Make the CAGOP Great Again: Elect Steve Frank for Chairman

Dear CAGOP Delegates:

My name is Arthur Schaper. I am an activist, writer (you can find my articles on Townhall.com—Click here), blogger, and life-long California Republican. I also served as the President of the Beach Cities Republicans, one of the largest volunteer grassroots organizations in Los Angeles County.
I have witnessed first-hand how Republicans can win, and I have also seen why Republicans continue to lose—and what must be done to change this.

Despite some victories in 2013 and 2014, the California Republican Party’s decline has gone from bad to worse. The media and the GOP party establishment list the following excuses:

1.     Demographic changes have outpaced CAGOP outreach

2.     The current conservative platform is turning off voters

3.     Donald Trump is toxic.

These are all lame excuses, nothing more.

Here are the problems:

1. The CAGOP does not register new voters or win back voters who have left the party.
2. The CAGOP is dependent on third-house money and vendors (consultants) who do not share the interests of California voters.
3. Prop 14 has shut out Republicans across the state and even for statewide office, and Republican leadership has done nothing about it.
4. Ballot harvesting, voter fraud, and the automatic motor-voter laws are suppressing the voter franchise, and no one in party leadership has done anything to fight these problems.

The biggest problem plaguing the CAGOP? A tightly-knit group of well-connected consultants and establishment party bosses—The Select Few, I call them—are more interested in making money and having power over a vastly diminish Republican Party than making a difference for the entire state.
I resent this group imposing on us our next chairman. They tried that the first time following the appointment of one-term NeverTrumper former Assemblyman and failed gubernatorial candidate David Hadley as the next CAGOP Vice Chairman. When he dropped out, they selected Jessica Patterson.

Who is she? Mrs. Trailblazers is a big party donor puppet. Her Blazing Saddles Failure spent more time weeding out real Republicans and promoting third-house proxies, while the California GOP hemorrhaged more seats in Congress and in Sacramento.

Patterson, a career staffer with no leadership experience, is connected to the same consultant cabal which has overtaken and overturned Republican county central committees, including mine. The Republican Party of Los Angeles County, or RPLAC has been run into the ground by a branch of “The Select Few”. Rather than fundraise, they rely on a few big checks from liberal special interests sources. The consultants get rich, and the rest of us get wrecked.

And it gets worse. Rather than helping conservative grassroots organizations to prosper and win elections, RPLAC, under the bankrupted leadership of “The Select Few” revoked the charter of one of the longest lasting and largest conservative groups in the area, the Beach Cities Republicans, of which I was a member, then President for two terms. As President, I helped our club grow and increase its impact and influence in the South Bay section of Los Angeles County. Our efforts helped secure a Republican majority on the largest city in the district: my home town of Torrance, CA.

We never shied away from fighting for GOP values: pro-life, pro-family, and pro-country. We enthusiastically supported President Trump, and we worked with different demographics to join the GOP. Latinos for Trump was our featured guest one month before Election Day 2016. We even recruited members from sections of Los Angeles County which don’t even HAVE Central Committees.

Instead of supporting our club and our efforts, “The Select Few” in RPLAC lied about us, citing non-existent violations of county by-laws (which they don’t even follow). It was a disgusting power-play, all orchestrated by Andy Gharakani. Ultimately, the RPLAC Executive Board revoked our club’s charter and sought to ostracize us in the greater Los Angeles County area.

This template for failure, collusion, and corruption will go statewide if Jessica Patterson becomes the next chairman. “The Select Few” which is propping up her bid for chairman will getting the big money, while our state goes to ruin. Sorry, but I am not interested in electing another wake of vultures getting fat off the dying body of the CAGOP.

Patterson is a NO!

And so is Travis Allen.

The CAGOP Chairmanship is not a consolation prize. I am not looking for a cheerleader, but a leader whom I can cheer. This is not a celebrity gig to prep for another statewide race. A Party Chairman is supposed to be the lead team player, not the center of attention. He helps other people become the centers of attention in their bids for office.

“But Travis can raise money! Look at all the flyers he has been sending out to the delegates!”
The previous CAGOP leadership raised $34 million, and we still lost seats. Hillary Clinton outraised Donald Trump nearly two to one, but we all know how that ended. Politics is not just about money, but how the money is spent, and who benefits.

