It has taken me some time to settle down from what happened on Dec. 26. Below is my unbiased reflection/account of what transpired at the Pacific County Commissioners meeting in South Bend that day.

Citizens of Pacific County, by now you should be well aware of the fact the county commissioners voted on and passed a resolution that stripped the corrections facility (the jail) away from our Sheriff Dan Garcia.

Paul Plakinger, author of the resolution, began by reading an elaborate 20-minute word salad, rabba-zabba quack quacking about how wonderful he is and all of the long hours he put into this resolution. Reading further, he ripped into Sheriff Garcia and the “risks” the sheriff’s office causes the county, especially on the corrections side of the house, referencing to the tragic deaths of two inmates. His intent was to paint a picture of an incompetent sheriff’s office and shore-up support for his newly generated department. He went on to say the corrections department would function better if it was separate from the sheriff’s office.

What he did not say is how his new department would reduce the “risk” factor and save lives. The flow chart associated with the new department has the commissioners as ultimate authority, directly under them is Plakinger, directly under him is his newly established county position of the Department of Corrections supervisor. (By the way, did anyone see the county job posting for this new position?)

Apparently, Mr. Plakinger’s smoke screen failed, because during the public comment portion and throughout the meeting I heard bipartisan comments (100 plus) asking the commissioners to “back-down,” “table this measure,” “more information is needed” and “more time is needed.” Many of the voices complained this resolution was an “underhanded deal,” “Slick-Willie politics,” “smells bad,” “used-car salesman tactics” and “a vindictive act.”

When I break it all down, there is no doubt that something is very wrong here. Words like “conspiracy,” “malice,” “wrongful intentions” and “harmful act” are embedded deep within all that transpired. Prior to voting on the resolution, employees who work under the sheriff were given notices of termination (including a severance package approved by the commissioners) and/or transfers. The sheriff and his staff were notified on Dec. 18 that on Jan. 1 he would no longer have jurisdiction over the jail and would be losing staff. Mind you, the vote had not been taken, but the parties involved were so sure of themselves they pressed on, ignoring the “voice” of their constituents, and passed the resolution on Dec. 26 to carry out the changes.

This blind-sided act was initiated by Plakinger, along with his co-conspirators — county commissioners Dave Tobin, Jerry Doyle and Lisa Olsen — who knowingly, willfully withheld pertinent information from Sheriff Garcia. That information directly related to the successful operations of the chief law enforcement officer of the Pacific County and the office he oversees.

As a matter of record, I am an independent registered voter, property owner, taxpayer in the Pacific County since 2005, and a permanent resident since 2014. Furthermore, I am a retired U.S. Navy chief petty officer. My wife and I chose the peninsula to get away from this type of politics. I guess we didn’t go far enough.

JOSEPH S. NATOLI

U.S. Navy Retired