GE&P doesn't usually give restaurant reviews but we will make an exception just this once.
We had occasion to be West of the Ashley last week. Naturally, lunch time rolled around with no plan in place. Upon suggestion from one in the group, we decided to try a new place, THE GLASS ONION on Savannah Highway.
Upon driving up in front, we were not immediately impressed but, having learned early on that one cannot judge an eating establishment by it's cover, we forged onward. Thank Goodness we did.
Under the roof of this rather utilitarian eatery, we found an unexpected treat. The food was unusual and wonderful. In case you don't know it, the best test of whether the "home cooking" sign is telling the truth is the quality of the grits. The Glass Onion passed with flying colors. From the oyster po' boy around the table to the breakfast fare, everything was perfectly prepared and delicious.
So, the next time you are in the area, give it a try. http://www.ilovetheglassonion.com
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS, OH MY
Did GE&P read that "meeting" ad in the P&C correctly today? The ad said something about a Reorganization Make-up meeting for the Berkeley County Republican Party scheduled for April 9, 2009. And about that contact number, are we mistaken or is that not the telephone number for Republican Party Headquarters in Columbia?
GE&P is sooooo confused. We are simply brimming with questions.
Did not this Make-Up meeting already take place on March 19, 2009?
Why would there be another Make-up meeting scheduled?
Why would the folks with questions be instructed to call Party Headquarters instead of the Berkeley County Chairman, Wade Arnette?
Is it in any way possible that the BCGOP leadership has, finally, stepped too far over the line?
Could it be that their total disregard of SC Code of Law and SCGOP Rules has become too blatant to ignore?
Is it remotely possible that State has moved in and taken over the whole process?
I know you locals have heard the expression "Grinnin' like a 'possom eatin' 'simmons"?
Well then, lets all sing together:
Possom in the simmon tree
Raccoon on the ground.
Raccoon says, "You son of a gun,
Throw them simmons down".
GE&P is sooooo confused. We are simply brimming with questions.
Did not this Make-Up meeting already take place on March 19, 2009?
Why would there be another Make-up meeting scheduled?
Why would the folks with questions be instructed to call Party Headquarters instead of the Berkeley County Chairman, Wade Arnette?
Is it in any way possible that the BCGOP leadership has, finally, stepped too far over the line?
Could it be that their total disregard of SC Code of Law and SCGOP Rules has become too blatant to ignore?
Is it remotely possible that State has moved in and taken over the whole process?
I know you locals have heard the expression "Grinnin' like a 'possom eatin' 'simmons"?
Well then, lets all sing together:
Possom in the simmon tree
Raccoon on the ground.
Raccoon says, "You son of a gun,
Throw them simmons down".
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
CLOSE ONLY COUNTS WITH HORSESHOES AND HAND GRENADES
GE&P would like to give a little update on the functioning of the new debacle at the intersection of Hwy. 6 and Hwy. 311. For locals, we're speaking of the crossroads at the old fire tower.
We had occasion to drive through that area last night when we were traveling from Moncks Corner to Holly Hill. There was a mini van full of people ahead of us as we pulled up to the stop sign at Ranger Drive. We could see the lights of a vehicle approaching from the right. Judging from the distance of the headlights, it appeared there was plenty of time for the mini van to pull across the wide intersection and negotiate itself into the right lane to prepare to make it's turn onto Hwy. 311. We only have to assume the driver of the mini van came to the same erroneous conclusion.
As we sat at the stop sign, a really scary scene unfolded before us. The mini van pulled into the intersection. The driver had only just straightened his vehicle into the right lane when the vehicle approaching from the right was on top of him. The approaching vehicle, a large raggy looking pickup truck was, conservatively speaking, doing 60 MPH. Realizing the mini van was in his path, the driver of the pickup swerved to the left and into the dividing area in the center of the intersection. Accompaning the sound of the skidding tires was a large cloud of dust and smoke. As most experienced drivers know, when you combine a high rate of speed with a sudden change of direction, the results are not always positive.
On this occasion, by the grace of God, no one was killed. The driver of the pickup regained control of his vehicle and proceeded onto Mudville Road, without even slowing down. When experiencing a scene like this, one cannot help but wonder, "what if". What if the driver of the pickup had not regained control? What if the driver of the mini van had not managed to get completely into the right lane in time? What if there was another car coming from Hwy. 311 toward Moncks Corner trying to negotiate the intersection at the same time? None of these scenarios are beyond the realm of possibilities or even probabilities.
