Recall Petitioners' Blissfully Unaware of Koch's Klan Connection

I was driving home a couple days ago, when I saw a pick up truck at a pull out with a "Gwen Lachelt Recall Petition" sign and an old gal with a clip board in hand.  Driving by I started thinking about why she was doing it, so I turned around and drove back to ask.  She had the basic boilerplate complaints. Gwen went to Washington D.C. to raise a stink about oil company Fracking and Methane leak regulations.   What's wrong with that, I ask?  She was fulfilling promises that helped get her elected by citizens like myself, there was nothing secret or inappropriate about it.  

There was no answer forthcoming, instead she continued to the next point of contention, the awful Draft Land Use Code.  Well, okay, but is that really a justification for starting a recall petition, which is normally reserved for extreme misconduct and dereliction of duty, not for differences of opinions.  Why is only one of three commissions who shared blame for the Draft Land Code disaster being attacked?  Incidentally, what about the reality that the Draft is being reworked and already much improved, thanks to the normal run of our democratic process.  Again, not much of a response, instead we moved on to her trump card.

(This time I get personal and finish this post with pictures of my current renovation project.

Yup, you guessed it, making excuses for my sporadic posting record.)

White House quietly issues OMB report vindicating Obama regulations

More facts to help expose the lie behind Libertarians Deregulation Siren’s Song.  Here's another example of Enlightened Self-Interest showing itself to be the more rational constructive way to approach our problems.  I’ll leave the rest of this story to someone who can explain it better than I can.  

These are the facts we need to learn about and share with others. 

_______________________________

REGULATIONS

Contradicting Trump, OMB report highlights rule benefits

Maxine Joselow, E&E News reporter

Published: February 26, 2018 

https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2018/02/26/stories/1060074795

The White House Office of Management and Budget on Friday evening released its annual report on the costs and benefits of federal regulations, showing that the benefits of major Obama-era rules far exceeded the costs.

E&E News broke the story, but it’s only available to subscribers so I’ll relate David Roberts report from VOX.com:

________________________________________

Trump White House quietly issues report vindicating Obama regulations

It was easy to miss, but OMB demolishes the GOP’s deregulatory claims.

By David Roberts  |  david@vox.com  |  Mar 6, 2018, 9:30am EST

https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/3/6/17077330/trump-regulatory-agenda-omb

_________________________________________________________________

For a copy of the Report itself, this has been posted by E&E News.net

   

2017 Draft Report to Congress on the Benefits and Costs of Federal Regulations and Agency Compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

   

https://www.eenews.net/assets/2018/02/26/document_pm_01.pdf\

_________________________________________________________________

President Donald Trump’s administration has been on a deregulatory bender, particularly when it comes to environmental regulations. As of January, the New York Times counted 67 environmental rules on the chopping block under Trump.

Can I retract my signature from the Lachelt Recall Petition? YES.

I’ve heard that some individuals who’ve signed the “Save”LaPlata Recall petition, have had second thoughts after learning more about what a contrived and deceptive petition it actually is. 

SaveLaPlataCounty.com's lack of openness regarding their funding is also causing unease among many.  For more details peruse the posts in these pages. 

I wrote our County Clerk asking about retracting one’s signature and she responded with the following helpful information.

Basically if you want to retract your signature from the contrived Lachelt Recall Petition, you simply have to write up a short request and get it to our County Clerk

(I)  Any signer may request that his or her name be stricken from the petition at any time prior to when the petition is deemed sufficient and the time for protest has passed by filing with the designated election official* a written request that his or her signature be stricken and delivering a copy of the request to at least one member of the committee**

(** That would be SaveLaPlataCounty.com).

