I went to the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee (KCRCC) meeting last night, and it was packed. Standing room only and not much of that left either.
Everyone was there to see if the committee would vote Matt Roetter out of his official capacity. But, after many related motions and back and forths and even a secret ballot, they voted to postpone the decision on Matt’s fate until next month’s meeting.
I know and like Matt Roetter and I know and like Phil Hart. Phil actually sat right next to me last night, snagging the last chair available, while Matt, as the State committeeman, was up at the head table.
The quick back story is this: Phil has had income tax issues of his own ideological making and these have been known for years. He has never been arrested or had this tax problems deemed criminal. After he won the Primary election in his district this past May, more information about his tax situation came out in the media, even though there was really nothing new. And, just recently, information about Phil taking of trees from state-owned lands a number of years ago, which he used to build part of his house, also became public. Phil was not arrested for this action either because it was within the specific wording of the law.
The rest of the back story includes last month’s KCRCC meeting, where the issue of supporting Republican candidates was brought up. (I was not there but this is what I was told) Apparently Matt Roetter spoke openly to the whole group about his concerns and unwillingness to support Phil Hart. Some committee members responded with a motion to remove Matt from his official capacity as State Committeeman. They decided, as a group, to have the vote at the October meeting, which was last night.
Now we’re up to date.
Last night, after the decision to postpone Matt’s fate until next month, the biggest discussion was about party loyalty. It was a hot topic with lots of passionate discussion back and forth, ending in a contentious roll-call vote of 40-ish in favor of party loyalty and about 20 opposed.
Now let me give my personal thoughts. I’ve stayed quiet on the Phil Hart issue because there are so many aspects to it and I’ve been busy with other things. But last night cleared the clutter of all the innuendo and defenses, for me anyway.
Here’s the way I see it: Matt Roetter and anyone else who asked for, ran, and were elected to their party positions have a job to do. That job is to help the party’s candidates who were chosen by the voters in the Primary process. IF the job-holder in the party (state committeeman, precinct chair, or any other elected job within the party) does not personally agree with or support a certain candidate, they should be publicly quiet about it or they should resign their job. They can, of course, vote for anyone they want when they are in the voting booth. IF the candidate is arrested by legal authorities for criminal actions, then the party can take action to remove their support.
As a regular, unelected member of the Republican party, I do not have to be quiet about my non-support of any candidate. I’m free to whisper or yell as I wish. So I can tell you that, if I lived in Phil Hart’s district, which I do not, I would not vote for Phil this time, even though I like him as a person. His choices with his tax fight and the timber use are not to my choosing. But, if I were an elected committee person, I would not say a word publicly against Phil’s actions because it would be my JOB to, at the minimum, do no harm to the candidate chosen by the primary voters of my district.
OK, now what’s your take on it?
This is about the politics of destruction. I’m wondering whether Matt Roetter knew of Phil Hart’s problems before the primary, yet sat on his hands about it? I’m wondering if Hart’s issues wouldn’t have been hushed up had Roetter’s best friend Duane Rasmussen succeeded in buying himself Jim Clark’s old seat?
All I see here are two evils. 1) Hart was wrong not to pay his taxes, he was wrong to steal lumber. 2) The angry cabal of losing GOP candidates from last May’s primary are wrong to take out their losses on Hart. This nonsense is why the GOP is not taken seriously.
Both Roetter and Hart are doing nothing to improve the image of the GOP in the public. Shame on them both.
Comment by Dan — October 27, 2010 @ 10:36 am
Exactly….. my post to the Press this Am at 0919.
Matt Roetter has the right and freedom to support any candidate of his choice. I’ll support that all day long.
As a member of the KCRCC, if he overtly supports a candidate it must be a Republican Primary winner. He has the responsibility to support the Republican Primary winner. That responsibility comes with the job. If he doesn’t support the charter he should RESIGN.
