Dear Editor,

For several years, I have been campaigning against the onslaught of illegal narcotics into Mineral County, and this community.

When the Commissioners first began this descent into the hell of drug proliferation, I argued with them directly, pleading that they must not violate the laws of the state, and our Nation. They must not act in criminal fashion, introducing illegal narcotics into the community, to the detriment of it all. I was dismissed as a nobody, who was just getting in the way. (The deals had obviously been made)

I appealed to the people of Mineral County, to stop this poisoning of this community for their own sake, and especially for the young people, who will have to live in this degraded environment. The response, silence. Lastly, I directed my arguments specifically at the parents, and teachers, the more important mentors in these students’ lives. The response, crickets. Where the parents? Do they not care? Even more disheartening, the Educators, entrusted with the civic, and yes, moral development of our future leaders, have been either intimidated, cowed or coerced into silent acceptance of acknowledged illegal acts by Public Officials. After years of Public Service programs, driving home the certain dead-end that narcotics will impose on their lives, Teachers must now say to their students that it was all a lie, illicit drugs are really OK. Worst of all, the Guidance Counselors, and School Nurses, who have witnessed first-hand, the destruction of very promising young people, wasted lives that could have achieved so much. Why are they silent?

The politicians are in it for the money, pure and simple. Lying to you that magically, the filthy money will save budgets, and the filthy underbelly of this criminal enterprise will not be noticed. Ask yourself honestly, will this illicit money change the schools’ teaching about the insidious effect of narcotics on the students’ future?

Will the subsidizing of the County’s budget with illegal drug money place Law Enforcement into very difficult decisions? Where drugs are concerned, who gets arrested and who doesn’t? Who will get a pass, and for what reason? You cannot operate in knowing violation of the Law, and have fair and equal justice.

To further illustrate the dishonesty of this charade, have you noticed that the word “marijuana” has now been replaced with the innocuous term “cannabis”? Deliberate deception to get you to drop your guard, relax, don’t worry about it. Everything will be just fine, trust us, would we lie?

Please folks, stop the Corruption now. Laws are being broken, in your name. The revote on this will be in a couple weeks. Your last chance to end the madness.

Tom Bergeron Sr.

Mina

Dear Editor,

Here we go again, as I said before Sheriff Adams and Undersheriff Ferguson need to resign immediately. They both knew what was going on and did nothing. As you all know these are the two top officers, if I’m not mistaken all police officers take an “oath to protect and serve” so commissioners where is your “grit” put the pressure on and do the right thing and get this done and hire a new sheriff. And “not” from Mineral County. Mineral County does not need an undersheriff. That money could be used to give a much needed increase in the deputies’ salaries. “Two million dollars” and they may be just getting started. Who is paying? So you the commissioner’s put the pressure on and get this police department cleaned up. There is no proactive in the dept. as far as I can see only reactive. So all you and me the general public and tax payers lets put the pressure on and there are ways to do it believe me.

Note: Don’t forget Kelly Coltrain folks, what if she was a member of your family.

Butch Seymour

Hawthorne