I hope the folks in the mini van pay the preacher a little something extra this week.
We had occasion to drive through that area last night when we were traveling from Moncks Corner to Holly Hill. There was a mini van full of people ahead of us as we pulled up to the stop sign at Ranger Drive. We could see the lights of a vehicle approaching from the right. Judging from the distance of the headlights, it appeared there was plenty of time for the mini van to pull across the wide intersection and negotiate itself into the right lane to prepare to make it's turn onto Hwy. 311. We only have to assume the driver of the mini van came to the same erroneous conclusion.
As we sat at the stop sign, a really scary scene unfolded before us. The mini van pulled into the intersection. The driver had only just straightened his vehicle into the right lane when the vehicle approaching from the right was on top of him. The approaching vehicle, a large raggy looking pickup truck was, conservatively speaking, doing 60 MPH. Realizing the mini van was in his path, the driver of the pickup swerved to the left and into the dividing area in the center of the intersection. Accompaning the sound of the skidding tires was a large cloud of dust and smoke. As most experienced drivers know, when you combine a high rate of speed with a sudden change of direction, the results are not always positive.
On this occasion, by the grace of God, no one was killed. The driver of the pickup regained control of his vehicle and proceeded onto Mudville Road, without even slowing down. When experiencing a scene like this, one cannot help but wonder, "what if". What if the driver of the pickup had not regained control? What if the driver of the mini van had not managed to get completely into the right lane in time? What if there was another car coming from Hwy. 311 toward Moncks Corner trying to negotiate the intersection at the same time? None of these scenarios are beyond the realm of possibilities or even probabilities.
I hope the folks in the mini van pay the preacher a little something extra this week.
Monday, March 23, 2009
REPEAT PERFORMANCE OR STRATEGIC BLUNDER?
On the evening of March 19, 2009, there was a "make-up meeting" for the Berkeley County Republican Party Reorganization. Don't be surprised if you didn't read about it, since there was no public notice of the meeting given. Even if you accidentally found out about it and attended, you would not have been impressed with the outcome. Allow us to give you the abbreviated minutes.
The County Chairman, Wade Arnette, opened the meeting and immediately turned the proceedings over to State Executive Committeeman, Wayland Moody. Mr. Moody went to great lengths to explain to those assembled that the activity of the meeting would be restricted. He made it clear that no Precinct officers were to be elected and no other Precinct business was to be conducted with the exception of adding delegates to the Precinct packets. These additions could be made unless the delegate slates for particular precincts were already full. After these announcements, the problems began.
RULE: A Precinct Reorganization Make-Up Meeting is just that. It is an extension of the original Precinct Meeting and held for the purpose of completing business unfinished at the original meeting and giving those who were unable to attend the original meeting an opportunity to participate in the process. But, these are only the Rules and we all know how important the Rules are to the present leadership of the BCGOP.
Several of the folks protested this agenda by quoting the Rules but Mr. Moody insisted, "Well, that's the way it's going to be tonight."
Two members of Hanahan 1 Precinct said they wanted to add delegates to their slate. Mr. Moody told them that would be impossible because the slate was full. ( Mr. Moody imparted this information without looking at the documents in their packet.) These gentlemen advised Mr. Moody that, in fact, no delegates had been elected at their original meeting. Mr. Moody advised the men that a committee had been chosen to "appoint" the delegates from Hanahan 1. The men said there had been no committee chosen at their original meeting and they wanted to add their delegates. Mr. Moody repeated that the delegate slate was full. The men asked to examine the contents of their Precinct packet. They were refused access.
