Memorial Day 2010 - Remember and Commit Yourself to Protect and Defend Liberty

I'm embarrassed to say I never realized Freeport had a Memorial Day Celebration. In the most recent past we've gone to the remembrance at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies where our Zach is buried. Samantha knew there was something in Freeport this morning, and after a late night of grad parties, did get up so we could go, a bit late, but we got there. It was excellent -- superior in some ways to others we've been to that brought in the political figures.

Of course, maybe we missed that part, coming late. I hope all of us remember the sacrifices of our military and their families for over 200 years and recommit ourselves to keeping watch over our inalienable rights to Liberty and Justice in respect for those who've gone before. We must not slumber or sleep anymore but be vigilant and united and informed. And, we must teach our children the truths and ideals upon which our nation was founded.

Defending the American Cause

Teleconference

Participated in a teleconference the other night with 20 mostly-new Republican County Committee people from Blair, Armstrong, Berks, Bucks, Clearfield, Beaver, Chester, Indiana, Montgomery, Lancaster, Franklin, York, and Wyoming.

We discussed the importance of studying the county committee by-laws before the June organizational meeting, and considered the following:

County Committee by-laws

The by-laws is the governing document of your county committee. It will tell you who is elected to county committee, what voting districts they are elected in, how many are elected, and what years they are elected in.

The by-laws are public information because they dictate how the Primary Election is administered, and Primaries are tax-payer financed private elections in Pennsylvania.

Who should have a copy of the county committee by-laws?

The Board of Elections, Director of Elections, county committee Chair, Secretary, any officer of the county committee, and any member of the county committee should have a copy of the by-laws!

What information will I find in the by-laws?

The by-laws will contain information on when your organizational meeting will be conducted and what is done in the organizational meeting, what officers are elected, who is on the Executive Committee, how people can get appointed to committee, when meetings are held, what the term of office is, how the by-laws can be changed, how many members must be present to form a “quorum,” etc.

As a member of the committee, it is your duty to be familiar with the by-laws before you attend your first meeting. Make it your responsibility to make sure you have read them before you go!

(I, of course, after 2 months and 13 days of requesting a copy still do not have the bylaws for the Armstrong County Republican Committee. I do somewhat expect that all new committee members will receive a copy either at the June 3d meeting or sometime shortly before.)

Incredible Story of a Woman who won Special Election and the D & R Primaries for same seat in the PA House!

Hahn, Buxton Won Primaries for Both Parties
Face no opposition in November

Attend the June 3d Organizational Meeting of the Armstrong County Republican Committee

Bringing sunshine to the County Committee has always been my goal. There's no one better to do that than those of you interested enough to follow my blog as well as neighbors and friends in my precinct and in Armstrong County. If you can possibly come, please do - 7 pm on Thursday, June 3d, in the County Commissioners meeting room which is either in the Courthouse or Annex. When I get my official confirmation and invitation to the meeting, I'll confirm the meeting location/time. What a great way it could be to start this grassroots reform!

Seven Days to Go!

Two months and 12 days since I first requested a copy of the Armstrong County Committee's Bylaws and 7 days to go to the first meeting, the organizational meeting, where election of officers for 4 year terms will be conducted. Every bit of wisdom that has been tossed my way by committee people in numerous counties across the state and from friends around Pittsburgh who have served as committee people, even chairmen of committees, says "Get a copy of your County Committee's Bylaws." So, I have dutifully tried to do this. Wednesday's effort included contacting the office of my Congressman, Jeff Pyle, to ask for help. Hopefully, maybe tomorrow, I will get a call from them and be able to pick up the bylaws. What happened late this afternoon was that I got an email from Chairman, Mike Baker, with a handbook from Chairman Gleason, State Republican Committee, detailing by month and season, activities to support the campaigns of Republican candidates. After months of Coordinating Sam Rohrer's run for Governor, and working polls in previous elections, I'm fairly well familiar with these duties. Mr. Baker suggests this is all I need to be concerned about, and actually it's more than he originally thought I could handle when we first met - you know, "helping with the banquet."

