A brutally honest campaign mailer appearing in mailboxes today and financed by Warren Rupf, Contra Costa County Sheriff, endorses Assemblyman Guy Houston in the District 3 Supervisor Race. Sheriff Rupf says: “I’ve lost all trust in Mary Piepho.” Rupf is also quoted in the mailer saying, “Our County is not safe in the hands of Mary Piepho and that’s why I am 110% in support of Guy Houston.”
See the campaign mailer from Sheriff Warren Rupf.
Rupf joins the County’s elected financial chiefs County Assessor Gus Kramer, Auditor Steve Ybarra, and Treasurer Bill Pollacek in supporting Guy Houston.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Joe, Joe, Joe..
First let me address my spelling. I can’t help I am a product of public education and I went postal on the key pad after reading your first posting. But if you look close you were no Rhodes Scholar yourself! Second you did poke fun at working cops with your mean streets of Danville comment. Sure it’s not Watts or Compton but there is danger everywhere while working a beat. In fact I would argue cops who work in slow beats need to be more alert so as not to become complacent. Before you were around two deputies almost lost their lives there. Fortunatly, they were on their game. Maybee if you grow a pair you can ride out in North Richmond for a week or two. Lastly, Bickert did not slam the Sheriff personally or stoop to playing dirty pool. The two merely disagreed on canidate choice. You and I both know, Mary or Guy, do not control the county coffers alone, when it comes to wages or the SO budget. One in five does not mean diddly-squat in county politics. Three is the majic number!!
PS. now you are promoted to bench warmer. Oh, and Joe, I do know you and like you. hope to see ya around
Cravin, never slung mud at working cops, in fact made many great friends at the SO while there. The fact remains Bickert went personal on Rupf and he didn’t have to stoop to that level, a fact you continuosly fail to address in each response. It was dirty politics on the part of Bickert. Again, if it werent for Rupf he’d have one hundred less deputies in his union.
Secondly, Rupf is no longer my boss, since for all intent and purpose i have left the SO, therefore no “brown nosing” is required. Instead I consider him a true friend, who cared about me when I went through some tough personal times, but I’ve seen him do this with many people in the SO family. i’ll save the browning nosing for you, youll need it …in your command and control structure….that is if you ever make Sgt ! Of course your going to need to learn to spell first!!! blah…hey Cravin we will know in a few hours if your making 50 bucks an hour or 8.75..stay smooth brother
It does no good for Bickert and Rupf to get into a contest with each other. They should agree to disagree. Bickert should stick with representing the DSA and not sling mud at the Sheriff because the Sheriff is attempting to get responsible people in the position as Supervisor to obtain the funding to keep his department running and giving those deputies the right equipment to work with. How many new patrol cars were purchased or ordered this year? I would bet with the budget cut by the Supervisors it will not be many if none. Shame of Bickert for trying to slam the Sheriff. If the Sheriff did not get angry about not having enough money to fund his department properly he would not be doing his job. I don’t see a great deal of effort on Bickert’s part worring whether the deputies positions are funded or whether the deputies have decent vehicles to drive. Bickert’s mission at this very moment is getting the best contract for the deputies and nothing else. He doesn’t seem to care it wil break the County. So if he sells his soul to do it, so be it. I have a feeling he will find out goes around comes around.
Wow Joe!
Don’t sling mud at working cops. You have no clue what you are talking about. The bottom line is this: Jim Bickert and the DSA are obligated to represent their members at the bargaining table for wages, benefits and working conditions. And I have news for you Joe, the DSA also represents non-sworn as well. Here is another news flash.. the DSA is there to ensure the working conditions of sworn and non sworn are safe. IE. proper safety equipment and minimum staffing levels. We can argue all day long over what supervisor did what, or who has the better record when it comes to money management. We live in a country that allows unions and the freedom to be politically active. We all have our own agendas..you and I included. The Sheriff endorses Houston for his own reasons. The DSA endorses Piepho for theirs. I am sure Jim Bickert and Sheriff Rupf will agree, In the end it does not really matter, it’s just a game called politics. Personal opinions aside.
P.S. I will promote you to Equipment Manager, after you wipe the brown stain off your nose..lol
Thanks, Cravin! aways appreciated! Contrary to your belief Rupf lights his own cigar and GSD wouldn’t let me wash his car…they claim that is the Union’s responsibility LOL What !!! “walked a beat” where on the mean streets of Danville!! You act like your an NYPD cop….”walk at beat” come on! NYPD officers who are at a 100% higher risk level than a County Deputy, make 65K after 5.5 years of service and only receive a 50% retirement with a cost of living ratio higher than the SF bay area.
