Entire Linda Flack Letter to Boulder County Assembly

["Joe Pezzillo" <jpezzillo@xxxxxxxxx>]

By request that I send the entire letter to the list, and with the  
permission of the author. -Joe

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April 7, 2006

Dear Delegates and Alternates:					

As a member of last years’ Election Review Committee, I wish to point  
out that our report concerning the Presidential Election of 2004 was  
not a vindication of the performance of County Clerk, Linda Salas, as  
Linda and her supporters claim.  Every Democrat on the Committee,  
including the Chairman, also supports Hillary.

The Board of County Commissioners was quite specific in their charge  
to our committee.  We were asked to make recommendations to increase  
the speed of the counting process, which we did.  We were not asked  
to comment on underlying reasons for all of the problems, but it was  
apparent to us that many of the problems were exacerbated by the poor  
management practices of the current Clerk’s office.  In fact, some of  
the problems were simply the result of poor management.

The current Clerk has not addressed many of our recommendations.    
Perhaps the most important, and reflective of our concerns about the  
management of the office, was our recommendation for the  
establishment of a management plan based upon a rigorous Integrated  
Quality Management Analysis.  We also urged that the 2006 general  
election not be counted at a central site; that a statistically  
accurate manual audit process be put in place for all future  
elections; and, that all political parties be much more involved in  
the planning process.  None of these recommendations have been adopted.

I urge everyone to read our report, which can be found at http:// 
www.co.boulder.co.us/clerk/elections/.  The section concerning  
Planning, Staffing and Education Issues is particularly revealing in  
pointing out the lack of planning and inadequate staffing which  
became apparent early in 2004, far in advance of the August and  
November elections of that year. Even the printing problems that  
caused so much of the delay in counting the 2004 ballots can be  
attributed to Clerk Salas’ inability to plan for, monitor and oversee  
critical aspects of election conduct.    Subsequent elections have  
revealed that the management problems observed in 2004 have not been  
addressed.

As a result of the lack of leadership at the Clerk’s office, I am  
supporting Hillary Hall’s candidacy for Boulder County Clerk and  
Recorder.   Hillary has more than twenty years of management  
experience in the private sector in addition to her role as County  
Party Chair for the past three years.  She recognizes the problems  
facing the Clerk’s office and has a collaborative approach to problem  
solving that will ensure that problems are not only identified but  
that they are solved in the most effective manner by the most  
appropriate means.  The problems with our election process and  
systems will not be solved if they are not even acknowledged and if  
responsibility is not taken by the Clerk’s office for their  
solution.  Please join me as I, along with two-thirds of the members  
of the Election Review Committee, support Hillary Hall in restoring  
the public’s trust and pride in our local government.


Linda Flack, Former Boulder County Chief Deputy Clerk and Recorder
				Paid for by the Committee to Elect Hillary Hall