Aloha Friends. This is part 1 of 2.

-March 6-8 CPAC Washington DC www.conservative.org

-March 22 Maui Friends of NRA http://mauifriendsnra.blogspot.com (sold out)

-April 5 HD17/18 monthly meeting Marian243@hawaiiantel.net

-April 25-27 NRA Annual Meeting Indianapolis

www.nra.org

There are many strong and energy-filled conservatives and Republicans in Hawaii. Thank you. The Hawaii Republican Party can be better.

–Reagan’s Birthday, first for Hawaii, first HIRA event, a success. SA “In a coup, HIRA has secured as keynote speaker Al Cardenas…” http://hira.hawaiideservesbetter.com/enews/hira_news_020714.html. 150 attend, Montes & Lee spoke, Zimmermann www.Hawaiireporter.com as MC, ACU Chairman Al Cardenas (CPAC boss) crushed it. His message (paraphrased) Obama’s income inequality rants are BS. Great conservatives, need larger room. Conservative officials – such as Slom, McDermott – attended. Conservative event = not one of HRP Exec Cmte.

-Cardenas to Maui lunch with TEA Party Maui leaders, then headlined TPM special event. TPM had 30, from conservative (and libertarian) Maui groups. Zero Maui HRP ‘leaders’ attended.

-HIRA’s Roadshow. www.hawaiirepublicanassembly.com for time & place. Get involved with conservative solutions. East Honolulu February 28 Roadshow draws 20 activists.

-Lane’s Pastors and Pews. American Renewal Project. http://americanrenewalproject.org Attended NH, invitation-only, 200 pastors, fully-funded, intense 24 hours, in targeted states. Huckabee and David Barton highlight. Situation: half our Christians are registered, half of those vote (about same as the general population). Stand Up Sundays. Goal: mobilize pastors to do their duty to get congregants registered, then to vote… their values. I explained the oxymoron of values and Hawaii legislators. It was 7 degrees, but we were inside.

–CPAC week, my responses to you are delayed. One other conservative (from Slom’s office) attends. So far announced: Cardenas, Rubio, Paul, Cruz, Ryan, Jindal, Santorum, DeMint, Trump, Christie, Huckabee, Salmon, Ben Carson, Palin, Fiorina, Keene, Martin, Toomey, Lee, Scott, Gingrich, Bolton, Perry, Cornyn, Huckabee, North, Martin, 27 breakout panels and possible Maddow v Coulter debate.

-HRP FEC www.fec.gov Good news. January receipts are $62,474 and disbursements 36,638 for the first black month in a year! Receipts are 58.7k mostly for CC & LDD + from RNC 3750/month. CoH up to 48.4k, mostly fenced for CC mortgage and counties i.e. <20k for operations. Debt still 19.4k. No CSC account transfer. Few sustaining members. When leaders don’t buy in, don’t expect others to do so. Expenditures include $1500 mortgage, 806 copier, 2718 building maintenance, 934 IMS accounting, Berube’s 3097 & Parson’s 2932 salary plus 2606 payroll tax+440 health insurance+213 parking+1157 unemployment tax, and 6559 for a mailer (includes 500 debt payment). Party of fiscal responsibility in debt for 40 consecutive months, HRP in the red 9 of last 13 months. For 2013, HRP spent 58.4k more than raised… and carries 20k debt into the election year. RNC’s bailout for staff pay means less to win the US Senate majority. A month in the black IS good news. However, 62k gross receipts for TWO major events is concerning.

–CC Saiki had about 230 attend, net appears almost $60k. An estimate because the report jumbles CC & LDD, CSC numbers not until July, and only one bill, $13,383 for venue. Nice Saiki tribute. Anderson & Takai (Ds for CD1) on the finance report. ‘Moderate’ HRP incumbents and candidates attend. Event covers two years mortgage. No CC funds support elections and Hellreich’s timing sucked the life out of ….

