The Elephant In The Room: Nov. 2013

========================================================================================

November, 2013

An independent monthly chronicle of 11th Congressional District Republican Party news and events
========================================================================================

'The Elephant In The Room' is a monthly newsletter, reporting items of interest to active Republicans in the 11th District - primarily present and future Precinct Delegates, but also other interested Republican party participants. Occasional bulletins may also be sent if an important item comes up that can't be delayed. If you know others who would have in interest in reading this, but do not currently receive it, they can be added to our mailing list. Just send an e-mail from the address at which they wish to receive the newsletter to EITR@Juno.com, with the word 'Subscribe' in the header. If you do not want to receive any further issues, simply reply to this address with the word 'Cancel'.

New Precinct Delegate filing law
      There are some changes in Michigan law regarding precinct delegate candidacy filing requirements that are taking effect for the first time. MCL 168.624 (Link) was changed by the legislature in 2012. The new language states that:

      "Until December 31, 2013, a candidate shall file an affidavit of identity as prescribed in section 558(1) with the county clerk of the county or the clerk of the city or township in which the candidate resides. Beginning January 1, 2014, a candidate shall file an affidavit of identity as prescribed in section 558(1) with the county clerk of the county in which the candidate resides. Until December 31, 2013, a clerk shall receive affidavits of identity under this section up to 4 p.m. on the twelfth Tuesday before the time designated for holding a primary election in the county. Beginning January 1, 2014, a county clerk shall receive affidavits of identity under this section up to 4 p.m. on the thirteenth Tuesday before the time designated for holding a primary election in the county."

      If that's a bit hard to follow, here's how one Republican party rep explained it: "MCL 168.624 provides that until December 31, 2013 a person may file a precinct delegate affidavit of identity with either the city or township clerk or the county clerk, but after January 1, 2014 it must be filed with the county clerk."

      This is a bit of a change in P.D. filing dates, from what has long been January 1 to around May 15 of the year of the election - the deadline is slightly earlier now. Precinct delegates can go ahead and file right now to run in the August 2014 primary, at their city/township clerk's office (until the end of the year), or the county clerk in 2014. The Secretary of State's website lists August 5 as the date for the 2014 primary (Link). (Note that the July 7 filing deadline shown at the SOS link applies to other candidates than precinct delegates.) Different dates have been heard quoted for the P.D. filing deadline, but following the MCL language, the thirteenth Tuesday before August 5 would appear to be May 6, 2014. It might be advisable to plan on filing a bit earlier than that, in case of any miscalcalculation.

Wayne 11th Committee
      At the Wayne 11th meeting on October 10, John Howting (regional Press Secretary from the state party) announced an offer to meet with the committee, or any other groups, to put on social media training events. The point was to learn how to use Facebook, Twitter, etc.

      It was announced by the chair that nominees would be appointed as potential replacements for the missing position on the committee in time for the November meeting.

      Two items were brought up that were not discussed in detail; it was stated that the chairman would talk to committee members in coming days to coordinate them. The committee proposed doing some phone banking for candidates in the imminent Livonia election, and an amount of money was allocated for mailings, etc. The committee had previously endorsed Brian Meakin and Lynda Scheel for city council.

Playing the game by secret rules
      At the October 22 11th Congressional District Republican Committee (11th CDRC) meeting, 21 committee members were present, and 17 in the audience. There was some intensive discussion of what happened at a Youth Outreach event. Apparently, some donor's checks were not accepted, while others were. The event organizers were not sure of what types of contributions could legally be accepted. Since the committee had spent several hundred dollars on the event, the chairman expressed dissatisfaction at how things turned out. He asked for changes to make sure it wasn't going to happen again, and some suggestions were made.

      Steve Kohlhoff announced that the revised committee bylaws were ready to be voted on at the November meeting. He also stated that he wanted any discussion of them to be held in a closed session - the audience would not be allowed to observe it. Apparently the committee is going to stick with its past tradition of operating under secret rules.

      Chairman Mike Mitchell stated that there may be a committee opening coming up soon.

