Sun 9/21/2008 3:52 AM:

Comment:  It's time for a change! Varnau 08!

If we don't get a change pretty soon, someone is going to get seriously injured or killed with the "super-hero" ego's of the current sheriff's department administration. Ridiculous....the closest law enforcement officer should be sent IMMEDIATELY to a LIFE THREATENING situation, with no delay to "king of the county, may I get permission".

I donated money to the AED program and was a supporter of the "have a heart, keep it beating program". Dennis Lewis and the rest of the group did one heck of a job, and completed something that was the first in the region-nation, blanketing our county with life saving AED's, AND providing training on the use of them to everyone, and doing all of the maintenance/continuing training. AND THESE OFFICERS THAT ARE TRAINED ARE TOLD THEY CAN'T RESPOND TO SOMEONE HAVING A HEART ATTACK BECAUSE OF A FLIPPIN IMAGINARY LINE!! (Obviously, from what I read on your website) Sheriff Wenninger, how would you feel if it was your mother, father, wife, child, etc's life on the line, and someone who could help them was told No, we can't help, when a policy could be written by YOU that would clearly allow it and not delay anything!

As quoted from a news release from Brown County General Hospital when the AED program came in effect:

To our knowledge, we are the first county in the country to blanket our borders with AEDs,” said Lewis. “We know of no other project that has taken on the challenge to deploy AEDs to local, county and state law enforcement agencies. Now, every cruiser on the move will be equipped to defibrillate,” he said.

Local residents JoAnn Fauth, Terry Martin and Jenny Rosselot are the co-chairs of the Foundation “Have a Heart, Keep it Beating” Campaign. Since its kickoff in August, 2001, 24 individuals and organizations have donated at least $1,500, the approximate cost of a single defibrillator unit. In addition, more than 200 individuals and 32 groups have contributed to the campaign.

“Without a doubt, the entire community has rallied to support this program,” said Carl Beck, President of the Brown County General Hospital Foundation. “Donations have come from students, children, churches, business people, and friends and neighbors who care – care enough to contribute generously.”

JoAnn Fauth attributes the success of the campaign to the diligent Foundation Board Members and Committee Chairs leading the effort in each Brown County-area community. “We counted support from every corner of the county, from the small but mighty communities of Decatur and Higginsport, to the larger communities of Georgetown and Mt. Orab. These individuals deserve a round of applause.”

"When a person has a heart attack, what happens during those first few minutes can be the difference between life and death," said Dave Wallace, President and CEO of Brown County General Hospital. "Often the first person on the scene is a police officer. With an AED and training, that police officer can start the necessary treatment and give the victim more of a chance to survive the heart attack," he continued. “Studies have shown that eight to ten lives per year could be saved each year right here in the Brown County area – and that’s the greatest gift of all.”

....It appears the sheriff isn't aware of that, from what I read concerning the case in Aberdeen.  Anonymous

Answer:  Thank you, Anonymous.  I have plenty of things to say in answer to your mail, Anonymous, but little if any time to do it right now with the Fair starting tomorrow.  I will get to it as soon as I have time, which will probably be a day or two after the Fair ends.  This topic was discussed at the Russellville Meet The Candidates "debate" last night.  If you want more on an incident where two officers with AED's were not allowed to help someone who was having a heart attack, ask for a copy of the 911 tapes of September 22, 2004, under the Ohio Open Records law, dealing with this incident.  Officers Greg Caudill and Anthony Grierson from Aberdeen PD were on patrol within a mile of the victim, and could have been there within minutes, but were allegedly told to stand down, according to what the two officers related to me about the incident.  By the time the deputy arrived, the victim was deceased. 

Last night I brought this topic of a blanket mutual aid agreement up in one of my answers.  I think Mr. Wenninger said that we already have a mutual aid agreement with all local departments, but they have to get permission from the SO before they can roll.  My view of a blanket mutual aid agreement is to let the closest unit available, whether a deputy or municipal officer, respond to the scene to get there as soon as possible, and then, if the deputy is late getting there, at least someone is doing something to alleviate the problem or situation, and can turn it over to the deputy upon his/her arrival.  The kind of response in this case should have never happened.

Mon 9/22/2008 10:44 PM:

Comment:  ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! I AM TIRED OF IT!!!!

Since I have publicly shown support for your candidacy, I am being harassed. I can not get into great detail, at this time. For starters, my son had bought a piece of property where this county had allowed a public health nuisance with waste violations to exist for ten years. The property was owned by an elected official's relative. My son was approached by Deputy Hubbard while at his work place in the Village of Mt. Orab on September 22, 2008. Deputy Hubbard advised him he knew his truck, and told him he could possibly be arrested and he had been investigating our property X2 years. (Note: we have had no contact with anyone from the BCSO until now). We will take legal action concerning the harassment. If something illegal was being done, WHY now after we have already cleaned up the property and the property is lookin' good! NOW WHY after 2 years is someone showing up harassing us? Could it be the Varnau for Sheriff Signs on my property? I will be voting!
for you in November!

2nd point: I am the CEO of the Ripley Life Squad, any Yes, there are Dennis Varnau signs on our property. There is no law against us having Varnau signs, as long as any candidate may place a sign. Rick Eagan, Ralph Jennings, KO Martin, and any other candidate (or their supporters) that have approached us and we have let signs be posted, and no one ever said a word or complained. We have received numerous phone calls and visitors about our signs, saying they were illegal, and needed to be removed. If any of the Wenninger supporters wanted to put a sign, the same size, they would certainly be allowed to. When our personnel request an officer, and they are told no one is available and that the local police can't respond because the Chief Deputy says it's not needed (yes, our Lt has this on tape) and their safety and a patient's safety is on the line, and they are told to do something that could result in liability on us, why wouldn't I want a sheriff that will make a blanket mutual aid agreement? I am writing this as my own personal opinion, and these do not reflect the opinion of the organization.

Enough is enough. I am getting sick and tired of the "good ol boys" county.

Jeffrey A. Shelton

Answer:  Thank you for your mail, Jeff.  My view of a "blanket" mutual aid agreement is that in situations where an officer is needed as soon as possible on the scene in a life-or-death situation, the closest officer should be dispatched to it, whether a local or deputy, by 911.  Object here is to save lives, not build kingdoms.  I don't think Mr. Wenninger really understood the concept of "liability," at the time of our conversation after he invited me to come over to his office to see him.  Listen here.  No matter what anyone does, there may be some liability involved.  Officers are trained to respond to emergency situations.  That's what they are serving for every day on duty.  You know, that "protect and serve" function everyone always recites when talking about a police officer's task.  

I have a recording of Mr. Wenninger's answer to this blanket mutual aid agreement matter from the "debate" the other night.  I don't have time to post it this week because the Fair is taking up a lot of time.  I'll try to catch up next week.  They are upgrading my website server tomorrow, and I might not have time to get back on the site this week at all again. 

Wed 9/24/2008 1:24 AM:

Comment/Question:  Dear Sir, I am a police officer in this county. I wanted you to know you have my support. I am in favor of the mutual aid agreement you speak of. The agreement is much needed; one of the big issues I see in this county is the lack of cooperation and team effort between departments. I believe the Sheriff's office is the key in this success because they are the leading authority in the county (The Role Model, The Big Brother) which I believe the current sheriff’s office lacks. How can you lead a team if you are only working 8 hours a month? I know a lot of deputies and they are good deputies however they need a leader and the county needs a full-time Sheriff. Just think the number of crimes that could have been solved, if working together, but it starts at the top.

I do have one question for you Dennis. Our county and villages are seeing more drug activity and it is getting out of control. I have also heard from individuals Brown County is the safe heaven for drug activity. Drug dealers are leaving Hamilton County and Clermont County and setting up shop in Brown and Adams County because the lack of man power and no drug task force. I know this because I have witnessed it. I believe a task force should be developed and one officer from every department should be picked to be on this task force working as a team. I am aware of officers who work in the county and are Drug task force commander certified and are waiting on a sheriff willing to cooperate and work with the villages as a team. My question is if you are elected what is your plan to battle this continuing issue and your opinion on a drug task force being developed.  Anonymous

Answer:  Thank your for the mail, Anonymous.

The mutual aid agreement came up at the Russellville Meet The Candidates Debate last Saturday night.  The Thursday, September 25, 2008, edition of The News Democrat quoted Mr. Wenninger as saying, "The mutual aid agreement has been in effect for 20 years. . . .  It is the deputy's decision whether or not to ask for assistance when it's out of (a village's) jurisdiction.  That's the way it's setup. . . We will help all agencies."  Again, Mr. Wenninger fails to see what a mutual aid agreement is all about.  It is not about getting permission to go to a life and death situation from a deputy.  The agreement should be fashioned so that the closest officer to an incident or emergency should automatically be dispatched to the scene without having to get permission. That permission is what should be granted within the blanket mutual aid agreement.  If you listen to that meeting requested by Mr. Wenninger over again, you will see that he does not have a very good grasp of what the word "liability" entails.  It is a two-way street.  If someone is having a heart attack, and there are two officers within a couple of minutes or so of the location, they should be immediately dispatched to the scene, without having to get permission from any deputy or anyone else - it's covered under the mutual aid agreement.  The object here is to save lives in the county when necessary, not wasting precious time trying to get permission from a deputy to do so.  Not allowing the closest officer to respond just might attach liability to the Sheriff's Department for not allowing him/them to respond to the scene for whatever reason they may proffer after the death of someone who could most likely have been saved with a timely response.   

Tight budgets mandate cooperation from all entities involved in the same mission - "protect and serve."  All officers, whether in a Sheriff's Department or in a municipal corporation have the same basic training.  There are some municipal officers that have better training than deputies.  So, what's the difference when it comes to a life-saving incident between which officer should respond?  If the Sheriff denies the response of local municipality officers to a heart attack victim, which officers could be on the scene in a matter of a couple of minutes or so, doesn't the Sheriff stand the possibility of facing some "legal liability" for not allowing them to possibly save a heart attack victim???   If the local officers are allowed to respond to the scene to try and save the victim, of course, if they operate in a manner that exposes them to liability, outside of their training, the Sheriff's department would also be "liable" too.  The object here is to be able to provide the victim with the best opportunity available for survival.  If the individuals responding are not trained enough to save someone, that is a training deficiency, not a mutual aid agreement problem.  If one is afraid of being sued over some "liability" issue when responding to an emergency situation, then such person should not be in public service at all.   That's my opinion!   

I'm all for working the drug problem in a way that has a chance of impacting the overall problem.  This is one of the reasons why I have backed Jessica Little for prosecuting attorney.  She is for attacking the problem where it starts - the dealers, etc.  My backing of her is solely based upon her experience levels over her opponent, and, the four or five interviews I have had with her directly on the problems and issues confronting the cooperation between the sheriff's department and prosecutor office.  She is for eradicating the problem at its root the same as I.  That means this. 

When I was in the prosecutor's office we always got the one-to-eight pill user felony offenders to indict.  The major drug dealers were never indicted, even in light of many local officers and the public knowing just who the major drug dealers are in the community.  It is like they are "untouchable" for some unknown reason or another.  I never gave any drug activity information to anyone but federal or state law enforcement officials, frankly, because I haven't the slightest clue who might be involved in the activity.  I know my wife is not involved, but does anyone solidly know who is clean and who is not?  That's the problem. 

Without integrity and honesty as the first most important characteristic of ANY officer, agent, or official, does anyone really know who MIGHT be involved in illegal drug activity???  When I was in the Navy during Nam, four or five officers were the individuals who were supplying our ship with drugs.  This was not known until after the busts.  The USS Barb SSN-596, a fast-attack submarine was allegedly busted for drug use from the Captain of the boat on down to the last crew member.  Imagine this!  A fast-attack nuclear submarine under the water and everyone is "high" from smoking dope.  How do I know this?  Because one of the guys in my Nuclear Power School Class was stationed on the Barb.  I met him in Pearl Harbor in the EM Club on base when we were passing through on our way to my second WestPac off the coast of Vietnam.  He told me the story about what happened to his boat.  It was tied up at a pier in Pearl Harbor during our stop in Pearl Harbor, and was still there when we returned from Nam, for a total of about 11 months, while it was being outfitted with a new crew. 

So, the question is, who is clean, and who is not?  You can't trust the fact that someone in a high position is automatically "clean."  Fact of the matter is, many of us are fooled by many who are involved in "the trade."  There are two sides of the fence in this stuff, just like any other criminal endeavor.  A person is on one side or the other.  Trying to determine who is on what side is the task at hand.  Which side of the law is a person on?  Good luck in trying to determine that!  It takes investigation and cooperation from the public that sees what is going on.  And, that cooperation of the public depends on whether or not they can trust the law enforcement officials with the information they can provide.  Basically, the "war" on drugs is very simple, as long as people can trust who they can confide in with their information. 

I'm all for "team work," but those on the team have to be "clean."  That's why integrity and honesty are the foremost factors in a person's eligibility to be a law enforcement individual, from my perspective.  If you are going to be serving the public, then one has to at least refrain from from all activity that even "appears" to be improper, at least while one is in public service - completely.  If he/she wants to cross the fence, then get out of law enforcement altogether.  Don't perpetuate the fraud on the public that has placed trust in you to preserve the peace for them.  This is really a VERY SIMPLE CONCEPT when you think about it.  I'm all for "teams" to fight what needs to be fought to preserve the peace. 

Wed 9/24/2008 11:39 AM:

Question:  DENNIS, HOW ABOUT AN ENDORSMENT [sic] FOR EVERY RACE IN THE COUNTY, WE LIKE HEARING WHAT YOU THINK & WHY. Annon

Answer:  Thank you for your question, Annon.  Your question reads somewhat with a "sarcastic" tint by me at the time I am reading it now - like you really don't care what I think one way or another.  I could be wrong, however, because written words do not convey the inflection and tone of one's intent.  Nevertheless, there are only two races that I am directly interested in, and that is the prosecutor's race and the State Senate race.  I am concerned about the prosecutor's race because I don't think we have the money available to "train" a prosecutor to do a job that our county needs done immediately upon the swearing in of the new officer.  I am interested in the Ohio Senate race because of what Mr. Niehaus has said to me over three meetings on the same subject, in chronological order, going from knowledge of the subject to none whatsoever over a few short months. 

I have delineated that the only reason why I have endorsed Jessica Little (R) for prosecuting attorney is because of the experience level of both candidates for prosecutor.  I worked in the prosecutor's office the whole time from the hiring of Mr. Bob Rickey (D) to the time he quit the office.  As far as I can remember, he only did Municipal Court cases.  I am not sure if he did any jury trials, but if he did, I feel quite certain that they were only a handful at best as a prosecutor.  You will have to ask Mr. Rickey how many trials he did as a prosecutor.  It wasn't in the thousands.  Bob was only in our office less than a year at most.  Ask him how long he was there, or go to the Auditor's office and find out how many paychecks he received from when to when.  Prior to that I believe I heard that he was a labor law attorney for five years.  Bob is a nice guy, very intelligent, shakes hands like a politician very well, but in my opinion has way less experience in doing the job of prosecuting attorney than Jessica Little.  It's my opinion he will have to hire people to do the job for him.  Where is that money going to come from?  I've heard the rumor traveling around that Mr. Rickey is going to hire Mr. Grennan so Grennan can get the retirement he had wanted with four more years, which is why Mr. Grennan is supposedly backing Mr. Rickey for prosecutor.  I find that hard to believe.  Mr. Grennan is a Democrat, but Mr. Rickey is being backed by a divided number of Republicans who are not backing Jessica little (R).  Jessica is endorsed by the Republican Party.  Go Figure!. 

That's the way I see it from my perspective.  I guess the only way to find our for yourself who is the most qualified in terms of experience is to get Mr. Rickey to tell you directly how many trials he performed as prosecutor, and how many total months he was employed by Mr. Grennan in the prosecutor's office.  Someone with some "time" to research this information could get it done by requesting it from the Auditor's Office. 

I have interviewed Mrs. Little four or five times, asking her what, and how she views things in general about the jail. arresting people, drug activity perspective, etc.  Her answers provided me with the information necessary to make my decision to back her in the race she is involved in at this time.  I am sorry that I have caused her so much flak to fall on her from those Wenninger/Rickey-backers in her party, as several "grapevine sources have told me directly from the top of the Republican Party.  You see, there are many Republicans that are "fed up" with the course their party has taken over the last eight years or so.  They too want a change, because the majority of Republicans want the same thing from our elected officials, as do the majority of Democrats.  They all want what is best for our county.  The only thing holding it all back is the "good old boys" network of those who do not want to lose any power they have over things right now.  Independents throw a "monkey wrench" into typical party politics, which is why I will be attacked from here on out by the "party machine."  Watch it happen in the press.  It's coming, I'm sure!  And, most likely from those who are directly responsible for the problems our county has faced over the last 7.5+ years.  Mark my words! 

Comment/Question:  After last night's "breaking news" on our economy I just had to email you because I find it so ironic that you were personally being attacked for telling people how bad our economy is becoming. Now we have the President of the United States telling people, in not so many words, that we are on the verge of an economic catastrophe. Am I mistaken or have you not been warning us of this for a while now? So, now we have confirmation that our country is headed for a breakdown, because Bush's' plan is a band aide for the financial institutions, not the people of this country, so I don't see how it's going to work. People didn't believe you because they didn't see the problem. Is this the same with everything said about Wenninger? Should people now start opening their mind to the corrupt activities going on at our sheriff's office? Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there.

