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From the Chair….

February 2017

From the Chair:

Well, here we are, almost a month into the Trump Presidency, and the Democrats are losing their mind!

They are already calling for impeachment, and are crying about the irreparable harm he has done in just 28 days….the world (at least theirs) is coming to an end! Michael Moore is out and out calling for the Supreme Court to get rid of President Trump, Vice President Pence, ALL Republicans in congress, and replace them with Hillary.

We have seen the riots, the carnage, the chaos that the left is capable of. They claim that the ones causing the violence are being paid to create that chaos, but then, somebody on their side is willing to pay those that are willing to engage in the violence, right?

What does this tell us? It tells us that those that are on the left will do whatever they can in order to FORCE us to live by their rules. It shows us that, given the chance, the left will utilize any and all means they can in order to take away our rights to free speech. They will shout us down if they can. If that doesn’t work, they will block roads, buildings, bridges, in order to keep us from being able to assemble and exercise our rights.

The left has the mainstream news. They have Hollywood. They have most of the musicians. They are in the schools, at all levels. They have access to our kids from the cradle to the grave, and often even use the grave as a way to get more votes!

As Republicans, we have a long way to go. Yes, we are in the majority in Congress, and we have the Whitehouse. Chances are, we will have a couple of conservative Supreme Court Justices appointed in the next few years.

However, now is not the time to sit on our laurels.

Here in Washington state, we have a slim lead in our Legislature. We have not had a Republican Governor in over 40 years.

We have A LOT of work to do. We need conservatives to rise up, to run, and to WIN.

However, in order for them to win, they need YOU and ME to be there. They need US to be involved. Whether that be by working with and for their campaigns specifically, or by volunteering for the Republican party, they need US.

So, I ask you: What are you willing to do? Are you willing to knock on doors? Are you willing to make phone calls? Are you willing to write letters to the editor? Are you willing to spend time out of your day to help getting people that share your values elected?

The party needs YOUR help. We need YOUR thoughts, YOUR ideas, YOUR involvement. If you get this newsletter, it means that most likely you care. You reached out to us, and asked us to keep you informed.

Now, we are letting you know that WE need YOU. Please, reach out, and let us know that you will help.

Until next time,

Matthew Rainwater, Chair
Clallam County Republican Party

 

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PREVIOUS COLUMNS:

December 2016

To my Democrat friends… if I have any…

Discussions between Conservative Republicans and Liberal Democrats can frequently become acrimonious if not out-and-out hostile.  Not only do they disagree, but they tend to disagreeable in doing so.

In my opinion, the problem is pretty basic in nature… Republicans think the Democrat is wrong but the Democrat thinks the Republicans are simply evil and, therefore, do not see the need to apply any supporting logic to their arguments.

As an example, the Republican may note a flaw in, for instance, Obamacare but the Democrat contends that the Republican is just a racist that hates Obama because he is black.

Or, similarly, the Republican might suggest that Hillary Clinton’s usage of a private mail server was inappropriate because of the ensuing vulnerability to hacking, but the Democrat claims the Republican is a misogynist that hates her because she is a woman.

Really guys?  Do you really think that everybody that voted for Trump is a racist, sexist, white power Nazi?  That half of America is composed of bigots?  That the sole rational in voting against Hillary was that she was a woman?

Did you not notice that, in the last eight years under Barak Obama, the Democrats lost 69 house seats, 13 US Senate seats, 12 governorships and 913 legislative seats?   Can you not understand that people disapproved of him because of his ideas and not the color of his skin?

Would you, just for a moment, consider the fact that maybe, just maybe, Trump won 306 electoral votes on the merits of his positions – and, perhaps more tellingly, the lack of merit in Hillary’s positions?  That it was not a “white backlash” against Obama but, merely a repudiation of his stunningly unsuccessful programs and the direction he was pushing the country?  And that the electorate, in its wisdom, correctly assumed that Hillary was simply more of the same?

It was not about their color or their sex, it is what they want and how they think.  It is not a case of good vs. evil but, rather, it is a case of what is right and what is wrong for the country.  And most Conservative Republicans think that most Liberal Democrats are wrong.

And so does much of the rest of the country.

Dick Pilling, Chair

 

The Bottom Line

By Dick Pilling

August 2016

Ok people, listen up!!  Whether you like it or not, Donald Trump is the GOP presidential nominee and it is time to quit bellyaching and get on the bandwagon.

