Skip to content


2019 in review: A sea change in San Juan County, Utah, governance …by Bill Keshlear

In 2019, longtime tribal activists Kenneth Maryboy, left, chairman of the San Juan County Commission, and Willie Grayeyes, District 2 commissioner, faced cultural and political fault lines in governing the county. (Bill Keshlear)

Last February, I asked “Who’s the Boss in Utah’s Bears Ears Country?” The following six-part essay is an attempt to partially answer that question after a year of watching events unfold there.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL 6-PART ESSAY.

From Part One…

San Juan County, Utah, comprises a splendor of canyons, cliffs and castles of sandstone. Anyone who has made a random discovery of 1,000-year-old artifacts of human habitation, trekked to the top of a Canyonlands National Park overlook at sunset or spent a deathly silent, crystalline night starring at the canopy of Creation can attest to its unearthly beauty.

However, representative government in the county, which will play a critical role in preserving that landscape, seems intractably bogged down by ideological dissembling, undemocratic “outside influences” accountable to no county voter, opaque tribal politics, lawyers and judges making public policy and environmental profiteers.
..

Part 1: Rule by resolution. Kenneth Maryboy and Willie Grayeyes took their oaths of office as commissioners a little under a year ago after what was described as a “historic” election. They immediately staked their claim to power by choosing to govern primarily through resolutions written by their longtime private attorney and approved without advice or informed consent of virtually anyone in the county.

Part 2: The power of environmental nonprofits. It’s hard to overstate the influence of Utah Diné Bikéyah, the tribal-affiliated nonprofit founded and run by Grayeyes and Maryboy until they took office. They’ve succeeded as leaders in attempts to create Bears Ears National Monument in a way that took results of a presidential election and proclamation to derail.

Part 3: Open-records stonewalling. Numerous requests for public records filed under GRAMA were generated in 2019 due in part to the climate created by the new commissioners’ evasiveness and open hostility toward many constituents and those constituents’ forceful, if sometimes rowdy, responses. The county (Grayeyes and Maryboy) was ordered to produce records in three cases.

Part 4: Gutter rhetoric. Unfiltered comments of public figures were part and parcel of 2019’s hard-edged politicking in San Juan County. It was on full display in the weeks and months leading up to November’s special election that asked voters whether they wanted to form a committee to study possible changes in county government.

Part 5: A defeat for good government. A full-court press of a campaign mounted by the San Juan County Democratic Party, its allies and prominent Navajo Nation politicians defeated an ostensibly non-partisan effort to change the way the county works. Results of November’s special election hinged on rhetoric of retribution and the politics of payback. An alternative story line — charting a path toward better democracy — was a non-starter.

Part 6: But can they fix the roads? To a certain extent the new commissioners’ relationship with officials of the Navajo Nation will determine their success in office. They’ve played an insider’s game of reservation politics for a long time, but so far they’ve been unable to leverage that experience into discernible benefits for county residents.

Click Here to Read the Full 6-Part Essay…

Posted in Uncategorized.


50 Responses

Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.

  1. Eleanor says

    DisclaimerThe web content supplied on this web site is for
    informative objectives only.

  2. 레비트라 인터넷 구매 says

    This paragraph presents clear idea for the new users of blogging,
    that in fact how to do running a blog.

  3. letter says

    I’m curious to find out what blog system you have been utilizing?
    I’m having some minor security problems with my latest site and
    I’d like to find something more safe. Do you have any recommendations?

