Right View Mirror

1/28/12 Central Committee Meeting Wrap-up

Right View Mirror — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:33:54 +0000

Today promised and delivered another feisty Utah County Republican Party Central Committee meeting. The meeting was incredibly well attended, with 342 credentialed members. The big agenda item today was a proposed vote on whether or not to invalidate the last CC meeting (December), which was called by a petition of CC members and resulted in nixing the Party’s controversial practice of allocating ex officio (“automatic”) state delegates. The move to invalidate the meeting was proposed by 10 members of the Executive Committee (all ex officio state delegates) in what appears to be a case of sour grapes over losing their automatic delegate status. The crux of their argument was that proper notice had not been given (even though email, mail, website and phone call notifications were utilized). After both sides presented their arguments, the CC voted overwhelmingly to retain the meeting as valid by a 220 – 113 vote.

Legislative District elections were also held today; the results can be found on the UCRP website. I find it interesting (and inconsistent) that some of those who initiated and supported the fight to invalidate the December CC meeting – a move which was soundly defeated by CC members – were elected by those same CC members to lead their Legislative Districts. I guess we can expect to see more of the same political behavior during their two year terms.

The Committee expected to take up the appeal of Jeremy Roberts, the Party Secretary who was removed from office by the Executive Committee as a result of a complaint of mal- mis- or non-feasance in office. Surprisingly, Jeremy submitted a letter of resignation rather than following through with the appeal. However, a formal vote on the appeal was still necessary, and the committee voted not to overturn the Executive Committee’s decision to remove.

Jacki Wilson and Jessica Christopher gave us some great Caucus training, and the Party is eager to host the Republican Caucuses coming up on March 15 at 7:00 p.m. (locations pending).

Clarification of the Facts – December CC Meeting is Valid

Right View Mirror — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:52:28 +0000

At last Thursday’s UCRP Executive Committee meeting, 10 members (all ex officio state delegates) voted to recommend invalidating and overturning the Central Committee’s recent vote to allocate all state delegates to the precincts that earned them. Following is an excellent email sent to Central Committee members by Kristen Chevrier, Constitution and Bylaws Vice Chair, refuting the assertions of those automatic delegates who are struggling to retain their automatic status:

Dear Central Committee Member,

Thank you for your service to the party. I hope you will attend the Central Committee meeting this Saturday, January 28, at Dixon Middle School, from 9 am to noon.*
I would like to clarify a few things in regard to this meeting.

First, there is not supposed to be any bylaw discussion. Accordingly, the Constitution and Bylaws Committee is not introducing any business. The main focus of Saturday’s meeting is training and elections. Let’s stay focused.

Second, some inaccurate assertions have been made in regard to the December 10th meeting. As a former and current member of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, one of the drafters of the two B114 proposals, and one of the petitioners for the December 10thmeeting, I would like to respond.

Assertion #1: The Bylaw 1 (B114A) change was rushed through.

Fact: The Constitution and Bylaws Committee has been actively working through this issue for over 2 ½ years.

We hosted two panel discussions: one on 1/30/10 and another on 9/20/11. Both were advertised by email to all Central Committee members.
We have done a survey of the Central Committee.
Multiple members of the CBC have written proposals.
These proposals have been discussed extensively in our committee.
The issue has been a main focus of the CBC and the CC for several years.
The proposals we finally introduced gave the Central Committee full latitude to go incrementally from no ex officio state delegates at all to preserving the status quo.
The issue was discussed extensively at the November 17^th meeting, where we had ballots in-hand when the clock ran out.

After all of this, the CC voted, at the December 10th meeting, to retain NO ex officio state delegates.

Assertion #2: Notice was insufficient. An old list was used.

Fact: The notice for the December 10^th meeting was more extensive than for any previous meeting. One observer noted, with a smile, that it was “over-zealous.” Attendance was the second highest ever.

