Aloha Friends, welcome back. Part 2, yesterday was Part 1

We have the victims and those affected by the attacks in Boston in our prayers.

-April 27 Kauai Friends of NRA Dinner major_aguilar@hotmail.com

-May 2 Legislative session ends.

-May 4 East Oahu meeting. 8:30 AM Marian243@hawaiiantel.net.

-May 22 Friends for Sam Slom. Hear the Lone Ranger’s legislative report. Or, send a check, thank you. FFSS, 6600 Kalanianaole Hwy, Suite 212, Honolulu, HI 96825. Marian243@hawaiiantel.com.

-May 24 Aloha Pregnancy Center banquet. 234-7233 reservations, http://alohapregnancy.com/

-May 25 Introductory Meeting

-There are many energy-filled conservatives and Republicans in Hawaii. Thank you.

-HRP says Honolulu filled 28/34 district chair positions, 2/5 vice chair positions and 0/1 treasurer; some are place-holders. Kauai is UP to 2/3 district chairs, 0/3 exec cmte filled. BI has 3/7 district chairs, STILL no announcement about BI convention results. Depending on the list used 23+% of district chair positions unfilled. A quarter of the state without grassroots leadership. A fifth of the State Cmte not manned. Don’t fume over this report – get your ‘leaders’ to recruit chairs. Our district asked new county chair Rohlfing III to speak at our April meeting. He RSVP’d ‘no’ the day before the meeting but promises to attend in May. Tell me about your county.

-Maui News letter “Maui County .. had its annual convention. The only thing that I was a little disappointed in was .. that Mayor Alan Arakawa was not at the event.” I too am curious of Arakawa’s status because HRP does not list him as a R. However, why would he attend their convention? Fontaine, of all people, in an uncontested election. No message, no support. Maui says 50 people attended.

–Leadership. Chang is the CEO of the HRP small(er) business and he drives the politics of the HRP political party. During his entire tenure HRP has been in debt, all incurred since he’s been on the Exec Cmte. Rs lost seats in the legislature, lost more House incumbents than were reelected, lost all NI legislative seats. Lost the US Senate race by a HUGE margin, and both US House races. Filled less than 50% of district positions at caucus meetings. Chang oversees five vice chairs: Chow has no coalitions, Dorn doesn’t do communications, Coluccio never attempted a community service project. Fukumoto did nothing (per Ready) and Ready has no Coordinated Campaign (he has a four-person Phoenix cmte). Treasurer Klompus (she) skipped the last three quarterly State meetings and Secretary Schaedel doesn’t provide minutes for meetings. No county chair is responsive to Chang. HRP has no message and no messaging, by intent according to Chang and Blom. His national cmte reps, Hellriech & Liu, worked a single (Lingle) campaign while the party flounders in debt and without volunteers. He didn’t do the required annual audit, was two months late proposing a budget, has no strategic plan or communications plan, no finance cmte or finance plan. Party elections are in May.

–State convention. Wrongly taken from Maui and brought to Oahu as a sign of an Oahu-centric focus and with concern about officer elections, this year HRP elects party officers and reviews the party rules. Resolutions will be raised on the floor because the standing Platform Cmte is not standing. A month to go and no one has declared candidacy for any leadership position.

-Reader sent this is an example of HRP using party resources to advocate for their ‘approved’ slate of 2011 officers. You decide (1) how the officers you were told to elect performed, (2) whether HRP ought to be telling you how to vote, (3) if you’ve even met or heard of the officer. http://www.gophawaii.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/GOP-Slate-Draft.pdf

-District chair Fagan complained that LD again delayed until April, just before the May state convention, causes hardship for Maui members. Last year we noted the lack of convention sponsors because donors were pushed to contribute to LD only a month prior. Lack of convention sponsors causes delegates to pay more than they should for convention registration. HRP pressures district chairs to purchase tables for LD at $150/seat, then to recruit and force convention delegates to pay $60 for the convention, plus travel (twice), in the course of one month.

–LD. C/H/L couldn’t get a speaker. Lee (UT Senate) was here with GRIH. Kibbe (FreedomWorks) was here last week. I helped bring Keene (NRA President) for the FNRA dinner. Reader “[Chang] brags that he was able to convince GWB to go to South Korea..but the best he can do for our Lincoln Dinner is Lingle.” Why would HRP ask Lingle? Why would she accept? If not someone we care to see, why not a contender for Governor or US Senate? Lingle “I remain hopeful about the future because of the emergence of new, young and dynamic leadership at the Hawai’i Republican Party and in the State Legislature.” I believe her, just like when she said that she was tied with Hirono.

