It’s really not as complicated as some would have you believe. There are some who will talk for hours about what they think the office of sheriff should be, they will talk for hours telling you what they want the office of sheriff to be. But the reality is, the sheriff’s office is, what it is going to be for quite some time, and no matter what happens in the up coming GOP primary, or the following general election, nothing is going to change.
The sheriff’s office has been clearly defined, now I know there are some who will argue that this definition is not to their liking. That is their right to not be satisfied with it. However, their opinion will not redefine the office any time soon either.
So the question becomes, who is the best fit for the office of sheriff in its current form? I believe it is Robert Lee.
This is no longer a debate about what the sheriff’s office should be, that has been settled for now, it is a question of who will best represent the people of Sussex County as sheriff, as the office is currently defined.
Let us think of this as if we the people, are the employer hiring someone to work for us, I have often heard people use this very analogy to describe their view of elected officials, “they work for us”.
Okay, so if I am an employer and I have two candidates seeking the same job, I have to ask myself a few questions. The first question is, does this person understand what the job description is? And second, will they be focused on the job they are given, or will they always be looking for a better job?
How will they get along with my other employees, in this case that means County Council, the General Assembly and the Courts. Will this person be willing to work within the parameters of their job, or will the always be envious of others who they feel are more important than themselves?
As an employer, I certainly do not want to hire an employee who will be a constant disruption within the work place, one who will likely cost me more money. If this employee, and my other employees are constantly at each other about who should be in charge, and who should do what, well then they are not taking care of my business.
Who wants an employee who is not happy in the job they are hired for? Who wants an employee that is always stirring up trouble among the other employees and my fellow business owners?
It is clear that there is only one candidate in the GOP primary that understands the job description of the office of the sheriff, as it is currently defined, Robert Lee. Robert Lee has stated that he understands the role of the office of sheriff as of right now, not what he would want it to be, not what it was 400 years ago. Robert Lee has promised to work along with County Council, and other branches of government in order to best serve the people of Sussex County, not to serve his own personal agenda. Robert Lee has promised to work to save me and you money, by focusing on the job at hand, not the job he wished he had.
The voters are the employer, the candidates are the employees seeking a job. As voters we owe it to the rest of our employees and our fellow employers to hire the person who will do the best job, the person who will be focused and work hard at the job given them. We cannot afford to hire someone who will always be looking for the so-called better job.
I believe that a vote for Robert Lee is a vote for the best person as the next sheriff of Sussex County.
In my opinion the current sheriff has been a wedge in an already divided party.
Maybe with a new guy in there, we can focus our energy on defeating Democrats instead of fighting amongst ourselves over a row office.
I have heard that the NEW Guy isn’t going to waist unnecessary money in court cost,,, Well that tells me one thing
He Isn’t going to stand up for the committee when you need him,,, Sure he isn’t going to He has also stated that all he
is going to do is Delivery subpoenas,,,, Ask your self is that all that the Sheriff has in their Job description ???????
I find it hard to believe that it is,,,, Tells me that he isn’t going to be serving the county as to what we are paying taxes for.
I have experienced working with The NEW Guy 15yrs ago,, and Have witness first hand his work,,, Take my word for it
We want Christopher for Sheriff,,, A person from out side with Stand up for us,,, You get a person from this area,, They
will be Dictated to by those that supported their campaign,,, VOTE CHRISTOPHER
Crystal Shear
He has also stated that all he is going to do is Delivery subpoenas,,,, Ask your self is that all that the Sheriff has in their Job description ???????
Yes, that is the job description for a Delaware Sheriff. Deliver subpoenas and auction off foreclosed properties. That has been the job description for Delaware Sheriff’s my entire lifetime living here in Delaware.
The Delaware Supreme Court, the highest court in the state, ruled that is the job description.
It. Is. The. Fucking. Job. Description. Period.
Next stupid question from a transplant?
The Delaware Constitution says that the Sheriff “shall be the conservator of the peace in the counties.” And that has always been the job description. If, according to the Delaware Supreme Court, “conservator of the peace” doesn’t mean anything, then the Chief Justice, judges and the A.G. aren’t “conservators of the peace” either.
Why didn’t the Socialist-Democrat legislature simply amend the constitution? Simple. They wanted to establish a precedent. And now they have, and now the state constitution is meaningless.
When Dan Gaffney had Arlett and Phillips on his show Sept 2, he asked them about their position on the duties of the office of the sheriff. Arlett said he was the only candidate who “has not come out 100% against the sheriff” with regard to his arrest powers. Phillips said he thought this election was a referendum on the question and “if the sheriff wins, we’re going to have a serious conversation.”
Good thing these free forums are available. Otherwise, Arlett would not be able to get his message out. Look at the 30-day and 8-day financial filings and you see:
Contributions: $16,676 for Phillips versus $2,834 for Arlett
Expenditures: $18,345 for Phillips versus $187 for Arlett (no typo: one hundred eighty seven!)