The list used was the most current official list.
Postcards are a courtesy, not a requirement, but they were still sent to all 548 members on the list.
Emails were sent to everyone who supplied an email address.
Those who did not supply email addresses were called individually and either spoken with directly or detailed messages were left.
If emails bounced, either correct email addresses were found or the members were called.
Detailed records of those calls were kept.
The EC members who claimed not to have received notice meant, as they later clarified, that they had not seen the postcard, but they had received emails.
The VC who did not receive notice was Barbara Petty’s new LDVC, whose name had not been given to those compiling the list. Barbara failed to make the correction, even after being asked twice by Cory Maloy to update her LD list.

Assertion #3: Bylaw change B114A violates RNC rules.

Fact: A majority of the members of the County Constitution and Bylaws Committee, members of the State Constitution and Bylaws Committee and multiple parliamentarians say that RNC Rule 15 (c) (12) does not apply to this bylaw change.

Assertion #4: The Central Committee can invalidate any meeting it wishes to invalidate at any time.

Fact: The Central Committees does not have the authority to invalidate a meeting.

A point of order is only in order if it is timely. Forty days after the meeting in question is not “timely.”
There is a provision in our bylaws for challenging decisions made in a given meeting, within 7 days of the meeting. That deadline has passed. (UCRP Bylaw 8, A,1)
Changing a bylaw already adopted by the governing body requires a bylaw amendment proposal, which would go through the process precribed in the bylaws. (UCRP Bylaws, Article 1, C)
Correct procedures should be followed.

The delegate allocation issue has finally been voted on, after years of argument and delay. It is time to put this fight behind us and move on so that our party can make a difference in the larger scheme of things.

Thank you, so much, for serving on the Central Committee. We need you to come and represent your precincts, be trained and VOTE for new Legislative District Officers. Let’s work together to make this the best caucus/convention season yet!

See you Saturday.

Kristen Chevrier
Legislative District 27

Central Committee Meeting details:

Saturday, January 28, 2012
Dixon Middle School (NE Entrance)
750 West 200 North, Provo
9:00 a.m. to Noon
Credentialing opens at 8:30 a.m.

EC Votes to Overturn CC’s Automatic Delegate Decision

Right View Mirror — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:47:00 +0000

The circus is back in town. At last Thursday’s UCRP Executive Committee meeting, 10 members (all ex officio state delegates) voted to recommend invalidating and overturning the Central Committee’s recent vote to allocate all state delegates to the precincts that earned them.

Please attend this critical Central Committee meeting to vote on this issue:

Saturday January 28
Dixon Middle School (NE Entrance)
750 W. 200 N., Provo
9 a.m.
(credentialing opens at 8:30 and closes at 9:30).

Following is an excellent assessment of the situation that was emailed to Central Committee members by member Dave Duncan:

“Central Committee Members:Red Alert! The Ex Officios Say Your Vote is Invalid!Come to the UCRP Central Committee meeting on Saturday, Jan 28th, and reject the party establishment’s recommendation to overthrow your December 10th Vote.Thursday Night, Jan 19th, the Utah County GOP Executive Committee (EC), made up entirely of Ex Officio State Delegates recommended invalidating the Central Committee (CC) meeting held Dec 10th, claiming that notice of the meeting was not provided.This in spite of the following facts:

Best notice for a meeting in the administration of this Steering Committee (SC). Used the latest list provided by the party secretary
The party chair stated unequivocally at the meeting that the meeting was properly petitioned and noticed
Best attendance for a CC meeting since the county convention (275 credentialed attendees). Only one other ever had higher attendance in the past several years.
Most time-effective meeting under this SC (no agenda fight, ended on time with the agenda completed)
Organized balloting, counted in the open with no objections
No objections to the petition or notice were made at the meeting
The Steering Committee had 7 days to veto, and the veto deadline passed with no veto.
There is no other veto option over the CC
There is no provision for “invalidating” a meeting in our bylaws .
The national party rule (15c12) that was originally expressed as a concern applies to state party rules that “materially” affect the selection of national delegates. The Dec 10 CC meeting changed no state party rules–only a county party bylaw.
However, there are other parts of the cited national party rule (15c12) that the state and county party have knowingly violated for years, including 15c2 (caucus participants can’t “register” as Republicans at the caucus, and then participate) and 15d4 (ex officio delegates selected or elected before the beginning of the year of the convention cannot participate in the convention–this would disqualify half of our ex officios this time, and should have disqualified almost all of them, four years ago).
The EC is made up COMPLETELY of ex officio state delegates, who have a direct conflict of interest, in that B114A reallocated their ex officio state delegate to the precincts that earn them via the RRS formula.

