Letter to the editor: Response to Councilor Schlabach

City Councilor Joe Schlabach has finally shown his true colors in his October 14, 2017, letter to the editor.  His criticism of the Monte Movement candidates, who want to bring businesses back to downtown Monte Vista, rebuild its decimated police department (which Councilor Martinez and Councilor Schroeder are responsible for destroying as stated by former Chief Grayson), putting an end to Monte Vista’s drug culture and renovating the dilapidated public buildings, demonstrates precisely the stranglehold which those city councilors will maintain if Councilor Martinez is reelected and Mayor Becker and the other Monte Movement candidates will be unable to effect the changes necessary to move the city forward.

No, Councilor Schlabach, the city does not need Martinez’s leadership – we have had four years of that with your “Good Old Boy” buddy Matt, and what you have to show for it is continuation of empty buildings in our downtown, our best police officers leaving the city, a string of terminated city officers and decaying public buildings.  Your botched referendum could very well leave our city facing the ENTIRE marijuana industry and NO taxes to pay for the administration & social implications. That is your legacy, not that of your predecessors. 

You have made it crystal clear where you stand. Within the last week, you suspended a city judge on the basis of an ACLU report without even giving him an audience with the council. This is the same way you and Martinez have handled your key town officers since you have been in office with no respect to “Chain of Command.” You yourself made the motion to have place the marijuana cultivation on the ballot in the manner most likely to insure passage, even though the overwhelming sentiment of the citizens has told you they don’t want this city to become a “weed” mecca for growers, producers and retail sales. 

My husband has been a lone voice on the council, opposing the mindless policies that you, Martinez, and the rest of the council have been implementing. 

You and Councilor Martinez, in desperation, have now played your “veterans card.”  I honor and commend veterans across our country and thank you for your service. I have family members that have served and died fighting in almost all of the wars our country has fought. We have numerous veterans in the Monte Movement who have likewise served this country, and also realize that such service does not automatically entitle them to a ticket to public office – especially reelection. That has to be earned by a proof of performance. 

The choice now seems crystal clear.  A vote for Martinez is a vote for continued economic stagnation, suppression of the police department and our municipal court, continued dysfunction at city hall, legalization of marijuana sales in the city and the decay of our public buildings.

So, I say to Councilor Schlabach, you have had your place in the sun – and you have blown it!  If the three Monte Movement candidates are elected during the next two weeks, I hope you will have the good sense to resign, rather than being an obstacle to Mayor Dale Becker and his team as they try to lead the city in a new direction.

In the meantime, I urge the voters in our city to break the stranglehold which the four members of the council have held over the city and give the city a new breath of freedom.  Mark your mail-in ballots for Dale Becker, Victor Sigala, and Gary Johnson and Move Monte Forward!

Kathy Lorenz