Editor, The Spotlight:
Jared King is correct; the County Republican Party leadership is thoroughly corrupt.
Answering last week’s article, King “has regularly derailed meetings. … There are members who have walked out when he’s gone on his diatribes and disrupted meetings.”
Republican leadership is not acting Republican. Voters wonder why we endorse Democrats. Do Republicans stand for anything? The leadership manipulates, but Jared always stays straight, so they abuse him and lie about it.
At the endorsement meeting, it was obvious “the fix was in.” I said, “For shame! This is not even a decent Kangaroo Court hanging.” One committee member left the meeting saying, “I can’t take what they are doing to him anymore. I’m leaving.”
Immediately after the meeting, one of the decent leaders on the committee said to me, “I hope you don’t think that the meeting was fixed?” “Of course it was!” I said. “Kermani said that ‘This is not a debating society.’ That’s just wrong. Discussion of ideas is exactly what this committee should be doing.”
Jared continually tries to introduce ideas because he has a notion of where the party should go. However, the leadership’s personal agenda won’t let Jared speak for fear that he will gather additional support.
At the endorsement meeting Jared said, “Mr. Chairman, I rise on a Point Of Order…” Chairman DiMaggio immediately shouted, “Jared, be quiet. I won’t let you disrupt this meeting. If you don’t sit down I will call the police and have you thrown out.” Mr. McKim, the parliamentarian, grinned and nodded, letting Fred know that he had followed instructions correctly.
Why is this serious? Enlightened societies use Robert’s Rules to conduct civil discourse. The leadership breaks the rules of decency by not allowing other voices to be heard. Those at the bottom are expected to do the work, pay tribute and lick boots, while at the top, ensconced in ego, leadership seeks to enhance their power, influence and rewards.
Jared sought to inform the committee that the meeting was illegal as not all members had been notified. When Jared said, “Point of Order,” the leadership responded, “Shut up!” which Parliamentarian McKim dishonestly characterized to The Spotlight as a “diatribe.” McKim labeled Jared’s utterance as “dilatory,” without hearing the point. Disgusting! Worse, I’ll bet this lawyer sees himself as a judge.
Mr. King doesn’t raise his voice, follows Roberts Rules scrupulously, including the rule on decorum, yet is blamed for being disruptive. It is laughable. The leadership has such nerve: They yell, intimidate, lie and like all good autocrats, label opponents with the traits that they exhibit. It’s classic 1984 doublespeak.
We should all be grateful to Jared for enduring these phony attacks to his reputation. We all know that it is character which matters and IMHO Jared King has “the right stuff.” Members of the Bethlehem Republican Party should rally to Jared King’s candidacy.
I am no longer willing to tolerate the bad behavior on the Bethlehem Republican committee. It is time to clean house!
Mitchell Goldstein
Glenmont