Minor for Fresno County sheriff

I was very concerned about your recent endorsement of Cal Minor for Fresno County Sheriff. I am sending this with the understanding that it will be anonymous. You see, I am an employee of the Sheriff's Department. I was deeply offended and concerned about your automatic assumption that our Department is in such a chaotic state that we can barely function. What a crock! There are so many people within our Agency that are competant and trustworthy. The crooks and good old boys who have left and are currently on the way out are the ones you need to concern yourselves with. Did you know that Cal Minor is a good friend of Don Burk? Yes, the same Don Burk who sold the Sheriff's Department vehicles to Fresno County Security. Is it not a CLUE that Minor's signs are on Ron Sawl's property at Palm & Shaw AND downtown? Does that not send you a message? I know, I know, he's moral and ethical and all good things that are nice. Oh, and Ron Sawl told you he's "staying out" of the Sheriff's race so it must be true, right? Ladies and Gentlemen, the reality of this is race is this: what or better yet, WHO motivated Cal Minor to run for Sheriff to begin with? What is his position and track record in working with minority groups, such as different ethnic groups, and women? How will he handle the good old boys that are still within the Department today? Oh, I know, people who have worked for him say he's the greatest thing since sliced bread, he's out there hookin' and bookin' with the best of 'em. Well, there you go.....from a Department of attention craving employees that Pierce neglected to a man who will fill in all our woes. Sound too good to be true? You better believe it!

Think about this. You've done over 30 years of work on the road, you're supposed be enjoying retirement and now you're going after a second career to 'fix' the Sheriff's Department? Why? Well, here's an idea. There's a Mexican man and two females running all of whom have management experience. The last guy has no management expereince and even though he's got a heart of gold, he won't win. So here it is, a Mexican man and Two Females. That's what this is about. That's why he was called out of retirement and encouraged to run. This is ridiculous, get a clue Fresno Bee, you've been stooped!

I don't doubt that a good old boy like Cal will keep things rolling in the "right" direction. And that would probably be whatever his "advisors" think will be best.

I suggest you all attend a fund raiser of his and see if the Fresno County Security good ol'boys club: Don Burk, Bob McDonald, Ron Sawl,oh, and let's not forget, Mr. John "I didn't know I had Law Enforcment Computer at my business" Harris 'are in attendance. If you print this; his campaign people will probably tell those folks to steer clear from attendance.

Oh, and just so you know, the FDSA has over five hundred that's 500 members. Only a quarter showed up to vote on a Sheriff's Candidate. What a joke, and Mr. Minor thinks he got 75% of the vote. Well, that sure does skew the numbers a little bit doesn't it?

And another thing, I can understand four people who have given their life long career to the Sheriff's Department because in some way each has given a piece of themselves to make it a better place, each has a dream of being the next Sheriff because they love the Department, I really understand that. What I DON'T understand is someone who THINKS he knows what's best for the Department.

We DON'T have 40 deputies assigned to just schools. We work both patrol and as part of our patrol duties, we are expected to teach classes at the schools. We DON'T have a huge civilian staff to take over teaching. And you know what? The schools DON'T want a civilian teaching in the schools. The teacher's and students want a REAL Deputy Sheriff, the one that carries the gun and takes people to jail because that's a cool job.

And COPPS is spelled COPPS not COPS, it stands for Community Oriented Policing Problem Solving. It works, not for everything but it's a good tool to have.

Deputies ARE on the "road" fighting crime. What we need is more Deputies. Period. Again, More Deputies. Period. And they won't come from a school they need to come in the form of NEW HIRES.

Our leadership can use an enormous tune-up but we're not so broken down that we can't be fixed by an INSIDE leader who will take care of business.

Mr. Minor knows the "road" and CHP. Yes, he ran MAGEC and HEAT. Gangs are not going away and guess what, Fresno is still one of the highest rated areas to get your vehicle stolen. He's not a miracle worker.

We need a Deputy Sheriff to lead a Deputy Sheriff. I'm not buying into the quick fix no name Sheriff who will cure the blind, heal the weak and fix everything wrong in our County, after all the position of the Sheriff should NEVER be considered as a nice retirement job.

Shame on you Fresno Bee for being DOOPED!

I too am a Sheriff’s employee, and must also request anonymity due to concern of retribution. The vast majority of sworn Sheriff’s personnel applaud the endorsement of Cal Minor by the Fresno Bee and the Fresno Deputy Sheriff’s Association (FDSA). Why? Well, let’s take a look at what the other candidates have done in the past eight years to make improvements while in their roles as Sheriff’s Managers…NOTHING! If anything, they have only contributed to a severe reduction in field staffing; a staggering increase in overtime; a continuous decline in employee morale; and generally a complete lack of focus on what the public expects our agency to do. Each of them is a product of Richard Pierce and has completely bought into his ideas. This has led to a drastic decline in employee morale, production and retention.

If the taxpayers only knew what has been going on in this agency, they would revolt! We have fewer Deputy Sheriff’s on the street than we did ten years ago. We took deputies off of the street and put them in elementary schools to give kids “positive role models”. Uh…isn’t that why we have TEACHERS? True, we have modified that somewhat, but they are all still on dayshift and the school is their number one priority. In addition to that, during school vacations the deputies are assigned to sit around and provide free babysitting and summer camp. Is THIS how you want your tax dollars spent?

The cities of Mendota and Orange Cove pay the Sheriff to provide law enforcement services. Both are cities approaching 10,000 residents. Each has crime and gang problems that are out of control. Cities of equal population have anywhere from 12-15 officers. Those cities are paying for one deputy, ten hours a day…ONE! Because of the number of calls for help and high number of violent crimes, the Sheriff is providing over three times that service for free! Not only that, but the deputies assigned to the county areas surrounding those cities are never in their patrol areas because they spend their entire shift helping the solo deputy handle the priority calls in the contract cities! Is THIS how you want your tax dollars spent?

The department owns two helicopters that for the last year have rarely left the Fresno Airport. Mismanagement has reduced daily flight time to about 4-6 hours. Why? The current management would rather fly to Stockton for maintenance, rather than hire a mechanic. Their answer is to let the helicopters sit on the ground so they won’t run up a bunch of flight hours, instead of being in the air where they are so desperately needed! Is THIS how you want your tax dollars spent?

One of the candidates has announced that she greatly reduced jail overtime while she has been in charge there. Yeah…by transferring a whole bunch of it from the jail to the field deputies. Let’s see, take overtime away from a lower paid correctional officer and give it to a much higher paid deputy. Hey, THAT makes sense! And when we run out of deputies to work overtime, we take them off of the streets to guard inmates! Oh yeah, on top of that we PERMANENTLY took even MORE deputies off of the street in order to guard inmates at Fresno hospitals. Yes, she sure has made an impact. Too bad it isn’t for the better. Is THIS how you want your tax dollars spent?

The number of deputies and officers assigned to MAGEC has been cut in half. Proactive enforcement is a thing of the past due to the elimination of Operation Safe Street teams, Operation GOLDSTAR, US Marshals Task Force and a focus on field deputies preventing crime BEFORE it happens. Street deputies can’t even keep up with their increased calls for service, much less look for crooks!

I will agree with the previous blog author that the good old boy network still exists. Unfortunately, the internal candidates for Sheriff are all part of it. Upper management is pounding the drum that “we don’t need an outsider” because they are scared to death of fresh ideas and direction!

A majority of my peers and I want one thing for our agency. That is a strong, ethical leader that will restore our pride and morale by focusing on providing the public with the service we were hired to perform…LAW ENFORCEMENT! Cal Minor is that leader and I strongly encourage the voters of Fresno County to support him!

Well, now we have two anonymous reports from inside the Sheriff's office, both arguing eloquently and persuasively but stating opposite points of view. So now I'm just as confused as I was before!

There's gotta be a better choice than some retired state trooper whose only real detective work composed of traffic law enforcement.

As someone who has been involved in many political races I have never met someone with more integrity than Cal Minor. It is too bad the chicken that makes a bunch of claims about Cal Minor and his support from the FDSA, Fresno Bee and other very important groups in Fresno County does not have the courage to put his name on his lies.

