I am appalled that Mr. Grimming has employed the PBA to slander and misrepresent the facts regarding Sheriff Benton. Mr. Grimming was hired as director of the Florida Highway Patrol because the PBA lobbied for his hiring. Mr. Grimming has been in bed with the PBA for many, many years. While Mr. Grimming was the director of FHP, he was instrumental in a movement to regulate the sheriff's offices in Florida to nothing more than a processing agency. This aroused the ire of the sheriff's association, and immense political pressure was brought against the governor, cabinet and some legislators, by the Sheriff's association, and the movement was stopped. Because of the above political pressure, Mr. Grimming was only the director of the Florida Highway Patrol for just over four years. In other words he was asked to resign, or (you fill in the blank.) ...more

November 4, 2008

Mark Darling's recent guest column, "In Defense of Sheriff Benton," is not a defense of the sheriff, but rather a diversion from issues. Darling, who will ramble to anyone who will listen to him, is friends with Sheriff Benton and former FHP command personnel who retired or were demoted during an internal affairs investigation. Mr. Darling doesn't even know Ron Grimming. Sour grapes and dirty politics? You bet! ...more

September 19, 2008