By SJ Otto
The recall effort to get rid of Sedgwick County Commissioner
Richard Ranzau continues despite efforts by a Sedgwick County District
Attorney, Marc Bennet to block a petition filed, by the Committee to Recall
Richard Ranzau.
According to KAKE
News:
“Sedgwick
County District Attorney Marc Bennett has blocked a recall effort against a
county commissioner who has refused to accept millions of dollars in grants for
local health programs.”
KAKE also reported
that Bennet said that the remedy prescribed by law when someone disagrees
with an elected official is the ballot box.
So what Bennett is saying is that once one of these right
wing scum bags weasels his or her way into office, there isn’t Jack Squat we
can do about it. Bennett is a Republican with the same narrow-minded
ideas that Ranzau has. There is little doubt that Bennett is just trying to
make sure a fellow Republican can stay in office without being accountable to
his constituents. His actions are just plain-old-stall tactics design to keep
Ranzau in office against the will of local people.
Giving away tax payer’s money, when it is clearly needed by
the citizens of this area, is an unthinkable action and it shows deep
disrespect to the neediest people in this county.
Ranzau told KAKE; the DA's decision is a victory for taxpaying
American citizens and legal immigrants.
His use of the term “legal immigrants” shows that he is a bigot
who believes in punishing young children for illegal acts they are not
responsible for. It also shows how biased he is against Latinos. He recently
and rudely refused an interview with KWCH
reporter, Beatriz Parres, who is bilingual and a legal immigrant from Spain.
The attempted interview was recorded by KWCH
TV.
The people are being denied what is rightfully theirs and he
needs to be held accountable.
It is our democratic right to get rid of any politician who
we feel has acted against the people’s interests.
Here is information to the last the Committee to Recall
Richard Ranzau meeting:
Nov 25 at 10:58 PM
On Wednesday, November 25, 2015, the Committee to Recall
Richard Ranzau resolved to not allow DA Bennett to substitute his flawed
opinion for the will of Sedgwick County Voters who want to see Commissioner
Ranzau removed from office. We resolved to not allow him to block a
constitutional and fundamental right of the Electors to determine Ranzau’s
continued employment at the ballot box. Eveleigh v. Conness, 261 Kan. 970,
977 (1997). SeeKan. Const., Art. 4, § 3.
While we disagree with the DA’s legal opinion dated
November 23, the Committee has resolved to file a new Recall
Petition, providing different grounds to Recall Commissioner Ranzau.
The new filing date will be announced by the end of next week. The
Committee also resolved to file a Mandamus Action with the Kansas Supreme
Court should District Attorney Marc Bennett improperly block our efforts
again. Mandamus is the proper remedy where the essential purpose is to
obtain an authoritative interpretation of the law for the guidance of public
officials in their administration of the public business, or to compel a public
official to act. An authoritative interpretation of the DA’s limited role in
the recall process, as well as the public health duties imposed by law on
County Commissioners would be of significant statewide interest. The Kansas
Supreme Court has often exercised its original jurisdiction in mandamus to
provide speedy adjudication of issues of law affecting public officials. Recall
Petitions in particular are a fundamental and constitutional right of
registered voters, therefore the issues that our Petition raises should be of
sufficient public concern for the Kansas Supreme Court to entertain if DA
Bennett blocks our efforts again.
It is not the role of the District Attorney to decide if the
recall allegation is true or untrue. And for District Attorney Bennett to split
hairs on a distinction between powers and duties to block a constitutional and
fundamental right recall petition seems highly irregular, particularly if the
duty to contract for the protection and promotion of public health already
exists, and is recognized as one of the duties of a County Commission which
doubles as the sitting local Board of Health. It is pursuant to its power and duty to
contract for the protection and promotion of public health and welfare that the
Commission, through the local health department, meets its ongoing legal
obligations under KSA 65-201. Bennett’s opinion that county commissioners have
“no legal duty” to contract for the protection and promotion of the public
health and welfare not only defies logic, it is inconsistent with KSA 19-212
which clearly empowers the Commission to perform the corresponding duties
enumerated in that provision. The DA’s ruling is also inconsistent with a
Kansas Supreme Court case cited in his decision, i.e. “if the petition contains
sufficient information concerning the alleged violation …, the electors become
the decision-makers and may decide for themselves the truth or falsity of the
allegations contained in the recall petition. While we might prefer more
specific information in the petition in question … it contains sufficient
information concerning the alleged misconduct.” Unger v. Horn, 240
Kan. 740, 743 (1987).
The law is clearly on our side, and we will not be deterred
by the District Attorney. This Recall Action will continue even if it drags on
till the November 2016 elections!
#RecallRanzau lives on!
PLEASE NOTE: The Campaign Event previously
scheduled for this Saturday, Nov. 28 has been moved to Thursday, Dec. 10
at 6pm. See the Facebook Event for details.
Committee To Recall Ranzau, Inc.
Sandrine Lisk
Esau Freeman
Scott Poor
Neva Thiessen, Recall Elector
Mary Dean
Mary Ware
Shirley Benton Kelley, Recall Elector
Tom James, Recall Elector
Lyle “Chip” English
Wendell Turner
Lisa Vayda
Billie Knighton
Melody Miller
Kick him out!
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