Dear Editor:
Many of the folks in Hunt County probably have no idea of the importance of events taking place this coming Saturday, April 21st. The local Republican and Democrat parties will hold conventions. The Republicans at Greenville Middle School Auditorium at 3611 Texas Street: Precinct conventions at 8:30 and the county convention will follow at 10 am. I was unable to find the details on the Democrat party convention on their website and couldn't reach the county chair at the time of this writing.
You must be registered to vote to be eligible to participate. Out of town college students can participate in the Republican convention where they reside as long as they bring their voter registration card (or print out of the voter roll from their home county) and fill out a registration card to change their registration to Hunt county or prove they have registered in any Texas county (by print out or receipt) and will be eligible to vote in the upcoming May 29th primary. This has just been clarified by the state Republican party counsel. I don't know about the Democrat party rules on this issue.
If you think things are going just fine in our county/state/country stay home and sleep in. If you want to influence the direction, the players, the gate keepers, the agenda, the system you must get involved - come join us.
If you understand that politicians are grown from the local party and want a say in our future - come join us.
If you understand that corruption in government is tolerated because corruption in the parties is tolerated - come join us.
If you think parties and politicians should play by the rules - come join us.
Help us hold the party accountable so the party can then in turn help us hold our elected public servants accountable.
Our future and that of our children and grandchildren is at stake!!!
Debbie McKee
Showing posts with label RPT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RPT. Show all posts
Friday, April 13, 2012
Monday, June 14, 2010
Report on the 2010 RPT Convention, June 8-12
We started the week on Tuesday – attending the temporary rules committee meetings. Following the party rules and Texas election law is important and we were there to carefully observe the discussions and proceedings, testify and present amendments that would bring the party into compliance with the Texas Election Code (the subject of the lawsuit filed against the party in 2008) and strengthen the accountability the party has over candidates and elected public servants by requiring a pledge for ballot access. Both were rejected.
We spent a little time in the platform committee and also heard a challenge in the credentials committee on Thursday. The challenge was over the refusal of a request for access to public record. The same challenge was filed in 2008, but was rejected on a technicality. It was rejected this time as well, but a minority report was filed. Many of those who voted against the challenge felt the punishment was too harsh – the only consequence allowed for breaking party rules is to have credentials removed and not be seated as a delegate. So it didn’t lose on the merit of the case, but for the required consequences.
The highlight of the week was the launch of former gubernatorial candidate, Debra Medina’s “We Texans” grassroots organization. The party denied her vendor space so she held a banquet Friday night and invited FOX news’ Judge Andrew Napolitano as the keynote speaker. The audible moans of dismay and surprise from the guests when he told us things you won’t hear in the mainstream news (yes, even FOX) was very encouraging.
The party chair race was a three way race. Many were unhappy with the current (and past) leadership, lack of progress, accountability and transparency. Anybody but the incumbent (Cathie Adams) was commonly heard.
Steve Munisteri won the nomination on the second ballot of the nominations committee. Each Senate district caucus nominated a candidate and sent a representative to the committee. Jay Atkins from Hunt County was our representative and he voted for the incumbent both times. The third candidate running, Tom Mechler, came out in support of Steve. Some wanted to nominate Cathie from the convention floor and although former parliamentarian Robert Johnson did not support her, he called for the chair to allow it according to the rules. (Mike Hale of Hunt County made the motion to nominate Cathie from the floor.) Steve Munisteri won by almost 2 to 1. It was a clear mandate from the delegates present. Cathie never came out to address us or give a concession speech, which we thought was very odd. The convention ran very late for the speech filled, two day agenda didn’t leave much time for the actual convention business. Some people wanted to hurry up and leave while others cried from the microphone “this is what we came here for!”
Overall, much progress was made. The 2010 convention was run more fairly than the 2008 was. The (rules and credentials) committee chairs at least allowed testimony and discussion, the delegates were permitted some voice on the floor, parliamentary procedure was not followed exactly, but it was much improved (they didn’t cut the microphones or railroad us as much as in 2008). I think they realized they’d have mutiny on their hands if they didn’t straighten up somewhat.
