Sore Losers Want To Decapitate Lincoln’s Government
Radical right wingers in Lincoln want a do-over of the 2019 election in which they were blown out. Failed mayoral candidate Cindy Lamm and other extremists want to oust Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and City Council members Jane Raybould, James Michael Bowers, Richard Meginnis, and Tammy Ward. These extremists are angry over Mayor Gaylor Baird’s mask mandate and directed health measures aimed at stemming the deadly spread of the corona virus. These sore losers are also upset about the vote to appoint Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department Director Pat Lopez in August.
These anti-science extremists have until Dec. 23 to collect the necessary signatures on each official’s petition and submit them to the Lancaster Election Commissioner’s Office. In the unlikely event they collect the requisite number of signatures, there would be a recall election sometime in February. This unnecessary and reckless election would cost the taxpayers approximately $300,000.00 when city revenues are already strapped due to the recession and pandemic.
Decline to Sign — a bi-partisan group — has been formed up to oppose this ridiculous recall. Justin Carlson — the Treasurer for the group — said: “This pandemic has put our community’s health care system in crisis, and a small group of anti-mask, pandemic-deniers want Lincoln residents to recall their elected officials instead of focusing on public health. We encourage citizens to decline to sign the recall petition if approached by a circulator.”
The arguments regarding the science and the merits of a mask mandate and social distancing have been aired numerous times. It isn’t the point of this column to raise those well known facts again. Instead, I would like to focus on what would occur if sore losers like Cindy Lamm overturn the results of the 2019 elections.
A “successful” recall would trigger a second special election to select a new mayor and four city council members. During the period between a “successful” recall and a second special election, the residents of Lincoln would be deprived of a mayor and four city council members during a grave crisis. The City Council wouldn’t even have a quorum to conduct official business!
If the likes of Cindy Lamm and Ben Madsen get their way, the City of Lincoln wouldn’t have a functioning government for several months. Even after the second election, it would probably take a new mayor and four rookie city council members several months to come to grips with the raging pandemic.
I strongly believe that Leirion Gaylor-Baird, Jane Raybould, James Michael Bowers, Richard Meginnis, and Tammy Ward are doing the best job anyone could do without any federal or state support. They have made the tough decisions and Lincoln is doing better than most of the state even though their efforts have been obstructed by Governor Ricketts and the GOP establishment since the pandemic began here in March.
Recall elections weren’t intended to be fought over policy issues or to re-litigate past elections. Instead, elected officials should only be recalled in the event of legal and/or ethical breaches that violate the public trust.
I would strongly urge everybody to decline to sign this reckless and selfish recall petition. If these extremists get their way, Lincoln’s government will be decapitated during the gravest crisis in the modern history of this great city. The sore losers are jeopardizing the health and lives of thousands of their fellow citizens.
I would urge all of you to not only to say “no” but to say “hell no” to these crazies. Failure is not an option. If these sore losers “win,” we will have anarchy and chaos during a crisis. I’m convinced that if we all do our part, this dangerous threat to our health and well being will be soundly defeated. Now let’s get it done!