      Ronna Romney-McDaniel gave a report of events at a meeting of the Republican state party policy committee, which is the one that writes the statewide rules. They will be presented to the full state committee to be voted on in December. She specified that anyone who wanted to voice an opinion on the rules should contact one of their local state committee members (Link) (Website e-mail: info@migop11.org).
Three major changes were described:
1. State conventions will start at 7pm instead of 7:30.
2. The Precinct Delegate preference will be "basically kept the same"; whatever change is proposed was not clear.
3. Instead of being nominated from the floor at the state convention, Lt. Governor candidates will now have to file by April 22, 2014. In conversation after the meeting, Mrs. Romney-McDaniel mentioned that there was an alternate way to become a candidate after the deadline, but it required getting the signatures of a larger amount of district chairs. She did not know the number of signatures required in either case.

      State Senator Pat Colbeck spoke for a few minutes near the end of the meeting. He informed everyone that there may be more legislation coming soon regarding public employees and Right-To-Work. He also was expecting the rollout of a new state budget report system that he has been advocating for since first taking office. It will provide specific details of what state money is actually spent on, something that has not been previously possible to view.

      11th CDRC monthly meetings are usually on the last Tuesday of the month, at 7pm in the Suburban Collection Showplace (used to be called Rock Financial Center). The address is 46100 Grand River Ave Novi, MI 48374. The meeting room is on the right after you enter the front door, then left down a hallway. Chairs are available for visitors to watch from, and two-minute audience comments are allowed at the end of the meeting. The next meeting is listed as Nov. 26.

Correction
An alert reader pointed out an error in the September issue of this newsletter. Michigan House Representative Gail Haines voted for HB4714 (Medicaid expansion in Michigan), not against it. It's always discouraging to find out how many more Republicans are willing to join the Democrats in voting for ever bigger government.

NORC
On Oct. 24, the North Oakland Republican Club (NORC-US.org) held a meeting. Early on, O.C.R.P. chairman Jim Thienel made a point of asserting that Republican legislators could not be expected to abide by the party platform, because there was too much variety between them. He also mentioned that Oakland County had about 800 precinct delegates, but only about 200 were what he called active.

The main speaker was Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson. She announced that she was working with Congresswoman Candice Miller to get a federal law passed requiring that people can only vote in one state. Apparently, there is no such law right now. Another major problem with elections is that the Obama administration does not allow Secretaries of State to access the immigration database, so there is no central record available to check who is or isn't a citizen. States have to make do as best they can by cooperating with each other in comparing records. Michigan is paying for a subscription to the Social Security Administration to get notices of deaths. A few years ago, the auditor general found that in Michigan, 102.54% of its eligible adult population was registered to vote. Currently the rate is "about 97-98%". Mrs. Johnson made note that because of the profusion of opportunities asking people if they want to register to vote, sometimes non-citizens get a card in the mail (often included with other forms), and think they should. Later on they find out they have committed a crime by voting. The Secretary of State's office is now doing post-election audits of the Affidavits-of-Identity that voters fill out if they don't have a photo I.D. at the polls.

Event calendar:
Nov. 11,12,13, 6:30pm- Clark Durant at CSI Public Education symposium (Link)

Nov. 12, 7pm- Rattle With Us Tea Party meeting (Link)

Nov. 12, 7pm- Troy Area Tea Party meeting (Link)

Nov. 14, 7pm- Range day Fundraiser for Tom McMillin (Link)

Nov. 14, 7pm- Wayne 11th CDRC Meeting (Link)

Nov. 15, 11:30am- Justice David Viviano at Birmingham Republican Women’s Club luncheon (Link)

Nov. 16, 9am- Social Media Training - Bloomfield Republican Woman's Club (Link)

Nov. 17, 6:30pm- Lakes Area Tea Party meeting (Link)

Nov. 22, 6:30pm- NORC meeting (Link)

Nov. 25, 7pm- Wayne County Republican Committee meeting (Link)

Nov. 26, 7pm- 11th CDRC meeting (Link)

Letters

To all constitutional conservative political activists, aka Republicans…

It seems that a number of so-called Republicans don’t know exactly what the Party stands for, or God forbid, are knowingly violating its principles (RINOs).

Perhaps if we all have a clear picture of what makes us Republicans, we will each be better able to decide if our political philosophy coincides with that of the Party and conduct ourselves accordingly.