This race is about the future of law enforcement in Fresno County and Cal Minor is the only candidate who is talking about issues and how he will make the department a better place to work for the deputies and a safer county for the residents of Fresno County.

I hope that people will come to Cal's fundraisers and see the type of support Cal has in this county. Before anyone casts their vote in this election talk, to a Deputy Sheriff and ask them what they think of the current leadership and who they support for Sheriff and why.? You will quickly see the support for Cal is amazing.

Tal

Would Mr. Cloud be speaking of the chicken in the first or second anonymous response?

Isn't Mr. Cloud part of Cal Minor's campaign team?

I am completely confused. Maybe The Bee should hold a press conference and let all of the candidates respond to questions so every one in the county can read their responses first hand. Maybe that would help?

Isn't Tal cloud that guy who is always getting involved in political races and losing? I heard he's bad luck and has no allies! Isn't it about time you crawled back in the hole that you came from!!

All interesting comments.

I am writing this in response to the comments posted on this site. I am a Fresno County Deputy Sheriff's wife and agree wholeheartedly with the Bee for its support of Cal Minor. I am also writing this anonymously, as well, out of fear of retribution against my husband; and believe me, it is real. Minor is what this department needs in order to move ahead. For those of you who think this is some sort of conspiracy, you are sadly mistaken. You have NO idea what you are talking about. YOU have no IDEA what goes on in that department, so you cannot speak for the employees who are working there, nor for the citizens of Fresno County, because if you only knew what goes on behind closed doors, you would proudly display that lovely orange sign in your front yard. YOU have NO idea how hard my husband works, and the NO idea what kind of bureaucracy he puts up with every day. It is pathetic the way this administration treats its people. YOU have NO idea what is it like to go to a job where you don't feel like you have a voice. My husband patrols areas of Fresno County so desolate, the radio sometimes cannot pick up a signal, and he does all of this alone! So, tell me that we need more deputies in the schools and the hospitals, when there are correctional officers lined up to be hired and community services officers waiting in the wings. Picture isn't so bright and cheery, is it?

My husband comes home stressed every day because of all the drama in the FCSD. He doesn't eat right, sleep right, and feels like, literally, that he has no back-up. I bet it must be nice to the wives and husbands of the insider candidates who suffer no stress. As for myself, I deal with the after-effects of stress due the long overtime hours and continuous stints in the jail and courts, at twice the cost, I might add. Mr. Pierce, you and your administration (read: current candidates) have taken a way part of me when you have so foolishly ignored the loud cries of the men and women on the front lines who are begging to be heard, including my husband. Have you ever asked us what you can do to help us? The families? WE are the ones having to console our husbands and wives when they come home from work. Why aren't you taking care of us? Why don't you take the time to hear us?
Take it from me, down here in the bowels of this slave ship, the picture isn't pretty!

Mrs. Deputy Sheriff needs to get her head examined because she gives the impression that she and her husband are on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

I have several friends and some family in law enforcement and we get the impression that her desperate attempt to get people to vote for Minor is a clear indication of how desperate Minor has become for votes. Not only is his campaign people writing letters to the Bee, now he has the wives of the sheriff association pleading for him too. What a sad political tactic. Stop with the sky is falling at the fresno sheriff department it really is old.

If Mr. Deputy is that stressed I am sure he could take advantage of the free mental health the County of Fresno offers to all of its employees.

I've listened to all of them speak and I would not choose Minor. He gives the impression that he wants to go back in time. I am not convinced on any candidate from within their department but that Chris Curtice fella sounds okay. The one woman, Mestas sounded good too. I was not impressed by either one of the other insiders. One thing is for sure, Minor needs to sit it out and enjoy his retirement.

This is in reaction to Joe’s last article pertaining to Mrs. Deputy Sheriff. Joe, buddy, you’re picking on the wrong person here. This is a wife of a Deputy, not a Deputy himself who whole-heartedly supports her husband. Her husband comes home and vents about the night’s events. Because she is not there directly, she adds her feelings to what her husband is telling her. You know, Joe, unless you have been on midnights on the west side with three people on covering over 1,700 square miles, you probably shouldn’t talk. And if you have been there, then you know exactly what she is saying. Be real to yourself. It starts with you. If you truly care and want the truth, look into it.

My last article is plain, bold truth. You ignored it to pick on a wife. Bring it on, Brother. I challenge you to be honest and look into each candidate. You say, “Mestas sounded good, too.” What are you listening to? Captain Mestas has broken the law twice that we know of for personal gain, and that’s as a Deputy Sheriff. You think that’s going to stop as Sheriff? Remember, Joe? Arrogance and Greed??

Cal Minor’s approach is not to start the Department over from the 1800’s. It is to get back to the basics… Deputy Sheriffs on the streets putting crooks in jail. Joe, if you think that’s happening, then go look at the statistics of arrests since the COPPS inception. Arrests are in the toilets. Cal’s approach is straight forward. You don’t need a full time deputy working COPPS projects from start to finish. If you have ever been on a COPPS project, then you know the demanding hours it takes. And, Joe, when Deputies are on the COPPS project, who is protecting your residence? I would venture to say that over 95% of a COPPS project can be done by the citizen, which would leave the Deputies on the streets.

By the way, is this Joe or Jose?

I am a citizen who is going to vote on June 6th. The last entry in which a male deputy completely verbally bashes two females running is sickening.

For just once would the dirty political tactics stop so that the citizens can evaluate a candidate based on performance?

That mean spririted punch against Mestas and Mims was so very obvious that it is nothing less than disgraceful and prejudiced.

If the comments about Mestas were true she would not have a job. Any person who harbours a known felon is in violation of the law. Any person who knowingly evades police would not have a job. I would like to hear her side of the story because I am very sure that there is more to that than Mr. Deputy wants the rest of us citizens to know.

If the comments were true about Mims I would think that more of the Deputy Sheriff's would have said something by now. Again, please inquire and give the citizens the full story.

The first blog author is right. You work in a male dominated field and it is evident in the hatred in the undertone of your blog entry.

I was not sure for whom I was to vote for on June 6th but you, Mr. Deputy have convinced me thoroughly, that it will NOT be Cal Minor.

Elizabeth

Well, Elizabeth It is true. It your turn go ask Captain Mestas and then you ask A/S Mims if you’re so sure. You’re so right they should both have been fired and weren’t. And if that still doesn’t satisfy you go ask for the police reports. It’s all there.

Anonymous Ron, I served with Jose “Joe” Flores. I have known Jose “Joe” Flores. Jose “Joe” Flores is a friend of mine. Ron, Cal Minor is no Jose “Joe” Flores. Ron, if you were Joe’s friend you would know that all his friends and relatives have always called him Joe. Joe knows exactly who he is and has a long history of proven leadership. That is why he is the president of the Sheriff’s Captains Association and that is why he was elected to the Clovis City Council and appointed as Mayor. It is obvious that many others also know Jose “Joe” Flores.

Ron, you need to be honest with the readers of this blog. You should know that of all other candidates for Fresno County Sheriff, Joe has a wider range and depth of law enforcement experience, administrative skills and proven leadership. Joe has always exhibited high moral values and courage when under fire. Joe has never made a workers comp claim for stress although he too has worked very stressful assignments, e.g., correctional officer, patrol deputy, undercover narcotics detective, homicide detective, patrol sergeant, detective homicide sergeant, patrol watch commander, detective lieutenant and Sheriff’s Captain. Joe has excelled in all his assignments. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, the department’s highest honor, under Sheriff Magarian. Joe was named “Top Cop” by the Fresno Exchange Club.

Ron, Joe has prepared himself for the Office of Sheriff. He received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s Degree in Management and Organizational Development. Does your candidate possess a formal college degree? The voters of Fresno County are about to elect the CEO of a multimillion dollar enterprise. Your candidate’s only claim to fame is presiding over a gang enforcement team and a car theft team. Ironically, Fresno County has more gang members than ever and is still a haven for car thieves.