Phillips is able to outspend Arlett by so much because real estate developers and others with allied interests have opened their wallets to him. If he had to depend only on contributions from John Q. Public, his budget would look a lot like Arlett’s.
http://www.sussexsleuth.com/dunlap-v-phillips/follow-the-money.html
This election will not change the job description of the Sheriff. Vance Phillips knows the Sheriff’s fight is over, and even if Sussex County Council becomes Sheriff Christopher Central, they still will not have the authority or power to overturn the Delaware Supreme Court or the legislation enacted by the General Assembly.
Rick, you know the law, you know the Sheriff won’t get what he wants. Stop beating a very, very dead horse.
Crystal Shear, adjust the meds, that last comment was so disjointed I have no idea what you were saying, though you may be a perfect model of a Christopher supporter.
Rick, COP is not a job discription, it is merely a title, and you make the point by adding in the other offices that have the COP title as well yet have very different jobs.
Maybe you should borrow some of Crystal’s meds.
rick is living proof that you don’t need a law degree to rule on constitutional matters. in fact, if you are “educated ” that is simply code for stuck on stupid, liberal, socialist, democrats. people need sheriffs because tyranny is rampant. when will we wake up and realize that we need people like the sheriff to fight on the boarder to keep out the socialist terrorists who want to flatten texas. i heard he is going to start offering canning classes just as soon as he trains enough people on the constitution.
Salty, you might want to check out this link, it is for the SOST, no that doesn’t stand for the “Sheriff’s Organized Storm Troopers”, but it could. It is the “Sheriff’s Office Support Team”, and I encourage you to go there and click on the Guestbook button at the bottom right corner, there are only three entries, and one is from Jeff Christopher from February of this year in which he says,
“Sheriff Jeff Christopher Sunday, 2/2/14, 8:43 AM
Proud to be the Sheriff of the brave members of the SOST. GOD give us victory and make our enemies our footstool.
From: Greenwood, DE ”
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am no ones footstool.
Here is the link
http://www.scsost.org/
We can only hope that he does not renig on his promise, again. He promised to leave this Godforesaken place if the Judiciary slapped him around. They did and he welched. When he loses his re-election gambit lets hope he has the fortitude to do what he said and leave.
BTW that forum at the link really took off. I also observed RBK’s name was absent from a list of Officials on that other site in a post by the owner??? WUWT?
You’re wrong Frank about the issue of the Sheriff’s duties being over. You and Socialist minded people Iike you are always on the move to violate people’s civil rights and undermine the US and Delaware Constitutions.
You give yourself away as being a Libtard by you writings and your actions. Vance Phillips, Danny Short and Pete Schwartzkoph are turncoats and guilty of sedition and treason.
Have a nice day Frank and VOTE FOR JEFF CHRISTOPHER FOR SHERIFF.
So, For Instance, if “Vance Phillips, Danny Short and Pete Schwartzkoph are turncoats and guilty of sedition and treason.” Then why hasn’t Jeff Christopher upheld his oath and arrested them? Isn’t that what he promises his supporters he would do?
Jeff Christopher is derelict in his duties as defined by himself.
He has been nothing but talk for four years and why should the people expect anything different after the election? The law will be the same and Christopher will be the same, all talk no action.
“Proud to be the Sheriff of the brave members of the SOST. GOD give us victory and make our enemies our footstool.”
Frank,
That post from the Sheriff is all that anyone needs. When a public official, who aspires to be a sovereign, refers to members of the public as footstools, it is clear his intent and opinion is that they are his subjects. This harkens to the days of kings and their divine right (God give us victory) to rule over their subjects. We fought a war gain our freedom. We will not give up that right for which our ancestors shed their blood. Our representative government may be a bumbling and stumbling behemoth that is difficult to control, but as with you, I prefer that to being Jeff Christopher’s footstool!
Dave, then I encourage you to share this with as many Republican Sussex County voters as you can before September 9th.
If they are guilty, go arrest them. Don’t be a pusse’!
“The Sussex County Sheriffs Office Support Team (SOST) is a all volunteer support team for the Sussex County Sheriff. We are here to help the Sheriff with whatever he needs be it help with election, supporting or opposing laws or purposed legislation that would affect or Constitutional rights. Sheriff Jeff Christopher fully supports all of your Constitutional rights and is willing to put everything on the line for them. The SOST stands next to him in the same mission. If you would like to join us or want more information please visit our contact us page and one of the group officers will get back to you.”
SCSOST = Posse Comitatus
“We are here to help the Sheriff with whatever he needs be it help with”
This include disregarding official Delaware Supreme Court rulings.
No list of the groups officers should raise some red flags.
VOTE FOR LEE
I’m sure Lee would be a competent Sheriff. But this election is about the Socialist-Democrats’ telling us that plain English doesn’t mean what it says. It’s about the Socialist-Democrats’ unconstitutional legislation rather than simply removing the Sheriff’s duties from the constitution by way of amendment. It’s about the precedent set that will allow the legislature to circumvent any component of the constitution at their whim.
Hence, I intend to vote for Christopher. And so will the majority of Sussex.
Rick, what did the GA remove? They removed state code, from state code. Rick, who put that code there to start with? The GA!
Are you telling me that the GA removed something from the state constitution, by removing state code? That makes no sense. Remember, the GA did not write new state code to restrict the duties of the sheriff, they removed what was already in state code.
