Brinkman: The clear choice
Sheriff Joe DiSalvo? I am biased.
Yes, I am biased. I’m biased because I lived with Joe’s predecessor for 10 years. I witnessed first-hand the requisite quick and educated decision-making on large-scale issues, often in collaboration with other agencies. This cannot be improvised.
I also came to understand Bob Braudis’ trust in Joe and witnessed Bob consistently solicit Joe’s advice. Joe was more than undersheriff, often leading the department and always involved in tactical decision-making. Bob felt Joe had keen instincts and a natural intuition when it came to making decisions in law enforcement.
I liked Michael Buglione when he was hired by Bob, as he seemed to have great promise. However, Michael never rose above the rank of patrol sergeant under either sheriff. Upon Bob’s retirement, I admired Joe for advocating for Michael despite many calling for his termination due to declining performance. Instead of termination, Joe reassigned Michael to senior detention officer, which is when Michael quit law enforcement.
I’ve always admired Joe for taking responsibility for his mistakes. Conversely, Michael seems unable to take responsibility for his. He even deflected at Squirm Night, suggesting that the cocaine found could have been residual from earlier patrons: “Bumps is used by thousands of skiers. Did someone go in and sterilize the bathroom before the investigators came in?”
Ultimately, the report conducted by the county manager concluded that Michael showed a “lack of initiative, lack of judgment and a critical error in judgment that put children at risk.”
Our community is worthy of better. Unlike his opponent, Joe is running a clean campaign. Yet, there is much misinformation being circulated. I encourage all voters to read the public documents and to also read earlier reporting by this paper.
All bias aside, with 37 years of experience, Joe is clearly the choice for sheriff. His experience mattered to Bob. It matters to me.
Dede Brinkman
Aspen