A member of the Whitesville Precinct Club requested her packet so she could conclude her reorganization business. This lady is the Secretary of her Club and there were none of the other officers from her Precinct present at the meeting. Mr. Moody refused to give her the packet saying the Precinct was already organized and she was not an officer. She showed Mr. Moody a copy of her Form B, which lists the officers of her Club. There, as plain as day, was her name listed as Secretary. Still, Mr. Moody refused to relinquish the packet. He told her she could fill out any additional Form A's she wanted for delegates and he would add them to the packet for her but she could not take possession of the documents already in the packet. She pointed out to Mr. Moody that the documents in the packet did not contain her signature as Secretary, as the Rules dictate. Mr. Moody suggested he would be happy to hold the documents for her as she signed them but she would not be allowed to hold or review any of the documents already in the packet. She didn't go for it and continued insisting on being given the packet. It was only after an extended exchange between the two and the support of others who were listening, that Mr. Moody finally gave her the packet.
A Berkeley County Councilman tried to submit his Form A's for Stratford 2 delegates only to be told his delegate slate was, also, full. He was refused access to his Precinct packet by Mr. Moody. After relating his experience to others at the meeting, he was advised to return to Mr. Moody and insist on being given access to the packet. He did so. Upon review of the documents in his packet, he found that only four of the 22 delegates listed had actually attended his Precinct meeting. He was never told that, when it comes to being elected delegates, folks who attend the meetings in person have priority over the ones who only send in a Form A . Also, he found a Form A from another Precinct in his packet. Golly Gee! How did that happen, Roberta? In 2007, GE&P suggested that old age might be slipping up on you when you allowed a vote at the County Convention and the total number of votes cast added up to a larger number than the total number of registered delegates. Sloppy, very sloppy.
Here are some more of those pesky Rules. The Secretary of the BCGOP is bound by Law to record, with the Clerk of Court and prior to the county convention, the names of the Precinct officers. Also, it is her legal duty to compile the roll of delegates to the county convention. There is no way for her to perform these duties if she doesn't have access to the documents contained in the Precinct packets. She was denied this access.
In an effort toward full disclosure, GE&P has to admit there was one really funny thing that happened at this meeting. Mr. Moody said that anyone who wished, could make copies of the documents contained in his/her own Precinct packet and was welcome to do so. But, he would not allow anyone to make copies of all the documents contained in all the Precinct packets. He insisted that he was going to FedEx the packets to Party Headquarters the following day, Friday. He said it was the duty of Party Headquarters to compile the certified delegate list for the county convention from the documents in the packets and he didn't want two different lists "floating around". Now, let's analyze that statement just a bit. If our Secretary makes a copy of all the documents in all the packets as they are at the end of the meeting and compiles a list, then, Mr. Moody sends these same packets containing these same documents to Party Headquarters and they compile a list, why would this result in two different lists? Hmmmmmm
In the humble opinion of GE&P, Mr. Moody and the others in the leadership may have pushed the envelope just a bit too far, and in front of too many witnesses, this time.
The County Chairman, Wade Arnette, opened the meeting and immediately turned the proceedings over to State Executive Committeeman, Wayland Moody. Mr. Moody went to great lengths to explain to those assembled that the activity of the meeting would be restricted. He made it clear that no Precinct officers were to be elected and no other Precinct business was to be conducted with the exception of adding delegates to the Precinct packets. These additions could be made unless the delegate slates for particular precincts were already full. After these announcements, the problems began.
RULE: A Precinct Reorganization Make-Up Meeting is just that. It is an extension of the original Precinct Meeting and held for the purpose of completing business unfinished at the original meeting and giving those who were unable to attend the original meeting an opportunity to participate in the process. But, these are only the Rules and we all know how important the Rules are to the present leadership of the BCGOP.
Several of the folks protested this agenda by quoting the Rules but Mr. Moody insisted, "Well, that's the way it's going to be tonight."
Two members of Hanahan 1 Precinct said they wanted to add delegates to their slate. Mr. Moody told them that would be impossible because the slate was full. ( Mr. Moody imparted this information without looking at the documents in their packet.) These gentlemen advised Mr. Moody that, in fact, no delegates had been elected at their original meeting. Mr. Moody advised the men that a committee had been chosen to "appoint" the delegates from Hanahan 1. The men said there had been no committee chosen at their original meeting and they wanted to add their delegates. Mr. Moody repeated that the delegate slate was full. The men asked to examine the contents of their Precinct packet. They were refused access.