Another issue I would like to bring up is on the Meet the Candidates function in Russellville. Is it true that in response to your plan to establish a WORKING mutual aide agreement he said we already have one? Just because there is an existing agreement does not mean it's being used. If it were, people wouldn't be dying because the "King" wants his people to decide who lives and dies. Obviously Dwayne doesn't think there is a problem with the way the system is set up now so that means that there will be another 4 years of rolling the dice if he is re-indicted, sorry, I mean re-elected.

I have to make a plea to the citizens of Brown County. This is America. You can vote for whomever you so please; it's your right. Don't look at what party they belong to look at what they can do for this county and this country. We are headed for a crisis in this country. You have to ask yourself this question: When the current financial crisis comes to a head and everything falls apart, do you honestly believe that the 1 to 2 deputies on the road a shift can protect you? I really hope you don't think so because as it is right now they can't. It's time for a change. It's time to put people in offices that will make a difference and take EVERYONE'S safety seriously. By Dwayne's responses at the Meet the Candidates, he likes things just the way they are. Don't forget that there was a time when the deputies were told they couldn't respond to some calls because there wasn't enough help, when actually it was Dwayne putting everyone's safety at risk to prove a point with the commissioners. The only reason there are more deputies on the road right now is because it's election year. If you really stop to think about it, you will see I am right. It's not that long ago that deputies were pretty much non-existent.

VOTE VARNAU FOR SHERIFF '08. I know I am. Tosha

Answer:  Thank you for your input, Tosha.  A Mutual Aid Agreement: Yes, if I remember correctly, Mr. Wenninger said at the "debate" that there has always been a mutual aid agreement in place, but still insisted that "permission" had to be obtained from him or the supervisor on duty before a local officer could respond.  If this be the case, the existing agreement must be inadequate or defective. 

My view of a blanket mutual aid agreement is as follows: The agreement should specify what incidents, situations, and conditions, are covered by the mutual aid agreement.  Once this is delineated in the agreement, that is what provides the "permission" for county-wide officers to be immediately dispatched to the scene by 911.  Every second counts when responding to an emergency situation.  Having to wait for "permission," which should be automatically granted by the agreement, just wastes precious time that should not be interjected or tacked onto the front end of an emergency response.  My view is that the closest officer to a 911 call covered by the agreement responds immediately, if not sooner, to the scene to get things under control.  Once under control, said officer remains there to turn it over to the deputy upon his arrival. 

Every officer is trained in the basics necessary to get control of a scene, or do basic life support.  The way to "protect and serve" our whole county is to effectively and efficiently use all the resources available within our county.  This is going to become more important as our country heads toward the upcoming depression-like economic climate, where funding for peace keeping will dwindle.  Whether Mr. Wenninger realizes it or not, every person involved in law enforcement peace keeping within our county is on "the same team."  I view the Sheriff's Office responsibility as that of supporting and working with all local municipal police department needs and requests.  In turn, I would hope that all departments help us out when needed in return.  This would also include assisting adjacent county needs, like a request for a canine unit to help search for a person that was shooting at one of their deputies.  The safety of our county citizens comes first!  Frankly, my view is, "to hell" with this territorial kingdom and king stuff, and the stroking or puffing up of ego just to prove a point or look "good" before the public and press.  The duty is that those in peace keeping are there to "protect and serve."  Such duty is based upon the people's trust in those involved in providing this service.  It has to be a "TEAM" effort from everyone involved, including the public, helping out by supplying the information that will assist our sheriff's department in getting the job done. 

Comment/Question:  I hope you don't get tired of seeing my name pop up. Every time Deputy Hubbard steps one foot on our property, without a search warrant or valid reason to be there, I will be logging and recording. I just hope all of the voters are logging into your site and reading the bulletins and investigating on their own, and finding out how all of us Varnau supporters are being treated.

On Monday when I placed the comment about Deputy Hubbard responding to my sons work, now, on the 25th at near 14:30, Deputy Hubbard was seen leaving my sons house. I am also a owner of the property, and live next door, and he knows where I live, and I was at home next door! He was on my property taking photographs in the past (as he showed my son). As a taxpayer, myself and my son pay taxes, and we feel like we are being hassled because we speak out for change, that some people don't want.

Furthermore, he is allowed to stand in public and photograph, however, on private property, that we own, he needs to have a search warrant, If I remember the law right from the Police Academy.

At this point and time, knowing that we are being harassed, how do we know, with everyone gone, that they are not sneaking in and "setting us up"? Evidence shouldn't be made up, as it has been in the past in Brown County, according to the debate.

I will continue to support you, and they can continue their game. In the end, we'll see who the winner is.

Jeffrey A. Shelton

Answer:  Thanks for the mail, Jeff.  In all fairness here, Jeff, I have published your letters as you have written them to me to publish.  Those reading this website are not hearing the other side of this story, and I don't expect Deputy Hubbard to respond to it directly, for many reasons I can think of at this time.  It would be improper for him to do so anyway.  There are always two or more sides to every story, and we, those of us reading this website, are not privy to "the other side" of the story in this case.  Nevertheless, everyone has the right to complain about the system and those in it.  I met and have talked to Deputy Hubbard in the past when I worked at the prosecutor's office.  From those meetings I can say that I have no reason to believe that Deputy Hubbard is a "bad" or vindictive kind of a guy from my limited interactions with him. 

I have published your letters mainly to make a point about the way I would handle situations like this, if I were sheriff.  As the top administrator, I believe one of my duties would be to field complaints from the public about myself, my department, and those working in my department.  If complaints are not made, corrective action cannot be taken.  The first step is always to identify a "problem" area.  If those responsible for the daily operations are not made aware of potential problems, there is no way any corrective action can be taken.  Your son did stop by my booth at the Fair, and I was able to talk to him a little about it.  From our discussion it was clear to me that there was enough information potentially available for someone to check out and follow up on to substantiate one side or another in the ongoing situation.  So, if it were I who was in charge, I or my Chief Deputy would personally look into the allegations or complaints in order to determine if something was amiss.  I would suggest that at the very least you take your complaint to the Sheriff, or the Prosecutor's Office for some satisfaction or resolution. 

My view on things like that which you have alleged is this.  Peace officers should be as apolitical and as personally unconnected as possible, not being vindictive, etc., in any way toward the public just because they have the power to easily intimidate people for wrong personal reasons.  They are professionals in the most honorable profession there is in society, in my opinion.  The public has to not only have the perception, but also the realization, that they can trust to be dealt with fairly and safely by an officer when they come under an officer's official and unofficial realm for any reason. 

Comment/Question:  First off let me say thanks for the website. I wish the people of this county would pull their head out of the sand, look around and then ask some hard-hitting questions instead of pretending life is good... but that's not why I am writing.

I have listened to the recording you link to in Jeff's letter, and I applaud Jeff for writing in public forum what is happening "behind the scenes" to our Fire & EMS personnel. I sit here and listen to them call for help only to be put off while a dispatcher must to check and see if a deputy is available or (willing to respond), or get permission from a county supervisor for a village officer to assist, his decision based on whether HE thinks its worthy or an emergency (from across the county). Additionally, I talk to these people (fire and EMS) on a regular basis, only to be told of the attitude they are met with if a deputy does arrive for having called them. (not all deputies, there are several still interested in the good of the community). One Chief has told me that staff is asking if grants are available for them to purchase ballistic vests to wear under the uniform (like so many medics must do in the inner city) because they are afraid help will not arrive when they call. What has this county come to? A former Sheriff of this county tried the same tactics with local law enforcement.  I personally heard Dwayne express his disagreement and frustration. What has changed, other than the names of his supporters...hmmmmm, makes you wonder, doesn't it? These POLITICAL GAMES are going to get somebody hurt or killed. I guess then our citizens can read about in the local media and say what a shame, instead of "WHY DID THIS HAPPEN"? Politics has no place in our business.

As I listened to the recording I was amazed at the lack of professionalism displayed by our fine Sheriff and his obvious attempt to intimidate you and his obvious frustration when it didn't work. Thank you for standing up for the protection of our emergency services; Fire, EMS, and local law enforcement, in the face of "I'm the Sheriff"! Hope the buttons of his shirt are re-enforced because it sounds like he is about to bust a few. I just wish I could be as impressed with him as he is of himself.

Joe

Answer:  Thank you for your mail, Joe.  POLITICS HAS NO PLACE WHATSOEVER IN POLICE, FIRE, AND EMS RESPONSE!  I agree with you completely!

My wife, Judith, and I think that 4-H is one of the best things for our youth to help teach them solid values, like responsibility, etc.  We wholeheartedly support the Junior Fair.

Comment/Question:  After hearing Mr. Wenninger blame the budget cut causing his agency the lack of road patrol at meet the candidates night in Russellville, what are we in for if he is re-elected? If we thought these first eight years were bad we have not seen anything yet.

Mr. Wenninger's father in law will not be commissioner again. This one factor alone will dry up some of the money he has been used to receiving.

With the economy in the shape it is now in tax dollars are going to shrink as well. Jobs are going to keep disappearing and this county is going to keep losing money as people move closer to the city.

Fuel costs are already costing individuals, businesses, and govt. agencies triple what they were eight years ago.

Those items are just the beginning. Mr. Wenninger's poor judgment and ego have already cost Brown County hundreds of thousands. How many more lawsuits can we afford? The "BIG DIG" already mentioned on this site was one of the most expensive jokes we have witnessed. It had nothing to do with serving the citizens of Brown County. It was a good stunt to bring out Debra Dixon.

During meet the candidates at Russellville I liked your answer as to what you would do if a deputy was not available. When you stated you would get in a patrol car and do it yourself, Mr. Wenninger had to whine about his budget cut.

I take it by your answer that when many people were not getting served subpoenas a couple years back you would have served them yourself?

Thank you for defining "full-time sheriff". I liked your answer much better than Sheriff Cell Phone! For the hundreds of thousands D.W. has cost this county I think he could clean the concrete from his hands and maybe do some road patrol. He forbids town policemen from serving outside their jurisdictions. If he was to work forty hours a week, that would put one more Sheriff patrol on the road at no extra cost to the county.

Scott

PS Thanks for looking out at us when you spoke to us Saturday, honest people face who they are talking to.

Answer:  Thanks again for the mail, Scott.  I served many subpoenas that were not served by the Sheriff's Department while working as an investigator in the prosecutor's office.  It seemed like the Sheriff's Office could not serve grand jury subpoenas very well at all.  Our office had to do it many times at the last minute.

The one subpoena I remember most was one to be served over in Panhandle.  I tried serving it in the evening and there were at least three people home, as I could hear them talking, etc.  They would not answer the door.  I had an Adams County deputy try and help me get them to the door, but to no avail.  Well, the system is setup to work as it does, and people deliberately acting in a way that costs the taxpayers more, just because they will not open the door and receive the paperwork, kind of makes me more determined to get the job done.  I came home, went to bed, got up at 0300 hrs, headed back to the same house, waited there until 0600 hrs for someone to come out to get in their car to go to work.  Got it served, and the person showed up for court at 0900 as they were scheduled to do by the subpoena.  Had they not showed up, I would have impressed upon the court the story of what had transpired the night before and early morning hours just to get that piece of paper delivered, hoping the judge would have issued a bench arrest warrant for the individual.  Serving subpoenas is part of the job that HAS to be done for the system to work properly.   When people resist the process they just cost the taxpayers more money to get the job done.  It all adds up.  We already individually spend enough on taxes without having others unnecessarily add to our tax bills because of their reluctance to cooperate with the system of justice their representatives in government have enacted. 

The "Big Dig" trial starts tomorrow.  I remember the day the prosecutor and I went to the location to see what was going on.  What struck me most was the lack of what I refer to as "common sense" involved in the operation.  I'm not a geologist, but anyone who has ever held a shovel in his hand, that had to dig a hole, knows that if you are digging through undisturbed homogenous clay, chances are you are not going to find any recent artifacts underneath the clay.  Now, try digging down about 22 feet in undisturbed homogenous clay, looking for evidence of a crime that took place in 1996.  One would more likely find some prehistoric bones and other artifacts than something supposedly buried there in 1996.  I remember seeing the cadaver dog searching down around the bottom of the 22-foot clay hole, and watching what appeared to be a dog "hitting" on things as it sniffed around.  Oh, well! 

Question:  While @ the fair last night I noticed several people wearing black ball caps supporting your campaign for Sheriff.

Can I get one of those hats?

Jeff

Answer:  Jeff, thanks for the mail.  I have no more ball caps.  I gave my own ball cap to someone who wanted one.  I don't even have one for myself now, unless I can find one somewhere in the house that I may have misplaced earlier.  Sorry. 

Comment/Question:  I think by now people know the story with Dwayne. I'm not supporting him. But at some point don't you think you should put it aside and run on what you stand for and see if people want you as sheriff or just Dwayne out. Don't you want to win by peoples choice not just forfeiture. Just curious.  Dale

Answer:  Thank you for your mail, Dale.  I had a booth at the County Fair all week long.  I was surprised at how many people still had not heard about Mr. Wenninger's ineligibility back in 2001, and those who thought they knew about the story, realizing that they did not understand what they had thought they knew.  Nevertheless, at the same time I have been trying to explain what the facts are at this time, with respect to Mr. Wenninger's legal status being that of a civilian, I have been thoroughly explaining my stand on dozens of issues related to the job of sheriff.  I believe that I have answered enough questions on this website alone to give most people a pretty clear understanding of what I believe and how I would handle things. 

Forfeiture is exactly what Mr. Wenninger did himself when he physically assumed the position back in 2001.  You see, it was he who did not meet the statutory requirements necessary to be a valid candidate, whereas everyone else who has run against him since 2001, has played by the rules of the game.  They obtained, through their own personal efforts and perseverance, all the necessary requirements to be valid candidates for the office.  Mr. Wenninger never took the steps to rectify the disqualification he had with respect to his educational credentials.  He forfeited the seat upon his initial assumption of the office back in 2001.  That forfeiture started a break in his service of his peace officer certificate under the Ohio Peace Officers' Training Commission administrative laws.  Four years later his peace officer certificate completely expired.  He became a civilian on January 1, 2005, two days before he assumed his second term seat.  That's what is going on right now.  I am trying to uphold the laws that have been broken and not enforced by anyone for over 7.5 years.  I have been fighting the deprivation of my constitutional rights under the present election laws, in an attempt to have the Ohio Revised Code properly enforced to all individuals who have run for the office, and for those in the future who will be running for the same position.  If the laws are not enforced equally across the board to everyone, no matter what status in life one has, then all we essentially have is mob rule.

Mr. Wenninger forfeited any right to hold the office all the way back in 2001.  He is essentially "the 'sheriff' that never was," is what my court case is all about.  If your concern for equal treatment under the laws is minimal to non-existent, I would have to disagree with you wholeheartedly.  If the laws only apply to those not in power, then you too are at risk of being unfairly dealt with in a criminal justice system that recognizes "some animals are more equal than others." 

Please take a look at Mr. Wenninger's record of court cases alone, where he has incurred hundreds of thousands in financial liability for the county through settlements over lawsuits that should never have sprung up in the first place.  Another big case of potential liability starts tomorrow in Cincinnati.  Stay tuned to that case.  The sheriff should know the law so that he does not break it himself.  He should be able to read the statutes and have some conditional understanding of such simple criminal concepts like: receiving stolen property, obstructing justice, compounding a crime, dereliction of duty, intimidation of an elector, etc.  I believe that I have posted much more information about myself than has Mr. Wenninger in this race.  I do understand, however, that there will be people come election day, who will arrive at the voting booths with no information on many of the candidates.  There will be many who will not even recognize the names on the ballots, but they will be voting uninformed one way or another.  No matter how much I make myself available to the voting public, there always seems to be someone who is asking what I stand for, etc. 

At least you don't seem to fit into any of the categories above, since you have taken the time to ask your own questions.  I would ask you to please read what I have posted on this website, the letters I have put in the papers over the last few months in response to letters to the editor, and my campaign literature.  Please tell me one or more reasons why you would vote for my opponent rather than me? 

I was asked at the Fair why a person with so many credentials as I possess wanted to run for sheriff instead of working as an attorney.  Valid question.  Every question is a valid one as far as I am concerned.  I have done just about everything I ever wanted to do in life.  I could "retire" and do nothing at this point in my life, but since my wife and I are not moving anymore, and since we are part of this community from here on out, I decided to donate four years of my life to my county to try and correct the things I saw completely wrong while working in the prosecutor's office as an investigator.  One lady supposedly said that I wanted to become sheriff so that I could corrupt the county.  I haven't the slightest clue what prompted her to make that statement, but I can assure you that my intent is to do exactly just the opposite. 

I will carry on with my campaign exactly the way Sheriff Telb of Toledo, Ohio, suggested I proceed.  He told me to stick with the facts whether they were pro or con with respect to my opponent, because I'd be blamed one way or another for whatever happened, whether it was my "fault" or not.  My court case could very well carry on past the election November 4th.  If it does, you will still be hearing about Mr. Wenninger's ineligibility at that time too.  Sorry I have no control over the facts surrounding this race.  I just publish them as they exist from my perspective.  I have not seen any rebuttal of what I have printed thus far, only silence in return.  If it were I on the other side of the table, I'd be standing up for the truth, presenting the facts that would dispel what I have written thus far.  It's all an "open book" to be read, studied, and comprehended, by anyone with the interest to find out the truth.  I thank you for your participation in your civic duties as an elector. 