    Also visit my web page :: letter

  4. eu Online casinos says

    echtgeld bonus bei registrierung casino

    my web blog eu Online casinos

  5. Patricia says

    united states online live casino 101 and northern – Patricia,, casino ratings canada and
    best online real money slots new zealand, or online casino slots real money canada

  6. Opal says

    casino in phuket, blackjack online casino australia and online gambling south australia,
    or free royal yak casino guadalajara jal (Opal) chips usa

  7. bestes Casino auszahlung am gleichen Tag says

    online video poker echtgeld

    Review my blog post; bestes Casino auszahlung am gleichen Tag

  8. Mittie says

    casino 30 euro einzahlung visa

    My page roulette alles auf eine zahl (Mittie)

  9. dragon quest 11 casino hack says

    best online slot usa, best online poker games canada and paypal bingo sites uk, or online gambling united states banned

    Feel free to visit my web page :: dragon quest 11 casino hack

  10. loyalitätsbonus Casino Deutschland says

    slots kostenlose geld

    My web page :: loyalitätsbonus Casino Deutschland

  11. 정품 비아그라 구입 says

    여기가 이 주제에 대해 이해하고 싶은 사람을 위한 완벽한
    사이트입니다. 당신은 너무 많이 아는 바람에 당신과 논쟁하기가 어렵습니다 (사실 저는 그럴 생각이 없어요…하하).
    당신은 수십 년간 논의된 주제에 새로운 시각을 확실히 제시했습니다.
    대단한 글, 정말 멋집니다!

    Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you writing this article and the rest of the site is
    also very good.

  12. kidzhappyhour.com says

    bester casino startguthaben

    My homepage … neobet bonus ohne einzahlung (kidzhappyhour.com)

  13. Jorgesed says

    При планировании беременности многие сталкиваются с проблемой выбора хорошего врача-репродуктолога. Клиник много, цены на обследования и лечение сильно отличаются, а понять, насколько обоснованы назначения и эффективен предложенный план лечения, сложно. В итоге пары тратят время и деньги, но не всегда получают понятные ответы о причинах неудач. Кто обращался к репродуктологу? Как выбирали врача, на что обращали внимание и можете ли порекомендовать специалиста, который действительно помог? Каким должен быть [url=https://chesskomi.borda.ru/?1-8-0-00006147-000-0-0-1788169349]врач репродуктолог[/url]

  14. Kraken зеркало рабочее 2026 дешевый книга кракен отзывы says

    Почему пользователи выбирают площадку KRAKEN?

    Маркетплейс KRAKEN заслужил доверие многочисленной аудитории благодаря сочетанию ключевых факторов.
    Во-первых, это широкий и разнообразный ассортимент, представленный сотнями продавцов.
    Во-вторых, интуитивно понятный
    интерфейс KRAKEN, который упрощает навигацию,
    поиск товаров и управление заказами даже для новых пользователей.
    В-третьих, продуманная система безопасных транзакций, включающая механизмы разрешения споров (диспутов) и возможность использования
    условного депонирования, что минимизирует
    риски для обеих сторон сделки.
    На KRAKEN функциональность сочетается с внимательным
    отношением к безопасности клиентов, что делает процесс покупок более предсказуемым, защищенным
    и, как следствие, популярным среди пользователей, ценящих анонимность и надежность.

  15. Drug And Alcohol Rehab Mesa Mesa says

    Hi i am kavin, its my first occasion to commenting
    anywhere, when i read this post i thought i could
    also create comment due to this brilliant paragraph.

  16. Bryan says

    are there casinos in montreal australia, free play casinos online (Bryan) poker chips no deposit uk and
    same-day withdrawal online casinos united states, or canadian online slot machines

  17. sakti111.com says

    SAKTI111 hadir melalui sakti111.com sebagai platform digital yang menawarkan kemudahan akses login dan pendaftaran melalui link alternatif terbaru yang
    praktis dan mudah digunakan.

  18. crs99.com says

    Great goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff
    previous to and you’re just extremely magnificent.
    I actually like what you’ve acquired here, certainly like
    what you’re stating and the way in which you say
    it. You make it enjoyable and you still take care of to keep it wise.
    I can’t wait to read much more from you. This is actually a
    terrific web site.

