I often hear people complain about the direction of the Republican Party. One thing that I don’t think people understand is that in order to change this direction, they need to get involved. The best way to do that is to become a precinct committee person. Most people have never heard of this office and have no idea what it is.
As many people know, a precinct is the lowest level government division. Counties are divided into precincts by the County Board of Elections based on population. In the cities, usually a ward is divided into several precincts. In the townships, there may only be a couple of precincts for the entire township. (My precinct is the only one in the entire township.)
Local County Parties are made up of a central committee with a representative from each precinct-the precinct committee person. In Trumbull County, these individuals are elected every four years in the primary. After the primary, the county party will reorganize and elect officers and an executive committee. The central committee plays a big role in determining the direction of the party. In some counties, they also vote to endorse candidates. (Trumbull GOP does not do this.)
One responsibility that precinct committee people have is appointing the two Republican poll workers for their precinct. This is important because we need to have good well trained poll workers in each precinct. It is certainly NOT the most important thing though and is definitely not the only responsibility that precinct committee people have.
Central Committee members should be the direct link between voters and the County GOP. They should get to know the people in their communities. Getting involved in community events is a good way to do this. With a precinct in a more densely populated area, using a walking list of all the Republicans and Independents in the precinct and going door to door to canvass the precinct can be done. In less densely populated areas, phone or mail can be used. Social media is another way to get to know those in the precinct. A Central Committee person should also know what is going on in their neighborhoods and communities. He or she should attend trustee and council meetings.
Really, when you think about it, a big part of what a Central Committee person does is just basic good citizenship.
During campaigns, the precinct committee people are the boots on the ground in each precinct for the candidates. The relationships they form with the Republicans in their precincts will help them recruit others to work in campaigns.
This seems like a lot of work, and it can be. The hardest part is forming relationships with your fellow Republicans. Once that is done, you can draw on others who want to be involved to help you.
There are 210 precincts in Trumbull County. Many of these precincts do not currently have a precinct committee person. 2014 will be our next election in Trumbull, but if you live in an open precinct, you can be appointed. If you live in Trumbull County and are interested in serving as a precinct committee person, please contact me at mcyoder@aol.com.
Election and appointment of precinct committee people varies from place to place, but they are needed everywhere.
If you are concerned about the direction of our party and want to change it, get involved. I encourage my friends who want to get more involved to contact their local county GOP.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Tuesday, April 09, 2013
The Perfect Example
Trumbull County Commissioner Frank Fuda is a perfect example. He is a perfect example of what’s wrong with Trumbull County. Fuda is smooth. I will give him that. I’ve seen him in action as the consummate politician- nicely dressed, the big toothy smile, glad handing, campaigning every place imaginable. I’ve been told he is quite charming, but the charm is a veneer. The veneer is thin in some places, and if you look closely, you can see what Frank Fuda really is-guardian of the status quo of arrogance, corruption and ineptitude that is Trumbull County government.
I got a glimpse of this about a year ago when I attended the public hearings on the court consolidation. I questioned the commissioners about the fact that they had delayed recommending the consolidation knowing there was a small window of opportunity to accomplish the consolidation. I pointed out that they had been asked to consider the proposal back in October and waited until April to have public hearings. Mr. Fuda became quite angry and insisted, in spite of documentation to the contrary, that he not known until February that Judge Rice would not be seeking another term at Eastern District Court thereby opening a window for consolidation without displacing a sitting judge. Aside from the fact that Central Court Judge Tom Campbell had relayed this information to the Commissioners in his initial proposal for consolidation in October, Judge Rice had also filed petitions to run for Common Pleas Court in December 2011. When Mr. Fuda doesn’t like the facts, I guess he creates his own.
