As a candidate for sheriff of Avoyelles Parish, I felt compelled to comment on your column in the June 5, 2011, edition of The Avoyelles Journal. You stated that nothing is happening on the political scene in Avoyelles and that there are hardly any signs out.

If you would take the bag off your head, you would see numerous signs promoting my candidacy throughout the parish in addition to many of my yard signs. I have also been making personal contacts on a daily basis. Your column was a veiled endorsement of Mr. Didier in that you said nothing negative about him and his is not T-Potch, but he is in the family of Journal publisher Randy Decuir.

Another negative statement about me is that I ran many times and lost. This is my third time and three times is a charm. In addition, the letters I have written concerning the present sheriff were not to criticize but to obtain information concerning the ambulance service on behalf of citizens of Avoyelles. To this date no answers have been provided.

The bottom line is that Alphonse is not a political analyst and should refrain from making unfounded and unsubstantiated political predictions and analysis and leave the task to the experts and not a gossip column.

Joseph D. “T-Joe” Panichella

Marksville