A member of the Whitesville Precinct Club requested her packet so she could conclude her reorganization business. This lady is the Secretary of her Club and there were none of the other officers from her Precinct present at the meeting. Mr. Moody refused to give her the packet saying the Precinct was already organized and she was not an officer. She showed Mr. Moody a copy of her Form B, which lists the officers of her Club. There, as plain as day, was her name listed as Secretary. Still, Mr. Moody refused to relinquish the packet. He told her she could fill out any additional Form A's she wanted for delegates and he would add them to the packet for her but she could not take possession of the documents already in the packet. She pointed out to Mr. Moody that the documents in the packet did not contain her signature as Secretary, as the Rules dictate. Mr. Moody suggested he would be happy to hold the documents for her as she signed them but she would not be allowed to hold or review any of the documents already in the packet. She didn't go for it and continued insisting on being given the packet. It was only after an extended exchange between the two and the support of others who were listening, that Mr. Moody finally gave her the packet.
A Berkeley County Councilman tried to submit his Form A's for Stratford 2 delegates only to be told his delegate slate was, also, full. He was refused access to his Precinct packet by Mr. Moody. After relating his experience to others at the meeting, he was advised to return to Mr. Moody and insist on being given access to the packet. He did so. Upon review of the documents in his packet, he found that only four of the 22 delegates listed had actually attended his Precinct meeting. He was never told that, when it comes to being elected delegates, folks who attend the meetings in person have priority over the ones who only send in a Form A . Also, he found a Form A from another Precinct in his packet. Golly Gee! How did that happen, Roberta? In 2007, GE&P suggested that old age might be slipping up on you when you allowed a vote at the County Convention and the total number of votes cast added up to a larger number than the total number of registered delegates. Sloppy, very sloppy.
Here are some more of those pesky Rules. The Secretary of the BCGOP is bound by Law to record, with the Clerk of Court and prior to the county convention, the names of the Precinct officers. Also, it is her legal duty to compile the roll of delegates to the county convention. There is no way for her to perform these duties if she doesn't have access to the documents contained in the Precinct packets. She was denied this access.
In an effort toward full disclosure, GE&P has to admit there was one really funny thing that happened at this meeting. Mr. Moody said that anyone who wished, could make copies of the documents contained in his/her own Precinct packet and was welcome to do so. But, he would not allow anyone to make copies of all the documents contained in all the Precinct packets. He insisted that he was going to FedEx the packets to Party Headquarters the following day, Friday. He said it was the duty of Party Headquarters to compile the certified delegate list for the county convention from the documents in the packets and he didn't want two different lists "floating around". Now, let's analyze that statement just a bit. If our Secretary makes a copy of all the documents in all the packets as they are at the end of the meeting and compiles a list, then, Mr. Moody sends these same packets containing these same documents to Party Headquarters and they compile a list, why would this result in two different lists? Hmmmmmm
In the humble opinion of GE&P, Mr. Moody and the others in the leadership may have pushed the envelope just a bit too far, and in front of too many witnesses, this time.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
THE BEST LAID PLANS
On Monday night, March 16, 2009, the Finance Committee of Berkeley County Council held a workshop. Two issues that had been languishing since last year were on the agenda, the new vehicle policy and the new County Council Rules.
The supervisor, Mr. Dan Davis has a vested interest in both issues. Before January 2009, Mr. Davis did not have control of enough votes on Council to assure the issues would be resolved to his benefit so, with the assistance of Mr. Caldwell Pinckney, Jr., action on these issues was repeatedly postponed. The strategy was quite simple; postpone any final decision on these issues until the new member of Council, Mr. Bob Call, took his seat. From various newspaper articles and comments made by Mr. Call in response to P&C articles, this eventuality would provide a sure vote in support of Mr. Davis' positions. Completing this scenario included maintaining the support of Mr. Pinckney and Mr. Steve Davis. The only mountain left to climb was to get the support of one of the Republican members of Council. This mountain turned into a speed bump as Mr. Jack Schurlknight readily set aside his devotion to Republican principles and literally galloped to the minority side.
Historically, every two years, the first January meeting of Council is reserved for reorganization of the body. During this meeting, a new Vice-Chairman is elected and the new Council Rules adopted. There was a great deal of confusion about the reorganization meeting this year. The traditional scheduling of the meeting was changed by Mr. Davis after it was learned that one of his supporters could not attend. After all, with all the finagling that had gone into this plan, one could not stand by and watch it go up in smoke simply due to a scheduling error.
