For the past several months many of you have called asking me to
write more columns, but I’ve refrained for several reasons
including the ongoing saga of the District 5 elections. But after
seeing my friend, Supervisor-elect Jaime De La Cruz, go to the
hospital for five days because of the constant stress he’s enduring
from false accusations and then reading a letter to the editor from
someone that could not care less about justice, I find myself
having to fire up my computer.
Dear Editor,
For the past several months many of you have called asking me to write more columns, but I’ve refrained for several reasons including the ongoing saga of the District 5 elections. But after seeing my friend, Supervisor-elect Jaime De La Cruz, go to the hospital for five days because of the constant stress he’s enduring from false accusations and then reading a letter to the editor from someone that could not care less about justice, I find myself having to fire up my computer.
Several people, including many of the current Board of Supervisors, the D.A. and the letter writer have repeatedly said that Mr. De La Cruz deserves to be charged with a crime. Why? Because Mr. De La Cruz beat the incumbent by 10 votes, which is hard to swallow, according to the supervisor’s campaign manager. Therefore, since the incumbent lost in the election, the winner must have cheated. That’s it! That is all the evidence these people have that Mr. De La Cruz has cheated in the District 5 election.
Were mistakes made in the election? Of course there were, and I’ve said that from the very beginning. I did turn in four sealed absentee ballots to the election office after being told it was all right by the election department as long as they were sealed. Was I the only one that did this? No! Each election, several dozen people do the same thing, not because they’re criminals, but because they’re helping someone who can’t make it to the election office in time. Even the sheriff has done it.
If you haven’t heard, the Board of Supervisors has now spent over $100,000 in the effort to prove that Mr. De La Cruz did something illegal in order to win the election. Now, the DA thinks he’s found the smoking water gun because of three signatures worth 75 cents. The D.A. wants to let an admitted murderer go free after six years in prison, but wants to lock up Mr. De La Cruz for four years over 75 cents. The problem for the D.A. and the supervisors is that once again, they’re creating false charges against Mr. De La Cruz. The solution? Charge a supporter of Mr. De La Cruz, a mother of three with a felony for alleging she voted twice. Who cares that the election officials are swearing up and down that she did nothing wrong? All that matters is that she voted for Mr. De La Cruz, so a felony must have been committed.
Now that you have more information about the election, ask yourself if justice is being served or is there injustice at work. If you believe that everything is all right, then ask yourself these questions: Why hasn’t anyone – not one person – ever come forward to validate the charges against Mr. De La Cruz?
Remember that originally the Board of Supervisors and the D.A. said that hundreds of people were making complaints about being forced to vote. How would you feel knowing that the “independent investigator” purposely left out critical information that proves no criminal acts were committed?
Should the Board of Supervisors have been involved or should it have been handled by an independent body? Why doesn’t the D.A. admit that the state has finished its investigation and found nothing wrong? How would you feel about spending $50,000 to defend yourself against false charges? How would you feel knowing that the sitting Board of Supervisors has done everything possible to keep you from taking office? And most importantly, how would you feel if a supervisor made racial slurs towards you? Be honest and you will know what the right answers are. Lie to yourself and you’ll have only yourself to blame for the problems we have in this county.
Ignacio Velazquez, Hollister
