Supervisor Neil Derry left. San Manuel Tribal Member James Ramos right.
Election 2012
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/19/2012 06:01:36 PM PDT
Things don’t appear to be slowing down one bit in the contentious race for San Bernardino County’s 3rd District supervisorial seat in the June 5 primary election.
Outspoken incumbent Neil Derry has sharply criticized one of his two opponents, former San Manuel tribal Chairman James Ramos, saying Ramos doesn’t have the political background to serve a constituency of roughly 407,000 people.
Jim Bagley, a former Twentynine Palms councilman and three-time mayor, is the third candidate in the primary race.
The geographically diverse district includes parts of the San Bernardino Valley, the San Bernardino Mountains and the High Desert. Redistricting based on new Census figures has expanded the district to include the Morongo Basin and the cities of Twentynine Palms and Barstow.
Derry doesn’t believe Ramos, whom he calls a “liberal Democrat,” is a good fit in a district with a heavy conservative base.
“If you don’t have the right message and the right background, it doesn’t matter how much you spend. I fit the district well. Mr. Ramos does not,” Derry said. “Ramos has no municipal government experience.
“His only experience is being chairman of the San Manual Band of Mission Indians and serving on the (San Bernardino Community College District) board, and that’s it. He has no land use experience.”
Ramos’ camp has criticized Derry, saying Derry has not led by example and arguing he campaigned for supervisor in 2008 on a platform of government transparency and ethics, but was charged by the state Attorney General’s Office last year with three felonies for allegedly laundering a $5,000 campaign contribution from a Highland developer.
Derry pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor for failing to report the contribution and prosecutors dropped the felonies, allowing Derry to retain his seat on the Board of Supervisors.
Derry denies doing anything wrong, and said he pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor to put the matter behind him so he could get back to serving the citizens he represents.
Ramos announced his candidacy for supervisor the day after prosecutors announced that Derry had been charged.
“I believe if the voters want to stop the corruption in San Bernardino County, they’re going to have to start choosing people who are basically ethical in their very nature, and that is James Ramos,” said Betsy Starbuck, Ramos’ campaign manager and the county’s former assistant auditor-controller-recorder.
Mudslinging aside, Ramos’ wealth from income generated by San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino has allowed him to spend generously on his campaign, which makes the 3rd District supervisorial race unique.
To read entire story, click here.
The article forgot to mention the conservatives that endorsed Ramos and shunned Derry.
Neil ought to be careful about throwing liberal labels around. That’s going to alienate Democrats votes who cross party lines.
It appears Derry is targeting the liberal hit mail to registered republicans only.
According to the article, James Ramos “announced his candidacy for supervisor the day after prosecutors announced that Derry had been charged.”
This certainly supports the theory that the prosecution was a ploy by Mike Ramos to attack Neil Derry.
Anonymous: What conservatives, RINOS Jerry Lewis and BIll Emerson? I remember when Republicans won the house in 1994, and RINO Lewis was relegated to the dust bin, only to return and lead Republicans to losing the house because he spends like drunken sailor.
Ramos is toast, the dumb bufoon. No intelligent person would vote for him over Derry.
Didn’t Neil get convicted on hiding a contribution from a land developer? Now I call that experience in “land use”!! If that’s the kind of land use experience Neil is saying Ramos is missing, I think that’s a good quality. Ramos gets my vote!!
Racer:
Neil Derry did not “get convicted on hiding a contribution;” check the facts surrounding the prosecution.
See comment # 4; you are precisely the type of voter Mike Ramos hoped to influence.
Racer….yes please check the facts and you will find that Derry did indeed commit campaign fraud and admitted as much while he was being questioned by investigators. He must have slept through that part of his schooling while he was at Cal State. He in fact spilled the beans on himself thinking that what he did was acceptable because he saw every other politico doing it and when he found out that he could get into real trouble he re-canted his story. The problem isn’t selective prosecution as many claim, the problem is that Derry is politically clumsy. To quote from a friend of Derry’s, Gangster Rex says that there is alot of backstabbing in politics. If so, why give your enemy ammunition? Why put a bullseye on your own back? Only a clumsy politician would do this and we cannot afford to have a clumsy politician during dire times such as we face.
Well Well…… what about Drier and Dutton? What about your fellow Republican Mike Ramos? Are you going to label everyone that doesn’t agree with you rhinos?
Hey James Ramos…
We got all your hypocritical – multimillion dollar – mailers with you wrapping yourself all over our American flag!!