Answer:  Thanks, Marie, for your letter.  I want to thank you for your support too.  Since I do not accept any contributions, so that I can maintain my complete independence from having to "owe" anyone anything after the election, all I ask is for my supporters to spread the word about the website and my credentials.  There are still people out there saying, "Who is this Varnau anyway," as if they have not seen one ad over the last two years in the newspapers, or taken the time to even try to find out anything about me, what I believe, or will do as sheriff.  We'll never reach all of those that have to be "spoon-fed" information before they vote.   

Mrs. Herdman talks about "right and wrong," as if she is the epitome of "justice."  All I can say is that either Senator Niehaus is lying, or Bill Herdman is lying about just who was involved in arranging for that amendment to be passed in the Ohio legislature solely for Mr. Wenninger's benefit.  Don't we all wish Senator Niehaus would pass a special bill to help each and every one of us, so that each of us could get paid a stipend out of taxpayer money that we would only have to work eight hours a month for to supplement our other job income.  All I can say is that everyone should listen to what Senator Niehaus has to say about it, and then they should be asking the Senator their own questions about it.  Then they should be voting to remove him from office permanently.  Everything that has been done by the Brown County Republican Party for the last 7.5 years, regarding Mr. Wenninger, has cost us county taxpayers through the nose, like a nosebleed that you can't stop even with silver nitrate sticks.

I heard today that the "Big Dig" trial down in Cincinnati has dismissed all defendants except for "Sheriff" Wenninger and Sheriff Rodenberg of Clermont County.  That means us taxpayers will save some money in this one since the county appears to have been dismissed as a defendant.  Wait and see what happens if the plaintiff attorneys find out Mr. Wenninger is a civilian instead of a genuine Sheriff.  Wonder how that possibly could affect his trial and liability.  That trial concerns the violation of the Spangler's civil rights, very similar to the UDF incident where the "Sheriff" intimidated a lady on June 25th by threatening to press charges against her son if she did not remove my bumper sticker and yard sign, depriving her of her civil rights under 42 USC 1983, which is also a potential fourth degree felony under Ohio's election laws. 

Bev Herdman is more prone to eliminate or stifle my constitutional rights rather than remove a counterfeit "sheriff" from our midst.  What does that tell you up front, without even having to think about it longer than the time it takes to read what she said? 

Here's my letter in response to hers in The News Democrat:

What Varnau Thinks . . .  [The News Democrat changed my submitted title to: "Varnau responds to letter writer."  The News Democrat has a habit of changing the words in the originals as sent to them.  The Brown County Press has not changed the text in anything I have sent to them.] 

To the editor: 

Bev Herdman’s letter to the editor in last week’s newspaper DEFINITELY is one for the political  history books!  The exercise of my political, free-speech rights would naturally be objectionable and offensive to those who thoroughly despise truth.  Exposing “dirty politics,” practiced for years in Brown County, now threatens those involved in its practice, as evidenced by Bev’s letter.  

If you want to know what Dennis John Varnau thinks, and want to read about Brown County “dirty politics,” go to my website at www.varnauforsheriff.org.  On that site you will find that Mr. Bill Herdman, Bev’s husband, and current member of the Board of Elections, was directly involved in the machinations underlying the unconstitutional amendment engineered by, now Senator, Tom Niehaus, back in 2003.  That law reduced the educational credentials required for individuals to qualify as a valid candidate for sheriff.   

From March 12th through September 15th, anyone traveling south on Route 68 could infer that the billboard at the corner of Delhi-Arnheim and Route 68 was “MY” billboard.  Anything on that billboard is approved by me, as in: “I approved this message.”  Jessica Little had nothing to do whatsoever with me deciding to back her, other than she factually possesses WAY more experience as a prosecutor than Mr. Bob Rickey - her opponent.   

My support for Jessica Little does not automatically dictate a reciprocal relationship.  I am exercising my constitutional right as a qualified elector to back her candidacy.  What is “sneaky” and “unprincipled” to Mrs. Herdman exposes truths the Herdmans and Senator Niehaus would like to keep “secret.”  For the complete story, you will have to access the comprehensive information posted on my website. 

Our county and its insurer will probably end up paying in excess of a million dollars in settlements as a result of all the lawsuits against the current “sheriff.”  That’s our tax money being unnecessarily wasted for absolutely nothing in return.  “Justice” will be served when those who are responsible, for perpetuating the fraud of concealing an unqualified candidate in office, are legally forced to reimburse the losses realized by our county as a result of "their" unqualified “sheriff’s” decisions. 

I sure hope, for the sake and safety of our county, that Jessica Little is elected as prosecuting attorney.  After interviewing her four times, I know that she can “hit the road running.” She will not require an extended apprenticeship to learn how to do the whole job, as would her opponent, in my opinion.   

Dennis John Varnau
Georgetown

Question/Comment:  I heard from someone tonight that if you are elected, you will not need $58,000 to do the job. How much money would you want for your salary? What will you do with the difference? I think that is a point that needs to be really publicized.

We need a debate, before the election, at a location such as the SHJVS between you and Sheriff Wenninger. After watching our VP debate, I think a debate between you and Sheriff Wenninger would really help let everyone be informed of where both of you stand on issues that effect OUR safety and our property. Yes, there has been some good work done by some employees of the SO, and we do have some good deputies/investigators, but there needs to be a change in administration! You are only as good as your leader The "I'm the sheriff, I can do anything I want" mentality needs to be gone---that's why we're probably the most successfully sued SO in the State of Ohio.

There was a situation in April where a EMS squad needed a deputy to respond for a person near a major road-way that was confused. The SO unit was "rerouted" because they were busy, and the dispatcher refused to allow a town police unit to go out, per the woman dispatching the call. I sit at home and heard it all on my scanner, and heard some of the "background screaming from the dispatcher about how it wasn't necessary and to leave". I would love for everyone to hear the one part of the call where the lady on the radio from the rescue squad states that if they don't get some intervention down here, they are afraid someone could be struck by a vehicle and injured, and they are told there is no one responding. That's our taxpayer dollars in action, and stuff like that is probably why the insurance company wants to drop the SO's insurance!  Anonymous

Answer:  Thank you for the mail, Anonymous.  When I worked at the prosecutor's office I worked there for very little salary because I liked my job almost completely.  Since my wife and I do not have any offspring, and since she works pretty hard for a good salary herself, we really don't need much more piled on top of what we already have to work with.  I plan on using/donating some, not all, of my salary for things needed by the department.  This is not a "selling" point, as many people donate to many charities, etc., all year long.  Nothing different here. 

I'd be willing to participate in an actual debate with my opponent, as I agree with you that it would be good to hash out many issues before the public in real-time.  I also agree that what happens in an organization depends on how management administrates its leadership goals, etc., to get the job done as a team.

Question/Comment:  In response to the race for prosecutor I am inclined to agree with you. I know Mr. Rickey personally as he has handled some legal issues for me. I feel That Bob is a good attorney and I would trust him to handle any Trial that would come my way. The experience factor that you speak about with him compared to His opponent is in my opinion justified, to me if Bob would lose the election then people who need a good lawyer for any criminal charge that they may face would be served well by Mr. Rickey. It would not bother me @ all to keep Bob retained as my personal Attorney.

I think that if people can understand what the "good ole boy" network means and what comes of it then they will see how corrupt it is. I myself have experienced this rash of injustice last year when someone could have easily been very seriously injured if not killed. The Georgetown P.D. was told not to come back the drive. This occurred @ 3402 Eden Rd. Outside the village of G-town. It took over 45 minutes for Mr. Wenninger and his Deputy to arrive. While 2 Georgetown officers sit and wait at the end of the drive. That is pretty sad in my book. The funny thing is that the sheriff lives right down the road from there. What took him so long to get there?

I have also thought of bringing some more financial problems for the Sheriff myself over that incident because I was falsely arrested and sat in jail for 12 days only for the prosecutors office to dismiss the charge , because they could not prove the case in court. Had that incident occurred anywhere else The guy that stabbed me (David Henson) would have been arrested, not me. So the "good ole boy network" is alive and well unfortunately. The real disappointment came when I tried to file charges on him for felonious assault the prosecutors office declined to proceed even in the name of JUSTICE. Or for what is right!

I am the type of person who does not hold grudges or need to be involved with vindictive behavior, Had I been this way as many are then the problem becomes compounded and spins out of control, Which from what I'VE Seen and heard happens a lot around these parts.

I don't know the Sheriff personally so I can't say to much about anything else other then my own experiences. Maybe Mr. Wenninger just isn't cut out to be Sheriff and should stick to pouring concrete.

I know a little about people and personality in law enforcement. I grew up with it. My Father is a retired Major (29 years) with Ohio State Highway Patrol.

He would treat everyone the same equally across the board. That is what we need here in Brown County!

Dennis Varnau for SHERIFF 08

Jeffrey D. Mack

Answer:  Thank you for your letter, Jeff.  The facts are crystal clear with respect to the experience levels between Mr. Rickey and Ms. Little when it comes to knowledge about being a "full-service" prosecutor.  That's all I've been pointing out, up until NOW. 

I attended the Democrat Fall Dinner this last Friday.  People presently in office were given the opportunity to address those attending.  My ex-boss, Mr. Grennan, walked over to the microphone at the podium to address the crowd.  He gave a passionate plea for everyone to vote a straight Democratic ticket to specifically get Mr. Rickey in as well as others.  Mr. Rickey was one of the first to rise up to give Tom an enthusiastic standing ovation. 

Now, putting this into perspective, I have recently been hearing the rumor going around that Mr. Rickey is going to hire Mr. Grennan as his senior advisor/assistant prosecutor.  I did not give this much credence because I know exactly what Mr. Grennan has said about Bob, not only when Bob left the prosecutor's office, but also when Bob ran against Tom, and after Bob won the primary.  There was no love lost - I can assure you.  I also know other things that have been said with respect to Mr. Grennan's plans prior to the election, and what he was considering after he lost the election, that is, after he blamed me and a couple of others for his loss in the primary. 

This rumor makes prefect sense, however, when you stop to think about it for a few minutes.  There is not going to be much money available to get these government jobs done daily in light of the diminishing dollar, and since Mr. Rickey does not know how to completely run a prosecutor's office, or handle all the different areas alone, legally speaking, without having to learn on-the-job, being taught by someone how to do it, Bob is going to have to hire someone he can literally afford salary-wise to help him out to keep things going.  What better solution than to have Grennan fill in for lesser pay with enough experience to keep the office working.  After all, it was one of Tom's main goals to get "four more years" in on his retirement package.  I can see a potential trade off of salary for extra time toward retirement as a positive cost/benefit decision in Grennan's mind, being totally acceptable to him.  All that would have to be accomplished through Grennan's passionate plea is to get Mr. Rickey in office to realize the goal of having four more years of Grennan as the de facto prosecutor of Brown County. 

A past supporter asked why I had not contacted Bob to find out what his answer would be to this rumor before publishing it.  First of all, as I point out, it was the rumor floating around the courthouse.  I checked with someone I completely trust, and that person also said the same had already been heard too.  I did not start the rumor myself.  I had heard, while still working at at the prosecutor's office, and after I quit, many other rumors about how Bob would run the prosecutor's office and who he would supposedly fire after taking office if he won.  Bob is a great attorney, in that you cannot read him at all, and hard to get a direct answer out of him, from my experience at the office during the short time he worked there in Municipal Court only.  He did not do any felony common pleas court cases that I can remember, and surely no felony jury trials as a prosecutor.  So, even if Bob denies now that he would not hire Mr. Grennan if he wins the election, that is now.  By the time January rolls around, things will change, particularly with respect to the funding that will be available to hire a seasoned/experienced attorney who can handle felony cases in common pleas court and grand jury.  It is a no-brainer to me that Mr. Grennan will be the best bang for Bob's minimal bucks at that time to hire Mr. Grennan at a lower salary, as a quid pro quo for Mr. Grennan to get his last four years in for his retirement.  I can see that happening practically, as a matter of fact, no matter what Bob says at this time in the "game."  All that would be available to the citizens of Brown County after that would be a recall movement.  Time is too precious to waste, in my opinion, at this time playing these political games.  We need the most experienced persons in each office that is available to take and do the jobs for the right reasons.  It is still my opinion, that if you compare the experience levels of both candidates for prosecuting attorney, it is a common sense decision once presented with the facts.  Jessica Little has the most experience to do the job without having to obtain any training to hit the office running.  Her biggest headache will be trying to get things organized from the condition they were in when I worked there. 

During his passionate plea, Mr. Grennan also mentioned that he has served with "integrity" for his three terms in office.  Well, I worked for Grennan for 3.5 years in the prosecutor's office as an investigator, and filling in on minimal attorney tasks, like plea and bond hearings, etc., when needed in juvenile, municipal, and common pleas courts.  I worked for him for a pittance because I loved my job, and because I was doing it for our county citizens, him, and our office.  I even know how I was told by him that I could not be replaced, etc., when I finally decided to leave back in September 2007.  And what did I get in return?  I got trashed by him in front of the Chiefs at a Chiefs' Meeting, blamed for losing his primary election, and now that I look back, probably just being "used," as others would regularly tell me during the time I worked there.  I didn't care about being "used" or not, because I loved my job and chose to keep doing it even if being "used" as my work was helping people out.  I'd do it all over again while being "used" because I genuinely looked forward to going to work every day, something I did not really appreciate in previous jobs over my lifetime. 

Nevertheless, the comment about "serving with integrity" almost made me instantly regurgitate my dinner.  I remember being told that "if I have a confession, I have a good case."   It's funny that if a confession was obtained from a person who was "connected" in one way or another, how that confession turned out to be not "good" enough to prosecute, but rather dismiss, even after the "more equal animal" involved also said, "I guess I'm on the wrong side of the law on this one, huh?" 

When I look back on my 3.5 years in the prosecutor's office, I actually now see lady justice appears to have had her blindfold completely removed in certain cases, particularly those where Brady allegedly may not have been followed.  And it doesn't end there.  This website, like I said earlier, has been the biggest "stick" to hit the "information piñata" jackpot on what is behind dirty politics in Brown County, and why those in office cannot take steps to do their job as they swore to do when assuming the position.  I have found out what it is that has stopped suits against individuals who have prima facie slandered a "hamstrung" official, and why certain individuals have not had their cases taken to grand jury, etc.  Facts are a hard thing to dispute.  Irrefutable facts are absolutely damning. 

If the rumor is true, I say this county cannot afford four more years of a "Tom Grennan" being involved in the prosecutor's office in any way shape or form.  If Grennan is back in office as the de facto prosecutor, our county will be in the exact same position it has been over the last three terms, "hamstrung."  The question is, can our county afford to have that happen for four more years?  [Stealing a Bev Herdman quote.] "I think not!" 

Comment:  I WAS PONDERING THE IDEA OF WENNINGER STATING HE ONLY HAS TO SPEND 8 HOURS A MONTH IN HIS OFFICE THE OTHER DAY AND THOUGHT I'D DO SOME MATH.

AT 8 HOURS A MONTH FOR 8 YEARS THAT COMES OUT TO APPROXIMATELY 27 1/2 DAYS WHICH EQUALS 6600 HOURS WORKED. AT SAY $50,000 A YEAR, THAT WORKS OUT TO APPROXIMATELY $1600.00 AN HOUR OUR SHERIFF IS PAID. IF OUR SHERIFF WORKED A 40 HOUR WEEK AS YOU PLAN TO DO, THAT WORKS OUT TO APPROXIMATELY $20.00 HOUR. DOESN'T TAKE A COLLEGE EDUCATION TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST DEAL FOR US AS TAXPAYERS ( OR TO EARN $1600.00 HOUR APPARENTLY ).

Answer:  Thanks for the mail, Anonymous.  Was sitting here on the computer when your mail came in, so I got it right up there on the web for you. 

I plan on doing at least 40 hr/wk minimum.  Plus plan on donating some of it to the department as needed to accomplish what needs to be done.  Best deal money-wise or not, I think that what we need more than anything else is a full-time administrator that is physically on site to handle and plan what needs to be done to keep the department running as smoothly as possible. 

Comment:  I recently listened to a recording of a conversation that took place at the Brown County Sheriff's office. The Sheriff, Dwayne Wenninger and his chief deputy, called Dennis Varnau in for a meeting. It was clear that the current sheriff was attempting to bully his opposition during the meeting. In the meeting the Sheriff completely lost his cool and used despicable language in talking to his opposition in the upcoming election. After hearing the calm manner in which Mr. Varnau conducted himself while the current sheriff showed no ability to control himself there is no doubt who I would want responding to an emergency call. It is quite obvious that the work of Mr. Varnau to question the legality of Mr. Wenninger's holding of the office of sheriff has so angered Wenninger that he is not capable of conducting himself in a manner that upholds the dignity of the office. I would encourage all voters in Brown county to be very aware of the personal attack and threat in the message that Wenninger delivered in a foul mouthed manner to a man who served this country in Vietnam and during the cold war.

Anonymous

Answer:  Thank you for your input, Anonymous.  Here are the two related recordings you refer to in your mail.  The first one was the invitation to come over to the Sheriff's Office, the second one is the specific one to which you refer.  Both recordings were made back on September 7, 2006.  I believe that I already had started my campaign for Sheriff by that time. 

Comment/Question:  I hear a good deal about your website and the big political battle brewing in Brown County over the Sheriffs race. I took some time to read through your website and many of the submissions to such.

It is pretty obvious it is bias in the content as a matter of fact it comes off as just downright condescending to the people in Brown County. It doesn’t offend me in the least for you to have an opinion about the current Sheriff but you seem to suggest that anyone who does not share your views is not very bright and deserves a plague brought upon them and their families.

