UCRP Central Committee Meeting - January 21

Just a few observations (things that drive me crazy) about the meeting before I summarize what I heard. For the members of the UCRP Central Committee the biggest reason you are even at the meeting is to vote (it is not to receive information - they send out enough emails and point us to websites to get all the information). There are always a lot of bylaw proposals (items we vote on), but the party chair always thinks that they should put those items of business at the end. I've heard that they think people will just leave after its over and not stay, yes its true they will, but as it is, people leave before they even get to the bulk of why they are there. The problem with leaving it until the end is that the meeting always gets adjourned before you are through. To end these meetings all someone has to do is ask/call adjourned and then everything stops, they take a vote and if the majority of people are done (which always seems to be the case), then they stand adjourned. Meeting over!

In the time we were allotted we could have gone through all 7 items of business, but there is always someone who didn't do their job and has to have the whole proposal explained to them word for word which makes it take at least 3 times as long to get through. Instead of having the presenter explain/read the proposal and have debate if needed. I think our chair needs to take better control and follow the rules. He seems to forget rules from one meeting to the next and obviously play favorites.

Not to mention that I sat next to a guy that huffed and puffed the entire time after the first half hour. Seriously, just go home if its that bad!!!

Although I am obviously venting, I have people ask me how these meetings go and I want them to know how it is for me!

On to the meeting ...

The beginning... prayer, pledge, Taylor Oldroyd welcomes everyone, plays one of Scott Brown's campaign you tube videos. He makes his own amendment to the agenda and after some debate about changing the order or the bylaw proposals says, "I'm not opposed to bylaws and discussion, that's why I put it on the agenda."

Doyle Mortimer is our parliamentarian.

Moving through party business:

• Ryan Frandsen and Richard Jaussi approved as new Steering Committe members.
• 217 of the 546 committee members where in attendance.
• Lynn Taylor (Treasurer) is moving, this was his last meeting.
• Curt Bramble would like a party income statement along with the budget.
• Lincoln Day dinner - utahlincolndinner.com (prices are $1500, $800 & $50) Amity Shlaes author of The Forgotten Man is the keynote speaker.
• 2nd Tuesday of each month is the C&B Committee Meeting.
• Saturday, January 30th a panel discussion will take place.
• Oppose Ethics Initiative website www.responsibleethics.com

Next they had a panel discussion, moderated by Taylor Oldroyd. Panel Members were Rep. John Dougall, Deidre Henderson, Steve Diamond, Thomas Wright, Doug Cannon, and John Curtis. The discussion all revolved around increased apathy and voter frustration, low turnout, and growth of government. I loved the panel discussion. Below are some excerpts (though highly summarized and most answers refer to the National Republican Party).

Doug Cannon - voters are angry. The republicans lost sight and spent too much. You can't fix runaway spending with ludicrous spending. We were not fiscally responsible.

Steve Diamond - We didn't have a core in place. Democrats are consistent, that is their core.

Mark Madsen - voters are upset and not sure who to be angry at. People are mad at property tax being raised. They need to be educated. He asks them in the last school board bond how did you vote? Most of the time they have never voted. We need to educate people.

Deidre Henderson - Republicans need to fess up to past mistakes, have a positive plan of action and follow through. No pie crust promises (easily made, easily broken).

John Dougall - Party is trending left (bigger government). The republican brand has been tarnished. We need to stand for something different.

Steve Diamond - Republicans doubled the size of government in 4 years that is more than democrats ever did. Utah is not a free state, most of it is owned by the federal government. Washington needs to get off others backs and quit trying to control everyone.

Thomas Wright - We are not working hard enough. We have been out worked. National Party tarnished our brand. They lacked common sense and accountability. We need to go door to door and talk to our neighbors about the good job Jason Chaffetz is doing, local politics and voter registration.

Doug Canon - Voters are turned off. They feel neither party represents them. Fighting amongst ourselves turns people away. Rather we need to engage people into discussions.

John Dougall - The vast majority of people do not understand the constitution. We need to find a principle that benefits them and explain why/how the constitution supports it.

Mark Madsen - principles are more important than parties or labels. Ethics reform is a liberal agenda. He calls Utah the Sharecropper State Masters of Washington.

John Curtis (joined the discussion later) - Principles over anything else is important. People who say I am right because I am republican or nevermind what I say or how I act, is a huge problem.

Diedra Henderson - Republicans seem to be issue driven, not principle driven.

Steve Diamond - I no longer ask politicians about the issues, only want to know how they make their decision. Once I know, I'll always know their principles.

John Dougall - They say "best managed state" not "well managed", graded on a curve! People think that elected officials can solve all their problems. Elected officials should leave you free to govern yourselves.

Doug Cannon - Those inalienable rights mentioned are faith based.

John Curtis - Public servant - if you take advantage of your office or are arrogant that turns people off. You must serve, not rule.

Mark Madsen - came up with 13 principles of good government. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...." We should put more emphasis on the Declaration of Independence. It's a government laundry list. We should all read it and see the things they accused King George of doing.

Thomas Wright - From the beginning there were opposing views. The art of compromise has been lost. He behooves us to compromise a little more. Right now there is a huge drug problem in America and when we bicker amongst ourselves we look bad and out of touch.

John Dougall - Centralize more and more. Federal land is a high stake game.

Steve Diamond - We need to rally around principle to have common ground instead of fight with each other.

Diedra Henderson - Loves the Tea Party movement, but fears of them breaking away from the party. We need to encourage people to be involved. If they are not involved they have no business complaining. Encouragement not coming top down, has to be from the bottom up.

Mark Madsen - polarizing is high stakes. Republican party needs to adhere to Republican principles. Utah has preserved civility in the legislature. He said he can track the breakdown to federal government civility to the end of the cold war. If Salt Lake City media says it is good, it is probably bad thing.

John Curtis - Compromise is different than common ground. When talking about zoning people divide, but when talking about building neighborhoods they come together. We need to find the common ground and come together.


Lastly, we discussed some of the bylaw proposals. B105 (filling vacancies both years) passed. Everything else was either sent back to the C&B committee or we didn't get to it.