This especially applies to all politicians who use the Party as a means to getting elected.

So, to that end we hereby present:

History and Principles of the Republican Party

In 1854, in Jackson, MI, the first official meeting of Republicans took place. It was at this meeting the Party adopted a platform and nominated candidates for office. In 1856, the Republicans became a national Party when John C. Fremont was nominated for president. His slogan: “Free soil, free labor, free speech, free men, Fremont.”

Initially the Republican Party was considered a Third Party as the Democrats and Whigs represented the two-party system. Four years after Fremont lost the presidential election, Abraham Lincoln became president.

Through the years, Republicans led the fight for individuals’ rights in opposition to a large, bloated government. Republicans abolished slavery, fought for free speech and defended women’s suffrage. The Party is still fighting for limited government, streamlined bureaucracy and individual states’ rights.

Republicans have a long history with basic principles: Individuals, not government, can make the best decisions; all people are entitled to equal rights; and decisions are best made close to home.

Republican Principles
I’m a Republican because…

I BELIEVE the strength of our nation lies with the individual and that each person’s dignity, freedom, ability and responsibility must be honored.

I BELIEVE in equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, sex, age or disability.

I BELIEVE free enterprise and encouraging individual initiative have brought this nation opportunity, economic growth and prosperity.

I BELIEVE government must practice fiscal responsibility and allow individuals to keep more of the money they earn.

I BELIEVE the proper role of government is to provide for the people only those critical functions that cannot be performed by individuals or private organizations, and that the best government is that which governs least.

I BELIEVE the most effective, responsible and responsive government is government closest to the people.

I BELIEVE Americans must retain the principles that have made us strong while developing new and innovative ideas to meet the challenges of changing times.

I BELIEVE Americans value and should preserve our national strength and pride while working to extend peace, freedom and human rights throughout the world.

FINALLY, I believe the Republican Party is the best vehicle for translating these ideals into positive and successful principles of government.

David Lonier

Dear Editor,

Although Patrick Colbeck is not my senator, I nonetheless feel that he most closely represents my views in the Michigan Senate. He not only fought hard against Medicaid Expansion, he presented an alternative, workable plan to improve health care options for Michigan citizens. He fought for Right-to-Work. He has spoken out against Common Core. He has proven time and again that he is unwaveringly conservative.

On the other hand, the senator who represents my district, Mike Kowall, voted for Medicaid Expansion. To be fair, based on several websites that rate Senators' and Representatives' voting records, Sen. Kowall appears to have an acceptable voting record re conservative values. But to my way of thinking, Sen. Kowall assisted in opening the door to Obamacare in Michigan. Once again, an alleged- Republican senator voted with progressive Democrats (including our governor, who is turning out to be a Republican-In-Name-Only) to enable more government intrusion in the lives of his constituents. I believe that this vote alone negates all the conservative votes that Sen. Kowall has cast. Sen. Colbeck is running for re-election in 2014. This will be an uphill battle for him, considering that he is not inclined to march in lockstep with the Republican Establishment, including the governor. If, God willing, he is re-elected, he is considering a run for Michigan Senate Majority Leader.

Sen. Kowall is running for re-election, too. If Sen. Kowall is victorious, I would like to urge him to remember the principles of the Republican Party that sent him to Lansing, and stand behind Sen. Colbeck.

I would also like to urge any Tea Party groups reading this newsletter to do whatever they can to support Sen. Colbeck, whether or not they are located in Sen. Colbeck's district. We have a proven conservative in the Michigan Senate. We need to do everything we can to keep him there. Full disclosure: I do not work for Sen. Colbeck, nor have I ever campaigned for him. I have made several contributions to his campaign, and I urge everyone who can, to do so.

From a Proud Member of the Right-Wing Resistance.

Detroit

I was driving through Detroit while listening to Woody Guthrie.

Woody Guthrie was a card carrying communist. Behind all of the ideology and politics, however, was a good man disillusioned by the world around him. Woody's chief complaint was the lack of jobs available to a labor ready work force, at a time when people were willing to cross the country on the rumors of steady work. Woody wrote more than 3,500 songs while crossing the nation on roads and rails during the Great Depression.

