CCSO

Spending a couple of decades in newsrooms in rural Florida and small-town Georgia, I've gotta tell you, the nasty politics in Clay County pales by comparison.  Some of the dirty tricks I've seen played in the name of campaigning, in places like Marianna or Macclenny or Tifton, aren't even fit to be retold in public forums.

Still, we've got some local folks trying to play dirty.  As usual, it's the anti-Beseler faction of campaigners.  The Sheriff had to put out a press release to let folks know that the aggressive, harrassing telephone solicitors telling folks they "work for the Fraternal Order of Police and are collecting money for Sheriff Beseler" aren't connected in any way to him.

I hear that we now have another candidate for Clay County Sheriff. I will not mention his name as that is his job.

This gentleman used to work for the S.O. as an electrician and was well liked, and did fine work. He left the S.O. for several years and then asked Rick to hire him back, but was refused.

Now he wants to run for the office, or does he? Is he being put in the race by Rick to divide the vote, with the promise to hire him if Rick is re-elected?

This gentleman has deep spiritual ties around the county which could be used by the Rickster to counter the Taylor campaign. 

Members of the Clay County Sheriff's Office dealt a second blow the Sheriff Rick Beseler today.  The Correctional Deputies participated in a secret vote on whether or not to retain their Union representation through the Fraternal Order of Police.  Sixty -four percent of all eligible members voted and sixty percent of all voting members voted to retain their Union representation. 

As I have started keeping up with the internal issues in the Sheriff's Office, two Unions (1 for Sworn Deputy Sheriff's, 1 for Correctional Deputies) were retained by a commanding vote and the third Union (for Correctional Supervisors) did not pass, but support increased by 30% more than the previous year's vote.