San Juan County Corruption
by Marjorie Haun
The hundreds of emails obtained in response to a GRAMA request by The Petroglyph proves what many in San Juan County have sensed for years; we have no voice, and the commissioners are being directed by influences hostile to the interests of our towns, communities, and conservative majority.
The people of San Juan County have no voice in the County Commission. A leftist attorney from Colorado (Steve Boos), environmental special interest group, SUWA (Liz Thomas, Scott Groene), and its “get out the vote” arm, Rural Utah Project (Drew Cooper, TJ Ellerbeck) have voices, but the people who live in San Juan County, and struggle to make a living, keep their families afloat and pursue the things they cherish are viewed with contempt and deemed enemies by the Democrats on the Commission and their puppeteers from Colorado, SUWA and RUP.
Whereas elected officials are charged with representing the people they govern, the Democrats on the San Juan Commission have been working with outside special interest groups to oppress and dominate us, thwarting our collective will and ridding county offices of everyone who has opinions differing from theirs about the purpose of government and goals of its policies.
The emails produced in the GRAMA request show how certain employees serving the county following the 2018 elections were targeted and set up to be purged, either by quitting due to undue pressures or hostile conditions, or for opposing a baited policy that would give commissioners an excuse to fire them.
Throughout the emails runs a thread of religious bigotry. Liz Thomas and others openly express contempt for people belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) in this and other Utah counties. There is clear disdain for the people of Monticello and Blanding. This bigotry seems to have inspired the Democrat Commissioners to draw political lines that determined who they work with, who they hire, who they favor, and who they ignore.
The relationships revealed in the emails are disturbing. Steve Boos and Liz Thomas were literally running the county through policies and countless directives instructing the Democrat Commissioners what to divise, what to vote for, and what to reject. Although Thomas purportedly donated her time to the Commissioners, one of the emails indicates that RUP was reimbursing her for her efforts. And most damning of all, there appears to be evidence in emails between Liz Thomas, Scott Groene (SUWA), and TJ Ellerbeck (RUP) that Steve Boos was paid approximately $250K for his work “on behalf of the newly elected Navajo SJCO Commissioners.” Since the majority of resolutions, policies, and other directives appear to have come from Boos and Thomas, one has to ask, “Did SUWA and RUP buy the San Juan County Commission for a quarter mil?”
Although the emails seem to reveal that the SJ Commission is being used against the people it’s supposed to benefit, the most disturbing aspect of all is that Thomas, Boos and others operate with the ultimately racist notion that the Navajo commissioners and the Navajo people of San Juan County are a conforming voting bloc with no political, religious or cultural diversity. The truth is, Native American families, Navajos, Utes and
others who live in San Juan County consist of a rich cultural, political and religious mix. Many families are very conservative in their attitudes and politics. Many Navajo and Ute families belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many reject the identity politics, “wokeism” and radical environmental policies being pushed by SUWA and RUP. But those interests puppeting the SJC Commission for the past 4 years appear
to view the Native Americans of SJC as a monochromatic confederation who blindly embrace a left-wing worldview. To me, that is racism at its worst.
San Juan County is blessed with good people of all races, religions and political opinions. We deserve commissioners who will work to improve our quality of life and economic conditions, who will unify the county through our shared interests. We all want a sound economic base, opportunity, excellent schools, safe neighborhoods, and a voice in the County Commission. We have an opportunity in this year’s election to
restore the timeless principle of government by the consent of the governed.
Point of Action: Please attend the next San Juan County Commission Meeting on October 18, 2022 at 11:00 AM at 117 South Main in Monticello Utah, and ask the commissioners on the record to address the issues listed in the letter to the editor.