You hypocrite!! You never cared to acknowledge our flag or have any respect for our law and regulations outside YOUR Reservation UNTIL you decided to run and NOW YOU WANT IMPRESS US WITH HOW “AMERICAN” YOU ARE SOLELY FOR OUR VOTE…Nooooooooooooooooooooo!!
OoF, DON’T BOTHER WITH RACER, IT’S REPAIRMAN beating the same old drum of playing dumb in order to rehash the same issue.
Drier is a gay Rino and Dutton is a drunk buffoon. These endorsements were all payed for with Campaign Graft from Big Casino Boss James Ramos. They all know Ramos barely has the intellect to tie his own shoes and is completely unqualified. On top of that, he lives in a sovereign nation exempt from our laws and from paying taxes.
FYI: Derry never admitted to doing anything illegal. The corrupt DA manufactured this case just like they manufactured the Colonies prosecution, and the prosecution of Jim Miller in GT. While the Councilwoman in GT who should have been prosecuted gets a walk because she gives BJ’s to Mikie at City/County conferences.
Well Well:
What is it with you people? everything is a conspiracy, everyone is corrupt. Except of course Derry the only one who had to plea bargain to avoid jail time. And what do you suppose the reason he didn’t fight these absolutely false charges and expose all these evil doers and corruption that you say is all around us? He say’s he was too busy doing the work of the people. I’ll bet.
That’s right, District Attorney Mike Ramos and James Ramos have been very much a “couple” for years; seen everywhere together.
DA Mike Ramos, a recipient of hundreds of thousands of dollars from his dear pal James Ramos can’t do enough for him for that money, including abusing his authority to intimidate and harass Derry.
All the while, his wife and him conspired to launder thousands of these campaign donations into his wife’s, Gretchen Ramos, personal bank account. GRETCHEN RAMOS WAS CAUGHT RED HANDED!!
AND DA MIKE RAMOS WAS FOUND GUILTY OF CONSPIRING WITH HIS WIFE….THIS WAS ALL QUIETLY DEALT WITH WITH THE AG, WHOM ARE THE RAMOS’ POLITICAL ASSOCIATES AND PERSONAL FRIENDS, SO ALL GRETCHEN AND MIKE RECEIVED WAS A $100 FINE! AND THEY DID NOT HAVE TO RETURN THE LAUNDERED 1000′S TO THE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE…
I say mailers go out comparing the injustice imposed upon Derry vs. the Ramos’ worst and more serious charge of laundering campaign funds!!!!!
So when Neil admitted to the investigators and then later plead guilty to the charges (reduced to a misdemeanor) he really isn’t guilty of a crime? So, if Neil would have stayed awake at Cal State and listened to the professors tell him that hiding campaign contributions and the conspiracy that went along with it, is really okay then we’re all wrong and Neil was right? What course was this that Neil slept through? Was it Ethics 101? So when Neil confessed to the crime in front of the State investigator he was really being naive and stupid? Remember,this was when the State investigator showed him the evidence and faced with the TRUTH Neil confessed. This was was being wrong? Neil tells the truth and confesses the crime and you think was wrong?
Whoa, do you guys understand why voters get angry when they listen to your logic? This is exactly why the voters are going to vote Neil out of office. With supporters like you I think Neil’s in trouble.
Hey Anonymous-
Neil is just “clumsy” not an unethical and a convicted criminal? Being dishonest is “clumsy”? And being honest and confessing is being stupid and naive? Do you ever read what you read? You really shouldn’t being helping Neil on his campaign.
Racer, they don’t teach Ethics as Cal State SB or Cal Poly for that matter, at least not like they do at east coast schools.
Besides, nobody learns that kind of BAD POLITICS anyway but by the seat of their pants (experience).
What would you have told the Highland developer that was suggesting he wanted to give Derry a contribution, but he didn’t want then seated Supervisor Dennis the Hansburgerler to know about it?
Probably the same thing as Derry did, and tell him to make his check out to a PAC instead.
When has making a suggestion to a potential campaign contributor to give the money to a PAC become the same thing as laundering campaign contributions?
Maybe it always has been that way… in San Berdoo doo politics, and it’s not even an issue unless you are considered a political enemy of the administration that wants to contnue with the status quo to remain in (absolute) power.