Consequently, a new date was set for the meeting; Mr. Dan Davis' supporters (Mr. Pinckney, Mr. Call, Mr. Steve Davis, and Mr. Schurlknight )did their jobs; and, for the first time in memory, a member of the minority party ( a Democrat )was elected Vice-Chairman. Mr. Pinckney was elated and Mr. Shurlknight was reviled. It appeared Mr. Davis had achieved his goal. The vote on Council was split 4/4. The Chairman, Mr. Davis, was called upon to break the tie. As a result, the final decision of Council fell to Mr. Dan Davis. Wasn't that convenient?
Fast forward to the meeting of March 16. The issues of the vehicle policy and the Council Rules had been repeatedly postponed since January. Many on Council had lost patience and decided these issues had to be addressed. During discussion of the vehicle policy, Mr. Dan Davis indicated that he may be able to eliminate 35 vehicles from the total. Mr. Shurlknight insisted that the cars for the Sheriff's office and those for elected officials should not be touched. Mr. Pinckney agreed. Mr. Fish, Mrs. Davis, and Mr. Callanan propsed that the new policy should be county wide and the only exemptions should be for emergency and law enforcement vehicles. Just when it appeared that Council would face another 4/4 tie, Mr. Steve Davis experienced an epiphany when he learned that BC taxpayers are paying for the gas used by county employees who are provided with the use of a take home vehicle. This was the deal breaker. The non-emergency take home vehicle proponants seem to have lost a supporter. Three cheers for Steve Davis and the BC taxpayers.
During the discussion of Council Rules, two issues appeared to be of great importance to Mr. Pinckney. Mr. Pinckney wanted a provision included in the Rules that would assure the position of Vice-Chairman would be guaranteed to the most senior member of Council. After it was pointed out by other Council members that there would be several flaws in the application of such a policy, the provision was rejected.
The second issue that seemed important to Mr. Pinckney was the Rule concerning the office of Clerk of Council. GE&P has neglected to obtain a copy of the exact verbage of this Rule but it is our understanding that the existing Rule states that the Clerk of Council serves at the pleasure of the Vice-Chairman of Council. Several members of Council wanted to change this Rule to require a 2/3 vote to remove the Clerk of Council. Mr. Pinckney argued vigorously against any such change. Mr. Steve Davis, once again, provided the voice of reason. He pointed out that a 2/3 vote is required if Council wishes to fire any other county employee so why should the position of Clerk of Council be handled any differently? Then, Mr. Steve Davis went on to make some very positive and flattering remarks about the present Clerk of Council. This seemed to put the issue to rest. GE&P would be very curious to know why Mr. Pinckney was so adamant about keeping this existing Rule.
Although these decisions sound very positive and beneficial to the taxpayers of BC, don't count your chickens quite yet. None of this is etched in stone until the official votes are taken at the next regular Council meeting. GE&P could be wrong but could it be possible that Mr. Steve Davis might like to hear a little support on these issues?
The supervisor, Mr. Dan Davis has a vested interest in both issues. Before January 2009, Mr. Davis did not have control of enough votes on Council to assure the issues would be resolved to his benefit so, with the assistance of Mr. Caldwell Pinckney, Jr., action on these issues was repeatedly postponed. The strategy was quite simple; postpone any final decision on these issues until the new member of Council, Mr. Bob Call, took his seat. From various newspaper articles and comments made by Mr. Call in response to P&C articles, this eventuality would provide a sure vote in support of Mr. Davis' positions. Completing this scenario included maintaining the support of Mr. Pinckney and Mr. Steve Davis. The only mountain left to climb was to get the support of one of the Republican members of Council. This mountain turned into a speed bump as Mr. Jack Schurlknight readily set aside his devotion to Republican principles and literally galloped to the minority side.
Historically, every two years, the first January meeting of Council is reserved for reorganization of the body. During this meeting, a new Vice-Chairman is elected and the new Council Rules adopted. There was a great deal of confusion about the reorganization meeting this year. The traditional scheduling of the meeting was changed by Mr. Davis after it was learned that one of his supporters could not attend. After all, with all the finagling that had gone into this plan, one could not stand by and watch it go up in smoke simply due to a scheduling error.
