 Samuel Adams American Patriot & Politician 1722 - 1803 If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen. |
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At some point every Father should explain to a son that someday a Man will come up to you with a deck of cards whose seal has not been broken and invite you to play a friendly game,
DON'T
On November the 10th two days after a historic National Election many members of the LCRCC were offered a hand from a marked deck of cards.
While most of us had all of our attention and energy focused on an election that we felt might determine the course of the Nation for generations to come,
It would appear that our Executives were spending their time plotting a completely different Election,
Unless we are to believe they woke up Nov 9 and said to each other
HEY Let's have a LCRCC Officers Election and we have only ONE DAY to get the notices in the Mail!!
No my friends call me cynical but I surmise the spent quite a bit of time on this effort rather then the General Election,
They have in the past sprumg surprises on the Committee like this
There is usually some overwhelmlng emergency that requires us to ACT NOW.
In this caee we got the notice on Thursday, they want the election on
Tuesday and Oh yes they want the Rules to limit who can run for office
To only people in a full slate composed of a Chair Co-Chair, Treasurer
and Secretary
No we cannot allow anyone to just run for an office by themselves
Also they don't seem to be eager for anyone to run against them.
The little more than 4 days notice combined with the Slate requirements?
If not a Marked Deck looks a lot like Stacked Deck or maybe Loaded Dice?
We need to take time to reflect, examine and ponder our options,
THIS Time I say enough,
I say we REMIND them that the
Constitution of the Republcian Party of Linn County
Says
The Executive Committee is subject to the orders of the Linn County Central Committee, and none of its acts shall conflict with actions of the Linn County Central Committee.
That THEY work for us and at our pleasure not the Reverse
Everyone is so focused on the National Elections the State and Local Elections get over looked
The above map is shows the balance of power in State Legislatures BEFORE Tuesday :? That changed. Here in Iowa we flipped SIX State Senate Seats and took control of BOTH Houses in the Legislature
State Senate Results for Iowa
There are two things to consider here,
First Donald Trump had nothing to do whatsoever in the creation of the situation we see in that map.
Sedond, After the Election there are more Red States,
Solid color Red or Blue means one party controls both Houses, Yellow the Legistlature is split,
So despite how things looked about the House of Reprsentatives the Presidency, the Senate and how those last two might affect the structure of the Supreme Court.
When I would hear earlier this year langauge about How the GOP was finished?
I would look at the balance of Powers in our State Capitols and think'
In what Universe?
It boils down to this folks
Either the GOP is doing a Lot of Things Right.
Or the Democrats are doing a Lot of Things really Really REALLY
Wrong
But I don't think they even see that,
COOL.
All of us who have engaged over the years in elections are familiar with the phrase October Surprise
That being something sprung at the last minute in October before an election with the intention that the opposition would have no time to respond,
Well it would appear that our Executive Committee has decided to spring a November Surprise on the Central Committee.
On the 10th of November after we were winding down from an exhausting election we got notification that they plan an Officer's election at the November meeting on the 15th.
It would appear they choose to justify the short notice because they found a sentence in the Constitution of the Republic Party of Iowa which says
Each member of the County Central Committee shall be given written notice at least five days in advance of the time and place of any meeting scheduled for the election of officers.
Before I go further into Constitutional Issues let me say. Never has the LCRCC Officers Elections to my knowledge been held in the Fall.
Never to My Knowledge has an Executive Committee given such short notice,
Yea I raalise tht Article VI Section 2 of the Constitution of the Republcan Party does say that is all that is REQUIRED
But it would appear that previous Administrations have been more considerate of the Central Committee.
Bear in mind we do NOT have an election until the COMMITTEE says so,
Our County Constitution reads "
The Executive Committee is subject to the orders of the Linn County Central Committee, and none of its acts shall conflict with actions of the Linn County Central Committee
In addition the notification quotes Article VI Paragraph 2 of the Republican Party of Iowa Constitution as justification for the 5 day notice
BUT they have over looked a following section which says
The term of office of an officer begins upon his or her election and continues until the organizational meeting two years later and until the officer's successor is elected and qualified, unless the officer dies, resigns, or is sooner removed by the County Central Committee for any
So HAS the 2 year period term of office been fulfilled?
Not hardly.
Now last Eelction was at its time unique too,.
It was the only one to my knowledge that had nominations and an election in the same meeting.
Feb 3, 2015
Previously we had nominations in Feburary and Elections in March.
This was to give Members time to find out about the candidates and maybe launch their own campaigns
Something it seems our Exectutive Committte wishes to avoid,
I submit if they insist on using the Constitution to justify a short 5 day notice before the Election?
They are bound by the rest of the requirements of that Same Constitution.
