We’ve all heard the saying, “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean there is no one out to get you.” I do not believe someone can be a political figure without being a bit paranoid. The problem with politics is that there are some very unethical, evil people who want to keep their positions of power and will do ANYTHING to ANYONE necessary if they feel that power is being threatened. So a little paranoia is a healthy thing.

I think it was last week I heard Barb Stanton say (and I’m paraphrasing) to her listeners that if anything happens to her, she DID NOT commit suicide and to investigate fully. I’ve told my family the same thing.

I’m not sure how many phone calls or conversations I’ve had where I’ve been told my phones are tapped. I don’t really take it seriously but it does make one think.

Most of the time I can laugh this stuff off, but there are moments. A couple weeks ago I had to go for a required psych exam for the w/c people. I think this is the third one they have made me go through since this whole thing started. This doctor approached things a bit differently than the others. We were talking about something totally unrelated and all of a sudden he says to me, “So do you think you’re being followed? Do you think your phones are being tapped?” Now, of course, I know the reasons for his questions and it has nothing to do with the things I’m involved with or anything I said. It is strictly a diagnostic tool to rule out all the various forms of mental illness. Normally, I would have said an absolute and unwaivering, “NO!!!” I have to admit I paused and started laughing. My response was something along the lines of, “No, I’m not a paranoid schiz, but you have no idea how many people have told me I’m being followed or my phones are being tapped.” He kinda just rolled his eyes.

That is my response most of the time as well when people tell me this stuff, but I can say I’ve been told by my attorneys and my doctor to expect the w/c people to watch my house, videotape me, etc. I’ve been told my numerous people that the Mitzelfelt camp has phones tapped, etc. All I can say is I hope they are tapping my phone on those evenings when I’m working the Rape Crisis Hotline and I get the calls from the perverts who call that number instead of spending the $3.99 a minute on the other lines. They will get a lesson in verbal castration at its best cause I don’t put up with it!!! Any other time they’ll realize I lead a very boring life.

However, all that being said, as I quoted in the beginning, “just cuz you’re paranoid . . ..” Well, let’s see. I went 25 years without being pulled over and now all of a sudden I’ve been pulled over five times not to mention a few other strange things that have happened. Hmm . . .. Others involved in opposing Mitzelfelt and the BIA boys have their own stories to tell.

This takes me to the original premise of this post. There have been two stories in the paper this past week that smack of political hits. The first is in the city of Colton where there is a recall attempt going on against the mayor. The owner of La Villa Restaurant is claiming harassment. She just happens to be involved in the recall. There is now a followup article in today’s Sun. Despite the owner’s political activity, she feels it has to do more with race than politics. I suspect that claim has to do with proving one over the other in a court of law.

The story I find more disturbing was reported in both yesterday’s Daily Press and Sun. It involves Valleywide Newspaper Owner Ray Pryke. He was arrested for burglary after changing the locks on an unoccupied house. Ray is an 85-year-old wealthy man. This doesn’t even make sense. What is interesting about it is that it was Dino De Fazio who caught him and called the Sheriff’s Department. Dino is Bill Postmus’ partner in a real estate company. FPPC complaints are in the process of being filed. He is also a contributor to the Inland Empire PAC which donated $100,000 to Mitzelfelt. Ray on the other hand is known for writing very negative articles about Postmus and other county leaders, accusing them of corruption.

One of those articles had to do with Nancy Bohl, wife of Sheriff Gary Penrod. Nancy has a counseling service of sorts. She does mental health exams. The Sheriff’s Office contracted with Nancy to perform these exams on sheriff’s deputies. Ray suggested that she got the contract because of her relationship with Penrod and that she was divulging inappropriate information learned from these exams to Penrod’s office. Nancy filed suit and won but the award was recently overturned. Now the sheriff arrests Ray on something that sounds more like a misunderstanding or setup and goes so far as to issue a press release on it. Something doesn’t smell right here. I anxious to learn all the facts of the case.

So is it all paranoia? It certainly may be. Again, politics is ugly business. I guess we’ll all find out in the end.