We dumb Brown County folks are so fortunate to have you settle here with the desire to stroke your ego, I mean save us from injustice. I don’t begrudge those who write you in support of your campaign as they as Americans and (I ASSUME) registered voters and as such may support any candidate they wish to.

In case you are wondering I do support the current Sheriff and that is my right and there isn’t anything can do about it. It is my sincere hope that there are enough citizens in Brown County who share similar voting preferences and also vote for Dwayne Wenninger.

If the system finds Sheriff Wenninger guilty of all this wrong doing then I will accept the decision of the judicial and state agencies.  To date I have seen no official with the State or Federal systems show up to remove the Sheriff from office.  I don’t accept your riding shotgun charging forth like you and you alone are justice in the world.

I love the fact you don’t need the salary from the job, that’s great for you.  I wish I was married to a woman successful enough to take care of me. However like most of us I and my spouse have worked together to provide for a family and have a home. Yes providing for children does give you a different set of priorities with your money.

Because Sheriff Wenninger has children he wishes to provide for and send to college someday he is a bad person for accepting a salary provided with the job. Give me a break I call him a responsible parent and a good husband.

All these donated hours you’re going to be working what will you be doing exactly? Patrolling? If so exactly how many hours do you have in working on road patrol by yourself? How many subjects have you had to forcibly arrest? How many times have you been hit, kicked, spit on, threatened, had a gun pointed at you a knife pulled on you? I am sure you have been under direct fire before so the process of reacting under extreme duress and making a life or death decision is second hand to you. I hope the Deputies and your County wide mutual aid Village services can depend on you when a decision has to be made in seconds or they need a 200 lb plus strung out meth head pulled off of them and restrained.

I am not saying the Sheriff has been in gun battles but I do know there a good deal of Police Officers in this County and this State who have a wealth of experience and have been in a multitude of situations and I know Dwayne Wenninger is one of those Officers. So you may be a jack of all trades (and you know what the saying is there I assume?) but you don’t have a fraction of the experience Wenninger has or most of the Deputies and Supervisors who work for him so don’t flatter yourself. 

Get a grip on yourself, your ego has exceeded your craniums capacity to carry it any longer. Since you’re such a miracle worker why set your sights so low as a petty county corruption battle to fight?

If you have missed any of the “IMPORTANT NEWS” going on in this country this week the economy is in the toilet, a whole lot of good honest hard working people in this county and this country have much more at risk than you getting in office so you can play Sheriff.

Why don’t you phone the Justice Department, the Presidential Candidates, the Treasury etc… and tell them of your amazing skills and background and your membership in the Justice League with Superman and the gang. I think you’re selling yourself short, you could do much bigger things than sheriff in Brown County. Maybe one of the present Presidential Candidates can appoint you Attorney General and then you can really put some heat on that old corrupt Wenninger and you can add top law enforcement officer in the country to you long list of super qualifications.

I may not have your amazing credentials but I have my vote and I have my opinion and my vote sure isn’t swayed by yourself appointing yourself as the savior of Brown County.

I welcome you to settle here and make this your home as you claim to do, do yourself a favor and don’t expect to have everyone in the county follow you on your march to Glory, everyone is not that easily influenced by your fame.

I would say good luck on Election Day but you’re really not worried about that are you?

If you can’t win by majority, push for appointment by default.  Bob

Answer:  Thanks for sending your views, Bob.  Yes, the website is becoming more and more popular as the days go by.  Senator Niehaus' letter to the editor in Thursday's edition of The News Democrat caused a bump in traffic.  I've posted a compilation of all that pertains to "The Senator Niehaus Affair" on the front page to make it easier for everyone to read and decide for themselves what the truth is regarding that matter. 

I do not, however, share your view about the "intelligence" level of Brown County citizens.  I had a booth at the Fair.  I did not meet one "dumb" person while manning that booth.  I never met one "dumb" person while serving as an investigator at the prosecutor's office.  There are people in our county who have not had the same opportunity as others to get the "system's" piece of paper to pin up on their wall, but they invariably end up displaying more common sense than most who do have degrees hanging on their walls. 

I have never intentionally treated anyone in a condescending manner.  Your attempt to paint me with that brush is just another unfounded attempt to smear my character.  I've found through this process of "campaigning" and running for office, that there are individuals who desire to control everything that is done in the campaign.  If I decide not to go in their direction, I automatically become the "arrogant," "rude," etc., condescending individual.  When I disclose cold, hard facts about my opponent's background, I am labeled with "trying to win by default."  Others thoroughly involved in my campaign end up telling me, "see, I told you so," as the "mole" ends up surfacing with gusto, verifying what the collective thoughts of most pinned down earlier themselves.  If I disagree, I am the one who is automatically "wrong."  If I exercise my right to back someone's candidacy, and such is at odds with another person's views, I become anathema.  Funny thing about all of this is that we supposedly live in a free country, and our right to choose whomever we think will do the best job is our personal choice to make.  It's the same pervasive attitude that prompted George Bush's statement, "If you are not with us, you are against us."  Oh, well!  I find it extremely difficult to follow or hang around with individuals who have no tolerance for the choices others make for themselves.  It's the "control freaks" that can't live with, and have no tolerance for what others decide for themselves.  They want to control everything others do, and that characteristic usually sticks out like a sore thumb in how they treat their own spouse, etc. 

As far as Mr. Wenninger getting a stipend of about $58,000.00, to add to his income, and not having to work at least a regular 40 hour week for that salary, I ask, what makes him the "King" entitled to receive the taxpayers' money essentially gratis???  I know of many other families who could use this "extra" money for their children's' education, medical care, etc. 

I will never have the experience other officers have accumulated over 10, 15 or 20 years of service as peace officers.  Never claimed to have more experience, and never will have.  Nevertheless, if you were the Meth-head that needed arrest, I sure would not shy away from doing my job.  You may beat me up doing so, but there will be plenty more coming after me who will end up subduing you.  That's my view of those kind of situations.  I've never shied away from doing what is needed, when needed.  Never claimed to be the "tough" guy on the street.  There will always be someone tougher that will come along sooner or later.  Age has a way of reducing one's capability to accomplish physical things as time presses on and the body deteriorates.  It's the integrity, character, mind ,and the common sense contained therein that is more important in all those who possess such, like the many good people you refer to as being "dumb" in your letter.

Comment/Question:  It is obvious that Senator Niehaus is quite worried about something or he would not be writing editorials about you in the newspaper. Is he trying to distance himself from someone?   Judy

Answer:  Thanks for your mail, Judy.  I agree with you.  He seems to be trying to distance himself from anything to do with Mr. Wenninger at this time.  I think he is already "stuck" too tightly to get free from the facts. 

Comment:  Bob stated "All these donated hours you’re going to be working what will you be doing exactly? Patrolling? If so exactly how many hours do you have in working on road patrol by yourself? How many subjects have you had to forcibly arrest?"

It appears what Bob is trying to say is that he knows that currently there is times where NO ONE is on patrol serving the public, as in that if you are the sheriff, you will be out working to serve the public.

In turn, I hope people are smart enough to look at the situations that have occurred in the county, look at the number of people who has had property stolen/damaged only to get told to "come to the sheriff's department to file a report," look at the lack of cooperation with other public safety agencies, look at the "I'm the Sheriff I can do whatever I want to" philosophy, and cast their vote accordingly. I've probably told now about 200 people about you, and they've told their contacts, etc, etc, and it appears people want change.... People want accountability. People want to actually see a sheriff's car drive by. People want to know when they call 9-1-1 with a severe emergency that help will be on the way. People want a concrete sheriff, not a concrete pouring sheriff with a cell phone. [emphasis added] Anonymous

Answer:  Thanks for your letter, Anonymous.  A couple of years back, while still working at the prosecutor's office, I had a lady come in with pictures of her mobile home.  It was completely trashed from one end to the other.  She called for the sheriff's department to come out and investigate/take a report.  They would not respond.  Her trailer was completely trashed and everything in it.  We at the prosecutor's office asked Mount Orab PD for assistance to check some of the items for fingerprints, since the prosecutor's office did purchase a fingerprint cabinet for their department.  They were unable to come up with any viable prints. 

Someone should have responded to that scene to record the damage and try and investigate what happened.  It takes time to investigate crimes, but if no investigation is done, then why even have a police or sheriff's department in the first place?  I agree that things need to change.  We need to get back to the basics n law enforcement in our county. 

Comment:  This comment is for Bob. Does Bob think it is ok to steal from Brown County residents if someone has children? I have never heard anything so insulting. Bob obviously knows nothing about what is going on. With exception of causing this county to be sued can anyone name a D.W. accomplishment? Mr. Wenninger does not perform law enforcement duties unless Deb Dixon is there to catch it on camera. As to the 200lb. Meth head, the blanket mutual aid agreement would give any policeman a better chance against someone like that.

I have children and I work 2 jobs to get by. I do not ask for a "hand-out" from Brown County residents. Hey Bob, read the facts! By the way some of us in this life have what we call morals. We do the right thing whether anyone is watching or not. Bob you most likely believe it was ok for the tax-payers to bail-out Wall St. as well. Hey Bob NEWSFLASH! most tax-payers are tired of being screwed. I do not believe ANYONE is worth $1600.00 per hour.

Scott

Answer:  Thanks again for your mail, Scott. 

Comment:  My brother in law was at a meeting at the lake today. He told me the sheriff has been working busting drug dealers at night. I find this hard to believe that our sheriff has been doing anything but cashing his paycheck. If it is true he will have to be in court. This will probably be the first time in years he will be sitting on the plaintiff side of the court room.

Bob B.

Answer:  Thanks for your input, Bob B.  Yes, as a matter of fact, Mr. Wenninger said that he is even buying drugs off the street himself.  Challenged us listening to find out how many other sheriffs in the State do the same as he - buying drugs from dealers on the streets at night.  You can listen to what he said today here:  Wenninger at Lake Waynoka, October 11, 2008. 

Your brother-in-law is telling the truth about what Mr. Wenninger said.  This statement raises a lot of legitimate questions.  First, how long has he been doing this?  Second, if my protest material is correct, Mr. Wenninger is a "civilian" buying drugs on the street from dealers.  If he has been doing it for quite some time, there should already be a lot of cases in the criminal justice pipeline for prosecution, and Mr. Wenninger will definitely be a witness in those cases where he has made those buys.  Furthermore, I would think that defense attorneys will be very interested in finding out whether their client/defendants sold any drugs to Mr. Wenninger within the last four years.  If he has bought drugs, and there are no cases, where are the drugs now that he has been buying at night from these dealers? 

I think your calculations are correct.  I believe that Mr. Wenninger has been a defendant in courts many more times than he has ever testified for the prosecution in court.  This statement also tells me that most drug dealers haven't the slightest clue who the sheriff is, if they are selling him drugs on the street.  Why, if I were a drug dealer, I'd surely take a look at his website to make sure I was familiar with all the faces thereon before I sold drugs to any known deputies or sheriff.  This is the reason why undercover buys are normally done by individuals brought in from outside the county, or others who volunteer to do the buying.  I find it very hard to believe that Mr. Wenninger is actually personally buying drugs directly from dealers on the street nightly.  If he is, he should have been in court many times over the last four years, for sure! 

One more thing.  Those paychecks he is cashing.  If my protest material is correct, in that his legal status has been that of a "civilian" for the last four years, then he is not legally the sheriff, and the amount of money given to him over the last four years should be recoverable by the county.  Mr. Wenninger will have been impersonating an officer for the last four years, buying drugs, and thus not entitled to the paychecks he has cashed over the last four years.  

Question:  Dear Mr. Varnau,

I am writing for several reasons. I am a lifelong resident of Brown County and am very concerned for the well-being and vitality of our community. I have some tough questions to ask you, and quite frankly, I expect some honest answers. Before going any further, please be aware that while I am a registered Republican, I don't vote for ANY candidate without knowing as much as I can possibly know and then making an informed decision. There have been times when I've voted for more Democrats than Republicans on a ticket. I am prefacing my letter with this because I feel it is important that you know where I stand.

If, during any of the following, I state something incorrectly, please feel free to call my bluff.

1. You have stated that you don't plan to take the full salary offered to the sheriff if you are elected. What is the reason for this? Is it simply because you don't need the money or is it because you want to come out looking like a hero?

2. You, by your own admission, have not lived in Brown County for more than a decade. What do you feel qualifies you to be an elected official and a community leader of a county that, quite frankly, is still new to you?

3. You have stated repeatedly that you don't take campaign donations from anyone because you're not going to be in anyone's "back pocket". Do you think it is unreasonable for a candidate for sheriff to accept campaign donations and if so, why?

I want to end by saying what I, as a lifelong member of this county, feel you are portraying to citizens.

First, I think it is ridiculous that anyone who moves into a community thinks they can run for office (and not a smaller office like township trustee, but a major office like sheriff) and expect to take over and change the way our community has been running for years. Is our system perfect? No. Is Dwayne Wenninger the be all, end all of this campaign? No. Do things need to be changed? Yes. Should our next sheriff be someone who has lived here more than 10 or 15 years? Yes. I am sorry if this offends you, but the fact that you waltzed in here trying to be our next sheriff offends me.

Secondly, I know that you have worked in our prosecutor's office as an investigator and feel that Bobby Rickey's experience is inadequate in terms of his holding the office of prosecutor. As a candidate running for office, why on earth would you ever tell people that? Bobby (like me) is also a lifelong resident of this community and his family and his wife's family still live here. It seems to me you are in support of Jessica Little. Imagine that! You are endorsing another candidate that has virtually no ties to Brown County except for that fact that her address BARELY falls inside the county line. She never took one iota of interest in our county until the prosecutor's race came open and then she decided she'd be a concerned citizen. She has practiced law in ADAMS county consistently and sends her children to school in CLERMONT county.

Thirdly, you seem to make quite a fuss about the fact that Wenninger spends eight hours a month in the office. Do I believe that's worth $50,000+ a year? No. However, he is meeting the requirements as set forth by law for the position of sheriff. He is not required to be in the office more than eight hours a month. If he chooses to take his salary and do the required amount of time, I don't hold that against him. If you don't like it, have the law changed. Don't attack the current officeholder because you disagree with the hours to salary ratio. He is being paid on the same premise that every sheriff before him has been paid.

I remember hearing three or more years ago that you were obtaining your OPOTA certification so that you could become a police officer and run for sheriff. It is interesting to me that you were never even in law enforcement until you decided you wanted to be sheriff.

I am very interested in your responses to these questions and thoughts.

Very sincerely,
Thinking It Through

Answer:  Thank you for your mail, "Thinking It Through."  Your letter is absolutely the most thoughtful I have received thus far since starting my website, in my opinion.  I can tell just from the tenor and flow of what you have written that you are genuine in your search for answers to some very legitimate questions.  I will not "blow smoke in your face" by answering in any other way than what I really believe about the substantive matter in your questions.  If I am truly lying, as accused to be doing so in "The Senator Niehaus Affair," you don't need to be voting me into office.  That's for sure!  I would gladly meet with you in person to answer even more of your questions, face-to-face, if you wish.  Party affiliation does not mean much to me at all, but rather the integrity, honesty, qualifications, and experience are most important, as well as the reason why a person wants to serve the public in an elected position.  Please contact me directly and I'll be glad to meet with you and whoever else may be interested in confronting me with their questions.  I appreciate your candor and openness.  I refer to that as "honesty," in my understanding. 

1.) I am not sure how this will work out just yet, but frankly, my wife and I do not need the money at this time.  My wife and I met after we both got out of Vietnam and were both enrolled at the University of Cincinnati on the GI Bill, in Logic Class, if that makes any sense.  Ha!  She was a Nurse in Vietnam at the 12th Air Force Hospital in Cam Rahn Bay, Vietnam for a year, before getting out and starting her BS in Biology at UC.  She was actually in rocket and mortar attacks and had to wear a flak vest during such times and keep the IVs running on patients during the attacks, even thought scared at the time to do such.  I was in Nuclear Engineering and then transferred to Mechanical Engineering after two years because of all the protesters at Zimmer Power Plant, when it was still going to be a nuclear plant.  She was a nurse, I was a nuclear trained machinist mate in the Navy.  She could have worked as a Nurse and I as a nuclear plant operator.  Had I stayed in that discipline, I'd have already been a millionaire as the rest of my fellow shipmates are now after working in those nuclear generating plants around the country.   We got married on January 1, 1977, so I would not forget the anniversary.  Just kidding.  It just turned out that we got married three months, three weeks, and three days after we got engaged on one of my best Navy buddy's hog farm in Oskaloosa, Iowa, back in 1976, because that was the gestation period of a hog from the gestation wheel for hogs, after my best buddy asked when we were getting married since we got engaged on their hog farm, while at the stockyard, after we just got done making barrows out of 92, 300-pound boars earlier that day, with me getting the dry-heaves after the 89th one defecated all over my jeans while being slit.   

My wife did not want any children because she said she had raised her brothers and sisters and did not want another family.  I accumulated 1.7 REM lifetime dose  of gamma radiation from working in the nuclear plant, sitting on the hot filter systems while doing the valve leak-rate checks on both nuke plants on the USS Truxtun DLG(N)-35 in 1973, prior to the Truxtun going for refueling up in Bremerton, Washington.  So, since she did not want any children, I could take them or leave them, because mine would have "glowed" in the dark anyway most likely. 

