A genuine grass roots coalition including the Chairs of the County Democratic and Republican Committees, along with former County Commission Vice Chair Don Haskell, gunsmith Sky Olsen, Steve Phillips and Myrna Patrick have formed the Committee to Retain the Independence of the Office of the District Attorney. Their intent is to amend the County's Home Rule Charter and provide a long-term fix to provide responsible and stable funding for the office of the District Attorney.
I obviously support the Committee, and not just because it addresses my personal situation. Much more importantly, their proposal gets at the core issue: Is the constitutional office of the District Attorney independent or can the DA be punished by the County Commissioners for his or her independence.
Since the Commissioners abruptly eliminated the supplemental salary they had provided over the previous 13 years of my service, thereby cutting my salary by 16 percent, many people have come up to me in stores, on the street, and called me and asked, What can I do?If you are so inclined, contact the Committee at independentda@gmail.com.
Their website is www.independentda.com.
