The time has come again for the Sussex County GOP Executive Committee to elect its “NEW” members. The question is, will there be any new members, or will it be the same old faces. Has the current crop of committee members become the new elite within the Sussex GOP?
It was back in 2011, that there was a so-called grass-roots movement within the committee. This movement was touted as being a bottom up movement. The biggest changes coming out of this movement was a complete overhaul of the rules governing the Sussex GOP Executive Committee. Again, these rule changes were touted as being a way to ensure that the committee would be a bottom up organization.
But has that been the case, or have these rule changes merely allowed those who were elected, and then changed the rules, to become the new elite within the committee?
Let’s first look at the announcement sent out from the Sussex GOP,
“ATTENTION SUSSEX COUNTY REPUBLICANS !!!
Applications are now being accepted for all positions within the Sussex County GOP Executive Committee. Existing members who wish to continue, as well as any new folks interested in an Executive Committee position, must submit the required application form to the Secretary no later than 12/29/14.
Application forms can be found on the link at the bottom of this page, as well as at Sussex GOP HQ, 131 East Market St, Georgetown. Forms can be left at HQ or scanned/emailed to Linda Creasy: lindalou358@hotmail.com. Any registered Republican in Sussex County is eligible, so please consider joining us! Please use the on-line submit form and there will be no need to drop off or scan form. On line registration will be submitted directly to the Secretary.”
Of course you have to already be on the mailing list of the Sussex GOP to receive this, which means that the only people who this reaches are people already involved in the committee. No new members there.
Now let’s look at the rules a little closer.
Article V. sec. 1 c. says, “These elections are to be held at the second regularly scheduled monthly meeting following the election of the President of the United States and the national mid-term election.”
The first regularly scheduled meeting was the Monday following the National midterm elections in November, the December meeting was canceled, making the January meeting the second regularly scheduled meeting. That means that there will be just nine weeks following the end of the election cycle in which to find new people to participate.
But actually not nine weeks, since it also states in the rules, Article V., sec. 2a, “ Any Republican residing and registered in Sussex County desiring to be a candidate for an elective office must file by mail or email to the Secretary. The last day for a candidate to file will be the 15th day before said election date.”
Which would be the 29th of December, only seven weeks after the end of the election cycle to find new people to participate.
Let us also consider the timing of these elections. The first meeting was held only two weeks before Thanksgiving, don’t imagine many people were thinking about committee elections in those two weeks.
The remainder of the seven weeks include Christmas. So while everyone is going about there everyday lives, and trying to do their Christmas shopping, or other holiday preparations, they also have to be recruiting new members for the Sussex GOP Executive Committee.
They also have to make sure that they line up enough people to come to the elections to vote for the people who have put their names in for nomination. Also there are a large number of retired people who have left the state for the winter.
Of course the rules do state in Article V. sec. 4b, “ The election announcement shall be posted on the Sussex County GOP web site in and two (2) Sussex County weekly newspapers.”
Yeah that’ll do it.
I have to tell you, I personally do not know what the hurry is to hold the elections during this very busy time of the year. It seems to me that all would be better served if the rules called for the elections to be held in the spring, say April or May.
Having read the rules extensively I have to tell you, they seems to be set up to protect those already in position. Not only does the timing make it hard to line up new people, but the way the positions are filled also leaves a lot of control in the hands of those already in power.
First of all the current Advisory Board, which is made up of the current RDs will act ass the election committee. WHAT? So many of the people looking to be re-elected, will be overseeing the elections? WHAT?
If there are contested positions for EDs, the losers can be placed as temporary EDs, but they must show up at another two meetings, one to be nominated, and another to be elected, and they must first be nominated by the newly elected RDs.
Hey here is a crazy idea. Let’s say there are fourteen ED positions like in the 35th, and you have ten people all show up to run for the 2nd of the 35th, well only two people can actually win those two positions, so why not immediately place the other eight people in temporary EDs? If in the future people actually living in the ED want to challenge for the position, then they have preference for that position.
But wait, what if we actually had twenty people show up for those fourteen ED positions? Here’s another crazy idea, how about we place everyone in a position, and the other six are alternates.
Instead of having rules that restrict and hinder people from participating, how about we have rules that encourage people and allow them to participate.
I have to say, these rules smell of elitist intentions. Many of the current committee were involved in the rewriting of the rules following their own elections, and these rules seem to have the effect of consolidating their elitist control of the committee, and instead of encouraging and enabling new people to become involved, they have the exact opposite effect.
The time has come again for the Sussex County GOP Executive Committee to elect its “NEW” members. The question is, will there be any new members, or will it be the same old faces. Has the current crop of committee members become the new elite within the Sussex GOP?
It looks like the FIX is in.
Everything would be grand if only Frank were SCGOP Chairman and Waterpirate were the Vice Chairman, The new season of Cirque du Soleil is about to start and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
I’m even bringing freshly popped popcorn and a disguised mixed drink or two for the real enjoyment of the menagerie that is about to unfold for our pleasure. In the best tradition of Winston, (may God rest his soul) NOT FRANK KNOTTS
So Hell Fire, no opinion? Just ripping off other people’s material?
Yep, that’s about the size of it Frank. I save the real stuff for real sites.
@hell fire, ditto. I have no opinion either, just want to hear myself post
Well I would like to thank “BOTH” of you for stopping by and driving up the views. Boy you really showed me.