Ordinance passes 6-1; Telluride is first in Colorado

By Reilly Capps

Taking a step into national politics, the Telluride Town Council passed an ordinance yesterday calling for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney.


The ordinance says that Bush and Cheney violated the public trust and knowingly harmed the United States and Colorado.

The measure passed easily, 6-1.

Several Telluriders pleaded passionately about the need to get rid of a duo that has lied, tortured, and spied on Americans. No one spoke out against it, nor did anyone defend the administration.

The ordinance reached the council's desk after 71 voters signed a petition. The council's other option, besides passing it, was to put the ordinance on the November ballot and let voters decide.

But instead of doing that, the council sent the message itself.

"I'm surprised that they did not refer it to the people," said Thom Carnevale, who organized the petition. "It was a strong stand the council took."

Mark Buchsieb was the only member of the council who voted against the motion.

It appears that Telluride is the first community in Colorado to call for impeachment. A vote in the town of Nederland ended up tied.

But dozens of communities in other states have passed similar ordinances. It began in liberal places like San Francisco and Vermont. More recently, more mainstream cities like Detroit and Chapel Hill, N.C., have joined.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Cleveland, has introduced a resolution in the House calling for impeachment, but most Democrats have said they don't see impeachment as a viable option.

A call to the White House seeking comment was not returned yesterday.

At the meeting, Phil Miller railed against an "imperial presidency" that launches unnecessary wars, and spoke forcefully and movingly against an administration that steamrolls dissent and then flattens foreign countries.

"The people have acquiesced too easily because they don't know the horror that war unleashes," said Miller, who was a soldier during World War II, who saw babies starve and families hunkered down in bombed-out buildings. He himself was hit by a bullet while fighting in the Philippines. "I have seen the brutality of war that turns nice young men into barbarians."

(From the Telluride, COL, Daily NEws.)