Oh my… $5,000 for a one district party committee primary?
I just read a JI article regarding the East Hartford Republican Town Committee caucus on Jan. 11th. The article reports that two of the 7th district members, Mike and Vicky Brinius, lost their seats and the party chairman feels his position is at risk when RTC members elect new officers in March.
What’s the big deal? Mike and Vicky are attempting to force a primary for the Town Committee seats which registrar Mary Mourey estimates will costs us, the taxpayers, $5,000. This is definitely taxpayer abuse.
District 7 consists of somewhere between 500 and 600 Republican electors. We can expect a turnout of 50 to 100 voters if this primary goes ahead. That’s a per voter cost to the town of $50 to $100. My recommendation to Mike & Vicky, take it as a learning experience. Join the district committee if you are still interested and move on.
From the article:
Two members of the Republican Town Committee who said they felt unfairly ousted from their membership are petitioning for a primary to regain the seatsthey lost in the town’s 7th district.
Michael Brinius and his wife, Victoria Gaudette Brinius, were ousted during last week’s Republican caucus. Seventh district Republicans have 10 seats on the town committee, and the Briniuses found themselves finishing 11th and 12th in the voting.
Also:
Town Chairman Paul Roczynski said he believes Kronen and other Republicans have been planning to overtake the committee for some time now. When officer elections to the committee take place in March, Roczynski expects a challenge, and in all likelihood, he said, the opposition is likely to seize control of the party.
As always, if you are interested in becoming involved I’d be glad to assist you with joining the RTC. Even in full districts you can be a member of the individual district committee.
Jon, I find it funny that you think we should move on, when we have been true to our party from the beginning. However as someone who is 33% rep/ 33% lib/and 33% tea party PAC, really has no reason to comment. The votes in the last election spoke for themselves Jon, lets not go there. I also recall when you slammed the RTC, after nominating you, we asked for your resignation. WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST MOVE ON? The difference is that our request for your resignation was well founded, because you turned your back on us. Mike and I did nothing wrong, and were singled out, by your PAC PARTY CHAIRMAN. Which is no doubt why you are against Mike and I. It is so obvious and sickening that I AM the Secretary, and I was targeted for being a strong republican.
Without getting into this past election, the point is that any Republican can become a district member simply by informing the District chairman of their desire to do so and have full voting rights in the district after 60 days. There is still plenty of opportunity to be involved without the expense of a primary.
You certainly have every right under CT law to primary, but frankly any person thinking of doing so for a town committee seat really ought to ask themselves what the ultimate benefit is going to be and who is being served. Will you have the opportunity as a voting RTC member to save the taxpayers more than the $5,000 you spent getting there that you wouldn’t have as an average citizen and district member?
Every citizen has the right and duty to be involved and the ability to seek involvement on town bodies and in elected offices, regardless of RTC status.
Jon,
I take exception to your comments. The one that really bothers me is calling this taxpayer abuse. You sit and continuosly talk about your rights. Your right to be a candidate and stay on the Republican line , your right to say and do anything you want. Your candidates across the State as well as the country had no qualms when they had primaries last year and more calling it their right under the Constitution to get their voices heard. How dare you deny someone else their right under the laws of our country just because you do not like the fact that they are opposing one of your own. It will all come out and the Republicans of East Hartford as well as the rest of the State and the Country will not sit back allow a few disgruntled so called Repblicans try to take over our party. We will not be silenced , You are blatantly trying to take over the Republican Party and we are a few who are not afraid to fight back. Start your pwn party and leave the Republicans alone. We asked you once before to resign the RTC , you are the one who needs to move on because all you do is work against the party not for the party.
I won’t deny your accusation. I have no interest whatsoever in working for the party, any party. Neither am I interested in working against it. I am interested in working for good government through the party.
The party is a means to advance the principles of good government. To treat the party as the end to be served is to lose before you begin.
On January 14, 2010 you wrote ” I thought the basis for a civil society was respect for individual rights ” on your facebook page. I am really confused now how you can go against your own beliefs when people are exercizing their individual rights. You really are not showing any respect to Vicky or Mike .
I think you’re a little confused about what constitutes an individual right. Individual rights do not cause a burden upon others. You have the right to free speech, the right to self defense, the right to own property, etc. You do not have to impose a burden upon someone else. I had *thought* most Republicans knew that because of some of the arguments that are being used against Obamacare. I’ve heard repeatedly that heathcare is a good, not a right, because if it were a right, then a doctor could be forced to provide healthcare for free, which makes that doctor a slave.
An internal Republican party election is not a right. You might legally force taxpayers to pay for such an election, but it is morally unjustifiable to force others to pay for something that many of them don’t want to pay for.
Jon you hit the head on the nail for me, and made me even more positive that we are doing the right thing. People like you, or in the same mind state as you when you said
“I won’t deny your accusation. I have no interest whatsoever in working for the party, any party”
deserves to be primaried, especially if they earned their status in the RTC unethically. It is time that the people of East Hartford know what kind of District chairs they have. Especially ones that only care for themselves. Once again I will ask for you to move on and resign, because you have no interest in our party. WHY ARE YOU HERE? At least Mike and I care enough to make a difference, maybe you are angry because we are ousting people just like you. As usual you said it yourself.
P.S. why are you not talking about the past election? I can. I have nothing to explain or be ashamed of.
I’ll caution you that if you are going to challenge someone’s ethics on this blog that you need to be very specific about your claim.
I am not aware of any unethical practice at the RTC caucus. As best as I have been informed 13 Republican electors showed up in district 7 and elected 10 RTC members. The caucus was published, by yourself, and open to every Republican in East Hartford.
To me things like accepting money from candidates who may benefit from your committee’s endorsement or convention delegates are unethical. Not voting for someone at a caucus is not unethical.
In the end we will have to agree to disagree because we seem to have opposing viewpoints on the purpose of political parties. I believe they exist to represent and further the rigid principles of liberty.
This is the kind of abuse that makes me sick. Constitutionally, where does the state (let alone the federal government) get the right or power to use our money to support candidates with whom we may disagree. It is a blatant violation of the 1st amendment.
That is why I am so strongly behind candidates like Peter Schiff and Rick Torres who is running for Congress here in the 4th district of CT.
The current finance laws are horribly biased toward celebrities, incumbents, and self-financiers. It is a disgrace. It is time to send people to Washington like Rick Torres who will stand for the first principles of this country as espoused by the US Constitution.