“The Fabulous Five” Mailing Causing Controversy

On Thursday, March 27th, I received this mailer from the Utah State Republican Party.

It contained a flier and a second small leaflet announcing “the Return of The Fabulous Five”,

and the donation instructions for The Fabulous Five PAC (below).

The flier says these five Republican members of the House of Representatives who joined the Utah Legislature in 2007 “will be at the forefront of a battle to retain their seats from others whose agendas call for more government intrusion, higher taxes and restricted freedoms.”

The “Fabulous Five” is comprised of (in order of their appearance on the flier):

• Representative Ken Sumison, District 56

• Representative Keith Grover, District 61

• Representative Carl Wimmer, District 52

• Representative Chris Herrod, District 62

• Representative Steve Sandstrom, District 58

It also says “Your attendance is sought at a special fundraiser to benefit the re-election of these patriotic and freedom loving men to office.” You can read the rest of the flier in the image above.

This mailer has raised concerns and has become visible in the press. The Deseret News ran an article on Saturday in the Utah County Edition entitled GOP flier raising a ruckus. The Salt Lake Tribune’s Political Writers’ Blog also posted about the topic on Sunday under the entry Trouble in paradise.

At issue is whether or not the State Republican Party violated the Party Officer Neutrality clause (7.2) of the Utah Republican Party Bylaws by sending it out and paying for the postage when four of the “Fabulous Five” are opposed for the nomination by candidates from within the Republican Party. Specifically:

• Jared Sepulveda (jws66m@yahoo.com) is running for the Republican nomination against Sumsion in District 56

• Lisa Shepherd (lisamshepherd@aol.com) is running for the Republican nomination against Grover in District 61

• David Starling (no web site or e-mail address listed) is running for the Republican nomination against Herrod in District 62

• Paul Newton (pnewton@backmantitle.com) is running for the Republican nomination against Sandstrom in District 58

I have not been able to located web sites for any of these candidates, and will amend this post to include them if they exist.

For your convenience I have included the Party Officer Neutrality clause of Bylaws below:

7.2 PARTY OFFICER NEUTRALITY

A. State Party officers, National Committee members, and paid staff shall assist and provide, without discrimination or restriction, equal access to Party information and services within their responsibility to all Republican candidates.

B. State Party Officers, National Committee members, and paid staff shall not publicly endorse or oppose any Republican candidate for partisan public office in Utah while the candidate is opposed by another Republican candidate for the same office.

How would you make the call?

With the disclaimer that I am not a lawyer, I wonder if a mailing label that says “Postage Paid by the UT State Republican Party” and a flier that says “Paid for by the Utah Republican Party” and calls for attendance at a fundraiser at a minimum constitutes a tacit public endorsement of candidates opposed by other Republicans. If so, someone in the Party made a mistake by doing this.

As a Party, I believe we all need to play by the same rules. What do you think? Please comment, and please let the Party know.

2008-2010 State Delegate Duties and Responsibilities

The three seated State Delegates from OR27 are:

• Ronald Hawkins
• Kip Meacham (also Precinct Chair)

• Robert “Scott” Stone

These State Delegates will cast their nominating votes for the appropriate candidates for office at the Utah Republican Party State Convention, Saturday, May 10, 2008 at Utah Valley State College in Orem, Utah.

In the caucus meeting materials, there was a document provided for the State Delegates entitled: “2008-2010 STATE DELEGATE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES”

For purposes of accountability, I have included the text of this document in italics below:

2008-2010 STATE DELEGATE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Congratulations on being elected a State Delegate! Your willingness to participate in the Party and the political process is greatly appreciated. This sheet will hopefully provide a few details of your new responsibilities and what is expected.

First, remember that each State Delegate must be a registered affiliated Republican. To be seated the Utah Republican Party must have on file your name, telephone number and mailing address. The name you use should be the exact name you used to register to vote.

The term of service for all delegates is two years. Should you move or change addresses during that time, please inform your County Chair.