Accordingly I would support a Motion to Remove the proposed Eelction from the Agenda and postpone it til Feburary with Nominations in January.
Five days IMO is not sufficient time particularly when it is being sprung on us 3 to 4 months before we have ever had these elections.
Call me cynical but this smacks of a power grab and quick and unethical practices,.
Some of us have been asked why there is such division and can we not work together?
I feel this is a perfect example of the main problem.
There has been a lot of talk lately about Minimum Wages
Quite a few people, with the best of intentiions favor raising them.
Their assumptions are that this will allow people who are now making
the minimum wage to have a higher income and that their lives will become
BETTER.
What if they are wrong?
At present we have the Lowest Labor Partition Rate in almost 40 years
That means a lot of people looking for jobs
Some of them were making minimum wage,
Some were making $10 to $15 an hour.
There are reasons for the difference
We all know these reasons so there is no need to go into them here,
The point is that in the past people making a minimum wage
were not competing with the people that an employer would offer
$10 to $15 and hour.
They will will be in the future.
So what does this mean?
For the people who were already making $10 to $15 an hour
There will be a lot more jobs out there for them,
Their Lives will get better,
For the people who were making the Old Minimum Wage?
Their Lives will get just a little bit harder.
I heard the County Supervisor vote on the Second Reading was 4 to 1.
I want to commend John Harris for his principled stand
To try to protect the ability of our lowest wage earners to find jobs,
But I do not expect him to suceed,
Or perhaps Trinary.
I have not figured out who will come out ahead on the Democratic side.
In any case there are a lot of upset people out there.
There are those on the Left who voted for Bernie,
There are those on the Left who voted AGAINST Hillary,
They are not however of the same mind,
There are those who used to be on the Left who plan to vote for Trump
UMW members are among that group. The Democratics insistence
that the Coal Industry be destroyed has had consequences.
There are those on the Right who do not like Trump at all,
Despite the FACT that the GOP nomination is all but over they still insist on explaining why he is not qualified to be President
I have no earthly idea what their goal is.
Third Party candidates in the past have only been a gift to the Left.
In fhe end to paraphrase the Highlander
Yes folks afer Tuesday, November 8, 2016
There can be only One
President Elect.
Maybe you did not get what you wanted,
You might get what you need
Or not,
I don't want to hear anything about Trumps qualifications from a Conservative
Just answer ONE QUESTION
Of the AVAILABLE choices?
WHICH
Would be the Worst outcome for the Nation?
If you truly believe that would be Trump
Then you have no Ethical choice but to do what you can to prevent that,
If you believe other than that?
What is your Goal?
If years from now my great or great great nieces and nephews ask me
What did YOU do Uncle Danny to try to prevent what would be the Worst Outcome for the Nation?
I do not intend to tell them
I stayed home and pouted
Because the person I wanted to get the nomination Lost
YOU have to decide what YOU will tell those that come after what YOU did,
My Responce to some comments by our Chair to the New Members
1) The first 2 meetings after caucus bring many new faces. This small band of detractors makes these meetings so unbearable that many leave.2) The 2 months before the general election, they do something outrageous to either attract negative media attention to the Republican Party or to disenfranchise members of LCRCC who are volunteering to help elect Republican candidates.3) They use blogging, anonymous emails, and fabricated “infractions”, attempting to destroy the reputations of those who dare stand up to them.4) One of their group has “threatened to sue” the LCRCC executives, Republican Party of Iowa, and anyone else who tries to hold him accountable.5) Well-intentioned volunteers who have dared attempt to “lead” this organization have left – vowing never to return.
Yes it is best to stay away from negativity.
The Truth however can be very Postitive and even Liberating
Todays lesson on truth concerns a document presented in the New Members Package purported to be the Team Structure Voted upon and passed by the Body of the LCRCC
The problem is that so far the Exectutives have presented 3 versions
They are identical in all respects EXCEPT for the portion which concerns the
Membership & Meeting Setup Team
There is the original version that was actually Debated, Voted upon and passed
Membership & Meeting Setup – Membership records, meeting setup, credentialing for voting (Justin Wasson, Mike Dupree, Deb Dupree)
Which had Justin Wasson as the Team Leader
There was a second one, where it seems the Executives decided THEY could alter and change what the Committee Voted on and Passed
Membership & Meeting Setup – Membership records, meeting setup, credentialing for voting (Mike Dupree, Deb Dupree, Justin Wasson uncommitted)
Then the final version in the New Members Package that did not have the members (not that important)
But DID have an alteration of the wording
Membership & Meeting Setup – Membership attendence records, meeting setup, credentialing for voting
There being a difference between Membership records and Membership attendence records, that was rather important.