Mr. Fuda’s background is in education. I think sometimes that he forgets that we are citizens and thinks, instead, that we are children to be controlled. Those who attended the Board of Health hearing on the revocation of Berry Meadows’ septic installer’s license also got a front row seat to Mr. Fuda’s real personality. The hearing was held in the County Administration Building. When the hearing was abruptly halted, it became somewhat heated. Things were calming down when Mr. Fuda reportedly entered the room and shouted that he wouldn’t have yelling in HIS building. Mr. Fuda apparently doesn’t realize that the building doesn’t actually belong to him, but it does belong to the tax payers who are his employers. Later, when a constituent tried to talk to him about the Health Board, commenting that although he didn’t have governance over the board, he could have some influence on them. He brushed her off, telling her to talk to his attorney.
One of the most disturbing things that I’ve heard any public official say is something Mr. Fuda reportedly said to Attorney David Engler. Attorney Engler was talking to Mr. Fuda about the inordinate number of murdered children in Trumbull County’s foster care system. Mr. Fuda’s response was “these sorts of things happen to kids in Children’s Services.” This quote not only betrays an acceptance of the status quo, but it also demonstrates Mr. Fuda’s true callousness and indifference to the most vulnerable in our community. How a society treats those who are the “least of these” is an indication of its character. Mr. Fuda’s comments reveal his character as well. Mr. Fuda, children in foster care are not expendable simply because their parents can’t or won’t take care of them. They deserve public officials who will fight to make sure they are safe, not accept the status quo of ineptitude and corruption in the agency charged with protecting them.
Mr. Fuda is a very good politician, but he is certainly not a very good public servant. I’m not so sure he’s a very good person, either.
I got a glimpse of this about a year ago when I attended the public hearings on the court consolidation. I questioned the commissioners about the fact that they had delayed recommending the consolidation knowing there was a small window of opportunity to accomplish the consolidation. I pointed out that they had been asked to consider the proposal back in October and waited until April to have public hearings. Mr. Fuda became quite angry and insisted, in spite of documentation to the contrary, that he not known until February that Judge Rice would not be seeking another term at Eastern District Court thereby opening a window for consolidation without displacing a sitting judge. Aside from the fact that Central Court Judge Tom Campbell had relayed this information to the Commissioners in his initial proposal for consolidation in October, Judge Rice had also filed petitions to run for Common Pleas Court in December 2011. When Mr. Fuda doesn’t like the facts, I guess he creates his own.
Mr. Fuda’s background is in education. I think sometimes that he forgets that we are citizens and thinks, instead, that we are children to be controlled. Those who attended the Board of Health hearing on the revocation of Berry Meadows’ septic installer’s license also got a front row seat to Mr. Fuda’s real personality. The hearing was held in the County Administration Building. When the hearing was abruptly halted, it became somewhat heated. Things were calming down when Mr. Fuda reportedly entered the room and shouted that he wouldn’t have yelling in HIS building. Mr. Fuda apparently doesn’t realize that the building doesn’t actually belong to him, but it does belong to the tax payers who are his employers. Later, when a constituent tried to talk to him about the Health Board, commenting that although he didn’t have governance over the board, he could have some influence on them. He brushed her off, telling her to talk to his attorney.
One of the most disturbing things that I’ve heard any public official say is something Mr. Fuda reportedly said to Attorney David Engler. Attorney Engler was talking to Mr. Fuda about the inordinate number of murdered children in Trumbull County’s foster care system. Mr. Fuda’s response was “these sorts of things happen to kids in Children’s Services.” This quote not only betrays an acceptance of the status quo, but it also demonstrates Mr. Fuda’s true callousness and indifference to the most vulnerable in our community. How a society treats those who are the “least of these” is an indication of its character. Mr. Fuda’s comments reveal his character as well. Mr. Fuda, children in foster care are not expendable simply because their parents can’t or won’t take care of them. They deserve public officials who will fight to make sure they are safe, not accept the status quo of ineptitude and corruption in the agency charged with protecting them.
Mr. Fuda is a very good politician, but he is certainly not a very good public servant. I’m not so sure he’s a very good person, either.
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