Anderson: Look in the mirror, not the rearview mirror

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What's going on at the District Attorney's Office? I ask this as the wife of the former DA, Don Anderson. Though we met at the end of his second term, I have learned much about
the selfless man I married, and the righteous way he conducts his life and career.

There seems to be a small "clique" of attorneys, led by Rachel Abelson, that have been casting generalized accusations of Don's "unethical" and “incompetent” behavior without even giving as much as one example! If you saw something unethical, shouldn't you have said something? Unethical behavior from any co-worker, including your boss, does not bode well for your own ethics if you did not have the fortitude to discuss it or bring it up with him. Only when he endorsed the opponent did any issue of ethics suspiciously arise.

How do you even find time to be commenting on anything about a DA from four years ago? This must make voters ask why. Why comment on a former DA instead of touting your own record of successes? That seems to be a classic diversion technique of many politicians who have no glowing record of their own. Your record on crime, successful trials and combating human trafficking are issues that should be on the forefront of your mind and campaign!

Rachel, you may find personal satisfaction in trying to slay Don's reputation, but how does Don’s winning California’s Prosecutor of the Year substantiate your claim of incompetence? Don has not only won every case he ever prosecuted, but he has also won every jury trial against the current DA’s tenure. Is this incompetence? Many cases the current office brought to trial proved to be a waste of taxpayer money. Where does the incompetence really rest?

So now it's election time. We voters see through deflecting, which is never a good look. I advise the "clique" to look in the mirror, not the rearview mirror, and start talking about what you've accomplished, if anything. We should hear plans for going forward to bring safety to our street and law and order to our communities. Good luck Anthony Farrington!

Lois Anderson lives in Lakeport, California.