Rhea County Republican Party Executive Committee
Keith Flatness, Chairman
Bitsy Gryder, Vice Chairman
Donna Taylor, Secretary
Sheila Larson, Treasurer
Larry Pendergrass, Vice Treasurer
Linda Pendergrass, Past Chairman
Marv Keener, Chaplain
Gary Drinkard, Parliamentarian
Jim Murphy, PAC Chair
THANK YOU!
The Rhea County Republican reached a new milestone this month as circulation surpassed the 200 subscribers mark. Please remember this newsletter is, among its other purposes, your forum. If you have announcements, observations, opinions, or other items of interest to share please send them! If you enjoy receiving the Rhea County Republican, please share it with others and invite them to subscribe. Thank you for your many kind comments and your support. – Editor.
SEPTEMBER MEETING
The September meeting will be held on 7 September, at 7:00 PM, at the Rhea County Sheriff’s Training Center, 711 Eagle Ln, Evensville, TN. We look forward to seeing you there!
PRAYERS FOR BITSY
Bitsy Gryder, our Vice Chairman, underwent a heart valve replacement on 14 August, she is currently at home recovering from the procedure. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated!
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN
We have some very important items on the agenda for our September meeting so please make plans to attend and offer your thoughts on our next Reagan Day Dinner. Elmer Harris will be present to catch us up on his work on our website—you don’t want to miss that! Representative Ron Travis will also provide a presentation on the decision making process for deciding whether we should have a primary or a caucus to determine our candidates in our next local election. Voters will select candidates for the following offices in the upcoming local election: Trustee, Sheriff, County Court Clerk, County Clerk, and Register. Thanks, Keith Flatness.
MINUTES FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING
The minutes from the May meeting were not made available at the time of publication of the June edition of the Rhea County Republican but are included herewith. — Editor.
Keith Flatness, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 7:02 PM. Keith asked Marvin Keener to lead us in prayer and Joe Gryder led us in the Pledge to the Flag.
Minutes of the April meeting were read by Secretary, Donna Taylor. Motion to approve the minutes was made by Joe Gryder, seconded by Kris Bancroft. Motion carried. There was no meeting in May.
Laura Travis announced that she had made 57 tours [of the Capitol] now. That is more than any other legislative office, school or guided tour company has made in the history of the museum.
Sheila Larson, Treasurer, presented the Treasurer’s Report with $12,148.16, less expenses presented tonight, from the Reagan Day Dinner, leaving a balance (including interest payment of $1.62), of $12,753.01. Joe Gryder moved that the Treasurer’s Report be accepted, seconded by Ron Travis. Motion carried.
James Murphy gave the PAC report. There is a balance of $594.00 in the non-interest bearing account. Joe Gryder made the motion to accept the report as presented, seconded by Ron Travis. Motion carried.
Kris Bancroft gave the Legislative Report. Adding that Scott DesJarlais was appointed to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Old Business: Joe Gryder went over the details of the Reagan Day Dinner. There are some details about tickets and money still undecided.
New Business: This is Representative Ron Travis’ first year as Chairman of the Insurance and Banking Committee. He requested of Governor Bill Haslam $200 thousand to put a new roof on the historic Rhea County Court House, and Governor Haslam granted his request. He also announced that the County Road Supervisor would get either $460 thousand or $600 thousand for Rhea County roads.
Gary Drinkard asked if we would write a thank you note to President Donald Trump for withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord that the United States was contemplating. Kris Bancroft made the motion and Laura Travis seconded. The motion carried. Bitsy Gryder will write the thank you note and Kris Bancroft will publish it in the Rhea County Republican newsletter.
Keith’s joke was enjoyed by all.
Bob Larson made a motion to adjourn and Joe Gryder seconded. The motion carried and the meeting adjourned at 8:45 PM.
TREASURER’S REPORT
The Treasurer’s reports for June and July are presented herewith. – Editor.