Consequently, a new date was set for the meeting; Mr. Dan Davis' supporters (Mr. Pinckney, Mr. Call, Mr. Steve Davis, and Mr. Schurlknight )did their jobs; and, for the first time in memory, a member of the minority party ( a Democrat )was elected Vice-Chairman. Mr. Pinckney was elated and Mr. Shurlknight was reviled. It appeared Mr. Davis had achieved his goal. The vote on Council was split 4/4. The Chairman, Mr. Davis, was called upon to break the tie. As a result, the final decision of Council fell to Mr. Dan Davis. Wasn't that convenient?
Fast forward to the meeting of March 16. The issues of the vehicle policy and the Council Rules had been repeatedly postponed since January. Many on Council had lost patience and decided these issues had to be addressed. During discussion of the vehicle policy, Mr. Dan Davis indicated that he may be able to eliminate 35 vehicles from the total. Mr. Shurlknight insisted that the cars for the Sheriff's office and those for elected officials should not be touched. Mr. Pinckney agreed. Mr. Fish, Mrs. Davis, and Mr. Callanan propsed that the new policy should be county wide and the only exemptions should be for emergency and law enforcement vehicles. Just when it appeared that Council would face another 4/4 tie, Mr. Steve Davis experienced an epiphany when he learned that BC taxpayers are paying for the gas used by county employees who are provided with the use of a take home vehicle. This was the deal breaker. The non-emergency take home vehicle proponants seem to have lost a supporter. Three cheers for Steve Davis and the BC taxpayers.
During the discussion of Council Rules, two issues appeared to be of great importance to Mr. Pinckney. Mr. Pinckney wanted a provision included in the Rules that would assure the position of Vice-Chairman would be guaranteed to the most senior member of Council. After it was pointed out by other Council members that there would be several flaws in the application of such a policy, the provision was rejected.
The second issue that seemed important to Mr. Pinckney was the Rule concerning the office of Clerk of Council. GE&P has neglected to obtain a copy of the exact verbage of this Rule but it is our understanding that the existing Rule states that the Clerk of Council serves at the pleasure of the Vice-Chairman of Council. Several members of Council wanted to change this Rule to require a 2/3 vote to remove the Clerk of Council. Mr. Pinckney argued vigorously against any such change. Mr. Steve Davis, once again, provided the voice of reason. He pointed out that a 2/3 vote is required if Council wishes to fire any other county employee so why should the position of Clerk of Council be handled any differently? Then, Mr. Steve Davis went on to make some very positive and flattering remarks about the present Clerk of Council. This seemed to put the issue to rest. GE&P would be very curious to know why Mr. Pinckney was so adamant about keeping this existing Rule.
Although these decisions sound very positive and beneficial to the taxpayers of BC, don't count your chickens quite yet. None of this is etched in stone until the official votes are taken at the next regular Council meeting. GE&P could be wrong but could it be possible that Mr. Steve Davis might like to hear a little support on these issues?
Saturday, March 14, 2009
GLORY LITTLE GOSLINGS
GE&P is embarrassed to give you this update but here goes.
Finally, we have all the information on the Precinct Reorganization Make-up meeting, we think.
Supposedly, the meeting is to be held on Thursday, March 19, 2009, at Eagle Landing Club House, at 7PM. Please be aware that this information does not come from any official notification. There was nothing in the paper. There were no letters sent out. There were not even any phone calls made. You might say the information was disseminated by osmosis.
And, for those of you who are not familiar with this process, the make-up meeting is a gathering of all the precinct clubs in the county, which at last count numbered 49. All the folks who could not make it to the original meeting are supposed to come to this event to participate. At best, Eagle Landing Club House can comfortably hold 40 people, at best. This should be interesting.
Finally, we have all the information on the Precinct Reorganization Make-up meeting, we think.
Supposedly, the meeting is to be held on Thursday, March 19, 2009, at Eagle Landing Club House, at 7PM. Please be aware that this information does not come from any official notification. There was nothing in the paper. There were no letters sent out. There were not even any phone calls made. You might say the information was disseminated by osmosis.
