Committees, Clubs and Lessons Not Learned

I recently attended a Brevard Republican Executive
Committee meeting. This is a committee that the long time Secretary and myself were threatened with having charges filed against us for violation of the Loyalty Oath because we divulged the disrespectful and threatening treatment of a sitting State Senator. We pointed out that we disagreed with much of the Senator’s votes and don’t necessarily hold the same views as he does. This caused us to resign from such an organization that doesn’t allow for independent
thinking.

We have seen the transformation of this committee from one that quietly, over the years, changed this county from a predominantly a Democratic County into a Republican County. The “old guard” committee, quietly, changed the County Commission from a predominantly Democratic lead Commission to a Republican Commission. The “old guard” committee did the same with the state and federal offices.

The transformation is from a committee that had members that sometimes disagreed with each other but were not disagreeable to a committee of zealots that don’t allow for varying views and one that entitles members to express their views as long as those views agree with their agenda. If not you are subjected to threats, whisper campaigns and outright ostracism.

This attitude has become viral. Its contagion has extended to some republican clubs where people are put in place on Boards that are chosen not necessarily elected. I have witnessed one club president mold the board into one that will allow the President to put in place an agenda that he has shaped and took overt steps to make sure his board would be one that does not pose objections. In fact in one case when the board voted one way he over road the board’s decision as if they didn’t exist except to do his will.

As for the BREC, I watched as the Committee was told the financial reports are completely transparent so that everyone on the Committee will know exactly where the money is being spent. REALLY? I took a copy of the report and saw no dates, no vouchers reported, payments that were made with no explanation as to what the amount reported was actually used for, no check numbers or accounting as to how the money was paid, in short, no transparency. I even held it up to the light, coated it with lemon juice, looking for secret writing. Nothing!

I witnessed some senior members of the “old guard” ask questions and be castigated because “we’re not speaking about that right now.” I heard the back stabbing remarks made about members who, on their time, create a new club and some of those same zealots spoken of earlier start the whisper campaign even before the organizers of the club were finished explaining what
the purpose of the club was.

I listened as credit was taken for a successful 2010 election as if the Committee had something to do with it. As an outsider, what I saw was that very few members did work for their preferred candidates as individuals, not as members of the Committee. What I didn’t see was coordination. No “clearing house” for organized efforts for any one candidate. I heard remarks such as “I don’t live in that district so I can’t help” when what should have been said in some cases was “I don’t have a real race in my district, where else can I help?”

I heard that new rules are being instituted. This is after operating for many years on the trust of personal responsibility without having to need codified rules. Now there so many rules that charges can be brought without the person being charged even knowing what and where the charges came from. When we reached the point that so many rules are needed because we can no longer trust or rely on a person word being his bond we are now constantly looking over our shoulders, not at the opposition, but at people in our own party.

I heard of the “Membership Committee” which will be so large that almost anyone can be on it but didn’t hear what the purpose of this Committee is. Are we now choosing who we want on the governing committee of the local political party and keeping those who disagree out?

It’s time to begin healing within our own party. It’s time to start cooperating with each other. Unfortunately, those in charge and many of the new members who are being trained by the untrained don’t know how to leave their own personal beliefs at the door of the Committee room and work towards a common goal to accomplish that which would benefit the whole rather than force an agenda that suits the few.

To me the agenda is clear: Find candidates who represent the small majority of the extremists Republicans in this county rather than representing the larger, more moderate Republicans that make up the major portion of the registered Republicans in our County. One would have thought that after the last election the candidates that were foisted upon the County both had dramatic losses that this is not the trend the party needs to follow.

But after visiting the Committee I saw that this lesson was not learned and, in fact, has expanded to finding even more extreme right wing members to bring back the nick name of this county through our the state, “Bizarre County”. When will this change?

I have a lot of knowledge and opinions as to how things should be but I don’t have an answer to this.