Left: Eric Olsen (R-Stafford), Right: Urs Kirchhofer

I’m bewildered by how someone who is running to be Stafford County Commonwealth’s Attorney continues to thumb his nose at the law?

Three weeks ago, I discovered what appeared to be an illegal campaign donation to Eric “Law & Order” Olsen (R-Stafford) from a foreign national – this on the heels of “Law & Order-gate.”

According to sources close to his campaign, he claimed that he did not know that he wasn’t allowed to accept donations from foreign nationals. Are you kidding me!

This isn’t Olsen’s first run for office – after all he ran for the same office in the city of Fredericksburg in 2008 (and lost). I guess if things don’t work out in Stafford, there’s always Spotsylvania County…

The Virginia State Board of Elections has now confirmed that the contribution “was in fact from a foreign national.” They also indicated that they’ve “been told that this contribution has been returned to the donor.”

So will retiring Stafford County Commonwealth’s Attorney Daniel Chichester launch an investigation of his handpicked successor? I’d say the odds aren’t great. If this was anyone else, I have to believe that Olsen and Chichester would be pursing him or her with great vigor.

I won’t be holding my breath.

Thank goodness voters have a choice on November 8th. We need a candidate who is as concerned with following the law as he is in enforcing it. Tim Barbrow (I-Stafford) is just that person.

As many of my regular readers know, the issue that I’m most passionate about, locally, is strengthening our public education system – something the Republican-led Stafford County Board of Supervisors could care less about. Last year I wrote about how education was clearly not a priority for Stafford County Republicans, evident by the fact that they were spending $60 per day on inmates vs. $21 per day ($3 per hour) on each student.

Furthermore, the board also adopted an economic development plan, which made absolutely no mention of our public education system. They simply do not view a high-quality education system as an economic incentive, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

Enter Supervisor Cord Sterling (R-Rock Hill). In an unforgettable moment last year, he stood on the courthouse steps and launched a blistering attack on our school board – calling for them to be fired. Not what I would have done to establish a good working relationship with them.

With Cord’s seat up for re-election this year, voters can finally FIRE HIM!

Stafford Democrats came up empty in recruiting a candidate for this seat, but luckily voters have not. Dr. Dean Fetterolf (I-Rock Hill) believes Stafford is “Better off with Fetterolf” and SO DO I!

Pictured: Dr. Dean Fetterolf (I-Rock Hill)

For the last few years, Dean has chaired the School Board’s Finance and Budget Advisory Committee. There is not a single person more passionate and knowledgeable than Dean on what goes into building and, most importantly, maintaining a top-notch school system. He also understands that a quality school system can be used as a powerful economic incentive for attracting new businesses and families, which has a direct impact on our property values.

He rightfully notes that the amount of funds transferred to schools, as a percentage of total county spending, has fallen more than 16% since 2006. How does this compare to our neighbors? Despite a recession, our neighbors have increased their funding above their existing required local effort by an average of 20%. Stafford has CUT it by 30%. 30%!

Dean has put forth a 21st Century Globally Competitive funding goal plan for Stafford Schools:

• Reduce the 5th highest K-7 student teacher ratio in VA

• Improve Stafford’s 108 out of 132 ranking in per pupil expenditure
• Provide Competitive salaries for teachers and staff
• Help replace the 1000 computers that are 5-7 years old

• Help replace 88 old school buses

• Help fund $11M in future textbook purchases

• Replace Stafford High School

• Provide planning funds for a new CTE Facility
• Remodel or Replace 5 aging Southern Elementary Schools

It’s time to cut the CORD and vote Fetterolf for Rock Hill Supervisor on November 8th!

For someone running for Stafford County Commonwealth’s Attorney, you would think that Eric “Law & Order” Olsen (R-Stafford) would take care to ensure that he, himself, followed the law, right? On the heels of “Law & Order-gate,” it appears that Olsen may have accepted an illegal campaign donation from a foreign national.

Per his most recent campaign finance disclosure report (04/01/2011 – 06/30/2011), one of his top campaign contributors is a business owner from Switzerland named Urs Kirchofer:

It is illegal to accept money from foreign nationals.

I did a quick google search and was able to locate an Urs Kirchhofer (an extra “h” in last name) in Luzern (French: Lucerne), Switzerland. You can check out his xing profile here.

