Central Committee Meeting January 28, 9:00 a.m.

The next Central Committee Meeting is scheduled for Saturday January 28 at 9:00 a.m. at
Dixon Middle School, 750 West 200 North Provo.  Credentialing opens at 8:30 a.m. and
closes at 9:30 a.m.

Legislative District Officer Elections will be held and anyone wanting to run for Chair,
Vice Chair or Education Officer should file by emailing both kirby@kirbyglad.com and
jeremy.roberts@utahcountygop.org  before midnight on January 14, 2012.

Any registered Republican voter can file to run.

New Legislative Boundaries will be observed for the elections.

If you did not receive a post card in the mail, and are a member of the central committee,
 please e-mail Kirby Glad at the above e-mail. (kirby@kirbyglad.com)

Utah Environmental Groups Suing Kennecott

"Utah Moms for Clean Air and Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment have scheduled a 2 p.m. Monday news conference at Salt Lake City’s Main Library to talk about the lawsuit, which they announced in the fall and expect to file Monday afternoon in U.S. District Court. "  (Fahys, Judy.  Salt Lake Tribune)


Salt Lake Tribune

Utah Mom's for Clean Air Blog

Bios for Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment

275 Attended Special Dec. 10 Central Committee Meeting

The Central Committee voted to remove 78 automatic- ex-officio state delegates
on Saturday.  This vote will put 78 state delegates back into precincts to be
elected at the caucus.

All elected officials, all legislative officers (38), county GOP elected officers (4),
and appointed steering committee (5), will no longer be automatic state delegates,
but will have to get elected at the caucus.

All of the above retain their positions on the Central Committee and their automatic
county delegate status.

Automatic delegate video


Give the Party to the People Video


Robert Gehrke Salt Lake Tribune

Are Utah Redistricting Records Public Information?

Should all information relating to redistricting in Utah be public information?
How much should someone have to pay to view the redistricting records?
Is $2,000 a reasonable fee for a GRAMA request?

"The Democrats' lawsuit over redistricting is on hold because of a dispute over the party's open records request to the state.

They can get the documents, but they'll need to pay up."  . . . Billy Hesterman Daily Herald Newspaper

"Utah's open records law states that a person making a records request can be charged for the materials and time it takes for the information to be gathered, but the law also states that the fees can be waived if releasing the record primarily benefits the public. Dabakis argues these records would be beneficial for the public to see and argues that the Legislature's staff is acting in a partisan manner by charging for the records."


 The Utah law states that the fees can be waived if releasing the record primarily benefits the public. 
Democrats believe the redistricting records primarily benefit the public and want the records without the charge.

"Legislative staff confirmed that the records request has been made and that a letter has been issued to the Democratic Party explaining why the records request was denied. The Legislature's general counsel said the state has followed the law in dealing with the Democrats' request." Hesterman Herald Extra.com

"But Legislative General Counsel John Fellows says his office is treating Democrats and Republicans the same. He said the Republican Party made a more limited request for records of communications among lawmakers about redistricting and was willing to pay about $2,000 for them. So the records for the GOP were ready for delivery on Friday.

He said the Democratic Party has been unwilling to pay the $5,000 estimated cost for a much bigger request it made, so delivery is likely 60 days away from whenever party officials finally say they are willing to pay."  (Lee Davidson, Salt Lake Tribune)  Lee Davidson Salt Lake Tribune

"Legislative leaders also were miffed that, like the Democrats, the Republicans filed sweeping public records requests for all the documents and communications relating to redistricting." Paul Rolly Salt Lake Tribune

Paul Rolly Salt Lake Tribune

Bagley Cartoon NBA SUPERCOMMITTEE

This Pat Bagley editorial cartoon appears in The Salt Lake Tribune on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011.

Bagley Cartoon

Environmental bill drafted in secret zooms to passage

Senator Margaret Dayton's 186 page bill contents were a secret until Wednesday's first hearing where it passed in Interim committee, so now it can go straight to the hill without a public hearing.  The following legislators on the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee are the legislators that prevented the bill from going through a public hearing process.