Date of Statement 31 May 2017
Previous Balance 12,948.16
Deposits/Credits 0.00
Checks/Debits 100.00
Service Charges 0.00
Interest Paid 1.64
Ending Balance 12,849.80
—
Date of Statement 30 June 2017
Previous Balance 12,849.80
Deposits/Credits 0.00
Checks/Debits 0.00
Service Charges 0.00
Interest Paid 1.59
Ending Balance 12,851.39
RANDOM THOUGHTS
A trip down memory lane. In 1994, Bill Clinton gave North Korea $5 Billion and two nuclear reactors, essentially giving them the nukes they have today!
COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS
Readers are always encouraged to offer commentary or share items of interest in the Rhea County Republican –Editor.
Gary Drinkard provided the following:
On Friday, the White House released their annual report to Congress on White House Office Personnel. It includes the name, status, salary, and position title of all 377 White House employees. The report also said that Trump decided not to take a dime of his salary, instead he donated it to an amazing cause! (See below).
The report also showed that President Trump is far better at saving money than Obama was. The total annual White House salaries under trump are $35.8 million vs. $40.9 under Obama, a savings of $5.1 million
Here are some other key findings:
There are 110 fewer employees on White House staff under Trump than under Obama at this point in their respective presidencies.
Nineteen fewer staffers are dedicated to The First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS). Currently, there are five staffers dedicated to Melania Trump vs. 24 staffers who served Michelle Obama (FY2009).
However, it’s what the report said Trump did with this salary that has everyone talking!
Instead of taking his salary, Trump donated all $400,000 to the Department of the Interior where it will be used for construction and repair needs at military cemeteries! AMAZING! It’s so great to have a President who loves our brave military men and women so much!
And where’s the media coverage of this? Oh that’s right, they don’t cover anything good that the President does.
http://www.dailywire.com/news/18220/trump-wh-budget-trim-22m-president-donates-salary-joseph-curl
Linda Pendergrass provided the following–
Ten things you’ll never hear a Democrat say
1) Congratulations to Karen Handel for breaking the glass ceiling in Georgia.
2) It is wonderful Ben Carson was able to break out from a cycle of poverty and his example of success should be followed.
3) We are sorry a Republican Congressman was shot and terribly embarrassed the shooter claimed to be a Democrat.
4) The 4000 black lives murdered in Chicago during the Obama years matter.
5) We are praying for President Trump to lead our nation successfully.
6) Where was Barack Obama, and what was he doing the night four Americans lost their lives in Benghazi?
7) Sexist attacks on Republican women are still sexist.
8) Black people are just as capable as anyone else of securing an ID to vote.
9) It was wrong when Donna Brazil fed the debate questions to Hillary Clinton and she was wrong for accepting them.
10) We lost fair and square and have no one to blame but ourselves.
Dr. Merrily Salyer, a reader from Sterling, VA has recommended an article by Matthew Richer, appearing in V-Dare Magazine, entitled “The Sanctuary Cities Confrontation Will Be Our Fort Sumter. Trump Should Fire Back By Arresting CA Gov. Brown (etc.).” The article is too lengthy for publication in the RCRP newsletter, but a link to the article follows should you wish to look it up. http://www.vdare.com/articles/the-sanctuary-cities-confrontation-will-be-our-fort-sumter-trump-should-fire-back-by-arresting-governor-brown
Liz Holiway provided the following details on the Statesmen’s Dinner, 3 August.
Good Afternoon,
Last night’s Statesmen’s Dinner was definitely one to remember. We at the Tennessee Republican Party want to personally thank all 2,000 people that came out and made the night a success.
We would also like to say congratulations again to all of the award recipients last night:
Howard Baker Award – Governor Winfield Dunn
Statesman of the Year Awards:
1st District – Roger Greene
2nd District – Pete DeBusk
3rd District – Tony Sanders
4th District – Scottie Poarch
5th District – Mayor Bob Rial
6th District – John Roberts
7th District – Peggy Daniel
8th District – Shannon Haynes
9th District – Barbara Thornton
With the help of all of our donors, volunteers and activists, we are getting ready to elect Republicans across the state next fall!
