JACQUI IRWIN: PROGRESSIVE SOCIALIST DEMOCRAT DISRESPECTS FALLEN POLICE OFFICER

In an unconscionable and despicable display of partisanship, progressive socialist democrat Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) used the power of her office to cancel a fundraiser for Sergeant Ron Helus, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputy who was shot and killed by friendly fire while responding to the mass shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California on November 7, 2018/

It appears that Irwin or someone in her office was offended that prominent Republicans were attending the event and possibly being asked to speak. The attendees included actor Scott Baio who attended the slain officer’s church and singer Joy Villa who was slated to sing the national anthem. Both supporters of President Trump. Additionally, Ronda Baldwin-Kennedy, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully against Irwin in 2018 and who is running for Congress in next year’s election, was also scheduled to appear.

According to Irwin, she deemed the event to have been politicized and convinced Commander Tim Hagel of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, who serves as the contracted Police Chief of Thousand Oaks, to withdraw the support of law enforcement, thus effectively canceling the event.

Something stinks – politics in Thousand Oaks… 

Fundraiser to honor sheriff's deputy killed in Borderline shooting postponed A flag football event to benefit the family of a sheriff’s sergeant slain in the Borderline mass shooting has been postponed after the sheriff’s office and Assembly member Jacqui Irwin pulled out of the fundraiser due to what organizers said were political partisan concerns. In response, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said it doesn’t participate in political events. Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks, said she withdrew her support from the event after concluding the organizers’ “self-promotion” was being put ahead of the community. Those speakers included supporters of President Donald Trump, including local actor Scott Baio and singer Joy Villa, who had been scheduled to sing the national anthem. Also scheduled to appear was Ronda Baldwin-Kennedy, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully against Irwin in 2018 and who is running for Congress in next year’s election. 'They made this political, not us’ Mike Randall, vice president of Fallen Officers, said Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub, Thousand Oaks Police Chief Tim Hagel and Irwin dropped their support of the event because of concerns about Republican speakers scheduled to appear there. <Source>

According to a statement by Sheriff Bill Ayub…

In regards to the ‘Blue Bowl,’ I initially gave my approval for support of the event organized by this out-of-state group. [OCS: This “out-of-state group” was the non-political, non-partisan Florida-based nonprofit group called Fallen Officers, which supports the families and departments of police officers who have been killed in the line of duty across the country.] As we drew closer to the actual event, they seemed to become more focused on political agendas, and less and less so on the victims and their families. I felt it was in the best interest of the department, the victims, and our community to not directly participate in the event, which the organizers have since cancelled. [OCS: It appears that Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), a powerful local politician is the one who objected to the appearance of prominent Trump supporters and politicized the event. Chief Ayub and Commander Hagel appear to have knuckled under to Irwin’s demands.] The event organizers have now launched a vicious and calculated social media campaign against the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office — and specifically against Commander Tim Hagel, who serves as the Chief of Police for the City of Thousand Oaks, as he has done honorably for the past several years. [OCS: Vicious? You mean by suggesting that Commander Hagel and Chief Ayub politicized the Sheriff’s office in response to political pressure? I suspect that Hagel did not act unilaterally and that the pressure came from the Chief. But, then again, there is this quote from Mike Randall … Fallen Officers Foundation Vice President Mike Randall said Hagel quit the Blue Bowl charity flag football game and convinced a number of sponsors to pull out after Randall refused to disinvite Republicans and Trump supporters, such as singer Joy Villa and actor Scott Baio, according to Fox 11. "[Hagel] basically said over and over in the conversation this is not Trump country, that slogan 'Make America Great' is not favorable, popular, within 1,200 square miles, that we don't want Republicans here. I could not believe it," Randall said. "We were totally floored by this comment, 'The only thing,' and I quote, 'The only thing you coulda made this worse, Mike, was to invite Dick Cheney and Sarah Huckabee Sanders,' and I went, 'Wow are you kidding me?'" If this is literally true, Commander Tim Hagel should be relieved of his duties as the acting Police Chief of Thousand Oaks and retuned to duty as a Commander in the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. <Source>] During the past year, since the Borderline crisis, Commander Hagel has been both professionally and personally involved with all those impacted by the Borderline tragedy. He has personally attended every funeral service and been present at virtually every fundraiser. His focus has been and continues to remain on what is best for those impacted by this tragedy and what is best for Ventura County.

From a statement by Jacqui Irwin…

STATEMENT ON FALLEN OFFICERS EVENT Our community came together in the painful aftermath of the Borderline shooting when 12 people were murdered, including Sergeant Helus who charged into danger to save our friends and neighbors. That is what Ventura County does as a community. We come together. We come together as friends, neighbors, and, yes, as Republicans and Democrats. I’m very disappointed in what has happened over the last week. We have mourned at funerals together, we have memorialized the victims at the State Capitol and in our community parks, and we have called, texted, and kept in contact with families as they find their way through unimaginable grief. Our community has been focused on healing for the past 11 months and now a group that has no ties to Ventura County or California has come to tell us that we are doing it all wrong. Those organizing the event are trying to divide our community. [OCS: locals – good, outsiders – bad?] They are disparaging Thousand Oaks Police Chief Tim Hagel, a personal friend of Sgt. Helus. Chief Hagel is revered in this community for his commitment and service. [OCS: Perhaps it is warranted if he is rabidly anti-Trump and helped to politicize his department.] The people who live here know that. Honoring Sgt. Helus and the victims of the mass shooting has been my focus since last November and will continue to be my focus. I chose to withdraw after the Sherriff’s Department declined to participate and it became clear to me that self-promotion was being put before our community and before honoring Sgt. Helus. ' [OCS: Finger-pointing to the real culprit?] I choose to lift up the names and memories of Cody, Alaina, Blake, Daniel, Jake, Justin, Kristina, Mark, Noel, Sean, Telemachus, and Sgt. Ron Helus.”

Bottom line…

Something stinks … why not let the event occur, pocket the money for the victims, and let the politicians do what they do best: speechify. No harm, no foul. But, then again, we are dealing with Democrats.

We will never know the truth. But it appears that the postponement of the event was most likely a political matter as “Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D – Thousand Oaks) introduced Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 17 to name a portion of U.S. Highway 101 to honor Ventura County Sergeant Ron Helus. Sgt. Helus was killed in the line of duty while responding to the active shooter threatening the lives of more than 200 college students and residents on November 7^th, 2018, in Thousand Oaks.”

And the Sheriff’s department was caught in the political crossfire. There is absolutely no excuse for a pubic official, especially one who heads a law enforcement agency, to engage in partisan politics when it comes to honoring a fallen officer who made the ultimate sacrifice in the performance of his duties.

It is unfortunate that the community and Sergeant Helus’ family should be subjected to partisan politics.

We are so screwed – especially by petty tyrants like Jacqui Irwin.

-- steve