bookstore in one of his campaign appearances.  I voted for him because he was for what is best for America.  The same as for Ross Perot, who I also voted for twice, where they made him appear to be a "nut" through the media. 

I hope, surely by now, that everyone conjures up in their memory what Ross Perot was saying back in the early '90's.  Do you remember what he was saying about the "giant sucking sound" with respect to manufacturing???  Well, ask anyone who was employed by a metal manufacturing company that no longer exists in the USA.  Ask them what they are doing now for a job. 

It's like back in 1976 when the farmers were "on strike."  My wife and I were out in Oskaloosa, Iowa, visiting an old Navy buddy's pig farm.  It's where we often went for our vacations.  They had about 3000 hogs at any one time, raised and processed about 25,000 pathogenic-free gilts a year.  People, except hog farmers, haven't the slightest clue "what it takes to make the bacon."  So, after doing morning chores, we headed back to the house to watch the news.  A reporter was interviewing a lady on the street in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, smack in the middle of the "breadbasket" area of our nation.  The reporter asked her, "What do you think about the farmers killing all their cattle and throwing them into mass graves?"  Her answer, "I'll just go down to the local supermarket and buy my meat!" 

Another one.  My friend, Kim, the same hog farmer was going to go back to college and get a masters in agribusiness at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho.  He and I drove out there to scout out a place for them to live.  As we worked our way across South Dakota, we stopped at Wall, SD.  Wall Drug was the most notable tourist place to stop if you were in Wall.  We're in the store where college students had their summer jobs.  They had dozens of jack rabbits mounted with antelope horns, and some with pheasant wings on their sides.  There was a family driving across the country from New York and had stopped in to look around.  We watched and listened from an adjoining isle as the Father, Mother, son, and daughter, were talking to the salesman about the jackrabbit with antelope horns on it.  The college student salesman played it all the way to the end, leaving that family with the idea that these "creatures" actually existed in the desert areas of South Dakota.  Why, some people in the big cities have never seen a real live cow. 

I think it is safe to say that Anonymous was just trying to further attack my credibility, because if you want to try and stop a message, you attack the messenger personally, it's the age old way of attempting to silence someone - but not me!  Then again, it is also clear that Anonymous is not a farmer, because every genuine farmer has more common sense about things like this than Anonymous has demonstrated in his comment. 

Comment:  Bravo!

I have heard that feathers are flying over your choice to present the "BILLBOARD". Politically involved persons seem to be especially upset by your endorsement of someone other than yourself. Many people don't understand. I get it. Then again, from a former Independent candidate's perspective, I understand why you chose to proceed in this fashion. Parties have developed strict protocols defining what is appropriate and what is not. This, according to their definition, is way out of line.

As far as I can tell, Party rules call for stretching the truth, skirting issues, changing the subject following direct Yes/No questions, blaming others. Democrats seem to say the same things into my left ear as the Republicans say into my right ear. You say what you believe, and will be held to your word. This new concept, someone willing to do the job we need them to do, can be unsettling. To assure a friend of mine, you will be held accountable to US, not a committee.

I told you when we met, that the machine would throw everything it has at you. Here it comes. My only caution to you is this. Do not give up the high ground. As a Navy man, you are probably aware of the lack of high ground on the oceans, but we are in Brown County. Don't get caught up in their vitriol.

My request to you is simple. Explain as you can, NOT what your rights are in this matter, but what your objectives are for the future as it relates to this endorsement. Step on as many toes as you need to. I want to see this. Walk us through the battle plan. We are in the battle of our lives. Not your Sheriff race, but the USA. I, for one. am loving our little skirmish.

Chuck Krainz

Answer:  Thanks for the mail, Chuck.  Well, the "information piñata" has busted wide open.  Here's what I found out last night as I traveled south in Brown County, visiting several individuals. 

After the new billboard went up, word almost instantly traveled from the sheriff's office that I was going to be sued, and a complaint was going to be filed with the Board of Elections, all because I put Jessica Little's name and picture on my billboard.  I endorsed her because she is the most experienced candidate for prosecuting attorney.  She already knows how to do the job, if elected. 

I have been called a "loose cannon," "a Nazi," a "Nut," accused of  "violating rights," "disrespectful,"  "arrogant," "rude," "angry," etc.  You name it, I am now the epitome of, IT!  It's called "character assassination."  Why?  Stop the message by destroying the credibility of the messenger.  Sorry, I don't stop when I smell a skunk!  Am I the only eligible voter in Brown County that does not have the right to back any candidate I wish to support, and spend my own money to do such?  Apparently.   It is odd how people confuse "telling the truth," "standing for one's convictions," and not wavering from such, is automatically equated to being "disrespectful,"  "arrogant," "rude," "angry," and violating, WHO'S RIGHTS!?  There's already one clear-cut felonious incident of an individual intimidating an elector over a bumper sticker and yard sign, in violation of Ohio's election laws and federal law.  Am I now too going to be the next person intimidated in violation of the same laws, because I choose to back another candidate running in this November's election???  Something very "fishy" is going on here in Brown County! 

Well, what puzzled me most is the reason behind the overall reaction.  Why wouldn't a party welcome free backing and publicity for their candidate?  Here's one explanation that seems to me to be the most likely answer from what I have heard since the billboard went up.  Keep in mind that I am not talking about sincere rank-and-file Republicans here, but rather the hierarchy.  This is what is alleged to be going on:  There are two factions within the Republican Party at this time. One faction is backing Jessica Little (R) for prosecuting attorney and the other faction within the party is backing Bob Rickey (D).  So, why are some Republicans backing a Democrat for prosecuting attorney when they have their own candidate from within their party???  Danny Bubp (R) backed Don Newman (R) in the primary for Sheriff.  Jessica Little (R) works in Danny Bubp's law office.  Danny Bubp (R) beat Paul Hall (R) after Paul Hall challenged Danny's seat in the Ohio House.  So, why are some Republicans backing Bob Rickey (D)?  Bob Rickey's mother has worked in the Brown County Treasurer's Office, headed by Gail DeClaire (R) for years.  It appears like there is a rift in the Party between two factions.  I was told that Gail DeClaire (R) has a "Rickey for Prosecuting Attorney" yard sign on her property, why not Jessica Little's?  If true, why aren't the Democrats screaming bloody murder over one of their Democrats being backed by a Republican???  Is it possible Mr. Rickey is really a Republican in "Democrat" clothing?  I remember, after the bake sale at St.Michael's Catholic Church in Ripley, Mr. Rickey was asked why he stood so close by and was so chummy with Mr. Wenninger for such a long time before and during the sale.  His response was that he did such mainly to "tick off" [not the actual words used] Mr. Grennan at that time.  Really!?

From what I heard last night, I think the Republican Party has some real problems within itself at this time, like some kind of a power-play is going on therein. And people wonder why I am an independent!  I don't see the "other side of the aisle" acting this way, in fact the ones I know personally in that party, I'd trust completely.  But that does not mean I want to be a Democrat.  I want to just be me - a Browncountian, an Ohioan, and an American who wants the best for his community, county and country.   Politics only gets in the way of getting the best qualified people into office.  That's my sincere take on it all.