When we have supporters like you, together, the Republican Party in Tennessee will continue growing and building on the sweeping victories of 2016. Together we will continue moving Tennessee forward!
Rocky Silverman, a reader in Seattle, Washington, contributed the following:
How to Create a Socialist State, by Saul Alinsky.
There are eight levels of control that must be obtained before you are able to create a socialist state. The first is the most important.
1. Healthcare – Control healthcare and you control the people.
2. Poverty – Increase the Poverty level as high as possible, poor people are easier to control and will not fight back if you are providing everything for them to live.
3. Debt – Increase the debt to an unsustainable level. That way you are able to increase taxes, and this will produce more poverty.
4. Gun Control – Remove people’s ability to defend themselves from the Government. That way you are able to create a police state.
5. Welfare – Take control of every aspect of people’s lives (Food, Housing, and Income).
6. Education – Take control of what people read and listen to – take control of what children learn in school. [Think “Common Core.”]
7. Religion – Remove the belief in Gog from the Government schools.
8. Class Warfare – Divide the people into the wealthy and the poor. This will cause more discontent and it will be easier to take [“tax”] the wealthy with the support of the poor.
[“Rules for Radical” is the quintessential playbook used by socialists, Marxists, communists, and other “liberals” for instructions on how to destroy our Constitutional Republic. Although the anti-American groups use the book as their “bible,” it is very important that conservatives read it, too! When conservatives read Saul Alinsky’s book they are taking to heart the instructions given by Sun Tzu, in “The Art of War” where he taught us to “know our enemies.” Should anyone be interested in forming a study group to examine “Rules for Radicals” please make your interests known. – Editor]
MESSAGES FROM OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES
President Donald J. Trump
Gary Drinkard suggested the RCRP send a letter to the President to thank him for extricating the U.S. from the U.N. Paris Climate Accord, which saddled taxpayers with the burden of paying other countries to reduce their carbon emissions. Bitsy Gryder composed and sent the letter.
President Trump responded with the following letter:
“Thank you for your kind letter and generous words of support. Working together we will unify and strengthen our great Nation, honor our Government’s sacred duty to the people, and fulfill the promise of America to all of its citizens. United, we will achieve lasting change, peace through strength, and prosperity like never before.
“Melania and I are forever grateful for your support. Your encouragement, and that of millions around the world, sustains us every step of the way. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.
“With very best wishes,”
[Donald Trump]
Senator Bob Corker
In an interview with CNN, Senator Bob Corker slammed President Donald Trump’s handling of the racially motivated protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, charging that the President “has not demonstrated he understands the character of this nation.”
The Tennessee Republican told reporters in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Thursday that he thinks there must be “radical changes” within the White House.
“The President has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful,” Corker said, according to a video posted by local news website Nooga.com.
“He has not demonstrated that he understands what has made this nation great and what it is today, and he’s got to demonstrate the characteristics of a president who understands that,” Corker added.
Senator Lamar Alexander
Senator Alexander reported that he had voted three times within a week to repeal and replace 0bamacare. Upon the bill’s failure to pass, he took the next step forward toward what he believed was the best opportunity to repeal and replace 0bamacare. This vote would have moved the debate out of the Senate to a conference committee within the House of Representatives where they would have continued to work to give Americans more choices for health insurance at lower costs.
He stated “the Senate’s failure to do this leaves an urgent problem that I am committed to addressing: Tennessee’s state insurance commissioner says our individual insurance market is very near collapse. Unless Congress acts, many of the 350,000 Tennesseans who buy health insurance in that market – the self-employed – face the real prospect of having zero options to buy insurance in 2018 and 2019.”
