Robert Austin Holcomb writing style

Since Robert Holcomb is on record as saying he receives hundreds of emails from his constituents every day, I am indeed lucky that he spends so much of his time corresponding with me.


Here is an example of a recent exchange, prompted by my telephone call to his daughter, who runs a business with an on-line presence and contact information, including a (non-toll free) telephone number.  So you don't exactly have to be a genius to find her.


Background:  She was unavailable to answer the call despite my calling during normal business hours on a weekday.  So I left a message, which I trust she saved, based on what ensued.  I clearly, slowly identified myself with my full name, and gave a telephone number twice, at the beginning and the end of the message.  I was alerting her to the fact that a recall was being organized of certain town board members including her father, that it was unfortunately going to get personal (both sides), especially regarding a business called "Cruises Unlimited" started and run into the ground by her mother and father.  I remember distinctly telling her I was willing to meet her in a public place so she could present her side of the story, or that, as another option, she was free to use the provided telephone number to respond by telling me to go to hell.


About two hours later, Bob was kind enough to interrupt his daily correspondence with his hundreds of other constituents to dash off an email.  Because Bob doesn't participate in the open bulletin board as the other town trustees do, most don't get to enjoy the brusque "mob boss" flavor of his missives as I do.  My response follows.  I would have responded sooner than the 20-minute window, but I was driving when his email hit my mailbox.


/////////////////////////


Hello:

I just got call from my daughter and she says you have contacted her
regarding your recall effort. She viewed the message as threatening.

I understand you are passionate about the recall however I
respectfully request you leave my family out of your effort. She has
not lived with me for 20 years and has no part of my duties as a
trustee. Her actions have no relevance to my actions.

I trust this note will suffice for you to refrain from further contact or attempt to contact my family. Be advised I will protect my family at all costs.

Under CO Open Records Act, all messages sent to or by me from this
account may be subject to public disclosure, unless the word "private"
or "confidential" is in the subject line.





Thanks - The message was left on her answering machine, so if she saved it, I guess a judge can determine if it was threatening. From my memory of the message, I just let her know, if she already didn't, there was going to be a recall, and it was going to get personal, and that I was going to focus on the fraudulent "Cruises Unlimited" where she worked for a time. I did give her the option of (a) either meeting me in a public place in person to give her side of the story or (b) telling me I could "go to hell" if she wanted to. Apparently, she is passively exercising option (b). Too bad you didn't raise children who could answer for themselves.

I have to laugh, because our former mayor (who you speak so highly of) tracked down and contacted my family members last month when I filed as a candidate for hospital board, in this case in a very threatening fashion, and absolutely nothing was done about it when I spoke to the hospital CEO about the appearance of impropriety - No censure, no disapproval, as if this behavior was perfectly acceptable. And I never served on a state board of ethics, as Bill did, to know the difference.

Maybe if a telephone call trying to alert and shield your family members from what is about to occur is seen as threatening, you really ought to consider hiring that lawyer.

Cheers.




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