Ron, the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Your candidate, as reported in today’s Fresno Bee, stressed out while dealing with his boss. Your candidate is naïve to believe that as Sheriff he will control his own destiny. The Sheriff is accountable to the employees; the Sheriff is accountable to the Board of Supervisors, but more importantly the Sheriff is accountable to the citizens of Fresno County. I question whether your candidate can handle the stress associated with the Office of Sheriff. Reportedly, your candidate has also surrounded himself with the exact same people that caused all the problems at the Sheriff’s Department you complain about. Ron, Joe has proven time and time again that he understands his role as a steward of the Fresno Sheriff’s County Department. Joe has been a champion for public safety employees and that is why the Clovis Police Officers Association and the Clovis Firefighter Association have endorsed him. His past successes as a police executive and political leader predict he will succeed as the next Fresno County Sheriff.

Ron, what you do not understand is that voters are intelligent people that care enough to do their own research into the candidate of their choice. When doing so, voters will learn that Jose “Joe” Flores is the most qualified candidate for the Office of Sheriff. He is definitely not your average Joe. Ron, are you listening?

Hey Ron, I have a question for you. You sound like you’re in the know, so how is it that Assistant Sheriff Mims and Captain Mestas are currently employed and received subsequent promotions if there were questions of judgment, immorality, or violations of the law?

Which by your yearning for the “Magarian years,” occurred on the great former Sheriff’s watch. Please explain the conspiracy to me.

Ron, I think you work for the Minor campaign, and you’re completely transparent.

I respect the Deputy Sheriff’s Association and their recommendation for Sheriff. However, the Deputies work for us the taxpayers, and as a voter we are the ones who decide. The Sheriff works for the people. And frankly, I usually vote against the union choice these days.

I will vote to keep Minor where he belongs, retired, because we know running a police agency is a pretty “stressful” job, and from the article in today’s paper he may not be up to the task.

I need to know which candidate supports the right to self-defense. Do any of them offer a no-hassle "shall issue" policy for carry concealed weapon permits?

Michael

Michael,

Captian Colleen Mestas has a lot of support from local National Rifle Association members such as Barry Bauer of Bauer Sporting Goods. I believe she supports the current policy for CCW permits, which is very reasonable.

I met Mestas last week at a forum and was very impressed with her. I hear she's the one to beat!

We need a true manager in our next Sheriff. Pierce fell badly on this measure. I'm wondering just how much management experience Cal Minor really has (or for that manner any of the others besides Mims).

My judge of management level is who has authority to hire and fire. Minor mentions he supervised 57 people. That would be consistent with the structure of an CHP Area office. An Area Office budget responsibility would be roughly $12 million within Central Division. Did he hire and fire? Anybody have a better number? This makes Minor a first level supervisor at best and not a Manager.

If Mestas supervises 300 Deputies, why hasn't she re-structured Patrol already? Perhaps she really isn't a manager either?

Margaret Mims oversees 500 correctional officers and a budget of $500 Million. She hired (by going before the BOS) additional correctional officer's thereby reducing Over Time saving the County money and improved morale in her division. Mims is a manager in all ways.

Running the Fresno County Sheriff Office is a complex management job made even more difficult by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors (BOS). The Sheriff must "wrangle" their budget from the BOS. I hear this year the BOS is seeking reductions in budget from departments. Where have any of the other candidates besides Mims gained that high-level BOS experience?

Lone Rangers "hookin and book'in" just won't make it here. Somebody who can plan, organize, control and evaluate, who can get work done through others is the solution. Mims has it. I've contributed money to her campaign. Vote Mims. I will.

Cedric,

Thank you for sharing your insight. Mims is impressive and well spoken, but we need a leader not an administrator as the next Sheriff. I think leadership is what is missing in the organization, and it starts at the top.

I think that overseeing the jail is a complex assignment, but a friend of mine at the department mentioned that usually the top people are either in charge of the detectives or patrol. Is that true?

I had the opportunity to see Minor speak at a forum and he just seems to come accross as bitter that he actually has to campaign for the job. He seems to think he is entitled!

From the Bee articles he seems to be connected to the same guys as Pierce.

Many of the postings appear to be from folks that already support one side or the other. For those of you that are still open to examining the issues, I would encourage you to talk to people from within the department or examine the shortcomings of the current administration (which, by the way Mims, Mestas and Flores are all part of). If a candidate has been part of the problem for the past several years, how could one possibly believe they would suddenly be part of the solution if they were once again elevated in rank?

Each of the candidates has jumped on the anti-gang, anti-drug, pro-consolidation bandwagon, because those are the buzzwords the public likes to hear about. The top three insiders, however, are ignoring the real issues. The complete lack of strong leadership demonstrated by those three have greatly contributed to the decline in morale, decline in manpower, and direction. Cal Minor is the only candidate to present a comprehensive action plan to address the ISSUES in this race and the proven leadership to carry it through.

I sit here and read all these blogs and opinions about who the next sheriff should be and each of their problems.

I have to ask the four candidates from within our department this. Each of you say you have been with the department for over 20 years and you know what the department needs. Why then when asked how you would fix the problems every one of you said you would have to analysis it or form a committee to see where we can pull bodies from.

You would think after 20 years of being with the department and seeing what the problems are you guys would have an answer already!! Give me a break! If this was the real business world and you formed a committee every time a problem came up your business would have shut down in a month. Each one of them has known the problems for years and yet they don’t have a solution for it. Is it they just have their own agenda’s and really have no clue of what the problems are?

I’m sorry all their answers so far in this race are the answers of a politician not a cop. The only candidate I have heard that had answers and ideas and direction was Cal Minor. So go ahead you bloggers and take your shots at me I’m ready.

On a side note it was awesome to see a deputy’s wife speak up for her husband. It should show all the candidates that the department problems are not just the department's.

Charles and Mart:
I appreciate the exchange of ideas on this. Yes, the insiders are part of the current administration. However, if you are familiar with public safety "Chain of Command" (I am also a public safety volunteer - not in FSO - so am familiar with this) then you know that it is miliataristic in following command orders. In fact the management structure of the FSO was constructed by Pierce and it has a fatal flaw. There are three Assistant Sheriffs and they each 'run their own command". When Pierce is absent - good gosh - there is NO ONE in overall charge - it is then an informal process with no Chain of Command. With Pierce working the legal minimum hours a week (anybody know what that amount is?) then each Assistant run their area as they see fit. The challenge facing the next Sheriff is to be a facilitator-collaborator with the many entities involved. Particularly the BOS, local communities, the many unions (do you know each rank has their own union?) and with yes the prisoners (prisoners are considered employees with all rights of an employee!) Mims has worked in every aspect of the FSO as a female public safety pioneer so she has had to work harder than most males. Early on she advocated a long-range plan and a Citizens Advisory Council but voters only want to hear "how fast can I get a Deputy". If voters see past the knee jerk aspects here, they will see Mims will create a Sheriff Organization with bridges to the community, use intelligent policing and be the best fiduciary of your taxpayer dollar. She is not a politician, politicians look only for a quick fix and move on. Mims is a leader who I'm confident will fix it so it sticks!

WHOA, CAL!

I think it is time forThe Fresno Bee and the “Fresno Deputy Sheriff’s Association” to seriously rethink their endorsement.

Sunday’s revelation in The Bee left me flabbergasted. I can’t believe Cal Minor ever even considered running for Sheriff. I am currently an employee of a firm in the Fresno area that deals with workers' compensation cases. Due to the highly volatile nature of The Fresno Bee’s article and my field of work I will also request anonymity.

I am writing because I am wondering if anyone who endorsed Cal Minor knew of his psychological problems before they did so, because he does have a problem.
According to the California Labor Code cash awards are made only for on the job injuries that are “permanent total disabilities” or “permanent partial disabilities.” The key word is “permanent” (see Labor Code 4452.4 for further). It has been my experience that a single cash award of over $30,000.00 indicates Cal Minor was indeed severely injured.

I must also note that a qualified care provider (physician or psychologist) determined Cal Minor wasn’t just injured, he was permanently injured. This allowed for the large cash disability award to help him recoup lost future wages. These types of awards are made only to workers who are permanently disabled due to an on the job injury. In short Cal Minor was mentally damaged, is disabled and cannot perform all duties assigned, especially those that that may induce stress.

Cal Minor has to know this. He filed a claim and then accepted a large cash payment. He agreed to the mental health providers’ findings, there is no other way he could have gotten such a large a cash settlement. Since no rational person would argue that policing is not stressful, what could Cal Minor be thinking now?