Agreed, Rupf and Bickert work every hard to protect the rights of their employees, however this is Bickert’s specific job as DSA President. Rupf on the other hand; his role is much more complex. He must insure that his sworn and non-sworn staff are provided for, he is also entrusted with providing for the safety of the citizens in Contra Costa County. In other words when ” s#it hits the fan” it rests on Rupf’s shoulders. So I thought it was highly offensive when Bickert chose to make his attack on Rupf personal, instead of sticking to point through a political perspective.
Additionally, Bickert gives Piepho credit not earned in relation to salvaging Deputy positions, while attacking Sheriff Rupf and not citing Rupf for his overwhelming contribution in negating any loss in Deputy positions, this is egregious on the part of Bickert.
Hey Cravin, maybe you should spend less time “walking a beat” and go back to report writing school….its spelled maybe ….not “maybee”.
Waterboy!!!!!……Geeeezzz I thought you’d at least make me the Equipment Manager…LOL
Cheap shot Cravin, are you one those above the law deputies with an attitude and chip on your shoulder ? Why don’t you stick to the real subject ?
The County is in trouble and monetary responsibility must be attended to now.
The current supervisors are not doing the job.
Gee Joe-da-man, You are really riding the Sheriff’s leg hard! Did you light his cigars and wash his cars to? Alot of good that did ya, he still kicked you off his leg. Here is an idea, why dont you take the test and become a Deputy yourself instead of talkin trash about the DSA. You should know better, people do not always agree when politics are involved. One thing is sure, Sheriff Rupf and jim Bickert both fight for the employees of the SO, and work very hard for their welfare, politics aside. So when you have “walked a beat” or two as a Deputy maybee then you can have the liberty of talking trash..who knows, maybee you might have a shot at the undersheriff”s opening. Untill then keep watch on the sidelines waterboy!!
And then of course, we can’t rule out the website http://www.federalgloverdelivers.com
Gee Disco Bay woman, I don’t know, maybe I got that idea from the kajillion campaign flyers Glover sent out with Sheriff Rupf’s name 1st on the list of endorsers
This is interesting to see Jim Bickert say that Mary Piepho has saved anything in the Sheriffs Dept. I recently had a conversation with him to ask why would he support Mary Piepho instead of Guy Houston? He he told me he was supporting her because it is the best chance to get the best deal for his deputies. He went on to explain that Mary Piepho just gave herself a 60% raise and how is she going to look everyone in the eye and deny our raises? Bickert supports Piepho because he knows she will fold under pressure and will have a difficult time denying the unions since they supported her. He went on to say if Guy Houston gets elected he will not take office until January 09 and I will be negoiating our contract in June/July. Bickert is not there for the public safety factor he is only there to negoiate the best deal and he realizes Piepho is the easiest one to get the biggest deal out for the Deputy Sheriffs Association. Why do you think the Deputy Sheriffs Union has used their money to put out the flyers against Houston. When Piepho gets done negotiating this County will most likely never be able to recover as Borenstein reported in the Times or pushed to the edge of Bankruptcy. Good go’in Mary.
As for Glover Bicker will be supporting him one way or the other just like Mary. Bickert is not stupid, he knows Piepno will sway Glover with regard to the union, especially if Bickert is pouring money into his campaign. The rest of the votes on the Board are history Gioia has a ring in his nose and Ulkema will go along just to get along. Voters rise up and change this regime!
For the past seven years I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Sheriff Warren Rupf on a professional level. As a non-sworn employee of the Sheriff’s Office I observed first hand the experience, abilities and leadership qualities Sheriff Rupf possesses.
On May 1, 2008 I was informed that I would be laid off as an employee of the Sheriffs Office due to the budget crisis. A budget crisis that was created through a 2.7 billion dollar unfunded liability, which the Board of Supervisors failed to address year after year. Now, the reader might think that I’m angry or disgruntled with the Sheriff; on the contrary the opposite is true. When I first gained knowledge of a pending lay off I wrote the Sheriff a personal note. Being a fiscal conservative I asked him to eliminate my position, instead of eliminating a Deputy from a position, reasoning that community safety is more important than my position.
