I received this letter from the head of the Torrance-Lomita-PV Republican assembly. [See Bold Type below]
Apparently, there has been some growing drama among the different chapters in the South Bay section of Los Angeles County.
The statewide organization is allowing another chapter to open up for Palos Verdes and San Pedro, here in the South Bay. The problem, though, is that another chapter, the Torrance-Lomita-Palos Verdes Republican Assembly, worked very hard to add Palos Verdes to its jurisdiction. The bigger problem is that the state leadership is allowing this new chapter to emerge, even though the outcome will run rough-shod over state and local by-laws.
What I am starting to see from the CRA is the same kind of raw pursuit for more clubs, for more leaders, but no real commitment to winning elections or building a conservative brand to take back the state. The state organization is also not responsive to local groups, which want more flexibility when it comes to members joining the club.
Another question does arise: are the local chapters getting their money's worth for all the donations that they have to send to the state organization? Members pay $25 a member, and $10-15 of that goes to the state organization. But for what? What is it accomplishing?
If the statewide organization is not going to play by the rules, why be a member? If the state organization is not going much for local chapters and candidates, what's the point?
Here's the letter from TLPVRA President Scott Carter regarding the potential take-over of the Palos Verdes area to another assembly unity. Tell me what you think:
Dear Torrance Lomita Palos Verdes RA Members,
As a TLPVRA member, it is important for you to know what's going on and as your President it is important for me and our current Clubs goals to give you our information:
Currently our CRA President Johnnie Morgan, will be seeking members from our Torrance Lomita Palos Verdes Republican Assembly to be a member of the as-yet-to-be Approved "PalosVerdes San Pedro" CRA Unit.
Anyone may wish to be a member of that unit anywhere in California.
But here is the information for you to decide on:
Currently, their purpose is to just get members under the leadership of someone else and form a 'new club'.
The potential new president had resigned from our TLPVRA group when he was told he had a conflict of interest when he re-started another club.
And at the same time, he secured the same speaker slated to speak to the South Bay Republican CRA unit, before they were to meet, for 'his' other group, which was not respectful to them and in my humble opinion, unethical.
Now, undeterred by his previous conflict of interest behavior, he has been asked by CRA President Johnnie Morgan, VP Davina Keiser, SD (outside of her Senate District) Jo Reitkopf, to start a new Unit in Palos Verdes. This is despite the fact we are the only ones legitimately assigned to Palos Verdes in 2020. The fact they did not consult us on it, which says volumes as to the character of the leadership of the CRA.
Aside from that, you are free to choose if you would like to be a member
of their PVSP Unit should you decide to.
We will continue to have our Endorsements for Palos Verdes School Board and City Councils in the next meeting as well, since we have the sole jurisdiction in that area.
If you do join the Palos Verdes San Pedro Club, it is not approved
for existence yet or for CRA Endorsement of Candidates. Only the Torrance
Lomita Palos Verdes Republican Assembly is eligible and capable to
do so.
However the "Palos Verdes San Pedro Club" is meeting in TORRANCE
(outside of their 'Territory', which is against the CRA Bylaws(Sec.10) in order
to establish themselves as a CRA Unit. That is a violation.)
(But it has been violated before without repercussions by the leadership of the CRA.)
To be held at Mimi's Restaurant and you are expected to pay (our meetings are free)
for a meal ($15-20 minimum) to listen to Mr Shawn Steele (Spoke at our Group in January) and State Treasurer Candidate Jack Guerrero ( a dynamic speaker, but had schedule conflicts with us on two occasions).
If you do decide to attend the meeting they may ask you to switch membership from our Club to their Club. It is up to you.
BUT WE would really like you to stay with us to continue building our Club and continue to pursue our area wide goals for Torrance, Palos Verdes and Lomita.
Our newsletter will be coming out soon for our new meeting location,
we are going back to the Torrance Airport Sunday Oct 16th, 2022, with plenty of parking,
NEW Time- 4:30pm to 6:30pm
Hope to see you at our New Meeting Location on October 16th.
Thank you for being a member of the Torrance Lomita Palos Verdes Republican Assembly.