From there we were headed to graduation and I was trying to get into law school, and she in medical school, because as a maternity nurse she did not like the way male OB/GYNs handled pregnant ladies - too eager to cut the baby out so they would not have to get up in the middle of the night, whereas she will sit with a woman until she can deliver naturally, as intended, if possible in the end.  We had a mutual agreement that we'd go either way the "cards" fell.  She got accepted into medical school first, so my law school plans were scrubbed.  We got tied up in a law suit over a "buyer beware" real estate deal in Amesville, Ohio, where we lost $18,500.00 - all of our combined savings - two years after we were married, after moving to the Athens, Ohio, area for her to attend OUCOM.  The $15K we put down on our house on land contract was put on the seller's own home unaware to us, and three months later we were being evicted.  We had to pay $3,500.00 to attorney Donovan Lowe in McConnellsville, Ohio, to take our case, and he got disbarred for five years, three weeks after we paid him, for commingling funds.  We lost it all. 

Anyway, at this point in our lives, we have no children, well, she doesn't, but I'm not positively sure, since I was a sailor in the Navy during Nam, and hit many ports in Asia, particularly Bangkok, Thailand, where I almost jumped ship, as part of the three West Pac tours of duty I made on the Truxtun.  A young, lost, sheltered kid from Moeller High School in Kenwood, Ohio, that learned everything about anything in the Navy from 18 years old to 24 years old. 

Some may again call all of this RANT, but I want you to know where I am coming from with respect to the substance of your questions.  My Navy buddies can attest to my words here, because they read this too, and after four years and two months together on the same ship, they know me!  I send it all to them every time I post new material. 

There was another person named "Bob" above who said he'd like to have a wife that could support him too.  Well, Judi and I have worked as a team for almost 32 years now, and whether I like it or not, I will never make as good a salary as she does in her profession.  She deserves every bit of what she earns, and I think those she works with daily would confirm what I am saying about her.  Please check on that, if you must.  Actually, I have had the pleasure of being able to work with some pretty intelligent women in the different jobs I have had throughout life, the MCP [Male Chauvinist Pig] in me is reluctant to say it, but it is true, most were a lot more intelligent than me - but I still have the "xy" chromosomes and they don't - if you get my drift.  Ha! 

Judi's salary is public knowledge as it is published information by Health Source under federal laws.  We both paid, filing as a married couple, over $100K in federal and state taxes this year. That's not to say we are "rich," not by a long shot.  I got my old Air Force Intel buddy's son and his partner up in Dayton, Ohio, both anesthesiologists, to invest $300K into my brother's machine shop, and verbally guaranteed their principal in case it went "belly up."  Well, it did go "belly up" this year, and we are paying them back slowly but surely. 

I guess we look at life more realistically than others, because I expect that in less than 30 years I will punch out into eternity, and what good is money going to do us after that???  There is more to life than money, but it is nice to be able to pay bills on time without worry.  So, I plan on donating some of my salary, one way or another, to help OUR community, not to be any kind of a "hero," but for practical purposes.  I'll buy my own vehicle that I will use for four years and donate it to the county for a tax write-off.  That's our plan.  It's not my intention to be a "hero," but someone has to step up and straighten out this mess.  Nobody seems too interested in doing so, even those who have been living here 10-15 years already. 

I'll tell you who the heroes are right now in our county.  They are the good, honest, high integrity officers that are working daily for a pittance, to protect and serve our citizens.  Would you do what they do for the amount of money they get paid???  I'd bet not.  To be spit on, beat on, shot at, etc., for less wages than what most make in other jobs flipping burgers.  They are OUR heroes.  The managers are not heroes, they facilitate the "heroes."  The CEO's getting millions of dollars, are they "heroes?"  They are opportunists!  "I think not," as Bev Herdman would say.  Since Judi is dedicating her services to "our" county now too, I will do the same.  We are not moving any more after moving literally around the world for about 28 years together.  I'm done moving.  I'm over half-dead now already, but enjoying every day, except for this political BS that is designed to destroy instead of build up our local community. 

2.) Correct!  My wife, Judi, and I moved to Brown County on December 4, 2003.  We were born and raised in Ohio, she on Catawba Island, [Port Clinton] Ohio, and I in Kenwood/Montgomery, Ohio.  We both spent a lot of time outside of Ohio in the military, around the world, living in Japan for four years, and Germany for three. 

I guess the way I perceive things, I look at people as being the same around the world.  The country people in China are actually the same as those of us over here, with just different language, customs, religions, and traditions.  They expect to be treated with respect the same we expect.  I see no difference in the way people should be treated no matter where they grew up, live, or reside, etc.  When it comes to law enforcement, I actually see more benefits to being an "outsider" than an "insider," as long as one is honest and has high integrity.  I am not part of a "good old boys" network.  I view everyone under the same laws, equally enforced to keep the peace for all citizens.  I would not have any favorites, but administer the law equally across the board.  I should be held to the highest standard under the law of anyone else in the county.  My officers should be held to the next lower standard, along with all other peace officers in the county.  My friends and family will be held to the next lower standard, because they know better, or should in any case.  They are not going to be coming to me and asking for a ticket to be "fixed."   The next layer down is the average citizen, other than the attorneys or other individuals in the criminal justice system, who also should know better.  They too are held to a higher standard.  The first to see the difference in the administration of "just-us" [justice] as favoring some over others because of their position, wealth, or political affiliation, are  the "rank-and-file" citizens.  When the citizens see the laws being unequally applied, for one reason or another, then the sarcasm starts, and trust in the system and those administering it collapses, and the end result is anarchy.  Public trust is what is expected of elected officials.  When they fail to do what is expected of them, then we have a very bad situation with total lack of trust in the "system of justice."  I actually view my status as "an outsider" as being much more favorable than having a "good old boy" as sheriff, where the clan who is in power hoards it over other clans.  Not good! We need "neutrality" in peace keeping/law enforcement as much as possible, in my opinion. 

I believe that no matter where I am in the world, if I could be the "sheriff" in China, I believe that I could do the same unbiased job there as I could do here too.  I don't think it is a matter of geography and time spent in one location, as much as a matter of respect for persons, property, and the right to live peaceably within a community without becoming a victim of crime.

3.) My view of the Sheriff is someone who is not beholden to anyone for anything.  Thus, this is my main concern about taking donations or "like-kind" donations of things for my campaign.  I owe nothing and have nothing over my head, and can be as neutral as humanly possible toward all citizens in our county, "owing" no one in return. 

It is my opinion that politics is rife with corruption at this time in Brown County.  If I follow the logic of your reasoning, I have no right to take any steps to correct what I perceive to be corruption in our community until I have lived under such corruption in this specific geographic location for 10-15 years or more.  After I have endured the waste of my tax money for 10-15 years, by incompetent, unqualified individuals in office for some of those 10-15 years, wasting my tax money, like, for instance, over $600K in settlements of lawsuits against the Sheriff's Department alone already under Mr. Wenninger, then somehow I achieve some kind of magical standing to actively do something to protect my interests, like run for office myself.  Such reasoning does not offend me at all in any way.  It just absolutely makes no sense whatsoever to me in any way, shape, or form. 

Some of it is not criminal per se, but does not pass the "smell test," to me.  Take for instance this scenario: An elected official has a monetary interest in a business and uses his/her position to facilitate the acquisition of a license or permit in a shorter amount of time over other business establishments which indirectly lines his pockets quicker.  Is that a misuse of power and authority?  To me it may not be criminal in nature, but sure does have the appearance of impropriety in my book.  This kind of action, to me, defines one's character.  It stinks to high heaven! 

For instance, if I were elected sheriff, and I knew of a potential felonious condition that I may have a property interest in if I were to hide the fact from law enforcement, such that, if I hid that fact I might have a better chance of acquiring some interest, whereas if I disclose such problem I may lose the chance to acquire that interest, what should I do in that situation?   I believe that I have a DUTY, as Sheriff, and under the law if a felony, to disclose the problem to law enforcement, even though it may forever preclude me from attaining my goal of acquiring that interest.  I'll go the route that may damage my chances of acquiring that interest in order to maintain my public integrity in exchange for my worldly interest loss, which is temporary at best at this point in my life.

I could die tomorrow from an aneurysm just like my old buddy, who worked at Lucasville Prison for thirty years, sitting in a chair at a family reunion.  Life is too short sometimes, and even Bill Gates doesn't know when he is punching out with nothing in his pockets out of the billions he owns.  600,000 years from now everything we now see in front of us will all be a part of molten lava, including the hard drive these digital file electrons are stored on right now.  So, what is important?  Where you came from on the face of the earth?  Take a look at the "Map of the Universe" from National Geographic, or go outside at night and look at the stars.  Just where do you think you will be in another 100 years?  Please tell me?  Geographic location and time in location has absolutely nothing to do with how one treats people, in my opinion.  Such should be the same no matter where one is located on the face of the earth, in Brown County, Hamilton, Clermont, Franklin, etc.  The State law is the law, and it should be applied the same to all individuals within our State.  Such should not be a function of geographic location, how long one has lived within the county, etc. 

Sarcastically, this is all just RANT anyway!  To me it seems like I just got married yesterday, and I was in the Navy yesterday, but that was almost 32 and 35 years ago now. Time flies, and most in our county will sooner or later find ourselves in the nursing homes I visited today in Brown County, campaigning for votes.  What a sick process we have, in my opinion, to do what is best for our communities at this time.  Just my opinion, mind you. 

In closing.  I don't look at this as being a factor of time as you do with regard to living at some approximate longitude and latitude on the face of the earth in this Universe.  I look at it as being more a factor of mutual respect between humans.  Everyone is entitled to respect, and expects such from others.  No one, including me most, is entitled to more than anyone else when it comes to basic human respect.  In our country everyone is entitled to believe in the religion they wish, back the political party they wish to belong to, etc.  We all collectively sink or swim according to what the majority of people want to vote for - as long as the ballots are not tampered with in elections.  I just want to be treated the same as say a Mike Daley, who apparently has a ton of money to try and derail Bruce Wallace's candidacy, all supposedly over a little-league baseball controversy.  What's that all about???  I'd say EGO, as a first guess, not knowing all the facts involved, has a lot to do with it.  Is winning a game the most important thing in a sub-teen with respect to his whole life?   Biblically speaking, no way! 

Take for instance the research I did concerning the ineligibility of Mr. Wenninger as a candidate for sheriff in 2001.  Why didn't someone straighten that out 7.5 years ago?  I say, because, after being an investigator for 3.5 years here in Brown County, a lot of government officials have "skeletons in their closet," making them ineffective with respect to the enforcement of the laws against other officials who also have "skeletons in their closet."  Drop one and they all fall like a house of cards.  It is that simple.  So, what would you rather have as sheriff, another "good old boy" who can continue the cover-up, or an "independent" who can expose the corruption?   It's up to you as an elector, and you will get what you vote for in the general election. 

I can guarantee you this.  I will get a good night's sleep on the evening of November 4th, probably better than you, unless I win - in which case my supporters will keep me up all night long.  Ideally, if I win, it would be best for the county for Jessica Little to be elected prosecuting attorney, and Gregory Napolitano to be elected State Senator - IN MY OPINION.  We'll see what happens.  Can't wait until it is over!  Believer me!  I tell you the truth!    If I am a liar, don't vote for me, or you will be part of the problem. 

When it comes to Jessica Little and Robert Rickey, I think it is best to investigate and approach both and find out who you would support foremost.  I know Bob from working in the prosecutor's office for 6-8 months.  Bob is a very nice guy.  A great attorney in labor law, and he is "hard to read," as most good attorneys are, plus he is also hard to get an answer out of, from my recollection, while working and interfacing with him probably not more than a handful of times directly on cases he had.  I can't remember Bob ever doing a felony common pleas case while in the prosecutor's office.  I know he defended clients in common pleas before, because I have newspapers up in the bathroom, where they come in handy at times to keep one's mind occupied.  Bob's picture was on the front page of one, defending someone in common pleas court.  I knew nothing about Jessica Little except for the derogatory comments I had heard about her prior to taking the time to directly confront her in person myself. 

I personally think that the best way to find out about an individual is to take the time to talk to them in person.  I did that with Jessica Little, and then proceeded to make her life hell with the hierarchy of her party because they thought she was involved with my billboard on Rt. 68.  I found this out from the "grapevine" of those Republicans who are supporting my candidacy.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  The Brown County Republican Party is divided severely within.  From my perspective one side leans to typical "politics" and the other toward "truth."  In my opinion, the side Jessica Little is on the "truth" side of that party.  Talk to her.  I did.  I put her on the spot with things that concerned me about how she saw things if being prosecutor.  She was approachable.  Bob shakes hands very well, but always seems somewhat aloof to me, even when I worked at the prosecutor's office.  Does that mean I could not work with Bob?  Not at all.  After working in the prosecutor's office for 3.5 years, I know what needs to be improved with respect to what comes into the office from law enforcement personnel.  I can work with whomever gets elected as prosecutor. 

All I'm saying is that Jessica Little has much more experience than Bob at this time.  Furthermore, the rumor I have heard, that is circulating around the common pleas court building, is not far-fetched from what I know personally.  I can see where financially-speaking, it would be extremely convenient for Bob to hire Mr. Grennan after the election to help run the prosecutor's office, if Bob gets elected.  That's just my evaluation of the situation from what Mr. Grennan has told me over the last few years with respect to his thoughts on retirement and his outlook on Bob as Bob quit, ran against him, and won, plus Mr. Grennan's total turn-around as evidenced from his speech at the Democrat Fall Dinner two weeks ago.  I see a willing Grennan taking a pay cut in order to get his four years in for retirement.  Again, JUST MY OPINION, which does not count for much, I realize.  Nevertheless, it's my right to have a personal opinion, stated as such.  It's another's right to reject my opinion as much as it is mine to reject his/hers. 

Way before I even had a thought about becoming a police officer, right after my wife and I moved here to Brown County, I was reading a BEACON underground newsletter that said Mr. Wenninger was not working a full day for his pay.  Well, since I live five doors down from Dwayne, I went to his house and confronted he and Tammy in their driveway. I asked him the following.  I said, "Don't you think you should have to work a 40-hour week like everyone else if you are getting paid $50K+ or so to do a job?  His answer was that he only needed, by law, eight hours a month as sheriff. 

Well, as an attorney, I had direct access to the ORC through the Ohio Bar Association Casemaker program.  There is no direct law with respect the amount of hours a sheriff has to work for his salary.  The eight hours has to do with maintaining the police certificate monthly.  The sheriff, by statute, has to personally inspect the jail monthly.  Other than that, he does not have to work at all to get that $58K per year, except to insure subpoenas get served.  So, the question becomes, do you think he should be working daily, as all the rest of us have to do on a salary, in order to keep things working properly within the department?  I do as a taxpayer!  You may not.  That's your choice. 

I believe that if I am being taxed for police protection, I expect that the money paid for salaries is being well-spent, in that, I expect him to be doing at the very least 40 hours per week, minimum.  I think I am taxed too much already, and that tax money is being wasted by the billions daily.  You have the right to disagree.  It's still a free country.  But I ask you, why should those who are working have to pay for those too lazy to work, being taxed to the hilt, and those capable, but unwilling to work, get my tax money in welfare for free and I can say nothing about that expenditure?  I think that those on welfare, if not physically disabled, should have to work for their stipend.  I also think, why should we taxpayers have to pay for the upkeep of those who broke the law, when they too could work, at least in a garden in the summer-time, to make the food required to support them while in jail?  The system we have now is just dragging the rest of us right down with those who do not play by the same rules as the rest of us do.  That's the way I see it.  I have no apologies for that. 

I never in my life ever considered becoming a police officer until March 2004.  I started working at the prosecutor's office on January 22, 2004.  It was Mr. Grennan who came in to my office one day and asked me if I would like to go to the police academy.  I was 55 at the time.  Larry Littleton, ex-Chief Deputy BCSO, was my fellow investigator at the time.  After I had started the course January 19, 2005, it was Larry who said that if I passed the police academy course I could run for sheriff.  That's when the sheriff thought arose.  The first thing I did was to go to my Ohio Bar Association site and use Casemaker to look up the Ohio Revised Code sections that dealt with Sheriff qualifications.  I found that, sure enough, if I completed the course successfully, I could be an eligible candidate for sheriff.  I went from 265 pounds to 206 pounds from January 19th to September 13th to make the 1.5 mile run in 14:09, after doing the requisite amount of push-ups and sit-ups also in less than a minute each to qualify.  Since I already had witnessed the lack of cooperation between the Sheriff's Department and Prosecutor's Office, I, like Chuck Norris has recently said in one of his articles, was not personally satisfied with what is going on locally, and considered running myself for that  public office.  That's what I did.  And now I find that I completely understand why most people who are qualified never run for public office.  The process to get there STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN!  No one in their right mind would expose themselves to this process without a very good reason to do so.  Mine was because my wife and I are not moving anymore, and I thought I'd do what I am qualified to do for my community, as long as I still have my health and half a mind left.  So I decided to run. 

Actually, Mr. Wenninger has not met the legal requirements to be sheriff.  That's the problem that has been around since 2001, that no one for 7.5+ years has taken a step to correct.  He never played by the rules as spelled out in the law, yet everyone else who has run for sheriff since 2001 has met all the requirements to be a valid candidate playing by the rules.  That's the crux of my protest to the Board of Elections, which they did not accept because my constitutional rights are denied under current election laws.  According to my legal research, Mr. Wenninger has been a "civilian" since January 1, 2005.  He's not even a valid peace officer in the State of Ohio.  We'll see what the 12th District Court of Appeals does this coming week with my appeal.  Four Republicans reviewing an appeal concerning a Republican sheriff.