For the near future, your biggest responsibility is to attend and participate in the 2008 Utah Republican Party State Convention. It will be held on Saturday, May 10 in the David 0 McKay Center on the UVSC Campus in Orem. The official Call to Convention with credentials and instructions will be mailed to you. At the convention, state delegates, by casting ballots, will choose the Party’s nominees for elected office. The offices you will be voting for include Governor, Attorney General, State Auditor, State Treasurer and the U.S. House of Representatives. Some of you will also be voting in multi-county State Legislative races. In addition, all state delegates will vote for National Delegates and Alternates, Presidential Electors, and a National Committeeman and Committeewoman (the filing deadline for Presidential Elector, National Delegate, and National Committee member is 5:00 p.m. Thursday, April 10 at State GOP Headquarters). It is your responsibility to educate yourself about all the candidates. You will also have the chance to debate and vote on any changes to the State Party Constitution, Bylaws, Platform, Rules of the Convention, and possibly Resolutions.

You should also plan on attending the 2009 State Organizing Convention next year where the State Party Officers will be selected by the State Delegates. You are also encouraged to stay as involved as you can in your County Party.

If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call the State Party Office at 801-533-9777 or 1-800-230-UTAH or visit us at www.utgop.org . And again, thank you for your willingness to serve.

This text should assist the members of the precinct in holding the State Delegates responsible for the discharge of their duty.

As the delegates (of which I am one of three) are responsible “to educate [ourselves] about all the candidates” I am working to arrange meetings with the candidates in conjunction with other Republican precincts in LEG60, and will publish more on this as the meeting plans solidify.

Voting Precinct Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer Duties

The three precinct officers for Orem Republican Precinct OR27 are:

Chair – Kip Meacham

Vice Chair – Rebecca “Becky” Rogers

Secretary/Treasurer – Malena “Molly” Christensen

In the caucus meeting materials, there was a document for the State Delegates entitled: “Voting Precinct Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer Duties“

For purposes of accountability, I have included the text of this entire document in italics below:

Voting Precinct Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer Duties
(Subject to County Leadership)

1. The Precinct Chair shall:

• Direct Party affairs within their respective Precincts.
• Organize and preside over their Precinct Caucus.
• Assist the campaigns of Republican nominees’ (candidates unopposed by other Republican candidates) campaigns. Distribute election related materials within the precinct on behalf of the Republican Party and its nominees at the request of the County Chairman.
• Assist the County Chairman in the recruitment of poll-watchers, election judges and volunteers for other county events.
• Organize and direct Get-out-the-vote (GOTV) programs.
• Attend County Central Committee meetings.
• Direct County fundraising programs in the Precinct and, together with the Precinct Treasurer, be responsible for all funds collected from precinct members.
• Serve the Party generally, when needed, with events and general operations, at the request of the County Chairman.
• Participate in the governance of the County Party by faithfully attending meetings of which each Precinct Chair is a member. When unable to attend an official meeting, it is expected that the precinct chairman will notify the county chairman or secretary in advance.
• Serve a 2 year term (from the date elected to the adjournment of the precinct caucus in which a new chair is elected).

2. The Precinct Vice-Chair shall preside and direct the Voter Precinct caucus, and other precinct meetings, in the absence of their chair, and shall attend Central Committee meetings.

3. The Precinct Secretaries shall provide notice of precinct meetings to members, prepare agendas, record minutes of meetings at which the Chair presides, and shall maintain historical documents.

4. The Precinct Treasurer shall receive, account for, and turn in collected monies to the appropriate organization as directed and shall submit a financial report at each meeting of the precinct.

5. The powers and responsibilities of the other Legislative and Senate District chairs and Precinct Officers are as delegated by their county leadership and respective chairs.

This text should assist the members of the precinct in holding the Precinct Officers responsible for the discharge of their duty. Please feel free to contact these officers and make sure we’re doing our duties.

