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Thursday, March 19, 2015

Peg Ferraro Takes Swing at DA's Drug Mailer

NorCo Council President Peg Ferraro thought there was nothing wrong with Executive John Brown's use of about $76,500 in precious county tax dollars to fund his very own public relations firm to advise him on attending St. Patrick's Day parades and prepare grammatically garbled news releases. But yesterday, Republican Ferraro took a swipe at Democratic DA John Morganelli for a newsletter he sends out about once every two years. It is paid for by the bad guys. Morganelli uses about $10,000 in drug forfeiture money, once every two years, for an informational mailer.

The subject came up during the review of a Controller Steve Barron's audit of the drug forfeiture program.

Ferraro: "There's a rather extensive newsletter, brochure, colorful, that comes out. Is that paid for out of drug money?"

Barron: "It is, Yes. ... . It's a lot like the ones the state representatives send out, state senators send out, giving their constituents updates, paid for with taxpayer money. This comes from the drug forfeiture account."

Ferraro: "I don't approve of our state representatives sending things out either. That's our money they're using for their own promotion."

I could understand being philosophically opposed to the use of tax dollars for informational mailers, which do tend to be self-promotion pieces. I even understand the objection to the use of forfeiture funds for the DA's newsletter. The late Joe DeRaymond, a local activist, used to pen LTEs complaining about them. But if Ferraro were so opposed to using drug money to explain how it's being spent, I would have expected her to be firmly opposed to Brown's public relations consultant.

Morganelli told me last night that his newsletter results in requests for speakers at schools, women's groups, churches, PTAs and senior centers. Considering that one of every three families have a member who is struggling with drugs or alcohol, these mailers are beneficial. Today, he will be speaking to a group from Bangor that contacted him in response to his newsletter

Ironically, after Ferraro took her jab, the next person up to the podium was Judge Craig Dally. Not that long ago, he was Peg Ferraro's State Representative.

"I was a little nervous when Madame President was talking about newsletters. When I was State representative, you were on my mailing list," he joked.
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8 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 19, 2015 at 7:32 AM

    Ferraro has got to go!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 19, 2015 at 8:25 AM

    This is a much bigger story than being reported. Peg is on to something really big only a couple people know about.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 19, 2015 at 8:40 AM

    The thing I find despicable about that mailer and forfeiture money is the "forfeiture" itself. How many low level marijuana "dealers" were incarcerated and their assets stolen to pay for this mailer? Morganelli should concentrate on crimes with victims and any assets seized better be seized only in the gravest of circumstances. I don't believe this is the case. I believe they steal all sorts of assets from all sorts of offenders. The war on drugs is a cash ATM for these types and its pretty disgusting.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousMarch 19, 2015 at 9:06 AM

    Moananelli the king of the Peter principle

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousMarch 19, 2015 at 9:10 AM

    Isn't it amazing that Peg (ex school teacher) Ferraro, who I might add sucked on the public teat for years and now has a daughter sucking on the public teat, can now find fault with an informational newsletter from the District Attorneys, while she sees nothing wrong with a consultant hired to make the executive look good. Next time she has a colonoscopy she should have the doctor check to see if her brain is up there.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Bernie O'HareMarch 19, 2015 at 10:52 AM

    "This is a much bigger story than being reported. Peg is on to something really big only a couple people know about."

    I am on to that story as well, but we need something called proof before I can write about it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousMarch 19, 2015 at 1:43 PM

    agree with 8:40, I think the drug forfeiture law itself is unconstitutional and comes out of the anti-drug delirium. Actually it is more serious a threat to your constitutional rights than any gun controls to the second amendment.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousMarch 19, 2015 at 1:51 PM

    I bet there is more being wasted elsewhere.

    ReplyDelete

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