Three Cheers For Mark Osland

Three Cheers for Mark Osland
70% of Voters Want Change in Sheriff’s Department
Taxpayers Win Big in Sheriff’s Race
Sheriff Rivard’s Popularity and Karl Schreck’s

Campaign Sink like a Lead Balloon!
Commissioner Mike Robinson’s Power

declines downward into a Spiral of Death
Rick Duncan Clear Choice to be Next Sheriff
Opinion and Political Commentary by Jonathan P. Glassel

Karl Schreck was campaigning before Chisago County Sheriff Todd Rivard announced his decision to retire in March.

Rick Duncan, the winner of the Primary with 46% of the vote and the clear choice to be our next Sheriff announced his decision in May.

Mark Osland did not enter the race until June, leaving just a few weeks to campaign before an early Primary.

Mark Osland’s hard work and determination yielded an amazing 17% of the votes cast.

Anyone who thinks 1,000 votes in a Primary Election is a small feat, needs to try it sometime.

In the General Election, any candidate will get “luck of the draw” votes cast by those who are uninformed as to the merits of any particular candidate. However, Primary voters are a tough sell. These 21% of registered voters go the extra mile to vote in a Primary and are well informed about every candidate on the ballot.

Mark Osland is a “Class Act,” with no shortage of the “C Words,” Character, Compassion, Courage and Common Sense.

Many Duncan supporters, myself included were concerned that Mark would split the “Good Guy” vote, leaving Schreck to actually appear as though he is a viable candidate.

Yet, Karl Schreck failed to take his lagging campaign beyond a small but vocal group of supporters in his horse club and a very few Chisago County Deputies.

Sheriff Todd Rivard’s backing of Schreck yielded small results. Commissioner Robinson’s rabid support of “the Garbage Cop,” in Rush City provided a mere 10 net votes for Schreck over Osland and Duncan, further indication that Robinson is on his way out, hopefully replaced in 2012 by a “C Word” candidate.

Though Mark ran a totally positive campaign, Osland’s supporters are not likely to vote for Schreck in November because Schreck’s character, or lack thereof, has preceded him.

Schreck and his cronies in the Sheriff’s Department have campaigned on the taxpayer’s “dime,” something that does not sit well with most voters. They have openly intimidated business persons supporting other candidates.

Clearly Schreck and his staff had expected a convincing win, however Karl failed to grasp the fact that he and his goons cannot go into the voting booth with every voter.

Despite fear of retaliation and reprisals from the Sheriff’s department, voters said “no” to the “Mafia-like” tactics of Karl Schreck and Commissioner Mike Robinson.

Karl Schreck has a completely legitimate side business of trimming horse’s hooves. Stories of Sheriff Rivard “busting” Schreck back to Private for persistently sleeping away his night shift in a donut shop leads to conjecture that Schreck was probably sleeping during his night shift to conserve energy for his day job.

Apparently, Schreck’s Stripes have never been returned, though he still calls himself Sergeant.

These stories are just the tip of the iceberg for Schreck, Rivard and Robinson. Other stories and rumors of abuses by a small group of Chisago County Sheriff’s Department employees, leaves many people wondering why Rivard would support anyone like Schreck; as such support defies the common sense and logic of most voters.

People are beginning to speculate that, perhaps Todd is not the brightest bulb on the Rivard Family Tree.

Taylors Fall is patrolled by three full time Chisago County deputies at a net financial loss to the taxpayers of Chisago County, yet these three cops issue fewer citations per capita than any other area of the County. This lends credence to the rumor that Sheriff Rivard has a very long “no stop list” for Taylors Falls family, friends and supporters. Yet, the many alleged benefactors of this list, did not deliver a clear win for Schreck in that precinct.

In retrospect, despite my earlier reservations, Mark Osland’s entry and effort, devoting his time, treasure and talent to the Sheriff’s race yielded positive results for the taxpayers of Chisago County. An early debate among voters about the qualifications of the candidates clarified our need and our desire for leadership from outside the Sheriff’s Department as we head toward the fall general elections.

For this, we owe Mark Osland, his family and his supporters a sincere debt of gratitude.