Local Republicans Ready To Rumble?
Maybe so, now that most of the activists that left their Central Committee have returned. George Benzel is the newly elected Chair. I've seen his name around but don't believe I've ever met him. A number of other familiar faces and names are back in the pack as well: Mike Harvey, former Chair and now Vice- Chair; Joy Finley and Marc Matteoli, both of whom I know, Marc being my brother in law and living across the street from me. Joy and Marc sign on as district leaders or whatever the designation is. What I didn't see in this Eureka Reporter article was any mention of whether immediate past Chair, Lori Metheny, was at the meeting where all this took place. Are they all still speaking?
It will be interesting to see if they make any headway in Humboldt. Of course, these are really just the same faces from before so it would make more sense to ask if they'll do anything different. The Left has the ball and is running with it. We'll have to see if they take on any issues that are in with the mainstream and make them their own. I Wonder if they can become an effective counter to the relatively new lefty PAC, Local Solutions? They've got a tough row to hoe, most of them being hard partisan Republicans with fairly hard right political leanings.
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Speaking of Local Solutions; I see they sent the North Coast Journal's Sims/ Arkley interview out over their e-mail list last night. I can't help but wonder if that was meant merely as informational, or as something troubling that could be used to rally their troops? I thought it was an interesting interview. The Left might of seen it as much more than that, perhaps a warning of bad things to come and we'd better get moving to stop it.There was mention in the e-mail that Local Solutions opposed the Big Box plan. I believe it said ANY big box plan. So, the two main players in the fight might well be Local Solutions and the Republican Central Committee, assuming the Republican's want to identify themselves as the other side in the fight. I suspect they won't have to as they could simply join the fight under the auspices of the Humboldt Economic Land Plan, which seems to consist pretty much of high profile Republicans and developers, at least from what I've seen of it. I'm not sure that would be what HELP's function is supposed to be but, regardless, the same faces and names will likely be the ones in the fray, no matter what they call themselves.
Are we ready to rumble?
posted by Fred Mangels @ 9:08 AM
22 comments
22 Comments:
Excellent post on Walmart on the Liberal Traitor post...
You mean the San Francisco Liberal blog? Thanks. No biggie. Just something I found in my inbox and pasted on there. Wal Mart's not a big issue to me one way or the other but I get tired of the Wal Mart bashing, albeit some of it being deserved. I especially see red when the State forces a company to spend its money a certain way.
Fred,
Just noticed your post and have a few comments:
1. No, Lori Ann was not there.
2. No, it is not just the usual suspect rejoining. There are some new members and more to come.
3. Unlike the extreme left leaning Democrat Party, we are much broader and even the socially moderate Freddie would be welcome!
4. We are excited in Fortuna with six candidates who have filed for City Council and 5 are Republicans. Even the lone Democrat, Shelton, votes more like a Humboldt County Republican that the extreme left Humboldt Democrats.
5. Come join our next meeting in Fortuna on Feb 2 at Hunans.
6. Look for our Republican of the Year event on Feb 16. It WILL sell out with our honoree. In addition we have State Senator Abel Maldonado who is running for State Controller and Insurance Commissioner Candidate Dr. Phil Kurzner.
7. Look at the ss.ca.gov website to see if Republicans are gaining or losing ground to Dems. in Humboldt County. On Feb 03 the spread was 13.70% with a Dem advantage. In Jan 04 the spread was less than 11%. Now it is 12.2%. The county isn't becoming more liberal. I believe they are less partisan because of the negative environment with state and national politics.
8. George Benzel is a retired Military man who owns his home in Carlotta. Nice guy with the understanding on what a central committee needs to do. Most importantly he will be a great leader because he works well with others.
Off to a basketball game now. Just to put a plug in for my 8th Grade Jacoby Creek Boys Basketball team. We are undefeated with big wins last week against Zane and Winship.
As two of my JCS liberal parent discussed. One said "I like Mike but he is Republican." The other said "You just have to accept there are a few good Republicans out there."
Mike Harvey out
Did you read in the S. Arkley interview what she said about the rescue mission? Unbelieveable! Well, totally believable, but unbearable!
Hey plaziod, why don't you go back to your slime-hole of a blog and lock it out even more, like, let's say to the point of removing it from the internet. You big crybaby you.
I agree with moving the mission, so the Eagle House won't have bums and crackwhores next door.
Cheries' comments regarding the Rescue Mission are nothing other than most people on the street would say around here. Arcata, as I see it, is nothing but a laughing stock, to most folks I know.
I'm not saying that's good or bad, just reality.
Just because "everybody else thinks so" doesn't make it right.
By the way anonymous, theplazoid.blogspot.com has ALWAYS printed all of our hate-mail, even all the cusswords. Unfortunately, someone is carrying on a personal mud-slinging battle with "Nick Bravo" that is taking up too much space. That's all. Sorry if I made you feel insecure. You can still spew hate at theplazoid.blogspot.com if it makes you feel better.
That website again is:
theplazoid.blogspot.com
FRED:
the whole town is a laughing stock? Please explain further...