* La Plata County Clerk & Recorder

Tiffany Parker

98 Everett St, Suite C

Durango, CO 81303

970-382-6294

970-259-5413 – fax

www.laplatacountyclerk.org

_________________________________________

TITLE 1 ELECTIONS

GENERAL, PRIMARY, RECALL, AND CONGRESSIONAL VACANCY ELECTIONS

Colorado Revised Statute – 1-12-108 (9)(d)(I)

¶ Open let LaPlata BoCC - re anonymous letter(s?) - February 28th, 2018

An open letter to the La Plata County Commissioners

Brad Blake

Julie Westendorff

Gwen Lachelt

February 28, 2018

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello County Commissioners,

I live in rural La Plata County and yesterday I was called by a neighbor about an unsettling anonymous letter received in their mail.  The letter isn't threatening per se but it does intimidate, 'we know who you are, where you live, and we don't like what you say in public!' sort of thing.  Besides the intimidation, its content is vague, inaccurate and directed at the wrong people. An angry myopic venting that deserves a response.

It’s not worth calling the sheriff, but on the other hand it is certainly worth reporting and making a big deal about since I believe it's another example of outside forces bringing high-powered ruthless political practices into our community.  It's pure poison.

Stoking hostility and misunderstanding and yes intimidation is not the American way to go, that’s the stuff of totalitarianism and hopeless conflict.

Our current land code planning controversies can only be resolved by recognizing that time does change our reality.  Our population has been exploding and population densities do matter a great deal, no matter how much our nostalgia wants to wish it away.  

Dreaming about the freedom of a bygone wild era, when the nearest neighbor was a mile or many miles away, are not going to help us deal with today’s down to Earth problems and moving into the future.  That past is gone.

Koch Brothers Exposed [2014] Robert Greenwald documentary

Here's a look at what the Koch Brothers were up to until about 2014, their investment seems to be paying off handsomely.  These are not "libertarian" defenders, they are predators and taking over our government is their goal.  At least that's what all the evidence consistently points to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLvpwrCfqFI  |  55 minutes  |  Robert Greenwald

Koch Brothers Exposed - 2014 Edition - challenges David and Charles Koch's abuse of money in politics. Robert Greenwald's updated film has new stories on corporate greed, environmental abuse and the buying of elections.  ______________________________________________________________________

¶ SaveLaPlataCounty's Recall Petition Examined - dirty tricks in action.

Save La Plata County’s Petition Language - Take a closer look at what’s being circulated by http://savelaplatacounty.com/the-recall-effort.  See if you don't agree it's a bunch of deceptive handwaving?  Please help discuss this malicious political deception aimed at robbing us of our duly elected County Commissioner!  Here I make a study out of the complete text of the Recall Petition, I have not altered any words from their Recall Petition, but I do address their claims and deceptions.

      Save La Plata County (from what?)

Recall Petition

We need commissioners who represent our interests above their own, and who govern with accountability and transparency.  (Of course!  Don't we all)  Commissioner Lachelt has not done that.  (False, look at the support rallying around her.)  She has repeatedly leveraged our public office for her private gain by appearing before the U.S. Congress and other federal government entities to advocate and advance her and her employer’s political and policy agendas under the guise of her role as our commissioner.  (False, she has been advocating for issues that we elected her to advocate for.  Those interests include protecting this environment that is our life support system!  Whether oil interests like it or not.)  Her county commissioner meeting attendance record further demonstrates where her allegiance lies. Her 2017 attendance record was much lower than any other commissioner.  (False, 91% v 95%.) 

We can and should expect our commissioners to act ethically (We should be able to demand the same of their opponents!) and not to take actions that undermine the public’s trust in our local government.  (Lachelt has never done such a thing.  No evidence of wrong doing presented - beyond advocating for a healthy environment*, that is. Why has that become an impeachable offense?).  As a result of Commissioner Lachelt’s actions,  (Nowhere is specific misconduct presented.)  the county has been required to investigate ethics complaints filed against her and to seek out ethics advice from at least one other county.  (Malicious misrepresentation of the facts.  This same group filed and pushed that frivolous complaint which was dismissed at every level it was looked at.  Now they resurrect it yet again.  Pure dirty politics in action!)  

For all these reasons, and more, we believe Commissioner Lachelt has acted in ways that have undermined the public’s trust  

(This perspective leaves  >2/3s of crowd out of frame, taken Feb 15, 2018 at Eno, Durango.)