Yes, I know that occasionally he goes off message and sticks his foot in his mouth.  Ok, sometimes both feet.  But remember, because of his “popularity” with the liberal press, every such misstep is given maximum publicity whereas equally clumsy statements – and out-and-out lies – by the Pants-Suited Harridan are either ignored or “re-framed” by her idolizing acolytes in the media.

But the bottom line is that, with all of his apparent faults, he remains head and shoulders above Hillary who is, by far, the most corrupt leader of the most corrupt party in the history of our republic.  (Pop Quiz… What’s the difference between the mafia and the democrat party… one is a group of criminals and the other is a bunch of Italians)

A Hillary presidency will have far-reaching effects on our nation… on our freedoms… on our very fabric of life given that she will have the opportunity to appoint at least two and possibly 4 supreme court justices.

Please recall that Scalia is dead and Ginsburg looks as if she has been dead for years but too stubborn to lay down so at least two appointments are a given.  And Kennedy and Breyer are both in their 80’s and likely to die/retire in the next 4 to 8 years.

So if Hillary were to be able to nominate replacements for four justices, the only conservatives left on the bench would be Thomas, Alito, and Roberts.  And Roberts – who voted to uphold Obama care – is, at best, somewhat squishy.

Think of the damage a court dominated by progressive liberals could do to the first and second amendments of our constitution.  The second amendment would be gone in a heartbeat and, without the second amendment, the first amendment would follow shortly thereafter.  And America then ceases to be that “shining city on a hill” and turns into just another liberal slum.

So I get it that it goes against your grain to vote FOR Trump… do it anyhow and just consider it a vote AGAINST Hillary.

 

 

Where the Clallam County Republican Party stands as far as Republican candidates are concerned

From Chair Dick Pilling:

May 25, 2016

In answer to questions as to which candidates that the Clallam County Republican Party (CCRP) supports in the upcoming elections, the CCRP makes the following comments:

The CCRP does not choose between candidates but equally supports all those candidates that declare themselves to be Republicans until such time as a primary election narrows the Republican slate to one candidate for a given position.

When there is only one Republican candidate running for a position and if that candidate requests that the CCRP endorse his/her candidacy, the Central Committee – by vote among the members – will determine if an endorsement is to be provided.

If there are two Republicans running for the same position, CCRP official support will be given equally but one candidate will not be endorsed over another.

The CCRP Headquarters will provide space for all Republican candidate brochures, posters, handouts and other campaign paraphernalia.

CCRP Headquarters will serve as a “drop point” for those who wish to order such paraphernalia so as to make further distribution but CCRP will not order this paraphernalia unless so directed by the Central Committee.

CCRP Headquarters will post campaign signs and posters in the window on a space available basis for any candidate who provides same.

View from the Chair – April 2016

by Dick Pilling, Chair

Immigration or Invasion?

I see Europe is starting to refuse entry to refugee immigrants – even send them back to their home countries – because of the deleterious effect on their cultures and economies.  Should we?

In the past, American welcomed immigrants to our country – though not always without some friction – and they were able to “settle in” or assimilate to their new environment because they wanted a “new” life in America.

Previously, this was relatively easily done because in 1790, for instance, 90% of our population of 3.9 million consisted of farmers and agriculture workers and, in those days, farming was a largely physical effort which did not require vast experience and education.  Accordingly, newly arrived immigrants were, for the most part, able to support themselves on farms and, therefore, could abide by John Smith’s dictum “He who works, eats.”  More important, they enmeshed themselves in an existing workforce/culture which needed this “new blood”.

By 1900, however, only 38% of our population – now 76 million – was actively involved in agriculture, thereby eliminating these “interim” jobs.   However, the industrial revolution had dramatically increased the number of factories which were rapidly taking the place of farming as the major employer and desperately needed man – and woman – power.

Happily, due to the division of labor, later conceptualized in Frederick Taylor’s teachings on Scientific Management, the factory jobs, while perhaps boring and robotic, were easily performed by an inexperienced and under-educated workforce.  Again, an existing workforce and culture was supplemented to the benefit of both.

