The Storey Teller News and commentary on what’s really going on in Storey County.
Submitted by Las Swanson
Tahoe Reno Industrial Center spends $140K to remove Storey County Sheriff
The Reno Gazette Journal ran an article with the above headline on April 7, 2017. This article was ostensibly written by Marcella Corona but to the trained eye of one who has been following the shenanigans of Team Recall for some time, it is just another platter of artfully arranged horse manure with some cookies on top to mislead you, the reader.
Time and time again Team Recall has cobbled together articles designed to praise Lance Gilman and condemn Sheriff Antinoro. This article offered little different except that Corona had the courage and journalistic integrity to include balancing information from the other side of the issue. Kudos to Corona! This is something that is generally lacking, by design, when Team Recall has one of their articles published.
In keeping with their usual tact, Team Recall falsely hurls a damaging accusation against Sheriff Antinoro. As usual, the accusation is unfounded, without merit and totally lacking any degree of integrity. This is the strategy employed by Team Recall since the beginning…they make a statement with no basis of truth and then they proceed to repeatedly refer to that original statement in future attacks. This is the worse personification of politics. It speaks volumes about those who employ this tactic as well as those who knowingly support them while intentionally and unforgivably misleading others who may be less aware of the whole picture.
Team Recall’s newest unfounded accusation:
“The group behind the recall effort recently filed an ethical complaint against Antinoro. They claimed he violated a campaign finance law by not filing an expense report in his battle against the recall election.”
Sheriff Antinoro’s response as posted on his FaceBook page:
“In addition to the constant barrage of garbage mailings of lies and misrepresentations by Team Recall, the latest is the insinuation that I am committing campaign finance fraud since I have not filed a C&E report with the state……THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT TO FILE A C&E REPORT UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR.”
This is a perfect example of the Team Recall strategy and exemplifies the basis of their campaign. In other words, THERE IS NO BASIS FOR RECALLING SHERIFF ANTINORO.
What would prompt Team Recall to repeatedly make the blatantly false statements their campaign is based upon? Because there is no basis of truth in their statements and because a great deal of effort and expense has gone into their effort and the careful manufacture of those statements, there must be a strong motivation. In a careful examination of all possible motivations, only one stands out; retribution.
Let’s boil this long story down. Sheriff Antinoro is elected by the voters. Sheriff Antinoro applies the law equitably. This offends some who are accustomed to the long established Rules of Play as established by the Good Old Boys network which is alive and well in Storey County. The Sheriff becomes the target of the Good Old Boys (GOBs) due to his unwillingness to play by their rules and bow to their will. During the next election, the GOBs are unable to unseat Sheriff Antinoro. It is possible the GOBs will be unable to unseat Sheriff Antinoro in the upcoming 2018 election so they devise Plan B which is comprised of the following steps:
• Discredit the Sheriff with innuendo, insinuation and false statements.
• Hold a recall election at an estimated expense of $25 to $30K paid by the citizenry.
• Install our own man in the office of Sheriff.
Never mind the expense of $25,000 to $30,000 will be paid by the citizenry. Never mind that there will be an incredible lack of continuity of service to the community whilst Team Recall runs the sheriff’s office with their interim sheriff until they can choose their appointed man for an official transition. What is important here is that Team Recall must prevail despite any cost to voters or community.
What seems to be apparent is that a small, vocal group backs this recall effort funded (to the tune of $142,054 according to the recent RGJ article) by TRI. They have garnered some support from those who may wish to stay in the good graces of the GOBs, retain their positions with the county, have an axe to grind against the equitable application of the law by Antinoro or may just have been misled or pressured.
What is NOT apparent is the exact basis of this recall effort. As I’ve been unable to find a basis of truth in any of the accusations falsely leveled and then repeatedly referred to by Team Recall, I’m at a total loss as to how exactly this effort, largely funded by TRI, justifies their recall.
Those opposing the recall include anyone who is fully informed on the issues, those who think for themselves, those concerned with what is best for the county as a whole instead of what is best for the GOBs and those who recognize the conflict of interest created if the twice elected sheriff is recalled and the GOBs are permitted to install their own man as sheriff. Any system of checks and balances, as provided for by our system of government, will be eliminated and the GOBs will control the entirety of Storey County. The will of the voters, as expressed in the past two elections, will be cast aside by the GOBs who will be installing their own candidate in the office of Sheriff.
If Team Recall REALLY had a legitimate reason to inflict the expense of a recall election on the voters of Storey County and usurp the will of the voters, I’m certain they would have used it. Instead, all they could offer were the poorly constructed and horribly transparent false accusations (at best) and lies (at worst) in their desperate bid to install their man in office so he may run as the incumbent in the upcoming regularly scheduled 2018 election.
Vote to recall your twice elected sheriff if you want to encourage manipulation of your local government by those with deep pockets, huge egos, a lack of integrity or a total disregard for what is best for the county.
A vote to retain your twice elected sheriff is a vote to also retain your voice as a voter.
Do not let the GOBs take your vote away and silence your voice.
For those unfamilar with Alinsky, go here and here.
