9B News Nukes Dave Schuman with October Surprise
Liberal website 9B News launched a scathing attack on Sheriff’s candidate Dave Schuman just six days before the election. They called him a liar, manipulator, fraud, and worse. The basis of the attack was supposed to be based on a Freedom of Information Act disclosure that the author admits he never totally read but then somehow blows up to the point that Hunter Biden could be nominated for sainthood.
While there hasn’t been time for an in-depth, thorough reading of the documents and no official investigative findings have been made public…
Schuman’s credibility as a peace officer formally questioned
OK. Stop right there. The author hasn’t read the FOI information thoroughly. Furthermore, the author is not making the FOI request available as part of his article. In other words, there is zero corroborating evidence to back up the claims in this article.
Folks if you really have the goods on Dave Schuman then put them out there. What happened to “we report, you decide”? Clearly reporting the news is not enough, they have to tell us how to interpret it too.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20240507_192257.jpg)
The timing of this really stinks.
Per the article, the county prosecutor wrote a letter to the Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training Academy. All we have as the basis of this article is an accusation. Schuman has always maintained that he was set-up by supporters of Travis Stolley.
If you recall, Stolley was flamed for not prosecuting an incident involving photos of a girl’s privates being emailed to an out of state adult. It is wrong, but in this county, deputies are given wide discretion on complaints and frequently do not document complaints or their outcome. This has been a constant gripe of candidate Jon VanGesen.
Low and behold, look at this line from the article.
Attached was a pages-long memorandum of record reference Ben Apo as regards allegations of conflict and financial discrepancies in reference to American Legion Post 55 and and Seniors Center that were never turned in for prosecution though there were concerns of potential crimes committed.
The pot here seems to be calling the kettle black. It is clear that the current sheriff might be a nice guy, but he doesn’t run a professional crew. Please note that both Stolley and Schuman have the same boss. It appears that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
The article also attacks Schuman for being a liar concerning several matters without any substantiation: except one specific.
“I am attaching a letter regarding my concerns regarding Deputy Schuman’s veracity pursuant to Giglio,” prosecuting attorney Andrakay Pluid wrote. By calling the question, she is telling the court she cannot trust this officer to testify in a court of law sufficient to maintain the integrity implicit in the pursuit of justice.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20240507_192457-rotated.jpg)
“The Brady and Giglio precedents require police officers to be especially careful to avoid any actions or statements that could compromise their credibility,” the Nevada law firm GGRQM explains on their website. “The prosecution is legally required to disclose any misconduct or compromising information regarding the witness to the defense attorney, who will then use it to impeach the law enforcement witness on the stand. The end result can be the loss of what would have been a strong case.”
While murky to the layman, the principles in Giglio and Brady go to the heart of jurisprudence and the fundamentals of due process. An officer “Giglioed” or Brady listed won’t go to jail, but won’t be trusted to testify in a court of law. Worse yet, any testimony given in their career becomes suspect and open to challenge. For all practical purposes, their effectiveness as a peace officer ends.
Folks this is a thermonuclear charge to level at Schuman but is never substantiated in the article. Again, no supporting documents or an actual copy of this letter has been made available to the public. Furthermore, Schuman is under investigation for something, but no findings have been released.
The article also drops this accusation, again without specifics.
Allegations of falsified canine training records and of falsified personal training records; of false statements released to the public to bolster his campaign for sheriff.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20240507_192246-rotated.jpg)
Ok dear readers, let me ask one question.
Put yourself in Schuman’s shoes for a second. You are running for office. You know that you are under investigation by your employer. The things you are accused of would disqualify you from serving in the office for which you are running. If these accusations were found to be true, it would ruin your reputation. Given the above, why would you stay in the race?
Folks, Schuman either thinks he is not guilty, or he is trying to pull off one hell of a bluff. I’ve seen him at several events over the past few months and his public speaking has gotten much better. He sure seems to believe that he is the best guy for the job and doesn’t back down from a fight.
My response to the 9B article on Facebook was thus:
If these assertions are true, Dave Schuman should have withdrawn from the Sheriff’s race. So either he thinks that he will be found innocent or he’s holding two duces, threw everything into the pot, and is bluffing that he has a full house.
Since Dave gets to live amongst us after this race is over, I think it likely that Dave believes he will be found innocent. We won’t know the whole story until the report is issued.
That people are willing to condemn him without all the facts in hand less than a week before the election is more of a reflection of your character than it is Dave’s. Lastly, lest you accuse me of being a blind follower of Schuman, a different candidate’s sign is in my front yard.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20240507_191833.jpg)
Meanwhile, Travis Stolley is hiding in the basement and not doing any public appearances. He refuses to go to any candidate forums. His last public event was over a month ago. This is odd behavior for the guy blessed by the good ‘ole buys in the county. It seems presumptive that Stolley has this in the bag.
The Facebook thread on this article has some comments that smear Schuman even more. (Please note that they are from a group that requires membership so I can’t figure out how to link them to this post.) Currently there are over 100 comments, but these go way beyond what was on 9B. This seems to be an example of a “whisper campaign” otherwise known as gossip.
[Dave Schuman’s] certificates were on file at the sheriff’s office and they just came up missing, supposedly by a computer crash at the sheriff’s office. How convenient
Dave had three certifications that were lifetime certifications. These were before the county started supplying training through whomever, and those trainings were to be updated yearly. By law, those records have to be kept for 10 years before purging them. It was 17 years ago Schuman was a K9 officer.
