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Re: Reeps Have Gallegos For Dinner
Michael Shellenberger

Sep 12, 2003 08:28 PDT 


This is terrific. Exactly what Paul needs to be doing. It shows his guts and
integrity. Bravo Paul!

Michael Twombly said:


From the Alliance for Ethical Business (AEB) List serve:

Eureka Times-Standard

Gallegos reaches out to area Republicans
By James Tressler The Times-Standard

Friday, September 12, 2003 -

EUREKA -- Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos spoke before
about 30 members of the county Republican Central Committee at a dinner
at OH's Townhouse Thursday evening.

During the roughly hour-long session, before some of the controversial
district attorney's harshest critics, Gallegos sought to deflect
accusations that he is soft on crime. Gallegos also made efforts to
educate the conservative audience on choices his administration has
made, such as introducing more liberal medical marijuana prosecution
guidelines and pursuing a massive fraud lawsuit against Pacific Lumber
Co.

Gallegos maintained criminal case filings have increased 20 percent
since he took office in January, while at the same time budget cuts mean
he's working with three fewer attorney's than his predecessor Terry
Farmer had.

Regarding the PL lawsuit, Gallegos refused to answer audience questions
on whether Farmer could or could not have filed a similar lawsuit during
his tenure. Instead, Gallegos said he was well aware of the controversy
the suit would cause, especially coming early in his term on the heels
of his new medical marijuana policy. Gallegos said the suit had to be
filed before the statute of limitations on the case expired. To that
end, Gallegos also defended the hiring of his assistant, Tim Stoen, whom
some Republicans, noting that Farmer didn't have an assistant, said
should be fired if Gallegos indeed faces staffing shortages.

"If you think I need to get rid of Tim Stoen and the PL lawsuit, I
respect your opinion -- but I can never agree with it," Gallegos said to
one Republican listener, Jerry Partain.

Gallegos maintained hiring Stoen as an assistant has made good political
sense, as he said was shown in the recent decision by the office to file
a criminal charge against Eureka Inn owner John Biord stemming from
delinquent taxes owed the city, charges which were filed by Stoen.
Gallegos said while he's not close friends with John and Debbie Biord,
they are well acquainted and Stoen's handling of the case has served as
a wall between conflict of interest. Regarding Biord, who paid the taxes
he owed the city this week prior to an arraignment, Gallegos said he
supports the need to still hold Biord to answer.

"It will be resolved," Gallegos said. "We are trying to punish (Biord),
give consequences, but not disproportionate punishment."

Regarding the medical marijuana guidelines, Gallegos conceded that state
law is "poorly written," providing unclear guidelines in many aspects,
but that medical marijuana is legal and that his guidelines conform with
most other counties in northern California.

At one point, an audience member asked Gallegos, "Why did you become
district attorney?"

"Lots of reasons," Gallegos said. "I have young kids, ages 6, 4 and 17
months, and I wanted to participate in making a better world for them as
well. I got to a point in my life when I wanted to do more than make a
living. I wanted to make a difference."

Gallegos received a mostly courteous and interested reception from the
audience, which included former Humboldt State University President
Alistair McCrone and Republican Party Chairman Mike Harvey. But there
was one notable exception. Robin Arkley, Sr., former owner of Blue Lake
Forest Products and highly vocal proponent of the recall against
Gallegos, got up and walked out of the building well before Gallegos
concluded his remarks.

Arkley's exit came just as Vee Sorenson, a long-time Republican, asked
how people could help Gallegos institute an intern program at his
office, a proposal that Gallegos said has moved slowly through the
county's administrative processes, even though he has said there would
be no cost to the county.

"What's the problem and how can we help?" Sorenson asked.

At that point, Arkley, who had remained silent and facing away from
Gallegos throughout the evening, got up and walked out.

"I think things were going a little too positive for him," Harvey
remarked, after the event concluded.



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