Attention Other Armstrong Committee Members

Guess what? I got an official "handbook" through Mike Baker, our County Chairman, this afternoon detailing our duties. It'll be easy for most of us as it's all the things we've been doing for months for various candidates - getting people registered Republican, representing candidates at events, distributing absentee ballots, going door to door! This will be a cinch; in fact, I don't even know if we need to go to any committee meetings! Won't that be great! And we'll really be representing our precinct then too I am assured.

Let me know if you want me to send you a copy of the handbook because it's a keeper - has State Committee Chairman Gleason's signature and everything!

Eight Days to Go

And 2 months and 11 days since I first requested a copy of the Armstrong Republican Committee's bylaws. Yesterday I was advised by a former chairman of the Schuylkill Republican Committee to request a copy of our bylaws from the State Republican Committee. A young intern answered the phone and said someone would get back to me. Hopefully, the phone rings and someone puts a copy in the mail to me. I've heard from others in different counties who've had experiences identical to mine.

It's unfortunate, but not accidental, that the first meeting of the Committee calls for the election of officers, and for 4 year terms.

Here's something I found rather astounding, but shows how ignorant I am (and you too, probably) about the local Committee. Someone who is not a member of the committee can be nominated and elected to be its Chairman.

Every county committee's bylaws are unique.

There are members of the committee who rarely if ever attend meetings and give their proxy to another member to vote!

Quite a few couples are elected to the committee, which can be looked at as a bad thing/good thing, actually.

I think the May 18th primary has upped the number of committee people, advancing my personal goal to see greater local participation in the party. The vote confirmations may be out on Friday.

Making a difference at the grassroots level

In regards to a Sam Rohrer write-in campaign, my focus is to be the best committee person I can be for my precinct, and I think the write-in idea is ill-advised. I am offended by Committee Secretary, Kirk Atwood, who, in a response on May 20th to an email of mine requesting, again, a copy of the bylaws, wrote, "Furthermore, there is a requirement that anyone found to not be supporting all Republicans in any election cycle can (and will) be removed from said committee." I resent being singled out about my commitment to the Republican Party. I fully expect to find my niche to help elect conservatives on the ballot in November.

But more importantly, the election process needs to be trustworthy and to that end, the role and workings of the political committees need to truly reflect all registered Republicans and be transparent. That will mean more people, more of "the folks," must step forward as I did to run for committee seats. Tea Partiers, Patriots, and 9/12ers should keep these committees in their sights! Go to their meetings, hold your committee accountable, get to know the committee people and let them know who you are! If no one is representing your committee, write a letter to your County Chairman. In Armstrong that is presently Michael T. Baker. Tell about yourself and ask to be appointed!

Is there trickery aplay?

I do not want to think this is the case, but have seen or heard this warning from former committee people, not necessarily in Armstrong County, but Western PA counties -- "new members are often tricked or controlled at meetings because they don’t know the bylaws." I am trying to do the responsible thing. Why? Because information is power, but more importantly, the withholding of information is even more powerful for those in the know. I cannot forget that the day a petition was begun for me to run for this committee seat, I asked the Chairman of the Committee, Mike Baker, "If I were on the committee, what would my responsibilities be?" His answer, "Oh, you'd probably help with the spring banquet?" No one runs in an election administered by the State/County to put on a banquet!

It is exactly 2 months since I sent my first email (which was preceded by a number of phone calls) requesting a copy of the bylaws. The first meeting of the newly elected Armstrong County - an "organizational" meeting - will be held on June 3d - 10 days to go.

The Sad Saga of my "quest" to obtain a copy of the Committee's Bylaws

On March 24th 2010 I sent my first email to Armstrong County Republican Committee Chairman, Mike Baker, requesting a copy of the committee's bylaws since I was running for a seat on the committee. Other emails followed back and forth, but now 14 days before our first meeting, when I understand we *must* according to the bylaws elect officers, I still do not have a copy of these bylaws. At one point I was told a copy would be provided to the Voter Registration/Election Board office in the courthouse/annex. As of today, no copy is in their possession.

