KOB shines light on Torrance County Commission

KOB TV sent a news team over to Torrance County yesterday,
to cover the shenanigans at Torrance County Commission meeting.

"On your side" reporter Chris Ramirez reported on two issues;
efforts to limit citizens and media rights to record County Commission meetings, link, and a move to unseat the Commission Chair, Vanessa Chavez-Gutierrez, link.

The villain in both pieces is Commissioner Lonnie Freyburger. It was his idea to offer up a resolution that would prohibit recording devices of any kind to be used during Commission meetings.

And it was he who wondered aloud if the position of Chair could be "re-voted" in order to unseat Chavez-Gutierrez in retaliation for creating "negative publicity". She had written a letter to State Auditor Hector Balderas, asking his office to investigate credible allegations and evidence of corruption in the letting of county contracts.

The contrast between Freyburger and Chavez-Gutierrez could not be more dramatic; he proceeding from the premise that both civil rights and the truth are his to dispense as he sees fit, and she, every bit the opposite.

Chavez-Gutierrez had every right,
some might argue responsibility,
to write her letter to Balderas.

Freyburger may not like that
he wasn't in the loop, but that's his
problem; a personal problem that
he needs to deal with internally;
not by unseating Chavez-Gutierrez.

She needed neither his permission nor his approval to write the letter.

Chavez-Gutierrez said she will think about Freyburger's request that she step down, and then respond.

After the meeting adjourned, several citizens approached Chavez-Gutierrez, encouraging her to remain as Commission Chair. As I have written before, she is doing an extraordinary job chairing commission meetings, and it would be a huge loss to lose her services in that capacity. Especially if she were to be replaced in that position, by Freyburger himself.

Chavez-Gutierrez intends to leave the County Commission and run for a vacant legislative seat. Her manifest quiet courage and character will be a refreshing change in the Roundhouse.




photos Mark Bralley