We Asked The Sheriff To Resign

Sheriff, may I please have your resignation?

Dear Editor,

As I read your newspaper last week and saw that once again our sheriff (Bill Smith) is in hot water (Tribune & Georgian files Open Records Act suit against sheriff," March 28), all I could think of is the great Bible verses that his supporters like to tell us. Well, I have one for the sheriff. "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32.But first you must stop with the no comments. When an elected official says "no comment" that person is probably hiding something. And let's face it, there is probably a lot to hide in Woodbine. Yes, Mr. Taylor (Jones) (Bill's attorney in Atlanta), I am questioning your client's ethics and, no, Mr. Jones, I am not questioning your ethics; I will leave that up to the Georgia Bar.

Mr. Smith, for years the people of this county have allowed you to do whatever you want and these days are now over. We are going to hold you to the law just as you would hold one of us. We have had scandal after scandal since August, and the now-famous jet ski incident, which in my mind is still questionable and questions still have not been answered. If there really was a family emergency, why were we not told of this at the special meeting, if that was the truth, than waiting six months to release that information?

Then there is the issue with the seized drug funds. Is that money the county's money or Bill Smith's money? How many of you citizens would have voted to send money to the sheriff's alma mater in South Carolina? And the school does not show it as a gift from Camden County, but as a gift from Bill Smith, sheriff of Camden County. We have used this money for scholarships, attorney fees, but, heaven forbid, you donate it to churches to help those who can't pay their electric bills in our own county. I do believe that if this money is not going to be used in Camden County that it should be voted on by the county commissioners.

Needless to say, the last year and a half has been filled with scandal after scandal, and the longer Bill Smith is sheriff the more money Camden County will lose. I do believe that this county cannot go another two years under the poor leadership of Bill Smith so I am publicly asking for Mr. Smith to step aside. I am not doing this because of any personal reasons. I have never met Bill Smith and I really don't need to. I did vote for him in 2004 and, since then, I have been kicking my own butt.

I have done a lot of research, and the research does not favor the sheriff. I ask my fellow citizens to stand up and demand the same. I know what can happen by doing this, and I am prepared to take on any type of retaliation and will help others also.

Rick Rogers
Kingsland