Utah’s 3rd District: Candidate David Leavitt “An Evening with David Leavitt” Meeting Announced

Yesterday I received an invitation from the David Leavitt campaign to an evening meeting with him Thursday, March 27th at 7:00pm in Provo. Mr. Leavitt is a candidate for the Utah 3rd District US Congress Seat running against incumbent Chris Cannon.

Some of you may have received also received the invitation. They’re asking for the courtesy of an RSVP, by the way.

Here is the body of the message in italics below with the date, time and details for the meeting:

You and a guest are cordially invited to spend an evening with David Leavitt, Congress 2008.

“Bringing Back America’s Promise”

Thursday – March 27th
7:00pm
Wells Fargo Building
92 North University Avenue, Suite 225
(off the elevator and to the right)
Provo
~Refreshments will be served~

RSVP is not necessary but is appreciated
Lin Godown 801-649-5346 or by email lin@davidleavitt2008.com
(learn more about David by logging on to www.davidleavitt2008.com )

Paid for by Leavitt for Congress, Inc.

If you have questions or are interested in attending, contact them using the information above.

OR27 Caucus Meeting Results

Well, the results are in… I wish I’d gotten them out sooner, but it was a long evening on Tuesday night. After we took care of all the business, got precinct officers, county delegates and state delegates elected, everyone went home and the paperwork began.

Once that was done, I needed some beauty rest and then my day job came calling.

Newly Elected Precinct Officers

First, here are the newly elected precinct officers:

• Chair – Kip Meacham (that would be me)

• Vice Chair – Rebecca “Becky” Rogers

• Secretary/Treasurer – Malena “Molly” Christensen

It is important to note the Chair is automatically seated as both a County and State Delegate, and the Vice Chair is automatically seated as a County Delegate. In the caucus meeting, we passed a motion to have the Secretary/Treasurer also automatically seated as a County Delegate.

As for the duties of the officers, I’ll create separate posts outlining the responsibilities of each office. As a member of the precinct, I expect you to hold our feet to the fire in terms of carrying out our responsibilities. I’ll also provide posts about meetings and report on participation, assignments and such. I believe in participation and transparency, and this blog will be the means of seeing to both principles.

Seated County Delegates (6 total from our precinct)

• Kip Meacham (automatically seated)

• Becky Rogers (automatically seated)

• Molly Christensen (automatically seated)

• Tom Rogers

• Joshua Schultze

• Vania Wilkinson

The County Delegates will cast their nominating votes for the appropriate candidates for office at the Utah County Nominating Convention on Saturday, April 26, 2008 at Orem High School in Orem, Utah.. Again, look for a separate post with details on this item in advance of the convention.

Seated State Delegates (3 total from our precinct)

• Kip Meacham (automatically seated)

• Ronald Hawkins

• Robert “Scott” Stone

The State Delegates will cast their nominating votes for the appropriate candidates for office at the Utah Republican Party State Convention, Saturday, May 10, 2008 at Utah Valley State College in Orem, Utah. I’ll provide a copy of the text of the State Delegate Duties and Responsibilities handout included in the caucus meeting packets in advance of the convention in another post.

One final item: I will work to enable an e-mail option for you to communicate with the precinct officers and delegates without disclosing their e-mail addresses to you. This will maintain their deserved level of privacy, while easing interaction amongst the members of the precinct as well as the candidates.

Orem Precinct 27 Caucus Meeting Agenda for Tonight

As promised, and in accordance with The Utah Republican Party 2008 Caucus Handbook of Instructions , here is the agenda this evening’s meeting will operate to:

1. Welcome

2. Sign-in

3. Call to order

4. Prayer and Pledge

5. Brief Remarks from Lieutenant Governor Gary Herbert (who resides in our precinct)

6. Reading of the State and County Platform

7. Collection of Donations/Pledges

8. Completion of Voter Registration Forms (especially those running or precinct office or delegate position)

9. Election of Precinct Officers (Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary/Treasurer – won by simple majority)

10. Election of County Delegates (4 delegates to be elected, Chair and Vice-Chair automatically seated as County Delegates, for a total of 6 – won by simple majority)

11. Election of State Delegates (2 delegates to be elected, Chair automatically seated as a State Delegate, for a total of 3 – won by simple majority)

12. Request for Election Judges

13. Explanation of Check-a-Buck

14. Wrap-up and Adjournment

I am including a couple of clarifying points for participation in the caucus meeting may be helpful for members of the precinct.

