We didn’t want to let this one escape mention, as the AP reported a couple of days ago out of Garfield County:
Democrat Trési Houpt is fighting a proposal that would prevent her from airing views different from the other two Garfield County commissioners – both Republicans – when representing the county on other boards and commissions.
Houpt is an outspoken supporter of stronger regulation of oil and gas development, at record levels in Garfield County the last few years. She has frequently been on the losing side of 2-1 votes on energy and other issues.
A resolution by Republican John Martin would make commissioners represent the majority view of the commission while participating in other groups, such as the Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado…
“What it amounts to is I’m trying to get everybody to play on the same page,” Martin said.
Houpt said the resolution would limit her ability to represent her constituents on energy and other issues…the commissioners, including Republican Mike Samson, who filled an open seat, agreed to delay a vote on Martin’s resolution to discuss it further.
Houpt said she thinks Martin’s proposal stems from past controversies, including when she had to pay her own way to a National Association of Counties conference because she proposed resolutions aimed at reducing energy development’s impacts on public lands.
Okay, so with three commissioners, two rock-ribbed Republicans want to make the one Democrat repeat a script they provide everywhere she goes, in addition to being on the short end of a guaranteed 2-1 loss every day she clocks in to work. It’s like ordering John Boehner to go on Meet the Press and talk about how wonderful the stimulus bill is. It’s totally insane–they’d be better off buying an animatronic Trési Houpt with programmable speech, like Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. “Global warming is a myth,” animatronic Trési Houpt says, “further study is needed! Bzzzt-click!”
A laughable idea regardless of whatever tinpot censorious ‘resolution’ these two GOP commissioners decide to ram through 2-1, but of course it would then gain some kind of enforceability.
Which is downright creepy, don’t you think?
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Tresi Houpt really works hard, as a county commissioner, and as a COGCC member. Martin hates the fact that Tresi, even in her minority role, is actually effective and stands up to the good old boys that Martin represents without hesitation.
On Roan Plateau, for instance, Martin and then-comm McCown ignored the hundreds of constituents that turned out to ask the commission to favor protection for the Roan, a position consistent with all the municipalities in the county.
Houpt stood up for the majority of her constituents and all the municipalities, and included a dissenting opinion (never mentioned by the BushCo-BLM) in the county comments. Martin/McCown couldn’t deal with having it noted that most people (and all the cities and towns) in their jurisdiction disagreed with their fiat…the genesis in this long battle of wills. Tresi deserves a medal.
Finally, poor John was defeated by CCI last week in his attempt to become chair of the public lands committee–beat by Art Goodtimes, CO’s only Green Party BOCC member.
…and this kinda stuff isn’t going to help
if this ‘gag order’ actually goes through, the Republican Party can kiss GarCo goodbye for a long time
As a Western Slope Republican, I’m hoping that the details behind this ‘gag order’ are false
The county, by majority vote has the right to set policy. That policy must be followed by all employees when representing the county. Otherwise, you have pure chaos. If she is representing the county on these boards and commissions, she must represent its opinion, not her own. If she wants to state her own opinion, then she needs to resign from the Boards and commissions and speak for herself.
Frankly, if the two incumbents can’t explain and take the heat on this one, then they shouldn’t have been in office to begin with. This is the whold problem with politicians today.
Republicans in Congress are obligated to represent Democratic ideas when they speak in their public capacity. The county, by majority vote, has the right to select its commissioners, which it did, and she is one of them.
The belief that minority-party representatives in a government with multiple representatives are not obligated to parrot what the majority party dicates is not shallow, but rather the basis of representative democracy.
I don’t know Commissioner Houpt, but everything I see indicates she makes clear her positions on the issues are her own and represents the official county policy when she is required to. If these “rock ribbed Republicans” want to have their opinion heard they can go to meetings too.
It’s obviously an attempt to silence a minority viewpoint, and if you look at it in any reasonable context it makes no sense–or an ugly kind of sense.
this too will come back to bite them in the ass. Maybe not tomorrow, but sooner or later.
This smacks of authoritarian, fascist thought control. Why do Republicans hate American Freedoms?
…..the Demoracts voted unanimously for the Patriot Act too dude…
civil rights are hated by both Parties, as of right now….
local vs. federal
gag order on specific fellow elected official vs. expanded law enforcement powers in general
Oh yeah I see the connection…you don’t really know what the hell you’re talking about do you?
