Whatcom County...
Uncovered! Updated 07-24-11
Defending truth, justice, and the American way.
local information...not likely to be found elsewhere.
(best viewed 1024x768)
Uncovered! Updated 07-24-11
Defending truth, justice, and the American way.
local information...not likely to be found elsewhere.
(best viewed 1024x768)
07-26-11
WCSO Corruption?
Whatcom County,...Uncovered has learned of a rather interesting series of circumstances within the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office that has many people puzzled as to why this hasn't heretofore been reported by any "mainstream" local media sources and why it happened in the first place. It has left a number of federal, state, county and municipal law enforcers scratching their heads trying to explain what appears to be the inexplicable.
WC,...U has learned from confidential sources that a former WCSO Sgt., now a Chief Inspector of the WCSO Internal Investigations Unit, was involved with a young girl, who was at the time an explorer cadet with the sheriff's explorer program in the 2005 to 2006 time-frame.
Sources indicate that the girl was allegedly involved with the man that Sheriff Elfo later promoted to the position of Patrol Lieutenant, immediately following an internal investigation that found he did have a relationship with the girl. Elfo then promoted the man again a short time later, to Chief Inspector. WC,...U additionally found that the man had in fact been romantically involved with the girl, a minor at the time of these incidents, and had served her alcohol on at least two occasions.
A number of documents have surfaced, purported to be the original and legitimate internal documents that were leaked from within the WCSO, as well as from the girl herself, and the father of a childhood friend of the girl, a sort-of father figure to the girl, which detail the relationship that existed between herself and the man who is now charged with investigating the alleged misdeeds of other WCSO staff.
In addition to these allegations, it was further learned the the man that reported the misdeeds to Sheriff Elfo, the father of the girl's childhood friend, who she had called for support and guidance, then became the target of a series of questionable internal investigations himself in what appears to have been retaliatory and maliciously motivated, all because the man had reported the incidents to Sheriff Elfo in the first place.
WC,...U found that the girl allegedly had been taken out for a birthday celebration, by the then married WCSO Sgt., where she was served alcohol the first time. Then, after being taken to his home later in the evening, the WCSO Sgt. served the girl alcohol a second time and she subsequently lost consciousness for a period of time and has no recollection of what occurred after that.
The girl reported waking up sometime later and felt very uncomfortable about what had occurred and decided to walk herself home alone, despite the vocal opposition of the man that brought her to his flat. A conflict of some sort occurred between the girl and the WCSO Sgt., which resulted in her being followed by the man to her Lynden, WA home in a manner that can only be described as stalking behavior.
WC,...U found these allegations very hard to believe, but after exhaustive research on the topic and interviews with a number of the persons involved, has found that the allegations are supported by facts, the WCSO's own documents and a formal discipline that Sheriff Elfo meted out to the man after findings concluded that minimally, the man did serve alcohol to a minor, in violation of law and a number of the WCSO's own policies.
Sheriff Elfo didn't fire this man and even promoted him? Yes.
Wait, it gets worse yet. Not only did Sheriff Elfo apparently promote the perpetrator of these acts, but it was found that the man had written letters to the newly enlisted girl's US Air Force commanding general in what appears to have been an attempt to scare her into silence about what occurred and as a "reminder", as in a veiled threat, that her grandmother, the girl's only real family, was still within the jurisdiction where he lived at the time, Lynden, WA.
WC,...U has been told that the Undersheriff at that time, Undersheriff James, had wanted to fire the man for his unbelievable and unconscionable actions, essentially making himself unfit for any law enforcement post, based on what he had allegedly committed, but was prevented from doing so by Sheriff Elfo.
We're not done yet.
WC,...U has also learned that case appears to tie in with the unusual termination of the former head of the Whatcom County Department of Emergency Management (DEM). As odd as it sounds, the man that was allegedly responsible for the WCSO Sgt. not being charged criminally for serving alcohol to a minor, a Lynden PD detective, was also the same man that brought criminal charges against the former head of DEM, resulting in his arrest and subsequent conviction for an unusual misdemeanor crime, under unusual and specious circumstances.
The man that was responsible for the WCSO's part of the DEM internal investigation, resulting in the former DEM head's termination? You may have already guessed it, but it was allegedly the former WCSO Sgt., the same man that had earlier not been charged criminally by Lynden PD, or fired by the WCSO, the same man that had since been promoted twice by Sheriff Elfo to the head of Elfo's Internal Investigations Unit. It has been alleged that this was an apparent quid pro quo between the two men, for their own personal reasons.
WC,...U has also learned that there is a current civil lawsuit that has been brought by the former DEM head, against the City of Lynden and the Lynden PD detective involved with this case.
WC,...U will continue to investigate and follow developments in this series of allegations and will report the updates as more information becomes available.
~Editor
The above referenced documents can be found on the Scribd document hosting service:
Whatcom County Sheriff's Office Corruption
07-24-11
Letter to the Editor: Whatcom County,...Uncovered
Re: Whatcom County Sheriff's Election
I had thought about writing a letter to the Editor of the Bellingham Herald, but then I figured “What’s the point?”, they’ll just edit my words and probably delete the key parts, as they have in the past, and my alleged “opinion” would no longer be mine.
Then I see this morning that my wife’s letter opposing Bill Elfo for sheriff of Whatcom County was actually printed, albeit with minor alterations, and I decided what the heck, I have someone that could put my letter, UNALTERED, onto their webpage. It may not get the same level of readership, but at least I know my words will be MY words.