These bylaws are on someone's computer and could have easily been emailed to me, I would think. How does the Election Board administer the election without a copy of the bylaws - do they just follow the oral instructions of the Committee Chairman? Why was I told back in late March/early April that a precinct's two seats did not have to be one woman/one man, but another new committee man after believing he'd won a seat as 2nd highest vote-getter is being told it does have to be one woman/one man? Who will certify who the winners of the committee seat are? Will it be the Committee Chairman, Mike Baker, or the head of the Election Board, Wendy Buzzard?

Do you believe the bylaws for your County Republican Committee should be available to any registered Republican within the county? There appears to be a very definite lack of sunshine at the local level of Republican politics!

Article speculates "Rohrer Supporters Might Not Back Corbett"

Eric Boehm Battle to Close Ranks Begins for Corbett, Onorato

Randy Potter on Republican Party Politics and Endorsements

Open letter to the PA Republican Party

Tom Corbett upset by critical tweets wants to prosecute?

After a significant win in the primary yesterday in the PA Gubernatorial race, I was surprised to find this story when searching TC --
Pennsylvania Attorney General Tries to Unmask Twitter Critics * By David Kravets * May 19, 2010

ACLU supporting the privacy of Twitterers

Election Results - Armstrong County

It is good news for our South Buffalo E precinct that we will have representation on the Armstrong County Republican Committee for the next 4 years after having no representation during the previous term. Jason Renshaw received 186 votes and I received 156 and there were three write-ins. I thank you for your support and look forward to representing my fellow Republicans locally. From knocking on doors in the precinct and talking to voters at the poll yesterday, I realize how little we all know about the County Committee. My ambition is to change this.



Complete election results by precinct: Election Results


To find your precinct, use the number in the list below and search within the sublinks:

1. Apollo Boro

2. Applewold Boro

3. Atwood Boro

4. Bethel Twp

5. Boggs Twp

6. Bradys Bend Twp

7. Burrell Twp

8. Cadogan Twp

9. Cowanshannock Twp – East

10. Cowanshannock Twp – West

11. Cowanshannock Twp – Sagamore

12. Dayton Boro

13. East Franklin Twp – North

14. East Franklin Twp – East

15. East Franklin Twp – West

16. Elderton Boro

17. Ford City Boro – 1st Ward North

18. Ford City Boro – 1st Ward South

19. Ford City Boro – 2nd Ward North

20. Ford City Boro – 2nd Ward South

21. Ford Cliff Boro

22. Freeport Boro - #1

23. Freeport Boro - #2

24. Gilpin Twp – #1

25. Gilpin Twp – #2 Schenley

26. Hovey Twp

27. Kiski Twp – Horrell

28. Kiski Twp – Orchard Hills North

29. Kiski Twp – Orchard Hills South

30. Kiski Twp – Spring Church

31. Kittanning Boro – 1st Ward

32. Kittanning Boro – 2nd Ward

33. Kittanning Boro – 3rd Ward

34. Kittanning Boro – 4th Ward

35. Kittanning Twp

36. Leechburg Boro #1

37. Leechburg Boro #2

38. Madison Twp

39. Mahoning Twp

40. Manor Twp – North

41. Manor Twp – South #1

42. Manor Twp – South #2

44. North Apollo Boro

45. North Buffalo Twp – East

46. North Buffalo Twp – West

47. Parker City – 1st Ward

48. Parker City – 2nd Ward

49. Parks Twp – Kepple Hill

50. Parks Twp – N Vandergrift

51. Parks Twp – West

52. Perry Twp

53. Pine Twp

54. Plumcreek Twp

55. Rayburn Twp

56. Redbank Twp

57. Rural Valley Boro

58. South Bend Twp

59. South Bethlehem Twp

60. South Buffalo Twp – East

61. South Buffalo Twp – West

62. Sugarcreek Twp

63. Valley Twp

64. Washington Twp

65. Wayne Twp

66. West Franklin Twp

67. West Kittanning Boro

68. Worthington Boro