It seems that County Assessor Bill Postmus has decided to resume his duties as a countywide elected official. Hopefully this action is the precursor to a return by Bill Postmus to the sort of leadership we saw during his time on the Board of Supervisors.

However, I must question Postmus' release of a document from his doctor stating that his medical leave was not due to substance abuse. Although I've not seen this statement--it is possible that something was lost in translation--it seems pretty weak for Assessor Postmus to say, "I wasn't gone for the last 11 weeks because of drugs!" when the published stories indicate a much longer involvement with narcotics.

Postmus seems to be trying to deny the rumors of drug abuse, but he knows that he can't fully, because they're true. That is my impression. If the rumors are completely false, why didn't he say so? Why make a limited statement?

Postmus has stated in the past that he does not discuss his personal medical information. And yet, here he is, ruling out one rumored possibility. If Postmus has never been a drug user, why didn't he say that?

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To release a statement like this was objectively a dumb move. No one will be fooled into thinking that because a doctor says that this particular leave of absence wasn't related to drugs, that he's never done drugs. It will only raise more questions, and bring this issue back to the forefront.

Here's the Sun's story on the announcement:

San Bernardino County Assessor Bill Postmus has announced he is coming back to work

By Jason Pesick on October 10, 2008 3:50 PM

"After conferring with my physician at the culmination of my medical leave of absence, I will be resuming my duties and responsibilities as assessor for San Bernardino County," Postmus said in a prepared news release. "I will return to work immediately, and I look forward to leading the department to which I was elected."
 
In the release, Postmus included a statement from Dr. James Evans, his doctor, who stated that Postmus' leave was not due to substance abuse.
 
Several sources close to Postmus have said that is not the case. They stated that Postmus had been battling an addiction to narcotics, both illegal and legal.
 
It was not immediately clear how county leaders will react to Postmus' return. Paul Biane, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, has said he expects Postmus to come before the board to answer claims of his drug abuse and because Postmus' office was raided by the District Attorney's Office shortly before he took his leave.
 
Out of the raid, Adam Aleman, Postmus' longtime friend and former assistant assessor, has been charged with six felonies for destroying or tampering evidence sought by a county grand jury. His case is working itself through the court system.

Write SB Pietas at sbpietas@yahoo.com