Don’t let the ex officio delegates tell you that you can’t reassign their seats to the precincts!

The fight for freedom is continual. Let’s remind them that the Central Committee is the governing body of the party. The EC is only a recommending body, and when they recommend something as self-serving as this, that we simply tell them, “NO!”

More information:

Bylaw proposal B114A, which passed in the Dec 10h meeting by an uncontested 144-130 vote, reassigned ex officio state delegate slots to be allocated to the precincts for election in the precinct caucuses on March 15th. Previously, those 80-ish seats had been assigned to elected officials and higher-than-precinct party officers.

The ex officios on the EC decided by a 10-5 vote that the will of the CC should be overturned, and made that recommendation to the CC. The proponents wanted to have the EC invalidate the CC’s Dec 10th meeting, but it was determined that the party bylaws did not give the EC that authority.

Those trying to invalidate your votes at the Dec 10th meeting were: Scott Bell, Jeff Alexander, Jacki Wilson, DeLaina Tonks, Becky Pirente, Barbara Petty, Matthew Thompson, Marian Monahan, Stan Lockhart (proxy for Don Garlitz), Raphael Millet (proxy for Chad Bunn)

EC members who defended your Dec 10th vote were Wendy Woodfield, Chris Shelley, Lisa Shepherd, David Duncan, Peggy Burdett (proxy for Linda Houskeeper)

David Acheson and Cory Maloy abstained.

–Dave Duncan
EC, CC Member”

David Kirkham Announces Run for Governor

Right View Mirror — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:18:33 +0000

Today Provo businessman David Kirkham announced that he will enter the race for Utah Governor. Read more about his announcement at the Daily Herald.

David Kirkham announces he will run for Governor of Utah

A proven conservative leader, David Kirkham launched the Utah Tea Party movement in 2009. He travels the state promoting limited government, lower taxes and constitutional principles, and inspiring Utahns to protect their liberties by becoming involved in the political process.

Kirkham recognizes that Utah needs a leader willing to stand strong and use all legal means available to protect our state sovereignty and reclaim ownership of vast amount of Utah land claimed by the federal government. He is focused on raising the level of responsibility, transparency and accountability in Utah government. Kirkham is also dedicated to championing local control and choice in education.

President of Kirkham Motorsports in Provo, Kirkham is an innovative entrepreneur experienced in creating jobs, sound fiscal management and finding innovative solutions to tough problems. Kirkham Motorsports has been part of the Provo community for 17 years and is one of the leading manufacturers in the component car industry.

Kirkham has worked in Greece, Sweden and on a nuclear nonproliferation project in Russia, where he helped transition Russian nuclear weapons engineers into Russia’s new free market economy. Kirkham traveled to Poland in 1995, where he encountered an economic system devastated by socialism. He employed the principles of capitalism to create a successful automotive business out of the ruins. He successfully fought a hostile government takeover of that business. Today, he sees the dangerous federal slide toward socialism encroaching on Utah, and recognizes the critical need for a leader who will defend our sate against policies that ruin economies and societies. Fiscal responsibility, innovation and creating jobs through entrepreneurial spirit are the principles that will propel Utah toward a bright future.