Certainly the position of “Sheriff” has to be as stressful as any other policing job, if not more. The leader of any major organization has to deal with large amounts of stress. I wonder if Cal Minor made a good decision to come out of retirement, or if his injury and stress impaired decision making abilities have influenced him. How is he going to deal with the stress of being in law enforcement again after years of retirement?

Certainly the voters need to consider these facts and The Fresno Bee should look further into this. Cal Minor said he was injured when his future was in the hands of his boss. Doesn’t he realize that he won’t be dealing with the stress of just one issue with one boss and will instead be dealing with the multiple issues confronting the Fresno Sheriff’s Department? Doesn’t he realize he will also have to answer to his new boss the Board of Supervisors and the voters?

I am not saying Cal Minor is a bad man. He certainly had a long career serving the public, thus he is most likely an honest and good man. I don’t think he committed fraud and took a settlement for an injury he didn’t receive and doesn’t currently have. The facts don’t lie. He was permanently injured and he will be impaired due to stress for the rest of his life. I think that his injury is affecting his ability to make good decisions now. It is possible that this injury caused him to forget to tell everyone he got hurt and permanently damaged before he decided to run for office, but all of that doesn’t change the facts.

It is going to take a strong leader to fix the mess at the Sheriff’s Department, not some retiree who is emotionally impaired. If The Fresno Bee and the deputies won’t reconsider who they think should be the next Sheriff, Cal Minor and the voters definitely should.

I too am requesting anonymity as I also work in the Sheriff's Department. I wholeheartedly support and confirm what the first writer wrote about the Department.

This Department is filled with good hearted, hard working people who are proud of the Department and what it stands for. This Sheriff race is truly representative of what the Department is going through and the number of internal candidates running for Sheriff should be an indication of the fractures and division within the Department.

Let’s look at this issue of morale that is constantly referred to.

When Sheriff Pierce was first elected, there was resounding support of him and complete rejection of former Sheriff Magarian. While Sheriff Magarian was arguably the most personable Sheriff in recent history, his lack of concern for the financial details of the operations of the Department created issues of budget overruns and sloppy accounting procedures.

Sheriff Pierce came into office and the sentiment throughout the department was, “Finally! Someone can help us modernize the Department.” They were right. We were restricted on what copies were made and didn’t order paper for the copy machines, ink pens were doled out by secretaries who kept detailed lists to hold Deputies accountable for each one and office supplies were ordered only if on the last ream of paper.

Pierce reviewed every request for office supplies and questioned the need for items he felt was “unnecessary”. After three years of this, budgets loosened but he still reviewed and approved these basic supply requisitions.

Decision making in the Department ground to a halt with minor requests, like ordering more business cards, held up until the Sheriff approved and signed them. Frustration on the part of Deputies, Sergeants, Lieutenants and Captains grew as responsibility for decision making was required to be done only by the Sheriff.

As the fantasy image of what Pierce was “supposed” to be vanished and the reality of who he truly was took it’s place, grumblings began to set in and a vote of no confidence loomed. After some gestures of reassurance, the FDSA (reluctantly) endorsed Pierce for reelection during his second term. This was mainly to prevent, then Assistant Chief, Dyer from running for Sheriff.

Then at an FDSA meeting shortly after he was elected to his second term as Sheriff, Sheriff Pierce stood in front of a roomful of Deputies and told them “Morale is not my problem. It is your problem.”

With this mindset of management (it certainly can’t be considered leadership), everyone in the Department, even those in the Executive Staff level, felt the absence of true leadership and watched it’s remnants fade into memory.

Everyone in the Department was familiar with and knew Pierce’s management style (micromanagement through autocratic/dictitorial leadership). He demonstrated it thoroughly as the Patrol Captain for many years. Imagine as a top administrator in a company with a multi-million dollar budget not having the authority to approve a $10.00 order for business cards. Would that impact your morale? Line staff wasn’t aware of this; they just knew it took a long time to get replacement business cards.

Add to this mixture, an Administration where the “good ole boy” network allows “FOB” (Friends of Burk) to promote and leaves other candidates (females & minorities) waiting for the promotion lists to expire.

Finally, realizing that the Fresno County Retirement Board was about to modify our Retirement Plan (coincidence?) many of the “good ole boys” end up retiring. So, the people left behind, breathe a sigh of relief at the possibility “things will change now!”

Unfortunately, the Sheriff had another play. He rehired those “good ole boys” back (with their same salaries) as part-time retirees to “mentor” the support staff waiting to make the changes so desperately desired by everyone. How much mentoring actually occurred is up for debate as the retirees simply resumed their old jobs.

Then, tragedy struck the Department. Three Deputies killed in less than three years in the line of duty. How did the Sheriff respond?

During the first death, he showed up at the funeral in a suit. A suit! A Deputy was killed BECAUSE he wore our uniform and the “leader” of our Department shows up to the funeral in a suit!

In the second death, during the search for the murderer, Pierce implied a Deputy was a coward and let that Deputy’s’ reputation take a beating while off duty on Administrative Leave for 6 months.

This Deputy had pursued the suspect and was shot at while attempting to catch him and was called a coward! Pierce eventually let that Deputy return with not so much an apology, acknowledgement of the mistake in judgment they made or anything.

In the third death, Pierce didn’t even know the Deputy’s name until an Executive Staff member told him where the Deputy worked and what he did.

Would any of this impact your morale?

Pierce realized he needed to establish his “legacy” and began promoting women and minorities into higher ranking staff positions, including all three of the current employees running for Sheriff; Assistant Sheriff Mims, Captain Mestas and Captain Flores.

It wasn’t until the consultant issue reared its ugly head that Pierce cut ties with all of the people involved in the security company fiasco. Those closest to him realize how dubious Pierce’s claims were/are that he “knew nothing” about the computer at Harris Ranch, knew nothing about the identical markings on the Private Security Company cars and the similarities in their uniforms to a Deputy Sheriff’s uniform. A man who reviewed office supply requisitions didn’t know about these details?!? Gimme a break!

There are very few people in the Department who weren’t effected by the Sheriff’s decision to become a consultant. From the Deputies working the beat to the clerks filing the reports; everyone was affected. How would you feel if the person, who represented you publicly, failed so miserably, you took the brunt of it every time you went out in public? Or went somewhere where people knew who your boss was? Would that impact your morale?

Finally, Pierce announces he is not running for a third term. The people in the Department are desperate for change; hoping that they will finally find the person to lead them not manage them.

People are people and want reassurance their boss recognizes them and will at least acknowledge them on the elevator. Sheriff Pierce has a weakness and it is in his people skills (which is surprising for a politician).

So, here we are with four candidates from the Department and one from the outside.

We now we have an outsider coming in who says he has “the magic touch” and will bring “integrity” back to the Department. That is insulting to those of us who are here who have dug in and continued on through all of the mud slinging, snide comments and disparaging remarks because of the Sheriff’s lapse in judgment. How can someone, who readily admits he has never worked for the Department, make such a broad statement about people who he has never even met?

I would like to know, if this is how he feels about the Department, why he is so interested in becoming the man in charge of it? If it’s such a snake pit, why enter? It doesn’t make sense; unless you have an ulterior motive.

Minor claims his re-deployment plan will put 70 Deputies back on the street. While there are a myriad of ways to deploy manpower, my question would be what services to the community is he going to cut to implement this plan? Detectives? So we no longer follow up on cases to arrest burglars, rapist and murderers? School Deputies? I wonder if he has ever heard of Columbine? Paduka? Little Rock? Narcotics? So, major drug dealers will have an ever lesser chance of getting caught in the Central Valley’s number one county for producing methamphetamine and marijuana?

Civilians will teach the kids under his plan. So, where is he going to get the money to hire these civilians? He has to pay for them somehow. Will he hire them instead of Deputies? The County certainly isn’t going to increase our budget. They are asking for another 5% reduction in every department’s budget now to deal with the Mental Health deficiencies.

Hmm….I wonder….how many times has he seen the inside of the Jail, let alone manage a budget of over $150 million dollars? That’s right! He’s a cops cop! He goes out and hooks and books with the best of them. That begs the question, if he is out “playing” with the line level people arresting bad guys, who is doing his job?