Add in that this type of infraction, if it hadn’t been the PAC being controlled by ex- BOS Chair Billy “Songbird” Postmus, the oversight would only warrant an FPPC investigation and an appropriate fine, not DA Mikey asking for another favor from his political ally, now-Governator Moonbeam to bring-on felony charges.
Can’t everyone see the obvious CHARACTER ASSASINATION going on here?
Heck, didn’t DA Mikey himself fail to report payments made to his spouse Gretchen Ramos, that were twice the amount ($10,000.) a few years back, and he only got a slap on the hand from the FPPC.
One has to ask themselves, why the difference in treatment for similar “offenses”? One word explains it all: FAVORITISM aka, bias or discrimination.
Supervisor Derry is just another victim… at present the most high-profile victim, of DA Mikey’s continuing policy and program of the SELECTED PROSTITUTION of his authority (as the area’s chief law enforcement official) and the public resources at his disposal.
DA Mikey and Sheriff Hoopster on Ethics:
“Ethics, we don’t need no stinkin’ ethics (we got these here stinkin’ badges to prove it!”)
And would James Ramos is proud of his endorsement by these racketeering gangsters… or maybe he’s just PLAYIN’ ALONG?!
Funny, the Investigator in the Derry case was Bud Randles, who is now under investigation himself….
Racer….I understand your point, but I use the term clumsy because there is not a clean person in the lot. Pick a council person, supervisor, assemblyman,senator, congressman, most are guilty of what Derry plead to. The difference is that where everyone feigns ignorance, Derry readily acknowledged his crime and then drew a blue print. He thought he was going to get a slap on the wrist and when it looked like his goose was cooked he tried recanting his story and then people on this site started trying to re-write history as the campaign approached. Further, Derry came into office on a pledge of cleaning up corruption, so from a political sense how much more clumsy can a politician be than to publicly get caught up in the corruption he vowed to clean up? Then as if that wasn’t bad enough, Derry clumsily finds the most racist pair in California and hires them to run a campaign against all things brown. So from the standpoint morality, yes you are right, there is no room for a word like clumsy, but from the standpoint of of just everyday politics and all the common corruption that goes with it, Derry is clumsy.
Racer, you don’t think I should be helping Derry?
I did not ask Derry’s permission! Nor do I need it!
I believe in Derry 100%… regardless of your “clumsy” attempts to shove DA Mike Ramos’ pathetic politically motivated arrest down out throats.
It’s common knowledge how Mike Ramos abused his position in an attempt to stain Derry and promote james Ramos, and now being that James Ramos is STILL not considered a contender as a candidate… YOU FOOLS ARE GOING TO CRY THE RACE CARD!!
REALLY?? Accusing Derry of hating anyone that is “brown.”
You guys need to seriously go back to the drawing board… you people are sounding juvenile, and burned out trying to defend the Buffoon.
Anonymous /Little Stevie Wonder
You’re saying that because Neil is the only honest crooked political that admitted he committed a felony that we should give another term in office?. So, Neil is the best of the crooked politicians. Hmmmm. try that on teaching your children right and wrong!
I personally know Neil very well. Neil is not clumsy, stupid or naive. Neil told everyone that would listen for years that he was going to a BOS member. To accomplish that you’re not naive or stupid. So quit making excuses for him.
He was working with Jim Erwin, Adam Aleman, and Bill Postmus when they planned the hiding of the contribution. In fact, Neil said “I can’t have this showing up in my campaign”. He knew exactly what he was doing. There’s Grand Jury testimony to back that statement up. They all knew it was wrong and Illegal! If you can’t take the contribution legally, you don’t take it. Pretty simple.
Neil did not back away from his confessions to the State Investigator (not Bud Randles) at anytime until after the plea deal was done. He knew he couldn’t because it’s a felony to lie to an investigator. After Neil walked out of court on the day he was sentenced that’s when he started the whole speech which you are repeating.
Everyone knew James Ramos was going to run for the BOS two years before he announced. That’s at least one year prior to Neil’s felony arrest. It’s been no secret.
This is about Neil breaking a law while preaching that he’s Mr. Clean cleaning up the County. That in itself is a huge character flaw worthy of losing his office. In fact, he should have resigned.
I’ve known, worked with, and have socialized with Neil for almost 20 years. Neil is all about Neil and his political career. He has planned this life for many many years. I have always known that Neil would get himself in trouble and blow it. Now he has, along with his political team Erwin, Postmus, Aleman, and the rest.
