Letter from Monika Griesenbeck
Salida politics – May 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine
Dear Ed,
Sorry about hanging up on you this morning [Feb. 21]. It wasn’t out of anger but because I was getting choked up over your reference to my ineffectiveness as a Salida council member.
Looking back to those days, I will be the first to admit I lacked political astuteness and hadn’t learned to pick my fights. But to say that I “made damn near everything into a confrontation,” was an unkind exaggeration.
And I have to wonder how you came to that conclusion, since, by your own admission, you “don’t usually pay much attention to the city government.” I don’t recall seeing you at city council meetings except during the Quillen v Salida lawsuit.
I worked damned hard to fulfill the promises I made when I ran for office. Here are a few: repeal our unconstitutional loitering ordinance, address and correct some of the mistakes made in the water meter project, pass resolution to reform certain spending practices, review the Salida Police Department and have our council meetings videotaped.
Also, I made the dissenting vote when my colleagues backed away from their responsibility to examine the department heads’ job performance in 1998.
Whatever I had to say I said in public. I asked my pesky questions, stated my often unwelcome opinions and made my mistakes in public. But there is a dilemma here, Ed; openness and effectiveness seem to work against each other in politics. If, by your own reasoning, an honest course is not the way to get things done, what is?
Still your friend
Monika Griesenbeck
Salida
