The Establishment's incurious, stand-patter dumbed-down Babbit-like McPaper, The St. Augustine Record has been cowering before power and covering up for corrupt political machines since 1895.
Why stop now?
In 1995, The WReckord's a front page headline blared: "100 YEARS OF PUBIC SERVICE," earning a spot on Jay Leno's late night NBC program.
Utterly uninformed St. Augustine Record endorsement with a predictable ukase: re-elect your corrupt local Sheriff.
Ukase from the St. Augustine Record, a/k/a "MULLET WRAPPER" in local parlance, is unabashedly chauvinistic and anti-civil rights, unadorned by any bit of critical thinking, eschewing discussion of fully adjudicated constitutional rights violations, questionable shootings, , ten spouse abusers on the payroll, the ongoing coverup of the Michelle O'Connell case. developer and bundler fundraising and conflict of interest, Sheriff SHOAR's heading a corrupt political machine that brandishes support for developers
Hint: September 2, 2010 Michelle O'Connell shooting suspect Deputy JEREMY BANKS, all attended the videotaping of the League of Women Voters' forum with Sheriff Shoar, along with ten Sheriff's Department commanders, his entourage.
Editorial endorsement: Shoar: Substance trumps innuendo
Posted: August 4, 2016 - 11:33pm | Updated: August 5, 2016 - 5:50am
Sheriff David Shoar faces opposition for the second time this, his fourth bid for election.
His opponent, Debra Maynard, is a former deputy who was subsequently dismissed from the Sheriff’s Office.
Ms. Maynard is running, she says, because “there’s no better profession to help people,” and that God called her to the task.
We can’t argue with the former, and won’t with the latter.
Shoar is running again because he says he’s started new programs and initiatives that he wants to ensure move ahead and succeed.
We think it’s fair to say that, across the nation, sheriff’s races are more controversial than others, predominately because of the nature of the position. You make both enemies and friends — but the enemies generally talk louder.
The main difference between the two candidates — as it affects this race — is the huge experience gap. Running a $60 million-plus group of men and women who’s job it is to protect and serve 230,000 people isn’t a whim. It’s a heavy responsibility any way you slice it.
Shoar has 35 years invested in law enforcement. He rose through the ranks of the St. Augustine Police Department and was named chief in 2000. He ran successfully for Sheriff in 2004 and has led the department through challenges of dizzying growth since then.
But what we believe sets Shoar apart — not from Maynard, but from most law enforcement leaders around — is his “other lives.” He’s served a second military career in the Florida Army National Guard (including time in the Gulf War), retiring as a major after 24 years.
Throughout his stint in law enforcement he’s stretched himself academically along the way. He holds Master’s Degrees in Criminal Justice and Public Administration.
There’s something else. Every sheriff — everywhere — touts being tough on the bad guys. The difference between them and all the new tough-on-crime legislative politicians is that sheriffs really do something about the problems.
But Shoar has always shown a proclivity to also stand up for the weak ones. He’s been instrumental in pushing forward mental health initiatives in St. Johns County.
He knows what he’s talking about because he sees it daily. Half the people in his jail, he’ll tell you, belong somewhere else where healing might happen rather than punishment.
Ms. Maynard has a few ideas she believes would improve the department. But, for the most part, her campaign is one of sniping at Shoar with fairly damning accusations — none of which our staff has been able to substantiate. She’s big on accusations and awfully short on substance or specifics.
Handing the reins of safety and crime-fighting to a candidate with four years of experience and a limited record makes little sense.
We have a Sheriff’s Department with a solid reputation for both reaction to threats and reasonable restraint in meeting them — and that’s a load to carry these days for cops.
There are plenty of real problems our law enforcement community needs to worry about and pay attention to than a leader who hasn’t led.
Ms. Maynard’s campaign is more vindictive than instructive.
We recommend sending Sheriff Shoar back for another term.
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JoeJoe 08/05/16 - 07:37 am 13Good ole boy
So the Record's stance is, the establishment is the only way to go. I disagree. We need a new, fresh face to lead the Sheriff's department. Shoar has a bloated budget, militarized police force, and is backed with hundreds of thousands of dollars from political cronies. Not to mention several incidents of questionable investigations, one being the time he crashed his car late at night and was injured, under strange circumstances. He was basically crowned to be Sheriff. It was the same situation as the Mayor of St. Augustine. We needed new blood in there to get rid of the "good ole boy" way things were being done to benefit the connected few.
INNUENDO? Is that the trade name of easily rattled Record Opinion Editor JIM SUTTON's favorite suppository?
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