In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act
– George Orwell
The truth is that we all know many things are desperately wrong with our government at every level, Federal, State and even Local.
The problem exists within the realm of ones willingness to accept truth which many times strikes us as bad news and decide to help make a positive change or to scoff at the truth teller as imaginative and continue to live in denial, which is easier by design.
Denial and/or deceit have made the political realm the fastest growing industry in recent modern times. Right here close to home in Calaveras County we have political boondoggles a plenty and I took office in January with a no holds bar approach at getting things cleaned up and a little more transparent, at the request of those who voted me into office by a 12+ point margin of victory. This resulted in ugly backlashes from those seeking to hide the truth, manifest as a recall effort.
“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway” -John Wayne
I give thanks and praise to all those who had the courage to stick with the truth and “told their neighbors and friends” that this was nothing more than a “sour grapes campaign” from last November’s election losers. As I watched former supervisor Russ Thomas stroll into the elections office Monday November 28th 2011 with a stack of recall petitions and listened to him tell me I was an arrogant fool it took me back, almost a direct flashback to one year ago. Even Nick Baptista the local owner/editor of the Valley Springs News drew the same conclusion in comparison and he even asked me, “does this seem like deja-vu from a year ago this time?”.
Luckily the conclusion was also similar to the outcome one year ago. The conclusion one year ago was that Russ Thomas was the actual arrogant individual, that he was not serving the best interests of the people and he lost the election. Monday November 28th 2011 concluded in similar fashion. Try as he and his disrespectful supporters might, they came up short of the number of signatures needed and again had to face the reality that the people are smarter than they give them credit for and can still see through their lies.
We must be vigilant in making sure that lies do not go unchallenged. I have heard of people being swayed by the deceptive lies told during this recall campaign.
I have consistently held a public forum no less than twice a month since taking office where people can walk in without an appointment and ask any question of me they like and/or share ideas, or concerns, or even wishes about what they think would help our community be a better place. The funny thing is, none of the recall people ever came to one coffee shop meeting and aired concerns or complaints. I am left to beleive that their no show status is directly linked to their decision to not accept me as their newly elected representative, but rather to focus their time and efforts on demeaning and slandering me.
These informal public forums take place at Common Grounds Coffee Shop in the Village Terrace on Vista Del Lago in Valley Springs every 2nd and 4th Tuesday starting at 7 pm.
If you or anyone you know has a desire to speak with me in person, please visit me at the coffee shop on the 2nd or 4th Tuesday evening. If your need is more immediate or a phone call or email is easier, contact me anytime and I will be more than willing to speak or correspond with you on any issue you wish pertaining to the county and how I may be of assistance.
Thank you again for your wonderful supportive words, emails, voice messages and for letting the truth be known. I will continue to tell the truth even if it causes pain for some at times, fight for your rights and your interests to make our community ever better. With your continued help and support I know we can make this happen.
Most Sincerely, Darren Spellman
Your County Supervisor……..still = )
Calaveras West Blog 