Congressman Scott DesJarlais
Representative DesJarlais has announced his support for stronger sanctions on Iran, North Korea, and Russia. He voted for a bipartisan bill in response to their threats against the United States and our allies. The following links expand on the specifics of these threats: Russia continues to harass NATO allies in Eastern Europe, Iran recently took another American hostage, and North Korea test-launched another ballistic missile on Independence Day.
In a statement published on 26 July, Representative DesJarlais stated: “The governments of North Korea, Iran and Russia are in different ways actively seeking to harm Americans and our interests abroad. Just yesterday, the U.S. Navy fired a warning shot at an armed Iranian patrol boat in the Persian Gulf,” said Rep. DesJarlais. “Stronger sanctions send a clear message that America will punish aggressive behavior towards our people.”
Representative DesJarlais, a Member of the House Armed Services Committee and former Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, noted that the sanctions bill would crack down on North Koreas shipping and illicit trade in rare minerals necessary for weapons development, they would punish contributors to Iran’s missile program that is swiftly gaining full capability to deliver nuclear warheads, and would punish Russia for their aggression in Ukraine and their disruptive cyber activities.
Representative DesJarlais explained that the U.S. must negotiate from a position of strength, which is a priority of congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump. The Senate passed a version of the sanctions bill last month and the White House indicated that the President will sign the agreed-upon legislation when it reaches his desk.
[In response to the bill passed by Congress, Nikki Haley, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. obtained a unanimous vote by the U.N. Security Council to impose economic and trade sanctions on those countries that trade with North Korea. These sanctions would effectively reduce North Korea’s income by one-third. It is important to note, however, that Russia’s and China’s vote for the North Korean sanctions may well have been a defensive move to keep the U.S. from imposing sanctions on them, and that those countries will continue to deal with North Korea under the table. – Editor]
Scott DesJarlais stated the following: “Fusion GPS fabricated intelligence and peddled it to liberal media. Its founder refuses to testify to Congress about the deception, the basis for Hillary Clinton’s excuses after her election loss. Did her campaign pay for the lies, including false information from Russian agents? How did they make their way into official reports from James Comey’s FBI?
“With the Freedom Caucus, I’m pushing for a full investigation. The public deserves to know more about efforts to overturn our democratic election.”
Senator John McCain (via his newsletter for July 2017)
[In the interest of fairness to Senator McCain, his remarks as to why he voted against the “Skinny Repeal” bill – Senate Amendment 667 – a bill to repeal 0bamacare are presented herewith. According to Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Senator Mitch McConnell was “clearly shaken” by McCain’s vote. Readers are encouraged to draw their own conclusions and voice their opinions to their elected representatives as they may deem necessary or appropriate. – Editor]
“After a week of rest with my family in Arizona, I returned to Washington last Tuesday to continue the people’s work in the United States Senate. Upon my return, I spoke on the Senate floor on the current state of politics in our country and the need for civility and bipartisanship. As I stated in my speech, the success of the Senate is important to the continued success of America. This country . . . needs the U.S. Senate to help it thrive. That responsibility is more important than any personal interests of political affiliations.
“Last week, after a series of votes on health care legislation, I voted ‘no’ on the so-called “skinny repeal” of Obamacare. From the beginning g, I have believed that 0bamacare should be repealed and replaced with a solution that increases competition, lowers costs, and improves care for all the American people. It was clear to everyone that the skinny repeal would not accomplish those goals.
“I’ve stated time and time again that one of the major failures of 0bamacare was that it was rammed through Congress by Democrats on a strict-party line basis without a single Republican vote. We should not make the mistake of the past that led to 0bamacares’ collapse, including in my home state of Arizona where premiums are skyrocketing and health care providers are fleeing the marketplace.