I can tell you right now, I'll never run again, unless I get in, do a good job, and the people want me to run again, I'll do it, for my community.  Otherwise, I have plenty of other job opportunities available to me.  I am fortunate in that respect.  I believe that I actually have more police street work experience than Sheriff Simon Leis in Hamilton County, but not his prosecutor experience.  I am just as qualified to run a Sheriff's Office as Sheriff Leis and Sheriff Rodenburg.  It is the Chief Deputy, however, that literally runs the department daily.  In my administration, he/she will be the highest paid employee, if I have any say about it.  It is the rank and file who deserve the most recognition, as long as they maintain the integrity and disposition required of a deputy to serve their citizens in a "protect and serve" function.  They are the "heroes" you should be referring to in your letters, not me. 

Tue 10/14/2008 3:51 PM:

Question:  Dennis,

I know you have articulated specific things you would do immediately upon taking office (A realistic Mutual Aid agreement for one) as well as several things that are more general (Hours worked, salary accepted).

I recognize that many of the e-mails from your opponent's supporters are attempts to "bait" you into getting off topic and discuss more philosophical concepts that interest you in an attempt to paint you in a negative light to the uninformed.

I would like you to state what you would specifically do in the first 100 days of your taking office that is different than what the current administration is doing now, both administrative and operational.

It is really not important at this point who you think would be a better Prosecutor, or what you think of D.W.'s qualifications. What will you do to address staffing and budget problems (understanding that you have little or no control over the budget the Commissioners allot)?

What ideas do you have to address the growing drug problem in the region (new ideas)? The Brown County Sheriff's Department's reputation is not good among other Police Agencies and Government Offices- How does this get fixed?

Please address concrete issues like this (no pun intended) and ignore the e-mails that are simply baiting you, and let your recommendations and opinions of other candidates go as well.

Convince me as an undecided, why I should support your effort for the office of Sheriff of Brown County.

I'd love to hear D.W.'s answers to these questions as well.

Best Regards,

Matt

Answer:  Thank you for your questions, Matt.  Really GOOD questions, Matt!  The closer to the election, the better the questions get. 

PLAN FOR FIRST 100 DAYS

In addition to implementing a real blanket mutual aid agreement for the benefit of all Brown County Residents during the first 100 days my, and my administration goals for the first 100 days are: 

1) Minimum 40-hour work week from week one - I and my staff will lead from the front.

2) Attend every Township Trustee, Village Board, and School Board meeting to learn expectations from elected officials and the public.

3) Meet with every employee individually to define their roles as employees and public servants.

4) Meet with relevant elected County Officials to develop a collaborative long term plan for the S.O. to better meet the needs of the citizens of Brown County in concert with other County and State service agencies.

5) Meet specifically with the Prosecutor and Judges to review current issues with the Jail with the intent to develop diversion programs (including treatment) for non-violent offenders to free up jail space for those who present a more immediate threat to public safety

6) Initiate a county-wide or multi-county/multi-jurisdictional drug task-force.  Intent is to secure some level of State or Federal funding through grants, if available.

7) Complete audit of all Sheriff's Office functions including property room and all financial dealings and record keeping.  Intent is to determine if there are areas of funding that can be transferred to the public safety functions of the Sheriff's Office.

8) Meet with the Union(s) representing all Sheriff's employees to work with them to develop a truly non-partisan hiring and promotion system that is based on definable standards including testing and merit.  The goal is to develop the best pool of qualified employees.  While I believe that hiring local is always preferred, hiring (and promoting) the most professional and qualified best serves the citizens of Brown County. 

9) Comprehensive review of all Department Rules, Regulations, Policies and Procedures to assure that they are up to date.  Operational procedures will be established in conjunction with the rank and file to establish a definable system of accountability for all employees to assure that the tax dollars that are allotted to the Sheriff's Office functions are being used in the most efficient manner possible.

10) Establish a clear Mission and Goal Statement for the Sheriff's Office based on our duty to best Serve our County, State and Nation.  These are more than just words.  They establish, publicly, organizational accountability and vision for not only employees, but those we serve as well. 

Matt, I know this is a great deal to do in the first 100 days.  But with focus, determination, and a good team effort, it can be accomplished. 

Tue 10/14/2008 7:06 PM:

Question:  On the recent recording of Sheriff Wenninger's speech, he talks about buying drugs at night for undercover operations. Is not this kind of strange? Would not most criminals know what the sheriff looks like? But maybe if he truly only works 8 hours per month, no one would know what he looks like? He could even work undercover for other local police departments.

On the other hand, why would he even say this? He just blew his cover. Did someone see him buying drugs at night. Was he really working undercover? What's really going on here?

William

Answer:  Thank you for the mail, William.  Actually, I have my own personal opinions as to what is going on here, but at this time they don't really matter.  I have no authority to do anything about what may be going on.  Will leave that to your imagination. 

Why would any Sheriff in Ohio purposefully put himself into a position where he could be "knocked-off" by a drug dealer in deals that could go down "bad?"  Why, I guess this is supposed to prove he's a REAL "Sheriff" indeed! 

His statement doesn't make any sense whatsoever, except maybe as an attempt to explain away and compensate for his lack of time in the office daily.  The real question is what else is he doing at night, if there are no prosecutions wherein he has had to testify since doing this drug buying nightly for so long?  I have my own ideas, gleaned  from what many others in the know have told about his time "out and about on ‘department’ business" nightly.

Tue 10/14/2008 10:12 PM:

Comment/Question:  WHAT A SLAP IN THE FACE TO ANY CITIZEN OF BROWN COUNTY!!!!!
 
Just how gullible does Wenninger think people are.  If he as the chief law enforcement officer thinks people believe he is working nights buying drugs, then maybe he thinks people are just stupid enough to vote him back in to office. Maybe I have been out of law enforcement to long.

Answer:  Thanks for the mail, Mike.  I'm with you on this.  I don't understand the thought process behind this "outsider"/"insider" way of thinking.  No matter where I have ever lived, if I thought something was not right, I'd take moves to speak up and do something about it.  Not doing so would be shrugging off my duty as a concerned citizen in the community within which I lived.  I just don't get how that has anything to do with living in and being part of a community. 

Comment:  Dennis,

You recently posted an email with questions that do not address you and your opinions entirely; instead one question questioned the qualifications and motivations of Jessica Little. I would like to address those comments, and I would appreciate it if you add my comments to your website.

Someone who signed their name Thinking it Through’ said, ‘Secondly, I know that you have worked in our prosecutor's office as an investigator and feel that Bobby Rickey's experience is inadequate in terms of his holding the office of prosecutor. As a candidate running for office, why on earth would you ever tell people that? Bobby (like me) is also a lifelong resident of this community and his family and his wife's family still live here. It seems to me you are in support of Jessica Little. Imagine that! You are endorsing another candidate that has virtually no ties to Brown County except for that fact that her address BARELY falls inside the county line. She never took one iota of interest in our county until the prosecutor's race came open and then she decided she'd be a concerned citizen. She has practiced law in ADAMS county consistently and sends her children to school in CLERMONT county.,‘

My response.

When I was 2, in 1966, my family moved into a house in Brown County, but because of the bus routes, my brothers and sisters and I went to school at Williamsburg, which is in Clermont County. It was in the Williamsburg School District where I met one of the most extraordinary women I have ever had the opportunity to meet. Somehow, 22 years ago she chose to marry me. After years of pursuing jobs in the big cities of Columbus and Cincinnati, we purchased a parcel of land within a mile from where I grew up. We moved into the house we had built on that parcel in May 1997.

Yes, we BARELY live in Brown County. In fact, the land we live on is partially in Clermont County, but our legal residence is Brown County. But what does BARELY have to do with anything? Does that mean that the opinions of those that live in the center of the county count more than those that do not? Do the votes of those that live in Georgetown count more than those that live on my street?

Shortly after we moved into our house, my wife became an active member of the Brown County Republican party. At that time she had no interest in pursuing a political office. Though you may not have seen her at the forefront, she has always been a concerned citizen. To suggest otherwise not only insults my wife, but all those other citizens in Brown County that vote, and work hard, and worry about their school districts, and worry about their communities, but have never run for a political office.

After graduating law school, my wife took a job as an Assistant Prosecutor in Adams County. Why not Brown County? The Prosecutor in Brown County is a Democrat, and the Prosecutor in Adams County is a Republican. As a Republican, my wife correctly decided she would be able to gain more legal experience in Adams County, instead of always being a threat to the Prosecutor in Brown County. Early in her employment in Adams County she was asked by some Brown County Republicans to run for the office of Prosecutor in the previous election. She said ‘No, I do not have the necessary experience’. A few years later, she wanted to expand her legal knowledge, and decided to move into private practice. She had several opportunities available to her, and she chose to work as an associate in Danny Bubp’s office in Adams County, because it was the best opportunity for her at the time. So yes, she has practiced law primarily in Adams County, but what does that have to do with anything? To the best of my knowledge, the court system in Adams County is the same as the court system in Brown County. Both counties have Grand Juries, they both have Municipal Court, they both have Juvenile Court, don’t they?

Finally, yes, our kids go to school in CLERMONT County. This is for three reasons. First, my wife and I both graduated from Williamsburg High School, and both have been successful in life, so we are comfortable with the school system. Second, we debated the values of a larger high school (Western Brown), versus a smaller school (Williamsburg), and decided that the opportunities present at a smaller school would be best for our children. Finally, we have lived on this street for over 10 years, and have never seen a Western Brown school bus drive down our road. But what does where our children attend school have to do with anything? Should we have based our decision on political expediency, or on what we believed to be the best for our children?

I ask ‘Thinking it Through’ to think it through again. The three points you bring up are just images of my wife, and do not address her as a person. Where she lives within the county is just an image of her, it does not tell you how hard of a worker she is. Where she practices law is just an image of her, it does not tell you how much knowledge she has, and how dedicated she is in upholding the law. Where her children attend school is just an image of her, and does not tell you how great of a parent she is, and the values she displays daily in front of her kids. Don’t determine your vote based on images, instead, base it on who a person is, what their qualifications are, and what they are capable of accomplishing.

Thank you
David Little

Answer:  Thank you, David, for your response to a letter posted earlier about your wife.  I was thinking a little more about what "Thinking It Through" [TIT] said in his letter, as it pertains to my wife's occupation and dedication in life.  She is from Catawba Island, Port Clinton, Ohio, from family land on the inland harbor of Lake Erie.  So, she is an "outsider" by TIT's analysis.  Okay.  My wife became an OB/GYN physician because she thought that most male physicians she had worked with over the years were more concerned about their own sleeping schedules than accommodating the unpredictable delivery times associated with pregnant women she supported as a nurse when it came time for their deliveries.  There were male physicians who opted for a C-Section just so they would not have to wake up at night to do a delivery. 

So, since she too has not been a resident of Brown County for 10-15 years yet, living at the specific longitude and latitude where our home is located, does that mean she should not be in a position to assist her pregnant ladies the way she thinks it should be done, in their best interest instead of her night time sleeping schedule?  The degree of individual responsibility associated with her profession is at least equivalent to the responsibility for that of a Sheriff's.  Correct me if I am wrong, but a lady in labor is not too concerned about how long my wife has lived in this county, but rather how well she will attend to her needs through labor and delivery.  The responsibility concept involved is essentially the same with peace keeping officers there to "protect and serve" the citizens of our county, isn't it?

Question/Comment:  Mr. Varnau,

If you are elected Sheriff what do you intend to do about the current personnel now employed at the S.O.? I am sure their job duties will change.
Some will probably quit.

Here are some of my concerns:

Some have little to no morals
Some think they do no wrong
Some like to party
Some run around on their wives
I believe one is married, but lives with a girlfriend

Now I ask you is this anyway for an officer of the law to present him/herself? I thought all Law Enforcement Officers were supposed to be an exemplary figure to the public.

Some of the Deputies are very good at the job they do, but some of the others I wouldn't give you a dime for a bucket full.

I know a lot of changes need to be made to bring the office up to a better standard than it has now. It will be hard for you or anyone else to make changes due to the allocation of the budget. Hopefully you, if elected, can at least clean up the actions of some of the deputies.

Like I said some will probably quit, and new people hired, which would probably not be a bad thing.

I have not lived in this county for years, but long enough to see and hear things that upset me where the Sheriff and his deputies are concerned.

A concerned citizen
Martanne

Answer:  Thank you for your mail, Martanne.  After working in the prosecutor's office for 3.5 years, I already know much about many of the officers that I had contact with in the county.  I have heard many complaints and allegations over those years, but have never had the opportunity to hear the other side of the story.  It is my view that I plan on starting with a new slate, or file folder, for everyone on the Sheriff's Department team, and archive past records.  I think this is the best way to proceed, because I believe, what I perceive to be a lack of leadership by management over the past two terms, is probably a root cause of most alleged personnel problems and general attitudes. 

All general orders, policies, procedures, and department regulations, will be published and signed off by everyone in the department as soon as possible.  I have already started compiling these documents, and will be working on them in earnest after the election results.  My Sheriff's Department will be run professionally and objectively as far as humanly possible with the main goal of protecting and serving the citizens of our county.  The officers in my department are the most important assets to be supported and protected as much as possible.  As long as my officers are acting professionally, respectfully, and honorably with those they contact, I will be adamantly demanding strict, comprehensive enforcement of laws applicable against anyone involved in harming these irreplaceable assets so essential and vital to the goals of our organization.  I know WE, as a team, can collectively do a better job than what has been done over the last eight years by the present administration. 

Question/Comment:  I was told about you a couple weeks ago by a New Richmond cop. I had read a few things about you but was mislead. I thought THE BEACON people were bringing up old news about D.W. lack of qualifications again. I had thought by everything that happened 5 or 6 years ago that D.W. was found to have actually met the requirements needed. The press had not ever reported anything to allow us to know the truth. It is obvious that D.W. is NOT lawfully in his position. His case being sealed and Mr Niehaus passing that bill confirms it. Are all the D.W. fans ignorant, scared of him or just stupid? Who could we bring civil and/or legal action against? I did not think as voters we should have to be responsible to verify a candidates qualifications. Do we not pay state and county officials to do that job for us?

I feel dumb having assumed your facts as being old news. The more I talk to people since I learned the facts the more I see a very un-informed public. In my opinion the press has willfully kept us in the dark. I wanted to write to the papers but my boss is a big D.W. guy and I need my job. We do a lot of sheriff dept. work.

Pd. Off

Answer:  Thanks for the mail, Pd. Off.  I essentially agree with you completely.  Mr. Wenninger was never qualified to be an eligible candidate from day one.  The problem is that those whose responsibility to do something about it did not do their job - the prosecutor and/or the attorney general.  Why?  Is it because of incompetence, or because of some other reasons why nothing has been done going on eight full years now?  Mr. Wenninger's legal status at this time creates more liability exposure than ever before, particularly since notice of his status has be publicly aired now since April this year. 

Question/Comment:  Where is the outrage? The past five years we all witnessed "THE I TEAM" expose waste and corruption. Do we not remember all the cases of what was called "double dipping"? If anyone in the Cincy area has watched the news we all know it was reported with secret sting reporting.

In my opinion charging the county $1600.00 per hour and using public property to run a private business and transport relatives is stealing. From what I read on this site from those like Bob the people do not care. I must be different because I do care. Bring in the I Team!

Harold

Answer:  Thank you, Harold.  When I was getting ready to post your question, it was brought up that maybe you are just not familiar with "the way of life" of those living in Brown County for 10 years or more.  I'm still trying to figure out exactly what those kind of statements mean.  Take for instance this view.  If I take a  stand for the rule of law, that is Ohio law, and someone is against  me for wanting to do that, suggesting that I "don't really know the people of Brown County and am not familiar with their way of life," what is the implication?  Why, it suggests that the people of Brown County do not like the rule of law when it comes to them specifically.  So, what is the distinction between "the people of Brown County" who have been here more than 10 years versus those of us who have been here less than 10 years?  Where's the beef?  What's the beef?  When it comes to the law, to me it seems that the law should apply the same to everyone who lives in the county as well as those just passing through no matter how long they have been IN this county.  How else is the law supposed to be administered?  Are there really  "some animals more equal than others" here in Brown County?  How do you identify them?  I guess that is what I am supposed to be "getting" from the comments of many who have been living here more than 10 years.  I don't get it.  That line of reasoning doesn't make any sense to me at all.

BROWN COUNTY PRESS QUESTIONNAIRE

1.)  List your name and age.

Dennis John Varnau – 59

2.)  Tell in 175 words or less why you are running for office and any experience or other qualifications that make you a credible candidate for this office. 

After working in the county prosecutor’s office as an investigator and attorney for 3.5 years, I realized that peace keeping and law enforcement in our county was/is “broken” in many ways.  Crimes were/are being committed with no response to the scene by the sheriff’s department at all, or, if a response is made, typically it may be hours after the call for help.  Citizens have died that possibly could have survived if a county or municipal peace officer had responded timely to the scene.  Since my educational background and certifications meet and exceed that required to be a valid candidate for sheriff, I decided to run for the office myself to get that department back to the basics.  I know I can do a better job of “protecting and serving” the citizens of our county than what the current administration has done over the last eight years.  I’ll be a genuine full-time sheriff, at work daily, in uniform, at least a minimum of 40 hours per week, personally managing the department where and when needed. 

3.)  What do you think are the three most important issues facing Brown County today?