Left: Eric Olsen (R-Stafford), Right: Urs Kirchhofer

All signs seem to confirm that this individual is a non-U.S. citizen and doesn’t have permanent U.S. residency status (posses a “green card”).

Olsen needs to return this money immediately and explain his relationship to this individual!

Better yet, just vote for Timothy Barbrow (I-Stafford) on November 8.

http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2011/082011/08242011/647297

Perhaps the biggest story to come out of Eric “Law & Order” Olsen’s primary victory is the amount of Republicans and Independents that I know, believe it or not I do know a few, who have indicated to me that they would never vote for him in a general election. The only problem WAS that Olsen had no opponent. Well, that was until an Independent candidate, by the name of Tim Barbrow, filed to run in the nick of time.

Per the FLS:

[Olsen] will face Stafford attorney Tim Barbrow in the Nov. 8 general election.

Barbrow filed the necessary paperwork before the deadline, said Greg Riddlemoser, Stafford’s registrar. He said the necessary 125 registered voter signatures still have to be confirmed, and he figures that process will be done by Friday.

From what I can tell, Tim is held in very high regard by the legal community and offers Democrats, Republicans and Independents an excellent alternative to Olsen. I suspect this is going to be a race to watch over the next several months.

In other encouraging news, Sheriff Jett has a challenger too – a credible one to boot.  Chuck Feldbush has filed to run against Jett. Chuck is a long time Stafford County resident and a retired Prince William County police detective.

If I were Chuck I’d start out by asking Jett why he needed to purchase one of the most expensive radio communications systems in the entire nation, when other cheaper, more capable alternatives were never considered. I’m just saying…

Republicans in Stafford County will head to the polls tomorrow to nominate a candidate for Commonwealth’s Attorney. The former chairman of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, George Schwartz, recently weighed in on the race and strongly endorsed Eric Olsen.

In an August 18 letter to the editor, in the Free-Lance Star, Schwartz had the following to say:

I am writing to express my support for Stafford County Commonwealth’s Attorney Eric Olsen.

The Aug. 23 Republican primary for commonwealth’s attorney presents all Stafford voters with an opportunity to vote for a man of demonstrated integrity and one who will not bring personal bias to this extremely important criminal justice position.

I urge all voters to move Eric Olsen to the Nov. 8 general election.

I’ve long known Schwartz and the fact that he has endorsed Olsen puts some serious doubts in my mind about Olsen. For those that need a refresher course on Schwartz, please click here.

Being on the receiving end of Schwartz’s poor temperament, me first attitude and his unmistakable yearning for power, I’d have some serious doubts about anyone he chooses for any office.

Unfortunately, Democrats have failed to recruit any candidates for this office in Stafford, so the winner of this race will likely become the next Commonwealth‘s Attorney.

Oy vey!

In case you missed it, on Saturday, the Free-Lance Star covered “Law & Order-gate.” A spokesman for Universal Media Studio said,

We have contacted the campaign and asked them to stop using the logo.

As of this morning, these sorts of campaign signs remain up  – with one prominently displayed in front of the GOP headquarters in south Stafford (click on photo for a larger view):

Apparently, Olsen and Jett have failed to receive the message; and, the GOP is now an accessory to this “Unlawful & Disorderly” behavior.

If Universal Studios were up in arms over the campaign signs, wait until they see Olsen’s campaign mailer:

Since when did the show and the show’s producers endorse Jett and Olsen? It’s clear that Universal hasn’t authorized the usage of the logo. This mailer is something I’d expect from a legal novice, not someone running for Commonwealth Attorney.

I love the line “…Law & Order is Eric Olsen’s record.” It would appear that this couldn’t be furthest from the truth.

On Tuesday, August 23, 2011, there will be a primary election for constitutional office candidates in Stafford County, Virginia.

Despite what the two candidates running for the Republican nomination-incumbent Sheriff Charles E. Jett and Commonwealth’s Attorney Candidate Eric Olsen-would have you believe they apparently aren’t concerned about breaking the law, even though they are the “Law & Order” candidates. Gasp.

Their campaign slogan should read more like “Unlawful & Disorderly”.