As far as Sheriff Elfo goes, I do not support him. The reasons are varied and the “backstory” is complex. Some of the reasons are unbelievable and if I told you all the gory details, I’d be fired for some trumped-up alleged violation of one thing or another, as has already been attempted internally several times now. Trust me when I tell you this, you would just not believe the staggering incompetence and unethical actions that have taken place recently inside the WCSO, under Elfo’s direction.
I know the details. I can name names, but I also have 10 years invested in that office, several of which are B.E. (before Elfo), and this line of work, and the thought of throwing it all away is not very appealing. The “conduct unbecoming an officer” and “insubordination” discipline games that are routinely played internally make it tough to even have an opinion, first of all, but much tougher to openly express it. The younger folks just won’t. I’m one of few that refuse to cow to Elfo’s tyrannical intimidation games, or “drink the kool-aid” as we like to call it amongst ourselves.
So, here’s my story of Bill Elfo, if you will indulge me a bit of your time.
I was once a supporter of Sheriff Elfo and I once had respect for the man that was appointed to fill the position vacated by Dale Brandland many years ago. It wasn’t that I didn’t like Dale Brandland, because I did and still do like Dale Brandland as a person, but one could see that his heart just wasn’t in law enforcement anymore. One could see it was time and that he saw greener pastures elsewhere.
Dale is a decent and honest family man that could be counted to “do the right thing” and that’s more than I can say for Bill Elfo now. It was more, it seemed, that Dale was interested in higher aspirations that took his time away from the office and we had serious concerns about internal issues that were not being addressed, or addressed entirely improperly by unsupervised minions, so it seemed that change was in order and that change came when Dale stepped out and Bill Elfo stepped in.
At first, it was the classic honeymoon period and everyone was smiles and backslapping. People got along and we felt like we had a team again, perhaps even a family. The Whatcom County Deputy Sheriff’s Guild (WCDSG) and the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) administration were once again partners, it seemed, in a common goal for the common good. Respect was a two way street and it was practiced by all.
WCDSG was granted proposals we had been requesting for some time, things the Brandland team never seemed to have time to address or even listen to in many instances. Things to improve our own efficiencies and to better serve the public began to happen and we were happy.
We put forth various “win-win” proposals, which were accepted and approved by Elfo. We were all riding tall in the saddle because a “cop’s cop” was in the big office at the end of the long hallway now and we all felt like our opinions mattered again. We all felt like the little empires that had been built internally, and the unethical, would now be reined in or removed. We all felt like it was going to be a level playing field for all.
As time progressed, however, the shine began to fade and the smiles started turning to frowns and stern looks when little cliques of insider’s began to form, again, and favorites began to emerge, again, as preferential treatment became obvious and the reasons for it equally as obvious. It started to become dysfunctional and toxic. The trust we once shared was slipping away rapidly and no one seemed to care, not even Elfo.
We also began to see some truly perplexing decisions that were being made by Elfo, some of which to this day are not explained, that defy common sense and logic. We thought amongst ourselves “Well, the honeymoon is over”, accepting that even Elfo, the “cop’s cop”, was just a man, that no one is perfect and it was great while it lasted. At least we could still count on what matters most, like trust, ethics and honesty, right?
Enter the phase we’re in now. Being a friend of Bill became the fast lane. Drink the kool-aid, do as you’re told, as in “follow orders”, and your days will be bright and full of plenty, usually in the form of some specialty assignment, some specialized piece of equipment or some special training. Cross Elfo, in any way, rightful or not, ethical or not, truthful or not, and you’re done, as in finis’, as many have now found for themselves and what I might also ultimately find before this reign of Elfo is over.
In this current environment, this trained, experienced and decorated military man of means and skill, who has accomplished things in this world, who had a life full of experience before entering law enforcement, who knows a flim-flam or double-talk when he sees it, became an anathema to Elfo. As others have as well. I, like others, can tolerate a lot of things, but I’ll not be lied to, and I’ll not be mistreated by anyone, and that includes Bill Elfo, et al.
Believe me, I’d love to, but I just cannot go into all the sordid details of internal matters publicly without laying my neck squarely on the chopping block and giving Elfo what he and his minions need to terminate my employment. That’s right, I can’t even be truthful in public, about matters of public concern, about matters concerning employees of the public, paid by tax dollars from the public, without the risk of termination. Why? You want to know what Elfo et al fear most? Public scrutiny. What are the Bellingham Herald, Lynden Tribune, KGMI et al delivering? Cheerleading for Elfo. Do the math….
In reality, Elfo hasn’t really done much personally to advance our goals and make Whatcom County a better place to live and work. Oh he'll take credit for it all, but the credit for the achievements of the WCSO goes almost entirely to the superb, dedicated and motivated men and women of the WCSO that make it what it is, not Elfo. How many patrol shifts has Elfo pulled? Zero. How many arrests has Elfo made? Zero. How many crime rings has Elfo busted up? Zero. How much crime intelligence has Elfo gathered? Zero. How many cases has Elfo solved? Again, zero.
Elfo does deserve credit for one small thing: For getting out of the way of deputies and letting them do their jobs. (That seemingly small task was quite a challenge for the previous administration.) There are many, but I’ll pick one example of something that Elfo likes to take personal credit for: “meth labs”. They do still exist here, but the reality is that we had very little to do with shutting most of them down.