From my perspective as a candidate for sheriff, I believe: A.) there is a dearth of cooperation and team work among officers and personnel involved in the county’s criminal justice system; B.) that a lack of management has a lot to do with the existing problem identified in issue “A”; and, C.) that a lack of future funding and grant money dictates an even greater need to correct that which is missing in issue “B.”

Comment:  I am a 70 year old Veteran and retired police officer tired of the direction of where our country is heading. I am now an Independent. Our Country needs more people like you. You have my vote. I hope to meet you soon.

Anything that I can do I will.

Peter J. Behling
Mount Orab

Answer:  Thank you for your support, Peter.  I don't take any donations so any word-of-mouth campaigning you can do for more votes would be greatly appreciated.  I am going to be needing individuals like you that have tons of experience to be on my unofficial sounding committee for all the "Catch-22" type situations that will arise in the future.  Team work is the best approach to being successful with anything in life.  Thanks again. 

Question/Comment:  I have noticed these past few weeks at every appearance you and D.W. have been at that he (D.W.) sees nothing wrong with the poor service our county has received under his admin. I have not heard him offer any solutions just more of the same we have had these past 7 years.

Everyone must think to themselves if D.W. is not smart enough to know there is a problem, how is he going to correct anything? Should we ask for anything more from a man who purchased a stolen tv set from a know criminal?

This national election is all about change. We need change here in Brown County as well.

B.C.P. [Brown Co. Person]

Answer:  Thank you, BCP, for the mail.  I am still trying to figure out how a person who has lived in Brown County for over 10-15 years, as Mr. Wenninger has, is entitled to receive $58,000.00 per year in salary, and he says he only has to work eight hours a month by law.  I guess for some unidentified reason he is automatically entitled to receive that taxpayer money without having to work for it in return.  That is the message I am getting from the letters to the editor  in newspapers and letters sent to me to post on this website.  Sometimes I think I am living in London, England, and he is somehow linked to the Royal Family.  Obviously, if I am elected there will be change, but change for change alone is not a valid reason to change, unless the change puts someone in the position that is willing to do the job daily to the best of his abilities, which is what I intend to do, if elected. 

Every time I had to do something, like serving subpoenas, in Adams County, there was always a deputy available to help out when needed.  Adams County does not have the budget our county has for its department, yet they have deputies willing and able to show up when needed.  I'm wondering if Brown County's budget has been cut, or if it just has not been increased to the levels that Mr. Wenninger desires, or thinks he is entitled to for some reason.  I know someone was willing to donate new guns for the whole department but Mr. Wenninger wanted the money instead of the guns, so the donation never happened.  Wow!  What in the world happened in making that decision?  Free guns, but no money.  Guns cost money?  Infusion of value, for free, dictates a potential reallocation of funds, resources, etc., instantly in my mind? 

The key here is the kind of change needed, which is in overall management from my perspective at this time.  Most business owners are at their company daily, usually longer than the employees, for a reason.  I don't know of any instances where the owner of a company is not daily managing his/her business in person, not by cell phone.  If you want a business to be successful, it needs constant real-time management to survive.  It's no different managing a government entity.  Somebody has to be there doing the job as required, and pitching in when needed to fill in at any level requiring assistance. 

Senator Niehaus' letter to the editor was on October 9, 2008.  Notice the jump in bandwidth on the 10th over the 9th.  Now notice the jump in bandwidth on the 18th, after my response to Senator Niehaus' letter hit the streets.  The bandwidth more than doubled to the highest yet for any day this month.  Guess what document was downloaded the most?  "The Senator Niehaus Affair" .pdf document.  Hopefully the internet will pay off on information to inform voters, like it did in "cash bombs" for Ron Paul's campaign.  Once the Clermont County voters become aware of that .pdf file on Senator Niehaus, and they start accessing the information, Senator Niehaus just might then be in some re-election trouble, since he only won by a slim margin last time?  Start getting used to our new, Senator Napolitano. 

Question/Comment:  I was just reading the Sunday News Democrat. The front page of the election section starts off with Dwayne Wenninger. The question to him is should that job be full-time or part-time. He answered it is more than a full-time job. He never states how many hours of service he believes to be full-time. He goes into saying recreational activities can be relaxing. He said "project work" fills most of his down-time.

How come he did not brag about his required eight hours per month he is so proud of? Do the people not know he puts more hours into his "project work" for hire than he does his office? He does admit it if one reads between the lines. He stated "such activities are not in conflict with the duties of the office as set forth by the State of Ohio". By that quote Mr. Wenninger shows he will do just enough, but not more than what is required of him by the Ohio laws.

When asked why he wanted to remain Sheriff why did he not answer like he has told so many people, that he needs a couple more years for retirement.

Scott

Answer:  Thanks again, Scott.  Mr. Wenninger's qualifications have NOT yet been "vetted" or "exhaustively" reviewed.  If that were the case, then why did he have his trial court case "sealed" from the public forever?  That is what my official protest with the Board of Elections is all about.  If the 12th District Appeals Court decides this week to send it back to the trial court, and if the trial court makes a decision to grant the writ prior to the election, then my protest will provide the challenge to Mr. Wenninger's qualifications that have never been questioned before.  If the court drags its feet past the election without giving a decision, that will give me additional constitutional "standing" to continue my legal challenge to Mr. Wenninger's lack of qualifications to be a candidate for sheriff.  Either way, sooner or later, Mr. Wenninger's lack of qualification to even be a legitimate candidate will be reviewed, that is, unless he loses the election, in which case my protest and court proceedings will become moot, and no further action will be necessary on my part to disclose the truth about Mr. Wenninger's lack of qualifications. 

Stopped in today to see Lola Fry (93) at the Regency Hospital in the Deaconess Hospital complex across the street from the University of Cincinnati.  Took her today's Democrat and Press.  She is in Room 469 on the 4th Floor.  There is convenient parking across the street from the hospital in a large parking garage.  I'm sure she would appreciate seeing old friends stop in to visit.  Lola's mind is still sharp as a tack!  She cannot talk unless they do something with the many tubes that are supplying oxygen to her.  She could not talk to me today, but she could write down answers.  She told me that she was a member of the Mount Orab VFW for 70 years.  Lola wanted an absentee ballot voters form so she could vote.  Imagine that.  A 93 year old woman who is laid up in a hospital bed finds it important to vote, whereas so many others can't find the time to take part in their basic civic duty to vote.  The last time I saw Lola in the Brown County General Hospital, she woke up from a sleep right after I entered her room.  After a few seconds, she made the statement, "Nothing works anymore," referring to her body functions.  What a sense of humor, even in her condition at that time.  At her age she still has the best outlook on life anyone could imagine.  Go visit her while you still have the opportunity to do so.  I know she will appreciate you stopping by to see her. 

I saw a line of people outside the funeral home in Ripley yesterday.  There must have been over 100 people waiting in line for hours.  I wondered how many of them actually got to visit with the deceased person prior to his/her death, when the person could have still personally enjoyed their company?  It must be pretty hard to spend day-after-day in a hospital bed with dozens of tubes running in and out of your body, without anyone stopping by to visit.  Lola did not make the Brown County Fair parade this year because she was in the hospital.  I don't think she will be in next year's parade either because time is not slowing down.  It's time to go see her while you can.  Make her day. 

 
Lola Fry - Regency Hospital (Deaconess Hospital) Room 469, 4th Floor - Easy parking at hospital

Comment:  Dennis, YOU have my support. As a resident of Brown County for 18 years and a close follower of the political crud that goes on, I too feel it's time for a change. The citizens of Brown County need to WAKE UP, OPEN THEIR EYES and realize that OUR county is going to HE** in a handbasket. D.W. has played the county long enough and has gotten us NOWHERE! His 8 years has been total BS! There aren't enough Deputies on the road, waiting for "permission" to respond to an emergency call is absolutely ABSURD, $58,000 and 8 hours required by law does NOTHING for the Sheriff's Department, it does NOTHING for us citizens, it does NOTHING PERIOD. WE, need a leader. WE, need someone dedicated to doing the job to the best of their ability. WE, need someone that will be there not only for the Department but for US as well. WAKE UP CITIZENS OF BROWN COUNTY, it is OUR DUTY as citizens to stand up and make changes happen.

J. H./Mt. Orab

Answer:  Thank you for your letter, J. H.  Again, my promise to the citizens, something over which I have some control, is that if I am not on vacation, sick, or dead, I'll be on duty every day.  I also promise to do my job with integrity and honesty, approaching it from the perspective that I should be held to the highest standard of anyone else in our county, and State for that matter.  As part of the electorate myself, I want public servants to be honest in all dealings, not there to be lining their own pockets through improper use of their authority and power.  I am going to do my best to protect our county from everything I can see that will be a threat to all of us in the coming days with all the turmoil going on around the world.  I never want to see Martial Law imposed upon our county.  If we plan ahead, I think we have enough qualified people who are ex-military and ex-peace officers, to call upon if the need arises.  In the Navy nuclear program, we always trained for the worst case scenario on board our ship.  If things turned out to be less than that worst case, we were still in "paradise," afloat, and headed for our next liberty port.  I'll do the best I can humanly do to serve with honor our county, and will have the best personnel possible working along with the rest of us in the department to provide what the citizens are paying for through their taxes.  If we want out county to be the best place to live, then we all have to work together toward that goal, and that includes the citizens providing feedback to my office on what problems exist from their perspective.  No one person can know it all, which is why everyone's input is important to a successful effort. 

Comment:  Hello Dennis (Sheriff Elect?),
I'm in a very precarious position as to my position in the county. I'm unable to state my name as I'm a full time Police Officer here in Brown County.....need I say more. I have followed this election from when Donald Newman was challenging the incumbent, and so far I can see no reason to vote for said incumbent, Dwayne Wenninger. As a staunch republican, I shall vote independent twice this election, once for David Krikorian, and another for you. I believe honesty and integrity is our virtue as law-enforcement Officers, and our county level law-enforcement is severely deficient of this. I really wish I could post my name as I am proud of my decision to "Stand" with you, however this is not feasible due to my position at work. If I did not fear of some sort of retaliation, I would do so. Dennis, I honestly can attest that all of Police Officers I engage in "Politico" discussions with, you are the one we all concur on. You are the light at the end of the tunnel, so-to-speak. If elected, you will have to do a lot of, well, I think you know, cleaning up. My family highly endorses you and your high level of trust, and integrity. May God bless this election and others around our nation. We all must sound our barbaric yell on November 4th and "Carpe Diem", Seize the election with yes votes for Dennis J. Varnau. Let's etch our vote in a "Concrete" manner on the above aforementioned!
Johnny F. Law

Answer:  Thank you for the support, Johnny.  I understand the situation, believe me.  My supporters who have been the victims of retaliation by someone, or a few of our finest citizens, also understand.  This election is not about me or Mr. Wenninger, but about our county and its well-being into the future.  Things are not going to be getting better in the short term economy-wise, which in turn will most likely lead to more crime.  The more people support my campaign, the more I feel the responsibility building to do my absolute best in carrying through on what I have been standing for throughout this campaign.  I want the people of our county to look up to the officers in our county as being the best of any surrounding county in professionalism, respectfulness, courtesy, fairness, and honesty.  Serving with integrity, I want my officers to be proud of the job they are doing daily for our citizens.  This is what the people want out of our elected officials and those who have taken an oath to protect and serve.  In line with that, I am hoping that my team can manage the department in a way which will make it possible to compensate my officers better.  Their pay is pitiful, from my perspective.  That is something I am going to be continually striving to rectify.  On the other side of the coin, the public has the right to expect that when they come in contact with one of our officers, they are going to be treated properly every time.  I promise to do my best to set the example.  We have to succeed for the benefit of all our whole county.  It has to be team work all the way with everyone pulling their own weight at the very least. 

Question/Comment:  Dennis, I've read your website both sides and I must say you seem bent on wanting the Sheriff's job by default. Why did you not run in the primary ? Have you always been a "Independent". Let's just say for one minute the Sheriff is removed from office...do you think you should be the one to step in ? Now you can go on a 5 chapter rant...Oh and don't forget to throw in Veitnam [sic], Navy, Lawyer, Reserve police, Air Force Intell, Phillipines [sic], Wife being a Commander, Rads, Nuclear, Engineer, Machinist, Nuclear Power School, WESPAC, U235, Blah..Blah..Blah. Hurry Dennis I need to read something that will put me to sleep.   Anony

Answer:  Thanks Anony for your mail.  I'll try to help you get some deep sleep prior to November 4th. 

If the election laws had been followed all the way back in 2000, Buddy Coburn or K.O. Martin would have been the sheriff in that election.  If the election laws had been followed in 2004, K.O. Martin would have been sheriff.  I don't see how "default" enters into the picture, except for the fact that Mr. Wenninger is not eligible in this election as a valid candidate for sheriff under the specific requirements, clearly spelled out in the Ohio Revised Code.  If the laws were followed in this election, yes, I would win by "default" as you put it, because Mr. Wenninger is not a valid candidate, and since I am the only other person running for the office, I would have no "opponent." 

If you take the time to become familiar with Ohio's election laws, and the protocol associated with them, you would realize that since I am an independent that had no opponent in the primary, there was no need for me to "run" against anyone.  Since there were two Republican candidates vying for the office of sheriff, there had to be a primary run-off to determine which candidate would represent the Republican Party in the General Election.  It's too bad that the Republican Party did not pick the only qualified candidate they had on that primary ballot - Captain Don Newman, who met all the requirements to be a valid candidate for the office of sheriff.  What happened is this, pure "politics" entered the equation and prevented the genuine qualified candidate from obtaining his just position as the Republican candidate for sheriff.  After it is all vetted out in the future, I believe that the Republican Party hierarchy will have a very deep "black eye" for weakly capitulating with those actually "controlling" their county party. 

If you have read and comprehended "both sides" of my website, you may have missed where I addressed how long I have been an Independent.  Over 25-30 years or more as documented under the Endorsement section. 

If I lose the election on November 4th, and Mr. Wenninger is removed from office soon thereafter for any number of existing reasons, then I think it is the Republican Party who is entitled to appoint his successor, in which case, the most obvious choice would be Captain Newman, a fully-qualified candidate for the office, and honest Republican, who would do the job better than it has been done the past eight years.  If the 12th District Appeals Court and/or the trial court delay my mandamus case past the election date, then I will have additional constitutional standing to get the FACT before a court to prove that Mr. Wenninger has NEVER been qualified to be a valid candidate for sheriff.  He is essentially "The Sheriff That Never Was," as far as my legal analysis delineates.  The courts will decide, if I lose the election.  It's the law that is important in this matter, not Mr. Wenninger or myself.  If the law is trumped by politics, then we are all at a disadvantage sooner or later, depending on whether a "Hatfield [Democrat]" or a "McCoy [Republican]" is in the position of sheriff.  The only way the law becomes supreme over politics is if there is a "Pusser [Independent]" in the position of sheriff.  NO cronyism, nepotism, or favoritism, should be involved in the administration of the laws of our land.  And, the Sheriff should be held to the HIGHEST standard existing for all under the same laws.  He is supposed to be the one with genuine integrity, not acting with the "do as I say, not as I do" mentality. 

Question:  Am I the only one who noticed the obvious in the Bob Rickey v/s Jessica Little article in The News Democrat Sunday Oct. 26?  Bob brought up the "rumor" about him hiring Grennan to work in his office. Rickey said the rumor was unfounded and that he never made that statement. He said it would be a very, very difficult working office if you have the prosecutor who lost the primary, still working there in some capacity.

He never said it is NOT TRUE. He danced around the issue after he brought it up. In a fairly large paragraph about it he never denies the rumor.  I am surprised he did not ask to define what the word "is" is.  The woman accusing you of making the sheriff office a rumor mill if elected should read what Mr. Rickey said himself.  She is probably not wise enough to read between the lines to realize what Bob Rickey actually says in his own statement.

Do we really need to hire someone so spineless as to not be willing to take a solid stand?  Had he said he would NEVER hire the former prosecutor I would believe him. By his answer all I can say is "what a good political answer he has," and "welcome back Tom Grennan."  Vote Rickey and have four more years of the same old, same old.

Scott

Answer:  Thanks for your mail, Scott.  My very first thought, after I first heard this rumor was circulating throughout the courthouse and prosecutor's office, was that it made perfect sense to me after what I already knew from my time working in the prosecutor's office.  As I have been saying ever since I endorsed Jessica Little for prosecuting attorney, Mr. Rickey just doesn't have the experience that Mrs. Little has with respect to the workings of a prosecutor's office.  What I said has now been further buttressed by The News Democrat in the Thursday, October 30th edition on page A-4, where the Democrat has endorsed Jessica Little for the same reason I had identified quite a while back. 

Even if Mr. Rickey outright denies that he would hire Mr. Grennan at this point in time, that does not necessarily mean he would not do it in January with a different set of economic conditions.  I expect the dollar will completely crash within the next three months or so.  If that happens, and even if it doesn't, you can expect to see the budgets of all county government entities cut severely.  When that happens it is not hard to understand the cost/benefit of being able to hire someone who needs, and wants, four more years towards his retirement, being willing to work for a pittance in return, particularly since the person already knows how to handle Common Pleas felony cases for Mr. Rickey.  That would be a "necessity" from Mr. Rickey's perspective at that time, because I believe, if I remember correctly, Mr. Rickey never even did a jury trial in Municipal Court, much less touch a felony case in Common Pleas Court.  As I said before, Mr. Rickey only did Municipal Court for about six to eight months or so in the prosecutor's office.  He touched no other areas within the prosecutor's office to my knowledge.  Ask Mr. Grennan, or contact the prosecutor's office, to find out the exact time Mr. Rickey worked in that office, and also ask the different areas he had experience working while there, like felony cases in Common Pleas Court, Grand Jury, Appeals, foreclosures, etc.  Ask Mr. Grennan if he would work, or plan on working, for Mr. Rickey if he is elected to office.  I heard that Mr. Grennan was asked directly by one person and avoided answering the question, whereas another person was told by Mr. Grennan that it was not true.  It is a real possibility from my perspective that can't be tossed out of consideration. 

