Derry’s Controversy Continues – Turner
Joseph Turner mingles with a crowd of flag-waving skinheads at an anti-day laborer center rally that took place in Laguna Beach in July 2005. (photo courtesy of laindymedia.org)
S. E. Williams Staff Writer
“I consider accusations of bigotry and racism to be complimentary. And while I don’t thirst for confrontation, I dont [sic] fear it.” “Our enemies are bloodied and beaten. We cannot relent. Our boot is on their throat and we must have the willingness to crush their “throat” so that we can put our enemy down for good.” -Samples of previous postings by Joseph Turner from his Save Our State website.
Over the previous two weeks, The Alpenhorn News has reported in detail on Neil Derry’s questionable choices related to some individuals selected to fill key positions on his staff. The series began with an exclusive report on the criminal ebackground history of his Administrative Analyst Wanda Nowicki. Next, the paper examined the polarizing and controversial history of his ex Chief of Staff, Jim Erwin, that culminated with his 2009 arrest at Derry’s office on felony charges related to the $102 million Colonies Scandal.
Shortly after Erwin’s arrest, Derry’s judgment was once again called into question when he named Joseph Turner as his Special Projects Coordinator. This selection sparked an outcry that rippled across the county and reverberated around the nation. This time, the criticism was not in response to an arrest record (although Turner has been arrested on at least one misdemeanors related to his anti-immigration activity); nor did it result from Turner’s stance on immigration (for there are strong sentiments on both sides of the immigration issue). Instead, it resulted from allegations of racism that evolved from activities related to Turner’s widely publicized anti-immigration organization, Save our State (SOS). In addition to what critics claim are his confrontational and inflammatory statements that appear racist on their face, there is also his alleged refusal to distance himself from racist organizations attracted to his immigration agenda.
Four years ago, Turner described the mission of SOS as Saving California from becoming a Third World cesspool. Turner, identified by some as a nativist, has continuously denied charges of racism, but he allegedly posted the following statement on his SOS website in 2005, “I can make the argument that just because one believes in white separatism that does not make them a racist. I can make the argument that someone who proclaims to be a white nationalist isn’t necessarily a white supremacist. I don’t think that standing up for your kind or your race makes you a bad person.” Critics believe that evidence pointing to Turner’s racism was confirmed in November 2006 when he began work as the western region representative for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). FAIR founder, John Tanton, is nationally recognized for his anti-Latino, anti-Catholic, anti-Semitic attitudes.
Further evidence of FAIR’s extreme racist views includes reports that the organization is partly funded by the New York City-based hate group, Pioneer Fund (PF). Several reports detail how PF was allegedly set up by Nazi sympathizers to fund studies of eugenics—the science of selective breeding to produce a “better” race. The reports further state that PF has promoted and financed studies of race and intelligence; sponsored projects based on the notion that blacks are genetically less intelligent than whites; and fostered a strong anti-mmigration platform.
Turner’s Save Our State group and FAIR are both highlighted by the Anti Defamation League and designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center. It is reported that Turner left FAIR abruptly in 2006 after an article that exposed the organization’s racist passions received nation-wide publicity.
In an exclusive interview with The Alpenhorn News, Derry’s chief of staff, George Watson, stated that Turner was only with FAIR as a field representative for a little over seven months and that he left FAIR because he was running for local office (City Clerk) in San Bernardino and also because he was involved in political consulting. When asked what Turner knew about FAIR’s racist history, Watson replied, “I don’t know. I am unaware of what he knew at that time.” Although attempts were made to ask Turner these questions directly, Watson declined to accommodate this reporter’s request—it appears that even though Turner issues press releases for Derry, he is not allowed to speak directly with the press. However, Watson was quick to explain that Turner has not been involved in any immigration issues since that time.
Watson described Turner as, “A very valuable staffer and a considerate person.” He stressed how Turner is always looking at ways the county can improve service to its constituents and cited examples. However, like Erwin and Nowicki, Turner’s name continues to be associated with county controversy. Turner’s name appeared unfavorably in the widely circulated May, 2009 Hueston Report prepared by the Special Counsel to the Board of Supervisors.
This report looked at corruption in the County Assessor’s Office. In the report it is alleged that Turner received political assistance
during his failed bid for San Bernardino City Clerk that was provided by political operatives on the Assessor’s payroll on county time, at the taxpayers’ expense. At the time, both Erwin and Nowicki were employees at the Assessor’s Office.