And, for those of you who are not familiar with this process, the make-up meeting is a gathering of all the precinct clubs in the county, which at last count numbered 49. All the folks who could not make it to the original meeting are supposed to come to this event to participate. At best, Eagle Landing Club House can comfortably hold 40 people, at best. This should be interesting.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
METHOD TO THE MADNESS
It has come to the attention of GE&P that a larger than usual number of the folks are interested in the Precinct Reorganization process now being conducted by the BCGOP. Whether it is because of the developments on the National scene or the questionable decisions being made by politicians on the local level, the folks have decided they want to get involved in local politics on a more personal note. GE&P has received numerous questions and complaints about the process so far. In this post, we hope to answer at least some of these inquiries.
SC Code of Law provides very clear guidelines for the process of reorganization of political parties. SCGOP Rules provide additional guidelines for the Republican Party. ( For those who would like to read the entire texts, the information can be found under Title 7- Elections, Chapter 9, Party organization, in the SC Code of Law and in Rule 5 of the SCGOP Rules.) For our purposes, we will concentrate on the SCGOP process in Berkeley County.
THE PRECINCT PACKET:
SCGOP Party Headquarters prepares a packet of information for each precinct in the county. Contained in this packet are all the legal forms necessary for reorganization, along with complete instruction on conducting the meeting, and a list of all the Republican voters in that precinct. It is very helpful to receive this packet in a timely manner so the organizer can contact as many people as possible who wish to participate. This year, the precinct packets were picked up in Columbia by the BCGOP leadership on February 7, 2009. Ten days later, on February 16, 2009, an executive committee meeting was held at Eagle Landing to distribute the packets. Only members of the executive committe were notified of this meeting.
NOTIFICATION:
At this point, GE&P thinks it might be helpful for all to know the legal requirements for notification of reorganization.
Section 7-9-50 SC Code of Law
"A notice must be published by the county committee once a week for two consecutive weeks not more than three weeks nor less than two weeks before the meeting date in a newspaper having general circulation in the county."
This cycle, the first notice appeared in the P&C on February 19, 2009, two weeks before the actual reorganization meeting and three days after the meeting to distribute the packets. The second notice appeared on February 26, 2009, one week before the actual meeting on March 5, 2009. It should be apparent to all how this schedule could be problematic for those, other than members of the executive committee, who wished to participate.
It is important for the reader to understand that "reorganization " is not a one event deal. It is a process that contains several steps. It is imperative for the public to be aware of the times and places of each step. As everyone knows, this has not been the case during this year's process.
Originally, the packets should have been distributed in a timely manner. They were not.
There should have been public notice as to time and place for folks to pick up their packets. There was not.
The notifications should have been published in accordance with the Law. They were not.
There should have been instructions contained within the notifications as to where and when to return the packets. ( GE&P will expand upon this issue later in this post.) There were not.
In the notifications, there should have been a time, date, and place for the reorganization make-up meeting. There was not. The word on the street is that the chairman has said the make-up meeting will be held on March 19th at Eagle Landing but, to date, no one has received an official notice. At best, only members of the executive committee will be notified as the chairman said he "had sent out letters". Does he have your address?
As of this writing, no one knows where the county convention will be held.
Now, we shall provide some additional information on the process of returning the packets to the chairman and some possibilities for your consideration as to why the process is as it is.
According to SCGOP Rules, ( rule 4 (c) (5) ) information contained in the packets must be returned to the chairman no later than five days after the original meeting. This rule has been thrown out the window. In the instructions this cycle and last, the packets had to be returned within 24 hours of the original meeting. Now, use your common sense. If you are the leadership and you want to maintain that position, you want to be certain you have a sufficient number of delegates at the county convention to assure your re-election. The only way to be sure this will be the outcome is to know, for certain, exactly how many delegates your opposition has. This is not rocket science. If the process was fair, the make-up meeting would be held on that fifth day after the original precinct meeting. But, who's talking about fair. We're talking about maintaining power.
If this situation was not so serious, it would be quite amusing. But, the behaviour and goals of the existing leadership is so transparent that it borders on the ridiculous. What better ways to assure that no new people, or your opposition, will participate in the process; don't tell anyone, except your supporters, when the meetings will be held; don't give any precinct packets to new people; wait until the last possible moment to announce meetings; hold meetings in inappropriate venues. In other words, make every step in the process as difficult, inconvenient, and secretive as possible.