Eligibility for Participation

As always, the Caucus Meeting is open to the public. Anyone is welcome to attend. However, there are certain requirements for those who wish to participate (speak and vote) in a Republican Caucus Meeting. Each participant must be a Utah citizen residing in the precinct and be 19 years old by the November 4, 2008 election. In accordance with Bylaw (9.0), “Each participant shall not be a simultaneous officer, delegate, and candidate or registered affiliated voter of any other rival political party.” Official members, officers, or delegates of other registered political parties in Utah may still attend the meeting, but should not participate in the discussion, nominate, run for office or vote. Please note this does not apply to groups or organizations that are not registered political parties, i.e. unaffiliated.

Official 2008 Caucus Roll

Everyone who attends the meeting should fill out the Caucus Roll completely.

Verification that persons atending live within the precinct–verification with a driver’s license, voter registration card and/or the precinct voter registration list

As individuals are elected, it should be verified that all their information is on the Caucus Roll.

I hope this helps everyone. Thanks in advance, and we’ll see you this evening!

Sounds Like a Politician

Per my earlier post of today, I am seeking the Chair seat for the Republican Orem, Utah OR27 precinct.

As word of this has gotten out, I have received phone calls with questions about my position on some of the issues. Earlier tonight when responding to one of those inquiries, I was told my answer “sounded like a politician.” That caused me no small concern, so I wrote a letter to several friends in the precinct and delivered it to them this evening.

Time does not permit me to deliver one to every one of the almost 800 households residing within our precinct boundaries. So, I’m posting a modified version of that letter BEFORE the caucus meeting to let you know where I stand, and help you decide if you wish to give me your vote. As it says in this blog’s About section, “…I am not a politician.”

I work in the high-tech sector. I have a wife, a family, a cat, a dog, a day job and a mortgage. What I am is first an American, second a conservative, and third a registered Republican. I am deeply concerned about our nation’s future. For many years I complained about things in the government, and then one day my wife told me I either needed to stop complaining or do something about it.

So I chose the latter.

I serve as the Republican Party’s acting Chair to Orem Precinct 27. I was appointed because the precinct I was elected to chair-Orem Precinct 54-was divided into two parts that were integrated into Orem Precinct 27 (OR27) and Orem Precinct 28 (OR28). I have worked to make the OR27 precinct aware of tomorrow’s caucus meetings (Tuesday, March 25th at 7pm in the Mountain View High School Cafeteria) to have more grass roots participation.

As Precinct Chair, County and State Delegate for OR54, I worked to change the direction and destination awaiting our nation if we do nothing. In 2006, I met face-to-face with every state and federal candidate asking them important questions about: 1) our looming federal fiscal “train wreck,” 2) the absence of spending cuts in concert with tax cuts, 3) the impending insolvency of Social Security and Medicare, 4) the need for an energy policy that marginalizes foreign oil, and 5) their positions on tort reform. I blogged my efforts for the precinct to review and based my delegate votes on their answers to these questions.

This year-as in 2006- I seek to enlist and combine our precinct’s brain power to put in place candidates who will tell the truth and show leadership through these issues. To accomplish this, I’ll use two blogs:

• The OR27 (Orem Precinct 27) Weblog (this one will contain what we work together on as a precinct in vetting the candidates)

• The Wide Middle (this one is more of my opinion, and a call for action including and moving beyond the boundaries of OR27 to collaborate and create “Open Source Public Policy“)

As for my position on particular issues important to you, please ask me at the caucus meeting tomorrow night (assuming someone nominates me).

