Do you need an attorney?

BY BUDDY NEVINS

Broward Republican activists are getting almost as bad as the perpetually feuding Democrats.

Broward GOP Chair Tom Truex  was publicly criticized in a blast e-mail this month for failing to “provide visible, enthusiastic leadership so that those within the organization are willing to follow…”

The e-mail to dozens of party activists argued that Truex’s inactions could cost Gov. Rick Scott the election because Broward was “ground zero” in November. Republicans need to suppress the Democratic vote margin in Broward to win the race statewide.

The long, written complaint about Truex comes from an unusual place — the Tamarac/Margate/Coconut Creek Republican Club. The e-mail was signed by Club President Gene Robinson, who said members had “unanimously”  requested him to send the highly critical e-mail.

Truex said: “I disagree with many of his conclusions.”

The GOP chair said he would meet with Robinson to discuss their differences.

As Truex is quickly finding out, it would be easier to herd cats than it is to get GOP activists to agree.  The GOP committee folks, just like the Democratic committee folks, are very opinionated with a myriad of views.

Party chairs in Broward can not make everybody happy.

Just ask Democratic Chair Mitch Ceasar.  He has been dealing with a small group of very vocal dissenters for two decades.

I have no views or ideas about the validity of Robinson’s argument. You can decide for yourself:

TOM:

During the last monthly meeting of the Tamarac/Margate/Coconut Creek Republican Club, held on March 27, 2014, Club member Terry O’Laughlin, in remarks about the Broward Republican Executive Committee (BREC), said, “I have been a BREC member for 14 years, and I have never seen it any worse than it is now.” O’Laughlin, who is the Immediate Past President of our Club, following further discussion of the subject by Club members, suggested that a letter be written to you that outlines our concerns with your leadership.

 With that in mind, and as the current President of this Club, the responsibility for writing the letter came to me. Since I have made suggestions to BREC about other items in the past, and have not received an audience regarding said items, after prayerful thought, I have decided to make this correspondence to you in the form of An Open Letter, so that other BREC members, who wish, may read its contents.

 Let me state, for the record, that I find you to be a Good Man, A Christian, and a Conservative, all admirable things that the majority of BREC members found in you also, which led them to vote for you as our new BREC Chair several months ago. However, a Chairman who is a TRUE LEADER should be a person who can 1.) organize, rally and marshal the troops in BREC to win elections for Republican candidates; 2.) raise money for the organization, realizing, as my late father always said, “It takes two things to win in politics, MONEY and VOTES”; and 3.) provide visible, enthusiastic leadership so that those within the organization are willing to follow you.

Looking over the landscape of BREC, it does not appear that the three things stated above are occurring. Over the course of the past few months, as pointed out at the last BREC meeting, we have lost 180 members. Every month, we are losing more Committee Infantrymen and women than we are bringing on board. In this War of Attrition, many of our BREC members are AWOL…….. Absent Without Leave!!

We have a paltry $2,700 in our treasury, less money than even some of our Clubs, including the one I represent, have in their treasuries. At this point, it has been pointed out, that we not only do not have enough money to rent a space for Lincoln Day, but we may not have enough funds to continue renting the hotel space that we use for BREC’s monthly meetings.

And, Lincoln Day deserves a mention all its own. Presently, we have no Guest Speaker lined up so that we may begin to raise money to cover a Grand Event, and then have money left over in our coffers to Get Out the Vote for the upcoming 2014 midterm elections. A Chairman has to be able to “get in the trenches” himself, or herself, to find a Speaker that will guarantee a successful event. And, if that responsibility is delegated, as you are wont to do, it better be to a person who will find that Speaker. That, sir, has NOT happened.

Republican National Co-Chair Sharon Day stepped in, at one point, to try and assist you in finding a Lincoln Day Guest Speaker, but with her daily responsibilities from coast to coast during this crucial period for the National Party, she does NOT have time to do what should be YOUR JOB, and OUR JOB, if approached in the right manner.

Broward County is “ground zero” for any Republican candidate who needs to win statewide election. We are “the tail that wags the dog” in Florida statewide politics, and are crucial for the re-election of Governor Rick Scott and his Cabinet. As you are well aware, no Republican candidate for Governor, or other statewide election, can win without approaching the threshold of 35% of the Total Vote Count in Broward.

Because we, in BREC, are in such disarray, as Terry O’Laughlin pointed out earlier in this letter, at this rate we could lose the Governorship!!

For too many months, we have depended on Republican Party of Florida district representative, Diana Ramos, to do the “heavy lifting” by trying to organize our Committeemen, and women. But, she cannot do it all by herself. She could provide all the Talking Points, Walking Lists, and Call Sheets necessary for Victory, but without the necessary BREC “Troops on the Ground”, all her planning cannot possibly get the job done.

And, now that she has moved over to head up the Governor’s re-election campaign in Broward, we need a fully functioning, robust, and enthusiastic BREC to harness the “Troops on the Ground”. In turn, we need a LEADER who shows that kind of enthusiasm to get this job done, and…………….

GET IT DONE RIGHT!!

This is a time when, with the disastrous rollout of the Obamacare initiative, we Republican should be “licking our chops” to win in November 2014. We need to maintain control of the U.S. House of Representatives, try to wrest control of the U.S. Senate, and more importantly to us in Florida, we need to get Rick Scott re-elected Governor of this state. As a Party, we may accomplish the first two things, but the last one, which is the most critical item to all Republicans in Florida……………… IS IN DOUBT.

Last week, the Inaugural Broward Republican Round Up, the brainchild of Dolly Rump, Sally Musser and Karin Hoffman, was a rousing success,attracting BREC members from all over the county, and many new faces. While the Round Up, which all the Republican Clubs supported, endorsed, and promoted, will help to Get the Vote Out this November, it was NOT a BREC initiated event, and to make matters worse, what was very disappointing was the fact that, as Chairman……………… YOU DID NOT ATTEND!!

I was not at the initial event either, and as I told the organizers, I was elsewhere trying to raise money to help defray the cost of the future Round Ups that will be held around Broward County to get Republicans “in the spirit” as we head to November, and beyond……………. but my Club was well represented at the event.

Let me say, that I did not compose this letter lightly, or without profound purpose. I do not speak for myself only, as the members of our Club requested unanimously for me to do this. And, please keep in mind, that the members of the Tamarac/Margate/Coconut Creek Republican Club are also members of, and leaders in, many other Clubs in Broward, as well as Palm Beach County. So, this letter speaks for NOT ONE VOICE, BUT MANY!!

In closing, I must say that when I ran for Chairman in 2010, when it came down to a very close vote between the top two candidates, you being one, I stepped aside and asked those who voted for me to cast their vote for YOU.

I expected once you became Chair this time around, that you would show the type of Leadership that I expected of YOU had you won in 2010. I must say, Mr. Chairman, that I am disappointed in your showing thus far.

So……………. WHAT SAY YOU????

GOD Bless,

GENE ROBINSON

President, Tamarac/Margate/Coconut Creek Republican Club

Member, Broward Republican Executive Committee

Closed.