So, if the county is saying Dave was not certified to be a K9 officer, but they allowed him to do drug stops and arrest people for drugs, then they were in the wrong. Now suppose the county wanted to push this, don’t you think everyone that was arrested would have a legal recourse on the county? It would probably bankruptcy our county and those in charge would probably go to prison.
That’s the latest chapter on the sheriff’s race. Oh, 9B News is endorsing Travis Stolley. No surprise there.
Double Trouble in Idaho House Races
The political divisions in Idaho are very different from those on the Left Coast. We get to vote for two representatives in the Idaho House.
For those in Elk Grove or other parts of Gavin’s domain, image that each Senate district had two Assembly members living within those same boundaries. Every two years you get to vote for two Assembly members. Such is the case in Idaho.
In my case I live in Senate District one. Thus, we have two House members on the ballot, House 1A and House 1B. House 1B has no incumbent running but House 1A has a Liberal RINO type incumbent guy versus two conservatives. In addition, the incumbent and one of his conservative challengers both have the same last name. A website that I could swear sounds a lot like the work of Aaron F Park, is claiming that the candidates with the same last name used to be man and wife—which seems to be a false accusation.
Last week I attended the 1B debate and this week I attended the 1A debate.
Here’s my comments.
1B is Chuck Lowman vs Cornel Rasor. Prior to the debate, I knew nothing about either guy other than Cornel runs the Army Surplus store in Sandpoint Idaho.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Cornel-Rasor.jpg)
Cornel was clearly the more conservative guy on the platform. Lowman used several talking points put out by the North Idaho Republicans (NIR) group. In fact, he said very little that can’t be found on the webpages of NIR.
Lowman used three talking points from NIR as the basis of his campaign. First, he wants to loosen restrictions on abortions in Idaho. Secondly, NIR is pushing the corollary to their abortion narrative that Idaho has a doctor shortage that is the direct result of abortion restrictions. Somehow doctors like killing babies and doctor shortages are the result of medical professional fleeing pro-life states.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Chuck-Lowman-rotated.jpg)
By-the-way, this is B.S. It has more to do with rural areas having less patients in a doctor’s service area, thus less services to bill. When most doctors are carrying close to a million dollars in student loans when they completed their training, it doesn’t pencil-out unless they live in a larger population area where they can bill more services. They need a larger population base to get out from under their burdensome student loans. It’s simple economics not abortion restrictions.
Thirdly, Lowman is pushing for more governments spending; especially, for government schools. Lowman just wants more money thrown at the schools not targeted spending or results-based metrics for the spending.
Lowman used NIR talking points but without enthusiasm or conviction. I felt like he was not forthright in what he believed but saying what he thought he was supposed to say.
Cornel Rasor was more focused on the Constitution and emphasized limited government. What he said came from a firm conviction on what is the right and proper role of government. He came across as less likely to be subject to outside influence than Lowman. Lowman lacked core values.
I left the event convinced that Cornel Rasor was the better candidate.
Since the debate, I’ve often seen Lowman signs in the yards of Democrats and Left leaning people. I view this as confirmation that my impression of the debate was correct.
The second debate was for House seat 1A. As expected, incumbent Mark Sauter did not appear. Mark doesn’t know the difference between a boy and a girl so expecting him to campaign and defend his record, or lack of one, is not surprising.
This left the event to challengers Spencer Hutchings and Jane Sauter. I was told that both were conservative and that seems to be the case. Spencer owns a gun store and is pro-life. Jane is a mom of seven (if I got the biography correct) and homeschooled her children. Jane is clearly an evangelical Christian and began her opening remarks with a biblical explanation of the Old Testament’s Deborah. (See the book of Judges.) Spencer said that he had formerly been a Mormon but that was his only mention of anything religious during the entire evening.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Jane-Souter-rotated.jpg)
In her opening, Jane also took a few shots at Spencer Hitchings concerning the Bonner County Central Committee and his time as their Treasurer. Jane is endorsed by the group and not Spencer. Clearly some history that has not been well publicized is lurking in the past.
A question that has been used in each debate concerns polygamy. Polygamy is outlawed by the Idaho Constitution, but the legislature has never enacted any laws to prohibit the practice. It has been claimed that some folks in my county have multiple wives. Part of the complaint is that said women are collecting benefits from the welfare system so that the dad doesn’t have to support his brood. This allows him to impregnate even more women without responsibility.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Spencer-Hutchings.jpg)
Men impregnating women and then letting the government foot the bill is really nothing new. It’s been a fixture of the Great Society since 1964 but I guess when Mormon sects do it then it’s a problem.
Oh, on that subject, Jane Sauter said that one of her kids had met a girl that had over 149 siblings (brothers and sisters for those readers in Rio Linda).
After the debate, my wife and I still can’t make up our minds who to support. However, I did think it interesting that prior to the debate my wife had collected one of each item from Jane Sauter’s information table but after the conclusion of the debate, she returned them all to the information table.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Sample-Ballot.jpg)
Two conservative challengers versus an incumbent Liberal means that the 1A vote will likely be split and the incumbent wins. Thus, maybe it doesn’t matter who we support except in our own conscience.
The one question that I have that nobody seems interested in researching is what was the voter registration of Chuck Lowman and Mark Sauter prior to them moving to Idaho? I’d bet a meal at your local In-and-Out Burger that they were probably not Republicans.
Anyway, the election is a week from today. We will see how things turn out.