As Twitty points out, that’s a bald-faced lie. Not a mistake, not a nuanced interpretation, not splitting hairs. It’s a lie.
Both parties ran off a cliff in the aftermath of 9/11. Since then, only the Republican Party has branded itself as the party of torture, indefinite detention, suspension of habeas corpus, warrantless surveillance, politically motivated prosecution (Siegelman, et al), suppression of voter rights, dissolution of the boundaries between church and state, denial of civil rights to same-sex couples … the list goes on.
You can keep hoping the — how’d you put it above? — the details are false, but they’re not. Your party isn’t the party it was in the past. To insist — or hope — otherwise is lunacy.
….I don’t see very many Democrats voting against the recent extension of the Patriot Act
As a matter of fact, even Obama voted to extend the Patriot Act
I give credit to McCain for being against torture and credit to Obama for closing Gitmo
…..but we still have a long way to go
Certainly, my Party has not done well with civil liberties and I have a goal to change that….. but true lunacy is thinking that the Democrats are champions of civil liberties
they may promise to constrict the Patriot Act and allow gay marriages (for example)…. but I see VERY little movement…
both Parties are failing us on the front of civil liberties — I’m working to change mine…. what are you Libs doing to change yours?
Although I agree with RSB the issue in GarCo is not comparable, Tresi is an equal member of the board. She is an elected official. This isn’t a ‘civil liberties’ issue.
The two other commissioners who voted the other way have two equal votes. She lost on a policy issue. I don’t care whether you like it or not, that is the Garfield County government’s policy. If she is representing the county government on these boards, she must represent the county government’s position. If she doesn’t like that then she should resign from the Boards and speak as a private citizen. She and you should also work to change the county officials who set these policies.
But if I was going to be confused with someone, I’m glad it was him.
As my profile says…
“some guy, thinks he knows stuff”
I think we’ve been much better than the Repubs on average (since the initial 9/11 approve anything).
But that is faint praise by comparison. Remember FISA went through with the votes of most of the Dems in the Colorado delegation including Udall, Perlmutter, and both Salazars.
She was elected to represent her consituents. To force her to follow the majority is a disservice to everyone who voted for her. It’s forced conformity, and has no place in this country.
Her voice as a dissenter is important, as is anyone in a minority role in politics.
And your reflexive attack on Democrats shjows a lack of creativity, and avoids the underlying issue. Point out one way that civil rights are “hated” by both parties, “as of right now.”
She was elected to these Boards and Commissions to represent the county government, not her personal feelings. She should resign and go as a private citizen.
Remember Speaker Pelosi’s safe word: “Palomino”
If the county government has taken an oficial position that needs to be the county government’s position whether the individual representing the “county government” believes it or not. If she is opposed to the position of the county government then she needs to resign her position representing the county government and go to the meeting as a private citizen and express her position. You just can’t have employees of a county government spouting positions as a representative of the county (which she is when she’s on these boards and commissions) when that is in direct contravention to county government policy. You don’t like county government policy, get rid of the people who set that policy. Otherwise, don’t bitch when the county government requires it employees to spout official position rather than their own beliefs. This is politics folks, it ain’t for sissies and the majority rules (in the absense of a Constitutional issues which isn’t present here).
Craig, there is a difference between a county employee, who is required to spout the official policy, and an elected official in her own right.
By your logic, there would be no dissent permitted in the Legislature, or in Congress.
So you don’t like a commissioner? Beat him/her in the next election. Or run a recall.
so I have to conclude that you really don’t know what you are talking about Craig. Here’s a blurb from the Sentinel article, for instance:
As gertie points out, below, Tresi is an elected official elected to represent her constituents not John Martin. And you call us shallow?
Every one in the room always knows that Tresi’s view is her own, a minority view but an important one. Recently, one of the other GarCo Comm came to a meeting. I guess it was to rat her out. Only the second time in 5 years that I’ve ever met another GarCo Comm. I smell a lawsuit coming. And, Tresi is going to win.
‘unintended consequences.’ Martin won by less than 2% last time. GarCo is the closet of the still-Red counties on the Western Slope to flipping.
But intelligence has never been one of Martin’s strong suits–it’s all about the suits actually, or rather the shtick: dressing like Wyatt Earp and all.