Thank you for illuminating the importance of county clerks in these days of the current "administration's" unrelenting undermining of our institutions, and especially our election system. Here in Colorado, Tina Peters is currently serving a prison sentence for attacking the Mesa County elections. Trump and his corrupt regime are trying to get her a pardon, but this is a state issue. Our "wonderful" Governor Polis may see fit to commute her sentence. So, MG, continue to expose these sheisters and election deniers.
As a former councillor and chairman ("mayor" but not so powerful as one in the US) of our local council here in the UK (pop. 6000), I am horrified to read what you have said. The clerk is the kingpin of local democracy and must be absolutely neutral in the affairs he or she administers. To let corruption, inefficiency and partisanship in at this level of local government is to poison the whole system from its roots.
"…altering a physician-signed medication order form to obtain non-patient-specific controlled medications, instructing another staff member to use the altered form…" sounds like there’s a link to someone(s) with a substance abuse disorder.
This is such an important message. For your community, I hope your column can be published and shared locally. For the rest of us, may this be a wake up call that no election is too small or insignificant to pay attention to and to vote in.
This behavior began to show up in my small REPUBLICAN county in Montana around the turn of the century. (2000 that is) when the Oathkeepers were incubating. Scary stuff when they’re targeting friends you went to high school with, regular folks.
It's not just in your country. My local parish council in England advertised for a new representative to be co-opted onto the council. I applied. I have lived here for over 30 years. I attended public meetings and made myself known. I found out from their newsletter yesterday that someone else has been co-opted. I would have appreciated some form of information that my application had been rejected, and why.
I live in Lancaster County, PA, deep in the Bible belt. In 2022, a local school board was targeted by Christian Nationals. Helped by the Independence Law Center (ILC), Mom's for Liberty, FreePA, and the Republican party the school board is now composed of (9-out-of-9 ) members firmly entrenched in Dominion Theorist ideology. Books are banned, LGBTQ support is targeted, the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent have resigned. The budget is decimated.
The documentary by film maker Aberi Edler, "An American Pastoral" documents this devastation.
These people are the radical 30% who keep marching to the tune of the orange scab. They are bent on destroying the USA as we know it and installing absolute minority rule so they can force their narrow worldview on the rest of us. One gets impatient waiting for the next election and as you illustrate the election process itself is under attack, but a 70-80% minimum turnout in November would likely return them to the FB comments section where they belong. Is there a real chance of a turnout like that in this country? Doubtful.
Thank you for illuminating the importance of county clerks in these days of the current "administration's" unrelenting undermining of our institutions, and especially our election system. Here in Colorado, Tina Peters is currently serving a prison sentence for attacking the Mesa County elections. Trump and his corrupt regime are trying to get her a pardon, but this is a state issue. Our "wonderful" Governor Polis may see fit to commute her sentence. So, MG, continue to expose these sheisters and election deniers.
Tina Peters was misled by Douglas Frank, however I believe she may have been released recently
I just checked again, and Tina Peters is still in prison, awaiting a re-trial. Thanks for all you do.
As a former councillor and chairman ("mayor" but not so powerful as one in the US) of our local council here in the UK (pop. 6000), I am horrified to read what you have said. The clerk is the kingpin of local democracy and must be absolutely neutral in the affairs he or she administers. To let corruption, inefficiency and partisanship in at this level of local government is to poison the whole system from its roots.
"…altering a physician-signed medication order form to obtain non-patient-specific controlled medications, instructing another staff member to use the altered form…" sounds like there’s a link to someone(s) with a substance abuse disorder.
This is such an important message. For your community, I hope your column can be published and shared locally. For the rest of us, may this be a wake up call that no election is too small or insignificant to pay attention to and to vote in.
This behavior began to show up in my small REPUBLICAN county in Montana around the turn of the century. (2000 that is) when the Oathkeepers were incubating. Scary stuff when they’re targeting friends you went to high school with, regular folks.
It's not just in your country. My local parish council in England advertised for a new representative to be co-opted onto the council. I applied. I have lived here for over 30 years. I attended public meetings and made myself known. I found out from their newsletter yesterday that someone else has been co-opted. I would have appreciated some form of information that my application had been rejected, and why.
Brava
Great insights. Lincoln Co. Is having similar problems with its county commissioner candidates.
I live in Lancaster County, PA, deep in the Bible belt. In 2022, a local school board was targeted by Christian Nationals. Helped by the Independence Law Center (ILC), Mom's for Liberty, FreePA, and the Republican party the school board is now composed of (9-out-of-9 ) members firmly entrenched in Dominion Theorist ideology. Books are banned, LGBTQ support is targeted, the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent have resigned. The budget is decimated.
The documentary by film maker Aberi Edler, "An American Pastoral" documents this devastation.
This country was founded by religious crazies who believed in and burned witches. Nothing much has changed.
Thank you for your vigilance and good faith, Mary. 🙏
Terrific piece of journalism. You might have added RFK Jr to your list of deplorables, but I appreciate that time and space are limited.
Dems need to recognize that even obscure local offices and agencies are vitally important.
Go get ‘em’! Thanks for your brilliant activism!
These people are the radical 30% who keep marching to the tune of the orange scab. They are bent on destroying the USA as we know it and installing absolute minority rule so they can force their narrow worldview on the rest of us. One gets impatient waiting for the next election and as you illustrate the election process itself is under attack, but a 70-80% minimum turnout in November would likely return them to the FB comments section where they belong. Is there a real chance of a turnout like that in this country? Doubtful.