A California business organization is releasing a ten-part docu-series highlighting the ongoing lockdown feud between struggling citizens and a northern California local government.
The project is titled “Red, White, and Blueprint,” and was spearheaded by Carlos Zapata, a small business owner and combat veteran from rural, northern California. Zapata garnered national attention after he delivered a fiery speech directed at the Shasta County Board of Supervisors in August of 2020.
In his speech, Zapata lambasted the Board of Supervisors for shuttering small businesses and capitulating to California’s strict, one-size-fits-all coronavirus mandates.
“I’m a business owner and I’m telling you our families are starving,” Zapata said. “You guys can sit here with your jobs, you can sit here and you’re going to get paid … I’m telling you that good citizens are going to turn into real concerned and revolutionary citizens real soon.”
Zapata told The Daily Wire that he initiated his activism work when he noticed the solution to the coronavirus pandemic was more grave than the actual virus. To Zapata, the Board of Supervisors did little to shield a relatively small county from state-wide lockdowns, and for that, they deserve to be recalled.
“The shutdowns were real and our county supervisors did absolutely nothing to shield us from the overreach of the state government. When the Governor came out and said that everyone needs to shut down … [the Board of Supervisors] did absolutely nothing,” Zapata said. “ I’m not saying the virus isn’t real, but when the solution is graver than the actual issue we’re trying to address then that’s a real problem.”
Several local businesses opted to keep their doors open in defiance of state mandates and Zapata created his coalition of business owners from there. The group aims to be non-partisan and focuses on preserving the “cowboy culture” of Shasta County.
Some of the group’s demands have been met including increases in business reopening and returning kids to school and sports. Nonetheless, the docu-series will highlight the upcoming recall campaign that the citizen action group plans to wage against the Board of Supervisors.
The trailer for the docu-series specifically lists three supervisors, Joe Chimenti, Leonard Moty — both of whom are former law enforcement — and Mary Rickert whose platform priorities include mental health and forestry.
Rickert told The Daily Wire her current goals are to reopen the county, not re-litigate elections.
“I am laser-focused on leading our communities in the county out of the economic restrictions that have been imposed by the State of California and fully re-opening the county,” Rickert said. “I will not be distracted by those who would re-litigate recent elections.”
Zapata’s citizen group plans to file a petition to recall the Board of Supervisors on April 5. Organizers will have 120 days to gather 4,400 valid signatures in each district in the county if they wish to hold special elections for each supervisor seat.
The docu-series will follow the fight to recall the board in real-time. The first episode is set to release on March 26.