by Doug Bohn, Victor
On the ballot is a rare opportunity for citizens to review the current form of county government. Naturally, the government is not in favor of this, as evidenced by the way the ballot reads. The focus of the language is the COST to the citizens, not the OPPORTUNITY.
The reason the government is opposed is because the citizens have the authority to take back some of the authority and power the government has taken from them.
Remember when our Commissioners wanted to audit our local county elections and the Secretary of State said they had no right to do so? Or, most recently the denial by the county attorney to authorize a citizens initiative to put an issue on the ballot? These are the types of rights that have been surrendered to multiple levels of government for decades since the mid 1970’s. Ravalli County must ASK PERMISSION from the state to exercise YOUR RIGHTS!
Most citizens are unaware how Ravalli County Government really works. Much like the ignorance and poorly placed belief I suffered from. I believed that a candidate with an “R” behind their name had proven themselves to be a real Republican. After joining the County Republican Central Committee (RCC), I learned, Boy! Was I WRONG! The establishment RCC absolutely refused to question ANY candidate to insure that they were even republicans! Just another example of elected officials sacrificing your rights! The Central Committee level is THE ONLY place in our system where a candidate can be vetted to insure they are who they claim to be.
Today, you can be assured that the “Republicans” endorsed by the Republican Central Committee are truly Republicans. Just like the battle last fall that wrested control of the Republican Central Committee from the establishment, the opportunity to wrest your rights back from the State level establishment is in your hands. Selecting the RIGHT candidates and ignoring the ploys of the establishment is the ONLY WAY you can reclaim the authority vested in YOU by your founding fathers.