“But Travis Allen has the Take Back California PAC! He Has $3 Million in the bank!”

Well, we don’t know how much he has because he has not filed the mandatory reports with the FPPC yet. Also, Travis Allen had pledged to donors that he would use that money to help elect OTHER REPUBLICANS to legislative office. As of now, that money is helping one Republican, Travis Allen, to get elected CAGOP State Party Chairman.

A political party needs a team player for chairman, not a self-promoter; a sage, not a celebrity; a little guy to help other little guys become big guys, not a big shot taking shots for himself.

We need a chairman who knows and helps the grassroots grows, who knows the Central Committees, who reaches large audiences. We need someone who knows the by-laws and expects everyone to abide by them. In short, we need someone who will make the CAGOP and California Great Again.

That man is Steve Frank.

Here’s why you need to support Steve Frank as the next CAGOP Chairman:

1. He has helped other candidates get elected. He helps them speak, campaign, and fundraise.
2. He has outlined an extensive yet simple plan for remaking and restoring the CAGOP, and he is already implementing it.
3. He knows the local as well as state politics in each region. He knows how to get out the vote, and he can make the case to the voters in different areas.
4. He is not only well-informed on statewide affairs, but daily informs others through his newsletter California Political News and Views, published by California Political Review.
5. He knows the inside baseball of party politics, including convention rules. He is well-aware of the games which have been played against us and for the benefit of “The Select Few”. He also knows how to stop these games and help all of us win again.
6. When the state party leaders ignored the plight of the Beach Cities Republicans, Steve reported and exposed the crap and corruption going on in the Central Committees, especially RPLAC.

In short:

Steve is a workhorse, not just a show-horse.
Steve is a team player, not a “me player”.
Steve is experienced, not just a showman.
Steve has been fighting the good fight, win or lose, not just someone who showed up on the scene.

I support Steve Frank for CAGOP Chairman, and I urge you to support him, too.

If you have any questions, please email me at arthurschaper@hotmail.com.

You can also contact Steve Frank for more information:

Cell: (805) 795-1271

Email: stephenfrank@sbcglobal.net

The Real Travis Allen That You Haven't Seen -- UNTIL NOW!

OUCH!

Just when you thought that REAL Travis Allen is the man that the CAGOP needs, just wait until you see how his financials really measure up.

This is one long eblast, but it outlines at length why Travis is NOT the man we need for Chairman!

Too much debt, money not spent where it should have been spent.

WHAT?!

