Ramsey is not "top cop"

You see it proclaimed in the newspaper or on t.v.: “Mike Ramsey, top law enforcement official in Butte County…” And the implication is that Ramsey calls the shots for the entire law enforcement community of our county. The real truth is that Ramsey only gets to boss around his small cadre of DA investigators. *FN

You see, there are a number of independent law enforcement agencies in Butte County. The Chico Police Department, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oroville Police Department come readily to mind. Each of the afore-mentioned agencies is funded by taxpayer dollars, and has its own separate chain of command and responsibilities. CSU Chico has its own police force. And don’t forget the California Highway Patrol, which is a state-wide agency. It is ludicrous to insinuate that any of these agencies are under Ramsey’s control, or that they must answer to him.

However, law enforcement does have a working relationship with Ramsey’s office. Here’s how it works: An officer investigates a crime, prepares a report, and submits the report to the DA’s office for prosecution. The DA’s office reviews the report(s), etc., and decides what, if any, criminal complaint will be filed. The investigating officer remains available for further consultation or testimony at trial.

There is no chief law enforcement official in Butte County. When I am elected to the office of Butte County District Attorney, don’t call me “top lawman”. I will be merely an elected official running the DA’s office.


*FN. I write from my own knowledge and observations. Any inaccuracies herein originate with myself, and no other person.

Thanx for your help so far, Lance Daniel

Right after I filed my papers to be a candidate, there was some snarling by the Lance Daniel crowd that I had somehow been co-opted by Mike Ramsey to act as a spoiler. Supposedly my goal was to hand the race to Ramsey. In similar fashion, the rabidly anti-Daniel crowd has suggested that my entering the race will harm Ramsey to the extent that Daniel will prevail.

Okay, first off, Dale does things for his own reasons, and does not consult with Mike Ramsey. I have no direct contact with Ramsey at all. Once in a blue moon I see him in the court corridors, and I say “hi, Mike.” That earns me a stiff little nod, no more, no less.

Now let’s examine the Lance Daniel issue. If it is true, that in a 2-person race, Daniel’s bankroll would have allowed him to get somewhere near 50% of the vote, how then does it follow that my entry into the race helps him? Not to beat the point to death, but I did get a respectable share of the vote when I last ran. If Lance Daniel were to get that 50% in a 2-person race, at least half of his vote would be people holding their noses and simply voting to get Ramsey out. My own opinion is that Lance Daniel has zero chance of winning the primary outright.

Some say I entered the race on behalf of Ramsey to “spoil” it for Daniel. Some say that my quixotic entry will harm Ramsey and allow Daniel to take it. I say that Daniel is my spoiler, and with his lance in Ramsey’s side I might yet be able to take the old bull elephant down.