  19. Melba says

    online casino 30 euro paypal [Melba]
    mastercard ab 50 euro

  20. gold casino ecuador says

    Las carteras virtuales crecieron mucho en la última década. Mercado Pago en Argentina y México, PIX en el mercado brasileño y las billeteras locales en Colombia permiten depósitos casi instantáneos.

  21. real money online casinos says

    online craps real money
    real money casino online
    high payout online casino

  22. homepage says

    Great post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed!
    Extremely useful information particularly the last part 🙂
    I care for such information a lot. I was looking for this certain info for
    a very long time. Thank you and good luck.

  23. Talleta 20€ pelaa 200€ says

    online kasinoilla

    Here is my web blog: Talleta 20€ pelaa 200€

  24. instant win spiele mit paypal says

    revolut online casino deutschland

    Also visit my web site: instant win spiele mit paypal

  25. slots mit Geld says

    casino live casino echtgeld

    Also visit my webpage: slots mit Geld

  26. freetron.dev says

    You ought to take part in a contest for one of the most useful sites on the internet.
    I am going to recommend this site!

  27. Casino ohne Einzalung says

    Casino ohne Einzalung 3 euro startguthaben

  28. Online blackjack Mit jeton says

    spielbank wiesbaden Online blackjack Mit jeton casino

  29. Roosevelt says

    online casino 30 euro einzahlung skrill [Roosevelt] 15 euro neosurf

  30. عیب‌یابی مشکلات خودرو says

    great issues altogether, you just won a new reader. What might you suggest about your post that you made
    a few days in the past? Any positive?

  31. neueste casinos mit trustly says

    casino ohne limit neueste casinos mit trustly cashlib

  32. Casino Mindesteinzahlung 30 Euro Giropay says

    Casino Mindesteinzahlung 30 Euro Giropay mindesteinzahlung 100 euro handyrechnung

  33. Jarred says

    jackpot casino baden online

    Also visit my web blog … alle blackjack karten (Jarred)

  34. Olg Blackjack rules says

    usa online casino fast payouts, best united kingdom online casino paypal and poker mat nz, or
    canadian accepted online poker sites

    Here is my blog – Olg Blackjack rules

  35. casino kreditkarte ab 2 euro says

    casino kreditkarte ab 2 euro freispiele nordrhein-westfalen

  36. sell bitcoin in india says

    Learn the safest platforms available for selling bitcoin in india.

  37. Octavio says

    casino gutschein einlösen (Octavio) neteller ab 4 euro

  38. kasino ilman pelikieltoa says

    revolut nettikasino verovapaa

    Feel free to surf to my site; kasino ilman pelikieltoa

  39. what is real money says

    when are pokies opening in south united states, casino games canada and paypal bingo sites uk, or best slot
    sites for winning usa

    Feel free to surf to my page; what is real money

  40. Margret says

    online casino paypal ab 30 euro (Margret) mit banküberweisung auszahlung

  41. Lomonaco Palms Laguna Beach says

    Every weekend i used to pay a quick visit this website, because i
    want enjoyment, since this this site conations in fact good funny
    material too.

  42. limbo spiel mit paypal says

    online casino ab 50 euro bitcoin

    Feel free to surf to my website :: limbo spiel mit paypal

  43. Casino Schwarz Rot says

    150 euro startguthaben ohne einzahlung

    Also visit my homepage … Casino Schwarz Rot

  44. playwin123 says

    Hi to every , as I am actually keen of reading this website’s post to be updated on a regular basis.
    It consists of pleasant data.

  45. vanity address says

    Hello! Do you know if they make any plugins to assist with SEO?
    I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good success.
    If you know of any please share. Kudos!

  46. no deposit bonus ohne Einzahlung says

    slots mit revolut bezahlen

    my webpage :: no deposit bonus ohne Einzahlung

  47. sell bitcoin in india says

    Beginners can quickly learn how to sell bitcoin in india using this walkthrough.

1 … 268 269 270 271 272



Some HTML is OK

or, reply to this post via trackback.