“Last week’s vote presents the Senate with an opportunity to start fresh. It is now time to return to regular order with input from all our members – Republicans and Democrats – and bring a bill to the floor of the Senate for amendment and debate. I have great faith in the ability of the Senator from Tennessee, Lamar Alexander, the Senator from Washington, Patty Murry, and others to work together in a bipartisan fashion to craft a bill that increases competition, lowers costs, and improves care for the American people. It is time for members from both sides of the aisle to trust each other, stop the political gamesmanship, and put the heath care needs of the American people first. We can do this”.
LEGISLATIVE REPORT
Highlights on legislative actions over the past month.
24 July—
Scott DesJarlais voted to pass HR 3180 – Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018. The bill passed by a vote of 241/163 with nominal bipartisan support.
Scott DesJarlais voted to pass a bill that originated in the Senate – S 114 – Department of Veterans Affairs Bonus Transparency Act. A vote on this bill was taken under a suspension of the rules [of order], a procedure used to pass what is considered to be non-controversial legislation. Unfortunately, because the bill failed to garner a 2/3rd majority of votes (219/186), the bill failed passage. However, a subsequent vote can be taken under regular order of the House. The reader may recall the Senate passing this bill after it was revealed that certain workers at the VA who were simultaneously under investigation for criminal acts had been awarded bonuses.
Senator Bob Corker voted AGAINST the Motion to Waive All Applicable Budgetary Discipline RE: Amendment #270 while Senator Lamar Alexander voted to APPROVE the Motion.
This was the first Senate vote on a proposal to repeal and replace parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA; aka Obamacare). The proposal at issue in this vote was the Better Care Reconciliation Act with additional provisions by Sen. Ted Cruz. This proposal would have:
Reduced the federal deficit by $420 billion.
Reduced Medicaid spending by $756 billion.
Eliminated the individual and employer mandate penalties.
Resulted in 22 million individuals fewer having health insurance than under current law.
Added $182 billion in new funding for states to help with premiums and $45 billion in new spending on substance abuse treatment and recovery.
Allowed use of Health Savings Accounts to be used to pay premiums.
Paused federal dollars to Medicaid from going to Planned Parenthood.
Included a provision by Senator Ted Cruz that would allow insurers to sell unregulated plans if they also sell a regulated plan.
(Sources: CBO, Senate Budget Committee)
The vote was brought to the floor under the rules of the budget reconciliation process, in which one bill each year becomes immune to a Senate filibuster, i.e. it requires a simple majority rather than the 3/5ths threshold to pass, so long as the bill meets certain conditions related to the budget.
The Senate parliamentarian had previously ruled that provisions in the draft did not comply with the rules of the budget reconciliation process. This vote was to waive the conditions required by the budget reconciliation process. Waiving those requirements requires a 3/5ths vote. This vote failed and the proposal was ruled out of order.
The vote was on S.Amdt. 270, an amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 1628, the House health care bill.
This vote was related to amendment S.Amdt. 270 (Mitch McConnell) to H.R. 1628. The title of the amendment is S.Amdt. 270 (McConnell) to H.R. 1628.
The Motion was rejected by a vote of 43/57.
Scott DesJarlais voted to pass HR 3364 – Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. The Bill passed by a vote of 419/3.
Scott DesJarlais voted to pass HJ Resolution 111 – Providing for Congressional disapproval under Chapter 8, Title 5 US Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, relating to “Arbitration Agreements.” The Resolution passed by a vote of 231/190.
25 July –
Senator Bob Corker has sponsored S 1631 – A bill to authorize funding for the Department of State for Fiscal Year 2018, “and for other purposes.” [Since spending bills are normally originated in the House of Representatives, Senator Corker’s bill may raise some questions among observers. However, since Senator Corker is Chairman of the Senate Committee overseeing the Department of State, it seems leeway is given to him for sponsoring such legislation – Editor]
26 July –
Senator Alexander voted AGAINST, while Senator Corker voted FOR Senate Amendment 271, authored by Senator Rand Paul, to HR 1628, a bill to repeal parts of 0bamacare [the so-called “Affordable Care Act – Editor] without replacement with almost identical text to the 2015 bill that was originally passed by the Republicans but vetoed by Mr. 0bama. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) had predicted Senator Paul’s Amendment would have reduced federal deficits by $473 Billion over the coming decade while increasing the number of people insured by the new legislation by 32,000,000 by the year 2026 relative to the current law.