By the way, you have to ask yourself if the endorsement of Minor by the FDSA was truly an endorsement of him or a rejection of our current administration. Why else would line level staff, knowing nothing about the management of the Department, endorse an outsider?

When the FDSA made their endorsement, none of the information about Minor’s connection to Burk was known by the line level staff. None of the information about his mental health status was known. Geez, I wonder if his integrity will allow him to “tell all” about the other skeletons in his closet that will inevitably come out during this election. I think if the vote were taken now, with all of this information on the table, the endorsement would be different.

The second writer commented that A.S. Mims reduced the overtime budget in the Jail by shifting the burden to Patrol. What that writer left out was that the FDSA was asked and volunteered to take on that responsibility after several incidents in the hospital where Correctional Officers were challenged and failed to take action to prevent an incident from occurring. The FDSA president willingly agreed to do this in addition to filling overtime positions in the Courts, Patrol and other units where vacancies currently exist.

Although she has an admirable “dream” that appeals to the masses, her mild mannered demeanor doesn’t produce confidence or faith in her ability to lead this department out of its current situation.

It is curious though that the Correctional Officers didn’t support the person who runs the Jail and did support the person who runs Patrol, Captain Mestas. Yet, Captain Mestas wasn’t supported by the people who are Patrol-the Deputies.

Colleen Mestas. Examining the surface, she has a very impressive resume. From the outside looking in, it appears she might be one of the most qualified to handle the job; expounding on her leadership of the entire Patrol Division, the SWAT Team etc.

For those that meet her for the first time, they are likely to come away impressed. She has spent the last few years preparing for this job and has polished her speaking and public engagement skills to a fine hone.

However, for those that know her, that fine hone is two-sided and used to punish. Her insecurity as a leader shines through in private and behind your back. Anyone viewed as non-loyal attracts her focus as a non-supporter and she will extract her pound of flesh if she believes you have crossed her. Truly a vote for her will be a vote for more of the “leadership through intimidation” that we have dealt with during the last 8 years.

So, then, what about Jose “Joe” Flores. A candidate who can’t decide what his first name is? If he can’t make a decision about something as simple as that, how can you expect him to make a decision as the Sheriff.

The second writer didn’t mention that Captain Flores was reassigned from the Jail back to Administration and two Captains (one retired and one current) were assigned to the Jail to “fix” the problems he left in his wake.

Then there’s Chris Curtice. You gotta give the guy credit for even trying to compete in this race. He has the time in law enforcement but has absolutely nothing else going for him. He doesn’t have any management experience, he doesn’t know anything about budgeting or political savvy, but man he’s got heart!

The second writer (and others) have blasted these candidates for “not fixing the problems” in the Department based on the argument that they were in a position to “do something about it”. Interesting philosophy. Let’s look at this for a second.

For those outside the department, I have to tell you, it’s sad to air our FSO dirty laundry in public, but you must know the truth about how the department has been run for the last 8 years. The current candidates couldn’t have known what Pierce was doing or made an impact on it as they weren’t part of the “good ole boy” group.

Think about it! What sense does it make to have 2 women and a Hispanic male part of your “security company consultant firm” when you as a leader have done nothing to support or encourage them in the past! It’s obvious Pierce doesn’t have a whole lot of friends. Those he does have, don’t associate or want to be associated with him now. Look at who these “friends” are; Don Burk, Ron Sawl, McDonald, Harrison, Maier….all white males. Do you see a Hispanic, Black or Asian in there? How about a female? Nope!

Think about this while you are at it…realizing the current administration is going to take the blame for his mistakes, how convenient an “outsider” shows up, just in the nick of time, to “save” the Department from the rest of the candidates! How convenient it is the outsider just happens to be best friends with his (ex-)best friend, Don Burk.

If your boss has a justified, demonstrated reputation for punishment if you take the initiative to make a decision without his approval first, and you want to be somewhat happy at work, would you try to change things knowing you were going to get the worst assignments? Would you be able to do anything to make those changes, even if you wanted to? Why do you think ABC30 did a story on Pierce being “untouchable”? It would take someone who is either totally insane, is a masochist and enjoys the pain of being assigned to the worst job possible in the department for the rest of their career, or has absolutely no desire to promote beyond their current rank to even challenge Pierce about a decision he has made. Zero tolerance for a differing opinion is the mandated expectation under Pierce’s rein.

The Deputies, while well intentioned, are uninformed about what happens on the second floor of the Sheriff’s Department and what the Sheriff is REALLY like as a manager and a boss. This was obviously displayed in their endorsement.

Is the Deputies wife unhappy with how her husband is treated? Sure. Is it safe for us to be out on the west side patrolling 1200 square miles at midnight alone? No, but that’s what we get paid to do. We are Deputy Sheriffs and he knew what that meant when he accepted this job with this Department. If things are that bad here, I encourage her husband to seek safer, well lit ground where there are 5 officers stepping all over each other to stop one car. I hear other local law enforcement agencies are hiring!

This won’t change just because we get a new Sheriff-even if it is Cal. Just ask a Deputy if they want someone sitting in the car next to them all night. Most would express they want more Deputies out in the field but they certainly don’t want them sitting in the car next to them all day every day.

By the way, one of the other writers talked about some of the problems Mims and Mestas had. Yes, it is true Mims did direct a search warrant for a shotgun be issued for Deputies lockers while as an Area Commander in Selma. I worked there and received a posted notice along with everyone else assigned to the substation that my locker had been searched.

Why does she still have a job, and how did she get promoted twice? Easy answer and not hard to figure out. Pierce was the boss. It certainly was a huge mistake on her part but when Pierce is trying to develop his “legacy of diversity”, a simple written reprimand or counseling memo will serve his mission to show he “punished” her and is still able to keep her on the list for promotion.

Mestas being pursued by CHP?….Crashing seven cars (both marked and unmarked) and totaling them beyond repair?…Hiding a wanted parolee? Yep…all true. How did she get promoted? While Pierce didn’t promote her initially, Sheriff Magarian did. Coincidently, do the readers realize her husband retired as a Captain from the Sheriff’s Department? Do you think that had anything to do with her lack of punishment for these issues?

This race is going to be a shot in the dark. There isn’t one candidate who stands out as being the front runner and overall “sure thing”. This election (at least for us in the Department) is who of the candidates on the list are the least likely to embarrass us and most likely to help bring back how “things used to be”.

This isn’t about who the best candidate is, it’s about who is the best out of the group we have to currently choose from.

Having run my own private business (Consulting) for 20 years, I can see why JB (above) is tired of "analysis". As taxpayers we should be outraged at the role the Board of Supervisors play here. Fact is they are dysfunctional in this way. They are a Management Board and also a Policy Board. Taxpayers view the BOS as primarily making policy, but in practice they are primarily micro-managing every department within the county. This creates an environment where a person who identifies a problem, becomes the problem and is soon driven "out the door" or into a submissive state. The nail that pops up is driven down. So to accomplish change in ANY part of Fresno County Government one must analyze cause this is the only (generally) way the change process can be accomplished. There are a whole lot of people that have to be convinced change is needed (within and without Fresno County Government), a whole lot of people effected by the change and a whole lot of people operating within the now-changed environment. Only an analysis process gets all these folks on board. If it is dictated it will not be long-term. The change will be rejected and we now have an even worse situation. Recall every level in the FSO have their own Union MOU. As a new Sheriff this process of change will be a big challenge. Only someone who has a solid understanding of the "culture" will get this change in place. That is why I am a supporter of Mims. No other candidate has had to go through this change process as Mims has accomplished in the FSO Detention Division. The public is not aware of how troubled that division was before she was promoted. Bringing in an outside "hero" unfamiliar with the culture rarely works. I've seen it fail countless times in private companies at great cost to their profitability. In this case it will be a real threat to our own security.

There has been mention of ethics on this page. One way to assess ethics of a candidate is to use a proxy measure -- say campaign signs. If candidates have impeccable ethics, they will place signs where permission has been given.

The Fresno sheriff is the Top Law Enforcement person in Fresno County. Placing campaign signs on others personal property without permission and/or on public property is a legal violation.

Is it OK for a candidate to have a "small" legal violation? So readers, have you seen any Minor or Mestas signs where they shouldn't be? I haven't seen a Mims sign in this way.

