Pubdate: Mon, 14 Feb 2000 Source: San Luis Obispo County Tribune (CA) Copyright: 2000 The Tribune Contact: P.O. Box 112, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406-0112 Fax: 805.781.7905 Website: http://www.thetribunenews.com/ Author: Tom Bordonaro Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n087/a06.html BLAKELY'S PAST IN QUESTION I'm writing in response to a letter in The Tribune on Feb. 9 by Mr. Perry, president of the Deputy Sheriff's Association. Mr. Perry stated that he hoped the Mike Ryan campaign against David Blakely won't be negative. What I believe Mr. Perry is hoping, along with other Blakely supporters, is that the true facts about Mr. Blakely won't surface until after the election. The facts are that David Blakely has admitted to breaking the law. This paper conducted an extensive investigation of Blakely after he was elected to office. Blakely was then forced to admit to using cocaine, marijuana and hallucinogenics. What matter to voters like me is that Blakely's drug use was not som eyouthful experimentation as a student in college; he admits to using drugs at a time in his life when he was employed as a junior high school teacher in Atascadero. The facts are that David Blakely was using drugs while he was teaching and influlencing our children, and I think this is appalling. This is not the role model, teacher or public leader who I want for our children. While serving as 5th District superviso, Blakely wrote a letter on county letterhead asking the parole board to allow a convicted rapist to live in Santa Margarita. He did this without any thought of the safety of our children. The rapist was actually released to Santa Maria, where a SWAT team was later called out to arrest him once again. It's beyond me how anyone in law enforcement can support a man who admits to using illegal drugs while teaching in our schools and who has such little regard for public safety. Tom Bordonaro, Creston - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D