Comment by Ancientemplar — October 27, 2010 @ 10:46 am
Two things everyone needs to keep in mind: (1) there is no Democrat in this race, and (2) Howard Griffiths is a Republican. It is not possible that the next person in seat 3B will not be a Republican, so I don’t see why the Central Committee needs to turn this into such a public and divisive issue. I don’t blame Roetter – his only crime was trying to get Griffiths literature included at the GOP table at a Tea Party event at Greyhound Park. I blame the KCRCC and Tina Jacobson in particular for dividing and embarrassing Republicans on the eve of a crucial election. Raul Labrador’s fate is going to depend on Kootenai County, and every moment they spend squabbling over this Hart-Griffiths non-troversy is a moment that could be spent helping Labrador, Hayes, Luna, and everybody else they’re ostensibly trying to elect.
Comment by KootenaiConservative — October 27, 2010 @ 11:17 am
I agree with you, KC, that this is terrible timing and this issue should have been tabled until after the election. it is now but that’s a month too late.
Apparently there’s criticism from the far left, that my view of Phil Hart’s situation gives him a pass, when I’ve been picky about Dan English’s performance. There’s quite a difference!
Phil Hart has been doing his job as a legislator in our State House of Representatives. His constituents voted him back in as the Republican candidate. NONE of the public attacks have to do with his performance on the job! They are all dealing with issues in his personal life.
I’ve never made any personal comments about Dan, other than he’s a nice man. My criticisms of Dan English have ALL been about his official job as County Clerk in charge of the Election system here. Dan English has run a disorganized, inefficient election process, full of errors and unsafe procedures that put the integrity of our votes at risk. Even the Chief Deputy Secretary of State, Tim Hurst, said in court, under oath, that the failure of Dan English’s office to keep the legally required Report of Absentee Ballots for the 2009 city election was a “FAILURE OF DUTY”.
Did you notice the latest flub-up of Dan English’s Elections Dept? Front page yesterday: Absentee ballots are being returned for insufficient postage because 44 cents won’t do it, the voter has to put 61 cents worth of postage on it! Don’t you think Dan English’s department could have alerted the Post Office about this in advance?
Comment by mary — October 27, 2010 @ 1:33 pm
Mary, you know where I stand on the county clerk situation. I voted against Dan. This being said, I vote absentee. And the ballot instructions clearly state that it needs 61 cents in postage. It is not in small print or hidden. There is no excuse except inattention on the part of the absentee voter for insufficient postage.
I appreciate you commenting on Phil Hart. I disagree that he has not broken the law. It is law that we pay taxes. Unlike the great majority of citizens, he flaunted the law. Therefore, no matter how nice you think he is, he is a law breaker. He stole timber, he is a thief as well. It can’t be obscured. It is what it is…dishonest.
Comment by rochereau — October 27, 2010 @ 2:19 pm
Mary, “OK, now what’s your take on it”…That you would be a very good member of the Central Committee. And that Phil should have offered you his seat.
Comment by Gary Ingram — October 27, 2010 @ 8:51 pm
Keep it clean.
Comment by Dan — October 27, 2010 @ 9:08 pm
…or did you say you were already seated? Regardless, the latest, beyond the postage flap is that as County Auditor, Mr. English failed to post tax relief earned for various taxing districts for over a year and his office is now just discovering the funds sitting idle in the county treasury, forgotten and ignored.
Oh, and yet another, perhaps even more damaging discovery by election watch dogs, is the Secretary of State is allowing and Kootenai County Elections Office under the direction of Dan English is getting ready to open mailed absentee ballots envelopes the day before election in direct violation of Idaho code. Can you believe they would play so loose with election processes in the wake of the almost year long trial on the handling of absentee ballots in the last city election?
Comment by Gary Ingram — October 27, 2010 @ 9:10 pm
Mary, the USPS was supposed to send along the absentee ballots even if they didn’t have adequate postage. It would have been prescient of Dan English to warn them, but it was the Post Office’s screw-up, not his.
Comment by KootenaiConservative — October 27, 2010 @ 9:48 pm
Prescient is a great word for it, KC. In the business world we also call it “organized, pro-active, thinking ahead, problem-solving, dynamic, enterprising or thoughtful…” None of these words seem to fit Dan English’s office.