Wow. A lot of stuff going on here. Everyone seems to agree that Chris Curtice is a decent guy, but lacks any managerial experience. Mims is targeted as an insider, and had a major faux pas regarding an allegedly illegal search. Mestas has had several eyebrow-raising incidents.

Joe "Jose" Flores' name preference is a non-issue for me (and could smack of anti-Hispanic bias if pressed too far), but his alleged mismanagement of the jail is more serious, in my opinion. Minor is alleged to be connected to Don Burk and Ron Sawl, the same "good ol' boys" Pierce is connected to. Plus his mental/stress disability status raises questions.

So, aside from the "outsider" vs. "insider" issue, is this what it comes down to - choosing the lesser of four evils?

My name is Vince Frascona and like some of the others on this page, I too work for the Sheriff's Department. The difference is, I am not asking to remain anonymous.

I have been employed the last 22 years and take exception to some of the comments made by other members of this department who refuse to give up their names. Don Burk was a good supervisor to work for as was Johnny Maier. Their years in law enforcement would have allowed them to be friends with Cal Minor,just as any one of the candidates, but that does not mean that they are the reason he is running for Sheriff.

As for the deputy who makes remarks about Cal working with minority/ethnic groups or women, has he made any comments that would lead you to believe he is racist? It sounds like that deputy may be a racist, but is trying to turn his racism towards someone of higher moral and ethical standards.

I attended a fundraiser last week for Cal and did not see one of the "good boys" that deputy was refering to at the fundraiser. And yes, we have over 500 members in the FDSA and only 154 had the guts to stand up and vote. At last count, 75%voted for Cal, so Mr. Minor was right when he said he had 75% of the votes. DID YOU VOTE?

One of our members did make a correct statement when they said that we have some people in management and on the streets who have good values and treat people right. You just need to remember that you don't have to come from within to be a good leader. Look at L.A.P.D., their current boss is from the east coast and is doing quite well.

To Joe, get a life, change friends or both, but don't attack a woman who is giving you an opinion of what it is like to work around here. And by the way, I've dealt with our free mental help in the past. Now I know why it is free. Just in case you thought you could come back and accuse me of being crazy, it was after being involved in a shooting. My family, namely my wife, were of more help to me than anyone from mental help, so back off of the wife of a deputy who is talking about the stress we face on the streets.

As for the gutless lawyer who recites the law for slamming someone, but doesn't want anyone to know who he is or where he works, I would think if you knew so much, you would hope to draw clients like most other sleezbag lawyers.

As for the deputy who remains anonymous, while telling all about our department and each of the candidates, I can see why you would want to stay that way. You ripped on everyone and everything. The gutless part was when you ripped on a fellow deputy and his wife. You must not be married, because you obviously have no idea what the other half goes through. I would love to see you step up and apologize to your partner and his wife for your comments.

This election is pulling each of us apart in this agency, because it shows in these letters. I don't care who you want to vote for or what your reasons are. Start acting professional and stop taking cheap shots out on yuor parnters or their families.

Just remember, whoever wins is going to be our boss for the next four years and we al have to work together for the citizens, even those who don't know a thing about us from the letters I have read.

There are two disingenuous issues within this blog that have been declared against Jose “Joe” Flores. First, as I have explained in my previous posting dated May 21, 2006, Jose “Joe” Flores is known by his family and close friends as Joe. Others, including those within his profession, know him as Jose. It boggles my mind as to why this is even a topic of discussion when it is so trivial and inconsequential.

Secondly and more importantly, I would like clarify the topic that “Add me to the anonymous list” brought up in his/her posting dated May 23, 2006. According to this writer, “Captain Flores was reassigned from the Jail back to Administration and two Captains (one retired and one current) were assigned to the Jail to ‘fix’ the problems he left in his wake.” As I will explain, this writer fails to identify that the problems at the jail were associated with morale, which was not created by Joe.

This issue surrounding the jail involved a labor dispute between management and the Correctional Officers’ Union. Joe and another Captain quelled the labor dispute and negotiated a win-win agreement for both management and the union. Union leaders and others could easily verify this information if they had the moral fortitude and courage, but it is evident by this blog that many in the department are fearful of the consequences of speaking the truth. Through his proven leadership and problem solving ability, Joe fought for the employees under his command and ultimately negotiated the settlement.

Unfortunately, Joe was not allowed to implement this settlement, which caused morale to drop. Joe was then transferred from the jail. Why? Could it have been that Joe was becoming a political threat because of his innate leadership skills and problem solving abilities? If it were true that Joe could not administer the jail, why was he placed in Administration? Could it be that attempts were being made to personally subdue Joe? As you will read, I believe these are legitimate questions. Let there be no question, however, that Joe has always had the moral courage do what he felt was fair and just.

It is important that you understand the period in time when the labor agreement was negotiated and reached. Based on his commitment and dedication, Joe was excelling and continues to excel both personally and professionally. Joe had received his Bachelor’s degree and had begun his Master’s studies, which he also completed. Joe was elected to the Clovis City Council, where he continues to serve, by Clovis City voters. He was later appointed and served as Mayor. Through his own admission, it was no secret that Joe’s long term goal and dream was to some day become Sheriff. Joe had placed his plan into motion and prepared himself to run for Sheriff - when the time was right. I, and many others, quite frankly believe there is no better place and time then here and now.

What Joe was not allowed to accomplish at the Sheriff’s Department he did so in Clovis. Joe has been part of a team that has been instrumental in developing and implementing policies and initiatives that have paid public safety dividends for Clovis residents. Today, Clovis Police Department is a leader in local law enforcement. They are a modern department using high-tech equipment to better police the city. Clovis PD does not suffer from recruitment or retention problems and morale is high. By the way, did I mention that local government officials and the Clovis Police Officers Association have endorsed Joe?

And finally, I leave you with one last thought regarding the jail issue. If Joe had left the jail in such disarray, as alluded to by “Add me to the anonymous list,” the question that must be answered is why then is he currently commanding the Jail Support Services Bureau? Think about it. Why on earth would Joe be reassigned to the jail knowing that others had to come in and “fix the problems left in his wake” from his previous command? Perhaps, Joe is no longer considered a political threat, considering that a new Sheriff will be elected, and attempts to personally subdue him are no longer necessary.

In closing, Jose “Joe” Flores and many others know exactly who he is and what he will accomplish if elected Sheriff. Joe will provide strong leadership as he transforms the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department into a progressive and responsive law enforcement agency that is second to none. Joe is by far the best prepared and most qualified candidate to lead the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department. In addition to his proven leadership qualifications, Joe has demonstrated he has the requisite knowledge, skill and ability to provide effective and efficient public safety services to Fresno County residents.

As a Deputy Sheriff of Fresno County, I was run out of town on a rail because of Sheriff Pierce. How dare I question his idiocy? Sheriff Pierce has been an embarassment to the citizens of Fresno County for all these years. Talk about lame candidates?? Let's examine a couple. Colleen Mestas went on NATIONAL TV on COPS and appeared to be shaking in her boots on a patrol stop. At the time, I thought OH Great! Imagine our surprise when soon after she got promoted. Now she is a Captain???? Absurd! Well, not as absurd as Mims or Hollis being Assitant Sheriff's. Pierce has done his best to promote the incompentent. The competent Deputies he does his best to write enough paper on them to get them fired or forced to resign in lieu of being fired. No no, it is time to flush the toilet and get a Sheriff in there who will do some serious house cleaning and get rid of the riff rafts. One Deputy I know brags that he still has the same ticket book he was issued in 1975! Now, there's a real worker. If Pierce has anything to say about it, he will be promoted before November. The threat of Pierce, Mims, Flores, or Mestas' retaliation is 100% true. Richard Pierce has used his Deputies on ON DUTY TIME to investigate personal matters, wasting tax payers money because someone offended him and he was GONNA SHOW THEM! He didnt, and they are there today laughing in his face and still employed. Vote for the guy who isn't in this poisoned little click. Mestas and Mims have NO clue what do and NO command presence. They are both laughed at and despised by 90% of the troops. Flores is clueless and rudderless. Look at the City of Clovis when he was the Mayor there. VOTE FOR CAL MINOR. End this insanity once and for all! Oh, and this last posting by Frascona? Figures. He's one of Pierce's cronies. Ask him when he last sat in a patrol car and handled a radio call! Time for the HOOVER to suck out the dead wood and get FSO back on track.

