An open letter to the Pima and Arizona GOP from Tom Gilfeather
( https://www.facebook.com/groups/215684591806716?ap=1 ):
I am a registered Republican in Pima county who attempted to attend the special meeting called for July 15 to vote on a change in the by-laws and to remove Brian Miller as Chairman of the Pima County GOP. Since I am not a Precinct Committeeman, I had no expectation that I would be able to speak or vote at that meeting. However, in the interests of transparency in the workings of my local party, I believe I should at least have been invited to observe the proceedings.
My understanding was that registered Republicans would be able to attend and I took several hours out of my day to do so. I was concerned, because serious, if very tenuous, accusations were made against Brian Miller. He has the right to answer them and members of the party have a right to hear a detailed explanation of the accusations against him, as well as his defense, in the time-honored tradition of this Republic. Unfortunately Mr. Miller was afforded no such consideration and was removed as Chairman of the Executive Committee through a process that could only charitably be described as murky.
Although I am a registered member of the Republican party I was not permitted to witness the process. As a result, I have absolutely NO confidence the Executive Committee properly followed its rules or that this was a fair or open process. I am appalled by the lack of respect for both Mr. Miller and the rank-and-file members of the GOP on the part of some members of Pima County’s Executive Committee.
Equally appalling was the scene at the doors outside the meeting place at the Manning House. I watched as one Precinct Committeeman was initially refused entry because he was carrying notes and his own copy of the by-laws. They obviously realized the absurdity of their position, as he was eventually admitted, but only after a humiliating search of his documents.
Scores of us were kept standing outside in the heat, without even the courtesy of an explanation, while they slowly allowed PCs into the building and checked there names against a “list,” the provenance of which was a mystery to all of us standing outside.
A friend of mine, who was recently appointed a Precinct Committeeman was told that his name was not on the list, despite his having applied for the position weeks ago. Was it because they were unsure of his vote? He told me that when he questioned the absence of his name on the list, Anne Stephenson, the wife of an Executive Committee member, who apparently selected herself as Committee bouncer, threatened to have him arrested. How insulting to have a door closed and locked in your face! Is this how you hope to recruit new members?
The final insult came when one of the proprietors of Manning House stepped outside and nervously, albeit apologetically, asked us to leave the property. None of us left outside had anything against her as we understood that private property must be respected. But before we even had a chance to start moving or talk to Brian Miller, who had promised to get back to us on whether or not we could enter, they had the police ask us to leave.
So now the Pima County GOP apparently considers its members intruders and trespassers.
It sounds a lot like the way Washington Democrats have treated us.
I’m at work; I’ll contact you on Facebook...there are explanations for why things were done as they were; I’m an LD Chair and therefore a member of the ExCom.
None of us took any joy in this; I like Brian personally; he is a gentleman. We just disagreed on his job description; I’ll explain more later.
I sent you a Friend request on Facebook. I’ve known Ken Rineer for a long time. Although we’re not always in agreement, we are on good terms. I hope you will read David Bliss statement of how he changed his mind and voted to recall Brian after he heard his speech.