Dear CRP Delegate, There’s been a lot of negative campaigning going on (via “spoofed” emails and not to mention a certain blogger) attacking one of the candidates for CRP chair. A “Sherman’s March to the Sea” operation. A scorched earth tactic so to speak.   And while the source of the negative e-mail campaign has not been revealed, the Allen campaign certainly has not refuted, nor condemned it. The blogger is being paid for his work and is well known.   So, in the interest of “leveling the playing field”, a sharing of some of Travis’ “baggage” and “dirty laundry” is contained herein. You may draw your own conclusions and opinions after reading. It is all based on publicly available records.   A Brief summary as of February 12, 2019   Travis's Fundraising Prowess revealed Candidate Races 2012 Assembly:   $9250.00 in debt remaining   2018 Assembly:   $61,096.10 in debt remaining   2018 Gubernatorial:     $25,954.37 in debt remaining   Total candidate debt remaining from two Assembly races and one failed gubernatorial race:    $96,300.47.   Why can’t the big-time fundraiser retire this debt? If he can’t raise $96k, including $9,250.00 from SIX years ago, how will he raise the millions it takes to run the CRP?  Gas Tax PAC   Over $500k raised. Spent $100k more than that. End of June, over $100k in debt.   End of 2018 debt reduced to $700, under highly dubious circumstances. In a nutshell, $50k was “reduced” with no explanation and no indication that the vendor forgave the debt AND another $50k just “disappeared” from the filing.   This is grounds for an FPPC enforcement action. Not good for someone who wants to be CRP Chair.  Take Back California PAC  NO year-end report filed as of 02/12/2019, paper or e-filed. EXTREMELYsuspect.  WHAT IS TRAVIS HIDING THAT HE'S WILLING TO BREAK THE LAW FOR??   While the above debt is not unusual, or illegal, the unexplained “reduction and/or disappearance” of over $100k is AS WELL AS FAILING TO FILE A REQUIRED REPORT.   A call to the FPPC confirmed the above, however a complaint would need to be filed. Stay tuned.  End of Summary    Now for the details 2012 Assembly Won, but finished the campaign $136,703.62 in debt. Current status, still not cleared with $9250.00 of debt as of December 31, 2018. SIX years later and still not paid off.   2018 Assembly Dropped out to run for governor. Not even on the primary ballot as he ran for Governor as well.$68,923.16 in debt as of June 30, 2018. As of December 31, 2018, debt remaining is $61,096.10.   2018 Governor’s Race Lost in the Primary. $28,454.37 in debt as of June 30, 2018. As of December 31, 2018, the campaign still has $25,954.37 in debt waiting to be retired.   That’s $96,300.47 of outstanding liabilities from just three candidate committees AND ONE OF THEM IS SIX YEARS OLD! Now normally when you win a race, donors flock to you and any debt is easily retired within the next cycle however it usually takes fresh donors who have not previously contributed the maximum. When you lose or drop out it’s even harder. Not an easy task either way it would seem in Travis’ case based on the debt he still carries. Could it be they see through his chest-thumping, King Kong act? Will you? Obviously, Travis is not the PT Barnum of fundraising he claims to be. It gets even better though. Read on.   Repeal the Gas Tax PAC   Repeal the Gas Tax PAC (FPPC ID 1396427) that FAILED TO TURN IN A SINGLE SIGNATURE, yet raised and spent almost $500k, spent another $100k it didn’t have and ended the campaign in June 2018 with $101,733.44 of debt. As of December 31, 2018, debt has allegedly been reduced to $700.00, which is a loan from Travis.   All is not as it would appear though. An interesting item to note (and after a careful review of its December 31, 2018 filing) is that the debt shown as being retired between July and December is only $51,439.66 and that was a “reversal” of the charges, with no explanation we might add. There’s also a discrepancy (outright deletion) of $50,293.78 in the debt balance (prior accrued expenses) that has no explanation. It’s just "gone" from the report. His treasurer uses a well-regarded, hosted compliance solution to file and the transactions would have had to be intentionally deleted or they would have carried over. This was a deliberate act intended to make people think his debt was paid off. How was the first $50k “reduced” without showing it as an in-kind contribution? Where did the other $50k+ in debt go? The creditor could have forgiven it but that should be disclosed. It cannot just be "reduced" or “removed” with no explanation. BTW, his treasurer at one time was one of the top four offenders on the FPPC’s “bad boy” list. Seems old habits may never die. It remains to be seen.   