According to published news reports, former Republican Assemblymember Ken Maddox of Orange County is considering a formal effort to become Sheriff of Orange County. While Orange County neighbors San Bernardino County and the two counties share the common geographic region of Southern California, the internal politics behind the Orange Curtain is not something the "SB Insider" would often opine.

However, a smear job on former legislator Ken Maddox conducted by "Kevin Korenthal" of Red County Los Angeles deserves appropriate feedback, lest the words of the anti-Maddox scribe be deemed as the voice of many contributing authors of the Red County family. In other words, silence is acceptance and the mostly false attack on Ken Maddox's character and legislative performance should not go without a swift response.

Specifically, the Los Angeles County author blasted Ken Maddox's potential bid for Orange County Sheriff by blasting the former lawmaker's connections to labour unions. "Kevin Korenthal" implies that Ken Maddox's apparent ties to "Big Labor" somehow might render the three-term former legislator an ineffective leader in fighting crime and managing the sheriff's department, although the blog author neglects to point exactly how being a supporter of organized labor and being a crimefighter are mutually exclusive.

The SB Insider has looked at Ken Maddox's legislative record and while "Keven Korenthal" is partially correct in pointing to Ken Maddox's support for at least part of organized labour's agenda, it is remiss in painting a complete portrait of Ken Maddox's stellar record as a public servant - a record that also incudes opposition to organized labour's agenda.

By "public servant," I am not just writing of Ken Maddox's service as an elected official, I am writing of the years in which Maddox spent working with dirtbags, con artists, thieves, street criminals, and utterly despicable human beings. (Actually, I probably should clarify, I am writing of Ken Maddox's career as a law enforcement officer in heavily-populated urban areas where he dealt with society's bad elements, not his tenure in the State Legislature.) 

A former beat cop and guard at a dangerous urban jail, there is no question Ken Maddox proved his commitment to public safety and keeping the public - including Kevin Korenthal - safe from the criminal underclass. A review of Ken Maddox's State Assembly record demonstrates his rock-solid support for victims rights legislation and other proposals to crack down on crime. Furthermore, Ken Maddox always stood firm with his Republican colleagues on votes concerning the state budget delieberations of 2001-02. These budget debates consisted of Gray Davis-authored spending plans that Ken Maddox -along with his fellow GOP legislators - opposed, and Big Labour supported.

Most recently, Ken Maddox has served in a key advisory role to the highest-ranking elected political conservative in California

Should Ken Maddox be Orange County Sheriff? I think the answer to that question should be best left to the citizens who are fortunate to live in The OC.

But it is more than just a little unfair for an internet blog from outside Orange County to question the motivations and qualifications of a Republican legislator who has an outstanding life's record of protecting public safety and clearly has experience and dedication to public safety that would make him an attractive candidate for a law enforcement department manager anywhere, and it would be a shame of ideological purity tests were ordered as part of the selection process.