Apparently, Jett and Olsen are fine with infringing on a well-known trademark. Anyone ever watch the show “Law & Order?” They have been erecting signs throughout the county with this trademark. The picture below displays one that is posted at the Stafford County Government Center (1300 Courthouse Road, Stafford, VA 22554):

The sign even employs the same typefaces and logo treatments as the original “Law & Order” logo:

Jett and Olsen are clearly infringing on the trademark in that they are giving the impression that the show and the show’s producer are involved or has authorized use, which I’m assuming they haven’t. This is false association and trademark misappropriation.

It seems that Jett and Olsen could use a refresher course on intellectual property law.

With the way Krystal Ball has thoroughly dominated caucuses around Virginia’s First Congressional District, you would be surprised to learn that she actually has an opponent. She has swept one contest after another and the results should speak for themselves. So it should come as not surprise that Krystal dominated today at the York Poquoson Caucus, completely shutting out Scott Robinson (yet again!).

With today’s result, Krystal is now poised to secure the nomination in little more then a week. The only question that remains is how Scott plans on losing: with dignity and class or as a sore-loser. I hoping for the former, but I’m expecting the latter. I’d really like to be proven wrong on this one.

As has been the case with just about every caucus that has happened to date, the Robinson campaign resorted to their usual shenanigans. I’ve learned that Scott was actually inside the polling place harassing folks who were in line to vote. It got so bad that the chair of the committee had to ask Scott to stay 20 feet back. All of this could have something to do with why he lost by a 2 to 1 margin. I expect that Scott will throw out some wild claims that the vote was rigged and that the committee failed to do x, y and z. He may even threaten to sue, if his campaign money hasn’t already dried up. You see any other candidate would be gracious and would have exited the race when the results became clear a week ago, but not Scott.

At this point you have to also start questioning the advice Scott is getting from his staff, especially from his Campaign Manager Gregory Richardson. I’m thinking that this gig isn’t going to get him any gold stars on his resume. The field operation for this campaign has been atrocious. And in the perhaps the strangest allocation of resources I’ve ever seen, the Robinson campaign had folks canvassing Stafford and Fredericksburg on Thursday. So instead of focusing resources on York Poquoson, they chose to canvass an area that already conducted a caucus. Huh?! If that doesn’t boggle your mind, this will. These same canvassers, in making a case for Scott to a friend of mine, had the following to say (and I’m quoting):

I need to give you a little briefing of why Scott Robinson is running.  Krystal Ball is not an adequate candidate for Virginia.  For one thing, she’s not old enough to lead yet.  She doesn’t know the true values of Virginians like yourself.  Scott Robinson was born and raised in Virginia and he knows what Virginians need.  They need health care, to reform our schools, and fix our traffic problem.  Scott Robinson was a crab farmer on the Chesapeake on a boat called the ‘Betty May.’

Scott and his folks are shameless. I’ve spoken to several folks within the district and have heard much worse things that Scott and his people have said about Krystal. Some of it being so bad that I wouldn’t even dignify it with a post. Just as an FYI, Krystal was born in King George, VA and now lives in Fredericksburg; Scott has NO plan for health care, our schools or relieving our traffic problem. His whole platform has been one of avoidance on virtually all of the major issues (see my original analysis of this race).

If that wasn’t bad enough, they sent an expensive, poorly written mailer to folks within Stafford and Fredericksburg. Do they not understand how caucuses work? They essentially flush money down the toilet on a mailer that was just awful, when they should instead be focusing on committing resources to the various caucuses that have yet to be conducted. Scott should fire his entire staff and then himself!

The math for Scott at this point is simply insurmountable. He has only managed to secure 13 percent of the 123 delegates so far. Only 78 remain up for grabs. Even if he were able to win every single remaining delegate, he could not clinch the nomination. Heck, uncommitted has captured more delegates than Scott – 29 to be exact. The reality is that all Krystal needs to do is capture 30 percent of the remaining delegates and she is the nominee. She is 24 delegates away. Anybody with a basic understating of math realizes that this race is over. Scott is not going to win.

Regardless of whether Scott stubbornly decides to push forward, this will be over in the next week or so.  Scott needs to really think about how he wants to be remembered? With honor and class or does he want to continue the deplorable behavior we’ve all witnessed first hand. I’m rooting for Scott to choose the former.

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