April 07, 2019 01:07 PM UTC

The Weld County Recall Is Not About Weld County

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• by: Bob Seay for Colorado

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Despite what Weld County Republicans are saying, the recall effort against Rochelle Galindo (D-Greeley) isn’t because she voted for Colorado’s Red Flag law. It’s not about oil and gas development. Those issues are simply convenient excuses for a political party that refuses to accept the results of any election it doesn’t win.

That’s not to say that emotional issues like gun safety and local control of fracking operations won’t be exploited by Conservatives for political purposes. But to the people behind the recall, these controversial issues are tools for propaganda, not actual political objectives.

The actual objective is for white Conservative Republicans to regain power after losing everything in 2018.

It’s the political equivalent of a frivolous lawsuit; more obstructionism from a political party that is out of ideas.

Republicans know that they don’t have to win to nullify the 2018 election. Instead of working on legislation that could help Weld County and the rest of Colorado, Galindo and Colorado Democrats must now devote a significant portion of time to fighting the recall. Money and resources intended for a legitimate reelection campaign in 2020 will instead be depleted on this totally unnecessary political stunt. A community that needs to come together and solve serious problems related to growth and the local economy will instead will be even more torn apart.

The recall is funded largely by Colorado’s version of the Koch Brothers, Patrick and Joe Neville of Castle Rock [Pols note: Pat Neville lives in Castle Rock, but not Joe]. Not content with imposing their extreme agenda of failed public schools, inadequate infrastructure, uncontrolled growth, and other problems on the people of Douglas County, the Nevilles now want to export their Republican dystopia to the rest of the state, along with racism, homophobia, and the idea that only wealthy people deserve to be in politics.

Republicans love to claim they are protecting the Constitution even as they are subverting it. The recall isn’t about democracy or making sure that elective officials represent the people in their districts. Just the opposite. This is about preventing a representative from fighting for the voters who put her in office. These Republicans are telling 53% of Weld County voters that their vote doesn’t count.

A working class Latina Democrat like Rochelle Galindo, who carried 53% of the vote in Greeley, would have a hard time getting elected in affluent, white, ultra-conservative Castle Rock and surrounding Douglas County. Fine. She doesn’t live in Douglas County. She isn’t representing Castle Rock.

Galindo was elected by the citizens of Greeley to represent her home town. She cares about her constituents, listens to them, and works to make their lives better. That bothers Joe and Patrick Neville. The Nevilles want someone who will fight for them, regardless of her constitutional duty to represent the people of Greeley.

Greeley is a test case, a chance to develop a template to use in the future. If this recall is successful, there will be more. Republicans won’t be satisfied until they have nullified every election in this state. So much for democracy.

Let’s recognize recall elections for what they are: The last stand for the privilege and entitlement of rich, racist Conservatives who can’t win legitimate elections.