27 July –
Scott DesJarlais voted to pass HR 3219 – Department of Defense Appropriations Bill for Fiscal year 2018. The bill passed by a vote of 235/192.
Scott DesJarlais voted to pass House Amendment 254 (introduced by Marsha Blackburn) to reduce appropriations under HR 3219 – Make America Secure Act, by 1% to Division D of the bill. In the 338 page bill, Division D includes the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2018, and funds the Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army, and the Civil Corps of Engineers. The attempt to reduce federal spending failed by a vote of 140/285.
Senators Alexander and Corker voted to pass HR 3364 – Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act that was sent over by the House. This bill allows President Trump to apply sanctions against Iran, Russia, China, and other countries as he may deem appropriate or necessary. The bill passed by a vote of 98/2.
28 July –
Senators Alexander and Corker voted to pass S Amendment 667 to HR 1628 – the bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act (0bamacare). The Amendment failed to pass by a vote of 49/51, with Republican Senators McCain, Murkowski, and Collins voting against the Amendment. This vote was on a partial or “skinny” repeal – offered by Senator Cruz – without replacement of the Affordable Care Act. It had been called the “skinny” plan because it was a pared-down proposal after several earlier and more comprehensive proposals were rejected.
The 8-page proposal would have primarily:
Eliminated the penalties associated with the individual and employer mandates to have/provide health insurance
Paused federal dollars from going to Planned Parenthood through Medicaid for one year and increasing funding to a community health center program instead
With the result of:
Reducing the federal deficit by $184 billion
Increasing the number of uninsured people by 16 million
(Source: CBO)
[The group Young Conservatives reported that Senator McCain had met with Senators Schumer, Feinstein, and Warren prior to casting his “NO” vote. – Editor]
Senator Corker is the sponsor of S 371, Department of State Authorities Improvements Act – Fiscal Year 2017.
Senator Daines (R-MT) offered S Amendment 340 to HR 1628 – To Provide for Comprehensive Health Insurance Coverage to All United States Residents, Improved Health Care Delivery, and Other Purposes. The Amendment failed by a vote of 0/57, with both Senators Alexander and Corker voting “Nay.” This Amendment was proposed in order to force Democrat senators to go on record as rejecting a single payer system. This is possible because senators may vote “Yea,” “Nay,” or “Present.” Voting “Present” effectively equals a “Nay” vote but also technically allows senators to claim they did not vote against a single payer proposal. 43 senators voted “Present,” thus generating the 0/57 results. Meanwhile, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) attempted to stall further progress on repealing 0bamacare by proposing to send HR 1628 back to the Senate Finance Committee, as a strategy to force the return of regular order for consideration of this effort. Although Senator Schumer’s proposal was defeated, Senator McCain handed the Democrats the victory they sought by voting against the passage of HR 1628. What is for the present the Democrat’s last attempt in stalling the advancement of the 0bamacare repeal process, Senator Murry (D-WA) made a motion to send HR 1628 to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, for further review and potential treatment. This motion would have delayed further action by three days. Senator Murray’s motion was rejected by a vote of 52/48.
Scott DesJarlais voted to pass HR 3210 – Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2018. The bill passed by a margin of 235/192. The back story of this bill includes a vote by Representative DesJarlais against an amendment to raise the appropriations amount by $30,000,000; the congressman displayed his fiscal restraint in government spending as he felt the justification for the increase was not warranted since the amount was earmarked for non-military purposes.
1 August –
Both Senators Alexander and Corker voted in PN 696 to confirm Christopher Wray, of Georgia, as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a term of ten years.
