Council Votes
Questions and Observations
Question 1: Did anyone else notice the difference in tone at the most recent City Council work session?
There was an unusual amount of politeness and decorum that’s generally absent from what I like to call the Fabulous Five Clown Show.
Question 2: What do you think caused the abrupt change?
Answer: The Mayor. She held their feet to the fire by cutting through the political games and calling out their corruption.
If you haven’t seen the Mayor’s press conference, I highly recommend it. It was a master class in transparency and accountability for public officials. Let’s dig a little deeper into what might have prompted this sudden behavioral shift.
A Sudden Change in the “Fab Five”
Joe Latino
Joe was mostly quiet - sullen, but quiet. He’s a one-trick pony: if he can’t bluster and bully, he’s lost. Maybe someone finally got through to him that the angry “tough guy” routine has worn thin.
Mark Aliff
Mark was in full-on car salesman mode. The politeness was so overdone, I felt like I needed a shower afterward. Lots of “please” and “thank you,” and an uncharacteristic amount of appreciation for presenters he normally grinds on. Maybe the caricatures are getting to him - or maybe he caught heat from people who help keep him comfortably in his seat.
Roger Gomez
Gomez dropped the usual arrogance and belligerence and instead politely voted against his own district’s best interests.
He mentioned living across from Convergys and not wanting affordable housing near him - complete with an odd “OK Corral” reference. To protect himself from the dreaded prospect of affordable housing (and a grocery store), he voted to kill the project.
It was all about him - his house, his comfort - not his constituents. Then, in a moment of confusion, he mixed up Convergys and the dog track (miles apart, by the way), reopened the vote, and again voted against demolishing blight -something he’s constantly complaining about. So to recap: Gomez voted against removing blight, against job creation, against business growth, and against affordable housing - all things his district needs. No wonder “Hot Dog Man’s” stand closed up.
Dennis Flores
Flores said “no comment” more than usual, except when being unusually complimentary. Like Aliff, he showered praise on people he normally berates.
Strangely, he didn’t bring up PEDCO - a group he usually tries to slip into every discussion to see if they can tap back into that cushy half-cent sales tax revenue. One has to wonder why PEDCO seems so personal to him. What’s his stake in their access to millions in tax dollars?
Regina Maestri
Regina was noticeably less talkative - though “less talkative” is a relative term. She still talked too much and radiates that slimy contractor energy. I, for one, look forward to a council without her arrogance and self-serving pontification.
A council without her funneling city contracts to her boyfriend (costing taxpayers millions) would be a bonus. And maybe the days of her filing questionable restraining orders against political opponents will finally be behind us.
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| Rejecting Progress |
The Mayor has demonstrated what transparent, ethical leadership looks like - something Pueblo has sorely lacked for years.
She cut straight to the heart of what’s wrong with the current City Council majority: greed, selfishness, and self-serving corruption.
Five of the seven current council members seem uninterested in serving their constituents. They’ve shut down affordable housing, blocked job opportunities, restricted access to food, and opposed removing blight - simply to spite the Mayor and anyone who stands against them.
The Mayor’s press conference was exactly what Pueblo needed: a bold, public stand holding unethical council members accountable for betraying the city they swore to serve.
That kind of honesty would never happen under a city manager system - because the council could just fire anyone who dared expose them. And that’s precisely why the council wants to eliminate the Mayor’s position.
Why You Should Vote “No” on 2C
The “Fab Five” are trying to hold onto power by replacing the elected Mayor with a puppet city manager - someone they can control and fire at will.
If you want Pueblo to move forward, vote NO on 2C.
Keep the Mayor. She’s the only one standing between the citizens of Pueblo and a council bent on self-preservation.
The Next Step: Accountability
Voting down 2C is the first step.
Next, vote out the corrupt officials who line their pockets with taxpayer money and prop up their friends. Consider recall efforts for those who dodge or dismiss ethics complaints to protect themselves.
And just think - by voting out “Crackpot,” you’ll never again have to endure 40-minute monologues about why contractor processes need to change to benefit her boyfriend and buddies.
One step at a time:
✅ Vote NO on 2C
✅ Support ethical leadership
✅ Stand up for Pueblo’s future
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