What a difference the majority makes. J. Paul Brown opined in The Durango Herald that “I am amazed at the wisdom of our forefathers when they set up county government exactly as it is today.” By that, he meant having general elections, not by district, with independently elected offices throughout the county. J. Paul wrote that on Sept. 12, 1991, when Republicans controlled the Board of County Commissioners (J. Paul Brown, Fred Klatt, Doris Brennan), and offices of County Clerk and Recorder (Linda Daley), and Treasurer (Ed Murray).
Now that we have both parties represented in office, one would think that the “checks and balances” of government would be even stronger. But no. Apparently now, J. Paul realizes that “one person, one vote” is in fact dangerous to democracy and needs to be restricted, if only till the Republicans are back in firm control.
Control by one party is the goal. That is what the Lachelt Recall campaign is about, and that is why J. Paul is now pushing the state Legislature on electing commissioners by district. Don’t fall for it. The current U.S. government is dysfunctional with the GOP in charge of the Executive branch and Congress; don’t let our local county fall into the same disarray. We need the checks and balances of both parties.
Anne Markward
Durango