Fraud of North Idaho Republicans Unmasked
When you live in a small town that is two hours away from the nearest television station, has no local radio station, and a once or twice weekly newspaper that you’ve never read, how do you run a political campaign? Oh, sorry Sith Lord but you can’t go door-to-door here. If a property is posted and you trespass, the owner is within his rights to defend his property, Second Amendment style. Also, the voters do not get a sample ballot from election officials.
The cumulative effect of all the above is that yard signs and Facebook are the go-to ways to get your message out. However, who is the consultant, interest group, or candidate presenting you with campaign info? Usually, you never know unless they tell you or somebody outs your cute sounding grassroots name as a George Soros front.
Such is the case for the group North Idaho Republicans. From reading their website contents they try the tired and worn-out slogans of lower taxes, less government, and so forth but are they really? If you read the contents of attached articles and not the generic GOP talking points you will find that they favor lifting abortion restrictions, want more taxes and larger government, and favor trans children and other not Republican stuff. All the while they are saying they are the real and reasonable conservatives. Clearly a person cannot be both unless they are named Romney or Bush. Looking at this site its easy to smell the rats but when you try hitting them with the light of examination, they scatter like cockroaches when you turn on the lights.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Never-Trump.jpg)
Some enterprising people looked into the group and identified the participants behind North Idaho Republicans (NIR). Wow. This will blow your socks off. Of course, this info was so good that they had to make their own website just to expose the folks at NIR.
Introducing the Gem State Heist dot Org.
Who’s Behind The Heist?
Big Boise money, Democratic activists, woke liberals & Never Trumpers are trying to steal your grassroots conservative, ‘Make America Great Again’ Kootenai County Republican Party. They call themselves ‘North Idaho Republicans’. Do you think the people below represent your values?
Folks, what you are about to read is remarkable.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Little-Donkey-225x300.jpg)
Christa Hazel
Not only does she hate Trump, but she was the leader of Idaho Women for Biden.
The pull quote they use from the Coeur d’Alene Press is a real zinger.
Hazel . . . thinks Kamala Harris is one of the most qualified vice presidential candidates the country has ever seen.
The stuff from her Twitter feed is incriminating as well:
From 2020
A major reason I’m fired up, left the Republican Party & willing to work my ass off to elect @JoeBiden is because…
From 2024
… North Idaho Republicans like myself are proud of.
Do you get the chronology?
She was a neverTrumper in 2020 and quit the Republican Party to support Biden but is back now to campaign for RINOs.
Oh, on the North Idaho Republican website it says, “Christa Hazel is … a lifelong North Idaho Republican.” Yeah, sure. if your lifetime is as long as a slug and you believe in reincarnation.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Little-Donkey-225x300.jpg)
Mike Baker
Mike served on the board of North Idaho Pride Alliance which advocates for drag queen story hour for kids and Pride in the Park in downtown Coeur d’Alene. As CEO of Heritage Health, Mike is “dedicated to providing high quality care for transgender and gender-diverse patients” which ostensibly includes children.
The pull quote, again from the Coeur d’Alene Press is a real zinger.
Together, we can dismantle the outdated structures…that have hindered our collective progress.
Translation: we need to teardown the outdated Christian (Western) Culture because it hinders Marxist collective progress.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Little-Donkey-225x300.jpg)
Damon Dajarky
Twitter posts by him are really damning.
We need a more balance of Democrats, and bipartisan politics in Idaho! Make the process more inclusive and diverse we need this in our state.
I have some very good Democrat friends who register as Republicans so they can participate in the primary process how is that fair to them.
He also is pro-transexual and hates Trump.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Little-Donkey-225x300.jpg)
Jack Riggs
Jack has made it onto my blog before when he supported the false claims of racism related to the NCAA women’s tournament in Spokane. Damon Dajarky also supported the hoax claims to further his politics. Jack’s quote from the Coeur d’Alene Press might look familiar.
The empowerment of bigotry and racism threatens the very fabric of our community” (Coeur d’Alene) “ . . . these incidents are not just isolated problems. They remind us of the worst parts of our past, like the 1920s Klan.
Oh, better yet, Jack’s daughter is a partner in the Satanic Temple Idaho.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Little-Donkey-225x300.jpg)
Trent Clark
Trent is the “bag man” or money guy behind North Idaho Republicans. He was a lobbyist and like others, supports woke ideology. He is a big supporter of illegal aliens and is on the Public Television board.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Little-Donkey-225x300.jpg)
Marc Stewart
Marc is a rainbow warrior that hates Trump. No surprises there.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Little-Donkey-225x300.jpg)
Russell Mann
Russell has a Twitter post that needs explanation.
Cheri Zao is a much better choice for conservative Idaho Republicans.
Why is this troubling? Well Cheri is Treasurer of the Kootenai County Democrat Central Committee. So how is she a better choice for “conservative Idaho Republicans”?
Conclusion
In conclusion, North Idaho Republicans is in fact run by Democrats, RINOs, and neverTrumpers.
Welcome to the wacky world of Idaho politics.
Boundary County Sheriff’s Race Highlights Travis Stolley
Folks, there is a line between gossip and information. In recent revelations about candidate Stolley, that line may very well have been crossed.
Put another way, when we observe human behavior, and a person knows that he is being observed, doesn’t he change behavior just because he knows he is being watched? What happens when the observer is affecting the results they claim to be simply observing. When an observer becomes a participant and not just an observer, do they forfeit the right to claim to simply be observing?