DavidKirkhamforGovernor@gmail.com
801-360-5426
www.KirkhamforGovernor.com (coming soon)

Representative Chris Herrod Announces Run for US Senate

Right View Mirror — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:36:36 +0000

Today Utah Representative Chris Herrod (R-Provo) announced that he is running for the office of US Senate. Chris made his announcement at the state capitol, surrounded by dozens of friends, family and supporters.

Representative Chris Herrod addresses delegates at the 2011 Utah Republican Convention.

“I am running because I believe this is a critical time for the nation,” Herrod said. “We don’t have much time to fix our challenges. Our only chance to avoid extreme economic hardship is to quickly return to the principles upon which this nation was founded.”

At the press conference, friend Arturo Morales introduced Chris as a man of integrity, principle, courage, vision and humility. Chris has consistently stood for principles and truth, even if he had to stand alone. “I see in Chris the characteristics of a modern-day George Washington,” Morales said.

Alia Herrod, Chris’ wife, also spoke briefly. As a legal immigrant from the Ukraine who once lived under communist and socialist oppression, she said she never thought she would have to stand in front of Americans and urge them to wake up and defend their freedoms, but that day has come.

Chris Herrod spoke about his goals to take America back to the constitutional principles it was founded on in order to avoid the fiscal and social meltdown headed our way if our government continues its spending spree. “We need to bring the recession to Washington,” he said.

“Not only must we cut spending, but we must quickly grow our economy,” Herrod said in prepared remarks. “By repealing Obamacare and thwarting federal government creep, developing our own natural resources and reducing general federal government spending, I am confident the United States can regain ground as an economic leader of freedom.”

A reporter interviews Representative Chris Herrod after the press conference announcing his candidacy for US Senate

Herrod also spoke of his growing anxiety that our country is headed down the path to socialism. Having lived abroad and taught free market business principles in the former Soviet Union, Herrod has experienced the results of socialism first-hand and does not want to see the U.S. fall into a such a dreadful system. He said he hates socialism because it robs individuals of their full potential, weakens the family and eventually morally and financially bankrupts a society. He said energy independence and financial independence are national security issues that must be pursued, and carefully developing our natural resources will help spur our economy in our small towns, our state, our nation and even abroad. Developing our natural resources also will bring in more money for education, he said.

Herrod announced that he will not resign from the Legislature to pursue his bid for the Senate, but will remain and fulfill his duties to his constituents and to follow-through on legislation he is sponsoring – this announcement was met with a round of applause. Because legislators are barred from raising campaign money during the legislative session, Herrod said he will be running a fiscally conservative grassroots campaign, and invited all to step up and help elect him as our next US Senator from the great state of Utah.

Keri Witte for Legislative District Chair

Right View Mirror — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:18:36 +0000

I have decided to run for Legislative District Chair in District 61. Following are excerpts from the announcement email I recently sent to the voting members of our district:

2012 will be an exciting and critical year for our district, Party, state and nation. With all of the challenges and opportunities we will soon face, I believe it is more important now than ever to have engaged, dependable and dedicated legislative district leadership. We will be electing new legislative district leadership at our Central Committee meeting, and I ask for your support as a candidate for Legislative District Chair.

I have appreciated and enjoyed the opportunity of serving as your Education Officer for the past 4 years. I will use the experience I have gained and the bonds that we have forged as a district to move our Party and our principles forward.

My dad was a WWII veteran, and back in the day of typewriters he used to test his ribbon ink by typing the phrase, “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.” As our national debt skyrockets, socialism encroaches, and power mongers seek control, now is not the time to become discouraged and step away from the political fight — now is the time to step up! Now is the time for all good men and women to come to the aid of their country. I am running for Legislative District Chair because I am dedicated to promoting our Platform, defending the Constitution, protecting our unalienable rights, and working to elect exceptional Republicans who pledge to do the same. Accomplishing these goals begins in our precincts and in our legislative district.