Fast forward to today where the administration is insisting that we take many thousands of uneducated, culturally dissimilar “refugees” and place them in our society.  This is a major problem as our farms and factories no longer require vast numbers of uneducated workers and, quite frankly, there is no way for them earn a living and so they are now supported by various governmental programs which, of course, are supported by us.

These newcomers are not assimilating as have immigrants in the past due to the lack of jobs that, previously, required them to “rub elbows” with the existing population and begin an assimilation process.  Accordingly, they tend to isolate themselves in small enclaves, they do not adopt our ways, and they continue to immerse themselves in the culture of their home countries.  Perhaps most importantly, they do not contribute to their new country – nor do they feel the need to – and, therefore, they do not think that they have any “skin in the game”.

It is dangerous to us as a nation, a society, and a culture to allow this ongoing influx to continue creating large isolated communities of disaffected inhabitants largely bound by a religion/culture inimical to our societal norms and which tend to breed the “lone wolves” that made headlines in Europe and, lately, here in the USA.

These newcomers being forced on us are not immigrants but, rather, the forefront of an invasion that, left unchallenged, will undermine the very essence of our culture.

And we are not only allowing this, we, as taxpayers, are underwriting it.

How foolish…

The Chapman Changeling

By Dick Pilling, Chair – Feb/March 2016

Sometimes progress is slow… you know, like, two steps

forward and one step back.  And then only if we are lucky…

Of course, I refer to the pending “sun-setting” of the recently approved sales tax decrease which, admittedly, was a relatively minor decrease but, since we have never had a decrease in sales tax, it was a significant step forward.  Now, sadly, it looks as if it will be negated and we will take a step back.

Of course, any tax decrease is an anathema to Democrats and so newly elected Democrat Mark Ozias and recently converted Democrat and fellow traveler, Mike Chapman, jumped at the chance to eliminate it and, in effect, raise taxes.

To be fair, though, I guess Chapman was required to do it.   I think raising taxes is some sort of fraternity initiation exercise for newly minted lefties.  It is how would-be Democrats make their bones.

Of course, as you may recall, just a few short months ago, Chapman was all for the decrease.  But that was before he became a Democrat and had cause to re-consider.  And now he is floundering.

So, as a laughably weak justification for his new position, he now says that, in retrospect, he failed to properly consult with the affected department heads who, shockingly, assert that they need more money.  Who knew?

Really, Mike… Isn’t that like asking teenagers if they need their allowance increased?  Honestly, what answer did you expect?  Other than Yes!!  Or, perhaps, duh…

Of course, Mike and Mark contend that it was just a very small increase and we tax payers really won’t even notice.  However, that’s how Democrats work… a little here and a bit there and a tiny chunk over yonder… it’s like being pecked to death by a duck… It may take a while but, in the end, you are still dead…

Nonetheless, you can’t really fault Ozias because he unambiguously declared himself in favor of increasing taxes.  He was up front about it. He’s a Democrat and, by golly, that’s what Democrats do.  You almost have to respect him for it.  Almost…

But as far as Chapman goes, because he changes his mind so often, I just never know what he is going to do.    But I do know one thing… they name shoes after him…

They call them flip flops…

 

September 2015 Column

What is fair anyhow…

Did you ever notice how often the word “fair” is used?  Particularly in the economic sense?   Like there is fair taxation, fair housing, fair income, fair rental, fair deal, etc.

Many times, however, the word fair is used – mostly by liberals – in a negative declarative statement as in “That’s not fair!”  And they say it a lot because, in the liberal mind, anytime anyone anywhere gets more than what they – the liberal – envisions as correct, is simply “not fair”.

Nowhere is this mindset more evident than in taxation rates and, in particular, income tax rates.  A frequently heard refrain is that the “rich must be made to pay their fair share” of taxes.

This statement is made in complete defiance – and total ignorance – of the fact that the “rich” pay considerably more taxes than do those less well off.

For instance, as an example, according to the Wall Street Journal, taxpayers with income over $100,000 a year earn 60 percent of the nation’s income and pay 95.2 percent of the income taxes in the United States.  That seems hardly fair…  looks like they are getting the shaft…

Moreover, at the other end of the scale, taxpayers making less than $50,000 a year represent about half of the country, earn 16.4 percent of the nation’s income,  but have a negative share of income taxes because they receive more back then they pay out.  That’s not fair either… looks like they are getting a free ride.