GE&P always likes to end on a positive note. Therefore, take heart Berkeley County Republicans. Come to the make-up meeting and let your voices be heard. Come and be part of the effort to clean up this mess. Come to Eagle Landing on March 19, 2009. No time has been given for the meeting but you can bet GE&P will announce this as soon as the information becomes available.
SC Code of Law provides very clear guidelines for the process of reorganization of political parties. SCGOP Rules provide additional guidelines for the Republican Party. ( For those who would like to read the entire texts, the information can be found under Title 7- Elections, Chapter 9, Party organization, in the SC Code of Law and in Rule 5 of the SCGOP Rules.) For our purposes, we will concentrate on the SCGOP process in Berkeley County.
THE PRECINCT PACKET:
SCGOP Party Headquarters prepares a packet of information for each precinct in the county. Contained in this packet are all the legal forms necessary for reorganization, along with complete instruction on conducting the meeting, and a list of all the Republican voters in that precinct. It is very helpful to receive this packet in a timely manner so the organizer can contact as many people as possible who wish to participate. This year, the precinct packets were picked up in Columbia by the BCGOP leadership on February 7, 2009. Ten days later, on February 16, 2009, an executive committee meeting was held at Eagle Landing to distribute the packets. Only members of the executive committe were notified of this meeting.
NOTIFICATION:
At this point, GE&P thinks it might be helpful for all to know the legal requirements for notification of reorganization.
Section 7-9-50 SC Code of Law
"A notice must be published by the county committee once a week for two consecutive weeks not more than three weeks nor less than two weeks before the meeting date in a newspaper having general circulation in the county."
This cycle, the first notice appeared in the P&C on February 19, 2009, two weeks before the actual reorganization meeting and three days after the meeting to distribute the packets. The second notice appeared on February 26, 2009, one week before the actual meeting on March 5, 2009. It should be apparent to all how this schedule could be problematic for those, other than members of the executive committee, who wished to participate.
It is important for the reader to understand that "reorganization " is not a one event deal. It is a process that contains several steps. It is imperative for the public to be aware of the times and places of each step. As everyone knows, this has not been the case during this year's process.
Originally, the packets should have been distributed in a timely manner. They were not.
There should have been public notice as to time and place for folks to pick up their packets. There was not.
The notifications should have been published in accordance with the Law. They were not.
There should have been instructions contained within the notifications as to where and when to return the packets. ( GE&P will expand upon this issue later in this post.) There were not.
In the notifications, there should have been a time, date, and place for the reorganization make-up meeting. There was not. The word on the street is that the chairman has said the make-up meeting will be held on March 19th at Eagle Landing but, to date, no one has received an official notice. At best, only members of the executive committee will be notified as the chairman said he "had sent out letters". Does he have your address?
As of this writing, no one knows where the county convention will be held.
Now, we shall provide some additional information on the process of returning the packets to the chairman and some possibilities for your consideration as to why the process is as it is.
According to SCGOP Rules, ( rule 4 (c) (5) ) information contained in the packets must be returned to the chairman no later than five days after the original meeting. This rule has been thrown out the window. In the instructions this cycle and last, the packets had to be returned within 24 hours of the original meeting. Now, use your common sense. If you are the leadership and you want to maintain that position, you want to be certain you have a sufficient number of delegates at the county convention to assure your re-election. The only way to be sure this will be the outcome is to know, for certain, exactly how many delegates your opposition has. This is not rocket science. If the process was fair, the make-up meeting would be held on that fifth day after the original precinct meeting. But, who's talking about fair. We're talking about maintaining power.
If this situation was not so serious, it would be quite amusing. But, the behaviour and goals of the existing leadership is so transparent that it borders on the ridiculous. What better ways to assure that no new people, or your opposition, will participate in the process; don't tell anyone, except your supporters, when the meetings will be held; don't give any precinct packets to new people; wait until the last possible moment to announce meetings; hold meetings in inappropriate venues. In other words, make every step in the process as difficult, inconvenient, and secretive as possible.
GE&P always likes to end on a positive note. Therefore, take heart Berkeley County Republicans. Come to the make-up meeting and let your voices be heard. Come and be part of the effort to clean up this mess. Come to Eagle Landing on March 19, 2009. No time has been given for the meeting but you can bet GE&P will announce this as soon as the information becomes available.
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