San Mateo County Republican PartyCandidate for County Central Committee, Supervisorial District 2

My style.

·        Facilitate full committee involvement.  I will meet with anyone, anytime anywhere.

·        Recluse myself from voting except to break ties.

·        Insure the SMGOP Bylaws are followed and business is conducted in an open and transparent manner. 

·        Build coalitions and alliances within the community.

·        No surprises.

·        Representation of each District Caucus at Executive Committee meetings.

My 100 day plan.

·        Publish a strategy.  This document will be our handbook for short and long term planning.  It will be like a prospectus to show voters and donors what is at stake in local government and how a minority party can make a difference.

·        Publish a 24 month activity calendar.

·        Publish an eight (8) year political calendar. 

·        Publish metrics to assess committee performance.

My assessment of the committee.

1.      Strengths

a.      Monthly general meetings are held regularly and quorum is almost always met.

b.      Delegate/proxy attendance at CRP conventions

c.      Politics, wine and cheese events are held most months.

d.      Executive Director with central committee and political campaign experience was largely responsible for raising funds, organizing phone banks, and getting out mailers for the Nov 2014 election.

2.      Weaknesses 

a.      The committee is primarily dependent on one donor. 

b.      Not many volunteers (inside or outside of the committee). 

c.      There is not a strategic plan. 

d.      There are more concerns about competing factions than building coalitions and alliances.

e.      Vanilla agendas without action items.  Therefore there are no expectations at the meetings.

f.       Minutes not published until three (3) days before the next meeting.  By then everyone has forgotten the next step. 

g.      Following the bylaws and Roberts Rules of Order, Revised.

h.      No long term plan.

i.       Communication and direction from the Executive Committee

j.       Openness and transparency, closed committees.

k.      Persons outside of the county seem to control the committee.

l.       There are three standing committees that do not meet. These committee are listed in the SMGOP Bylaws, Section 2.05, Standing Committees.  SMGOP Bylaws Section 2.01.03, General Rules of Membership, para (E), requires each regular member of the Committee for actively participating in and contributing to the programs of at least one standing committee throughout his or her term of office, and in the District Caucus of which he or she is a member.

1.      We do not have a plan, strategy, and performance measures.  We need a prospectus to show donors and volunteers that there is a need for their involvement and we have a functioning committee.

2.      Bylaws mimic a centralized politburo with an executive committee elected at large with over reaching powers.  A Republican Central Committee should have bylaws that mirror a representative government that powers down to the district caucuses. 

3.      In most cases people are recruited for one purpose, to be a vote.  They are told all you have to do is attend one meeting a month and if you cannot attend you can get an alternate.  We are not recruiting to put skills on the committee.

4.      The main priority is providing delegates to the CRP.  This is an important part of our involvement, but it does not help us win a single election.

5.      We are not training our members on how to be effectively involved in the community.