–LDD. About 200 attend; ok, but second least in 15 years. Attendee “food was good.“ HIRA forced HRP to this year bring an out-of-state speaker. McSally is a mostly-conservative, second-time AZ candidate (should win), with only a little baggage. Attendee “Not well organized.“ Chang again spoke too much (about Chang), Fukumoto (huh?) regurgitated McSally’s bio, McSally called for contributions to mainland instead of local candidates. Reader “Chang Gang only has interest in promoting [Chang & Fukumoto], let the rest fend for themselves.  When he stands at the podium, doesn’t earn respect from those that know he is lying.“ Chang “Lincoln Day Dinner is our largest annual fundraiser“ misses net $150k goal. Estimates are 19k gross in the Jan FEC report, with three weeks to go and no bills paid. LDD record net is $400k, in Aiona-Lee years HRP netted 225-300k/year. Chang/Hellriech/Liu’s past two LD events netted <100k each, last year C/H/L were <60k. Based on sponsorships and attendance, expect 2014 net <$50k. Honorable service (McSally) is good, self-absorption (Chang) is not. Chang’s solicitation was about Chang, not McSally, and he included his faux-fighter photo (no M2 machine gun or 9mm?). Reader’s perspective of Chang’s narcissism:

–McSally contacted me, concerned HRP wouldn’t keep their deal to raise $10k for her campaign. I provided contacts to prevent yet another to leave soured (C/H/L took three years to pay Gingrich LDD airfare). With friends like this… Fukumoto promised McSally a raiser. Fukumoto instead did her own raiser, using McSally as the draw.

–Caucus meetings. 4-5 members in Ewa, 9 for Moses’ two districts in Makakilo/Kapolei (Aiona refused his own caucus), leaders call 4/district on Kauai ‘disappointing’, and many districts had zero. Two district chairs resign in two weeks, nine months before the General. Chang and Ready say things are going well. Following meetings to fill positions, HRP has LESS leaders with >45% district chairs unfilled. Berube writes “It is evident that our Party is re-invigorated and ready to get to work for the 2014 elections!“ District chair “Your District Chair should be providing you with information [about] Convention.“ …if you had a chair, if he/she had a clue. With Convention tentative date & no ticket estimate and no county conventions this month per Rules, HRP makes recruiting delegates difficult. (Kauai convention, outside of Rules window, had 20 attend.)

-Recruiting technique. Reader “I just became a delegate to [convention]. I know the gal that called.  She hoped no special group would attempt to exert themselves outside the Convention Rules.  Among those she mentioned as having been a “problem” in the past is Willes.“ Note: As Party Rules Chairman, 2003, I wrote the convention rules they (attempt to) use.

-HRP unity. As Chang and others, Moses for example, continue their anti-conservative/pro-‘moderate’ assault on conservatives and religious-oriented ‘fear & hate mongers’ (Chang & Fukumoto term), they get push-back. Reader “I would like you [i.e. me] to speak to [member] about Chang bashing HIRA in our caucus meeting. [Chang] was nasty and a liar.“ Reader “The district leaders claim to be fiscally conservative but wants to bury the social issues.“ Another “[district chair] espoused the same sentiment about finding more moderates to run.“ Another “the Chair announced that we must send “moderate” delegates to the state convention and something about finding/supporting “moderate” candidates.  No discussion.  County Chair [Rolfing] was present, and it seemed the Chair was instructed to say that. There is always lecturing from the leaders and long-timers when there is any mention of social issues, especially concerning the right to life from conception to natural death, marriage being between one man and one woman, and conscience rights and religious liberty issues.  People who claim they are conservatives have repeatedly said we shouldn’t bring up these issues.  Conservatives are NOT welcome under the “big tent.” The point I’m trying to make is that long-time [HRP members], and like our party leaders, do not understand what “conservative” means or why being conservative is important.“ Following Lingle’s conservative-bashing of TEA & religious groups, HRP can expect a similar 25 point loss.

-As Chang promotes liberals, district chair writes “I’m expecting the HRP commercials to educate voters about all existentially important benefits of “being a republican.” I’m sure this long awaited commercial message will certainly make the grassroots role of any republican district chair educating the public more effective, more rewarding, and less desperate, less uncertain. I expect at least a simple message distinguishing republicans clearly from democrats, however I appreciate this last minute (considering we are already deeply in election year) good decision by HRP leadership very much.“ We expect Chang’s ad is (1) a Dem-lite message and (2) Chang’s use of your $ for his personal campaign ads.