Comment by mary — October 27, 2010 @ 9:54 pm
Mary, that’s very true, but blaming English over this will just water down legitimate complaints about his lack of job competence. Perhaps he wasn’t wonderfully proactive in this instance, but at least he wasn’t the one who screwed up this time.
Comment by KootenaiConservative — October 27, 2010 @ 10:06 pm
You’re right again, KC. It’s a comprehensive thing and gets frustrating when one mess up piles on top of the others, but it is true that the postage snafu is minor by comparison.
The biggest one, in my opinion, is that the UOCAVA Federal overseas voting law has been implemented at the state and local levels in Idaho WITHOUT legislation. It was never considered or voted upon by our state lawmakers. In fact, Dan English himself told me that he was directed to use the Federal law by the Secretary of State, but it was NEVER put in writing. There’s no documentation!
That’s how we have people voting in our city election that have lived in Canada for many years, some for decades.
Comment by mary — October 27, 2010 @ 10:17 pm
Mary,
As a career federal employee, I had to document in writing every official action I took. People up here malign that practice as being “unnecessary bureaucracy.” People up here are gullible and too trusting of public officials at all levels. “Put it in writing” is essential for administrative continuity and for holding public officials accountable for their actions. Less than competent public officials and downright dishonest ones are the least likely to want to be held accountable and also least willing to “put it in writing.” Subordinate incompetents are equally unlikely to make that demand. Their “vision” is to have wiggle room should their decisions and actions be questioned. Wiggle room is the opposite of accountability.
Comment by Bill — October 28, 2010 @ 8:14 am
“Wiggle room is the opposite of accountability.” Absolutely! That’s a great phrase, Bill.
As a critical care nurse, we were required to put all orders or instructions in writing with signatures as well as time, date and initial everything action. All the machines were calibrated daily, if not more often, all the emergency drugs were double checked daily and signed by two nurses.
The process of accountability in nursing was exacting because we were dealing with something valuable: People’s lives. Our Election system gathers and cares for something also extremely valuable: Our votes. These votes directly impact the quality of life we have in our community and country, and the sloppiness of our current Election Administration is unacceptable. It’s time for Dan English to go. Please vote for Cliff Hayes as our new County Clerk. Cliff is the recently retired Chief of Police in Post Falls. He is highly admired and respected there for his leadership and administrative abilities; he ran a tight ship, and that’s what we need!
Comment by mary — October 28, 2010 @ 8:27 am
Accountability and responsibility are both tenets I believe. It is the responsibility of the absentee voter to be sure he/she has read and followed the instructions. To blame the CC office or the PO is just silly. And I did vote for Cliff Hayes. And I also firmly believe that if it isn’t in writing, it isn’t done at all.
Comment by rochereau — October 28, 2010 @ 8:44 am
Written documentation adds to transparency. Calling up someone on the phone and getting an OK is the hallmark of the Good Ol’ Boys network.
Comment by Dan — October 28, 2010 @ 8:56 am
I just got this from a “libtard” I know in California, Pelosie’s district as a matter of fact. I thought I’d post it. sure makes sense to me.
“Why the vitrioll from the haters? Phil Hart is only just trying to
improve his family’s life. He’s just a hard-working illegal taxigrint.
We should applaud this illegal’s efforts instead of heaping bigotry and
hate on him.
In fact, we should pay for his family’s food, education, college,
medical and housing. The State should have PAID him to build his log
cabin and subsidize his payments and utilities. Didn’t Abe Lincoln grow
up in a log cabin?
Not only that, but the State should pay for this fine, hard-working
illegal Taxigrint’s legal bills AND his back taxes.
America should welcome all illegal taxigrints because after all, ALL
Americans have done something illegal, sometime.
It’s time for ALL illegals to come out of the shadows of Bigotry,
Oppression and Hate, and MARCH on Washington!
Call Reverends Jackson and Sharpton and the Southern Christian Poverty
Center! Thousands of illegal taxigrints should vote illegally on Nov 2
for Hope and some Change!!!!”
Comment by Ancientemplar — October 28, 2010 @ 3:36 pm