Tuesday, March 14, 2006

NAZZOLINA?

Today's Asbury Park Press contains an article on this year's Republican County Convention, scheduled for Saturday April 8.
The article states:

Anna Little, who was chosen in February to fill an unexpired term on the board, will likely be given the party endorsement by acclamation, Niemann said. But Narozanick will have to face a screening committee if he seeks re-election.
"Competition is good," Niemann said. "Competition assures that incumbents never take their position for granted and are responsive to the people as can be."

And:

(Surrogate Marie)Muhler also will be subject to the nomination process if she seeks another term, Niemann said.

The article then goes on to describe who would vote at the convention:
Members of the Republican County committee, county elected officials, constitutional officers (which include the surrogate, sheriff and county clerk) and municipal chairmen will all be allowed to vote to pick the party's candidates, Niemann said. Elected municipal officials and Republicans elected to serve in nonpartisan towns will be allowed to vote this year for the first time, Niemann said. About 1,000 Republicans will vote to pick the candidates.

While it is on record now that Chairman Niemann will in fact invoke the "Barham Corollary" as pertains to Freeholder Anna Little, but will allow competition should Freeholder Ted Narozanick or Surrogate Marie Muhler seek reelection.
Shouldn't he use the "Barham Corollary" on all three? Shouldn't it apply to any incumbent seeking reelection? Or not?
And what about the municipal officials? Should that only be limited to Republicans elected on a partisan ballot? This would exclude officials from towns like Ocean, Long Branch and Keansburg. Or should those Republicans elected in a non-partisan form of government be included? And will this include registered Republicans elected as independents in an otherwise partisan town, like Howell's Councilman Bob Walsh?
Will a committeeperson who is also an elected official have two votes?
I believe we need some clarification here. Maybe the recently very quiet "Ronald Reagan" can weigh in here and bring us all up to date.
What's your opinion?

4 comments:

Art Gallagher said...

If Ted and/or Marie choose to run and they are subject to a vote by the committee, either will win in a landslide and Fred will have lost at yet another convention.

Fred's putting pressure on them not to run. If one or both of them calls his bluff, his ploy backfires.

As for elected official voting...it doesn't matter, Ted and/or Marie still win in a landslide.

Downtowner said...

This is bush league.

Ted Narozanick is a good man and has served this county for a long time and he did it and does it well.

Who do these people think they are?

There's no respect anymore. It's appalling. You know, you can buy a lot with a big ELEC account, but you can't buy class.

The county shouldn't be messing with Ted. He deserves better.

Honest Abe said...

A very interesting take Kathy and something to think about. Truer words (A house divided...) were never spoken.
Regardless of the outcome of both the upcoming April convention and the June reorganization (Where the "capo di tutti capi" is selected.) it will be important for Monmouth Republicans to unite. The alternative is a victory for the Democrats, which most Republicans would find distasteful.

Teddy Roosevelt said...

I tried to send this earlier and I do not think it went through so here it is again.
Fred is right to make incumbents seek the parties approval. (Anna is an acceptable exception because she just went through the process.)
The reason we are in the condition we are in is because to many people stuck around to long and developed a feeling of entitlement.

The question is ,What have you done for "me" lately? The "me" being the voters. That is the real world. In business if you are not rowing in the right direction you are thrown overboard. it does not matter how well you rowed for the last 20 years.

Yes Mr. Purcell Ted has been a great Freeholder and is a decent hard working man. But even he should have to seek approval to run. Sorry no exceptions.

About the committee expansion. I do not know if Fred is trying to open the process or does he think he will have more influence over elected officials then he had over the county committee? He does not seem to have picked a horse yet in this race. I am against Muny officials voting because there are too many opportunities for petty deal making. This illustrates why we need BY-LAWS so the process can not be arbitrarily changed.

As to dividing the party comments. Maybe but if thats what it takes to get rid of the muck left in our party then that is the price we must pay.