I was unable to attend, but Chuck Muth gives us the details of the special meeting of the Clark County Republican Central Committee last night. We agreed in advance it would probably be a circus. But Chuck says it was all business: ”serious, thoughtful and orderly.”
The main purpose of the controversial meeting was to consider and vote on a resolution censuring the Republican state legislators who voted for this session’s higher taxes. Here’s the text of the resolution:
Whereas, Clark County, Nevada is already burdened with high unemployment and a sagging business economy; and,
Whereas, the platform of the Clark County Republican Party is clear in its opposition to new taxes; and,
Whereas, raising taxes is extremely poor public policy for Nevada’s people and it’s economy; and,
Whereas, the Nevada Republican Party as a whole, and every Chairman of every Nevada County Central Committee has signed a resolution urging it’s elected legislators to vote against raising new taxes; and,
Whereas, the political damage caused to the Republican Party brand name from Republican officeholders who support higher taxes is tremendous; and,
Whereas the Clark County, Nevada Republican Party has a responsibility to make it clear that individual legislators who are registered as Republicans who voted for tax increases did so in disregard for and in opposition to their own political party; therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Clark County, Nevada Republican Party that for their votes in support of raising taxes in SB 429, we censure the following registered Republican legislators:
Republican Senators:
Dennis Nolan
Warren Hardy
William Raggio
Dean Rhoads
Randolph TownsendRepublican Assemblymen:
John CarpenterBE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the members of the Clark County Nevada Republican Party urge the Republican Party Central Committee, or any other official party entity from giving any assistance of any kind to those legislators listed above.
Chuck said a few people spoke against the resolution, on the grounds that it would hurt the party to appear fractured. But those speaking in favor pointed out that the harm done to the party by Republican legislators voting for this tax hike was far more harmful - and that something had to be said about it.
The resolution passed OVERWHELMINGLY. Says Chuck: “The “yeas” were thunderous; the “nays” were barely audible whispers.”
And so it is that the party folks in Clark County took a major step toward reclaiming the GOP from the ”moderate” legislative leadership.
May all Nevada’s other counties follow suit. So let it be written, so let it be done.
Darrell Taylor
Norman Yeager
10 June 2009
This is a move that could be a long-term boon for the Republican Party. One of the party’s weak points is that it has become void of a clear set of guiding principles. Because it has not been unified under a consistent ideology (such as limited government, individual rights, enforcement of contracts and the rule of law) it has become a hodgepodge of confused philosophies. In many corners it is known as “the Party of No” precisely because Republicans have, for a long time, not known what it is that they are FOR.
Refocusing the party based on a principled philosophy for the role of government is essential if the Republican Party wants be successful in the future.