It was like a giant whack-a-mole game with meth labs, until the pseudo-ephedrine (cold medicine) control laws came into play. The problem literally took care of itself after that. More than that, it was mostly a problem of Mexican “super labs”, that we here had nothing at all to do with interdicting. That credit goes entirely to the feds, but it does make for a grandiose claim for Elfo, no?
Now let’s talk about what Elfo has not solved in 8 years in his seat. Elfo was a big cheerleader for a new jail,… 8 years ago. In fact, he was very vocal about getting a voter approved initiative for a new .1% tax, earmarked specifically for that new jail. 8 years later, no jail and no plan for a jail. I bet we'll line some more pockets with tax dollars with another new focus group or a new commission though.
8 years of taxes later and nobody has any idea where the tax money is and how much is there. If you ask, you’ll get the generic “general fund” answer. Ahh, but we’re great about running up the “talk about a new jail” gin now that it’s election time again. Never underestimate the power of an election to make people play nice and dust off old unsolved issues of the past.
Where is the new records management system (RMS) to streamline our efforts, bring us into the 21st century of law enforcement and to stop wasting so much time, effort, energy and paper writing reports like we did in the 50’s?
Why doesn’t Whatcom County, still, to this day, not share records data with the rest of Washington State law enforcement agencies on a free data sharing system called LinX? We’re about the last that hasn’t and it has not gone unnoticed by the rest of the state.
Let’s talk about the minimum staffing levels for patrol that have not changed in anyone’s recent memory. In fact, we can account as far as 20 years back and we don’t know exactly when they were last increased. 3 deputies for day-shift, 4 for swing-shift and 3 for graveyard shift and the county has grown significantly in that time.
Granted, shift overlaps and 10 hour shifts have helped, but the fact remains that a key facet of county law enforcement coverage, for nearly 2200 square miles of border county territory, has still not been addressed in 8 years. Elfo’s answer: Online internet reporting. Keep that in mind the next time you’re waiting a long time to hear back on a 911 call.
Let’s talk about the countless thousands of staff level administrator hours wasted conducting politically motivated Pavlovian “internal investigations” for those that dare to speak up or cross Elfo. Oh, the stories that could be told.
Let’s talk about the chief henchman, who Elfo personally appointed to head that post he created, who owes Elfo so much, deeply and personally. Let’s talk about the young girl who still struggles with the fallout and the fears of that abuse to this day. It will be said that he doesn’t have a choice and that “the union” forced his hand. That’s a lie. There is no “union” representation above the Sergeant level. That man occupies the seat Elfo created for him, because that’s what Elfo wants. That’s simply a fact.
What about the absolutely horrendous 911 communications and police radio problems that are still a problem and have even gotten worse in the 8 years since Elfo took the helm. What he inherited is not his fault and I’m not saying it is, but it's 2011 and we still can't figure out how to make a phone line work? Really? Will a citizen of Whatcom County, officer, deputy or trooper need to die from a radio problem before it's taken seriously and solved? 8 YEARS wasn't enough? Really?
I could go on, but you get the point. Hopefully.
An additional point is that there are two deputies running against Elfo. Steve Harris and Bob Taylor. Give that some thought. This isn’t just an open expression of disagreement or disapproval. Those two men are literally putting their law enforcement futures on the line, as am I, to correct the problems we now have. That takes real guts and real dedication in this environment. Would you do the same? Either man would be a better choice than Elfo.
So, in closing, Elfo is the last person I’d support for sheriff. As a matter of fact, I’d vote for an old soup can before I’d vote for Elfo. An empty front office would be better than what we have now.
As an aside, you should ask Elfo about his alligator jar in his office sometime. My business card may well be added to that jar before this is over.
I think it's time to add Elfo's card to it.
Paul Murphy; father, husband, friend, veteran, tax payer, voter, citizen, businessman, farmer,
mechanic and peace officer.
P.S: I see that Marvin Wolff also wrote a glowing letter of praise to the Herald about Elfo. It’s like the straw man phone calls he’s made to KGMI when Elfo was being interviewed, pretending to be an “anonymous” caller. (Yes, Marvin, we know it was you.) I’d imagine Marvin would surely want to see Elfo stay. No one knows exactly what Marvin does in that office, who he answers to, or what function he serves (we’ve been told many things over the years), but he’s got his own office in the WCSO and more importantly, he has Elfo’s ear…
07-11-11
Long Overdue
It's been quite a long time since the last update. Over two years by the date on the last post. Many things have happened in the time since and there has been much water under the bridge.
Whatcom County,...Uncovered elected to take a break from the local for awhile to focus on other larger national issues, but now it's time to again begin turning the spotlight on local matters. So, for many reasons, we're choosing to start up again.
The local media has proven that they are not willing to be anything but cheerleaders for certain causes and certain issues, and censors of others. Reporting the good is preferable, and as important, but so is reporting the not so good. Reporting one, but not the other, can only be called cheer-leading. It's certainly not journalism and is often a reflection of the corruption that reigns in Whatcom County.
So reacquire and retune. We hope to change that balance of power.
Watch for coming updates. You can also find us on facebook now too.
~ Editor
WCSO Corruption?
Whatcom County,...Uncovered has learned of a rather interesting series of circumstances within the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office that has many people puzzled as to why this hasn't heretofore been reported by any "mainstream" local media sources and why it happened in the first place. It has left a number of federal, state, county and municipal law enforcers scratching their heads trying to explain what appears to be the inexplicable.