Then you don’t know Neil…..Racer sounds like a very frustrated, unhappy Former councilman Tobin Brinker who had his butt handed to him by the Police Officers and Firefighters.
Derry didn’t lie and he didn’t admit to anything. Racer ought to see that, it is all public and that the State investigator never talked to Derry, it was Bud (under investigation) Randles and another of his toadies.
If you know Derry, than you know he is probably one of the few politicians who actually does what he says. Racer, you really need to stop making crap up. You are also a liar, as Derry never “talked” about running for Supervisor until 2007. Again, stop lying and making crap up.
OK Racer, guess you’ve got a point there, running with Erwin to become Supervisor in the first place, some of that has to reflect poorly on Derry in retrospect (you’re smoke about running with the Assessor’s Office personnel while he was still a Councilman in SB is pure BS).
But then all you’ve got to do is look at the crowd that is supporting your candidate, what an Obamanation!
There’s VIP Josie, w/o any other BOS Pussycats (sort of like her DemoRatic Party support, meaning zilch), DA Mikey “Pimp Daddy” Ramos and that other honorary Ramos Bro. and San Manuel Indian (a real band-o-brothers) Dennis the Hansbugerler. But you still have the audacity to call Derry corrupt?
Race-card you are obviously blinded by partisan politics (don’t you know, “Speed kills”, especially when you are trying to get your facts together, and probably being paid accordingly… you my friend are the ultimate hypocrite.
Racer….Don’t get discouraged. I appreciate your input. Just remember that most of the people that post here are a kin to hyenas. WELL WELL believes that Derry is the risen Christ incarnate and Little Stevie Wonder’s comments are incoherent 90% of the time. It makes one wonder what post they were promised in the supervisor’s office if Derry were to win, which is not going to happen so don’t worry. Your understanding of the Derry case has been the most accurate so far and matches with what ALL the local paper’s reported. As to the rest of these jokers, they are desperately holding on for dear life as was noted with their hail marry attack on Ramos last week when their complaint for campaign financing on the part of Ramos was dropped. HA HA HA HA. More Derry political clumsiness.HA HA HA HA
Racer….Are you really Brinker? HA HA HA HA, another Republican supporting Ramos!….Hey WELL WELL, is he a rhino too? Derry should demand a refund from you guys, you have proven to be the key stone cops of political campaigning.
I hear crickets from Ramos’ camp, what happened?
The truth is hitting the Third District voters today…
do I sense fear…good, because now that the ball got rolling…
it will NOT stop, NOT past June 5… or EVER!!!!
By Ramos’ ridiculous political AMBITIONS, spoon feed by DA Mike Ramos himself, Ramos’ has opened the ugly festering and dark truth of what is going on inside the Reservations…NEXT TO OUR SCHOOLS AND NEIGHBORHOODS.
I KNOW MORE, MUCH MUCH MORE, BUT IT’S NOT JUST MY FIGHT, IT’S ALL OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO EXPOSE THE SAFE HAVEN RAMOS, AND OTHER NATIVE INDIAN RESERVATIONS, CREATE FOR MEXICAN AND RUSSIAN MAFIA’S IN ORDER FOR THEM TO CONDUCT THEIR CRIME, MURDERS AND DRUG TRAFFICKING SAFELY WITHOUT FEAR OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT….ALL THIS IS KILLING AND HURTING OUR YOUTH, SCHOOLS, OUR COMMUNITIES, NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR WHOLE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE!!! THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO ACT WITHOUT DELAY TO DISMANTLE AND ABOLISH THE RESERVATIONS!! In the meantime, our communities, local government and law enforcement need to make clear they are aware of it, and are ready to protect United States soil for us!!
“I can’t have this showing up in my campaign”.
WHY? BECAUSE OF DA MIKE RAMOS’ KNOWN PATTERN OF ARRESTING AND HARASSING FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES, MIKE RAMOS’ PURPOSE HERE WAS TO CLEAR THE WAY FOR HIS PAL, OR COUSIN, JAMES RAMOS…
NOW IF BY THE LUCK OF THE DRAW RAMOS WINS, OR MAKES THE RUN OFF TO NOVEMBER… THEN THE FUN, BOMBS, WILL REALLY BEGIN ABOUT “THE SECRETS BEHIND THE RESERVATION(S)” OH, YEAH…AND I AM NOT TALKING SAN MANUEL BAND ONLY!
(STEPPING DOWN IS ALWAYS AN OPTION RAMOS!)