One immediate change was noted. The SREC (representatives from each senate district make up the board of the state party) meeting held before the convention was held in a tiny room, barely space for the committee, and very limited space for observers. Our request to move to a larger room was denied. There were more people outside trying to get in than there were inside! I gave up my seat for the soon to become new state party chair. One very disgusted older man with a cane called the fire marshal! During the meeting motions were made to bring the convention agenda into compliance with the TEC and to open the books and see the expenditures of the party chair. Both were rejected.
The SREC meeting held by the new chair upon adjournment of the convention was held in a much more adequate space. One third of the SREC was newly elected, mainly due to term limitations.
All in all, those who desire to see the party held to its stated principles and want transparency and accountability were not disappointed. We are hopeful that with further involvement and hard work we can turn this party (and our government at all levels) around. The political parties are the seedbeds for our public servants. We must clean them up and demand integrity and accountability, to do that we must become involved, as distasteful as that can be. For we know that “Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.”
Debbie McKee
Greenville Area Patriots
We spent a little time in the platform committee and also heard a challenge in the credentials committee on Thursday. The challenge was over the refusal of a request for access to public record. The same challenge was filed in 2008, but was rejected on a technicality. It was rejected this time as well, but a minority report was filed. Many of those who voted against the challenge felt the punishment was too harsh – the only consequence allowed for breaking party rules is to have credentials removed and not be seated as a delegate. So it didn’t lose on the merit of the case, but for the required consequences.
The highlight of the week was the launch of former gubernatorial candidate, Debra Medina’s “We Texans” grassroots organization. The party denied her vendor space so she held a banquet Friday night and invited FOX news’ Judge Andrew Napolitano as the keynote speaker. The audible moans of dismay and surprise from the guests when he told us things you won’t hear in the mainstream news (yes, even FOX) was very encouraging.
The party chair race was a three way race. Many were unhappy with the current (and past) leadership, lack of progress, accountability and transparency. Anybody but the incumbent (Cathie Adams) was commonly heard.
Steve Munisteri won the nomination on the second ballot of the nominations committee. Each Senate district caucus nominated a candidate and sent a representative to the committee. Jay Atkins from Hunt County was our representative and he voted for the incumbent both times. The third candidate running, Tom Mechler, came out in support of Steve. Some wanted to nominate Cathie from the convention floor and although former parliamentarian Robert Johnson did not support her, he called for the chair to allow it according to the rules. (Mike Hale of Hunt County made the motion to nominate Cathie from the floor.) Steve Munisteri won by almost 2 to 1. It was a clear mandate from the delegates present. Cathie never came out to address us or give a concession speech, which we thought was very odd. The convention ran very late for the speech filled, two day agenda didn’t leave much time for the actual convention business. Some people wanted to hurry up and leave while others cried from the microphone “this is what we came here for!”
Overall, much progress was made. The 2010 convention was run more fairly than the 2008 was. The (rules and credentials) committee chairs at least allowed testimony and discussion, the delegates were permitted some voice on the floor, parliamentary procedure was not followed exactly, but it was much improved (they didn’t cut the microphones or railroad us as much as in 2008). I think they realized they’d have mutiny on their hands if they didn’t straighten up somewhat.
One immediate change was noted. The SREC (representatives from each senate district make up the board of the state party) meeting held before the convention was held in a tiny room, barely space for the committee, and very limited space for observers. Our request to move to a larger room was denied. There were more people outside trying to get in than there were inside! I gave up my seat for the soon to become new state party chair. One very disgusted older man with a cane called the fire marshal! During the meeting motions were made to bring the convention agenda into compliance with the TEC and to open the books and see the expenditures of the party chair. Both were rejected.
The SREC meeting held by the new chair upon adjournment of the convention was held in a much more adequate space. One third of the SREC was newly elected, mainly due to term limitations.
All in all, those who desire to see the party held to its stated principles and want transparency and accountability were not disappointed. We are hopeful that with further involvement and hard work we can turn this party (and our government at all levels) around. The political parties are the seedbeds for our public servants. We must clean them up and demand integrity and accountability, to do that we must become involved, as distasteful as that can be. For we know that “Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.”
Debbie McKee
Greenville Area Patriots
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