My political philosophy is guided by these beliefs:

1. I believe in the absolute necessity to reign in our Federal budget, deficits, debts and unfunded obligations. In the words of the former comptroller general of the GAO, we are suffering from “Fiscal Cancer.” We need immediate treatment if we’re to save the patient. In the words of the Apaches, we are “eating our grandchildren.” This must stop.
2. I believe our nation must rely on the principles enshrined by the Founding Fathers as contained in the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. These principles serve us best in times of national crisis. I am deeply troubled by both the well-intentioned and the politically expedient who-acting in the name of “safety and security”- have set these principles aside to our liberty’s detriment.
3. I believe the government that governs least governs best. That’s why I call myself a conservative.

Please attend the caucus meeting tomorrow night. While I’m asking for your vote, it is more important to me that you attend and be heard! If you are not a Republican, please attend your own party’s caucus. I believe there are people of good conscience on all sides of the aisle. As friends we can agree where we will, and can disagree agreeably where we differ. If you have any questions, please contact me (using the facilities on this blog).

I hope to see you tomorrow night!

I hope this gives you more insight as to why I want to do this. Let me know your thoughts!

Tomorrow’s Caucuses and the OR27 (Orem Precinct 27) Boundary Map

Hopefully everyone has on their calendars the Utah statewide caucuses taking place on Tuesday, March 25 at 7 p.m. Phil Windley, former CIO for the State of Utah and has a great post on his blog about the dates and the process for everything happening through the caucuses (with a Republican bent, of course) that is worth the read.

If you’re wondering where to go, you’re probably not alone. With the changes have been made to the boundaries of many precincts, some were eliminated and some were combined with others. In Utah County, for instance, the precinct I used to chair, Orem Precinct 54 (OR54) was eliminated and divided into precincts OR27 and OR28.

There are lots of resources available to find out the Utah precinct in which you reside. You can go to the Utah County online Interactive Voting Map and key in your address to find out which precinct you’re in, or you can call the Utah County Elections Office at 801-851-8128.

Once you find out which caucus you’re in, you can find out where your precinct is holding its caucus meeting on the Utah County Republican Party website.

So as for me… in the upcoming caucus, I have been appointed chair for Orem Precinct 27 (OR27) which is part of Legislative District 60. Here are the details for the Orem OR27 caucus meeting:

Date:	Tuesday, March 25, 2007
Time:	7:00 PM
Location:	Mountain View High School
Room:	Cafeteria

I have also placed a copy of the OR27 precinct boundary map below:

I will publish an agenda before the meeting and post it to this blog. Please get involved, and I hope to see everyone from OR27 at the meeting!

Kip Meacham

(former) Chair, OR54
Acting Chair, OR27

Kip Meacham Running for OR27 Precinct Chair

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kip Meacham, and I write this blog. I am the Acting Chair for Orem Precinct 27 (OR27).

Why him? you may ask. Well, in 2006 I was elected Chair of Orem Precinct 54 and saw to those responsibilities until January of 2008. In mid-January, I was informed by Ivan Keller, Legislative Chair of District 60, that OR54 was divided “half to 27 and half to 28.” (NOTE: Instead of describing to you the boundaries of the multiple precincts OR54 was divided up into, I recommend you go to the Utah County online Interactive Voting Map to find out where you’re at.)

Ivan also informed me that Marilynn Hellewell, the current chair of OR27, is not interested in running again. So, I agreed to act as chair for the upcoming caucus.

I do plan to run for the chairmanship of OR27 at the caucus meeting tomorrow evening, and would appreciate a nomination, a second, and for votes from persons in the precinct.

So, my call to action here is two-fold:

1. I’m looking for a nomination, a second, and a majority of the votes for the chairmanship of OR27; and,

2. I’m asking all of us to be informed participants in this “government of the people, by the people, for the people” by participating both in the caucuses and in vetting the candidates before the county and state conventions! This blog can serve as a great vehicle for gathering and distributing information.

I welcome your participation and would appreciate your consideration.

Thanks!

Under Construction

Welcome to the Orem Precinct 27 (OR27) weblog for the Republican Party in Utah County.

More materials will be coming shortly, so stay tuned!