WC,...U has learned from confidential sources that a former WCSO Sgt., now a Chief Inspector of the WCSO Internal Investigations Unit, was involved with a young girl, who was at the time an explorer cadet with the sheriff's explorer program in the 2005 to 2006 time-frame.
Sources indicate that the girl was allegedly involved with the man that Sheriff Elfo later promoted to the position of Patrol Lieutenant, immediately following an internal investigation that found he did have a relationship with the girl. Elfo then promoted the man again a short time later, to Chief Inspector. WC,...U additionally found that the man had in fact been romantically involved with the girl, a minor at the time of these incidents, and had served her alcohol on at least two occasions.
A number of documents have surfaced, purported to be the original and legitimate internal documents that were leaked from within the WCSO, as well as from the girl herself, and the father of a childhood friend of the girl, a sort-of father figure to the girl, which detail the relationship that existed between herself and the man who is now charged with investigating the alleged misdeeds of other WCSO staff.
In addition to these allegations, it was further learned the the man that reported the misdeeds to Sheriff Elfo, the father of the girl's childhood friend, who she had called for support and guidance, then became the target of a series of questionable internal investigations himself in what appears to have been retaliatory and maliciously motivated, all because the man had reported the incidents to Sheriff Elfo in the first place.
WC,...U found that the girl allegedly had been taken out for a birthday celebration, by the then married WCSO Sgt., where she was served alcohol the first time. Then, after being taken to his home later in the evening, the WCSO Sgt. served the girl alcohol a second time and she subsequently lost consciousness for a period of time and has no recollection of what occurred after that.
The girl reported waking up sometime later and felt very uncomfortable about what had occurred and decided to walk herself home alone, despite the vocal opposition of the man that brought her to his flat. A conflict of some sort occurred between the girl and the WCSO Sgt., which resulted in her being followed by the man to her Lynden, WA home in a manner that can only be described as stalking behavior.
WC,...U found these allegations very hard to believe, but after exhaustive research on the topic and interviews with a number of the persons involved, has found that the allegations are supported by facts, the WCSO's own documents and a formal discipline that Sheriff Elfo meted out to the man after findings concluded that minimally, the man did serve alcohol to a minor, in violation of law and a number of the WCSO's own policies.
Sheriff Elfo didn't fire this man and even promoted him? Yes.
Wait, it gets worse yet. Not only did Sheriff Elfo apparently promote the perpetrator of these acts, but it was found that the man had written letters to the newly enlisted girl's US Air Force commanding general in what appears to have been an attempt to scare her into silence about what occurred and as a "reminder", as in a veiled threat, that her grandmother, the girl's only real family, was still within the jurisdiction where he lived at the time, Lynden, WA.
WC,...U has been told that the Undersheriff at that time, Undersheriff James, had wanted to fire the man for his unbelievable and unconscionable actions, essentially making himself unfit for any law enforcement post, based on what he had allegedly committed, but was prevented from doing so by Sheriff Elfo.
We're not done yet.
WC,...U has also learned that case appears to tie in with the unusual termination of the former head of the Whatcom County Department of Emergency Management (DEM). As odd as it sounds, the man that was allegedly responsible for the WCSO Sgt. not being charged criminally for serving alcohol to a minor, a Lynden PD detective, was also the same man that brought criminal charges against the former head of DEM, resulting in his arrest and subsequent conviction for an unusual misdemeanor crime, under unusual and specious circumstances.
The man that was responsible for the WCSO's part of the DEM internal investigation, resulting in the former DEM head's termination? You may have already guessed it, but it was allegedly the former WCSO Sgt., the same man that had earlier not been charged criminally by Lynden PD, or fired by the WCSO, the same man that had since been promoted twice by Sheriff Elfo to the head of Elfo's Internal Investigations Unit. It has been alleged that this was an apparent quid pro quo between the two men, for their own personal reasons.
WC,...U has also learned that there is a current civil lawsuit that has been brought by the former DEM head, against the City of Lynden and the Lynden PD detective involved with this case.
WC,...U will continue to investigate and follow developments in this series of allegations and will report the updates as more information becomes available.
~Editor
The above referenced documents can be found on the Scribd document hosting service:
Whatcom County Sheriff's Office Corruption
07-24-11
Letter to the Editor: Whatcom County,...Uncovered
Re: Whatcom County Sheriff's Election
I had thought about writing a letter to the Editor of the Bellingham Herald, but then I figured “What’s the point?”, they’ll just edit my words and probably delete the key parts, as they have in the past, and my alleged “opinion” would no longer be mine.
Then I see this morning that my wife’s letter opposing Bill Elfo for sheriff of Whatcom County was actually printed, albeit with minor alterations, and I decided what the heck, I have someone that could put my letter, UNALTERED, onto their webpage. It may not get the same level of readership, but at least I know my words will be MY words.
As far as Sheriff Elfo goes, I do not support him. The reasons are varied and the “backstory” is complex. Some of the reasons are unbelievable and if I told you all the gory details, I’d be fired for some trumped-up alleged violation of one thing or another, as has already been attempted internally several times now. Trust me when I tell you this, you would just not believe the staggering incompetence and unethical actions that have taken place recently inside the WCSO, under Elfo’s direction.
