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July 07, 2007 07:01 PM UTC

Coordinated Attack on County Commissioners?

  • 38 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

We are hearing persistent rumors about a coordinated effort by Republicans to target Democrat and liberal independent county commissioners for November recall elections. We’ve held off posting about it up to now, but reports are starting to pop up all over the Western Slope.

In Eagle County, a recall bid was announced last week against Democrat commissioner Arn Menconi, with petitioners claiming Menconi has behaved in a “fiscally irresponsible” manner regarding some recent votes on child care and home rule. According to the Vail Daily, Menconi was the target of a recall effort immediately after the September 11th attacks for refusing to sign a resolution of support for President Bush. That recall didn’t go anywhere, but sources tell us the current effort is “much better organized” and has a good chance of making the ballot this November. Colorado Confidential discusses the possibility of a Menconi run for state senate that may also be factoring into the recall effort.

In Montrose County, a recall attempt is well underway against Democrat commissioner Bill Patterson. The Montrose Press has been deluged by letters to the editor opposing his recall, however, which has been spearheaded by state Rep. Ray Rose and has its alleged origins in a deal for airport services that didn’t go the way a local business would have preferred. Our sources in Montrose call success of the effort unlikely, though it will also probably make the ballot.

Rep. Rose himself seems to be earning few friends over his role in this recall, as the Grand Junction Sentinel reports today that a former Montrose mayor and defender of Patterson’s will challenge Rose for his HD-58 seat–potentially a far more credible challenger than Rose had last year.

In San Miguel County, the Telluride Watch reports that Green Party commissioner Art Goodtimes has been hit with a “random” Open Records request from the Republican Study Committee of Colorado going back five years, along with three Democrat Gunnison County commissioners and Garfield County commissioner Tresi Houpt. No recall efforts have yet been announced against these officials, but given events elsewhere some action against them is likely on the way.

With Republicans having basically conceded the General Assembly to the Democrats in 2008, what we’re seeing here could be the beginnings of the best strategy available to them: a focus on local races, where Democrat inroads are in many cases a recent phenomenon and Republicans could mark up some badly needed wins. In addition, these county-level Democrats are the bullpen for the next generation of state legislators–so whatever damage can be done to them now will pay dividends for the GOP later.

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38 thoughts on “Coordinated Attack on County Commissioners?”

  1. with the school board up stategy the GOP used to get science out of the classroom and build a deeper bench.

    D’s just have to be ready to fight all the time.  The state party needs a professional operation that helps organize and support the county operations.  The D’s need to commit resources to this. Between building a deep bench, protecting isolated local D officials, improvinging GOTV, building a database and micro-targeting, it would be money well spent.

    If the clerk and recorders face a similar attack then I’ll get worried, because that would indicate a broader attack on the electoral process.

    1. And is it ethical for elected officials to launch recall elections like this?

      As an outside observer of all these political games, I would question when is politics EVERY ethicals. I see loads of promise from both major parties, and little being delivered. The shear lack of ethics amongst the 2 groups is astounding. And yes, I do include the dems in being unethical. The sad truth is that the dems are just a few notches above the republicans. Sadly, I have seen better morals from Mafia and even gangs than I have from the current group of  republicans (really “god-fearing, patriotic neo-cons”).

      1.   Elected officials are also voters.  Do they forfeit their right to petition for redress of grievances just because they are office holders? 
          On the other hand, I don’t think they should be doing the recall efforts on county time and using county facilities.  Thats’ probably inappropriate.
          I seem to recall that the Arapahoe County Bd. of Comm. was actively involved in prompting the Baker recall.  Of course, they had an obligation to protect the financial solvency of the county, and Baker’s zipper was costing us a lot of money.

  3. You know, I’m watching the events unfold in Montrose, and I think it’s pathetic.  The fact that people have NOT been reporting is that Representative Rose is simply acting for his constituants who have come to him to intervene on their behalf in a matter that they have been attempting to clear up for themselves for a year!  I think that the fact that there is a criminal investigation going on Patterson and no allegations of criminal wrong-doing on Rose’s part should be an indication as to who is in the wrong here.  I am a card carrying Democrat, and even I can see the hypocrisy in this.  It’s a simple matter… criminal activity is involved, it was reported and brought to light.  I don’t know about the other recall attempts, but I really think that some perspective needs to be had.  I may not be very popular here for saying this, but whatever.  I think people are loosing perspective among party lines. 