Call me funny but I think that when presenting what the Body Voted on and Passed one should restict oneself to what actually happened rather than what one would prefer to have happened
The Secretary has presented his case for his grab of power in the comments to the previous Post,.
I reccomend those reading this pull up another window and look through his claims
As to his claim about how things were done in the past?
That was voided by the vote establishing the Membership & Meeting Setup Team
As to his claim stated previously that Robert's Rules of Order lists Membership records as a Duty of the Secretary?
That is TRUE
Our By Laws however State
IX. RULES OF ORDER Robert's Rules of Order Revised shall prevail unless modified by these by-laws.
It is that last Clause Mr Ellis over looks
unless modified by these by-laws.
You see the By Laws are very specific about the Duties of the Secretary they state
3. The duties of the Secretary are to keep the minutes of the meetings and read them at the following meeting, unless waived.
They don't state
And all other duties listed in Robert's Rules of Order
The Body rejected the Secretary's claim of authority over the Membership & Meeting Setup up Team
And DESPITE the Section of the County Constitution which states
The Executive Committee is subject to the orders of the Linn County Central Committee, and none of its acts shall conflict with actions of the Linn County Central Committee.
He keeps making the Claim
I just wish he would refrain from trying to rewrite history and work with the Team
They are willing to work with him
But his "Work together"
Seems to consist of them doing what He tells them to do.
On the Linn County Republican Central Committee, there are times when we have trouble with what things say.
For instance, in the "New Member" handout, there was a document titled:
Roadmap to Victory 2016
2015 - 2016 Plan for the Linn County Republican Central Committee
Start Here:
Organize > Caucus>> Conventions >>>Primary >>>>2016 Election Victory
It was presented as a plan moved by the Executive Committee, and voted on and accepted by the Central Committee.
It is one of three versions I have seen so far.
The problem, however, is that none of them are the same.
The differences seem to occur in the section for the
Membership & Meeting Setup Team.
In the first two versions, the team leader was listed in bold type.
Version 1 said:
Membership & Meeting Setup – Membership records, meeting setup, credentialing for voting (Justin Wasson, Mike Dupree, Deb Dupree)
Version 2 read:
Membership & Meeting Setup – Membership records, meeting setup, credentialing for voting (Mike Dupree, Deb Dupree, Justin Wasson [uncommitted])
Version 3 is the version that was inserted into the yellow folder containing the new member handouts. It read:
Membership & Meeting Setup – Membership attendance records, meeting setup, credentialing for voting
I suppose it does not make a lot of difference in Version 3 that they left off the names of the team members and Team Leader.
But if you are going to present something as an item of business that has been voted upon and passed,
Maybe you should not add and/or omit words.
Because if you do, you run the risk of appearing to be corrupt in your intentions.
We can also see that between the time of the 1st version (the one that was actually voted upon, and passed) and the second, they have evidently "reconsidered" who they wished to be Team Leader.
This attempt to"reconsider" was rejected by the Central Committee, since the Committee had voted for Justin Wasson to be Team Leader.
Then, they made the most interesting discovery.
They informed the Central Committee that in Robert's Rules of Order, it says:
It is the duty of the Secretary to keep a register or roll of the members.
So, by golly, it was, according to them, the SECRETARY who should be the Team Leader.
Notice how they discovered this only after their first attempt to displace Mr. Wasson failed.
This attempt by the Executives to usurp the authority of the Membership & Meeting Setup Team Leader was also soundly rejected by the Central Committee.
Now, we have a mostly NEW Central Committee.
And that might be why our Secretary kept making the claim that he is in charge of the membership records.
Now, I could point out that the Secretary also keeps the record of the minutes of the general meeting, but does not run the meeting.
This, however, is not necessary.
While our By Laws DO say,
IX. RULES OF ORDER Robert's Rules of Order Revised shall prevail unless modified by these by-laws;
Our by-laws, as it should happen, are also pretty specific about the duties of the Secretary.
3. The duties of the Secretary are to keep the minutes of the meetings and read them at the following meeting, unless waived.
Do take note that in our By-Laws, the duties of the Secretary do NOT say:
3. The duties of the Secretary are to keep the minutes of the meetings and read them at the following meeting, unless waived. and any other duties mentioned in Robert's Rules of Order.
So, despite the desires of our Secretary, Mr. Gary Ellis, and the rest of the Executives, the legitimate Team Leader remains the one elected by the Central Committee.
That Team Leader happens to be Mr. Justin Wasson.
To paraphrase the late Justice Scalia, the By-Laws
"Say what they say and don't say what they don't say."
And never should the past be altered to reflect what one should wish it would say.