I know the details. I can name names, but I also have 10 years invested in that office, several of which are B.E. (before Elfo), and this line of work, and the thought of throwing it all away is not very appealing. The “conduct unbecoming an officer” and “insubordination” discipline games that are routinely played internally make it tough to even have an opinion, first of all, but much tougher to openly express it. The younger folks just won’t. I’m one of few that refuse to cow to Elfo’s tyrannical intimidation games, or “drink the kool-aid” as we like to call it amongst ourselves.
So, here’s my story of Bill Elfo, if you will indulge me a bit of your time.
I was once a supporter of Sheriff Elfo and I once had respect for the man that was appointed to fill the position vacated by Dale Brandland many years ago. It wasn’t that I didn’t like Dale Brandland, because I did and still do like Dale Brandland as a person, but one could see that his heart just wasn’t in law enforcement anymore. One could see it was time and that he saw greener pastures elsewhere.
Dale is a decent and honest family man that could be counted to “do the right thing” and that’s more than I can say for Bill Elfo now. It was more, it seemed, that Dale was interested in higher aspirations that took his time away from the office and we had serious concerns about internal issues that were not being addressed, or addressed entirely improperly by unsupervised minions, so it seemed that change was in order and that change came when Dale stepped out and Bill Elfo stepped in.
At first, it was the classic honeymoon period and everyone was smiles and backslapping. People got along and we felt like we had a team again, perhaps even a family. The Whatcom County Deputy Sheriff’s Guild (WCDSG) and the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) administration were once again partners, it seemed, in a common goal for the common good. Respect was a two way street and it was practiced by all.
WCDSG was granted proposals we had been requesting for some time, things the Brandland team never seemed to have time to address or even listen to in many instances. Things to improve our own efficiencies and to better serve the public began to happen and we were happy.
We put forth various “win-win” proposals, which were accepted and approved by Elfo. We were all riding tall in the saddle because a “cop’s cop” was in the big office at the end of the long hallway now and we all felt like our opinions mattered again. We all felt like the little empires that had been built internally, and the unethical, would now be reined in or removed. We all felt like it was going to be a level playing field for all.
As time progressed, however, the shine began to fade and the smiles started turning to frowns and stern looks when little cliques of insider’s began to form, again, and favorites began to emerge, again, as preferential treatment became obvious and the reasons for it equally as obvious. It started to become dysfunctional and toxic. The trust we once shared was slipping away rapidly and no one seemed to care, not even Elfo.
We also began to see some truly perplexing decisions that were being made by Elfo, some of which to this day are not explained, that defy common sense and logic. We thought amongst ourselves “Well, the honeymoon is over”, accepting that even Elfo, the “cop’s cop”, was just a man, that no one is perfect and it was great while it lasted. At least we could still count on what matters most, like trust, ethics and honesty, right?
Enter the phase we’re in now. Being a friend of Bill became the fast lane. Drink the kool-aid, do as you’re told, as in “follow orders”, and your days will be bright and full of plenty, usually in the form of some specialty assignment, some specialized piece of equipment or some special training. Cross Elfo, in any way, rightful or not, ethical or not, truthful or not, and you’re done, as in finis’, as many have now found for themselves and what I might also ultimately find before this reign of Elfo is over.
In this current environment, this trained, experienced and decorated military man of means and skill, who has accomplished things in this world, who had a life full of experience before entering law enforcement, who knows a flim-flam or double-talk when he sees it, became an anathema to Elfo. As others have as well. I, like others, can tolerate a lot of things, but I’ll not be lied to, and I’ll not be mistreated by anyone, and that includes Bill Elfo, et al.
Believe me, I’d love to, but I just cannot go into all the sordid details of internal matters publicly without laying my neck squarely on the chopping block and giving Elfo what he and his minions need to terminate my employment. That’s right, I can’t even be truthful in public, about matters of public concern, about matters concerning employees of the public, paid by tax dollars from the public, without the risk of termination. Why? You want to know what Elfo et al fear most? Public scrutiny. What are the Bellingham Herald, Lynden Tribune, KGMI et al delivering? Cheerleading for Elfo. Do the math….
In reality, Elfo hasn’t really done much personally to advance our goals and make Whatcom County a better place to live and work. Oh he'll take credit for it all, but the credit for the achievements of the WCSO goes almost entirely to the superb, dedicated and motivated men and women of the WCSO that make it what it is, not Elfo. How many patrol shifts has Elfo pulled? Zero. How many arrests has Elfo made? Zero. How many crime rings has Elfo busted up? Zero. How much crime intelligence has Elfo gathered? Zero. How many cases has Elfo solved? Again, zero.
Elfo does deserve credit for one small thing: For getting out of the way of deputies and letting them do their jobs. (That seemingly small task was quite a challenge for the previous administration.) There are many, but I’ll pick one example of something that Elfo likes to take personal credit for: “meth labs”. They do still exist here, but the reality is that we had very little to do with shutting most of them down.
It was like a giant whack-a-mole game with meth labs, until the pseudo-ephedrine (cold medicine) control laws came into play. The problem literally took care of itself after that. More than that, it was mostly a problem of Mexican “super labs”, that we here had nothing at all to do with interdicting. That credit goes entirely to the feds, but it does make for a grandiose claim for Elfo, no?
Now let’s talk about what Elfo has not solved in 8 years in his seat. Elfo was a big cheerleader for a new jail,… 8 years ago. In fact, he was very vocal about getting a voter approved initiative for a new .1% tax, earmarked specifically for that new jail. 8 years later, no jail and no plan for a jail. I bet we'll line some more pockets with tax dollars with another new focus group or a new commission though.