Just google – “The Last Circle” by Cherie Seymour, aka Carol Marshall. Enjoy the reading…
When did Derry become an “occupy” type of republican?
John….Derry is doing damage control after his attack brown people campaign blew up in his face. He is like a magician that has pulled out every trick from his top hat and still hasn’t received applause from the audience. He is now down to just the lint and the lining and when his loss becomes official, he will crawl into his hat and go back to lidsville where he belongs.
LSW, keep it short, your loosing track of your thoughts
I listened to an interview with Cherie Seymour who sounded suspiciously like Sharon Gilbert. Everyone goes to her on the hush hush to blow the whistle.
HA HA, Did y’all hear the good news? The Sun endorsed The next 3rd district supervisor JAMES RAMOS. TIC-TOC TIC-TOC, Derry is running out of time.
Ramos was endorsed by the Sun.
Their reason was that, “James Ramos has spent the better part of a decade INVESTING himself in the community – as chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians…”
Ramos did indeed spent the majority of his time, NOT WORKING, but passing out millions to the communities surrounding his Indian reservation. Millions he received, not as legitimate income, but millions he got as pay outs from the mafia organizations he provides a safe haven to. Ramos gave the blood money to our charities for political gain…NOT out of the charity of his heart.
Ah, yes…while one would think this endorsement would be the perfect occasion to pop open that expensive wine, on the contrary, Ramos’ nightmare about exposing the secret criminal activities inside all reservations has just begun!!!
Instead of toasting to his endorsement, he is having second thoughts do to the UNINVITED attention he has brought to his criminal ties and exposing how he has been in partnership with the Mexican and Russian Mafia’s…(later, we’ll discuss the San Manuel tribe’s bank accounts, and those of ALL tribal Indians nation wide, that are set up outside of the United States)
Tonight Ramos is crying out “I was endorsed?….oh, no…please let this go-away! Make it go away!”
Never! Not until ALL Indian reservations are abolished!!
I am not sure how to take that. As anyone who has asked me knows, I turn down radio interviews because I am horrible at them. On the flip side, Cherie Seymore has been on Coast to Coast and other conspiracy stations. Not sure that is a good thing to be compared to either.
Anon#34…..Hey I hope you’e right. If you’re basing your comment off of the reading SGT Millstar recommended, then many corporations and gov’t agencies are in collusion with these so called horrible indian tribes, Yes, even your holy of holy Reagan administration was a bed fellow, so let’s bring it all into the light and not just stop with the reservations.
Sharon…..Who do you like better, Art Bell or George Noory?
truely
WE WILL START WITH THE RESERVATIONS.
THE BEST THING THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO OUR COUNTRY AT THIS TIME IS TO HAVE HAD A FOOL LIKE RAMOS RUN FOR OFFICE.
MANY HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR DESIRE TO HAVE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STOP GIVING AWAY OUR TAX DOLLARS.
WE MUST EASILY, LITERALLY GIVE AWAY BILLIONS OF OUR FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS TO THESE NATIVE INDIANS SOLELY BECAUSE THEY ARE INDIANS …
IF THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE AMERICANS
THEY CAN KEEP THEIR RESERVATIONS
AND WE WILL KEEP OUR TAX DOLLARS FOR AMERICANS!!
Annon#38….If people are serious about not giving away billions of dollars then they should do something to stop corporate subsidies, and bank bailouts that soar into the TRILLIONS. What ever money that is given to reservations is just a drop in the bucket compared to what is wasted on the rest. It’s time to stop trifling over the crumbs that fall to the disadvantaged and do something about the real perpetrators of government graft.
RED ANON, AGAIN, NO THANK YOU.
I will stick to a call for the Federal government to abolish the reservations!
THE NATIVE INDIANS HAVE MILKED OUR TAX DOLLARS FOR WAY TOO LONG.
“the disadvantaged” AS YOU SAY are us, the American citizens who can not regulate the reservations, or make them obey our laws, and respect our communities.
Anon#40…your true nature is revealed. You aren’t seeking justice, your’e seeking a return to a jim crow era. KEEP DREAMING! Those days are gone and you are a dying breed. Please do vote for the grand wizard, it will make no difference, he will be out of a job shortly.
Red Anon,
Thank you for giving me your permission to vote for Derry, I will.
How could you say my true nature is revealed, IT HAS NEVER BEEN CONCEALED!
But you are misinterpreting it…that could be dangerous for you and Ramos.