Turner’s name surfaced again in the recently filed civil suit against the county, filed by ex County Chief Administrative Officer Mark Uffer. In the suit, it is alleged that Turner, at the direction of now disgraced ex-Assessor and previous First District Supervisor Bill Postmus, was directed to write hard hitting pieces for publication, designed to destroy Uffer’s reputation. Allegedly, this effort was in retaliation for Uffer not agreeing to known unlawful acts and omissions that may have been fostered by Erwin and Postmus.
In recent years, Turner lost his bid for San Bernardino City Clerk and his bid for a position on the San Bernardino County Board of Education.
In October 2006, the San Bernardino City Unified School District rescinded its endorsement of Turner due to his controversial reputation. And yet, he always seems to land on his feet. In early 2008, the San Bernardino Police Officers Association hired Turner as a political consultant in spite of the controversy surrounding him. And then in March 2009, Derry appointed Turner to his staff. A number of reports indicate that previous to his most recent appointment Turner was advised to tone down his anti-immigration rhetoric. However, an attempt to locate reports of similar counsel regarding his racist rhetoric and affiliations failed to produce any results. Source of opening quotes www.adl.org. (Emphasis Added)
Thank you for this article.
I am very interested in civil rights. My mother took her first activist stance in civill rights in Park Forest, Illinois in 1958, when I was 2 years old. It seems that a black family was interested in moving into the neighborhood. Neighbors were organizing to put pressure on the real estate industry to prevent it.
It seems that in Park Forest, there was a particular important community event, and that before that event, there would be private parties. My mother invited to our home both the black couple, and the prime mover of the effort to keep the black couple out of the neighborhood. After the enemies met personally, the effort to keep the black family out of the neighborhood evaporated.
In 1960, we moved to Fullerton, California, a comunity segregated by “gentleman’s agreement”. The fair housing movement was fully engaged with a ballot amendment offered in 1964 stating that Californians had the right to preclude the sale of their own homes to whomever they chose to preclude. My mother, my cousins, and my pastor fought against this.
My mother multiplied her Park Forest effort 200-fold to arrange interratial meetings at households throughout Fullerton. Continuing from that effort, my uncle became director of the Orange County Fair Housing Council, a position he held for 25 years. To this day, my cousin is Director of the Orange County Human Relations Commission.
As a result of John and Ken’s “Fire Drier” effort of 2004, I became involved in continuing internet organizations. So did Joe Turner. At one point, one of our liberal members, Michelle, had to drop out of our organizations for professional reasons. She ecpressed to me her concerns about Joe Turner’s growing website, which would become “Save Our State”. While she had no concerns about Joe himself, she was concerned that the rhetoric Joe allowed on his website would undermine our effort. I promised her that I would look in on Joe, and thought that with my background, I was the perfect person to do it.
I found that Joe Turner is not a racist. He is a person bold enough to allow everyone, even true white supremicists, to voice their opinions, and then offer his own judgements. I found that besides me, he had several moderating voices closer and stronger than me.
I was surprised in the end to learn that Joe’s own stepfather was an illegal alien. A generation younger than I, Joe has a unique and intimate knowledge of how illegal immigration effects and permeates society in a way that I could not have comprehended from my own experience.
One thing that impressed me about Joe is that he would honestly listen to all of his advisors, including me, and then act, incorporating all of that judgement. But he would always make clear that what he decided to do was his own judgement and that he would take responsability for it.
Therefore, I would give Joe Turner my mark of approval. However, he has made clear that he has already heard and learned from all of my advise, and will act on his own whether or not I approve.
I was well aware of the misdemeanor charges agaisnt Joe at the time. He was shoved into traffic by an agitator and shoved back in self defence. the cop saw (or chose to see) the reaction and arrested him. The charges were dismissed.
Of course, there were those incendriary comments, such as Joe contending that illegal immigrants were turning our culture into a third-world cesspool.
Then, in 2008, I was scouting properties up for auction on the Riverside County Tax auction. I found a particularly attractive half acre parcel and found a neighbor to talk to me about it. He pointed out to me that the property had a capped well. On the downside, he said, the people in back of him, and to the side of the property he thought were illegal aliens. One day he caught them pumping out their septic tank over the fence onto the propery that I was considering buying–the one that had the well.
the Save our State website is referring to itself as the new Save our State website and mentions previous mistakes…..is FAIR anti-semitic?….the president is Dan Stein….but if Turner hangs w/ skinheads who carry Nazi flags…..well…a picture is worth a thousand words…..
But Joe did not “hang” with skinheads who carry Nazi flags. They happened to be at the same palce at the same time.
I cooperated with the attorney for Coretta Scott King and family. I also spent five hours interviewing the father of my best friend who was investigated by the House Select Committee on Assassinations as having a possible role in the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Are you going to condemn me as being a racist because I “hang” with an avowed Birmingham racist?
