The "good old boys club"
Manatee County REC
Good morning
Here is a copy of an email I sent to the REC board members.
Robert Robert Lesher
I am requesting to bring a motion to the floor for a vote from the members to abolish the ad-hock committee which has been given the power to interview new applicants and give recommendations on whether to accept or reject the applicants. I think it violates the RPOF rules. I would like to have a vote to be conduted for all qulified canidates for open seats in acordance with Rule 5 (D) of the RPOF Rules and Procedures and and Florida Statute 103.091, which requires that any repubican in good standing who is a resident of the precinct with an open seat in the meeting in which they present themselves as a canidate for the vacatant seat. I am informing the board so it can be put into the agenda. Also I feel it is a gross violation of the RPOF rules not allowing anyone to submit a application since June of 2022. Please advise me of your decision so as I can plan on how I want to move forward to try to get ,what I and many others consider to be a wrongfull action taken by the board corrected.
Thank You
Robert E Lesher
Precinct 203
I wonder if I will get another request to resign and join a different group because of requesting them to correct something which I and many others think is not only wrong but against the rules. I have already had 3 requests in the past for that reason, 1 from the Chairman, 1 from the Treasurer, and the first request came from the so-called Hospitality person (I am not sure of his official title). The only reason they have made it as a request instead of throwing me out is that the rules clearly state reasons for expelling any member because of certain actions, which I have not committed. (Not that they try to follow the rules). I think they may be afraid of a lawsuit, I am not sure but I guarantee you if they could kick me out without any serious consequences, I would be out of there 6 months ago. Or maybe I will get another THREAT. This is the statement made by one of the board members: “You people have no idea who you are messing with” and “You are making some very powerful people mad, these people are way above my pay grade” I am not sure of the exact wording but I know this is very close to the exact wording. Moving on. I am sure the Ad-hock committee was set up for 2 reasons.
#1: To keep people from joining before the upcoming Board election which happened in December
#2: To keep people like me from joining.
They accuse anyone who questions their actions to be a trouble maker and they become angry and very rude. ALL members are elected officials of the Republican Party and if the rules were followed (and I don’t mean the way they twist the rules to suit their desires) each member has 1 vote, not the board having all the power and making ALL decisions. The reason I call it a "Good Old Boys club" is because if are a newer member, you are to sit down and shut up. I don’t know when, if ever, someone like me would be allowed to join their elite group which I call the good old boys club. Is it the number of years you belong or is it a person's financial status, maybe I should ask that question. The one thing I know is that is how the Chairman and the Treasurer feel because they have told more than once. If you don’t know me you are probably thinking, why would they want him to resign is he just a troublemaker and just wants to make trouble and does more harm than good for the Republican party? When I started asking questions I didn’t know it was against their rules and would be labeled a troublemaker. And as for what I have done for the Republican party, In the last year and a half I have volunteered for local candidates making well over 2000 phone calls, knocking on over one hundred doors, and working well over 100 hours at events such as the local gun show, the fair and other events. Also spending hours waving signs for local candidates at least 4 times. Yes, I was one of the people waving signs in Bradenton at a few different busy street corners at rush hour and the cosway going to Anna Maria island. AND I WANT TO SAY, absolutely ZERO of the time I volunteered was due to any efforts done by the REC. But they had no problem taking credit for my efforts and the time spent by many other people who worked as hard as I did. What I see from the REC is mostly fundraising. And what do they spend the money on?? A big part of it went to pay for the fundraising events. Yes, that's right. I am not sure if they break even but I can tell you they certainly spent a lot of time planning, organizing, and attending these events. Also paying for a local office cost about $25,000.00 a year. What is the office for you ask? So people can stop in and get yard signs if people want them. In my opinion, that is a lot of money to hand out a few yard signs! Well, you are probably thinking, they must have given money to some of the candidates, right? Yes, they did. They gave 2 candidates $6000.00 each very late in the election cycle and neither candidate used the money. There is more money left in those two candidates' campaign fund accounts than was donated to them by the REC. All this information on REC and campaign contributions and spending are open to the public to view. If you are interested in viewing it go to:
Good read. Describes the Manatee REC perfectly.