If you believe that the powers and authorities that Christopher seeks were in the state constitution, then point us to where the powers and authorities are enumerated or defined WITHIN the state constitution.
You can’t, because while the office was created within the constitution, the powers were not, anymore than the powers of the AG were or the governor was. Both have been defined within state code as was the sheriff’s office, and all your wishing and all of the overused rhetoric of Christopher and his supporters won’t change the rule of law, and God be praised that simply saying something over and over doesn’t make it real.
All this hollering about the Constitution. We have had FOUR Constitutions in Delaware since 1776. If one wishes to hearken to the ORIGINAL CONSTITUTION, believing our forefathers at the Revolution in 1776 knew best, is that the Constitution the “hootin’ nanny” guardians of the bastions of Constitution, Constitutions, Constitution want to embrace? The Delaware Constitution of 1776 doesn’t even mention the Sheriff. Two more Constitutions were found to be defective by the United States Supreme Court, and the current Constitution adopted in 1897 also had a lot of defects that have been amended. It’s hard to be a fanatic over terminology in a Delaware Constitution when we’ve had so many! But then, if you are only a “come here” that moved here from somewhere else, and you didn’t take Delaware History in school, you would not know that, I guess… Several decades ago, my Cousin was the Sheriff of Sussex County. If he were alive today, he’d laugh his *** off over how Christopher has all this whining about the powers of the Sheriff. Charlie knew when he ran for Sheriff it was a Row Office position, did not do any kind of police work whatsoever, and back then the Sheriff Office didn’t even have any cars at all. Each deputy drove his own car, and was paid mileage by the County. Charlie drove a cream colored Rambler American, no siren, no lights, no uniforms. No two way radio. Now all you who have moved here from wherever, God Bless your Sheriff system if that is how you do law enforcement “back home.” But we DON’T do it that way here, and NEVER have had done it that way in the lifetime of anyone alive anywhere in Delaware.
But, seems like all the fanatics don’t want to listen to a native who is old, and has lived this life his entire life never having ever, ever, ever heard of a Delaware Sheriff arresting anyone for any kind of police related crime. Even today, if a sheriff car tried to pull me over, I’d call 911 and report an impersonator.
“Who are you going to believe, me, or your own two eyes?”
Vote for the sheriff who can read. Vote Christopher.
Rick says “Vote for the sheriff who can read. Vote Christopher.”
Yes Rick, we can all read, it is just that Christopher thinks he is the only one who can understand.
Now that we are on primary day, I will make my prediction. As much as I have written about the Sheriff Office, and wanting to keep it the way it has always been — I predict that enough “come here” voters, those who have moved here and want to make it like it was where they came from — they will prevail. I think Mr. Christopher will win. There are not enough native people now to preserve the quaintness, the rural way of life. All the things that attracted the “come here’s” to come here are slowly being paved over, and made to operate the way it was where they came from and one day it will be just as expensive to live here as there, and a bunch of people will be looking for some other rural quaint area to move to and start the whole process over again. No one can stop the progression of change, but not all change is so great. I will treasure in my heart having been born and raised in Sussex in the 50’s, and though we were poor — we had strong families and had each other, and you could leave your keys in your car, and never lock your house up. Those days are gone forever. I forsee that one day the County does in fact need a police force to keep the peace. I personally believe when that day comes it should be a professional police force, that is accountable to police administrators, and can be FIRED on the spot when they become corrupt or abusive. A sheriff system, you are stuck with till the next election, and if the election is corrupt you are stuck with them virtually forever. Any time on the internet studying the corrupt Sheriff’s of the South sends shivers down the spine of thinking people. During my 14 years “down south” out of my lifespan, I lived in a county in Texas where the Sheriff was just wicked, and he kept getting re-elected, and people were in fear to defy him. For me, give me a State Police Superintendent who can be removed WHEN found corrupt, if God forbid, there was a problem, not waiting three or four years till another election. And to Sheriff Christopher I say, if you do win re-election (and I think you will) please, please, please prove me wrong and be honest, forthright, and not like the Sheriff’s I was actually scared of “down south.”
I predict that enough “come here” voters, those who have moved here and want to make it like it was where they came from — they will prevail. I think Mr. Christopher will win.
The “come here” voters will vote for Lee. He is the “establishment” candidate.
Luckily, there’s probably enough pissed-off traditionalists to put Christopher over-the-top. I’m sure the Socialist-Democrats would prefer Lee.
traditionalists? More like the sky is falling government conspiracy RWNJ’s.
Conservative, moderate, and liberal republicans will not vote for Christopher. They’re sick of the complicit behavior, and gallivanting around the country. Delaware doesn’t need it’s own version of politician sheriff Joe or dog and pony show former sheriff Mack
Once in awhile, it is delicious and marvelous to be WRONG! Looks like my prediction on the Sheriff race was wrong, and if the Election Board upholds Mr. Lee’s 21 vote lead, the long Delaware nightmare of lawsuits and contention over the role of the sheriff just might be finally over…
IF that is what happens, I shall be utterly thrilled that I was wrong.