From: GERALD SMITH [mailto:arkycuz1@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:35 AM
Subject: Copy of my endorsement

To my friends and other residents of Benton Co.:

I have been reading news stories, clips, newspaper editorials, personal profiles and other ’snooping’ around of news articles, both past and present, for several weeks. Lots of ’stuff’ out there. I have even talked personally with one of the Sheriff candidates.

In what I consider a fair comparison - without prejudice, but with conviction – I have sought a candidate for Sheriff for whom I could vote. I think our county is in need of a Sheriff who will admit we need a new agenda in the policing of Benton Co., and, that the county is in need of a Sheriff who will not only initiate such a program but will prioritize it and truly fulfill the duties of County Sheriff.

True, we are in a relative safe community right now - when compared to many others around the Nation - but from what I have garnered from my own ‘investigation’ we are edging toward what I would call a potential crime syndicate haven. Criminals are creeping in like a serious cancer. Needless to say, cancer, ignored and untreated, will eventually bring death to its carrier. The same principle applies to criminals and the cities they occupy.

We need some immediate action from law enforcement leaders who are unafraid to face the fact that there is a need for immediate action. And, being unafraid, have the fortitude to activate the necessary programs that will bring crime to its knees - regardless of the bleeding hearts who want to cajole the criminal.

I am deeply concerned as to where our nation is headed. Crime prevention is only a start toward improving the national profile but it is the most effective way to keep the peace while we mend the profile. And, it has to start on the local levels.

After a pretty thorough ‘investigation’, Andy Lee is my choice for the office of Sheriff. He has the experience, integrity, fairness, and fortitude to bring law enforcement influence back to Benton Co. You can visit his website at www.voteandylee.com

I have had no previous personal friendship or business relations with any of the three candidates so as I said earlier, there was no prejudice in my choice - it was simply a matter of collecting facts - not political promises and propaganda.

I am going through the same process with other offices, both local and national - whew! I hope you do some ‘homework’ also. Charisma and charm abound, but the facts are revealing to me an alarmingly different agenda for the future of America than what we have had in the past.

I have never been so involved, in selecting my choice of candidates, as I have for the upcoming elections. This is a serious election year for America; we need to be serious in choosing our candidates. Please, Benton County residents, get out to the polls and let’s help make it a better America by choosing the better candidates – locally and nationally.

Jerry Smith

703 E. Sumac

Rogers, AR. 72746

arkycuz1@sbcglobal.net

From: Guy [mailto:grhowe1@cox.net]
Sent: Sunday, May 11, 2008 4:13 PM
Subject: letter to the editor.

I just finished reading Bob Caudle’s editorial about the alleged flap over the old deputy’s badges between Benton County Judge Black and Sheriff Ferguson. Caudle went on to say that it was just a ‘cheap trick by a member of TV Lee’s personal posse’. The otherwise bland article could have been written without the obvious slam against former Sheriff Andy Lee.

As a retired deputy who worked under both Sheriffs Lee and Ferguson I would like to address the blatant politically biased reference to ‘TV Lee’.

When I went to work for the Sheriff’s Office in 1991 I was paid a paltry $11,900 a year. All of my equipment, except for the car, was my own. I got no training. There was no money in the budget for any of that. Andy knew that the only way to bring this county out of the 18th century was to get the attention of the public and the quorum court. He spent a good deal of his time ‘getting on TV’, appearing in front of the quorum court and pleading his case for bringing the Sheriff’s Office at least into the 20th century. Unless you were there you have no idea how dangerous working in the old jail was. I can’t count the number of nights I was the only deputy on duty in the entire county. Andy changed all that. And he made enemies doing it.

Since he left office there have been many changes. Many people view them as a digression. Andy wants to bring the Sheriff’s Office back up to speed. I think he’s just the man for the job.

Guy Howe

“Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters.” —Daniel Webster

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.” -Edmund Burke (1729-1797)

Well this is just about it guys. The early voting has started and the big day is the 20th. I am really feeling good about this election by the actions of the Ferguson campaign. Here are two events that stand out.

The first story will be part of my “too funny…..”, but the second part I will try to explain why the current Sheriff is “afraid” of me.

Ok the Ferguson camp is on the run and is extremely defensive. Last week one of our campaign workers was eating at local Rogers’s restaurant. As our campaigner was leaving the restaurant he was approached by a member of Ferguson’s campaign offering him a Ferguson yard sign to take. When our worker said, “no thanks, I want a real Sheriff’s sign in my yard”, the Ferguson’s campaigner said a nasty word about me, ouch.

Too funny………. I can’t resist. “Sticks and stones can break my bones but names will never hurt me!!!” My, my how one reacts when one hears foot steps rapidly approaching from behind.

