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DDA staffer on leave after Facebook comments about Trump rally attendees (Downtown Development Authority)(CO)
Greeley Tribune ^ | June 19, 2020 | JADYN WATSON-FISHER

Posted on 06/20/2020 7:42:56 AM PDT by real saxophonist

DDA staffer on leave after Facebook comments about Trump rally attendees

By JADYN WATSON-FISHER

Greeley Tribune

June 19, 2020

The Greeley Downtown Development Authority placed a staff member on administrative leave after expressing ill will toward attendees of President Donald Trump’s upcoming rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

According to an NPR report shared on Facebook, a judge denied a request to require physical distancing at the rally. Greeley DDA Director of Downtown Experience Alison Hamling commented negatively on that post.

“Good. They can give (COVID-19) to each other,” Hamling, who contracted the virus earlier this year, said in the now-deleted thread. “Unfortunately, the hospitals are not allowed to turn them all away at the door.”

Trisha Kindsfater Sandau, a member of the Weld County Republicans Facebook group, told Hamling to take the “high road.” Hamling said Trump holding the rally when cases continue to rise is “completely disrespectful to our health care providers.”

According to screenshots of the conversation, Sandau said she knew Hamling contracted COVID-19 and Hamling was in Sandau’s “thoughts and prayers” despite their opposing political views.

“You are saying, because you hate Trump, that you hope anyone that attends an event catches COVID and is denied medical treatment ― the treatment that saved your life,” Sandau wrote. “That is what you wish upon them. … Newsflash we are not all democrats and spewing this hatred to another political party and the people that believe differently than you is so out of line.”

While Hamling is far from the only person to express concerns about the rally — a recent New York Times article cited Tulsa officials asking for the event to be cancelled amid a 182% spike in active cases in just a week — it was the manner in which she expressed those feelings that has drawn a backlash.

Bianca Fisher, executive director of the DDA, said Hamling’s comments were “completely unacceptable and unquestionably crossed the line.”

Fisher said Hamling provided valuable work for the DDA, but her comments do not reflect the organization’s mission or values. Rather, Hamling’s statements impact how people view the DDA.

This is the second time since the beginning of June a Greeley leader received criticism for insensitive comments.

City councilwoman Kristin Zasada received intense backlash after she posted on Facebook about violence and looting in regards to the recent Black Lives Matter protests. Some called for her resignation, and others expressed support.

Hamling has since released an apology for her actions. She asked for residents to extend their forgiveness and said the comment was “thoughtless, hurtful, insensitive and crossed the line of decency.” The statement says Hamling is taking steps to “heal from within” to prevent this from happening again and extended an offer to meet with anyone “hurt” by her comments.

“Anything I add to this will just sound like excuses and there is no excuse for someone in my position to wish anyone to fall ill just for a difference in political opinion,” Hamling said in the statement. “My actions hurt the DDA and my community I have loved so passionately and worked so hard for over this last decade. I hope there is a way to heal the wounds caused by my thoughtlessness.”

Fisher said she and the DDA board will determine how to move forward.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Colorado; US: New York; US: Oklahoma
KEYWORDS: alisonhamling; biancafisher; blacklivesmatter; colorado; covid; covid19; dda; defundnpr; defundpbs; facebook; greeley; jadynwatsonfisher; kindsfatersandau; kristinzasada; newyork; newyorktimes; npr; oklahoma; pbs; trumprally; tulsa; weldcounty
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To: All

Don’t forget the one in Denver who wants the same thing:

https://www.coloradopolitics.com/denver/colorado-gop-calls-for-candi-cdebaca-s-resignation-over-coronavirus-tweet/article_272e677a-5d7a-11ea-b7df-ff17556b0cca.html


21 posted on 06/20/2020 9:20:46 AM PDT by RandallFlagg (Fact: Gun control laws kill innocents.)
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To: real saxophonist

A 182% spike in Covid cases in OK immediately upon the announcement that President Trump had given up on North Carolina and would hold his rally in Tulsa. Hmmmm. Nothing suspicious about THAT.....IS there? How “convenient”.


