All one has to do is to flip on the lights, and the cockroaches scatter. My! Such a flutter. All we had to do was to legally start a recall petition on our county Sheriff for our local political machine to have hissy fits.
Both the Pagosa Springs SUN, and the Pagosa Daily Post, immediately threw themselves into support of the sheriff, and against the grass roots recall effort, (knowing which side of the county bread their butter is located).
The first brief article, by James Robinson of the Pagosa Springs SUN, containing little of substance, however quoted Sheriff Gonzalez as saying about the recall committee members that “all three individuals have issues with the Sheriff’s department that haven’t been addressed to their satisfaction.” I cannot speak for my fellow committee members, but I personally have never spoken to either the Sheriff, or any of his department members. My motivation for being involved with the recall effort is simply for community service.
It is something that needs to be done.
The following week’s article by James Robinson, and the Pagosa Springs SUN, titled “Scant Proof Yet in Sheriff Recall Effort”, should have been labeled “Scant Effort on the Part of James Robinson to Come Up With Anything to Report”.
 Mr. Robinson seems to believe that if the recall committee members choose not to respond to his loaded questions, designed to prejudice his readership against the recall effort, that the committee has no real evidence against the Sheriff’s department. The fact is the recall committee has a limited time frame to do what needs to be done, and are not inclined to waste time on slanted news media. In addition, Mr. Robinson represents himself as an investigative reporter. If this is true, Mr. Robinson needs to get out of his office, and make the effort to talk to the people who say they have been harassed and intimidated by Sheriff's deputies.
Having said that, as one of the three members of the recall committee, I will now address some of the questions put forth by the Pagosa Springs SUN.
On the question as to “How do we justify taking the County taxpayers into a $30,000 to $40,000 recall election?” My response is, we believe such a recall could be done for less. The recall committee would like to see, in writing, an itemized projected cost “break-down” from County Clerk June Madrid. In addition, if the recall petition is unsuccessful, then it is a moot point. And if it is successful, who says if the people want a recall, that the money is not worth it—the people have spoken. Considering the millions already wasted by our County government, we think the projected costs to eliminate one of the problems are laughable.
On the question as to “why have we not resorted to some other avenues to seek redress against the Sheriff department?” The other avenues suggested by the Pagosa Springs SUN are ineffective. Filing a complaint against the Sheriff's department itself — I can see it now, we will submit a written complaint against Sheriff Gonzalez, to Sheriff Gonzalez, and then a short trip to the waste basket.
Next, taking a claim against the Sheriff's department to the district attorney. Since our local district attorney’s office is as much a part of the problem as our Sheriff, the results would be the same.
Finally, filing a civil suit. I don’t know about the rest of you, but unless one of you would care to step forward with a $15,000 retainer fee for an attorney, the committee will just have to proceed with our recall petition. Plus, by the time a civil action could come to some conclusion, it would be time for the next election anyway.
Regarding the three part interview of Sheriff Gonzalez by Bill Hudson in the Pagosa Daily Post — there were no questions for the recall committee, or suggestions for seeking redress against the Sheriff, but simply a forum for the Sheriff to again show his propensity to abuse his office, and to abuse and defame others on a personal level. Within the articles, the Sheriff proceeded to declare, reported in print, that both Galen Erin, and Mark Trout, our recall committee members, had “mental issues”, and then the Sheriff added that Galen’s registered complaint (an ongoing investigation) against her neighbor and their associates, has little substance, yet the Sheriff has refused to share the status of the investigation and the case number with Galen.
All of the Sheriff’s libelous statements have nothing to do with the issue of the recall. The fact is Sheriff Pete Gonzalez, other than to try and undermine the credibility of the recall committee, has little he can say to defend the conduct of himself, or his deputies.
Sheriff Gonzalez’s judgment, and his out-of-control mouth, is something the County is beginning to regret. Wayne Alexander and Gene Reilly’s pending lawsuit, for unlawful termination, against the County and the Sheriff's department has entered its final stage before filing. Several other pending lawsuits, by private parties who have been victimized by the Sheriff's department, are in process.
Now Galen Erin has sought legal council in preparation for a defamation suit against the County and the Sheriff, for loss of reputation, humiliation, damage to prospective future business as a Master Builder and construction manager, and the interference of an ongoing investigation. Undersheriff Weiss has in the past been a modifying influence to keep Sheriff Gonzalez under control, yet the truth is Weiss is as much to blame concerning the abusive nature of his department. However, in order to reign in Weiss, and his department, we must start with Sheriff Gonzalez.
I encourage the citizens of Archuleta County to get involved. Contact a member of the recall committee, sign the petition, and let the people decide, once and for all, what kind of sheriff department we want in this county, based on the rule of law, rather than a department based on personal whim and mismanagement.
Numbers to call:
946-6297
759-6942
946-5034
or go to the Buffalo Inn on North Pagosa Boulevard, on Thursdays 4:00 to 6:00pm, to sign the petition.
Editor's note: Writer Mike Thomas is a member of the Sheriff's recall committee, and contributes a column to the Pagosa Free Press |