8 years of taxes later and nobody has any idea where the tax money is and how much is there. If you ask, you’ll get the generic “general fund” answer. Ahh, but we’re great about running up the “talk about a new jail” gin now that it’s election time again. Never underestimate the power of an election to make people play nice and dust off old unsolved issues of the past.
Where is the new records management system (RMS) to streamline our efforts, bring us into the 21st century of law enforcement and to stop wasting so much time, effort, energy and paper writing reports like we did in the 50’s?
Why doesn’t Whatcom County, still, to this day, not share records data with the rest of Washington State law enforcement agencies on a free data sharing system called LinX? We’re about the last that hasn’t and it has not gone unnoticed by the rest of the state.
Let’s talk about the minimum staffing levels for patrol that have not changed in anyone’s recent memory. In fact, we can account as far as 20 years back and we don’t know exactly when they were last increased. 3 deputies for day-shift, 4 for swing-shift and 3 for graveyard shift and the county has grown significantly in that time.
Granted, shift overlaps and 10 hour shifts have helped, but the fact remains that a key facet of county law enforcement coverage, for nearly 2200 square miles of border county territory, has still not been addressed in 8 years. Elfo’s answer: Online internet reporting. Keep that in mind the next time you’re waiting a long time to hear back on a 911 call.
Let’s talk about the countless thousands of staff level administrator hours wasted conducting politically motivated Pavlovian “internal investigations” for those that dare to speak up or cross Elfo. Oh, the stories that could be told.
Let’s talk about the chief henchman, who Elfo personally appointed to head that post he created, who owes Elfo so much, deeply and personally. Let’s talk about the young girl who still struggles with the fallout and the fears of that abuse to this day. It will be said that he doesn’t have a choice and that “the union” forced his hand. That’s a lie. There is no “union” representation above the Sergeant level. That man occupies the seat Elfo created for him, because that’s what Elfo wants. That’s simply a fact.
What about the absolutely horrendous 911 communications and police radio problems that are still a problem and have even gotten worse in the 8 years since Elfo took the helm. What he inherited is not his fault and I’m not saying it is, but it's 2011 and we still can't figure out how to make a phone line work? Really? Will a citizen of Whatcom County, officer, deputy or trooper need to die from a radio problem before it's taken seriously and solved? 8 YEARS wasn't enough? Really?
I could go on, but you get the point. Hopefully.
An additional point is that there are two deputies running against Elfo. Steve Harris and Bob Taylor. Give that some thought. This isn’t just an open expression of disagreement or disapproval. Those two men are literally putting their law enforcement futures on the line, as am I, to correct the problems we now have. That takes real guts and real dedication in this environment. Would you do the same? Either man would be a better choice than Elfo.
So, in closing, Elfo is the last person I’d support for sheriff. As a matter of fact, I’d vote for an old soup can before I’d vote for Elfo. An empty front office would be better than what we have now.
As an aside, you should ask Elfo about his alligator jar in his office sometime. My business card may well be added to that jar before this is over.
I think it's time to add Elfo's card to it.
Paul Murphy; father, husband, friend, veteran, tax payer, voter, citizen, businessman, farmer,
mechanic and peace officer.
P.S: I see that Marvin Wolff also wrote a glowing letter of praise to the Herald about Elfo. It’s like the straw man phone calls he’s made to KGMI when Elfo was being interviewed, pretending to be an “anonymous” caller. (Yes, Marvin, we know it was you.) I’d imagine Marvin would surely want to see Elfo stay. No one knows exactly what Marvin does in that office, who he answers to, or what function he serves (we’ve been told many things over the years), but he’s got his own office in the WCSO and more importantly, he has Elfo’s ear…
07-11-11
Long Overdue
It's been quite a long time since the last update. Over two years by the date on the last post. Many things have happened in the time since and there has been much water under the bridge.
Whatcom County,...Uncovered elected to take a break from the local for awhile to focus on other larger national issues, but now it's time to again begin turning the spotlight on local matters. So, for many reasons, we're choosing to start up again.
The local media has proven that they are not willing to be anything but cheerleaders for certain causes and certain issues, and censors of others. Reporting the good is preferable, and as important, but so is reporting the not so good. Reporting one, but not the other, can only be called cheer-leading. It's certainly not journalism and is often a reflection of the corruption that reigns in Whatcom County.
So reacquire and retune. We hope to change that balance of power.
Watch for coming updates. You can also find us on facebook now too.
~ Editor
Jihad Update:
(Click the images below to navigate to their respective websites)
Geert Wilders' video: Fitna, radical Islam
(Banned in many places)
Islam: What the west needs to know (video)
Featuring former PLO terrorist Walid Shoebat and the author of "Stealth Jihad", Robert Spencer
Stop Creeping Islamic Sharia Law in the US!
Stop Honorcide!
(Caution!!! Mature viewers only!!! Contains extremely graphic and disturbing imagery. Not recommended for the faint of heart.)
(Caution!!! Mature viewers only!!! Contains extremely graphic and disturbing imagery. Not recommended for the faint of heart.)
Truthtube TV
A multitude of confirmed reports and instances of multimedia (written, video and photographic evidences), which illustrate the dangers of extremist-Islam, are routinely being pulled from various websites including YouTube and Google. These are not pleasant and you are warned in advance not to go here unless you have a strong stomach and strong mind.
Who Is Allah?