Rep. Roger E. Barrus, Chair Sen. Ralph Okerlund, Chair Sen. Casey O. Anderson Rep. Joel K. Briscoe Rep. Melvin R. Brown Sen. Allen M. Christensen Sen. Gene Davis Sen. Margaret Dayton Rep. Brad L. Dee Rep. Jack R. Draxler Rep. Brad J. Galvez Rep. Neal B. Hendrickson Judy Fahys Salt Lake Tribune

Sen. David P. Hinkins Rep. John G. Mathis Rep. Michael E. Noel Rep. Douglas Sagers Rep. Stephen E. Sandstrom Rep. Evan J. Vickers Rep. Christine F. Watkins Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox Rep. Bill Wright

Environmental boards

"Proposed legislation would remove the adjudicative role of the state’s five boards and limit their size to nine members apiece. Each board would have two members from the public, including one from a nongovernmental organization, such as an environmental or health advocacy group. Advocates of the bill say the affected boards — for air quality, radiation control, drinking water, water quality and solid and hazardous waste — would function more efficiently and have a more robust debate with fewer members and clearer duties."  (Judy Fahys Salt Lake Tribune, November 18, 2011)

November 17 Central Committee ends in Gridlock

Photo by Keri Witte:  Mike Terry speaking at Central Committee Meeting at Orem High.

Bonnie Marrow was appointed Vice Chair to replace Adrielle Herring who was 

elected to serve a 2 year term at the convention in April.  Adrielle is working on a

Campaign for the 2012 convention.  (Elected party officers must remain

neutral and cannot work on campaigns)

Bonnie Marrow ran for Provo City Council in 2011 and Marion Monahan past

Utah County Republican Party Chair was her campaign manager.

The elected officials and the automatic Central Committee members

successfully filibustered, flexing their muscle in control of the 

Utah County Republican Party, for the entire length of the CC meeting so that

no votes could be taken, except to approve the appointment of the

new Vice Chair.

Automatic Delegates Confuse Chairs and Vice Chairs

The first move by the ex-officios to ensure there would be no votes

at the CC meeting was an e-mail from the following that listed the wrong

date and place of the Central Committee Meeting.

A correction was sent later, but the correction was NOT sent to all CC

members.  ( I never saw the correction.  It was not e-mailed to me and no

one forwarded it to me either)

Delaina Tonks, Chair LD 27 Automatic State and County Delegate

Becky Pirente, Chair LD 56 Automatic State and County Delegate

Erin Madsen, Vice-Chair LD 56 Automatic State and County Delegate

Hayden Williamson, Education Officer LD56 Automatic State and County Delegate

Brian Halladay, Chair LD 57 Automatic State and County Delegate

Beau Sorensen, Chair LD 59 NO LONGER a district chair nor a current member of the Committee

Matt Thompson, Chair LD 61 Automatic State and County Delegate

Marian Monnahan, Chair LD 62 Automatic State and County Delegate (Holds two automatic county delegate seats - one life time)

Don Garlitz, Chair LD 64 Automatic State and County Delegate

Stan Lockhart, Education Officer LD 64 Automatic State and County Delegate (Holds two automatic county delegate seats - one life time)

Don Larsen, Chair LD 65 Automatic State and County Delegate

Chad Bunn, Chair LD 66 Automatic State and County Delegate

Credentialing

The second move to stop the delegate allocation vote was the credentialing lists.

1.         The lists that were printed for credentialing were not current and did not contain the names of the Vice Chairs, but instead had the names of the precinct secretaries who are NOT on the Central Committee.

2.         There were NO name tags or wrist bands or any method of determining who had signed their name on the bottom of the incorrect Leg list.  Anyone who arrived at the location could go in and sit down and vote as a Central Committee member.

3.         They counted chairs and vice chairs in the auditorium (that would be everyone who stood up and said they were a chair and vice chair. ) They didn’t announce from the podium the total number of people who signed in, so there could be a comparison between the actual number of people who signed the rolls and the total number of votes on each filibustered question.