I tell you, I examined Joe for a period of a year. I examined his philosphy, his methodology, his intentions, and his communications.
I am telling you that Joe Turner is one of the most straight forward people that you will ever meet. All you have to do to know who he is and what he is about is to listen to what he says. He could be standing beside a neo-Nazi. He could be standing beside Barak Obama, and he would still be the guy he says he is.
In fact, it is this rare quality of integrity that allows him to be around and communicate intelligently with people with whom he disagrees.
Would you suspect a Supreme Court Justice of favoring mass murder because he allowed Charles Manson into his courtroom?
In 2005, Joe Turner had to deal not only with a government unwilling to enforce its own laws. He had to demonstrate the frustration of the populace to this situation. He also had to deal with neo-Nazis, anarchists, and those who would use this situation either to start a new American revolution or to instigate anti-American rebellion.
I think that Joe Turner and Save Our State did a masterful job in handling that role and I am proud to have been a small part of it.
You know, Niel Derry had to let Jim Erwin go as his top man, which allowed him an open position with which to hire Joe Turner as the lowest man on the totem pole.
From the blogs, I have come to respect Jim Erwin in a lot of ways. But frankly, if you succeed in defeating Jim Erwin, there will be a line of Jim Erwins waiting to take his place. If you succeed in defeating Joe Turner, you will have to wait years for another like him to come along.
Hey Steve, There are people still waiting for the next Adolf Hitler and the next Messiah, too.
Excerpts from Imran Ghori Article, Press Enterprise, March 25, 2009
Brian Levin, of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino, called the Turner appointment “outrageous.”
“This is someone who I believe crosses the line,” he said.
Turner, who was not at the meeting and did not return a message seeking comment, has said that he was unable to control who attends his rallies.
Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt defended Derry’s hiring of Turner during the meeting and called him a good choice.
“He is not what some people accuse him of being,” he said.
Derry said the accusations against Turner were false.
“He’s only polarizing because some people don’t like his position on illegal immigration, which most of my constituents agree with,” he said.
Derry first considered hiring Turner last fall when he was forming his transition team before he took office. At the time, he told Turner he would need to tone down his comments if he were to work for the supervisor.
Derry said Turner was advised that his public comments must reflect those of the supervisor. In accepting the job with Derry, Turner would no longer continue as head of Save Our State.
His main role as special projects coordinator, which pays $54,995.20 a year, will be to write news releases and opinion pieces for area newspapers, Derry said. The position opened up recently with the promotion of another employee, Derry said.
Turner worked most recently as an analyst for the county’s public health department and was previously a field representative for Assemblyman Ray Haynes, R-Murrieta.
“I’ve worked with Joseph on and off for a number of years and the skill sets stand out,” Derry said.
“He’s just a very good writer. That skill is not very easy to find.”
Turner has made several unsuccessful forays into San Bernardino politics, running most recently in November 2007 for city clerk. In 2006, he pushed for a ballot initiative that would have penalized employers who hired illegal immigrants and landlords who rented to them. The initiative, which failed to get on the ballot, would also have required city business to be conducted in English.
Joe Turner has done a great deal not only for California, but for the country as a whole. He was far ahead of the curve when exposing the impact of illegal immigration years ago and we owe him a debt of gratitude. Those that speak honestly, without the concern for political correctness, know that the impact of illegal immigration has negatively affected ever facet of California’s residents, even the illegals themselves. Those of you who have only ‘read’ about Joe Turner have not been informed of the true facts and who he really is. But that is typical media hype that leans to the left and wants all honest debate closed down. Joe Turner is a very honorable person, and one who went the extra mile that most consider too much effort.
Save Our State has been a great tool for the many of us who feel frustrated by California politics in relation to immigration, Mexico and Latin american countries, and racial promotion. We accomplished quite alot among the many people that contributed and participated. We all said things that maybe seemed overly harsh, less than welcoming, and possibly even racially charged. That doesn’t make us all racist or separatists. I thought pretty highly of Turner when I joined the group shortly after it was formed, however I have since lowered my opinions of him, but not due to any presumption or indication that he his racially bent one direction or another. SOS continues to apply pressure to the immigration law enforcement effort in California, and the lack of Turner’s day to day management hasn’t influenced any of our attitudes towards people who misuse the resources and services of California and its’ citizens, so if he was supposed to be the instigator of racial division and supremacy here, you’d certainly never know it. We feel the same about corruption, fraud, cheaters, lying – pandering politicians and foreign illegals scamming the system as we always have. Turner may have misled us, but I’m sure it wasn’t over the race issue