A SCRCC Communication, Integrity, Fairness, Fidelity, Involvement, Transparency Platform

A Platform For Unity Under A Big Tent

The following is a list of what we see as  needed reforms or improvements relevant to Scott County Republican Central Committee affairs.  The list could be expanded but in our humble opinion only one, maybe two, are even arguable, and they relate to electioneering policy.  Most relate to common process and procedures of volunteer non-profit organizations and matters of internal dynamics. We would love to post responses from the powers that be as to any disagreements

• Provide written reports.  Minutes of preceding CC and Exec Comm meetings, along with Treasurer reports should be provided prior to CC meetings. Other officer and committee head reports that are part of a pre-published agenda should be issued in writing at least in an out line form.  Key reports should be provided in full written form.

  Fairly detailed minutes of the preceding CC meeting are read to us from a prepared document. Roberts Rules provides for the dispensing of the reading of the minutes when minutes are provided in writing to the voting membership in advance.  This alone would provide an adjunct to corporate memory, accuracy, and speed up proceedings ten minutes or more, allowing  more attention to timely matters.

Monthly Treasurer reports income and balance sheet statements sufficient to provide a meaningful financial overview should be provided in writing before the meeting begins.  Other reports at least in outline form, providing key points or discussion matters, should be provided in writing prior to the start of the meeting.  Intelligent involvement and judgements are facilitated by such a discipline.  They can be posted conveniently on a members only access part to the website.

• Access to e-mail.  Require with a bylaw addition a qualification provision for election to the CC that prospective CC members affirm that they have the ability to send and receive e-mail personally or through a proxy.

This is a cost saving and communication enhancement measure that would eliminate the postage and printing costs and time delays of official correspondence.  It would be consistent with the implementation of written reports called for elsewhere.   It assures precinct caucus electors of capability of timely involvement and decision making, communication methodologies, convenient access to precinct Republicans and  commitment to cost savings.

• Emphasis on straight ticket voting rather than early voting.   Emphasizing early voting does not seem to result in Republican wins. An analysis of local election results from 2010 indicated that straight ticket voting among early voters was less among registered Republicans voting early than for Democrats.  It does not work to our advantage at least as practiced. The Republican message works but our early voting efforts do not provide it, or lamely so.  Emphasizing early voting is not consistent with the platform.  The platform is right on the issue for a variety of tactical, political science and voter integrity reasons.

• Communication of Republican principles as a leadership evaluation criteria.  GOTV effort are mechanical, important but not inspiring, requiring little imagination or dominated in any event by state and national campaigns. It is properly a lieutenants job. We need local leadership that can and is willing to articulate issues . . . to debate Democrats with confidence, able to aggressively defend and promote our platform.

• Improve the website.  It could be so much more useful as an internal tool and an outreach effort in defense of Republican principles.

• Create a candidate evaluation and reward system that honors substantial platform fidelity.  Implement the 2010 Republican National Committee Platform Fidelity Resolution adapted to state matters.

• Fairness in conduct of meetings.  Require a minimal demonstration of parliamentary protocols.

Chairmanship of the CC or of standing committees with the privilege of giving reports and monopolizing meeting time, should not use it as a vehicle for internecine warfare or delivery of overt or subtle personal attacks.  A frequent parliamentary fault — “leadership” improperly cutting off debate —  moving to a vote on a substantive matter because someone impatiently calls the question — with out taking the step of implementing the two-thirds vote necessary to do so.

• Establish Presidential caucus year proportional rules.  Develop rules and mechanisms for the selection of delegates to the district and state conventions reflecting then current candidates existent combined county wide caucus strength.

This is a fairness issue.  Scott County leadership exhibited an atrocious lack of fair play to Ron Paul delegates in 2012, damaging trust and unity with reverberations that impacted the Republican Party of Iowa. Several counties have procedures to prevent the railroading of caucus results. Consider proportionality rules as regards delegate selection at the caucuses as well.

• Transparency, access, cooperativeness, evenhandedness.  Abide by universal non-profit organizational protocols.  Fiduciary responsibilities for voting members are real.  Director rights to access all records and lists are key to preventing the domination of any organization by a faction with a proprietary demeanor.

 This is so elementary to nonprofit organization’s communication and felt trust and ultimate success that an index of such materials should be provided to every elected CC member.  A properly maintained website would allow for quick updating of minutes corrections, membership contact information, bylaws and operating resolutions, financial reports etc.

• General bylaw revision.  Incorporate workable succinct more complete anticipatory bylaws.

• Abide by the bylaws uniformly.  A current bylaw provision calls for CC members to attend one half of the meeting of the SCRCC.   There are several current listed members who apparently have not, heretofore.

• Respect   Play to win on matters of concern but play with fairness and integrity.  Majority wins on most issues.  Do not pack up marbles and abandon the cause because of not prevailing on an issue of concern.

• Demeanor —  the SCRCC is not an exclusive club. Internalize RNC Chairman Reince Priebus’ comments of March 7th here in Iowa. News report available here.

“In Iowa, we have a liberty movement that we need to grow and we need to welcome in our party,” Priebus said. “It’s a growing piece of our party, constitutional Republicans, liberty Republicans, is a big piece of a growing party that cares about issues like freedom and the Constitution…”

• Honor RPI provisions regarding electioneering with substantive action.  The 2012 RPI platform (2008 & 2010 similarly) upholds at 24.7 “We insist that the Republican Party and its candidates stand for honesty and integrity in all political advertising. We expect political campaigns to be conducted in a positive and truthful manner.”

The 2010 primary campaign conducted by Roby Smith was an atrocious example of integrity in primary campaigning. There was an abject leadership failure on the part of the then and current  chairwoman. Details will be recounted and analyzed in a future special addition to this web site.

• Evaluate and develop conflicts of interest provisions regarding CC membership within the bylaws.  Do we want to implement rules regarding neutrality as regards primary campaigns?

The SCRCC Chairwoman appointed the State Chairman of the Romney Campaign to the Nominating Committee responsible for delegate selection to the District and State conventions.  If any high profile partisan was to be included on the nominating committee then all presidential caucus camps should have been represented. They were not.  It was another breach of common elements of fair play exhibited by the chairwoman.  Other aspects to conflicts of interest should also be addressed in the bylaws.

• Implement more diverse committee involvement and expand avenues for participation at the precinct level. The later could be greatly facilitated by the simple encouragement and facilitation of periodic precinct meetings.

• Stay to the conservative agenda.  Period.

*   no ranking is meant to be implied by the sequence set forth

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