To the editor,

Let’s talk about an aspect of separation of powers that the framers created in order to prevent, check and divide government from oppressing the people at a very local level. This also includes enumeration of powers, a concept that has been lost today. The doctrine is called dual sovereignty. An example would be, that neither congress nor the president can tell the military how to do its job. The generals create a master plan to defeat the enemy and the military is free to not obey commands to oppress the citizens. The citizens have the right to defend themselves from authoritarian abuses.

Likewise, the sheriu is elected by the people of Pierce County and beholden to them, not the Pierce County supervisors. The sheriu decides how the de partment is run. Now the police chief is picked by a police commission created by city council members and is beholden to them. Maybe funding for Pierce County Sheriu's Department should be decoupled from the rest of the county budget and turned over to them, along with the monetary sources for their budget so they don’t have to beg at the feet of the county supervisors. Let the people decide what level of services PCSD should ouer. Nancy Ortwerth Hove has gone through a medical crisis and as a result the board of supervisors think she’s old and sick, and I am sure there’s a feeling she’s not doing her job according to their liking. That is the decision the people of Pierce County make.

Sanjeev Dhawan Ellsworth