-‘Ad’ previewed at LDD, emailed after. It is not a commercial but a Youtube piece sent to members, not the public. As predicted, gives no issue positions and is more Chang/Fukumoto than HRP….using your contributions. Brown excerpts “I just viewed the new ad “I am a Republican,” and the central question is whether “underwhelming” is a hyphenated word. Inept communication aside, many viewers will be able to identify this as a Republican ad by our characteristic habit of speaking in generalities, without articulating any positions on any issues.  Did we actually pay for this, or is it a term project from some sophomore communications class? I better put a more positive tone on this. I positively think that ad is an embarrassment.“ LDD attendee “I can see easily the word “Republican” replaced with “Democrat”. This feel good cheer commercial means “its OK to stay with the winning team” – no need to change, switch, and join HRP.“ Reader “FYI, in many places the film jumps a bit. Is that fixable?“ LDD attendee “It looks like an old video because Chang’s face looks young and chubby. Anybody can make that kind of video that “I am a Republican” for what? for sitting on my o’kole?  It’s a do nothing Republican video.“

-Rules Section 417 “..in the final month of each calendar year, the State Chair will present a state party budget to the state committee for approval.” March and still no budget. No finance plan, campaign plan, strategic plan…. from last year, much less 2014 election year.

-Sixteen months into the election cycle and eleven months after Hellreich wrote “the need to use massive voter registration drives in all states to increase our chances of winning local and national elections.” No state voter registration drive, nor county, nor one district. Instead of organizing a registration drive, HRP is ‘encouraging’ districts to please do something, knowing many have no chair. District chair “Does [Berube]not realize that District Chair’s are the sole person working in the District?”

-Lack of integrity by leadership to address the five Rs – Theilen, Carroll, McDermott, Pine Fenton – who endorsed Ds against Rs in the last election.

-Thirteen months since the 2012 required financial audit was to be conducted. Two month since the 2013 audit was to be conducted. New rumblings about a cover-up.

-Chang wanted to leave HRP, and leave behind a destroyed party. Plan was for County chair Rohlfing, who has done nothing for or with Honolulu County, to take over. With Hannemann as an Indy, Chang can’t risk Rohlfing supporting the Independent Party. Despite Chang call for ‘moderate’ candidates, Chang won’t run for LG (if he ever were) and instead supports New Hope Pastor Ahu who believes “the righteous philosophy of our state motto has not been protected.” Chang won’t even stand up for his own lack of principles.

–Credibility. (1) Complaining that most House Rs had no spine, SSM opponents have one primary in the works. Not saying there should be more, but don’t complain and don’t assume we aren’t watching which you choose. Consider who gains from consulting for new candidates and not challenging his incumbent clients. (2) Sarmento (fmr county & district chair) blogged that he left HRP when Fukumoto (and Chang) called SSM opponents ‘hate mongers.’ In December, Hannemann (the one doing anti-SSM) gives a large donation to Fukumoto. Not that he can’t, just that credibility is fragile. Hannemann’s ‘non-partisan’ support could go to Har & Oshiro, who risked more and spoke louder than ‘our side.’

-Ask Pine why she voted for the $10 trash fee increase.

-Ask HRA if NB elections are important. HK NB chair again takes action to again close Kokohead Range.

-Health Connector for $204M enrolled 4,297 of the 100,000 goal. SA “ federal study showed Hawaii with the lowest number of Obamacare signups.“

-Rand Paul “Everybody else told [Reagan] to shut up too. They said, ‘shut up and wait your turn.’ And he didn’t. There was a big fight over what was the direction of the Republican Party. There needs to be a struggle over the direction of the party. We have to decide, are we going to go bold or are we going to become Democrat-lite?”

-AZ-5 Salmon is the ONLY, 1 of 535, with 100% from ACU, Club for Growth and Freedom Works.

 

ARE YOU SATISFIED? HRP needs leadership focused on HRP.  Part 2 – candidates – tomorrow.

 

Willes

Last five: Meetings & Events/ In-Fighting/ Eleven Months/ More Than You Think/ Shutdown Go to http://hawaiideservesbetter.com