Archive for May 2009
The Buncombe County Republican Party will be participating in this Friday’s Chamber Challenge 5K run. June 5th at 4:30pm at the Chamber of Commerce [map]. Be there in your BCGOP t-shirts to cheer them over the finish line!
Diana Kantor, Christy Blake, Dwayne Blake, and Michael Blackmon will proudly represent our local party this Friday as they complete the 3.1 mile course. Some team members will run, some will walk, and others may do a little of both, but all 4 will be there in their BCGOP t-shirts and will cross that finish line. Be there to show your support and to participate in a fun community event.
Remember, positive change begins locally. Help us take advantage of this opportunity to reach out to the community. Don’t worry if you can’t get there right at 4:30 – we’ll be around for a while.
See you Friday!
Pictured above: Diana Kantor, Christy Blake, Dwayne Blake, Michael Blackmon
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Many of our local GOP members, and many Republicans around the state, received an email recently from former NCGOP Chair, Frank Rouse, which has created a bit of confusion. The Buncombe County Republican Party welcomes and encourages honest dialog and debate, and in that spirit, we respond to items mentioned in Mr. Rouse’s email message.
Mr. Rouse first mentions an article from the Asheville Citizen-Times, which our Chairman, and candidate for NCGOP Vice Chairman, posted to his facebook page. First, we should point out that we take no issue with what any member of our party chooses to post on their personal facebook page or other website. We respect the free expression of all of our members, and that includes our Chairman.
The reason we bring it up at all is because Mr. Rouse’s email seemed to imply that Chairman Johnson had actually written the article, when in fact it was written by a Leroy Goldman and merely reposted on facebook. Chairman Johnson often posts, emails, or discusses articles of interest to Republicans, especially issues that are printed locally. Many of our members appreciate this effort.
The second item in Mr. Rouse’s email is a reference to a recent post on our website: BCGOP Executive Committee Endorsements for NCGOP Leadership. Some have suggested that (1) this indicates that Chairman Johnson endorses Chad Adams or that they are somehow campaigning as a team, or that (2) Chairman Johnson pushed our Executive Committee into endorsing himself and Chad Adams.
This is not the case. Dr. Johnson has not endorsed any candidate for NCGOP Chairman and did not vote for or advocate for any individual when we voted to endorse Chad Adams. Chairman Johnson also did not in any way push our Executive Committee into endorsing any candidates. The motion was brought forward by our 2nd Vice Chairman. Chairman Johnson did not participate in the vote and said very little even when asked if he wanted to make a statement. The overwhelming majority of our committee enthusiastically supports Chad Adams and Timothy Johnson and felt compelled to publicly express that support.
The last item is a mention by Mr. Rouse of the “Liberty Tree”, by which we assume he meant to say the “Liberty Club”. No specific comment was made other than a link to the Liberty Club’s ning site and what we take to be a negative remark: “You are on your own, on this one.”
The Liberty Club is a new club which was added during our 2009 Convention by a near-unanimous vote of our delegates. The club is made up of local Republicans who are dedicated to issues of liberty, which is a major component of our Republican Principles. We are proud to be a leader in North Carolina in terms of the number of active Republican Clubs which meet regularly to discuss and take action on items that interest them.
Looking at our photo above, taken at a recent Executive Committee meeting, you can see the diversity in our party, which reflects our stated Republican Principles with respect to race, creed, sex, age or disability. What is less apparent from our photo, but very obvious from our Club page and at our events, is the tremendous diversity of thought and backgrounds in our organization. We have one common thread that unites us all, and that is our support for the Republican Principles, which we read at the beginning of every meeting.
We are very proud of our local party: its leadership, clubs, members, and supporters. We are proud of what we have accomplished with respect to increasing our numbers, increasing club participation, increasing diversity, and leading the state in our effective use of technology. We welcome all those who support our principles to join us and talk with us honestly and openly. We may not always agree with one another, but we remain one party committed to our principles which we believe will guide our country, our state, and our local community toward a better future.
[Photo by Max Cooper. Click the photo for a larger view.]
A few weeks ago, we announced the creation of the Victory Club, when we asked for a minimum contribution of $100 per family per year in order to deliver a victory for our Republican candidates in 2009 (municipal races) and 2010. The following individuals and families stepped up right away and joined the Victory Club. THANK YOU for your contribution! [Donate online today]
Christy and Dwayne Blake
Clara Brekhus
Pat and Hal Campbell
Frances Cosgrove
Mary Ann and Chuck Durand
Maureen Flag-Webber
Erika Franzi
Mike Fryar
Spencer Hardaway
Ethel Jenkins
Rick Jenkins
Linda and Sid Johnson
Timothy and Latessa Johnson
Diana Kantor and John Keck
Alice and George Keller
Kathie Lack
Carolyn and Ron McKee
Robert and Susan Malt
Dale Moburg
Kathy and Ed Osada
Bill Porter
Kathy Rhodarmer
Stephen Sr. Roberts
Nancy Waldrop
Deborah and Don Yelton
The following press release and letter from Senator Burr was forwarded to us yesterday from Clean Asheville.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-North Carolina) sent a letter to Bill Roderick, Acting Inspector General for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), requesting an investigation into how the Agency has handled studies of high levels of Trichloroethylene (TCE) contamination affecting wells and groundwater in Skyland, North Carolina. TCE is known to have profoundly negative effects on human health. Senator Burr’s letter expresses his disappointment with the EPA, and requests that they conduct an investigation into how this issue has been handled so far. Excerpts from the letter follow:
“I am formally requesting an investigation of the work performed to this date by EPA Region 4 on a hazardous waste site in Skyland, North Carolina. I am further requesting that an immediate reassessment of both the drinking water and the air quality of the area in question be conducted by independent and credible sources in order to demonstrate the safety of the area to concerned citizens.
“I no longer believe that the mission of EPA is being fulfilled.
“The site was occupied for many years by CTS of Asheville . During that time, CTS, an electroplating company, used large quantities of Trichloroethylene (TCE) as a degreaser. TCE, a chemical known to be harmful to human health, is now found in unsafe quantities throughout the occupied area and in neighboring property.
“In the over 40 year history of the site, many individuals in the surrounding area have become ill and died from symptoms that are potentially attributable to TCE exposure. EPA has a mission to protect human health. In EPA Region 4′s over 20 year history on the site they have failed to demonstrate the safety of the area to citizens in the area and to hold the responsible parties to account.”
You can download the full letter from Senator Burr here.
The Buncombe County Republican Party Executive Committee voted overwhelmingly to endorse Chad Adams for NCGOP Chairman, and Dr. Timothy F. Johnson for NCGOP Vice Chairman.
Information on Chad Adams can be found at www.adamsncgop.com.
Information on Dr. Johnson can be found at www.ncgopvicechair.com.
Elections for state party leadership positions will be held at the NCGOP state convention June 12-14 in Raleigh. All delegates from the County Convention will be eligible to vote.