So, total debt owed is approximately $96,300.47 plus another $51,439.66 in unsubstantiated "reduced" debt, plus that aforementioned $50,293.78, whereabouts unknown, from the Gas Tax Repeal Committee.   That’s $198,033.91 of debt for an incoming CRP Chair.   Can you say WOW?   There’s also an open FPPC investigation involving his 2018 Assembly committee, Gas Tax Repeal PAC and gubernatorial committee. Details are sketchy, as it’s ongoing, but initial publicity alleges misdirection of funds involving his Assembly campaign and PAC to benefit his gubernatorial campaign. Imagine a future Sac Bee headline if true:   California Republican Party Chair Guilty of Money Laundering.   If true, very serious indeed however it can take years for the FPPC to resolve these matters, so it would haunt him his entire tenure as Chair. Interestingly enough, the complaint was filed by Aaron Park, author of the Right On Daily blog and the driving force behind a non-stop barrage of negative campaigning against the leading candidate for State Party Chair. Thy enemy one day is thy ally the next. Politics certainly does make for strange bedfellows doesn’t it?   Take Back California PAC Oh, and let’s not forget Travis’ Take Back California PAC, FPPC ID 1406792. The one he’s using to raise money for his Chair race. Another questionable practice that exposes his alleged donors to unnecessary public scrutiny.   The year-end filing shows, wait for it ….. NOTHING, as his treasurer has yet to file either a paper or electronic report, 13 days after it was due!!   A highly unusual situation but one with several possible explanations, none that help Travis. We're betting amendments get filed real quick, and with lots of "spin", after this email gets out. Door #1: One explanation is that he hasn’t raised what he claims to have raised (no surprise here) so the $25k threshold requiring online filing has not been met. Fair enough, but where’s the paper filing? All committees have to file year-end reports, at least on paper. All filings are also public record and a copy of the paper filing can easily be obtained via email from the SOS. In an email to them on February 12, the SOS indicated they had not received it yet. A full 12 days after the deadline. Highly suspect! Door #2: Another explanation is that he’s crossed the $25k threshold but is nowhere near his outlandish fundraising claims and doesn’t want to reveal the real numbers as it would destroy his credibility. This could be a calculated move on his part and he would eventually file AFTER the CRP election on February 24th. A delay such as this would cost his committee about $500. A small price to pay to be State Party Chair??? Door #3: The third explanation is that his treasurer just hasn’t filed. Not a likely scenario based on their history with the FPPC. So, something doesn’t add up. Either Travis is embellishing the facts (ya think?), his treasurer hasn’t filed for whatever reason or he's instructed her not to file until the 25th. Our money's on Door #2.   Can you say"integrity", or lack thereof?   So that’s four committees he’s either a candidate or controlling principal of with $96,300.47 in combined debt yet to be retired (plus $51,439.66 that was just “reversed” with no explanation and another $50,293.78 whereabouts unknown), an open campaign finance violation case (and maybe more on the way) and an active PAC he is the principal of (which brings up a whole other issue to be addressed further along in this conversation). And he wants to be Chair of the CRP? Is this what they call “leading by example”?   Do you see a pattern here?   Travis likes to run up a tab with no means to pay it, he’s not as good at raising money as he says he is and he'll say anything to get elected.   The CRP has been there and done that with Chairman Brulte’s immediate predecessor, Tom Del Beccaro. He lost the trust of Board (and the caucuses and major donors) when he spent TWO MILLION DOLLARS on a redistricting lawsuit WITHOUT BOARD APPROVAL AND NO MEANS TO PAY FOR IT! He spent the CRP into oblivion. It’s the reason he served only one term. Does the CRP really want to go back to those days, i.e. invoices from vendors shoved off in a corner and ignored, unable to pay bills? Over a million dollars in debt in just two years. If you thought it was bad then, think of how much worse it would get for the Party financially if Travis is elected?   