Just remember this when the next time our beloved Governor Inslee – and his free-spending democrat cohorts – propose a state income tax.

And you can bet that it will be a graduated tax that increases with your income.   Because it is “fair” that those with greater incomes pay more taxes.  It helps to make things equal and they prefer that everyone should be equal.

Even if that means that they are “equally miserable”.

Until next time…

Dick Pilling, Chair

July-August 2015 Column

No one ever teaches well who wants to teach, or governs well who wants to govern”.  Plato

“Any person who wants to govern the world is by definition the wrong person to do it.”  Greg Iles

“The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern: every class is unfit to govern”.  Lord Acton

I don’t know if you noticed or not, but this year was Olympia’s longest legislative session on record.  It was like watching a football game go into double overtime.  With stumbles and fumbles but without the excitement, the beer, and the cheerleaders…

The reason for the extended session, of course, was a budget battle between those who felt that there was enough money to address all necessary expenditures and, therefore, tax increases were not necessary.  On the other side were those who felt that more money was needed and, consequently, taxes had to be increased.   And I’ll just bet that you know one politician who favored raising taxes or, as he so quaintly puts it, “increasing revenue” (Hint: his name rhymes with derringer…)

It is kinda funny but I thought politicians were supposed to determine how much of our money they needed to conduct the government business. But lately, this concept seems to have changed from “how much of our money they will take from us” to the current philosophy of “how much of our money we will be allowed to keep”.  And the usual answer is… less and less because they need more and more.

Surprisingly, however, when all was said and done – and, after a session lasting 176 days, far more was said than done – it appeared that cooler heads prevailed and the $1.5 billion package of new carbon taxes, capital gains taxes, and income taxes as proposed by the Governor and House Democrats was shot down.  So I call this a win…  On the other hand, an increased transportation tax was passed and I call this a loss…

So, overall, did we win?  Of course not. Politicians have prevailed over taxpayers again and so, in the end, it is not how much we won but, rather, how little that we lost.

Wouldn’t it be nice to actually win for a change?   It is up to you.  And your vote…

Until next time,

Dick Pilling, Chair

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June 2015 Column

Tax Reduction Day…

The FOURTH of July used to be one of my favorite holidays but now no more!!

My new favorite holiday is the FIRST of July which will forever be enshrined in my memory as TAX REDUCTION DAY.  Because, effective that date and for the first time in Clallam County history, a tax will actually be reduced.  Can you believe it???    A tax cut… a decrease… a smaller government hand in your wallet…   Really!!

And this unheard of event… this totally unprecedented happening… this unique occurrence is all due to the actions of the Clallam County Board of Commissioners as spearheaded by Clallam County Commissioner Jim McEntire.  Way to go Commissioners!  And a special atta boy to Jim!

It seems that that they had this crazy idea that, just because they had some extra money in the till, there was no real reason to figure out new ways to spend it.   Or even keep it.  Why not send some back where it came from?  Why not give it back to the taxpayers?  What a concept!  Makes you wonder if they are really politicians.  Like who ever heard of an elected official actually giving money back to the citizens?

Of course, a mere .2% reduction is sales tax is not a huge decrease but it is certainly a step in the right direction.  And especially noteworthy at a time when the spendaholics in Olympia are scrabbling around trying to raise taxes or, as they like to say, “increasing revenues”.

It was a real fight though… convincing Olympia bureau-rats to lower taxes is like trying to get pigs to slaughter themselves…

Until next time…

Dick

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April 2015 Column

Lying Liars…

We have been hearing some real whoppers here lately…  You know the ones I mean… For instance, “if you like your plan, you can keep your plan”.  Or how ‘bout, “Benghazi happened because of some horrible video”.  And then there was “My helicopter was hit by an RPG”.  Last, but far from least, “I never had sex with that woman”.

Now these are out and out lies and are easily identified as such.  And so those who mouthed these untruths are, in fact, liars.  We are now well aware that Obama knew that people would lose their plans… Hillary knew the true reasons behind Benghazi… Brian Williams knew he did not get hit by an RPG… And everybody but everybody knew Clinton had sex with anybody that would let him… Liars all…

But when is a lie not a lie?  Because there are lots of other ways to deceive people that do not involve an actual lie.  And they sound good but, when analyzed, are nothing less than deliberate intentions to misinform.  Do they qualify as lies?