      1. I guess I missed that memo!  *lol* I’m such a bad Dem.  Honestly, I’m getting more than a little fed up with my own party.  Maybe I’m just an idealist here, but isn’t the point of all this working together to better our state?  Who gives a rat’s behind about party lines?  When there’s criminal activity going on, THAT should be the bottom line and the issue, not what party each person is and all these high school politics that’re going on.  Really, it’s just all so childish.

        1. Well, *I* give a rats behind about party lines.  When Repubs run this state, we go broker and broker and have endless legislation about personal morality.  When Dems run it, the finances come into balance and the legistation is at least intended to make the state run better for the citizens.

          If you don’t give a rats ass about party lines, I submit you jut don’t like politics.  That’s OK; it’s not for everyone.  But you are in for endless frustration if you don’t think politics is an endless struggle between parties and/or ideologies and/or interest groups.  That is just how it works.  We hope that the average voters pays enough attention to the various struggles to pick the right candidate more often than not.

          But your “why don’t we all just get along” attitude is right up there with Communism and Libertarianism for ignoring how people and groups actually operate.  Even our government is set up to have three branches in the hope that two will get together to keep the third in check when necessary.  The last thing we want is for them all to cooperate.

    2. …I am suprised nobody has brought recall efforts against Jim Congrove, who has been engaged in illegal activity since very early in his term as County Commissioner.  As a resident of Jefferson County, I find this offensive.  Is there any proof of what you say? 

      1. Actually, apparently there’s a good bit of proof, but none of it has been published because it is in fact under criminal investigation.  The business men who came to Rose to intervene on their behalf had been attempting to get the matter cleared up for more than a year on their own, and had been building a case which was simply handed off to Rose who stepped up and turned it in to the proper authorities as a Representative who was working in the best interest of his constituants.  Also, there have been attempts to publish Rose’s side of the story in the Montrose newspaper, but they have refused even paid ads to represent Rose’s side of the story.  I’m not generally given to believing in the “Liberal media”, but I really think Representative Rose is getting a raw deal in this. 

        1. and Rep. Rose is getting the raw deal, why didn’t the local Republican party back him? They voted 10-2 against endorsing the recall against Patterson (the only two for being Rose and his wife).

          What are the allegations? All I know is three businessmen are upset with a Dem commissioner because of some airport business deal that went against them, so they contacted Rose to fight their fight.

          You may not have the proof, but what is the back story?

          1. …why the Repubs didn’t back him.  My personal belief is that they’re afraid.  They like their little jobs and aren’t willing to go out on a limb like Rose.  Apparently another of them had a file on all this hullabaloo for a year and was afraid to come forward with it, and in fact still hasn’t.  But apparently there’s enough evidence that the local authorities are investigating.  That in itself says something to me. 
            The back story on this is that Patterson, the county comissioner, has allegedly been giving contracts for the local airport services to his friends who run various companies rather than going through the proper channels.  As far as I understand those are at the crux of the criminal investigation.  Again, I don’t know what proof there is, etc, since it hasn’t been released to the general public. 

              1. Especially when the poster’s ID was created the same day as he/she posted!!!  I’ve got a feeling this poster is none other than Ray Rose, his wife, or somebody over at the wonderful “Republican Study Group”.  It obviously isn’t a “card-carrying Democrat” as stated.

                The truth of the matter is that Ray Rose has made himself — and a formerly safe GOP seat — vulnerable due to his own rabid stupidity.

        2. I usually try and refrain from questioning peoples motives when their reg date is a mere 15 minutes before they are leading the charge against a specific person in relation to an overall, apparent targeting, especially when they themselves have to self-identify as to create some sort “hey! guys! Im a dem who is about to go after another one using populist language!”

