Spectacular turnout from GOP grassroots
Over a thousand Republic precinct committeemen (in person or by proxy) cast ballots for a slate of Executive Guidance Committee Members-at Large and to replace outgoing County Chairman Lyle Tuttle, who resigned due to health considerations.
Tom Husband, running unopposed, received an enthusiastic welcome from the crowd. The newly elected members-at-large are Sandy Doty, Kenneth Going, Daniel Grimm, Walter Opaska and Brian Symes. All are actively involved in the Republican party.
Several resolutions were passed by the precinct committeemen and elected officials.
The first resolution urged compliance with the laws regarding illegal immigration and removal of sanctuary city policies.
A second resolution urges the United Sates Congress to enact legislation clarifying the Fourteenth Amendment as denying citizenship status to children of illegal aliens simply by virtue of their being born in United States.
The third resolution urges Congress to reconfirm the Arizona GOP’s opposition to amnesty legislation or the granting of legal status to those illegally entering our country.
The fourth resolution advocates that the U. S. Congress pass clarifying legislation countering the Supreme Court’s previous ruling in Plyler v. Doe, which has resulted in billions of dollars in costs to Arizona taxpayers in funding non-statutory mandates.
The elected precinct committeemen also voted overwhelmingly in support of election of superior court judges in Maricopa county. Another vote in support of the sanctity of human life also passed.
[...] results on issues will follow shortly. Also visit Seeing Red Arizona for more coverage on today’s meeting. [...]
Good luck to our new leaders in the party. We need to stand behind & support all of them. Time to “save” the Republican Party & keep it as the “House that Reagan Built”.
Good coverage. I was there today and thought it was an excellent showing of involved GOP PCs. Lyle did a fine job for the County GOP. I expect the same from Tom Husband. He is a bright and likeable guy. Winning combination!
Rep. Russell Pearce makes me proud to be in his party. He is as knowledgable as any authority on the subjects he follows.
Electing judges? Wow! just like they do in 13 out of Arizona’s 15 counties? Giving this kind of control to the people in ALL of AZ’s counties would be just awful, we are told. The politicos know much better than us what we want and need.
I was at the meeting. The resolution on election of judges had overwhelming support. It’s a very popular issue. Quite a few people were unaware that only two AZ counties have their judges appointed. One woman took the microphone to announce that she votes for judges in Maricopa County. She seemed shocked to find out she is only voting on a retention ballot and that no judges have been removed in thirty years.
That’s quite a crowd of dedicated Republicans! I read the meeting started at 8:00 in the morning and took up half of the day. Thanks to all of you loyal and active folks! And thanks to the ones of you who voted in that straw poll. It might not have official standing, but it sure tells the country what AZ political activists think of our senator.
The “fourth resolution.” I will not support the proposed fourth county resolution. To say that the 1982 U.S. Supreme Court Plyler decision resulted in “billions of unfunded mandates to Arizona taxpayers” is misleading and is not grounded in citable facts.
The Plyler decision said that kids get an education. Period. The county resolution adds to what is an OK agenda of statements of concern on illegal immigration issues and turns it to over kill.
Just because a child has a parent(s) that is here illegally does not mean that they should not be in school.
First point – what if the child was born here – then they are a U.S. Citizen and fully deserving an education – if you cannot agree with that, then start a movement to change the U.S. Constitution on birthright issues. LOL.
Second point – some of these illegal aliens parents, whether we like it or not, own property and pay property taxes – which means they pay school district taxes. Guess what – they are paying their way. If they are paying for a rental property, they are paying into the tax structure, also.
Third point – No one has produced any clear, unbiased government or third party evidence that there are “billions” in costs to Arizona taxpayers. We don’t spend “billions” in public education in Arizona – heck, we have a major education journal citing that fact this week.
Fourth point – let’s say you kick out all these kids. Let’s be real – ICE is not going to collect 10-however many million illegal aliens and drive them out of the U.S. anytime soon. So the kids are here – it is a reality. It’s 10 AM in Phoenix or Tucson – the kid we kicked out of school because of his parents (no mind you if the kid is a U.S. Citizen or not) is doing what? Walking around and potentially going to get into trouble.
For the few per capita dollars that it may cost to have that kid in school (learning about America, democracy, good morals, etc.) – isn’t that an “insurance” policy that the kid is less likely out there committing a crime?
From my standpoint, it is the cost of the crime (investigation, prosecution, perhaps incarceration, cost to the victim, the victim’s insurance, etc.) – it is that cost of the crime that is far greater than education of that child.
I spent more than two decades in uniform in the intelligence service of this nation. I know first hand that in third world nations, the young under educated kids are the targets of dictatorships and fanatical organizations that use that opportunity to indoctrinate.
Yet, here in America, we daily take the opportunity to educate millions of kids essentially in being free, having choices and being responsible.
Yet the proposed county party resolution seems to ignore the greater good because there is an ax to grind over the illegal immigration issue that is all encompassing.
Don’t get me wrong – I am all for solid border security and ICE enforcement of our laws. In fact, I have served in uniform on that border dealing with border security. I blame both Congress and the Administration for failing to come up with a better immigration disaster solution. Mind you, I not talking amensty as a solution – I am simply saying no one has had the leadership and risk taking to stand up and push forward a solution to this problem.
In the meantime, we, as Maricopa County Republicans, are going to do what? Send a further message that others will say adds to the opinion that we are controlled by a bunch of mean spirited folks who now bash the education opportunities of kids – minor kids – who have no other choice than what they depend upon from their parents.
It is like saying to a good kid – I am sorry that your Dad was arrested for pushing drugs or DUI – but now you cannot go to school here. Does the sins of the parent mark the child?
Do you honestly think that turning off education for all these kids will solve the illegal alien problem?
Now we know that many of our folks on these issues are good people – not mean spirited – but the choice of platforms and what we communicate as Republicans is critical. Like weight control, perhaps it is better to take a smaller piece of the pie and be happy with that for now, then to demand more and get nothing.
My concern – and the concern of many I have spoken with is that one hand it is good that Republicans stand up for just laws, such as a fair employer sanctions law, and strict border security enforcement. But let’s remind ourselves we don’t have a Republican landslide in Arizona – we have some advantages with a lot of well-funded Democrats well positioned to take votes. The Dems spent a couple of million dollars in PAC money in the state legislative races. While Republicans had overall gains, they lost a seat in LD20 and did not get back the seat in LD11 – so the metro areas, where they greatest amount of votes are – are sliding to the Democrats.
In 2010, we will have a Governor’s race and every legislative seat is again up for grabs. We lost the White House and Congress. We need to be mindful that in Arizona, we are on “probation” in the face of very tense economic times.
I would rather see more resolutions dealing with the fiscal issues of our state and city governments, directing attention to cutting back to some basics (without shooting ourselves in the foot economically). Our Legislative leaders and our “governor in waiting” need sound fiscal ideas and support to bring Arizona back economically – we need to be working the grass roots and our County Republican statements need to be focusing on that battle some more.
One final thought – Ronald Reagan’s name is thrown around a lot. What I find greatest about Ron Reagan was that he never was a name caller – he was nice to all – and even when he opposed the Dems – they could still talk over lunch or dinner. We need to fashion our resolutions to be thoughtful and nice, not to target kids in the name of protecting the borders.