My 5 main areas of focus for District 61 are:

1) Caucus – It is critical that our caucuses are well planned, our precinct leaders well trained, and that our neighbors are engaged in the process. We must make this caucus a POSITIVE experience for all involved so they come away with a favorable perception of the caucus system. I will work to ensure that we have the planning, training, and tools we need to conduct great caucuses. Our caucus system is under attack, and I pledge to defend the grassroots caucus/convention system that keeps political influence where it belongs – in our hands, in our neighborhoods.

2) 2012 Elections – This is a crucial election cycle. I will work to make sure District 61 continues to be represented by Republicans on county, state and federal levels. I will work with the Party to ensure that our candidates have the resources they need to win, and once we’ve secured our district we must do what we can to retire Jim Matheson and Barack Obama!

3) – Get Out the Vote (GOTV) – I will make sure that you have the information and resources you need to make GOTV within your precincts simple and effective. This election is important for your precinct — the number of Republican votes cast in your precinct will determine how many delegates you earn for the next two caucus cycles. It is vital that we succeed with GOTV so that we can earn as much representation as possible.

4) Executive Committee Representation – The Legislative District Chair is your representative at monthly Executive Committee meetings, where key Party planning and decision making occurs and where Central Committee meeting agendas are formed. I will raise the bar for representation by emailing you a meeting notice beforehand, seeking your input on topics you want discussed, and following up with minutes afterward. This is a great venue for bringing forward your concerns and ideas, and for proactively promoting civil discourse and unity. I have already been attending these meetings regularly – even though I am not a member of the committee – in order to stay informed about Party matters. As Chair I will make sure your voice is heard in this important committee.

5) Communication and Education – District 61 has been actively engaged in efforts to communicate with and educate our officers, delegates and the general public. An educated electorate is vital — people are more likely to be engaged and empowered when they are knowledgeable. I have worked with the Education Officers team to create educational materials for caucus, GOTV, officer/delegate training (and more), which will help us be more effective in our roles and in our neighborhoods. Communication between all levels of Party leadership is vital, and I will ensure a comfortable flow of information.

As your Legislative District Chair I will make sure you have the tools, resources and support you need to accomplish your precinct’s goals. I look forward to continuing to work together to promote Republican principles and candidates. I ask for your vote for Legislative District Chair.

Sincerely,

Keri Witte

New Laws for the New Year

Right View Mirror — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:45:11 +0000

Happy New Year! At least a dozen new state laws kicked in on New Year’s Day, including the new maps created during the 2011 redistricting process (you can view the new maps on the Lt Governor’s website). Check out the full story in the Salt Lake Tribune’s news article.

Legislative Priorities Being Set for Upcoming Session

Right View Mirror — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:36:50 +0000

The Utah State Legislature will convene on January 23, and the session will run through March 8. The Utah House Republican caucus will be focusing a lot of attention on education this year — an issue that ranks high in priority with voters, and therefore a good election-year topic. Check out more info in this Daily Herald article.

Special Central Committee Meeting Called for 12/10

Right View Mirror — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 04:16:11 +0000

A Special Central Committee meeting has been called by a petition of more than 10% of the Central Committee, as provided in UCRP Bylaw 8, C, for the purpose of addressing Bylaw proposals not finished at the committee’s 11/17 meeting.

The special meeting is scheduled for:

Saturday, December 10
9:00 a.m.
Dixon Middle School, 750 West 200 North, Provo

At last month’s meeting, the Committee was about to vote on how the County Party wants State Delegates to be allocated; however, due to a credentialing snafu, the business of the meeting was significantly delayed and a vote was not taken. Members were very upset and have called another meeting in order to complete this important and time-sensitive work. Special attention is being given to credentialing and balloting to help facilitate a smooth and productive meeting.

State Delegate allocation has been a heated issue in the Party for a long time. Essentially, the issue comes down to whether or not all State Delegate positions should be allocated to the precincts for election at caucus, or whether the Party should be allowed to scoop State Delegate seats off the top of our allocation and give those seats to Party officials (known as ex officio or “automatic” delegates) instead of to the precincts that earned them.