Really, I’m not trying to confuse things. The observer in this batch of revelations has shown themselves to be a participant in the events which they are reporting. Does this participation invalidate their claims of being an objective observer? In this case, said person admits that they reported Stolley to the FBI over his mishandling of the child porn case mentioned in this post and a previous one.
Anyway, here’s the latest via our good friends at Facebook.
Community members are questioning Travis Stolley’s suitability for Boundary County Sheriff, citing concerns about his adherence to law enforcement protocols and ability to fulfill the duties of the office.
Allegations from 2019 suggest Officer Travis Stolley did not follow prescribed procedures in handling a case involving child pornography on an iPod.
* See documents in my comments below (must be on Boundary County Watchman comments not a shared post)
Following the 2020 Dr. Drake murder, questions arose about Stolley’s adherence to local, state, or federal procedural protocols regarding the use of gloves.
* Please see video attached for reference.
Further concerns arising from Stolley’s historical financial record, including a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy filing in 2014. Copies of this Bankruptcy Court filing is available on request.
These concerns seem relevant to any informed decision by the voters in selection of candidates for Sheriff and might bear on fitness for the duties of this elected office.
Facebook Post
Here are copies of screen grabs concerning reporting Stolley to the FBI. My concern is that the dates are within the last week and not from time of this info going public.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/FBI-1.jpg)
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/FBI-2.jpg)
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/FBI-3.jpg)
The above prompted a response by Stolley posted on Facebook.
I will start by saying this, Adrienne Norris is correct about the bankruptcy my family went through. As part of my interview process with the BFPD this was disclosed and discussed with Chief Bob Boone in 2014. He trusted me to overcome this experience and I have always been grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to serve our community.
It was one of the most humbling situations I have ever gone through. I knew going into this process these kinds of issues would be brought up, considered and discussed. I’m okay with you making decisions based on fact and totality of the circumstances. We are all a sum of our life experiences and this is part of my life story.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Travis-Stolley.jpg)
iPod/CSEM issue.
More important to me than anything else is the privacy of the individual(s) actually involved with this case. Their privacy needs protected as much as possible. I will not disclose specific details which may disclose personal information.
Can you imagine what it’s like to have someone bring up a mistake or bad choice you made when you were young over and over again?
I’ve spoken with the victims family and they want this to be left alone and have asked people to respect their privacy. Instead they were directly attacked by a select few on another social media site.
I know for a fact the victims family doesn’t think anything wrong or improper happened with the investigation. So why do people that don’t know or have the facts of the case keep trying to be a victim when they aren’t actually involved?
Victim blaming is one of the worst things I can imagine doing to someone. Bringing this up over and over keeps pressing an issue without any regard for the real victim in this situation, a young child.
I have explained to Adrienne Norris in person the truth of this, as I will do now. She chooses to either not believe me or not care about the facts and listens to someone who has an obvious bias.
Here are the facts
There 100% was not a crime committed. I did not confiscate any device because based on the information and facts provided to me at the time, there wasn’t a case to investigate. I had the device in my possession long enough to hand it to a parent of the juvenile. The content of the device was reviewed and no criminal activity was found.
Again based on the lack of evidence of a crime this was referred to the parent to handle. The parent handled the issue as any of us who are parents of teenagers in today’s society would, by being the parent.
If there had been evidence any explicit content had been shared at all, an investigation would have occurred. But that was not the case. The parent removed any content of their child on the iPod and left with the device.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Stolley-rotated.jpg)
Addressing the next part of Adrienne’s post in reference to Brian Drake’s murder case.
This was potentially an active threat scenario were it was a real possibility we could have located someone who had just taken the life of another person by use of a firearm.
We responded to a shots fired call, we located a deceased male and cleared the entire office building looking for a potential shooter/murder suspect.
We thought this person could be inside and possibly hiding behind any one of those doors or cabinets. Once we cleared the scene of any potential active threats a perimeter was set and investigators called.
The video referenced shows parts of us clearing the initial scene after we entered the building a short time after discovering the body. This building was a tactical nightmare to clear.
For info on the Brian Drake murder, see the following:
It sounds like nobody was ever prosecuted for this crime once the confession of Daniel Morre was tossed.
Murder charges against Bonners Ferry chiropractor dismissed
Family issues reward in 3 year old murder case, continue quest for answers
Oh, for those of you keeping score, this is not the only unsolved case in the area. Last summer a guy supposedly drove north of town, took a walk into the forest, and ended himself. Despite an intensive search, his body was never found. All evidence of suicide is circumstantial.
Stolley’s Facebook post ends on a less than positive note.
The reality is what happens in real life policing isn’t always like the movies. It’s fluid and often chaotic but we can learn from each experience and focus on professional training to improve. As Sheriff that will be a priority!
I’ve said this before and I’ll end by saying it again.
I’m not a perfect person or candidate. I do however care about the integrity of investigations and the wellbeing of our community.
In the above, Stolley seems to admit that not everything was done by the book but they had good intentions so that is what counts.
Conclusion
Folks, Stolley is a nice guy to talk with and he’d be welcome to a BBQ at my house (if I had a BBQ which I don’t) but I don’t think he’s ready for the big chair in the Sheriff’s Office. Youth and inexperience seem to be handicaps for Stolley that he has yet to overcome.
For readers in the once golden state, politics here seems more like running for high school student body president than a real office making important decisions. Such are things in a very small community.
