Investigative Reporter John Taft

May 14^th, 2001

Grants Pass, OR -- On May 10^th Josephine County’s six-member budget committee rendered a split vote on a fund request by Sheriff Daniel, and thus denied him the $800,000 he promised he wouldn’t ask for. In 1998 Daniel said during a campaign speech, "I intend to restore full police services to the residents of Josephine County without askin’ the citizens and the residents to pay more money to do it."

The three budget committee members that asked for common sense, character, and accountability were Commissioner Jim Brock, and budget committee members Dave Parrish and Bill Boyett. The other three budget committee members not asking for accountability for Daniel were the two remaining commissioners, Frank Iverson and Harold Haugen, and budget committee member Dave Diller, who was evidently misled by Daniel and the two commissioners. All six budget committee members were given the same information the reader now has access to, yet three of them refused to hold Daniel accountable for his campaign promises. They voted to give Daniel more money without having a performance audit done to protect the taxpayers from incompetence. Daniel’s track record casts a sickly green aura about his words and character. Brock, Boyett, and Parrish deserve recognition for a correct decision denying the sheriff $800,000 above his present budget.

Josephine County is full of enablers that allow those who lie and deceive the public to escape accountability for their actions. The Daily Courier has recently carried articles that tend to praise and even glorify Daniel. Ace reporter Howard Huntington, in a front-page story detailing the May 7 sheriff’s request for more money, quoted Harry Mackin, a Daniel enabler, as saying, "He has done a good job." Huntington failed to mention the issues speaker John Taft brought up, as they appear not to conform to Huntington’s political agenda. The major issue of Daniel’s campaign promises was ignored, as well as a suggestion that the budget committee ask for an efficiency study of the department, and a suggestion the sheriff’s association’s union contract be carefully reviewed.

The Daily Courier editor Dennis Roler did a favorable editorial for Daniel without knowing all the details, apparently based on Huntington’s biased article. This is the kind of information the public often gets from the Daily Courier. However, in the past Editor Roler’s editorials have held some public officials accountable for their actions.

It seems that the owner and publisher of the paper John Voorhies does not allow exposure or accountability of local political happenings on the front page of the paper. Voorhies is alleged to be one of the good old boys and appears to just wink at the indiscretions in county politics while peddling advertising space.

Strobezone and the Oregon Observer expose Daniel’s duplicity in the article, "Daniel Promises Full Police Services Without Asking for More Money." (On Strobezone and the May issue of the Observer) Daniel’s printed statements have been verified from a video made during one of his campaign speeches. It seems he suckered a lot of good folks with the famous line, "Here’s what I’m gonna do for you, if you elect me." It now appears Daniel both lied and stole the election from a better-qualified man (Dan Calvert) who wouldn’t promise what he couldn’t deliver to win the election. Former District Attorney Tim Thompson felt so strongly about the sheriff’s race that he publicly endorsed Calvert and made the point, in a letter to the editor, that Daniel wasn’t qualified to be sheriff. Events over the past 17 months have shown Thompson correct.

In the year 2000 Daniel supported a sheriff’s tax levy using fear tactics and won. On April 4, 2001, he appeared before the county budget committee asking for more money, and again on May 7 he asked the budget committee for more money. Remember that this is the sheriff who promised he wouldn’t ask the voters for more money and would supply full police services with available funds.

Thanks to a bright, recently appointed, budget committee member David Parrish, Josephine County will have a new internal auditor. Perhaps, the heat from an internal audit of Daniel’s books will allow the central heating system to be shut down in the sheriff’s department. Maybe, Daniel will look for a cool spot in Alaska? The cost of the auditor at $85,000 appears to be money well spent considering the chaotic condition of the county budget. The auditor should be able to save the county his salary, and more.

Have lies, deceit, and theft of office caught up with Dave Daniel? Strobezone and the Oregon Observer believe that with this much evidence hanging around the sheriff’s neck the best thing he could do is resign and go back to Alaska. An excellent replacement for Daniel would be the second in command in the sheriff’s department, Lt. Gordon Williams. Williams is nearing retirement in a couple of years but would be a good replacement for Daniel until then.