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27-Feb-09	Citizens in Golden Unite to Stop Hijacking of City Council Petitioners seeking to recall six of seven members of Golden City Council, including the Mayor, failed to submit the necessary signatures on the day of their deadline because of a groundswell of local opposition to the effort, which included organizing a quick campaign to educate residents about the negative impacts of such an action. “Golden was successful in its efforts to stop this madness because our community banded together,” said Saoirse Charis-Graves, a member of Citizens for Golden, which formed to stop the recall effort and promote community involvement among city residents. “In unison, we let it be known that we address our differences through open and honest dialogue, respect for diverse points of view, and working together to tackle the challenges of the future.” Petitions were filed in December to begin gathering signatures and were due in late February. In a controversial move, professional signature gatherers were hired to circulate the petitions that would have recalled all but one of the current city council members. Citizens for Golden, in their effort to defeat the recall attempt, were able to mobilize hundreds of volunteers to write letters, comment in public forums, deliver literature, write checks, and contact voters about the recall attempt.
23-Jan-09	Paid Canvassers Highjacking elections in Golden According to several citizens approached in their neighborhoods on Saturday, January 17, an effort initiated by a small group of disgruntled residents to force the recall of six of the seven seated city councilors in Golden is using a paid labor force of professional canvassers to press Golden residents for petition signatures that would initiate special recall elections, to be scheduled by the city mere months before regular elections in November.
08-Jan-09	Citizens for Golden Urge Residents Not to Sign Recall . Residents of the city of Golden should not sign the petitions currently circulating to recall all but one of the city council members, according to a coalition of local residents called Citizens for Golden. “Don’t fall for the recall,” said Saoirse Charis-Graves, a member of Citizens for Golden and resident of the Harmony Village neighborhood. “A recall election would be expensive, unnecessary, and counterproductive.” In recent weeks, Golden residents received two bulk mailings urging them to recall six of the seven current city councilors. One mailing was an anonymous letter soliciting residents to nominate their own reasons for wanting to pursue a recall election. The other was an issue of the Voice of Golden, an occasional publication by Golden resident Marian Olson, which was entirely devoted to calling for a recall. The issue included a letter from a resident who has subsequently reported his letter was reprinted without permission and that he does not support the recall effort. Some residents have already been approached at their homes to sign the recall petitions. "When someone came to my door, I certainly didn’t sign that petition,” said Brenda Porter, who was solicited at her front door last week in Las Casitas de Oro. “A recall election would be a waste of taxpayer money.” City officials have estimated the likely cost of a special recall election at $50,000. (Click link above to read more.)

Get Involved! Citizens for Golden needs your help to stop this recall by making sure that every person in Golden understands the ramifications of signing the recall petitions. Volunteers meet Saturday mornings from 9 to 12, preparing mailings, making phone calls and passing out fliers. Please contact us for more details!