In contrast to the sheriff’s race, lurking on the edges of campaigns for state legislative offices are characters that remind me of our good friends the Just-Us-Brothers. I will have more on these characters in an upcoming post.
Democrats Can’t Say, “NO”
Years ago, there was a song, “When I say ‘no’ I mean ‘maybe’, or maybe I mean ‘yes’.” While this might be good enough for former Republican Dominic Foppoli, it is not true of California’s Democrat controlled legislature. You see, in California you can’t find any Democrat NO votes. They literally don’t exist. I know they say YES to most spending and crazy social spending ideas, but literally everything? Are Democrats really in such lockstep that they never have a difference of opinion?
From 2017 to 2024, a group called CalMatters looked at one million votes cast by current legislators. These include all votes on the floor and in committee for the 2,000 or so bills introduced per session by the 120 members of both houses.
Using our new Digital Democracy database, CalMatters examined more than 1 million votes cast by current legislators since 2017 and found Democrats vote “no” on average less than 1% of the time.
Power is never having to say ‘no.’ How California Democrats kill bills without voting against them
Last year, legislators introduced more than 2,600 bills (the most in a decade) and passed 1,046. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 890 and vetoed 156.
How many bills in the 2024 California Legislature?
Did you get that? Democrats introduced over 2,600 bills and only passed 1,046. That means only 40 percent of bills were approved by the legislature last year, but Democrats only voted NO on one percent of everything. How can this be? For those unaware, California Democrats have over two thirds of both houses of the legislature since 2019. This means that they have the numbers necessary to pass anything and easily override the governor’s veto if they wish.
Why? It’s not something they want to talk about. Democrats have had super-majorities in both legislative chambers since 2019, so most votes involve bills from their political colleagues. But the legislative leaders and lawmakers contacted by CalMatters declined repeated requests to explain a pattern that might appear like a rubber stamp for deals made out of public view. And it seems to be sanctioned by leaders.
“There’s only two fucking buttons on your desk: There’s a green button, and there’s a red button,” then-Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon told the California Labor Federation last year in remarks reported by Politico. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, the green button is the labor button. Ninety-nine percent of the time, the green button means you’re doing the right thing, and the red button means that you’re an asshole.”
Rendon’s office declined to comment or make him available for an interview.
Instead of voting “no,” the data, video and transcripts in CalMatters’ Digital Democracy project reveals that legislators will often decline to cast a vote. Lawmakers widely use the tactic as a courtesy to avoid irking fellow legislators who’d get upset if they vote “no” on their bills, but it’s a controversial practice that critics say allows them to avoid accountability.
“There are a lot of people who abstain and who years later will claim, ‘Oh, I was in the bathroom,’ or ‘I was gone,’ or ‘I was in a meeting,’” said Mike Gatto, a former Democratic Assemblymember from Los Angeles. “It provides them an excuse after the fact to claim that they were not there. I always thought that was cowardly, the opposite of courageous.”
Last year, at least 15 bills died due to lack of votes instead of lawmakers actually voting “no” to kill them.
The most notorious example was when a bill to increase penalties for child sex trafficking died in the Assembly Public Safety Committee because Democrats did not vote. After widespread condemnation, Gov. Gavin Newsom got involved, prompting some committee Democrats to apologize and re-vote on the measure that Newsom later signed.
Power is never having to say ‘no.’ How California Democrats kill bills without voting against them
At least three fentanyl-related bills also died last year due to Democrats refusing to vote on them, infuriating Regina Chavez, who advocated for the legislation. Her 15-year-old daughter, Jewels Marie Wolf, died from the drug in 2022.
“I personally am insulted, because I think everything should be on the record when you hold a state title,” she said. “That is what they signed up for to represent us.”
Chavez along with a group of mothers of youth who died from fentanyl learned about the prevalence of non-votes by exploring the Digital Democracy database.
In a glaring example they found, a bill had 22 bipartisan cosponsors and would likely pass if it reached the Senate floor, but it died in the Senate Public Safety Committee when the four Democrats — Nancy Skinner, Steven Bradford, Aisha Wahab and Scott Wiener — declined to vote by staying silent during the roll call. None of them responded to interview requests.
If you keep reading the article you will find that Democrats will punish other Democrats that vote NO on a bill. In their eyes, it’s better to remain silent than to remove all doubt.
Oh wait. This sounds just like Jim Woodward’s campaign against Scott Herndon. Saying NO to stupid ideas or spending is the cardinal sin for fake Republicans like Woodward. I plan to have more on Woodward’s supporters in a future article.
Lastly, thanks to California Political Review for bring this subject to my attention.
Gavin’s Presidential Obituary
I can’t take credit for this idea but it might be time to say that the wheels have fallen off the Newsom Presidential train.
Whether Newsom is still alive these days — at least in a political sense — is a matter of debate. Heck, we half expect to see his mug on the back of a milk carton. And yet it seems only yesterday that the self-important Newsom was the subject of the political world’s most poorly kept secret: that he was being positioned to swoop in and replace his party’s deeply unpopular and embarrassingly incompetent 81-year-old president, Joe Biden.
Whatever Happened to Gavin Newsom?
Gavin Newsom isn’t dead just yet. But the combination of his own policy failures and the terrier-like stubbornness of Joe (and Jill) Biden is making it increasingly likely that the one-time heir apparent will be remembered by history as the error apparent.
Conservatives, Windmills, Transgender Children, and State of California
Most of us like a David versus Goliath story, but when does David morph into Don Quixote?