4.          Ballots were passed out to everyone in attendance, so they could vote on delegate allocation, whether they were central committee members or not.

5.         There were approximately 180 votes being cast and there are about 550 Central Committee members.  Where were the other over 350 Central Committee members?

The Ex-officio Central Committee Members prevented voting

In the end the powerful elected officials and other automatic delegates prevented the chairs and vice chairs from having a vote on the allocation of state delegates in Utah County.

Who really controls the Utah County Republican Party?

Do the majority of the chairs and vice chairs want to waste their

time at Central Committee Meetings that don’t conduct business or hold

votes?

 Right View Mirror CC post

48 Precincts received 4 or more state delegates in 2010 delegate allocation

The following precincts all have ex-officio delegates.  The 2010 delegate allocation, according to the Relative Republican Voting Strength in the 2008 General Election, listed first + the ex-officio total next,

gave them the following state delegate totals:

Highland 04          6 state delegates  (4 allocated + 2 ex-officio)

Provo 16 , 36        6 state delegates  (3 allocated + 3 ex-officio)

Alpine 04              5 state delegates  (3 allocated + 2 ex-officio)

Eagle Mountain 06  5 state delegates  (3 allocated + 2 ex-officio)

Cedar Hills 01        5 state delegates  (3 allocated + 2 ex-officio)

Lindon 03               5 state delegates  (3 allocated + 2 ex-officio)

Orem 24, 36. 43      5 state delegates  (3 allocated+ 2 ex-officio)

Provo 13,40              5 state delegates  (3 allocated + 2 ex-officio)

Payson 07               5 state delegates  (3 allocated + 2 ex-officio)

The following 35 precincts were allocated 3 state delegates, according to the Relative Republican Voting Strength in the 2008 election, RRS and added one ex-officio to make a total of 4 total state delegates

Highland 02 and 05

American Fork 06

Eagle Mountain 02

Saratoga Springs 03

Cedar Hills 01

Lehi 13

Pleasant Grove 09, 14

Lindon 03

Orem 06, 10, 11, 12, 27, 30, 36, 45, 47

Provo 20, 30, 33, 41, 43, 45

Mapleton 01, 02, 03

Spanish Fork 10, 13, 14,

Salem 01

Springlake 01

Payson 01

Santaquin 02

The following Precincts were allocated 2 state delegates according to their RRS in 2008, and their ex-officio delegate gives them a total of 3 state delegates:

Draper 01

Orem 07, 08, 22

Provo 3, 19,21

Spanish Fork 05, 06, 12

2010 State Delegate Allocation of 687 State Delegates

#1. The Utah Republican Party (URP) allocated 687 delegate seats to the Utah County Republican Party (UCRP).

 #2. The UCRP scooped 78 seats off the top for the following ex officio state delegates (687 - 78 = 609). 

#3. Each of the 241 precincts was given one state delegate seat (by county rule, which contravenes state party rule):609 - 241 = 368.

If state party rules had been followed (steps #2 and #3 omitted), the following 78 precincts would have received ONE MORE STATE DELEGATE (in other words, they are currently UNDER-REPRESENTED):

American Fork: AF04, AF10, AF11

Alpine: AL04, AL05

Birdseye / Covered Bridge: BECB

Cedar Hills: CH01, CH03

Draper: DR01

Elberta: EL01

Eagle Mountain: EM01, EM03, EM05

Elk Ridge: ER01

Highland: HI01

Lehi: LE07, LE08, LE09, LE15, LE16, LE17

Lindon: LI03

Mapleton: MA02

Orem: OR01, OR05, OR08, OR13, OR16, OR18, OR22, OR25, OR26, OR31, OR32, OR35, OR36, OR37, OR38, OR39, OR40, OR41, OR48

Payson: PA08

Provo Canyon: PC01

Pleasant Grove: PG03, PG04, PG08, PG13, PG14

Provo: PR02, PR03, PR04, PR10, PR12, PR13, PR20, PR32, PR40, PR42, PR45, PR47

Spanish Fork: SF01, SF06, SF10, SF12, SF16

Spring Lake: SL01

Springville: SP02, SP05, SP06, SP07, SP08, SP11, SP15

Santaquin: SQ01

Saratoga Springs: SR01, SR05

Woodland Hills: WH01

Precincts in the list above are grouped by city; precincts in the list below are grouped by house district:

HD 27: AF04, AL04, AL05, DR01, HI01

HD 56: AF11, EM01, EM03, EM05, LE07, LE08, LE09, LE15, LE16, LE17, SR01, SR05

HD 57: AF10, CH01, CH03, PG03, PG08, PG13, PG14

HD 58: LI03, OR01, OR32, OR36, OR38, OR41, OR48, PG04

HD 59: OR05, OR18, OR22, OR39, OR40

HD 60: OR08, OR16, OR25, OR26, OR31, OR35, OR37

HD 61: OR13, PR13, PR20

HD 62: PC01, PR10, PR32, PR40, PR42

HD 63: PR12

HD 64: PR02, PR03, PR04, PR45, PR47, SP02

HD 65: MA02, SF16, SP05, SP06, SP07, SP08, SP11, SP15

HD 66: ER01, PA08, SF01, SF06, SF10, SF12, WH01

HD 67: BECB, EL01, SL01, SQ01

Analysis done by Lowell Nelson on April 23, 2010. Compiled in this format on January 19, 2011.

Google's Happy Halloween

Orem Mayor Selection Process Questionable

Orem City Attorney Paul Johnson set the process to determine the replacement mayor for

Jerry Washburn who died of cancer in September.  He determined that Orem City Council

would not interview the candidates because state law prohibits interviews from occurring in  

a closed meeting and he advised the council not to interview the applicants in public.

If council members made any notes in the closed meeting, they were taken away from them

before they left the meeting.

"The process was presented to us," Hernandez said. "The city attorney provided us that counsel."

State law prohibits public bodies from interviewing individuals in a closed meeting, but Johnson also advised the council not to interview applicants in a public setting, according to some council members.  Daily Herald Newspaper.  Daily Herald

"Councilman Brett Sumner said the process had been defined for the council, and Councilwoman Mary Street said she struggled with not knowing the applicants and not knowing how she was supposed to learn about them."
Daily Herald Newspaper.


In the end Orem City council selected the mayor replacement from 13 applicants they didn't know, didn't interview, and were unable to learn more about prior to their vote.

The City Council selected James T. Evans as the new mayor.

Orem City council selected Jim Evans as the replacement mayor for Jerry Washburn who
was the Mayor of Orem for 11 years, since January 1, 2000, and died of cancer in September.

Orem City Public Notice

James T. Evans is a former City Council member and currently serves on the Utah State Board of Regents. He is also a trustee for the Mountainland Applied Technology College and the Utah College of Applied Technology. He is a former member of the Alpine School District Board and Orem/Provo Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and was Mountainland Regional Director for the Utah Department of Workforce Services. He is Chief Operating Officer and senior vice president of Xactware Solutions Inc. and holds a bachelor's in communications from Brigham Young University.

He said he and his wife, Tana, have lived in Orem since 1984. "Our three children have enjoyed the benefits of many of the recreational opportunities afforded by Orem city, not to mention the premier children's library in the state," he said. "During my time on the council I had the opportunity to work under three mayors and witness their different styles in leading the City Council."

Salt Lake Tribune

Fraud Contributed to Midtown Village Failure

Deseret News

A lawsuit filed against Midtown Village in Orem, claims money intended for the construction of Midtown Village was improperly given to the wrong people.

The lawsuit was filed by Blackstone Financial Group Business Trust, which in April purchased an interest in a Midtown Village construction loan that originally belonged to BankFirst. Improper handouts resulted in serious cash shortages for the project.

"Midtown ran out of money before Midtown Village could be completed and certain subcontractors were not paid," the lawsuit states.

A further complication to already complicated circumstances is the economy and the collapse of several financial institutions involved in Midtown Village.

 Jim Dalrymple Daily Herald