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Debate for DA
Zavogiannis points to success, while Pirtle questions her record
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With incumbent District Attorney General Lisa Zavogiannis standing on her record of positive change during her first term, her opponent, local attorney Tim Pirtle, questioned if her office is doing all it can to combat the meth problem in this district.The opponents squared off in a debate Tuesday at a McMinnville Noon Exchange Club meeting with Pirtle immediately honing in on drug enforcement.“We need to talk about the 900-pound gorilla sitting in the room,” Pirtle said. “We’re being devoured from the inside out by meth.”Pirtle questioned the incumbent’s priorities, specifically when it comes to not having a drug task force that would focus on methamphetamine and other drugs.“One of the first things I would do as district attorney would be set up a drug task force for this district,” Pirtle said, noting Zavogiannis’ predecessor in the office, Dale Potter, had a drug task force when he was in office.Pirtle said money taken from drug traffickers could then be put back into the task force to help fund it. “Those are the illegally begotten gains of drug trafficking,” said Pirtle.Zavogiannis said she seriously considered enacting a task force at the beginning of her term.