There is comedy in the story of David and Goliath, but David ends it in short order. I’m thinking of the part when King Saul loans David his armor.
38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
I Samuel 17: 38 – 39
Saul, the King, tells David to wear his armor. David obeys and puts it on. After doing so, it’s clear to David, Saul, and everyone else that it doesn’t fit correctly and will be a hindrance and not a help in his upcoming fight with Goliath. Saul’s royal armor looks ridiculous on David. Instead, David decides to use his shepherd outfit, his everyday clothing, to battle Goliath.
Also, please note that David is only reluctantly approved to fight Goliath after presenting his credentials as a warrior and nobody else in the regular army stepping forward.
32 And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
I Samuel 17: 32 – 37
Prior to battling Goliath, David had experience, a proven track record, and volunteered when nobody else was willing to fight. Also, he was defending God’s honor and was already anointed as the future King of Israel. Also, the fight with Goliath would be a fair one, at least until it was over. It would be a “Mano-a-Mano” fight.
Now suppose David’s only combat experience was playing Call of Duty in his mom’s basement for the last five years. David’s favorite style of play was a sniper and he had never fired a gun in his life. David talks a good game and claims he could take Goliath with a paintball gun while blindfolded. Do you really think the modern David would last more than one sword strike by Goliath?
Somewhere between the Biblical account and the modern one, we’ve moved from bravery to mockery. Don Quixote fought imaginary enemies not real ones that could kill him.
Lastly, is a more modern take of a Don Quixote-like tale, Field of Dreams. The premise is if you build a baseball field in the middle of nowhere, “they” will come. There is no rational explanation for this, just a blind leap of faith.
What is a political campaign with an idea, strong opposition, and zero funding? This campaign, like Field of Dreams, is to get “it” on the ballot and we will win because “they” will vote for it. Proponents believe in such a campaign even though it has never worked before, but they reason that our cause is so just, it simply must win.
Ok, now I will tell you that the campaign is in California and the topic of said ballot measure is overturning the State’s policy on transgender youth.
The windmill alarm is going off. I agree with the idea but if you think the rainbow mafia is going to roll over and let this happen then you are in windmill land. Oh, you are anyway because gay people in California get electrical power from windmills and drive Teslas.
Here’s the news story from the LA Times.
Supporters of a proposed November ballot initiative wanted the all-important title of their measure to reflect their beliefs, a name like “Protect Kids of California Act.” But Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta saw things differently when his office chose the name signature gatherers must use: “Restricts Rights of Transgender Youth.”
Among its provisions, the initiative in question — which has not yet qualified for the ballot — could require schools to notify parents if a child changed gender identification unofficially or in schools records, such as a roll sheet.
With a May 28 deadline to submit signatures — and 25% of the way to the goal —initiative backers must use the state’s description, which they say is hindering their effort. They have sued the state, claiming the initiative was “branded with a misleading, false, and prejudicial title” A hearing is set for April 19.
Transgender rights vs. parent rights. California goes to court to settle school divide
My first thought on seeing this headline is that Karen England or someone of her ilk is running another fundraising scam on the backs of parents that care about this issue. Like the seven or so recall efforts against Governor Gavin Newsom, this will end not only in failure but in encouraging the transgender agenda to go even further to the Left as no meaningful opposition exists in California.
Second, there is no meaningful amount of money behind this effort. Unless a few billionaire types willing to be cancelled on the same level as Donald Trump get involved, this measure will go nowhere. It used to cost about 3 million dollars to qualify a ballot initiative in California. In the last few years, Democrats have erected further barriers to getting something on the ballot and I suspect it costs even more now. An actual ballot measure campaign would cost north of 30 million to have any chance of getting this passed. Sorry, but in my mind, no amount of money could push this measure over the finish line.
Third, most churches will not involve themselves in this issue. They did nothing when these laws were being passed so why would they act now? I know the allegedly conservative church that I attended in California (which was the largest congregation in the nation in their particular denomination) never did anything on this issue, or abortion, or marriage (since Prop 8), or euthanasia. On paper they were prolife and in favor of traditional marriage, but nothing was ever said from the pulpit that would offend anyone’s sensibilities on these issues. They never once challenged the congregation to stand up for any moral issue in California. In fact, I know a family that had a kid in the congregation go trans and neither the kid nor his parents ever met with the pastor about it and the kid was never put up on charges. The pastor sat on the sidelines; apparently glad he didn’t have to get involved in that mess.
I wish that such a ballot measure would get passed in California but there’s not a snowball’s chance that it might happen. Oh, and even if it did pass, it would be invalidated by some Liberal hack judge before noon on the day after the election. Then the proponents would need another four or five million to litigate it. If the US Supreme Court upheld the law, then the Democrat legislature would have to enact legislation to put the ballot measure into legal force. This will never happen.
Such an effort is tilting at windmills. The hearts of the people in California are too hard and too evil for such an effort to succeed. Ditto for the Christians living there. The vast majority of churches in California won’t support any limitations to the transgender agenda. They believe our society is supposed to get worse. If it gets bad enough, then Jesus will Rapture them away. For them to oppose evil is to defer “the end times.” They will allow any evil to happen as long as they believe it will hasten “the end times.” The rest of the churches just pray in vain that they will be left alone. Such congregations just want to run out the clock as most of the gray-haired folks hope to go to their reward before such evil affects them personally.
