11/24/09 Comment for Aspen Times and Aspen Daily News

Submitted by harvie on Tue, 11/24/2009 - 7:29am.
Message:
From: City
To: citizens

1) Don't ask to see any copies of your anonymous ballots- something about them is too dangerous to be released- we will keep them briefly & destroy them for you.

2) Don't even think about questioning the City Council concerning elections. We will find a way to demonize you or disappear your citizen role on a technicality, without warning, and without discussion. We have two attorneys who advise us secretly. We can & will take you down if we so choose. We can & will meet in secret to discuss these matters.

3) You on citizen boards who are naive enough to communicate by email instead of phone, someone will get your emails and embarrass you and we might even help someone to do so. Please be kind to us elected officials about CORA infractions, but don't expect the same treatment.

4) Trust us (we who are elected) to be sure your election is just fine. We set the rules.

(We, the City Council, appoint the citizen's board. The city's chief election official, our employee, is the Chair. Independent citizen oversight is tiring now & a waste of time & something which might have been a good idea once or twice in the bad old days when people used guns to get elected.)

(posted as a comment on the following two articles:)
Aspen Daily News: 11/24/09: Council moves to appoint new election commission
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/137748

Aspen Times: 11/24/09: Aspen seeks new members for election commission
Controversial citizen board out of compliance with city charter
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20091124/NEWS/911239958/1077&ParentProfile=1058