As stated previously, the Democrats have been obstructive insofar as President Trump’s nominations for key posts by keeping confirmation votes from reaching the senate floor, holding the nominee hearings in the committee process. However, once a vote for the nominations reaches the Senate floor, the nominees are generally confirmed by wide margins. The Senate voted to confirm Mr. Wray by a vote of 92/5.
Both Senators Alexander and Corker voted in PN 372 to confirm Kevin Newsom, of Alabama, to serve as the United States Circuit Judge for the 11th District. The confirmation passed by a vote of 66/31.
2 August –
Both Senators Alexander and Corker voted in PN 681 to confirm Marvin Kaplan, of Kansas, to serve as a Member of the National Labor Relations Board. Mr. Kaplan was confirmed by a vote of 50/48; his appointment to the NLRB changes the balance of power away from organized labor, who have used their influence to assist only persons who are members of labor unions.
[The House and Senate are currently in recess but word from folks around D.C. indicates they have a packed agenda upon their return in September – Editor]
RANDOM THOUGHTS
The greatest threat to American freedom is a government that ignores the Constitution – Thomas Jefferson
RANDOM THOUGHTS
One cannot speak truth to power if power has no use for truth. (Quote attributed to James Rivington, Publisher of the York City Gazetteer, c. September 1777.)
EDITORIAL
Think for a moment, if you will, of a large corporation and its organization chart. At the top is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who is ultimately responsible for the success or failure of the corporation. Immediately below the CEO are the Vice Presidents (VPs). Working for the VPs are the Department Heads (Middle Management) who lead the rank and file employees. All rational people within the corporation, from the CEO to the hostlers and clerks, understand they have an integral part in ensuring the corporation achieves its definition of success.
When the corporation achieves its goals, everyone is happy and everyone keeps their job—some are even promoted. However, when goals are not met, the CEO is required to analyze the problems, consider the available solutions, issue instructions, and observe and guide the employees as necessary.
On receiving decisions and instructions from the CEO, Upper Management communicates assignments to Middle Management, and may ultimately reassign or replace parts of the Middle Management team if the desired results are not achieved by the rank and file employees.
Our government was designed to work the same way. Please consider:
The rank and file employees are those Congressmen and Senators who do not chair committees. Middle Management are our elected representatives who preside over various committees. Upper Management include all in the Executive Branch of government, the Speaker of the House, and the Senate Majority Leader.
What most Americans fail to realize is that “We the People” are the CEO!
All the elected representatives work for us! In this scenario even the President and Vice President are merely a part of the Upper Management team!
It was we conservatives who hired what is now a majority of Republican employees when we showed up at the polls in, by some accounts, record numbers, to give the Republicans what they told us was essential for them to accomplish all the goals we expected them to achieve—we were assured they would make good on their promises. We gave them their majorities in both Houses and a win in the White House. At no time must we forget this and neither must we allow our elected representatives to forget it!
However . . .
It has been an ordeal of disappointment for many Republican voters to witness the virtual absence of progress being made by our Republican representatives in moving toward fulfilling the promises made to us, to repeal 0bamacare, secure our borders, reform the tax code, bring the United States back to the status of being a “producer nation,” devising a means to reduce deficit spending and pay off our national debt, and all the other tasks they told us they’d attend to when we “hired” them. Watching the GOP work on these and other jobs is a lot like watching paint dry.
Here’s where we – the CEO – must make an executive decision followed by swift and immediate action in the form of communications to each of our employees—communication as appropriate to Upper Management, Middle Management, and to our rank and file employees.
Many of our rank and file employees – Senators and Representatives at large – especially those in the Freedom Caucus – have made a serious and admirable effort to keep their promises. It is, therefore, appropriate that we acknowledge their efforts, let them know we back them, and counsel them on what they must do next.
Similarly, we should acknowledge the works of our Department Heads – those representatives who chair various committees – when they have performed to our expectations.