Transgenderism vs Ten Commandments
I recently made a statement that being transgender simultaneously violates about five of the Ten Commandments. In this post, I would like to see if I can prove the statement. I will use the approach of the Westminster Catechism. Each of the Commandments simultaneously prohibits something and encourages its opposite.
Being transgender violates the First Commandment.
First Commandment: Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Anyone embracing transsexuality denies God and places themselves above Him. Transsexuals despise God for making them as they are. They demand the right to fix God’s mistake in making them the wrong gender. Claims that God makes mistakes are in fact a denial that he is God and sovereign over His creation.
Being transgender violates the Second Commandment.
Second Commandment: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Since mankind is made in the image of God, any attempt to desecrate an image bearer of God is a violation of the Commandment. Transsexuals wish to remake a person made in God’s image into something they were not created to be. They are thus ungrateful and despise the express will of God. Transgender people worship themselves and deny worship that rightly belongs to God.
Being transgender violates the Third Commandment.
Third Commandment: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Transexuals malign and scorn God for His work of creating them in a way that such people deem to be defective, in error, and shameful.
Being transgender violates the Fourth Commandment.
Fourth Commandment: The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath-day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath-day and hallowed it.
The Fourth Commandment reminds us to be thankful to God for His creation and preservation and setting aside one day in seven to show Him gratitude. How can a transexual do this if that person is ungrateful for how God has made them? Such a person is always sitting in judgement of God not submitting to Him.
Being transgender violates the Fifth Commandment.
Fifth Commandment: Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Transgenderism violates this Commandment because they are a sterility cult. They do not believe in the continuity of God’s covenant people; instead, they glory in mutilating their bodies to prevent procreation and thus, prevent the teaching of God’s statutes to the next generation. Transexual beliefs are a punishment from God not the result of His blessings. Honoring your father and mother is a biblical prerequisite to long life. Rejecting the example and gender role models of your godly parents is to repudiate God’s created order.
Being transgender violates the Sixth Commandment.
Sixth Commandment: Thou shalt not kill.
Being transgender is a form of covenantal death. It violates the Dominion Mandate to be fruitful and multiply. It is generational suicide. It is a direct attack on an image bearer of God.
Being transgender violates the Seventh Commandment.
Seventh Commandment: Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Being transgender is adultery because it is following after false gods and false religion. In the Old Testament, adultery was a frequent charge against the nation of Israel when they followed after false gods. Proof of this following after false gods is the fact that transgender people change their name when joining the transgender cult. This changing of one’s name is an acknowledgement that they are following after another god. In many cases they are renouncing their Christian name and taking on a trans name instead.
Being transgender violates the Eighth Commandment.
Eighth Commandment: Thou shalt not steal.
Transgender people steal from themselves, their families, and members of the gender they aspire to become. They defraud themselves by acting upon lies they choose to believe. They steal heirs from their parents and their family. They rob people around them by pretending to be what they are not and can never become. They steal what does not rightfully belong to them. For example, biological boys playing in women’s sports deny women opportunities due to them under false pretenses.
Being transgender violates the Ninth Commandment.
Ninth Commandment: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Being transgender is a form of defrauding your neighbor for pretending or passing yourself off as something you are not. Claiming to be a woman when you are a man or a man when you are a woman. This is clearly a false witness. Transgender people also try to defraud children with lies that girls can have a penis or a man a vagina. This is an abomination of God’s created order.
Being transgender violates the Tenth Commandment.
Tenth Commandment: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s.
Being transgender is coveting the traits and sexual organs of another person. It is wanting what cannot be rightfully yours. It is also a repudiation of the blessings that God gave you when He created you.
Conclusion
So, yep, I was conservative in my estimation. Being transgender is a violation of all Ten Commandments. Oh, and God doesn’t grade on a curve. You either keep all ten or are guilty of violating them all. The wages (what you have earned and deserve) of sin (failing to uphold God’s standards) is death but the gift of God is Jesus Christ our Lord.
For further reading see the Westminster Larger Catechism questions 99 to 149.
Cracks in the Lies of Transgenderism
Finally, the cult of transgenderism is getting some pushback from the medical community. In the last week, separate studies in Europe and the United States both document what normal people already knew; namely, pumping hormones from the other gender into your body has lasting, catastrophic, and permanently negative results. Contrary to the lies of the transgender cult, these cannot be reversed simply by stopping injections and or ceasing to take pills. Coupled with another study that came out in the last week that over 96 percent of those that attempted to change their gender as teens, return to their biological gender in their late 20’s.
Transgenderism is a cult that deceives and preys on young people, often when they are vulnerable and feeling alone. Someday I will take a deep dive into why transgenderism is a cult, but for now let me say that changing your name to join the group is something religious. Changing one’s name is not a political or social custom. Changing one’s name when changing to a new religion is as old as the Bible and a practice that continues into current times.
There is “weak evidence” to support puberty blockers for children who identify as transgender, according to a four-year systematic review of transgender medical studies published on Tuesday.
Dr. Hilary Cass, a consultant in paediatric disability at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, England, and formerly the president of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health, conducted the review in response to a request from the National Health Service (NHS). Cass’ report determined that the current studies on the subject of “puberty suppression” showed little improvement in gender dysphoria in minors and also may push kids toward getting more extreme treatments.
“The systematic review undertaken by the University of York found multiple studies demonstrating that puberty blockers exert their intended effect in suppressing puberty, and also that bone density is compromised during puberty suppression,” the report reads. “However, no changes in gender dysphoria or body satisfaction were demonstrated. There was insufficient/inconsistent evidence about the effects of puberty suppression on psychological or psychosocial well-being, cognitive development, cardio-metabolic risk or fertility.”