          There is a good bit of proof yet it is unavailable because there is a criminal investigation? So, what you are saying is that the cops have a list in their hands? Your posts dont pass the smell test. It appears, especially in light of Car 31’s post, that you are specifically targeting Patterson. I especially like your sign off about the liberal media.

  5.   I mean their state party is broke financially, the state chair concedes retaking the legislature won’t occur next year but in ’10 at the earliest, they’re down to only three C.D.s (one of which is shaky), and their presumptive U.S. Senate candidate has a tendency to alienate RINOs.
      And meanwhile THIS is their long-term strategy?  I say cry “Macaca,” and slip lose the dogs of war!

    1. Well, when things aren’t going your way and they’re “supposed to”, some people get to whining.

      We’ve got a couple of discontented Republicans considering a recall petition up here in Gilpin County, too.  As far as anyone can tell, it’s mostly over discontent that we’re putting in a biomass generator for a new building – biomass that this county has in plenty.  It’s only a few people, though; the Republicans can’t seem to get support enough within their core group to make it a formal party effort.

      1.   Recalls involve collecting a lot of signatures.  I was involved (in a minor role) in collecting signatures for the Tracy Baker recall. 
          That, of course, was necessary because Tracy’s zipper was an on-going liability costing the county a fortune in harassment suits and worker’s comp claims from employees in the clerk’s office.  It was also fairly easy to get signatures on Sat. mornings at King Soopers by simply mentioning his name.
          But the percentage of signatures needed to do a recall is substantial.  Why doesn’t the GOP just target commissioners coming up for re-election who they believe are vulnerable, and field some viable candidates.  They really need to try to trigger early elections?

        1. There are two main reasons (and a few minor ones) that political groups do something:

          1. Get elected
          2. Raise money

          It might be that this is something they know they will lose but can raise money over it with the true believers.

  6. What happened to the concept of the loyal opposition?  If you want people to run for office, I don’t think they should be subject to recall unless they break the law.  If you scare the nice guys away from local office, you’re only going to have the sharks left.  You really need to look at the roles of the local newspapers.  Too many of them these days are muckraking in order to please their advertisers.  Steamboat Springs had an unpaid school board member who had served the community for years and the Steamboat Pilot went after him for private emails that someone left at their office.  The paper seemed to want to  actually wanted to have a discussion about whether another former public official was or was not a good mother. The Magna Charta says that people should not be banished except  for not following the law of the land.  If you read the written law and stay within the bounds of the law, you shouldn’t be hassled whether you are a public figure or not.

  8. People are registered as Democratic, Republican, etc.  People are not registered as Independent.  Again, to be both politically and grammatically correct, you should use the term ‘unaffiliated’

  9. The events of Monday, July 9th, will make it impossible for the local GOP to recall the lone Democratic commissioner – even if they had grounds (which they don’t.)  The Democrats won and will keep that seat, irregardless of the fact that Sen. Steve Johnson wants the whopping $87,000 commissioner salary he voted to hike.  It’s hard to play well with others, when you’re consistently in the minority, isn’t it Steve?  Heck, the way Larimer County is trending, the Democrats will probably pick up the second seat, held by Republican embarassment, Glenn Gibson.

    1. Frank Sullivan allowed wwoman to get by with using “irregardless” in the previous post. Come on, now. If you’re going to be the Grammar Grandma, do it 24/7.

      1. this was just posted on DPost online:

        Commissioner Wagner resigns –

        “I had high hopes and great expectations for serving the people of Larimer County,” Wagner said. But Gibson has fostered a hostile workplace that has chipped away at her health, Wagner said.

        “…Gibson’s menacing antagonism has made a rational and safe workplace impossible,” Wagner said.

  10. I am working up my CORA request for Larry McCown, John Martin, the entire Moffat County Commission, Craig Meis & Janet Rowland right now.  All their emails, every single one, since  2002.  Hey if the GOP thinks its OK to waste taxpayer money and scarce county staff time on a fishing expedition then ME TOO!!!

    Should be fun to see what Larry has to say…  WOnder if he’s already been promised his ‘retirement’ package by EnCana, Williams, or Barrett yet?

     

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