Reality check for all you grassroots Travis supporters out there: The CRP doesn’t run on bravado and goodwill. It takes cold, hard cash and plenty of it and Travis has not shown a propensity to raise that kind of money. His million dollar a month plan from grassroots supporters doesn’t even BEGIN to pay the bills over a two-year period. And besides, he’s promised to spend all of that on voter registration (a noble effort btw as we certainly need it) but where would the rest come from?   If you don’t already know, the CRP is a $30-$35 MILLION per-election cycle operation. The largest State Party operation in the country. That’s just under $1.5 MILLION a month on average for operations and candidate support over a two-year period. Not chump change by any means so where will it all come from without the support of the Legislative caucuses and major donors which he does not have? They do not trust him, again much the same as it was with Tom Del Beccaro.   Are the so-called grassroots donors willing or even capable of making up that difference? Past history says no.   Take all of the aforementioned campaign debt and compliance issues and we now start to have serious legal, ethics and conflict of interest situations, if Travis is elected as CRP Chair.   For example: As Chair of the State Party, he will become the de-facto fundraiser-in-chief for the CRP. There’s no disputing that. The Chair is the face of the party and the one who gains the trust of the major donors and the legislative caucuses and “brings home the bacon”. The Chair’s title, and subsequently their ability to raise money, carries more clout than any other within the Party and the CRP CANNOTsurvive financially without that core financial support.   So, here’s the ethics question: With all that debt (and creditors do want to get paid after all) from his prior campaigns and PACs, how does Travis raise money to retire that debt while at the same time raising money from those same or new donors in the name of the party? The CRP can accept unlimited contributions from all legally permitted sources, it’s just a matter of which account it goes into so any funds he would raise should go to the party and yet there’s that nagging debt hanging over his head and the urge for him to solicit CRP donors to help in retiring that debt. The proper direction to take would be to suspend fundraising/debt retirement on his part for his past and current committees until he’s no longer Chair. But are his creditors willing to wait at least another two years for any sort of payment? We’re talking at least $100k here. Maybe as much as $200k. Creates quite the ethical dilemma don’t you think?   It’s called a conflict of interest.   Here’s another example. Let’s say all this prior debt is paid off. How does someone who has a PAC, Take Back California, juggle both as Chair of the Party? This would be another huge ethics issue and with the ego we’ve seen, Travis isn’t going to give it up. Again, it goes back to who will he be raising money for? The PAC or the Party? Can’t do both with a straight face when you’re the Chair. Like it or not, as chair, the party “owns” your fundraising efforts. There can be only one destination for money raised.   And we won’t even go into his plans to run for governor again. Oh what the hell, why not?   So, let’s say he runs again. He says he’s not, but……. he is Travis. The campaign would have to start in 2020 however CRP bylaws do not allow an officer to run for statewide office and still serve as such. Hence, he’d have to step down as chair to begin his campaign. How will “cut-and-run” tactics such as that sit with his supporters? Not to mention the rest of the delegation and Republican voters throughout California.   Here today, gone tomorrow.   The choice is yours on Sunday, February 24.     This document was not authorized by any candidate, was prepared using publicly available information and no candidate was aware of it prior to distribution.   We are fellow delegates to the California Republican Party. If you wish to unsubscribe, please respond to this email with the words "Remove Me" at the top of the response. but please do not mark this email as spam. Thank you for taking the time to read this!!!