–FEC. HRP report should be posted next week.

-Reader asked why HRP didn’t sell the HQ. That brought memories of the huge intra-party divide between a debt-ridden Kaauwai&Nonaka wanting to sell the property and Hellriech&Lee (yes, me) looking to salvage the only HRP value remaining. Old news. In two recent visits to HQ (for Rules), I felt dirty when I left. We expect caretakers – now, C/H/L and Blom – to care for it, including the occasional repair or replacement. We own the property. HRP used to have a budget item for ‘HQ maintenance.’ HQ was orderly and maintained. Blom should make the place once again professional ‘appearing.’ Store boxes of equipment. Straighten offices. Wipe grime off the equipment and tables. Sweep the floor, clean the kitchen and bathroom. I can only imagine the upstairs. You’d expect Chang or the Exec Cmte to mentioned this if they are ever there. Your care for our property is an indicator of how you care for our party.

-Two or three R reps had fundraisers during session. HRP used to inform members about candidate raisers, but not those – apparently concerned that candidates would snake revenue from the LD effort. Slom, who won’t do an event during session, has a low-end casual event in late May.

–Phoenix, lately. Three Oahu participants, one NI. Direction “Our mission is to work together as… “volunteers assisting Hawaii Republican Party to rebuild by actuating its entire structure transparently and in accord with its rules and thereby achieving a grass roots presence state wide.” “In accord with rules” should be a given… unless they know the rules aren’t followed.

-State “Executive Committee approved letter to County Chairs and District Chairs asking notice of their meetings for remainder of the year.” These people won’t give more than a week’s notice for meetings and do not have this quarter’s State Cmte meeting on the calendar.

-Step backwards. It is a super initiative to hold a Young Republicans Pau Hana, even though they still don’t have 100 signatures on their petition. The announcement was emailed on a Monday for a Thursday event to young people with jobs and families. Less than 20 attended.

–YAL. Young Americans for Liberty, not the College Republicans, hosted a UH event “The Lost Art of Declaring War.” In the spirit of increased involvement, YAL offered to do what CRs apparently can’t – start a UH CR group.

–Party officer writes me: “There are many true things in what you say…” and that I should not be “circulating withering criticisms of the Party out and among people not elected as officers.”

-Readers. “I wasn’t notified of the county mtg on Oahu. But I always get the fund raising letters/emails.” “I don’t want to be wasting my time if it turns out the party is going to continue to transform into Democratic lite.” An email on Maui “More people would probably be involved if events and political activities were released to the members.” “Lacking clear and defined common goals, i.e. “Party Platform”, there is little that can unite the membership.” “They really treated the grassroots badly.” “If I were a man, I would seek you [that being me] out and punch you in the nose.” “I’m not getting anywhere trying to revive interest in the party.” “Walden .. will be the shadow Chair in Maui because of the Fontaine dependence upon him.” “The destructive and self-serving “Ohana” which took over our party in 2009 is still ensuring Republican impotence today in Hawaii politics.” “..C/H/L have taken an extreme Oahu-centric outlook into leading the party.” “Hellreich considers herself a [national] party insider with Chang and Liu aspiring [RNC] want-to-be insiders.” “I would think an unbiased observation, even from current leadership, would say that our party apparatus is not working.” “Wouldn’t it be nice if the party had a Political Committee that could get out the message to those inclined to testify in person or in writing?” “While there is still widow’s mite contributions there is still hope and a reason NOT TO GIVE UP.” “try to be more kind to [C/H/L]” “Actually, the Death Knell first struck when Lingle became party chairwoman and changed the HRP and bylaws into her Campaign Committee.” “I have been saddened to see the less than honorable behavior of the local and State leadership.” “We need to work together to insist that the Hawaii Republican Party start earning our donations..” “the way the party (Marcia Klompus ) is using the [OL] members is obscene.” “Current regime doesn’t follow rules, or bends them to give them the results they want.” “Most of them do nothing.” “For [Hellriech] to suddenly care about an issue it would have to hit close to home . . . meaning the pocketbook.”

–Defending Republicans. Hashimoto interviewed Lee (me) on April 2. Scheduled to air in May. Olelo ch 55. The Republican party is not dead. They just don’t participate because the Lingle-based HRP hasn’t given conservatives a reason to be involved.

-HRP leadership asks, because of a liberal article, whether campaigns will replace parties. It is more likely that Super PACs will replace parties. Also in message but more likely in money=capabilities. Elections are won by candidates, not parties. However, parties that don’t set the table with a message, identify voters or establish a ground network won’t be ready when a candidate comes along i.e. HRP.