Another indicator that we have that Ferguson is on the defensive is he “walked out” of a debate held last week. He knew I was going to ask him during the forum about his facts on how much money his Federal Prisoner program was really bringing into the county. To avoid having to debate the issue he fled. It is obvious to me that Sheriff Ferguson is afraid to sit down in a public forum and discuss several issues. The holding of Federal Prisoners for one!

I never thought I would see the day that Keith was afraid to defend his programs or be afraid to sit down and face me, but I guess when one is playing the cards of political poker and the dealer is a politician, anything is possible. Even trying to bluff your constituents!

Another key component that is helping our campaign is the “Jail Ministry” program. I have been contacted by members of the Ministry program who express their disappointment with the Sheriff. I have been told that the Sheriff has really restricted the volunteers time with inmates. Two ministers told me they had to make an appointment to visit with an inmate who wanted to visit with their minister. The kicker to this is when the ministers showed up at their scheduled time, they were turned away. That is wrong!

Keep up the “sprit of victory”. We have one more week. I really believe if we keep up the pace this election will be ours to win. Holly and I are going door to door again today. We hope to finish up Siloam Springs soon. We will be on the ground all next week and weekend knocking on doors. Those of you, who have the time to go door to door, give us a call and we will give you some addresses.

In closing lets keep in our prayers our neighbors in Missouri or anywhere that was affected by the weather yesterday. To those wonderful MOM’S - today is your day! Happy Mother’s Day!
Thank you again for your continued support and your prayers, your endless energy amazes me!

Here is the link to Channel 40/29’s interview of the Sheriff’s candidates, http://www.4029tv.com/news/16116766/detail.html 

Let those you visit with know they can go to our web page and see the interview. Also get a copy of Celebrate Magazine and read the article. It is a good one to read.

I will do a mid week update with some information on what we are doing in the marketing department.

As always Holly and I thank you for all the support. We really feel blessed. 

Andy

I hope all have seen the debate that was televised on Channel 16 in Bella Vista.  The debate is downloaded onto my web page.  If you look at the home page, you can go to the right side of the page and click on “Bella Vista TV 16 debate”.  This is under the “recent posts”.

A very good week!

My wife, Holly, Linda and several supporters have covered a large area of Bella Vista. I have been working door to door in Siloam Springs.  I plan on having Siloam Springs covered by the end of the week.

The forum in Prairie Creek went well. I believe I made my point but you might like to know that our opponent said his first priority was the jail and his second was the safety of Benton County.

.

Dog Wood Days in Siloam Springs was a good day for the campaign.  In total we had at least twenty supporters working the festival.  The campaign then traveled north to Maysville and had a super time with the residents from the Maysville area who were in attendance of their festival.

We finished the campaign this week in Church.  Holly and I were guests of Jerry and Sharon Smith.  We attended the Colonial Baptist Church on Olive Street. It was a wonderful time with a wonderful congregation of Gods people.  Thank you.

We are winning this race.  The energy I feel is unbelievable!  Do keep up the pace and the enthusiasm.

Holly and I want to thank you for your support.  Know this, we love you and we will win!

Andy

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

” There that newspaper goes insultin my intelligence agin. Someone over there is supportin the current sheriff cause he’s been so quiet? They equate doin a good job with quietness?? That’s downright ignorant.

My granddaddy used to say, when an elected official is too quiet they’re either, up to somethin, or up to nothin, and neither one one of those things is helpin us folks. I don’t recollect being a sheriff ought to be a quiet job, not if their doin their job and speakin up loud for me, after all, they’re workin for me, I’m payin their wages.

That’s what I always liked about Andy when a was sheriff, he wasn’t what they call, politically correct, he’d step on anyones toes when it came to doin the right thing. You see, when a true leader is turnin over lots of rocks to find the rattle snakes and bein a what ya call, a mover and a shaker, it does stir up some folks all around. Mostly, the very folks that needed to get stirred up and shakin in the first place!!!

I don’t want a sheriff who is a go-a-longer- to-get-alonger. I want a sheriff who talks the walk and then actually walks the talk!

Now if the county comes up with a new job such as commissioner of quiet naptime, that current guy has got my vote, but for sheriff, in these serious times, I’m votin for Andy Lee. I know that Andy built the County Sheriffs department up to what it is today. The current guy’s just been coastin on all the work Andy done before! Anybody could see that, cause during this campaign, now the current guy keeps adoptin all the ideas and things that Andy say’s need to start gettin done. I think Andy has given him every good idea he’s ever had.

Now we need Andy back, to take the County Sheriff’s Office up to the next level to meet today’s new challenges. Arkansawyers used to know how to recognize a lawman with true grit. Come May 20th, I hope they still do, and put Andrew Lee, Andy, back in the sheriffs offce where he can pick up right where he left off.”

