QUESTIONS FOR PARNELL FROM READER, PAR CANNOT ANSWER

You all know how I feel about Par and Char. He is a crooked, owned, power mad OLD man, and Char, well, she wants to be Mrs. Somebody.

Mon, Mar 4 at 4:06 PM

Too bad we don’t have any actual reporters in this county.  I’d love to hear Parnell have to answer some actual questions rather than more “story time with Grandpa.”  Nutless and gutless would be how I’d describe the reporting here.  Hell, the fainting goat probably has more spine the any reporter in this county.

But in a play pretend land where we actually had reporters, I’d love to see Parnell respond to these questions:

Questions for Parnell:  

1. What do you have to say about retired Waco PD Officer Mark Barrington and Retired Texas Ranger Matt Cawthon accusing you of lying about your role in prominent investigations?  These are not nameless accusations put forth on a blog, but rather two retired officers publicly accusing you of stolen valor.
2. Why have you not addressed the massive staff turnover in the last 3 years of your term?  You’ve addressed the overall turnover since you’ve been Sheriff, but not the turnover from just the last few years.  In the last three years, you’ve had 3 different Chief Deputies, 3 different jail Majors, and somewhere between 6-12 Captains leave the sheriff’s office, including your right-hand man, Chris Eubank.  This seems like a lot of turnover amongst command staff.  What are your thoughts on the matter?  
3. You’ve been Sheriff for over 11 years.  Why haven’t you acquired body-worn cameras for your deputies?  Do you agree that video footage from a body-worn camera can help build a stronger case for prosecution?  Do you agree that most jury members expect body cam footage during trial?  Are you aware that your agency is the only agency in the county that does not have body-worn cameras?  
4. Speaking of body-worn cameras, why have you recently started a trial program for the cameras?  Does it have anything to do with what is said to be a very close race between you and Jeff Aguirre?  Did you ever say that so long as you are Sheriff the Sheriff’s Office will never have body cams?  If not, why does a former Captain say that you did?  
5. Speaking of things you said, have you ever used a racial slur since you’ve been in office?  Specifically, have you ever used the “N-word” as a slur towards black people?  If not, then why have multiple former deputies publicly stated that they have personally heard you use racial slurs?  
6. Have you ever done “favors” for people you know?  Have you ever instructed your deputies to treat certain people differently due to their relationship to you?  
7. You’ve sent helicopters down to the border.  How much is that costing the taxpayers of this county?  Who is paying for the fuel for these helicopters to operate outside the county? Do you have the data so far as the impact the helicopters have had on apprehensions? What is your reply to those who say this is a political stunt at the taxpayers’ expense?  
8. There are allegations that the ATVs purchased for the Sheriff’s Office are currently being stored on your property.  Is this true?  If so, why?  If not, where are they currently stored?  How many times have deputies used them concerning their duties?  
9. You recently mentioned the current staffing levels at the jail.  How many of those jailers are licensed jailers and how many of those are working under a temporary jailer’s license?  Do you know the difference between the two?  When a new person is hired at the jail, they work under a temporary license until they go through jail school and pass the state exam for certification.  How do the current numbers compare to previous years?  
10. There are numerous allegations of low morale and excessive overtime at the jail.  What steps, if any, do you intend to take to address this problem?  
11. How many times over the last three years, how many times have you visited the jail?  
12. Speaking of data, why does your agency not make this information public?  Do you have any plans to increase transparency at the Sheriff’s Office?  Does your office do anything beyond the bare minimum required by the state in regard to transparency?  
13. Why did the Sheriff’s Office Association (SLEAMC) change its procedures and not allow a vote for endorsement?  Were you aware this is the first time they’ve ever not allowed their members to vote on which candidate to endorse?  
14. Why has your campaign relied on endorsements from celebrities, politicians, and people from outside the county rather than pursuing endorsements from local law enforcement?  Do you feel that a lack of support from local law enforcement is a weakness of your campaign?  
15. Why have most of your political spending gone to businesses outside of McLennan County?  Would you agree that there are local businesses that could have provided many if not all of the same services?  After all, your opponent has spent the majority of his money within the county.