Allegations of such specific incidents have been brought to my attention for years, and the number is growing along with the public profile of the recall attempt.  In my nearly 17 years living in the County, I have had only one individual defend the Prosecutor and his methods when the subject came up...just one.  Personally, his reputation aside, the event that triggered my actions in support of the recall was very simple in principle:  We have an elected public official; a `public servant', using public monies; denying public access and inspection of his department and its expenditures tax dollars.  Evidently, Mr. Donnelly believes this is none of the public's business, and for that reason alone, he should be removed from office.  His `methodology' in the conduct of the County legal system can be dealt with in due course, but to place himself and his department above and beyond the public interest is both arrogant and inexcusable.

    Complaints and allegations from defense attorneys and residents aside, the refusal of our intrepid Prosecuting Attorney to cooperate with the Board of Commissioners to assist in the departmental review; in order to identify prudent cost reductions in the face of yet another budget imbalance; is counterproductive at best, and negligent on its face.  This leaves me, among many others, to wonder which of two possibilities have prompted this action on his part:  Either there is something wrong with the operation of and within the Prosecutor's department, or Mr. Donnelly indeed thinks he alone runs the County government.  One would think that the Prosecutor would gladly assist the Board in efforts to reduce expenditures without impact to necessary operations, this apparently is not the case.

    This brings me to the recall effort itself, which I wholeheartedly support.  If the Prosecutor believes he has the support of the community in his department's dealings with the public on their behalf, then he has nothing to fear from the recall effort.  He should defeat it easily.  If he is simply attempting to protect his job and public image by concealing public information and protesting the subsequent questioning of his methods and motivations concerning the recall, the voters should be made aware of both, and then judge him at the polls in February.  I believe the man is defending an `empire' built over at least a decade in office, and whose conduct in that office has been questionable at best recently, and whose tactics border upon the unethical, if not illegal.

    I am supporting and actively engaged in the recall effort, and hereby call upon Mr. Donnelly publicly to resign his position immediately upon the submission of the minimum valid petition signatures to the Secretary of State, and save everyone the effort and expense of putting it to a countywide vote.  I do not think he wants to know for certain how unpopular he really is.