Sincerely,
Scott CarterPresident
Torrance Lomita Palos Verdes
Republican Assembly,
CRA Senate Director District 24
At the TLPVRA board meeting in early August 2021 we discussed having either someone from Poland or a lady from China talk to the club about the evils of communism. We didn't make a decision on who to pick. About ten days later I was talking to Dr. Marilyn Singleton-Brown and she told me her club, South Bay Republican Assembly, was having the Chinese lady speaking at her meeting on Monday September 27, 2021. I then send out an e-mail to the whole TLPVRA board telling them we had to find another speaker since our sister CRA club had her as a speaker. About 10 days later I came home from shopping and I had a message on my answering machine. It was from Marilyn. She was upset beyond believe. Peter Michel, the president of the TLPVRA, had taken the same speaker for his Beach Cities Republican Club meeting on Thursday September 16th. at Mimi's on Crenshaw and Lomita. The 2 meeting places Mimi's and Walteria Business Men's Club, where Marilyn's club were meeting, are only about 2 miles apart so with Peter scheduling the same speaker 11 days earlier the number of people showing up for Marilyn's group would be negatively impacted. You don't take speakers from a club that is in the same area. You need to wait a few months and then there is no issue. I let the board of TLPVRA know that if Peter didn't resign by August 31 at midnight I would resign as treasurer of the TLPVRA which is a club I helped found in late January 2012. A few minutes after midnight of August 31st. I resigned from the board because Peter didn't resign. He met with RIck Marshall, CRA membership secretary and Scott Carter at 8;30AM on September 1 and shortly thereafter he resigned as TLPVRA president. I don't serve on boards or anything with people who have no ethics. It is clear from how Peter behaved he lacks ethics. Please join or stay with the TLPVRA. What Johnnie Morgan is doing is also unethical so I will not be renewing for 2023. I will just give the TLPVRA $25 as a donation. The TLPVRA only gets $10 for every $25 membership fee. I believe the Federal Republican Assemblies gets $10 and the state CRA gets $5 but neither group does anything to help the local clubs. We used to get a newsletter from the CRA but that hasn't happened in at least 4 years. We have to find our own speakers and there is no help from the CRA. Another problem is that the membership fee is a calendar year membership. Why would anyone pay $25 in July for a membership that expires Dec.31? The CRA used to have renewal days based on 365 days after you joined. But that was changed about 6 years ago and every attempt to return it to the old system has been stopped by executive VP Carl Brickey. Brickey will violate the by-laws if it suits his purpose. He'd rather be a big fish in a glass bowl then a small fish in a huge aquarium. Reminds me of Sen. minority leader Mitch McConnell. Arthur also mentions Jo Reitkopp who was arrested along with her husband at their home in Orange County for having 136 dogs in their home. The Sheriff deputies who came to arrest them said the smell approaching the front door was overpowering. I have a problem with people who are cruel to animals especially dogs. https://lawandcrime.com/crazy/the-smell-was-unbearable-136-dogs-removed-from-california-mansion/
ReplyDeleteThe meeting location is temporary for the rest of 2022 and beginning in January 2023 thru January 2024 the new club will its regular meeting location.
DeleteThe CRA Leadership told the TL Club it was temporary until the PV Club start up again. They were told that had to look in for people in PV whom were interested in reforming the Club again. They were also told not to change their name and make it official.
ReplyDeleteThe CRA Leadership granted temporary access to the Palos Verdes Chapter until they were able to find a group of Individuals to reforming the Palos Verdes Club. NO ONE proceded with the acknowledgement ti pursue in finding a group of people to form a new Chapter. They were asked not change their Club name or by-laws in making them permanent. The temporary meeting location is temporary for the rest of 2022 amd beginning in 2023 the new Palos Verdes-San Pedro will have it real location set and a meeting date each month being in January 2023 through January 2024.
ReplyDeleteWrong. I am looking at the Orange County List of Contacts, which has the approval of the state leadership. One of the listed contacts is the Torrance-Lomita-Palos Verdes Republican Assembly. Yes, that is the official name of the club. There were no rules broken in advancing that cause.
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