Thread: Greeley mayor underestimated rancor

Greeley mayor underestimated rancor
By Monte Whaley
The Denver Post

Article Last Updated: 11/08/2007 10:37:40 PM MST


Outgoing Greeley Mayor Tom Selders said he underestimated the rancor caused by illegal immigration in the city, which is one reason why he lost at the polls Tuesday night to political novice Ed Clark.

Selders said he was targeted by his political opponents — including Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck — who helped spread misconceptions that Selders was soft on crimes committed by undocumented workers.

Those efforts included fliers distributed weeks before Tuesday's vote that hinted Selders turned a blind eye toward gang behavior.

"I doubt if Ken Buck could be directly linked to the hate mail," Selders said. "But did he help provide input and inspiration for the mailers? You bet he did," Selders said.

Buck could not be reached for comment. He has criticized Selders for going to Washington, D.C., in May to decry the effects of immigration raids at the Swift & Co. plant in Greeley in December.

Buck also has targeted Selders' lukewarm reception for placing an immigration enforcement office in Greeley.

Selders — who had served two two-year terms — admits he misread how people could be swayed by the fliers, especially since illegal immigration was not a hot topic during election forums.

He also worries that the issue of illegal immigration in Greeley is producing an environment of hateful intolerance.

"I feel badly for the city because there is this anger and hatred within this community," he said. "I guess the method to get things done here now is to resort to insults and telling lies about people."

Clark beat Selders by a wide margin. He said he didn't need help from any outsiders to win.

"I think he underestimated me," said Clark, a former Greeley police officer.

Clark said he raised $20,000 during the early stages of the campaign to Selders' $8,000 by walking the streets of the city and listening to people's concerns.

"He didn't have the support that I had because of my 20 years of service to the community," Clark said.

Earlier this fall, Clark pulled a gun on a man who allegedly drove two girls to a fight at the school where Clark works as a security officer.

Selders said he did not make the incident a campaign issue.

"Obviously I needed to be nasty and a horse's (behind) to win," Selders said.

Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_7411382

NO! You just had to stop being a horses behind over the ILLEGALS and listen to your constituents. Don't blame Clark. It's your own stupidity that cost you the office of mayor.

If he would have pulled off the Bu_l Sh_t deflectors he could have seen How POed the Public is about Illegal Immigration

Wait for the Federal, State and and more local elections as politicians get their walking papers and cry all the way to the bread line

My jaw dropped reading this. Selders is a sore loser. What good does it do our government when an ousted incumbent whines and makes remarks that he lost due to hatred in the community?!?

I am so glad Selders is no longer our mayor. Either what he said is true and he was too stupid to see how upset his constituents were about illegal immigration, or he is just an illegal supporter at heart.

My guess is Selders thought he could gain political capital with the local hispanic community by supporting illegals and going to DC to ask for an end to the raids. Unfortunately for Selders, and despite what people think, not all hispanics support illegal immigration. What he did was enrage MANY legal citizens of this community, and Tuesday we got our revenge.

I sat through the city council meetings when we wanted an ICE office here. I was there when Selders waffled and our city council handed out their decision in writing on asking for a local ICE office. That decision of course written in both spanish and english, with the spanish version stapled on top. I was there when the council thought it would be cute to read the decision in spanish at the meeting.

Its nice to have a win for the home team, I am glad that idiot Selders is looking for a new job. Just like the rest of the nation, the residents of Greeley are downright angered about illegal immigration and the idiot elected officials that will do nothing about it. Let it be known, from small town elections all the way up to the federal level...WE WILL REMOVE THOSE THAT DON'T REPRESENT US!!!

/rant

Originally Posted by AirborneSapper7

If he would have pulled off the Bu_l Sh_t deflectors he could have seen How POed the Public is about Illegal Immigration

Wait for the Federal, State and and more local elections as politicians get their walking papers and cry all the way to the bread line

Exactly! Tuesday was our day of reckoning...can't wait till we get our shot at a state/national level.

It won't be until 2010 but I hope our recent vote in Greeley sends a message to Senator Salazar that the end of his political career is coming too!

It won't be until 2010 but I hope our recent vote in Greeley sends a message to Senator Salazar that the end of his political career is coming too!

I hope you're right. I, for one, can't wait for this traitor to be unseated.

Another pro illegal immigrant supporter down in flames.

Citizens of Greeley I applaud you.

"Hire Blackwater to protect our borders",

Originally Posted by realbsball

It won't be until 2010 but I hope our recent vote in Greeley sends a message to Senator Salazar that the end of his political career is coming too!

I hope you're right. I, for one, can't wait for this traitor to be unseated.

He's big with the farm vote here so its going to take some work

He also worries that the issue of illegal immigration in Greeley is producing an environment of hateful intolerance.

Ah yes, as usual this OBL supporting politician never misses the opportunity to replace the justifiable word, anger (or angry) with the unjustifiable "H" bomb.

This is good news that an official protesting the Swift Plant raids would be turned out of office. Cheers!

You who don't live on the Mexican border, as I do, don't know what you are in store for unless you take strong actions to make it mandatory for employers to verify workers' legal status. Right now it is voluntary (thank you Ted Kennedy).

Here in Arizona we have the strongest employer sanctions law in the country (effective 1/0 taking the heat in the courts from the chamber of commerce, MALDEF and other open border advocates. If you don't have a mandatory employer verification law, pass one. It is the biggest tool in the "kit" to reduce illegal immigration.