Ever hear that the Judeo-Christian God and the god of Islam are one and the same? Ever hear that the God of Abraham is the same as the god of Mohammad? They are not! The god of Islam is the moon god from the ancient days of Babylon. Islam is a remade version of the pagan religions of Babylon. Many of the ancient Babylonian traditions are still practiced today! Be informed and watch the video clip below for a short primer on the topic.
Free Kent Hovind!
Kent Hovind, also known as "Dr. Dino" of Creation Science Evangelism, has been in a federal prison
since 2006 on a variety of alleged tax fraud related charges totaling approximately $640,000. (See related news reports)
Kent is a staunch adversary against the evolutionist-humanist-socialist agenda. He's held thousands of seminars, two of which I went to personally. Kent and his ministry are dedicated to the teachings of biblical scripture, especially in the arena of biblical origins and the wonders of God's creation. Kent used to travel around the world bringing the message of Christ's love and hope to a world desperately in need of that message.
Somewhere along the line, he apparently stuck his finger in the wrong liberal elitists eye and that's when his troubles began. Ordinarily I wouldn't be supporting anyone that violates law and ends up in prison as a result, but in my opinion this is no ordinary case. In fact, from what I know of Kent and what I've learned about this case, if it's not a malicious prosecution for political and ideological reasons, then I don't know what it is. I'm convinced that he's where he is now because he was so effective at showing the fallacies and failings of evolution.
He and his wife were charged, prosecuted and imprisoned for dubious reasons that sound really bad on the surface, until you learn the details of the case and the unusual nature of the efforts that were put into shutting his operation down and making an example out of him. They were each threatened with over 225 YEARS of prison time apiece! For alleged back taxes and alleged tax frauds!. As he was operating a Christian ministry, the laws are very complex and the issues are protracted beyond what I can cover here, suffice it to say there is much more to this picture than meets the eye.
Since we now have a president that apparently hasn't met a tax cheat or liar he didn't like, I thought it would be advantageous and timely to take advantage of that unfathomable hypocrisy to see about getting Kent out of prison now. Frankly, I'm surprised Kent wasn't offered a cabinet post, instead of the 10 year sentence he was handed.
I do know this, this was a miscarriage of justice and it is my opinion that it happened specifically to silence a good man with a very powerful anti-evolution/anti-socialism and pro-creationism message. Kent is a good man, has a good family, is a devout Christian and is a patriotic American. I also know that Kent was VERY outspoken on the ultra-left liberal agenda, especially San Francisco politics and it is my opinion that he could have been targeted, scrutinized and prosecuted based on this alone.
Does that sound fair to you? Do a Google search of Kent's name and notice the sheer number of atheist-humanist-evolutionist sites that brag about Kent's woes and mock him in an openly hostile disdain for him personally. Many truly have a pure hatred and disdain for him simply because he was honest and he told the truth as he saw it. Sounds a little odd doesn't it?
Help to undo a wrong that was done. Whether you agree with his message or not, Kent and his wife never harmed a soul. Yet, they are caged like violent criminals. Ask yourself this: How many people with tax related troubles actually wind up in prison? How many "important" people have recently been discovered to have "just made a mistake" on their taxes? In Kent's case, they threw him and his wife into prison, Kent for 10 years and his wife Jo for 2 years.
I think it boils down to this. Kent was the most effective person in the world at the time in teaching people about God's creation and defeating the lie of evolution. He also was highly effective at awakening people to the threat of Socialism and he was truly ahead of the curve on that point, as we are all witnessing now. This all made him a target to silence and that's why he's sitting in prison right now. Anyone else would've been given a deal to pay back taxes and would be back out on the street.
Please help Kent in any way you can.
CSTNews
Free Hovind Blog
(Many of Kent's training and seminar videos are here to view free. Sign the petition too)
Patriot: noun ; pey-tree-ut
One who loves and defends his or her country.
THE SECOND AMERICAN REVOLUTION!
The Ghost of Thomas Paine, American Patriot
1: Stop the bleeding and stop handing out OUR money like it was free candy. The US government is hemorrhaging hard earned taxpayer, OUR, money. Immediately freeze ALL government spending increases. Place a temporary hold on ALL non-essential programs and ALL foreign nation payouts. We've carried notes for all of them at one time or another. It's their turn to cut us some slack. Permanently eliminate ALL federal money to EVERY anti-US sovereignty interests. Allow businesses on the brink of failure to fail. We pay our bills, they should do the same. They won't go away and they will be able to file for bankruptcy protection, allowing them to financially restructure for more competitive business and labor plans.
2: Small business is the backbone of the American economy and the antidote for America's current economic woes. Strengthen US small business and you strengthen the US economy. This in turn puts money back into American wallets. Temporarily eliminate ALL capital gains taxes. Temporarily hold all taxes and fees for any business under $1,000,000 gross revenue. Immediately reduce overall income tax rates to the Reagan era rates.
3: America First! Buy ONLY American! Look at those labels and read the product literature. If it's made somewhere other than the US, don't buy it no matter what a "good deal" it might be. Be careful, some "foreign" businesses, despite being foreign headquartered, produce higher US content products than domestic companies and vice versa. Every dollar you send overseas is a dollar out of an American company's till, vis-a-vis, money out of a fellow American's paycheck. Support American owned business!
