Candidate responds to Lindemann

Dear Editor;

In Mr. Lindeman’s recent letter to the Editor, he states that Mr. Lopez is a liar. Mr. Lopez addresses the fact that Mr. Lindemann has never attended meetings outside of Douglas to promote and network with elected officials in Cochise County, the State of Arizona and the U.S. Government. Mr. Lindemann would lead you to believe that he has attended meetings when in fact he attended meetings held by these organizations in Douglas. Many of these organizations, ADOT and the Mayors luncheon for example, hold meetings in different communities and some of the meetings Mr. Lindemann mentioned happened over a year ago. For example, issues in a meeting held in Douglas by ADOT will again be addressed in a meeting in Sierra Vista and either resolved or discussion continued at the next meeting in Tucson. Mr. Lindemann states that he attended a meeting held by the Mexican Consulate and that even the Mayor did not attend. The event was a fashion show this is much different than a meeting which is defined in the Business Dictionary as “Formal or informal deliberative assembly of individuals called to debate certain issues and problems, and to take decisions.” I believe that the four and half hours the Mayor spent in Rocky Point in February where both the US and Mexican Governments deliberated on Capital Projects and Transportation Infrastructure is what I refer to as a meeting. By the way, neither Mr. Lindemann nor any other Councilpersons attended.

Mr. Lindemann’s actions as Chair of the Finance Committee abolished any transparency to how our money is being spent. It is appalling that he refers to the involvement of taxpayers to monitor how their money is spent as Red Tape! Mr. La Forge, Ms. Morales led by Mr. Lindemann. believe strongly that the public has no right to monitor what City employees do with the publics money. Their actions should raise a RED FLAG to all of us.

Mr. Lindemann did not address why he voted against secure borders nor why he voted against $1500 to be used for a Halloween party for our children. It was after the many calls from the public that the Halloween party was finally reinstated.

The most glaring omission Mr. Lindemann did not address was his actions where he violated the civil rights of citizens of our community by denying them the right to speak. At a City Council meeting Mr. Lindemann felt he would be criticized. He made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Morales and approved by the rest of the Council and supported by City Attorney Flores to deny two people the right to speak at the call to the public. Others were allowed to speak.. The Mayor was prevented from voting by Flores as the Mayor passionately warned them that what they were doing was unconstitutional. We should all be very concerned when our elected officials state that they know what we are going to say, and if we dare criticize them they won’t let us participate in our own government, I did mention that these are elected officials?

Mr. Lindemann supports City Manager Curtis Shook actions to put the Call to the Public as the last item on the agenda instead as it has been for years, at the beginning. This is hard for our elderly to participate as meetings can go on for hours. RED FLAG voters, they want to keep you from having a voice.

Mr. Lindemann if you didn’t have enough dissatisfied constituents we wouldn’t have been able to recall you. All of your actions are recorded in the minutes, they are not lies and fabrications.

Respectfully submitted

Richard Lopez