Hello Patriots,
If the blossoming of the Tea Party movement, the rallies in front of elected officials' offices and the contentious town halls last summer have shown anything, they've shown that people have had enough of politics as usual by both major political parties. We are willing to bet that disgust is part of why you have become involved with Northwest Indiana Patriots and other similar groups.
If you live in Porter County, you have an opportunity to break that cycle within the Republican Party. This Wednesday, December 9, 2009, at 7 p.m., the Porter County GOP Executive Board will meet at Buffalo Wild Wings in Valparaiso. The address is 212 East Lincolnway, Valparaiso, IN 46383-5691, phone 219-548-9464. This is not a general meeting; its purpose is to select precinct committee men/women. We are told that if you show up, you will get the job. The sole responsibility of precinct committee people is working the elections. The upside? You get to vote for the people who set the Porter County GOP's direction, such as the members of the Executive Committee. If you recall, the Porter County GOP's position on the RTA referendum was "We don't have a position," a disgraceful statement from the traditional party of small government.
We are told that if you go to the meeting you will need to ask an employee for the "party room" or "where the Republican meeting is." If all else fails, walk to the back of the restaurant, through the back door to an elevator. Take it to the third floor.
We think individual people can make a difference. Our Ship of State's course CAN be altered by political action at the grassroots level. If you agree, consider attending this meeting and becoming involved in an effort to get the Republican Party to straighten up and fly right. Your childrens' and grandchildrens' futures depend on it.
Sincerely,
Faith Jones, Bonnie Kuzminski and
Northwest Indiana Patriots Coordinators
The meeting of Center Township Republicans was a horse of a different color. There was housekeeping talk of precinct committee peoples’ duties, but there was also mention of having speakers for their organization on issues of national and local significance (apparently not a regular feature of this political organization’s meetings in the past) and of the planned use of internet social networking sites like Facebook to enhance the GOP’s dissemination of information and outreach efforts. The notion that these kinds of changes could spread through the entire Porter County GOP organization was part of the conversation and seemed to be received as being a desirable outcome. The atmosphere was that of a proactive group open to ideas, in search of a change from its past history. I found it informative and interesting.
But all the social networks in the world won’t be worth a thing if the Republican Party has nothing to say that voters want to hear. Will the Republican Party go back to its limited government, fiscal responsibility roots? Will the proactive openness I heard in the meeting materialize in fact, or will that wind of change blowing through the meeting room turn out to be a tempest in a teapot? I don’t know. Time will tell.