22 posted on 06/20/2020 9:42:00 AM PDT by Tucker39 ("It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible." George Washington)
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To: Tucker39

Nope, just an isolated incident. Expect such a “surge” in the next city he goes to. There will be an “isolated incident” there, too.


23 posted on 06/20/2020 10:23:22 AM PDT by real saxophonist (If you don't have a gun, sell some toilet paper, and go buy a gun. - Colion Noir)
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To: Lurker

I think that depends on what God’s will is on this.


24 posted on 06/20/2020 10:42:30 AM PDT by philetus (Keep doing what you always do and you'll eventually get what you deserve)
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To: The Toll

“All the Karens demand the removal of healthcare from their ideological opponents.”

Wonder if that has anything to do with the VA cutting off everybody’s pain meds.


25 posted on 06/20/2020 11:29:26 AM PDT by dsc (As for the foundations of the Catholic faith, this pontificate is an outrage to reason.)
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To: CodeToad

You forgot “fetus-killing”


26 posted on 06/20/2020 12:57:53 PM PDT by Albion Wilde ("When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice." --Donald Trump)
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To: real saxophonist

An apology from a democrat is more worthless than tits on a boar.


27 posted on 06/20/2020 1:22:29 PM PDT by 2CAVTrooper (Political Science degrees, so easy Obama has one.)
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To: CodeToad

“Liberals are the littlest snowflakes and the most foul mouthed, dumb, traitorous, Rush hating, booger-eating, seditious, nature hating, statue destroying, aggressive, immature, insane, intolerant, bigoted, stingiest, anti-Christmas, polluting, off-key flat singing, angry, unfriendly, greedy, fascist, hate-filled, mean-spirited, envious, resentful, vicious, close-minded, violent, murdering, child-abusing, amoral, stupid, censoring, horse-punching, book-burning, ignorant, uneducated, unskilled, childish, prejudiced, racist, women-hating, man-hating, perverted, thieving, destructive, American-hating, Christian-hating, muslim-loving, Jew-hating, Israel-hating, communist, vote-rigging, vulgar, dirty, smelly, election-rejecting, regressive, restrictive, prohibitive, bed-wetting, poo-flinging, cop-killing, war-mongering, law-breaking, conservative black hating, and scared little lying thumb-sucking pussified idiots God has ever created.”

Lol, just need to end that with “Hallelujah! Holy sh*t! Where’s the Tylenol?!”


28 posted on 06/20/2020 1:29:21 PM PDT by 2CAVTrooper (Political Science degrees, so easy Obama has one.)
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To: Albion Wilde

Wow. Can’t believe that was left out! See “child-killing”.

Liberals are the littlest snowflakes and the most foul mouthed, dumb, traitorous, anti-white, self-hating, statue destroying, child-killing, history ignorant, Rush hating, booger-eating, seditious, nature hating, aggressive, immature, insane, intolerant, bigoted, stingiest, anti-Christmas, polluting, off-key flat singing, angry, unfriendly, greedy, fascist, hate-filled, mean-spirited, envious, resentful, vicious, close-minded, violent, murdering, child-abusing, amoral, stupid, censoring, horse-punching, book-burning, ignorant, uneducated, unskilled, childish, prejudiced, racist, women-hating, man-hating, perverted, thieving, destructive, American-hating, Christian-hating, muslim-loving, Jew-hating, Israel-hating, communist, vote-rigging, vulgar, dirty, smelly, election-rejecting, regressive, restrictive, prohibitive, bed-wetting, poo-flinging, cop-killing, war-mongering, law-breaking, conservative black hating, and scared little lying thumb-sucking pussified idiots God has ever created.


29 posted on 06/20/2020 1:41:19 PM PDT by CodeToad (Arm Up! They Are!)
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