For instance when one of our local legislators continually calls for “additional revenue” it sounds somewhat innocuous.  But what he really means is that he wants to raise taxes.  And when he says he needs “new sources of revenue” it means that he wants to find some new ways to tax you.

But this legislator – and you all know who he is – will never say “raise taxes” or “new taxes”  because he knows that people immediately understand that he is putting his hands in their pockets.  So he avoids using the “T” word and substitutes “revenue”.  It gets him to the same place but it sounds so much better, you see.  Maybe not a lie but certainly intentionally confusing.

So how the heck do you determine if a politician is lying or merely misleading?  Well, it’s not too hard, actually… just look and see if his lips are moving….

Because if they are, he is…

Dick Pilling, Chair

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February 2015 Column

Don’t look now but the government has its hand in your wallet.  And… no surprise… it’s a “left” hand, of course.

Yes, Olympia is at it again.  Or, rather, the democrats in Olympia.  According to Freedom Foundation’s list of big spenders, the top 20 spendthrifts in the House – all democrats – pushed through new or increased spending bills that, over the next ten years, will put Washington’s tax payers on the hook for over 64 Billion dollars.  That’s “B” for billion…  And yes, both Steve Tharinger at number 6 and Kevin Van De Wege at number 12 are among these top 20 profligates…

To put that in perspective, all remaining House members are responsible for a paltry 3 Billion.  Can you imagine… the top 20 spends over 20 times as much as the other 78 house members COMBINED!!!

We see a similar picture in the Senate whereby the top 15 spenders –all democrats but one – are burning through over 67 Billion dollars whereas the remaining 34 senators account for a measly 6 Billion.  Do you get that… the bottom 34 Senators account for less than 10% of total projected expenditures.  And yes, Senator Jim Hargrove is in that top echelon – number 8, in fact – accounting for over a Billion dollars which, compared to Senator Maralyn Chase’s 11 Billion, is peanuts but still a healthy chunk of change.

Of course, we have to remember that all politicians spend money.  Lots of it, too.  You see, it is really easy to spend other people’s money.  Because if you don’t work for it… if you don’t sweat for it… if it isn’t your hard-earned cash, it is easy come, easy go.  Especially the “go” part…

But this tendency to spend and I mean really spend big – the term “drunken sailor” comes to mind – seems to be a particularly democrat trait.  Like, if spending money was a contest, the democrats would win every time.  And easily too.

And the only way to stop it is with your vote.  So fill in your ballot and take ‘em out of your wallet.

~Dick Pilling, Chair

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January 2015 Column

I don’t know if you have noticed, but our universities are, by and large, dominated by lefty liberals… a bunch of progressive panderers preaching propagandist pap. And I believe the reason for this is a result of the Viet Nam era of the 60’s.

You see, those who wished to avoid military service sought the safety of college campuses where they were able to avoid military service for at least four years.  Even more if they opted for advanced degrees.

Trouble is, not all of those draft dodgers flooding into colleges were actually cut out for higher education much less advanced degrees.  Many saw mathematics as a mystery and science a secret and so, therefore, were not destined to be engineers or doctors or accountants or, indeed, practitioners of any profession requiring real thinking and actual abilities.

The universities, sensing a hitherto unexploited profit center, began to cater to these intellectual incapables by developing courses that did not require any real aptitude but merely a physical presence and, of course, money… usually provided by parents.  Suddenly, Fine Arts, Literature, Afro-American Studies, Gender Studies, Female Studies, and other similarly unchallenging programs –  leading to dumbed-down degrees relying upon “feeling” rather than “thinking” – were prominently featured in their catalogs and were seized upon by the less-than-patriotic effete in order to avoid Uncle Sam’s attention.

Trouble is, once they graduated, they had no marketable skills.  Face it, how on earth do you exploit a degree in Gender Studies, for gosh sakes?   What does it prepare you to do?  Not much except teaching other ability-challenged students wishing to pursue non-essential academic endeavors.

So, once they finished their so-called education and were, unfortunately, totally ill-equipped to support themselves with these degraded degrees, they stayed at the universities and became teachers, professors and, later, administrators presiding over legions of students that are taught to “feel” rather than “think”.

So… if you have a “feeling” that our universities are turning out educated incompetents, I “think” you are right…

~Dick Pilling, Chair

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