Reading some of these comments are quite amusing. This clown Cedric is a scream. Is he married to Mims? Elizabeth, this is FRESNO COUNTY, not the real world. These people are as crooked as a dog's hind leg. You can't believe they are still employed? Sure they are. Pierce saw to that. He's an egotistical buffoon who should have been indicted for his involvement with the Department of Justice. You didnt see that happen did you? I feel sad for the hard working Deputies who have to put up with this nonsense. Mrs Deputy, your husband knew what was involved when he got hired. Maybe you need to move to LA or Chicago where Junior will have backup 24/7. Working the west side, you might not even see another car, let alone another person for an entire shift. Bottom line is Bonzo the Chimp is better than what they have to work with now.

Dear Readers:
I was a fellow Rotarian with Mims for 10 years. I saw her in action doing community service. Saw her giving service to others. Saw first-hand her high standards. That is why I support her and why I have contributed to her campaign.

We keep hearing about how Mims, Mestas and Flores are part of the administration but never make any changes. Well do you know what the word BOSS means? The Sheriff is the boss, he makes the final decision. Come on guys and gals, if your sgt. says do this..YOU DO IT, they are your boss.

Then when you do what your Sgt. says, your peers get on your case, bottom line, we all get marked by following order or making/not making decisions. NOT everyone can be pleases at the same time.

We all have an idea of who we want as SHERIFF! Let's stop bagging on the candidates and just vote. For all those who have gone against your BOSS, raise your hand!

"We all have an idea of who we want as SHERIFF!"

Not me. I'm just a private citizen, and don't even personally know anyone in the Sheriff's Office. I'm trying to sort all this stuff out and figure out who to vote for.

I've got it narrowed down to three now, so at least I'm making progress. But I have no confidence at all right now that I am able to decide who is the best candidate.

I would like to know where these candidates stand with faith based issues. I've heard all the politically correct reponses to questions surrounding how they will deal with this problem and that. It is time to get to know the candidates personally. The sheriff is an elected official. As such, his or her personal life becomes viewable to all of us, like it or not. Wouldn't you like to know more about who they are and what their priorities are in life? To me, the answer is YES. I want to know how they live their lives away from the job.

It's obvious Ruben C. Fuentes is going to "spin" Jose's reassignment to try and present it in the best possible light.

You say the problems at the jail were with morale (there too?) And that the problems were with management (Jose was the boss, right?) and the labor unions. So, you are trying to get people to believe that 1) Jose was the problem and then 2) he came up with a plan to fix it? by being transferred out? What a unique concept!

Give me a break! Everyone in the department is aware of the mismanagement of the jail finances, the fact he was "out of the office on pager" yet never responded to it when paged, and the overall decline in morale BECAUSE of him! If you look at the timeline of when things happen, when Jose was at the Jail, he was his own boss and had nobody to answer to.

He was brought back to the Administration so he could be "watched" and insure he was actually at the office and would get his required work done. The only reason he is back in charge of the Jail Support Services Bureau is because Pierce promoted three people to Assistant Sheriff. Jose's boss is Assistant Sheriff Mims. She is holding her staff accountable and while she may not be perfect, at least Jose is being supervised.

This is directed at the posting by Mike-you were correct is saying this race is a choice between the lesser of four evils.

Honestly, there is no "best candidate". None of these have "all" of the qualities of a leader. All of them have made mistakes in their careers, some more serious than others, but none are perfect. Hopefully these postings by people from within the department clarify some of the issues. Once you get past the obvious rantings and biased against Pierce, you will see even the Department members don't have a consensus on who to support.

By the way, the previous writer was correct in Frascona being one of Pierce's cronies. Anyone reading his post will see he hasn't taken sides other than backing the FDSA's decision to support Minor. How surprising that Frascona, as Pierce's, Burks', Maiers' and Harrison's supporter, will support a candidate that is friends with Burk, who helped created this internal disaster in the first place!

Despite all of the internal conflict over who to support, one thing we as members of the Department can promise the public, we will continue to serve the citizens of this county the best we can, no matter who is in charge of us.

"Add me to the anonymous list," you have missed the point of my posting dated May 23, 2006, and actually I’m not surprised.

So, here it is plain and simple. Yes, the problems at the jail were related to morale. Yes, the morale problems at the jail were created by an unsettled labor dispute. Yes, Joe and a former Captain negotiated a plan to alleviate the labor dispute. No, Joe did not negotiate the plan so he could be transferred. That’s just silly. When the plan was agreed upon by the Correctional Officers’ Union and only later to be denied, this most definitely impacted morale!

Now let’s address your latest disingenuous, but serious claim about the mismanagement of jail finances. In one breath you state that department administrators do not have the autonomy to make budgetary decision. Now you claim that Joe did. Let me remind you of your following statement, which was posted on May 23, 2006, at 12:00 a.m. You wrote,

"Everyone in the Department was familiar with and knew Pierce’s management style (micromanagement through autocratic/dictitorial leadership). He demonstrated it thoroughly as the Patrol Captain for many years. Imagine as a top administrator in a company with a multi-million dollar budget not having the authority to approve a $10.00 order for business cards" (para. 10).

“Add me to the anonymous list,” do you see how you contradict yourself? First and foremost, your claim about jail mismanagement is absolutely false. But, let’s assume for a minute that what you say is true, that is top administrators did not have the independence to make financial decisions. How then can YOU honestly blame Joe for YOUR perceived mismanagement of jail finances? The fact is the jail did not have financial problems under Joe’s command. It has always been and continues to be a revenue generator through booking fees and other revenue generating fess associated with the housing of state and federal inmates. This information can be verified through public record.

And finally, “Add me to the anonymous list,” I do not know what position you currently hold. I don’t know your educational background, training or experience. Even assuming you were a young, hard working deputy, are you naïve to believe that Joe did not have a superior who makes final decisions regarding personnel issues like staffing, labor disputes and budgetary matters? Of course he did, just like we all do.

Look, you have five candidates running for Sheriff who all believe they can do a good job. However, if you were to take the time to sincerely analyze each candidate’s public and private sector education and experience, you too will conclude that Joe is by far the best qualified to lead the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department.

You guys should have read McEwen's column a couple of months ago. The one about not voting for people without any experience in their job.

Mims and Mestas stole the show at the Fresno Business Council forum. The same holds true of your endorsement of Westley...ebay multi-millionaire, or experieced businessman and thoughtful policy-maker. Tell Bill hello. His experience column was one of his best, look it up!

I'm reading and still not believing there isn't a decent candidate for the top cop job in Fresno County. I am amused that Curtice would even attempt to run for an office he can't function in. HE'S ON DISABILITY.

Are we supposed to believe that once the election is over, his ailment will magically disappear? Let's face it, Mims and Mestas have even a tougher time because science hasn't perfected brain transplants yet. No, Flores doesn't need to mess up the entire Department. He already trashed the jail.

The majority of the negative comments are coming from inside the department, from people who KNOW THESE PEOPLE. They know they can't handle the job and are trying to disuade the "head in the sand" voter from voting for someone who is clueless. It's the old "good ole boy" syndrome. When Magarian was there, God help a Deputy who tried to give someone from Stevie's church a ticket. All they got for their trouble was "I know Steve Magarian" and the correct answer was "Good for you, so do I. Press hard, 4 copies". Of course these tickets never made it to the courtroom. Magically disappeared. What really needs to happen before the buffoon leaves is a formal investigation of the entire department be conducted by the Department of Justice.

But, we live in a world where the crooked get protected by the crooked. There is no solution to the problem. Not one of the people running has the stones to do the job correctly. Should get real interesting here in the next couple of months.

You people are all unprofessional and unhappy individuals.

Seek therapy on some level and get a life.

Change starts from the person who cares enough to make a difference. It does not start with a whole lot of people pointing fingers. I feel sorry for whoever gets to be Sheriff. She/He will obviously have to put up with a multitude of idiots.

Have some pride for crying out loud and stop blaming other people for your own short comings.

