Folks, I do find it ironic that Facebook, run by evil tech brats in Silicon Valley, is the chosen means of communication in a part of the country supposedly inhabited by nothing but militias, Nazis, Christian Nationalists, people wanting to “live off the grid,” and a host of other boogeymen. Especially as Zuckerberg, is Jewish, and is known to use his software to data mine people via tracking cookies and other devices. Facebook tracks users all over the Internet to monetize their clicking habits.
Anyway, this week, Dave Schuman released a letter on Facebook explaining why he resigned (or retired) as a deputy sheriff. He also went on to explain that he is still running for sheriff. I wish to look at this letter just a bit. Dave’s letter raises more questions than it answers. Is he paranoid or is somebody out to get him, or at least derail his run for sheriff? I’ll let you decide.
After I declared my candidacy, and after a law enforcement career spanning decades with this Sheriff’s Office, I was suddenly subjected to a personnel action initiated, in the view of many, for purely political reasons, and designed to defeat my candidacy.
I am prohibited from disclosing all the facts surrounding this action, but have noticed that through social and other media, a good deal of speculation has taken place about this action, and I want to make some things clear to make sure the voters are not misled.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 9TH, 2024
1. I recently retired after a long Peace Officer career in this county with a clean record and no discipline. I retired because I have been eligible … Speculation and concerns about the timing and the reason for my “personnel action”, is that it was motivated and furthered by political considerations.
If I hadn’t retired, … I might have been prevented from speaking out on vital public matters, … By choosing not to retire to uphold my First Amendment freedoms, I couldn’t ensure my ability to honestly convey information throughout my campaign; my effectiveness would have been severely limited.
There is no other reason for my retirement at this time …
It’s a political game. I don’t play games. I intend to show through my ability to speak freely about the real issues facing this Sheriff’s Office, that the people of this county can’t be fooled by “personnel actions” into voting against their best interests, and I sincerely believe my candidacy is in their best interests.
2. Speculation circulating in social … has largely been based on inadequate information. I’m running and retiring because it needs to be done to ensure the truth about these matters come out, and I can’t do that as an employee of the Sheriff’s Office.
I’m fully prepared to demonstrate and prove that the “personnel action” that caused public attention was primarily politically motivated. At present, I am unable to divulge all the evidence, which may lead to unfounded speculation, however, I can inform you that the allegations are baseless.
Individuals knowledgeable about the pertinent issues and unjustly support these assertions, will be pursued through legal recourse. Rest assured, truth and justice will prevail, and you may learn a lot about who leads this county.
3. I didn’t serve others in law enforcement … only to become ‘UNQUALIFIED’ to serve as Sheriff.
Due to the First Amendment rights, I now enjoy as a retiree and political candidate … I intend to prove it to the people of Boundary County …
This type of political attack hurts families and friends. It has hurt my family a great deal and is not what our County is all about.
Entities within this county are leading us inadequately in certain crucial aspects. Our focus should be on safeguarding our families, friends, and neighbors, rather than engaging in cunning political tactics aimed solely at concealing undisclosed matters related to the performance of these entities’ responsibilities.
I say, there should be transparency in all areas of government, other than ongoing investigations. I intend to conduct my campaign that way, which will encompass discussions surrounding this “personnel action” that have sparked significant attention in the current Sheriff election.
So, Dave says he is under attack from local people who behind the scenes are running the county and trying to ruin him. This boosts the narrative that Travis Stolley is being pushed by the good ‘ole boy network to be the next sheriff because they can control him.
But who is or are the good ‘ole boys?
I’ve only lived here for a year. In other parts of Idaho, I’d speculate that the people running the county were in the LDS church but that is not the case here. There is a strong Mennonite Community here and they represent a large segment of the older families in the community. There is also a local Indian tribe that owns a casino and other assets. They also recently purchased the local newspaper. I know they have money but, in my opinion, they don’t flaunt it to the degree that they could. They seem to be trying to avoid bad publicity and work behind the scenes.
The other factor, not in Dave’s letter, is the fact that in the last few years, a large influx of people from other states has moved into this area. I would say most are from California, then Oregon and Washington, although folks from other states have moved here too. For example, our electrician is from Hawaii. The old and established families are being displaced by this influx of new people and things here are changing in ways they certainly don’t like. For example, the price of housing here has about tripled since Covid.
The other possibility is that there isn’t a good ‘ole boy system at all. Maybe it’s a myth or supposition made by outsiders. Given that there are definitely cliques here, I think it likely that there are factions. Going to the right church certainly opens doors when seeking employment here. I hear lots of such stories from the contractors that we are hiring to do our house.
After drafting this post, I spoke to someone in the community that I respect, and I was assured that the good ‘ole boy club in the area is the real deal and a vicious bunch to deal with if you get on their bad side. After experiencing their wrath, this person was shocked at the things they were willing to fabricate to harm one’s livelihood and reputation. This person also agreed that Travis Stolley is the establishment favorite for county sheriff.
It appears that Dave Schuman is impeding the will of local powerbrokers and has been tossed under the campaign bus as a result.