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April 12, 2013 08:55 AM UTC

At Least He's Not Your City Councilman...Yet

  • 18 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols
Close enough.
Close enough.

As the Grand Junction Sentinel's Paul Shockley reports, there's trouble brewing in the wake of the recent Grand Junction city council elections. Councilman-elect Rick Brainard was arrested last weekend on suspicion of domestic violence against his girlfriend. Brainard is vowing to take office despite admission of pretty nasty behavior, and opposition to his taking office is reportedly growing:

“Anyone who has admitted to domestic violence is not worthy of being a City Council member,” [resident Linda Moran] said, acknowledging she voted for Brainard in the council election on April 2.

“I had read he felt like the bar was set too low for the community,” Moran said, explaining her vote for the embattled councilor-elect.

“He’s already crossed that line. I do regret it,” she said of her vote.

Brainard, 51, said in a prepared statement Tuesday he intends to serve on the City Council despite his arrest Saturday on suspicion of domestic violence against his girlfriend. An arrest affidavit obtained by The Daily Sentinel said Brainard initially denied to a police officer that an altercation with the woman turned physical, then admitted he’d pushed her, grabbed her hair and slapped her. The slapping, he explained, was needed to “shut her mouth.” [Pols emphasis]

Classy.

Ordinarily, we would say that the details of this case, and statements now on record, would clearly oblige Mr. Brainard to step aside to deal with his heretofore-unknown loutish bastard tendencies. But this is Mesa County, folks, and we have such sterling examples of personal responsibility and humility as well-tanned GOP Rep. Jared Wright of the Fruita Police Department Colorado General Assembly to set the precedent. 

So naturally, Brainard says, "what's the problem, butthead?"

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18 thoughts on “At Least He’s Not Your City Councilman…Yet”

    1. Brainerd was selected by the chamber of commerce as part of its so-called slate. Three of its four candidates were successful, Brainerd being one of them. Perhaps the Sentinel could ask the chamber president for comment, and if she declines, put that in the paper.

      Why the guy has a job with one of the most respected aviation companies in Colorado is beyond me.

      Then he asks the court (through his attorney) if he can be excused from actually showing up because of his employment obligations.

       

      2. Don't expect the Sentinel to put their new best friends at the chamber on the spot – they want to keep that National Park endorsement (a whole other local political story).

        1. I wouldn't expect the Sentinel to do much of anything resembling real journalism. They've spent so much time pandering to the local power brokers (Small Fish in Tiny Ponds) and their core subscribers that they're completely toothless. Even when they come out in opposition (like with Jared "Time-Traveler" Wright), it's too little, too late.

          1. Actually the Sentinel issued an editorial saying that Brainard should step down. Neither the Chamber nor the local Republican Party have had any comment. There were protests in Grand Junction today, which had as many Republicans as Democrats in attendance.

             

  2. If he actually said that he needed to slap her to shut her mouth and the people of Grand Junction allow him to take office then I would encourage everyone and every company on the planet to boycott anything having to do with GJ. The guy, if found guilty and that's probably a given considering that remark, also should never be able to buy a gun and should have any guns in his possession confiscated.  If it will make our righties feel any better they can confiscate his  hammers, too.

    Anybody planning trips to that part of our state should consider staying in beautiful Paonia instead, located in the up and coming wine country that has been compared favorably to Provence and with a really nice inexpensive motel in town, several lovely B&Bs, a local art and music scene, orchards and farms providing great produce locally, a wonderful Italian restaurant, The Flying Fork, a couple of great bars, one serving not just their own beer but their own spectacularly good cherry soda made from local cherries, and even a little movie  theater in town. Small enough to enjoy on foot but with a real supermarket and drugstore and other practical stuff, not just tourist shops. A short drive from all kinds of outdoor recreational ops. Off the beaten path but well worth it. You won't miss GJ.

    2. This is what happens when one party, any party, has a chokehold on a community. Idiots, criminals, and puppets get elected by strict party-line voting morons.  It happens all over the country, in red and blue.

      There's a good chance "Slappy" Brainard will stay in office. He was duly elected by the party-line morons, and even if found guilty, what he allegedly (and most likely) did is not a felony.  Grand Junction residents have astonishingly short memories and attention spans.  Hell, if he can hang on until JUCO,  he's in the clear.

      1. This was a Chamber coup. The incumbents who were defeated in the election were Republicans too. The Chamber announced that they needed a business friendly City Council, and actively supported their four candidates–three of which won. They all had the same color campaign signs so that people could identify the annointed ones.

        Since he was elected by the people (turnout was about 1/3 of the electorate) he cannot be removed by the City Council. But he can be removed by a recall, which legally cannot happen for 3 months.

        Two current City Council members, Bennet Boeschenstein (D) and Jim Doody (R) announced at today's demonstration that they will introduce a resolution at Wednesday's City Council meeting suggesting that Brainard should resign.

        1. I am delighted to hear that both Bennet and Jim are still on the council. They are both honest, reasonable, men. Being away, I wasn't sure about the outcome of the last election.

    3. …And if you stay in Paonia, you help support a community that is effectively battling ill-advised oil and gas leasing, and working to secure protections:

       

    4. I love the Paonia area but don't penalize Palisade, Frutia or the wonderful businesses here in GJ because Brainard is an arrogant, abusive sob and the chamber led right wing political machine is better at getting out the votes. 

      1. Sorry, Pita. I never really like GJ much but I don't want to see good people hurt anywhere.  On the other hand I really don't want to have anything to do with a city that won't toss this guy. If shutting women up by slapping them is acceptable  behavior in a council member, I really can't get past that.  But not to worry.  It's not as if as I had any plans to vacation there in the first place though I'll definitely be visiting friends in Paonia anyway.

  4. "…was needed to “shut her mouth.”

     

     

    Oh, well, at least it was not just pointless or for no reason at all. Sounds reasonable.  At least he was not DUI with a gun under his seat and convince the GJ police he was on his way to a council happy hour event.

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