Hard working people during this time in history were ripe for indoctrination. Progressive ideology had been gaining popularity since the 20's. Statists of every stripe were convincing vulnerable Americans that control of our economy was better left to a strong central government, and that the state could step in and support a struggling population until the economy recovered. This is the same debate that still rages today, the constant battle between big government and the free market. During Woody's time, though, there was no historical precedent for the collapse of communism, or the failures of European socialism.

There is plenty of evidence to suggest FDR knew the risks involved in his progressive New Deal policies. Was it possible for government to provide a measure of security to struggling Americans, without destroying the type of work ethic that had men riding boxcars across the country for steady jobs? Did big government, with its bureaucracies and regulations, offer a more stable economic environment than the free market? Only history could answer these questions.

The current state of our economy shows many large cities spending far more than the revenue they generate. Bankrupt Detroit, with its 18 billion dollar debt and 100 million in annual deficits, is the nation's largest example of big government's failure to indefinitely prop up the population of an insolvent city. The Democrat plan to save Detroit will contain more of what has devastated the city: more government, more bureaucracy, more tax hikes, more checks from a broke U.S. Treasury. What Detroit needs now, and has always needed, is a thriving private sector economy.

The many ghost towns of the western U.S. are illustrative of what traditionally happened when towns stopped being profitable. Industry and commerce dried up, jobs were lost, and people left in search of greener pastures.

There are two possible outcomes for a city; either it continues to generate wealth, or it dies on the vine. The death of a city is not a pretty thing, it's a tragedy; but big government's empty promises only prolong the death throes, and hurt the very people it claims to protect.

Detroit makes it easy to advocate for smaller government.

Detroit is a perfect example of what happens when industry leaves a city, and big government takes over, making promises that the checkbook can't keep. One party rule lead to decades of corrupted government bureaucracies, and crooked politicians who couldn't keep their hands out of the cookie jar. The city's big D political machine has been an affront, offensive to a city so central to America's manufacturing legacy. The people of Detroit deserve better than to be pimped out by their politicians, for state and federal tax dollars with which to line their own pockets.

Thousands of citizens, workers, and retirees have their future on the line, and it looks like a combination of state and federal taxpayers will pick up the tab, the same ones who have supplied the city's life support system ever since Detroit stopped manufacturing things.

Detroit attracted its diverse population when the city was a manufacturing giant. People came from all over the nation and the world, not for elaborate social welfare programs, but for jobs. The only thing that will save the city is private sector jobs, so that the city can begin to generate wealth again, instead of being a giant parasite.

Tony Lollio

Thought for the day:
"Does Edward Snowden have a copy of Obama's college transcripts?"

      E.I.T.R. Policies and Principles
      If you have an article, event, or other news that you think the readership should know about, we welcome your contributions. Editorial judgement will be applied to consider what interest readers will have in the submission, so keep articles or letters to a reasonable length. Articles should be factual - you must be able to provide corroboration of your information. Articles can be published under an alias, but you must be prepared to be able to stand up in court, raise your right hand, and testify to what you personally witnessed (because it may come to that). Unsubstantiated allegations just won't fly here, and rumors will be not be treated seriously unless they have some special reason to have plausible and substantive news value. We will be happy to follow up on tips which cannot yet be proven, but we can't publish them as fact without confirmation.

      Letters expressing an opinion are fine, and will be published as such, if they would be of interest to the 11th District readership. Keep it local; there are other venues for national articles and issues. We want to focus this chronicle on items affecting Republican district affairs, including the activities of the office holders elected from this district.

      Notices of events, planning, organization, etc. are welcome. If you want to get word out to like minded people in this district, send in your notice or idea. Keep it succinct, factual, and don't bore the reader - nobody wants to plow through long diatribes. The 11th CDRC party leaders have no control over this publication, and cannot censor any notices or opinions.

      Responses to E.I.T.R. articles will be considered on their merits, and published if they are informative and a reasonable length. Our intention is to send each issue out at or around the beginning of the month, so sending items in at least a week before that is a good idea. That will allow time for two-way communication regarding any questions that may come up.

Denis Curran, Editor - E.I.T.R.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Nov. 2013