Posted on 11/23/2007 6:03:40 PM PST by NormsRevenge
On the verge of a presidential election year, the California Republican Party is slashing funds for key operatives as the party struggles to overcome lackluster fundraising and lingering debt.
At the end of the year the state party will eliminate what is called its county executive director program, which distributed about $260,000 a year among about a dozen counties to assist with fundraising activities and grass-roots organizing.
Its finances are so shaky, the state party faced the choice of ending the funding or possibly laying off workers from its staff, according to one official.
In an era of multimillion-dollar presidential campaigns, the amount at issue is relatively small. Indeed, some larger local GOP committees, like San Diego and Orange counties, expect to have enough funds available from their own accounts to fill the gap.
But others will face cutbacks at a time when candidates are trying to attract voters in a political environment defined by an unpopular Republican president and the Iraq war. An Associated Press-Ipsos poll last week found roughly one of three adults approve of President Bush's performance, about the same as his all-time low.
The cuts are "really going to hurt the party statewide, there's no doubt about that," said Jack Duncan, whose job with the Kern County GOP is financed in part with the state dollars.
"A lot of people think volunteers will step in and take care of a lot of these issues. That's stretching it, I think," Duncan added. "Someone is going to have to ... take care of the fundraising activity and do all those kinds of things. For some of the counties, that's going to be pretty tough."
According to state records, the California GOP was $1.7 million in debt at the end of October, the most recent figures available. Its federal committee was nearly $430,000 in the red, records show.
An e-mail sent by regional vice chairman Jon Fleischman to other party officials, which was obtained by AP, pointed to a shortage of cash.
"I don't know how to sugarcoat this," Fleischman wrote in the e-mail. The party "is going through a very fiscally challenging period."
Warned by the party's chief operating officer that state GOP layoffs could follow if the county funding was continued, "I was forced to vote to end a program that I believe is a good one, simply because we are faced with a situation of limited resources," Fleischman wrote. He later predicted finances would improve.
Contacted by phone, Fleischman declined comment on the e-mail.
State Chairman Ron Nehring did not respond to a phone call or e-mail. A statement issued by the party stressed that the funding for the program was expected to end on Dec. 31.
It did not mention its board voted last week not to continue the county dollars after than time. The board also defeated a motion to extend the dollars until February.
"This program was started three years ago and it was intended to have the executive directors develop the county grass-roots program, fundraising activities and develop community ties," the statement said. "The county executive directors are employees of the county central committee, not the state party."
In August major donors agreed to pay off a $3 million debt by February for the California GOP, left over from the 2006 campaign.
Party members say fundraising has been dampened by, among other reasons, Bush's immigration plan, which many conservatives have called a giveaway to illegal workers.
Nehring has had a bumpy tenure, with problems ranging from weak finances to staffing.
Asked Friday if Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had confidence in Nehring's leadership, spokeswoman Julie Soderlund did not answer directly.
"The governor has a good working relationship with Ron," she said in an e-mail.
another “moderate” me$$ ?
Strangely Ahhnold raised some 120+ million so far in his political career, yet the Ca Republican Party is bust?
Ahhnold sucking the air and money out of the environment?
Or has his RINOism and GWB’s unpopularity combined to dampen fundraising efforts?1``
Gosh, it sounds eerily like Mass. You don’t think that Arnold=Mitt, do you?
The California GOP should see if they could collect forced “Payroll Contributions” from their membership’s paychecks before the members see their money. It’s worked for the Federal and State governments. They always seem to have enough money coming in, and never have to cut social services. In fact, it has worked so well that they have increased social services.
I don’t care who you are...that was funny! :)
“another “moderate” me$$ ?”
You got it! Precisely the answer. Mod=Left, Dem=Left. Conservatives depended upon the Republican Party for many a year, but the Republican Party leadership decided to make a Left turn awhile back. We don’t need two Leftist Political Parties. We need Political Parties diametrically opposed in perspective, and no compromises.
There is nothing left to compromise.
“another “moderate” me$$ ?”
yep.
How about trying to be the party of individual liberties for a change? We're so awash in Nanny-statism: from seat belt laws to smoking restrictions, I could predict a tsunami of folks running toward the party willing to put these busy-bodies in their place.
Were the Republicans to pick-up this banner, they'd kick Democrat butt all over the state. Why? Because people are sick and tired of being regulated to death. People want freedom over fascism- something that is foreign to the intolerant Left. Step out of line, they will smack-you-down "for the children".
Whether it's eating meat or wearing leather or fur, the only way to shut these fascists brownshirts up is to kick them in the teeth with the constitution. Trouble is: republican balls in this neck of the woods couldn't fill a thimble. One such rep goes by the name 'Doolittle'. How appropriate.
The list of things the Left will not tolerate is long. We're only seeing the beginning. With the power of the State and Law Enforcement (SS troops) behind them, the crushing effect on individual liberties looms large, with no end in sight.
Until someone steps up and challenges these fascists bastards, their push toward a police state will continue unabated. Lurking on the highways this Thanksgiving weekend is a threat to liberty greater than our Founders could have imagined: Highwaymen. With guns and badges. State sanctioned robbers capable of seperating you with tens of thousands of dollars for ingesting a couple of beers, or glasses of wine while bankrolling the state's coffers and at the same time, qualifying them for greater federal funding to deal with the 'menace' (which appears menacing 'cause they've committed over 80% of their resources to the effort of trapping anyone who may have celebrated this weekend with a couple of drinks with extra funding as an incentive to go anti-American on Americans).
As much as it stinks today, it'll be worse tomorrow and Republicans will be scratching their heads wondering why they couldn't attract more people to their party. Republicans are good at addressing 'foreign' enemies. If they suck at thwarting 'domestic' enemies, what good have they done? You still lose. "It's the domestic enemies, stupid!".
“Arnold....has his RINOism and GWB’s unpopularity combined to dampen fundraising efforts?``
To date, the Austrian has raised about $126M, of which about $1.5M came from the CAGOP. The Austrain has also spent about $33M of his own money, has accepted <$10M in perks from the taxpayers and has not taken a salary.
The CAGOP is broke precisely because they gave $1.5M to a European liberal. Supporting a liberal queered those partisan donners lacking direct, compensatory access to the General Fund trough and pi$$ed off partisan volunteers, who have refused to solicit as long as their efforts are being siphoned to the Austrian.
Gee, it couldn't have anything to do with Arnold being anti-gun, could it?
I only barely manage to stay civil when I get calls suggesting that I should donate money without a guarantee that no anti-gun candidate will benefit.
They haven't given up yet, but I don't think they have gotten the message. Perhaps bankruptcy, the only solution I see for Kalifornia, is also the only thing that will save the Republican Party in Kalifornia.
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