By Bart J. Allen
Why would anyone, in their right mind, want to go into politics? That’s the question I’ve been asking myself lately, mostly because I’m running for Saline County Sheriff. Most wouldn’t believe the crap one has to put up with. It’s a daily battle, so you can imagine how pleased I was to read in the Salina Journal that I’m now a democrat.
This certainly came as news to me, especially since I’m running as a republican. Not that I have anything against democrats. It’s just that running as a democrat in Saline County is anything but a sure path to victory and everyone knows it, especially the Salina Journal. One of my supporters referred to it as the “Scarlet D”.
Were this an isolated incident, one could easily write it off as a simple mistake made in haste. Those things happen. From my perspective, it’s a little more complicated than that.
As some reading this are aware, I recently published a book about Saline County authorities and their inability to adhere to the constitution and follow the law. While the Salina Journal is quite happy to take my money to advertise the book, they don’t want the citizens of Saline County know what it says. My book, unlike all of the others written locally and covered by the Journal, is relevant to every, single citizen. Documented incompetence, negligence, and criminal conduct by our county officials is certainly everybody’s business. So, where’s our fourth estate?
Now, not only does the Salina Journal have no interest in letting the voters know what my book says, they have relabeled me as a democrat in a front page, above the fold story in a Sunday edition. Oops! Though I’m sure they’ll be quick to offer a correction, I doubt that will appear front and center. Such is the power of the fourth estate, or in this case, misuse of power by the fourth estate.
It’s pretty clear. For whatever reason, Sheriff Kochanowski’s their man and they will wield whatever power they can to ensure his survival. Of course, this isn’t news to me. Is this in your best interest? I don’t think so, but I guess you’ll have to figure that out for yourselves. Welcome to politics in Salina, where the status quo is exactly fine.
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