Major review finds ‘weak evidence’ supporting puberty blockers for kids
England’s National Health Service banned the use of puberty blockers for children seeking treatment for gender dysphoria, citing limited research.
Puberty blockers, or gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues (GnRHa), is a class of drugs that suppresses sex hormones in adolescents by continually stimulating the pituitary gland. It will now only be available to children in limited ways, such as clinical trials.
The NHS’s website said, “Puberty blockers (gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogues) are not available to children and young people for gender incongruence or gender dysphoria because there is not enough evidence of safety and clinical effectiveness.”
NHS England had previously ordered the London-based gender identity clinic at the Tavistock and Portman Trust to shut its doors amid safety concerns.
England’s National Health Service bans puberty blockers for kids
Puberty blockers have been shown to cause long-term fertility problems in boys, according to a preprint study from Mayo Clinic. The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, analyzed more than 130,000 sperm cells from male children with gender dysphoria. All participants were 17 or younger.
The researchers analyzed the testicular cells of boys who had been taking puberty blockers for anywhere from three months to 52 months, and compared them to cells of a control group who had not been on the blockers.
Among those on puberty blockers, the researchers identified mild to severe “sex gland atrophy,” determining that the medications accelerated the aging and function of testicular cells.
The findings suggest that puberty blockers’ impacts may be permanent — disputing claims that such effects can be reversed.
The researchers also detected cases of microlithiasis, which is marked by the presence of small clusters of calcium in the testicles.
Puberty blockers could cause long-term fertility and health issues for boys, study finds: ‘May be permanent’
This is nothing new as a report from Sweden in 2023 found the following:
Swedish doctors at a top medical school released a systemic review of available medical literature on providing puberty blockers to children, and said its use for treating gender dysphoria should be considered “experimental.”
Doctors at the Karolinska Institute, ranked as a top 15 medical school in Europe, published an article in Acta Paediatrica on April 17, which was partly funded by an independent Swedish governmental agency tasked with assessing methods used in healthcare and making recommendations. The review analyzed thousands of studies, and focused on those without significant bias.
The doctors – among them an adviser to Sweden’s medical board – concluded, “GnRHa treatment in children with gender dysphoria should be considered experimental treatment of individual cases rather than standard procedure.” Puberty blockers, or gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues (GnRHa), is a class of drugs which suppresses sex hormones by continually stimulating the pituitary gland.
Top Swedish doctors blow whistle on trans puberty-suppressing drugs affecting children’s bones: ‘Experimental’
A groundbreaking 15-year study conducted in the Netherlands has confirmed that a significant majority of children experiencing gender confusion ultimately outgrow these feelings if left untreated.
The research, tracking over 2,700 children from ages 11 to their mid-twenties, found that while around 11% of participants initially expressed gender non-contentedness, only 4% continued to experience such feelings by age 25.
Published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, the study emphasized the normalcy of questioning one’s identity during adolescence. Lead researcher Dr. Thomas Steensma from the University of Groningen highlighted that gender non-contentedness tends to decrease with age and is often associated with poorer mental health and self-concept.
Contrary to aggressive pushes for early medical interventions promoted by some, including the Biden administration, experts caution against hasty measures. Patrick Brown from the Ethics and Public Policy Center warned against rushing towards permanent surgeries or hormone therapies for teenagers grappling with their identities. More from the study
Study Reveals Most Gender-Confused Kids Simply ‘Grow Out of It’
In addition are stories like this:
WPATH’s [World Professional Association for Transgender Health] Standards of Care 8 recommends adolescents who have received a diagnosis of ‘gender incongruence’ have access to puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries so long as the young person ‘demonstrates the emotional and cognitive maturity required to provide informed consent/assent for the treatment.’
However, in video footage obtained by Environmental Progress of an internal WPATH panel titled Identity Evolution Workshop held on May 6, 2022, panel members admit to the impossibility of getting proper informed consent for hormonal interventions from their young patients.
During the panel, Dr. Daniel Metzger, a Canadian endocrinologist, discussed the challenges faced when attempting to obtain consent from adolescents seeking this medical treatment. Metzger reminded those assembled that gender doctors are ‘often explaining these sorts of things to people who haven’t even had biology in high school yet,’ adding that even adult patients often have very little medical understanding of the effects of these interventions.
Metzger describes young patients attempting to pick and choose the physical effects of hormone therapy, with some wanting a deeper voice without facial hair or to take estrogen without developing breasts. This suggests a very poor understanding of the workings of the human body and the treatment pathway on the part of adolescent patients, something noted by the WPATH expert. ‘It’s hard to kind of pick and choose the effects that you want,’ concluded Metzger. ‘That’s something that kids wouldn’t normally understand because they haven’t had biology yet, but I think a lot of adults as well are hoping to be able to get X without getting Y, and that’s not always possible.’
Leaked files: Pro-LGBT doctors admit children cannot fully consent to transgender mutilation
I pray that this sterility cult dies a quick and sudden death as people repudiate the foolish notion that men can have babies and women can have a penis.
Boundary Country Sheriff Update April 11, 2024
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.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Schuman-rotated.jpg)
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.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Sheriff-debate.jpg)
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.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Stolley-rotated.jpg)
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.
![](https://reallyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Travis-Stolley.jpg)
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.