Since I have been employed by the County every year without fail the budget crisis raises its ugly head. Each year Sheriff Rupf has averted any Department layoffs, especially Deputy Positions through difficult negotiations with the CAO’s office and Board of Supervisors. Piepho has been a major obstacle in most of these negotiations not quite understanding that public safety is the most pressing issue facing her district. It is not as Jim Bickert claims, Mary Piepho has NOT salvaged these Deputy positions….it is the sole accomplishment of Sheriff Rupf. Jim Bickert misstates the facts.
Jim Bickert has a tremendous amount of nerve attacking Rupf. In fact Bickert and his cronies should get on the ground and kiss Rupf’s feet on a daily basis. If not for Sheriff Rupf, who has averted Deputy Layoffs for the past three years, Bickert and companions would probably be out of a job. When they first announced a potential layoff list between 60-90 Deputies were included on that list. Warren Rupf single-handedly averted the targeted layoffs which would have created peril for the good citizens of Contra Costa County. Not Mary Piepho! Again Bickert misstates the facts.
What more does Bickert want? His Deputies already got their 3% retirement at 50 years old. Do you know anybody in the private sector who receives these benefits, especially without a college degree required…I don’t!!!! So why do they get this outlandish retirement…because the job is so dangerous! Well, if it is so dangerous, why do they all come back and work per diem for the next ten years in the same job!!!!! So Jim Bickert and friends can double dip, take advantage of the system and deprive a young officer from entering the law enforcement field. So when Jim Bickert and his Double Diputies talk about the Sheriff’s salary (nice back down at the end of that statement, Jim) they should take a long look in the mirror. What else has 3%@50 done? It has eviscerated this Department of its qualified middle management, who have retired. This leaves positions that must be filled by inexperienced replacements like Jim Bickert. The last DSA President, who was a skilled negotiator left in mid-stream to join the ranks of the San Ramon Police Department. A departure which left an inexperienced novice in his place.
Amazingly, Warren Rupf without the qualified sworn and non-sworn personnel he had just a few years back has been able to prevail again. That is an incredible accomplishment. He has earned every penny of that salary The DSA’s accomplishments have delivered the same quality results. Not…like candidate endorsements- Jacobs for Sheriff (wow…good call guys…lol), Greenberg for Supervisor and who can forget years ago, the “Peoples Lawyer” his Supervisor’s win and the bag of cash on the Martinez Pier (wink). People that live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
Jim Bickert exhibited the definition of a political novice by crossing the boundary of political criticism and took a personal shot at Rupf’s judgment. When Bickert used sound bites such as “based more on emotion than reality” and “faulty logic”, it showed his mean spirited and vitriol nature. Knowing the Sheriff any response from him toward Bickert will be void of personal attacks, because he’s a class act.
If Rupf is to be criticized in any respect, it is that he agreed to hold several positions vacant within the Sheriff’s Office, including the position of UnderSheriff. This is the most frightening proposition in my mind. God forbid that the Sheriff is incapacitated or dies in office, without a plan of succession, a new appointment would be thrown to the Board of Supervisors. The same Board of Supervisors who put the County into a 2.7 billion dollar debt. Maybe they can appoint Sheriff Jim Bickert and together the six of them can drive the County toward 3.7 billion dollars in debt.
So, Jim Bickert, you know why the Sheriff held those positions vacant? So that none of your Deputies would get the axe! I can see your really thankful, no instead your are an ingrate.
For Sheriff Rupf it is unfortunate that retirement is not around the corner after tremendous dedication to the County and the Office of the Sheriff personnel for over 40 years . It looks like you’ll have to run again. And you know I’ll be there to bang in lawns sign or even put a giant billboard in my truck for the next election…lol. Just give me a call I’ll be sitting on a beach in Morro Bay.
Do people know that Rupf is collecting BOTH his salary as the Sheriff (almost $180,000/year) plus his retirement for working in the sheriff’s department. He’s double dipping……..he’s the highest paid elected official in the County and he’s complaining that Mary Piepho makes 1/3 the compensation he’s getting………how hypocritical
~ EDITOR REPLIES – Speaking of hypocritical. Realpeople, glad you got home from your county job and are using your own dime to correspond instead of the county’s. Seems to me if Sheriff Rupf earned a pension from working for the department, sounds like he earned it. Maybe if Supervisors could produce better outcomes they would be worth more, too.