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David Hadley (Inadvertently) Condemns the CAGOP Establishment

David Hadley sent out another eblast, and he insisted on sending it out with his masthead "David Hadley for CRP Chair".

Seriously?

In the email, he announces a whole series of problems with the three remaining candidates running for CAGOP Chairman.

Really?!

Sounds like someone is bitter. I can understand why there would be hurt feelings. After all, he helped swing a seat which had not been in Republican hands for twenty years and brought it back into the GOP fold for one term.

His decision not to support President Trump did hurt him, and his very public voting and rhetorical record did cost him significantly, too.

Check out his snarky comments going after Travis Allen for being late all the time -- you know what? David Hadley is right about that. He was often late to events, and he would routinely blame something else, like the traffic or other issues.

Granted, the traffic in California is terrible, but in the meantime, as an elected official, it is essential to make it on time, not just make excuses.

As for what David Hadley had to say about Jessica Patterson -- well, she is Establishment with a Capital E!

(Note: I’m using my old email template but I have NOT resumed my campaign for CRP chair) The First Sixty Days After the CRP Convention After we elect the next CRP chair, what is he/she going to do? Unfortunately, less than one month before the convention, I don’t know. Travis Allen’s supporters tell us he has the “energy,” the “bold vision,” the “volunteer army” and the fundraising ability to rebuild the CA GOP. I have no idea what Travis would do as CRP chair, except that he’d be late for a lot of meetings. The only specific idea I’ve heard from Travis is the “California 100,000,” to which I suggest you google “Youtube Kramer levels” and watch the top video. Jessica Patterson says she is going to “take the fight to Democrats,” “execute aggressive programs,” and bring the CRP the "operational excellence" that wins elections. I consider Jessica a capable staffer and she has announced her candidacy for chair recently, so maybe there is more “there” coming. But right now I have no idea what her plan or vision are. To his credit, Steve Frank has released a blizzard of plans, programs and goals. I consider some of them worthwhile. But Steve’s plans fail to address two key issues:  Planning and leadership are about setting priorities with limited time and resources. Steve and the CRP staff cannot possibly execute on most of Steve’s plans, which really means Steve doesn't have a plan until he sets priorities and focuses his resources. Steve has no serious plan for fundraising, and the financial agreement between the CRP and the legislative caucuses that today provides most CRP funding (“One Ask”) will probably not be renewed if Steve is chair. So within 60 days of the convention, CRP will likely have little money and a skeleton staff. Which means that the CRP could mostly be Steve traveling the state giving talks and training volunteers (which he has been doing for years). To be fair to Steve, I think the CRP will also have a financial crisis promptly if Travis is elected. Given the support Jessica has received from GOP elected officials, I suspect she expects to renew One Ask. So what would be my sixty-day action plan if I were chair?  I would spend time before February 24 preparing the February 24 CRP board meeting agenda. I would seek input on that agenda, especially from existing board members who remain. We have no “transition period” for our new officers, it would be irresponsible for any chair candidate not to be prepared to lead an effective board meeting upon his/her election. The most immediate question to address is whether the legislative caucuses and the CRP will renew One Ask. If the terms of such an agreement can be negotiated before the February 24 CRP board meeting, that would be most efficient. But clarity is essential, because the new board has decisions to make. I personally believe there is value in One Ask, for all parties, if the party is well led. Having three groups competing for Sacramento funds would hurt our cause. I would reframe One Ask as a “services agreement,” in which the caucuses specify what services they want the CRP to provide and the revenue shares depend on that. Whether One Ask is approved or not, the incoming and outgoing treasurer (thank you Mario Guerra!) should provide a status report to the new CRP board. Cash on hand and debts, burn rate at current staff and program levels, revenue from CRP programs. How much time does CRP have to execute the vision of the new board while aligning expenditures with revenues? The new chair should ask Cynthia Bryant (CRP executive director) to provide a confidential (no staff) board briefing on the programs the CRP executed in 2017-18 and on the staff that executed them. While our 2018 election results were catastrophic, it would add insult to injury not to learn the appropriate lessons and who our most effective staffers were. The new chair and the CRP board also need to reach an understanding with Cynthia. Whether the plan is to retain her on a transitional or indefinite basis, or not to retain her, is a decision that should be made on February 24. On February 24 or soon after, the CRP needs to actively manage its small dollar donor programs (direct mail, telemarketing and email) and launch a mid-tier member/donor program outside Sacramento. Regarding the latter, I have already advocated for a California 5,000 type-program modeled on my successes in AD66. With or without One Ask, the CRP’s revenue from Sacramento is likely to decline materially – building the party outside Sacramento will be critical for the CRP to succeed. Based on the February 24 treasurers’ report, the renewal (or not) of One Ask or a successor services agreement, the near-term revenue and expense trends and the ramping up of new fundraising programs, the second meeting of the new board will be even more important than the first. The board will need to make crucial decisions about its priorities and what programs to fund given the resources of the CRP, the services the caucuses will pay for and the priorities of the chair and the full board. I am talking mostly about money and staff not because the priorities and programs of the new chair and the full CRP board are not important – the new board will set our path going forward. But virtually everything the CRP does requires some staff action and money (even recruiting and equipping volunteers). The CRP is in a sufficiently precarious place that the new board must husband resources and make decisions about priorities and staff quickly. The new chair will have a lot of other things to do during this period too, it will be incredibly busy. The chair’s job comes with fires to put out and opportunities to pursue every day. But within 60 days of February 24, the new CRP chair and board should have established their strategic priorities, and a staffing plan and budget that are consistent with financial reality. David Hadley Vice Chair, California Republican Party (appointed July 2018) Former State Assemblyman (2014 - 2016) Former Chairman, 66th AD Central Committee (2012 - 2013)

I urge every delegate in the California Republican Party to support Steve Frank for Chairman.

He has substance, and he can build on the strengths for style for every candidate running for office. He has not just talked about the issues plaguing the Republican Party, but he is fully committed to doing something about these problems.

As I write this blog post, and as you are reading this post, rest assured that he is already working on doing something about these issues. Steve Frank is reaching out to different communities to get them involved in voter registration and candidate outreach. He has helped other candidates win elections, and he has even prepared manuals to help these candidates.

He has worked with grassroots leaders, and he has offered help and advice for other projects relating to accomplishing conservative ends.

We need Steve Frank to be the CAGOP next state party chairman. Please join me in supporting him!