4: Fire the bums! EVERY SINGLE politician that refuses to uphold the Constitution, American Sovereignty, traditional American values, free-market enterprise, and the will of the people,...FIRE THEM at the next earliest election opportunity. Persistently and relentlessly telephone, write letters, send emails and faxes until they either A: comply, or B: prove themselves unfit to be in our service.
5: Personal accountability and responsibility. Cut expenses and prepare for the worst. Don't incur unnecessary debt! Eliminate consumer debt (credit cards) and pay your bills! If it isn't an absolute necessity for life and safety, don't buy it until your finances are on an even keel again. Forget the zero interest and no payments for a year scams. If you don't have cash on hand for a pleasure or recreation item, you don't need it. Adopt a 80-10-10 family economics plan. Necessary life and safety expenses should not exceed 80% of your take home pay. That leaves you with 10% of your take home pay for discretionary spending and 10% to give to the charities of your choice. DO IT and STICK TO IT!
Whatcom County,...Uncovered's bailout plan: (long term)
1. Return to FREE MARKET CAPITALISM!
Stop the free fall slide into a Socialist-Communist style economy! Get the US government out of the business of being in business with private enterprise. Follow the standard rules of business and standard rules of ethics. No more bailouts! No more mixing private enterprise and governmental functions! Businesses should be about business, governments should be about governing, period. Support businesses that support and follow free market capitalist choices.
2. Overhaul and Reform the IRS. The current tax system is an Orwellian contraption composed of thousands of pages of tax code that even the IRS doesn't understand. Anyone that has ever called for advice knows that you'll get a different answer to the same question every single time. I'm in favor of a flat/simple percentage of income based tax. An income based tax gives the government financial incentive to keep people employed in good paying jobs. God only wants 10%, so that is a good guideline the government should not exceed.
3. Eliminate double-triple-quadruple taxation! Individuals should not being paying tax on the same items year after year. Pay your taxes on an item one time, never a fee or tax again on that same item. This back door double taxation business has gotten completely out of control. Wasn't there an American colony rebellion over such things?. By the way government officials: Any "fee" charged by the same government that levies taxes, is still a "tax" no matter what clever name you may choose to call it.
4. Impose strict trade limitations with a mandatory minimum of a 1:1 trade ratio on all imports to the US. Canada and Mexico could be exempted. Nations that want to do business with the US must also agree to buy from us as much as we are importing from them. No limitations on exports. This could be loosened up some after our own house is back in order.
5. Eliminate ALL foreign (non-US born) influence on our political processes, no matter how many degrees of separation or how far removed! We must stop selling off American interests to the highest bidder! We're not eBay! Our political decisions must be made based on what Americans think about what America needs, not what some megawealthy Hungarian thinks he needs to shape America into.
6. Term Limits for all elected positions in United States government! No more than 2 terms. I realize that we already have a term limit system called "elections", but as the last election proved, at least half of the electorate only knows what is spoon fed to them by a corrupt main stream media. To preserve and protect our democracy and to defeat the agenda of a corrupt media, strict term limits must be imposed.
7. Eliminate ALL foreign lobby's-ists!! Not one dime from any foreign source to perpetuate the prostituting of OUR government to every foreign gangster in the world with a pile of cash. (Read Dick Morris' book Fleeced if you want an eye opener on just how bad it's gotten.) America hating Venezuelan tyrant Hugo Chavez has even bought into the act for God's sake.
8. Drastically reduce US lobby's-ists and limit their influence on our politicians to written communications only. Make every dime of influence accountable with a complete audit and paper trail.
9. Eliminate our dependence on all foreign energy sources! Begin to utilize every feasible source of energy here at home. Open up offshore drilling to US owned companies. Immediately start building nuclear power plants across the US. Provide tax breaks for any environmentally viable and economically sound source of energy and allow the competitive free markets decide what works best. Open up the use of clean coal technology and shale.
10. Make the official language of the United States English! Speak and write as many languages as you like, as often as you like, but the official government language must be English. All official US business to be conducted in English. Immigrants must learn English.
11. Eliminate all laws that have been enacted as a result of the man made global warming-climate change idiocy. Highly credentialed and eminent scientists in droves, 650+ according to the recent news release, are now openly saying what a ridiculous farce that man made global warming-climate change is. 31,000 US scientists have also signed a petition requesting that the US denounce the Kyoto accords. It's a natural process, it always has been and we couldn't change it if we tried. We're traveling around a nuclear furnace at 66,000 miles per hour and there's not a damn thing we can do about it.
12: Secure our borders and tighten immigration! This would include all boundary lines and all air, land and sea based ports. Complete the wall along the US-Mexico border. Drastically increase patrols in every area of possible border compromise. Tighten up on immigration and make it as tough to immigrate here as to say,... Mexico.
13: Reconstitute the Congressional Committee on unAmerican activities. The focus of which would be any/all subversive and radical groups that have the purpose of using any subversive or illegal means to undermine the United States including ALL acts of terrorism.
America The Beautiful O beautiful, for spacious skies, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea. O beautiful, for pilgrim feet Whose stern, impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! Confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law! O beautiful, for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved And mercy more than life! 'Til all success be nobleness, and ev'ry gain divine! O beautiful, for patriot dream That sees beyond the years, Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea!
lyrics by Katherine Lee Bates
music by Samuel A. Ward
For amber waves of grain,
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
If you can read this, thank a teacher.
Because you are reading it in English, thank a veteran.
To all who are currently serving in the US Armed Forces,
You Guys/Gals Rock!
God Bless America Video Pittance of Time Video