-R House caucus wouldn’t. CB ‘[Say] hired a Republican candidate…Au ..working .. as a legislative aide.’ Blair “Might we see a Saiki v. Au rematch and 2014? http://www.civilbeat.com/articles/2013/03/28/18666-political-enmity-calvin-say-hires-scott-saikis-gop-opponent/ In the General or the Primary?

-Midweek Boylan The GOP’s Local Youth Movement “Finding signs of life in Hawaii’s Republican Party can be frustrating – almost as frustrating as being a Republican in Hawaii.”

-April 2. SB1093 Childhood Early Education. Only R to oppose is Slom. Cheape, Fale, Johanson, Fukumoto voted with the Ds. Ward was again ‘absent.’

-“An island on an island.” Slom on Reason TV, 4 min. http://reason.com/reasontv/2013/03/26/americas-loneliest-senator-hawaiis-lone Member “We are so fortunate to have this man of such high integrity representing and bringing forth the “other side” of the discussion.”

-Contrast. It was disappointing when our House caucus praised the state budget which greatly increases spending. Senate caucus, that would be Slom, instead proposed 5-7% less than either the Dems House, Senate or Governor’s. http://senateminority.wordpress.com/issues/budget/

-Filling the HRP void. Hawaii Republican Assembly ‘The Republican Wing of the Republican Party.’ HIRA is challenging the HRP status quo with alerts about legislative hearings and opportunities to testify. http://www.hawaiireporter.com/hawaii-political-red-alerts-on-gas-taxes-diversity-traditional-marriage-and-pldc/123 HIRA is doing what the party couldn’t do, and said that they wouldn’t do. Be political. Be conservative. Allow members to be involved. www.republicanassemblies.org. Tell me what you think.

–Session. Reader “Legislators should be alerting us to what is in the legislature … and tell us what they are doing to protect us from bad legislation and tell us when we need to submit testimony. Their silence and/or after the fact selective reporting shows they don’t really care what our positions are. Since “Republicans” don’t stand for anything, everything they do appears to be reactive…not pro-active.”

-Lack of message. Hellriech had published a letter in SA opposing same day voter registration. HRP never did a press release or conference to support even their NCW.

–MUST read. VA NCM Blackwell about his RNC rules proposal and the RNC Growth and Opportunity Report endorsed by Chang ‘and the HRP.’ http://www.republicanassemblies.org/alert-from-the-president-call-your-national-committeeman-today/

-HRP may be highlighting Lingle at LD. SA April 11 Chang “I think that it is possible that one of our people who have a (state) seat or who have run before come out and run a good campaign and you never know what happens.” The bar is being set with Schatz raising $1.1M last quarter. Hanabusa raised $230k, Gabbard 85k. Lingle $100.00 and carries 181k debt.

–Gingrich new PAC to retire his $5m debt and support conservative candidates….perhaps time to settle the 2010 HRP debt to Gingrich.

-I left out a fun item in my CPAC report. Walking from my car to the exit of the parking structure (two rows of autos) were license plates from VA, MA, IN, NY, FL, NJ, MD, DC, PA, OH, SC, CT, NC, TN, DE, GA, AL, TX, MI.

-Feulner leaves Heritage in good hands. “We’ve had quite a ride these last three-and-a-half decades, and I leave knowing that Heritage will flourish under my successor, Jim DeMint.”

-SA editors support Jones Act House resos. Even SA sometimes gets it right. “Our Legislature should pass this resolution to push the limited-exemption issue in front of Congress (that’s right), where Hawaii’s delegation can then work toward its enactment.” (Yeah, sure.)

-Enormous outrage about waiting lines to purchase or register a gun. There are many anguish causing issues. Your anger has to translate to financial and volunteer support for candidates and organizations who believe what you believe. We have to put up, funds and hours, or shut up.

-Slippery slope. “In an angry dissent in the 2003 Supreme Court decision striking down sodomy bans, ..Scalia warned that the ruling would surely lead to same-sex marriage..” http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/book-review-whats-wrong-with-homosexuality-by-john-corvino/2013/03/22/5480232e-8fd9-11e2-9abd-e4c5c9dc5e90_story.html?wpisrc=emailtoafriend

-2016 5-way horse race. Quinnipiac poll. Republican voters. Rubio 19%, Ryan 17%, Paul 15%, Bush 10%. It’ll change.

-Chuck Norris can kill two stones with one bird.

 

ARE YOU SATISFIED? HRP needs leadership focused on HRP.

 

Willes

Last five: February/March/ Weekend update/ BUZZ-RNC Winter Meeting/ New Year and new Cycle/ Money, Who Had It