Well, that’s the way the cow eats the cabbage, yall hear?.

Hunter Moore

My son, Andy, and my grandson, Andy, went to his funeral this past week in Washington DC. After the funeral I took them on a tour of DC, including, all you baseball fans, a private tour of the new baseball stadium of the Washington Nationals and - for all you Holly fans, a trip past the house she grew up in. Before we left DC we were able to get Andy, son, a ride along with a DC Police Office in the 5th District- my old stomping ground. Andy got a close up view of what his father did for many years.

During my absence, the opposition has wasted little time in its distribution of its second Anti-Andy letter - filled with falsehoods and half truths of things I did as Sheriff. The current Sheriff should make a public statement and denounce the letters. He should not have an issue with this - unless, he knows and supports the source of them. If so, it should be revealed. As we know, all cowards hide behind anonymity. If you notice both letters released so far during this campaign - have been released without a name attached to it. Last campaign the same thing happened, but they only sent one letter out - again with no signature.

But wait you say, how do I know the Sheriff is aware of the letters? I don’t but his campaign does. Last year one of his campaign workers thought he was being cute by calling over a dog that belonged to a neighbor that was supporting me and tied the fictional letter to the dog’s collar and sent the dog home. The dog owner called me and told me they had a copy of the bad things I did and it came from their neighbor. How do we know that, the neighbor signed it!!!! Too funny…………..and guess who has that copy? Too funny, again……………

I did not get a lot of things done on the campaign trail last week but my wife did. Seems like a lot of doors were knocked on and the advertisement is well on its way. Thanks Holly for your support and love.

In addition to Holly’s help - I also want to say a special thanks to Guy Howe and Linda Napierala………for their help walking door to door with Holly. Thanks Guy and Linda!

My, my, my, the editorialist have just begun……. I know for many - this may be very frustrating to read- keep in mind that in general the press has been fair to our administration and our campaign. I can not say that about the editorial section. The power of the pen can be mighty. Through the years I have come to understand that editorialist and I come from different molds. I do not understand why they write the way they do.

We will keep plugging away by knocking on doors, handing out the fliers and spreading the word! State the facts and only the facts. Unlike our opponent, we must not lower our standards when it comes to getting the truth out to the public.

A good Sheriff will do what is correct; a great Sheriff will do what is right!!! 

And the right things to do is….

• Stop gangs in their tracks!

• Stop holding Federal Prisoners in our county jail and turn our jail back over to Benton County!

• Open up the beds that the Federal Prisoners are taking up and start holding those who have been arrested in Benton County.

• Stop the Criminal Networking between the Federal Prisoners and local prisoners.

• If you are going to spend our property tax dollars, spend it on a new, state of the art juvenile detention center and juvenile court. Do not spend it on an expansion of the jail just to bring up and hold Federal Prisoners from Louisiana!

Again, I want to thank each and every one of you for joining me in this campaign endeavor. I can never thank you enough for your support!

Andy

Ps; do you remember my prediction that the Sheriff would get off the kick of expanding the jail and bringing in more Federal Prisoners? Well it looks like I am correct. Here it is April and you have not heard a word from the Sheriff referencing the expansion.

There a few reasons for this:

1. The Sheriff knows it was a bad idea to start with.

2. The Sheriff knows the public is not in support.

3. The Sheriff knows the public is disappointed in him when they learn he is turning away a criminal arrested in Benton County because there is a no bed spaces available because the needed beds are being used by the Federal Prisoners he is holding.

4. The Sheriff knows that the criminal networking with Federal Prisoners and local prisoners is just wrong and he knows the public feels the same.

5. The Sheriff has failed to tell the public and the Quorum Court that the cost to hold a prisoner is now up to $35.00 (read story) a day and he only collects $40.00 for Federal Prisoners.

6. The Sheriff knows the public will not except the fact that for an extra $5.00 dollars a day we are using bed space for a Federal Prisoner instead of holding local prisoners.

7. The Sheriff knows that if he was really running the jail correctly we would not be having the problems we are having today with bed space issues.

Just a little FYI; I keep hearing about all the law suits I had when I was Sheriff.  Well I may have had several but I am not sure if I ever had forty (40) pending at one time like the current Sheriff.  His little buddies should look over their shoulder and check their facts before spouting off.  It would be interesting to know what his total lawsuits are from the time he took office to now!

You know what would be informative?  If Keith Ferguson, Sgt. Kelly Cradduck and myself would sit down on live radio to discuss the issues of gangs, the holding of Federal Prisoners and other issues that have surface during the campaign?

Keith my campaign will pay for the hour of radio time if you do not want to share the cost.