I haven't heard any of you sniveling worms appreciate that you even have a job.

After reading all these obnoxious and belligerent, albeit dissenting opinions, no wonder I dislike politics and politicians! A pox on all of them!

I don't know anyone running but I feel nothing will change. Many things are at fault. Micro-managing system, high salaries, and cronyism, racism, corruption etc. What a mess.

I've been reading all this jazz on here and no one has addressed why Pierce is going to be allowed to bow out and not be prosecuted for his behavior? He would certainly go to all lengths to prosecute one of his own. This man is an embarrassment to law enforcement officers across the nation. Argue or have a difference of opinion with him and he will have you on the beach or try to have you prosecuted. Mims and Mestas are nothing but Pierce in drag. Does anyone have a website for Minor that I can go to and learn about his qualifications?

It would be productive if folks could get past the mud slinging at each others’ chosen candidates and focus on the issues here! For the most part, each candidate is saying the same thing about what they believe the issues to be. Low morale, inadequate staffing for patrol and custody, inadequate funding from the Board of Supervisors, lack of strong leadership and clear direction, and a lack of confidence by employees in the current upper administration.

I’ve listened to a number of the forums in which the candidates were asked to present why they should be elected Sheriff and their views on many of these topics. This is a summary of my obervations.

Chris Curtice is a line-level employee that recognizes the concerns of the troops in the trenches. He isn’t a politician (but he is a great musician!) and really speaks from his heart. Chris’s downfall is that he has no significant management or budget experience, which is honestly a requirement for this position. We all hope to see Chris back on the street soon!

Jose Flores relies on his political experience as a Clovis City Councilman / Mayor to carry him through. As a Clovis resident, I rate his leadership and vision as mediocre at best. He is ready to jump on whatever bandwagon that is politically correct. He leans on the fact that he purchased drugs and investigated homicides as a detective. That is about where his experience ends. The previous author is correct regarding Jose being moved from assignment to assignment as an administrator. He has never held an assignment as a field commander, which is normally a requirement for promotion beyond Lieutenant. He is currently in a position where he is closely supervised by his immediate superior and does not have independent authority to make management decisions. That is for a reason. His management skills are weak, his ability to make common sense decisions are poor, and his leadership abilities are severely lacking. His answer to the issues is to build bridges and create partnerships. Those are political buzz phrases. Jose is a nice guy, but that isn’t going to cut it. Incidentally, Jose has been a life-long Democrat, with a recent conversion to the Republican Party. The timing of the conversion in relation to his entry into this race is interesting. This is especially suspect, considering his promotion of liberal social programs if he is elected Sheriff.

Colleen Mestas has been the Captain overseeing the Patrol Bureau for about a year and a half. As the lieutenant in charge of the deputy training program, she introduced a pilot training program into the agency that was one of only a few in the state. Regardless of opinion of the program, she certainly demonstrated leadership and vision in that project. One of her duties as Captain is administrative oversight of SWAT, as well as a number of other specialty units. She is not now, nor has she has never assigned to SWAT. Her political handlers are pushing that topic. Colleen has the ability to be a good leader and has polished herself into a capable politician. What she lacks is experience in the budget and management arena. With a bit more experience I think you will see Colleen going places (maybe chief of police at a smaller agency, or perhaps a shot at an assembly seat?).

Margaret Mims has only been an Assistant Sheriff for about a year and a half and had only been a Captain for about a year before that. Her experience as an administrator is nowhere near what she tries to represent. She is lacking as a visionary and leader. Unfortunately, those two qualities are what the Sheriff’s Department needs right now. She says that she will boost field staffing by removing deputies from the jail and hospital assignments. What she is failing to mention is SHE is responsible for assigning them to those positions to begin with! Remember, she’s in charge of custody? She also wants to continue with the liberal social programs we have been saddled with for the past several years, because “it takes a village to raise a child”. Yes, Margie is also a Democrat, but at least she is proud of it and didn’t change her party affiliation for the sake of a political race. Margie is a very nice lady, but unfortunately with her in charge the Sheriff’s Department is in for more of the same.

Cal Minor has been a ranking leader within the CHP for over twenty years. For the last several years, he was tasked with creating and running the county-wide multi-agency gang enforcement team (MAGEC). He also is responsible for the creation of the multi-agency auto theft team (HEAT). This man is a true visionary and knows how to lead. The people that work for him now and in the past have nothing but praise for his abilities as a leader and manager. This is EXACTLY what the Sheriff’s Department needs! Deputies and Correctional Officers alike need someone at the helm they can trust to follow through and look out for the best interests of the agency AND the public. Cal knows how to lead from the front, and be a courageous follower at the same time. He understands the public’s expectation of what the Sheriff’s Department’s function is. Law enforcement is not the appropriate venue for liberal social service experiments. Especially not now when we are in a budgetary and manpower crisis! Trying to turn cops into social workers is NOT being a good steward of the public’s tax dollars. Cal Minor is the one candidate that can be trusted by Fresno County taxpayers to spend their tax dollars wisely. I encourage the voters to support the Fresno Deputy Sheriff’s Association in election Cal Minor as your Fresno County Sheriff. http://minorforsheriff.org

Colleen Mestas was all business, no nonsense tonight on KSEE Channel 24.

She's got my vote as Sheriff.

Hey Michael I can see why you're a supporter and why the local NRA supports her.

I read all the jibberish about all of the candidates. Good luck to all of you, you'll need it. This young lady is a smoking gun!

Captain Jose Flores has my vote. He has way more exeperience then any of the rest and is the best person for the job. I have talked to a lot of people in Clovis who also agree.

As I've read and heard, Deputy Curtice is a good guy, but does not have the experience. Captain Mestas and Cal Minor have way too many skeletons in their closet. As for Assistant Sheriff Mims - well she doesn't have a lot of experience as an administrator.

I have seen Captain Flores' resume and it's pretty impressive. See if for yourself at http://www.floresforsheriff.org/

The last comment by another "Anonymous Deputy" is another pathetic attempt to convince the voters to elect Minor for Sheriff. It is obvious that he has written the blog before. Same song and dance different author.

I work in the city. I know and have worked with Colleen over the years.

When a sure winner is in the lead the rest panic and resort to dirty political tactics. Mestas, a Chief of a small police agency? That was a good one. It is obvious that Mr."Anonymous" Deputy can not stand the idea of a woman leading him.

Fresno County is ready, the citizens of the City of Fresno are ready, we are all ready, lead the way Sheriff Mestas and we will follow.

Join me in voting for Colleen Mestas on June 6th.

For as long as I can remember the office of the Sheriff was to be selected by the citizens, not the employees. There are hard decisions to be made that require a head for business.

I belong to several clubs within the city and county. The memberships of each of those clubs has endorsed Captain Colleen Mestas for a reason. She was the best candidate. One can not reverse the partnership extension once it has been extended. We have established a line of communication with the Sheriff's Department on a number of topics. Our community and citizens finally have a voice.

Sheriff Pierce made some horrible choices and he is paying the high price for those choices now. His people will not follow him and his administration has turned their back on him, especially one who he extended an opportunity to become second in command. I had questioned Assistant Sheriff Mims' timing of speaking up.

Captain Flores did not bother to show up for two candidate forums where I was present. I watched the political question debate on television last night. I envisioned someone much more well spoken. The rest of the county does not revolve around the City of Clovis.

Captain Minor handled himself just as I expected. The old rough and tough no nonsense stuck in the 1970's glory days. If you can't take a person to jail the Sheriff shouldn't be out there.

I live in the county. It has been reassuring to me to be able to call in and have someone come out to my place and take care of problems that several years ago weren't a Sheriff's problem. My neighbors had cars in their yard, trash piled up and traffic coming and going all hours of the night. It was a problem for several years. I had finally had enough. I called the Sheriff's Department and it was handled. The Deputy who helped me said they had several problems with the same house. We worked together and got rid of the problem. I know enough that a civilian employee could not have enforced the laws the law enforcement officer did. I won't get that same service if Captain Minor is Sheriff because he doesn't beleive in it. He said he did last night on television but he said the opposite when I saw him in person speaking to my club for an endorsement.

My vote is with the person looking out for me and my community. You remember us, the taxpaye