Posted on 01/25/2004 2:28:32 PM PST by Spiff
Top-down communication without the inclusions of lateral and bottom-up communication is a sure recipe for organizational failure.
Organizations that value communication from management, subordinates, customers and a wide range of publics are more likely to be vibrant, successful entities.
What are we seeing in the Republican Party, regarding the border invasion? Paternalistic, top-down communication. We talk; you listen.
We are seeing a disconnect between the grassroots level and the upper levels of the party. The words of the people, precinct committeemen and district chairmen have for several months gone unheeded. Opinion polls strongly favoring PAN have been ignored by the party. The White House, the Republican National Committee and Arizona GOP are trying to force unpopular policy down the throats of the party base.
The upper brass favors a guest worker program that many people believe amounts to nothing more than amnesty for lawbreakers. ''Trust us,'' say the big boys. ''Protect our citizens and our sovereignty,'' say the common folks. This is a classic disconnect.
It is no wonder then that this volatile situation boiled over at the AZ GOP executive board meeting Saturday. AZ GOP Chairman Bob Fannin has been calling for unity and support for the president.
Some of the state's district chairmen had had enough, and they read Fannin the riot act. Instead of forcing an unpopular policy down the people's throats, they said, Fannin should use his position to relay to the White House the strong disapproval for amnesty on the grassroots level.
Fannin's days are numbered as AZ GOP chairman. It is likely that former Gov. Fife Symington will be approached -- if he hasn't already -- about running for election as AZ GOP chairman next year. That's when Fannin's two-year term runs out. Fannin had also placed himself on thin ice for trying to mainstream the pro-abortion WISH List into the pro-life GOP. As a result, there are now 500 anti-WISH List lapel stickers in circulation at party meetings.
The lesson to the story is that the Republican Party needs to take in opinions and information from below and give rank and file Republicans legitimate consideration -- as opposed to dictating unpopular policy on an unwilling constituency. The White House had better start listening to the people and re-thinking its position, because a lot of Republicans are saying Bush will not get their vote as things currently stand. The White House can choose this day whom it will serve. If the White House gets behind PAN, Arizona is in the bag for the president's re-election chances. It's that simple.
Notes
The two state representatives who serve as senior advisors to the Protect Arizona Now (PAN) initiative are both thinking about running for Congress.
Rep. Randy Graf, of D30 and Green Valley, may decide to oppose Cong. Jim Kolbe in Congressional District 8. Kolbe, Sen. John McCain and Cong. Jeff Flake are co-sponsoring a guest worker program that has greatly angered conservatives. Incidentally, the District 8 precinct captains attending the state GOP convention in Mesa Saturday, voted by a margin of 54-20 to support the PAN initiative -- a direct rebuke of Cong. Kolbe.
Rep. Russell Pearce, of D18 and Mesa, has been urged to oppose Cong. Flake in this year's election. Stan Barnes has already declared for the same race. Pearce believes that if he enters the race, the non-Flake vote may get diluted in a two-way battle with Barnes. Pearce is much more popular than Barnes and may be able to mount a serious challenge to Flake.
Candidacies by Graf and Pearce would undoubtedly be opposed with all the weight and financial resources of the White House and the RNC. Which takes us back to the disconnect subject we started with. We saw how ruthless the president's senior advisor, Karl Rove, can be when he made deeply disturbing threats against Republican congressmen who opposed the president's Medicare bill a couple months ago.
***
Sen. Jon Kyl told me Saturday he is hoping for more recess appointments by President Bush. The senator said any future appointments would have to involve judges who are not opposed to going through the confirmation process again after the recess appointment expires.
"!Aprenda Espanol hoy, evite la prisa manana!"
It is a form of amnesty - there is no question about that. No one said it is a full or blanket amnesty. The fact of the matter is that one day there will be illegals and their employers and the next day some of the illegals and their employers will no longer fear arrest, deportation, a trial, a criminal record, having paid a token bribe...er...fee and filled out the proper paperwork.
And closing the borders is not a vague thing to people like me who can look at the wide-open border out of their window. I can, literally, see the border from where I am sitting as I type this. I've been to the border road and seen the pitiful twisted few strands of wire they call a border fence - and some places that have no fence at all. If I look just right, I can see the border barriers near Naco, Arizona and, at night, the lights that light up a short section of the border there. I can also see that the length of that barrier and lighted area is very short and entirely inadequate.
How vague is: erect a border barrier, monitor the barrier, interdict those who attempt to cross the barrier, allow crossing only at predetermined international crossing points, check all people who cross at those points for proper visas and other documentation. Most Americans assume that this is already going on. I can tell you that it is NOT.
Is it vague to ask that current laws be upheld and enforced. Illegals should be caught and deported. Their employers should be prosecuted. Those who enabled the illegals in their illegal entry or their stay here should also be prosecuted. The laws are there already and only need to be enforced. There is nothing vague about this.
I understand what I'm arguing about. I know of the vague things that Bush proposed and that they equal a form of amnesty. I know that the Kolbe, McCain, Flake guest worker plan is a form of amnesty and it rewards lawbreakers. I know that Cornyn's legislation is outright amnesty as is that proposed by Daschle.
I refuse to pretend that these proposals are anything otherwise. As Travis McGee said in an earlier post in this thread - don't piss on my leg and tell me that it is raining. I can tell the difference.
ALTERNATIVES. You can't give detailed alternatives without learning and understanding every aspect of the problem. Lack of detailed alternatives is vagueness. Please stop snarling and begin discussion, or you'll lose this debate.
If this were to happen, one thing that you'd be seeing is the majority of Americans clapping and cheering. Actually, the U.S. government wouldn't have to round up any illegal aliens. If we cut off ALL incentives for illegal aliens to come to the U.S. (jobs, taxpayer funded freebies), illegal aliens would have no reason to stay here.
Actually this is amnesty, not reform. I prefer the word shamnesty or scamnesty.
Q. Is this amnesty?
A. You bet it is. Any program that allows millions of illegal aliens to receive legal status in this country is an amnesty. The difference between this amnesty and the one signed by President Reagan in 1986 is that this one includes an interim guestworker status for people transitioning from illegal alien status to legal permanent residency. Under the president's plan, current illegal aliens would be given guestworker status for up to six years and be eligible for Social Security numbers and driver's licenses. It is absolutely not credible to believe that under the circumstances any of these people will ever leave, or that they will not be granted permanent residence. In addition, because it allows them to bring family members to join them, amnesty will be extended to countless millions more.
President Bush also promises "enhanced workplace enforcement again those who violate the immigration laws." The obvious question is: Why has there been virtually no workplace enforcement over the past three years of his administration? Why should anyone believe, after years of empty promises by Republican and Democratic administrations, that this time they will keep their word? Why doesn't the president begin "enhanced work place enforcement" today? He does not need any additional legislation to do that. It is already the law.
Q. Will immigrants who participate in this program be eligible for citizenship?
A. Under the 1996 immigration reform legislation (again, never enforced), people who violated our immigration laws were supposed to be made ineligible for legal immigration status in the U.S. President Bush's plan will inevitably lead to citizenship for millions of immigration cheaters. It's just going to take a little longer.
showdown in arizona...
They would be coming to the government for the Blue card, when they decide not to go home, where do we get the money to go and chase them down?
You make it sound so simple, Travis. Obviously you are not a politician. Votes are at stake, y'know!
Funny how power changes people. At this point, I'm not sure I want to know their true motives.
but, what will we do with all the empty schools, jails, n emergency rooms???
I like this part. Any word from Randy?
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and has webbed feet it is a duck. No matter what spin you put on it, this is an amnesty bill.
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