Yeah plazoid, like your blog is that busy. Anyway, Arcata is a joke, nobody really takes what theey say serious anymore, as they are always coming up with the dumbest stuff. I mean look at the impeach bush crap they keep pulling, do you think that Bush really cares what one city council full of druggies really thinks? Arcata is so far out of it that it has become a joke.
Mike Harvey better think twice about calling Fred a social moderate, isn't he in support of gay rights? Blasphemers shall perish.
Fred, what do you mean are "we" ready rumble? Who is "we?"
I think that Arcata does not have one unified voice or opinion, obviously. Now, defending GB Jr.'s rampant abuse of power, that's a joke! except that it's not funny.
I think that to a certain extent that the people in power in arcata don't want things to change. The rest think its hopeless and the few who do stand up and fight are slimed by the local rag.
So many comments! I'll see if I can respond to at least some of them.
First, thanks to Mike Harvey for his heads up.
Plazoid: Most people I know refer to Arcata derisively, just like people refer to California derisively as the land of of fruits and nuts. There is a strong element of truth to it, seems to me. I try to stay open minded about things but I've never liked Arcata, even when I moved up here as a punk hippie over 30 years ago. I avoid the place like the plague as do many others I know. It's just a yucky little college town. In fairness, while I don't mind going to Fortuna, I don't really like that town, either. Not so much the town, as the people. How they came up with that "Friendly City" label is beyond me.
Anon: Should I take issue with being called a "social moderate"? Oh, I don't know. I do support gays on the marriage issue. Not sure if moderate is a good way to describe me or not. My brother in law, Marc Matteoli, referred to me a while back as a moderate conservative. I did take some exception to that but mostly cause I guess that put me in the same category as he is, which I consider as being a conservative of the Religious Right kind. Boy, it would take a lot of time to work through a good description of myself.
Some libertarians like to describe themselves as socially liberal and fiscally conservative. Well, maybe. But that would mean one would support gun control laws, among other things, which libertarians generally oppose.
Think Tank: We? That's as in anybody reading that who was either a participant, on either side of an issue, or an interested observer of the political frays to come.
There's a fun side to Arcata – the creative over-the-top types, the people with high ideals who put their beliefs into action, a walkable downtown, interesting architecture, intellectual curiosity, exhuberent youth, vibrant night life, etc. The downside is the Plaza scum and their self-righteous enablers. They spit and drool, crap on the sidewalk, panhandle and basically conduct themselves like walking pieces of dog shit. They're disrespectful to their fellow citizens. They're parasites and they're destructive. Not just self destructive, but destructive to the community. For example, if you show some compassion and build them a restroom, the only guarantee is that the restroom will be destroyed within days, weeks or months. Seriously.
to anonymous:
While I agree that some individuals, who either reside in or pass through Arcata, hangout and exhibit poopy behaviour, I don't agree with your conclusion that a public restroom is a bad idea.
Plus, the porta-potties by the Endeavor aren't destroyed.
Again and again the victims of local hate-mongering media manipulators exhibit the logic error of grouping all unhoused people into one category, and then labelling them derisively, usually as "parasites."
Plazoid,
You apparently did not read anonymous' last post. He/she/it does not group all urban outdoorsmen derisively. Leonidas has in fact observed the behavior that is described and it is definitely more prevelant in Arcata than in other communities.
Why describe stating the obvious as "hate-mongering"? Answer: It is the last ad hominem refuge of the collectivist debator.
If they are not "parasites" then what are they?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasites
A parasite is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life in or on the living tissue of a host organism and which causes harm to the host without immediately killing it. Parasites also commonly show highly specialized adaptations allowing them to exploit host resources.
The harm caused to a host by a parasite can take many forms, from direct pathology, including various specialized types of tissue damage, such as castration, to more subtle effects such as modification of host behaviour. Many cuckoos, for example, are brood parasites that use their unwitting hosts as lifetime "babysitters": cuckoo young are raised by adults of the host species, but adult cuckoos fend for themselves.
It seems quite close to what they really are. They live off a host, causing harm, but in most cases, they do not kill the host. They haven't quite moved up to virus class damage yet, but they do walk the line.
The city will be better off when it distinguishes between the different types of homeless. There are the temporary homeless, who can be helped with programs like the Arcata House. There are the mentally ill who need medical assistance. Then there are the parasites, who deserve nothing but disdain. They're basically stealing resources that could otherwise be put to use to aid those in need.
I wonder who among you also considers artists, musicians, poets, and others as "parasites" because they do not produce something to be sold on the market.
Unless the artists you know are giving things way for free.... well, I have a couple thousand dollars worth of "local art" hanging around my place, so I guess I got ripped off because they are giving it away for free to other people.
So you are trying to say that the government should pay these people money because they make art, for free? Please, I will have none of that. If you are good, people will buy your art, whatever it may be.
Plazoid is giving poets, musicians and artists a bad name. Most of those folks have jobs and do their "art" on the side. Some lucky ones make a living with their art. But, if you call yourself a poet, and then beg for spare change on the Plaza, you're just a bum – a parasite. The solution is simple – get a job and do your art on the side. After all, art ain't about the money, right?
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