Precincts earn State Delegates according to their Relative Republican Strength – that is, the more people in your precinct who vote for Republican state candidates during gubernatorial election years, the more delegates your precinct earns. According to the State GOP Constitution (Article XII, 1.A), these delegates are to be elected in the precincts.

This is an important issue for the committee to address right now, without delay, because: 1) Legislative District Officer elections are coming up next month and candidates for these offices deserve to know whether or not the offices will come with ex officio delegate status, and 2) caucus is quickly approaching and the time for allocating delegates to caucus is nearly upon us.

In 2010, 78 precincts lost a State Delegate because it was reallocated to a Party official (three from my District, Dist 61). Because redistricting will add more districts (and thus more Party officials) to our county, even more precincts will lose State Delegates in 2012 if the State Delegate allocation process remains unchanged.

The following precincts were shorted a State Delegate in 2010:

HD 27: AF04, AL04, AL05, DR01, HI01
HD 56: AF11, EM01, EM03, EM05, LE07, LE08, LE09, LE15, LE16, LE17, SR01, SR05
HD 57: AF10, CH01, CH03, PG03, PG08, PG13, PG14
HD 58: LI03, OR01, OR32, OR36, OR38, OR41, OR48, PG04
HD 59: OR05, OR18, OR22, OR39, OR40
HD 60: OR08, OR16, OR25, OR26, OR31, OR35, OR37
HD 61: OR13, PR13, PR20
HD 62: PC01, PR10, PR32, PR40, PR42
HD 63: PR12
HD 64: PR02, PR03, PR04, PR45, PR47, SP02
HD 65: MA02, SF16, SP05, SP06, SP07, SP08, SP11, SP15
HD 66: ER01, PA08, SF01, SF06, SF10, SF12, WH01
HD 67: BECB, EL01, SL01, SQ01

If the Party continues to accommodate ex officio delegates, redistricting will result in up to 17 more seats being taken from the following:

Seven for sure: PR01, OR46, AF02, PR18, OR19, OR09, PR26
Ten maybe: PG02, SF08, PR27, LI06, PR38, SF07, AL01, PR48, PR49, PR33

All Precinct Chairs and Vice Chairs should attend this Special Central Committee Meeting so that you can vote on this important issue.

Automatic Delegate Issue Left Unresolved

Right View Mirror — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 06:54:53 +0000

Members line up to speak for or against eliminating ex officio (or "automatic") delegates

Woooooo, if you missed attending the Utah County Republican Party Central Committee meeting tonight, you missed one wild ride!

Tonight the committee was scheduled to vote on bylaw amendments that could have eliminated or reduced the number of ex officio (“automatic”) state delegate seats — seats that are taken from the precincts and awarded to various leaders in the Party. This issue has a long and controversial history, and people on both sides of the issue are passionate about their views.

The committee was only minutes away from casting ballots on the first proposal, which would have eliminated all ex officio delegates, when the clock struck 9:00 p.m. — the set adjournment time for the meeting. A motion to extend the meeting until the bylaw votes were taken failed by just *5* votes of the 2/3 threshold required, and so we stood adjourned, ballots in hand.

The sentiment of the body seemed to me to be in favor of getting rid of at least some (if not all) ex officios, and I think this would have been the result had we been able to ballot. However, a credentialing snafu ate up much of the meeting time (coincidence? sabotage?). In a departure from the norm, when members arrived and signed in to be credentialed they were not given any name tag, wrist band, etc., that would have designated them eligible to vote. Additionally, many of the members’ names were absent from the credentials list, and some nonmembers names were on the list. This caused a ruckus even before the meeting started, as members were concerned about the integrity of the vote. This snafu lead to nearly an hour of debate on whether the committee could or should move forward with such important votes. In the end we decided to move forward with our business, but precious time had been gobbled up and the automatic delegate issue was left unresolved.

This issue ain’t over. The vote on automatic delegates will certainly be raised again at our next meeting, so stay tuned!