FYI:
Contra Costa Deputy Sheriffs Set the Record Straight
Contra Costa Sheriff pens anti-Piepho mailer
By Lisa Vorderbrueggen
Contra Costa County Sheriff Warren Rupf roared into the political arena this week with a self-funded mailer targeting incumbent county Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho of Discovery Bay. The sheriff has been a very vocal and public … Inside Politics – http://www.ibabuzz.com/insidepolitics
Deputy Sheriffs Association Refutes Rupf’s Mailer Against Piepho
The Contra Costa Deputy Sheriffs Association today expressed concern at the tactics of Sheriff Warren Rupf, who in a recent hit piece questions the effectiveness of deputies as part of his ongoing personal vendetta against Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho.
In the hit piece, Rupf warns voters about the safety of their neighborhoods and children if Piepho is re-elected.
“For Sheriff Rupf to say that ‘our County is not safe’ because of Supervisor Piepho questions the life-risking efforts of hundreds of law enforcement officers throughout the County,” said Jim Bickert, President of the Contra Costa Deputy Sheriff’s Association. “Contra Costa Sheriffs Deputies are second to none. We have done an excellent job of protecting the people of the County, even during these difficult fiscal times. Could we use more deputies? Sure. But that has been the case since 1850.”
According to Bickert, Mary Piepho has been a strong supporter of law enforcement, always voting to protect essential services while working diligently to balance budgets by making difficult choices.
“Sheriff Rupf’s mailer exaggerates reality,” Bickert said. “Mary Piepho is NOT responsible for the OPEB liability. The OPEB liability has been reduced due to the current board’s efforts. Mary Piepho does NOT make your neighborhood unsafe. Mary Piepho’s steadfast support of public safety is the primary reason she won the overwhelming endorsement of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association.” Piepho also earned the endorsement of District Attorney Bob Kochly.
Bickert said that Rupf’s mailer applies faulty logic. The mailer’s statement that the Board members’ long overdue salary increase puts the public’s safety at risk is erroneous.
Under this rationale, one could say that the Sheriff’s salary, which is substantially larger than a Supervisor’s salary, has put the public’s safety at risk. But that, too, would be an untrue statement.
“Sheriff Rupf’s statement that on-the-job deputies were laid off due to the OPEB liability is also not true,” Bickert stated. “There have been no deputies laid off, thanks to the efforts of Supervisor Piepho and the current Board.”
The Deputy Sheriffs Association endorsed Supervisor Federal Glover for re-election. Glover, like Piepho, has been a strong supporter of law enforcement. Glover’s and Piepho’s votes on budgets for law enforcement services have been identical. Yet, Rupf supports Glover while opposing Piepho.
“Sheriff Rupf’s mailer is based more on emotion than reality,” Bickert said. “The safety of our citizens is in good hands and we will everything we can to see that it stays that way.”
Pat, who said Rupf was supporting Glover. As far a Rupf goes I am sure he feels ALL of the Board members needs to go. If Rupf supports Glover I will be very surprised. You need to ask him before you start spouting he he supports he supports Glover. In fact I will and get back to you.
DEVISTATING!!!!!! GOOD BY MARY!!!
What a hypocrite! This is the same man who’s supporting Federal Glover who voted for the same 60% raise that Piepho did! Warren Rupf is the most self-serving money grubber. The interoperability program he’s backing costs 10 times the amount of the one proposed by the head of the County’s Telecommunications department and doesn’t have the same coverage. He wouldn’t have had to cut positions had he gone with the much less expensive system, the same system being backed by Glover. Frankly, I do support Houston over Piepho but it’s in spite of Rupf’s endorsement not because of it! He is a vindictive, bully who steam rolls over anybody who disagrees with him. He is truly the self proclaimed BMOC.
I am glad to see that our highly respected Sheriff has spoken out against the Supervisor that has led this County to the brink of bankruptcy. Sheriff Rupf and many other County officials are support Guy Houston and I have to find myself agreeing with them. I have received the most outrageous political mailings in the mail, sponsored by the Deputies Association who care more about getting a huge wage increase than they care about the citizens they have taken an oath to protect. The guy that is head of the Association has notpassion for the public safety, the County or the huge debt deficit. This Union leader is only concerned about linining his own pockets and taking the public for a ride. Any Deputy that supports Mary Piepho should think about turning in their badge after all the complaints she has made to Sheriff Rupf. They also should be ashamed for not support their own leader who continues to fight for them and the benefit.
ENOUGH SAID……………………..
Thanks Sheriff !!