As far as the lady who backs Mr. Rickey's candidacy, her backing is solely based upon an emotional connection.  She taught Mr. Rickey as a student years ago.  It is like a "mother/son" type of emotional connection that transcends any form of common sense, logic, or reason.  Votes based upon that basis are part of the reason why we find ourselves in the present condition facing our society today nationally and locally. 

We are bankrupt as a nation, not only economically, but also morally, with the rule of law and our constitutions having been discarded years ago in favor of a two-party, "Hatfield [Democrat]/McCoy [Republican]" type of government, wherein politics trumps the law daily in our civil and criminal justice systems, depending on who has the larger membership numbers in their mob. 

If you ever wondered who the words "Domestic Enemies" refers to, it is probably those in positions of authority who have destroyed our country from within by abandoning the rule of law through their surreptitious and/or underhanded political actions.  After the total collapse of our society, under the weight of what confronts it now economically and otherwise, there will still be plenty of rope around.  I would not want to be one of those traitors collectively identified as being involved, instrumental, or complicit, through my actions, as having helped to bring about the gradual destruction of our great country.   

Comment:  I want to wish you the best - "Victory" - on election day. I have followed your site closely for the past several months and am appalled that the incumbent appears to be a businessman first and part-time sheriff second. I believe your County would be well served by a man of God with strong morals, ethics and solid views/plans on how to improve on and perform this most important job!

Best Regards,
Charles Zivkovic

Answer:  Thank you for the mail, Charles. 

Question/Comment:  I am having a hard time keeping my mouth shut while I sit here and read the comments that have been sent to you and subsequently posted on your website. While most of what is written here is support for you (and should be expected, as it is YOUR website), I am encouraged, somewhat, to see people asking the tough questions and calling you out on occasion. I don't necessarily expect a response to what will ensue here, but if you feel the need, go for it.

I can hardly stand the fact that you felt it necessary to get involved in the Prosecutor's race. I would assume that running for office would be a big job and you'd be consumed in your own campaign. Guess I was wrong! You are tearing Bob Rickey down left and right and, to my knowledge, he's never done anything to you. Bob is a great man and a hard worker. He is just as qualified as any other attorney to run for Prosecutor and he's certainly spent more time in the Brown County court system than Jessica Little...but then again, that would only take 10 minutes or so. I am sure that Jessica Little is a good prosecuting attorney and she has served the people of Adams County well from what I understand. I am not questioning her ability or her experience. What I am questioning is what the heck you have against Bob Rickey. You should be ashamed of yourself making comments about Tom Grennan and his potential for re-hire. So what if Tom wants to go in there and get four more years for retirement? It would be great for Bob to have someone there helping him with the little things. I don't care who you are or how good you think you are, NO ONE and I mean NO ONE, can walk into a job and not ask questions about how it's done. My fear is that you will try to be the first. There are precious few jobs in this county that offer good retirement and if Tom wants to fight tooth and nail for his, then more power to him. I am a public employee and I can tell you that election or not, I wouldn't let ANYONE take away my retirement benefits. When this election started, Bob Rickey was a well-known name in this county and people were looking at each other wondering who Jessica Little was. Not that any election is ever easy, but the prosecutor's race was not supposed to be a tough call. Thanks to the Republican Party pouring money into her and you bringing her to the limelight, we all now know who she is. Once again, the campaign with the least amount of money is most likely going to lose. We just have to hope that there are enough voters out there that value community involvement and hometown sacrifice to vote Bob Rickey into office. If you cared so much about the prosecutor's race, why didn't you run in it instead? It seems that you've got a lot more experience in that field than in law enforcement.

What a way to let everyone in the county know just how much you like to stir the pot! Well I've got news for you, you haven't lived here nearly long enough to be entitled to a spoon.

Wishing Election Day were over,
Anonymous

Another thing I just couldn't let go is the comment that a gentlemen made on Thu 10/30/2008 3:08 PM:

Comment: I want to wish you the best - "Victory" - on election day. I have followed your site closely for the past several months and am appalled that the incumbent appears to be a businessman first and part-time sheriff second. I believe your County would be well served by a man of God with strong morals, ethics and solid views/plans on how to improve on and perform this most important job!

Best Regards,
Charles Zivkovic

Maybe Charles and I should sit down and I'll tell him exactly how I know you're anything but a "man of God".

Anonymous

Answer:  Thank you for the mail, Anonymous.  I am glad that you did take the time to air your views on the topics you covered.  I will answer them the same as I have done for every other letter that has been sent into me, whether pro or con. 

If telling the truth is "stirring the pot," then a lot more "stirring" needs to be done in our county, because truth is something that seems to have been put on the back burner way too long, to the detriment of many who were not "connected," receiving treatment they did not deserve.  Living in a specific geographic location for a specified amount of time is not a variable in the equation of law enforcement and the criminal justice system.  Laws need to be enforced the same to all individuals across the social spectrum, equally and with fairness.  Just because someone who has committed a crime is of the same political party or has had, or is holding, a high elected position, or is "connected" in some way to the same, such person should not get a "get out of jail" card for free.  Everyone else committing the same crime who has gone to jail should also then get a "get out of jail" free card too. 

Your letter published here constitutes some of your involvement in the election.  You have a right to air your views on candidates and issues the same as I.  I could have just deleted your letter and no one would ever have known you sent it to me before the election.  In fact, there would have been no way for you to prove that I had even received it.  Your letter, however, identifies several issues that need to be addressed. 

I, just like you, as an elector, whether I am a candidate or not, have the same rights to air my views on candidates and issues.  If I were not running, I'd have pointed out the exact same facts as I have done during this campaign cycle with respect to Bob's experience as compared to Jessica Little's.  I have not "torn" Bob Rickey down at all in what I have said about his experience as compared to Jessica Little's.  I have said nothing to "tear down" Bob Rickey.  All I have said is this.  Bob Rickey only worked in the prosecutor's office six to eight months or so.  All he did while in the position of assistant prosecutor was work cases in Municipal Court.  I believe that Bob never even conducted a jury trial in that court while in that position.  To my knowledge, Bob never handled a felony case in Common Pleas Court, nor did he ever conduct a grand jury, or filed any appeals with the 12th District Court of Appeals, or had anything to do with foreclosures.  He may have filled in at juvenile court, but Municipal Court and possible slight juvenile court appearances would be the full extent of Bob's experience as an assistant prosecutor.  Prior to that he worked as a labor law attorney for approximately five years, and from what I have heard is regarded as a very good attorney in that practice area.  Other than that, in my opinion Bob holds himself out as a very good attorney in that he is "hard to read."  This is an attorney "trait" that one will find present in most attorneys.  If you think I am lying about what I have just reiterated, then ask Bob to clarify where I have stated something inaccurately.  Everything I just said is all the truth and factual.

As far as me running for prosecutor, I too am "qualified" as an attorney, but I don't have the overall experience necessary to act as the prosecutor over all matters involved in that office daily.  "Community involvement," "hometown sacrifice," "time in community" and "being a good guy" etc., has absolutely nothing to do with, and does not satisfy, the need for the extensive experience necessary to be county prosecutor.  I'd have to hire someone who has that experience to "run" the things that I would not be able to do if I were elected as prosecutor.  That's exactly what I will have in my Chief Deputy and other supervisors at the Sheriff's Office.  Bob is going to have to hire someone to do those things he does not know how to do himself, and the money necessary to hire someone with that amount of experience is not going to be available for the prosecutor's office, especially if there are more cuts in funding ahead for all offices.  Bob will have to pay someone an equivalent salary to his to get an experienced attorney that will be able to do the job properly daily.  If Bob wins, one way or another he will have to get the job done.  Bob worked in the office before.  He knows just how unorganized things are, and that it is going to take much time to get things rearranged properly.  It is going to take every hour of every working day just to keep things flowing properly.  Bob will have little if any time for his family, guaranteed, if he is going to do the job properly as prosecutor.  Campaign money should never trump the experience levels of the candidates, in my opinion.  And politics should never trump the law!

That's where Mr. Grennan enters the picture.  As you pointed out, and I can verify from personal knowledge, Mr. Grennan wants four more years toward his retirement.  One recent letter to the editor suggested that he can just purchase four more years of his PERS, but that same person who suggested such is involved in a lawsuit against Mr. Grennan which could potentially find him liable in the future, if he loses, for hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not into a million or more by the time it is all over.  So, where is Mr. Grennan going to get the money to buy what he needs?  Won't happen.  Mr. Grennan will be the best solution for Bob if he wins the election, because Mr. Grennan will be a perfect cost/benefit solution to rectify the "lack of experience" on the job problem.  Mr. Grennan will work for a pittance just to get his four years.  Mr. Grennan was looking to get a job with the Attorney General's Office to get those four more years.  He was looking into that because it would be a "cush job" for him if he could get it.  That's what he said.  He won't be getting a job at the Attorney General's Office.  He'll be there for Bob as the only viable solution to the "lack of experience" problem.

As far as retirements go, I don't think you can really count on that for sure.  With all the turmoil economically, where the dollar is guaranteed to crash in the coming months, etc., do you really believe that you can count on your retirement being there in the years to come?  To me, that is wishful thinking at best.  Even one of the Big Three auto makers retirement funds has lost several TRILLION dollars over the last few months.  What are all those retired auto workers going to do when they lose their retirement checks because some crooks on Wall Street, the banks, and real estate, have absconded with the money, leaving everything else in complete turmoil?  No, I don't think you have much control over your retirement at all, but you may think you do at this time.  Time will tell, however, and the future does not look very good with respect to retirement funds, not to mention the strain on entitlement programs with the "baby boomers" just starting to lay their claims on some of that sinking money pot.  When the dollar crashes, and the government gives you the opportunity to trade in, let's say, five old dollars for one new North American Union "AMERO," you will have again been "ripped off" by those in Washington, D.C., and you will personally not be able to do anything about it.  The politicians in D.C. who were voted into office will have lined their and their friends' pockets with your money - at your expense.  They could care less about you and your retirement, and you can do absolutely nothing about it.  Mark my words on this.  I definitely don't know it all, but anyone paying the slightest bit of attention to what is going on, with their eyes open, can see it coming.  Go ahead, GOOGLE the Amero currency when you have time. 

Comment/Question:  I'm confused. I have read this website several times, talked to you about your principles, read what you have published and not once have I known you to bash anyone. We as Americans have a right to voice our opinion, just like anonymous. All I have seen or heard you do is inform the public of the facts, whether it be lack of experience or corrupt activity. Something that far too many politicians refuse to do because they are afraid of what might happen to their precious campaign. You care more about people than the election and that's something that makes you stand out from the crowd. Keep up the good work.

Now for anonymous. Since you chose to debate on who is a man of God, then I must put my two cents in. Now I am far from someone who can normally quote the bible, but one line that has ALWAYS stuck out in my mind is "Judge not, that ye be not judged." Who are you to to have sit downs with anyone to discuss Godliness. Sounds like you are emailing from your glass house. From what I know of Mr. Varnau, he is the most caring person I have ever met. He has helped so many people in so many different ways and for you to say something so harsh about someone with his compassion is sickening. There are a lot of things I can say about some of the candidates, but never would it be an attack on faith. You stooped to a lower level than even Wenninger has gone. And it sounds as though you are just perfectly ok with the current prosecutor wanting to stay in office just to retire. Really? Should the taxpayers in this county rest their decision solely on the idea that someone should be able to retire? What happened to due and diligent justice? And at what point does being able to do a job well or care about a community have ANYTHING to do with where you live or how long you've been there? It doesn't and that's just more of the good ol boy attitude that needs adjusted in this county.

I recently got a flyer stuck on my door about the republican candidates. In the packet was Wenninger's motto, "safety and people first." I actually laughed. What about the safety of the man who died because Aberdeen Police weren't allowed to respond to help him. What about the shots fired call that happened a couple weeks ago in Georgetown where police were told to stand down so that a deputy could respond. Not to mention the other occasions that we don't even know about. How about a Georgetown Police Officer being told to leave the sheriff's office by a deputy because Wenninger doesn't want people in his front office. How is this safety and people first? It's time for a change in this county.
VARNAU FOR SHERIFF 2008!

Tosha

Answer:  Thank for your mail, Tosha. 

Comment:  Dennis,

I realize it's getting late in the campaign, and you are probably very busy.  However, you had another person email you and make some comments that strayed from your campaign, and instead focused on Jessica Little.  If you could, please post this response to 'Anonymous', who made the following comments.

'When this election started, Bob Rickey was a well-known name in this county and people were looking at each other wondering who Jessica Little was. Not that any election is ever easy, but the prosecutor's race was not supposed to be a tough call. Thanks to the Republican Party pouring money into her and you bringing her to the limelight, we all now know who she is. Once again, the campaign with the least amount of money is most likely going to lose. We just have to hope that there are enough voters out there that value community involvement and hometown sacrifice to vote Bob Rickey into office.'
 
My response:

The Republican Party, in reference to Jessica Little, paid for the following:
 
1.  Recent ads in the Brown County Press and News Democrat, which listed all of the Republican candidates. 
2.  The Fair Insert that listed all of the Republican candidates. 
3.  The information that was sent to those who registered to vote absentee.

I believe that the Democratic party also placed ads in the Fair Insert and the papers, did they not?  I do not know if anything was sent from the Democratic Party to absentee voters, but I would assume it was. 

Otherwise, the Republican Party made a donation to Jessica's campaign for $100.  That isn't a typo.  One hundred dollars.  Is this the money that Anonymous thinks that the Republican Party poured into her campaign? 

WHAT WAS poured into Jessica's campaign was a lot of hard work by herself and those dedicated to her.  People know Jessica now, not because of money from the party, but because she made the effort to meet everyone she could.  The multitude of $10 to $25 donations that she was able to procure for her campaign is a tribute to the impression she made upon those that she had the opportunity to meet.   This money was available to anyone; it just required being able to convince people you were the best candidate.

If Jessica wins this election, it will be for one reason, and one reason only.  People believe she is the best person for the position of Prosecutor.  Thankfully, the people of Brown County have had the opportunity to learn who she is.

Thank you,
David Little

Answer:  Thanks, David, for your input on the matter.  It is very hard for some to accept facts.  Emotions get involved, particularly when people are closely connected by work, family, school, and other personal links in life not so apparent to others.  These connections often override common sense or logic, which dictate usually just the opposite of how these emotional connections will cause a person to act.  You have seen the shows where someone is killed and the instantaneous grief realized by another causes that person to also jump into the line of fire and get smoked too.  There is no difference here.  My "rant" here explains the precise truth about these types of situations.

I was up at Lake Loreli this last week and found that one of my brother's long-time friends lived just two doors down from an active supporter of my campaign.  I stopped in to see him and his family and visit for a while.  The one nugget I came away with is this.  He has some friends who are missionaries in Kenya, Africa, at this time.  They have told him that it is no secret in Kenya that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, Africa.  They know that from being directly involved in that country's daily life.  And, if you read the recent news about Barack Obama's family there in Kenya, the powers that be have stopped all people from interviewing the family members. 

Now, if Barack Obama is not a natural born citizen, then he is Constitutionally not a valid candidate for the office of President.  Sound familiar to another person who is not a valid candidate for office?  The problem we have in this country right now is that the "rule of law" is no longer valid in America.  The rule of law has been discarded in exchange for party mob rule.  Which ever party is in control of a local or national political arena, that is the law that will be applied, or the existing law(s) will be changed to reflect, and favor, the mob in control.  I'm telling you, we are all in trouble no matter which party one belongs to with this kind of "rule."  Our country, which has been known as one that follows the rule of law, is no more.  It is gone.  Since it is gone, we will all collectively lose in the end.  It's only a matter of time.  That's my humble opinion. 

Comment:  I am not so sure I understand all the implications of this ruling. Explain, please, when you can. I hate it that you didn't win, but you made a hell of a standing! A little more publicizing of your campaign a few months earlier could very well have mad a difference. GOOD SHOW with
the limited exposure you did get! Great JOB. Maybe it just isn't what your job is JUST NOW! I imagine you are resting now, after working all night.
What a historic night!
Mary Ann

Answer:  Thanks for the mail, Mary Ann.  Actually, I started the campaign stuff two years ago, with "black and white" ads in every Sunday News Democrat.  Then I switched to full color ads every two weeks in the News Democrat.  I had brochures, signs, flyers, advertisement at the Fair, a billboard, radio ads, etc., and still a couple of days before the election, there were people asking, "Who is this Dennis Varnau?  I never heard of him." 

So, please tell me, does it take the total collapse of the dollar and our way of life to wake people up? 

Then you have people voting "straight tickets" just because they are "Republican" or "Democrat."  My property taxes keep going up, and the more they go up, the less high school graduates can read and write, much less give change at a fast-food restaurant.  Give them a couple of pennies to round off your change to a nickel or dime, and see what kind of "log jam" you will have on your hands.  I'm not kidding!  Try it sometime!