January 19th. 2015 ACRP Meeting Minutes – Forest Home Twp. Hall
Chairman Randy Bishop convened meeting at 7:35 p.m. Led Pledge of Allegiance, State Rep.Triston Cole: invocation. Vice Chair Stillings and Treasurer Bogdan, were absent.
Chairman Bishop gave Treasurer’s report. $x,xxx.xx in State Acct. . $x,xxx.xx Corporate Acct. Reminded members to pay their dues by March. Meeting minutes will be posted at acrpmi.org. Without a board quorum, approval of November minutes, postponed to Feb. 16th. meeting.
Verified with State Rep. Cole: At the last County Convention, he made a motion; that was approved by membership, to revise the ACRP By-Laws. Tom Stillings, has agreed to chair the By-Laws Committee. Randy, Kim MacMaster, Dawn LaVanway and Mike Bertram, volunteered to be on the committee. (current bylaws are available on the ACRP website under ‘Join Us’ tab.)
Reviewed list of volunteers willing to serve on Executive Committee: Jim Gurr, Dawn LaVanway, Cherie Hogan, Greg Valerio, Patty Niepoth, Bill Bailey, Bill White, Mike Bertram and Gerald Averill. Election of of Executive Committee will take place once new bylaws are approved.
Antrim County Republican Convention will be held on Thursday, Feb. 5th. at 7:p.m. Due to a scheduling conflict, the location of the convention has been moved to the Antrim County Building (2nd floor).
ACRP Members contacted Randy who are either running for 1st. Congressional District Committee and/or want to attend convention as voting delegates. Executive Committee approved a propose a slate for the upcoming county convention to vote on; Delegates on the slate to represent us at the MRP state convention will be: Randy Bishop ( running for 105th Executive Committee) Vicki Bishop, Cheri Hogan, Greg Valerio, Bill Bailey, Gerald Averill and Tom Stillings (Running for State Committee). Alternates to state convention will be: Kim MacMaster, Jim Gurr, Laura Bogdan, April Parkey, Jarris Rubingh, Priscilla Miller, and Ed Boetcher.
If slate doesn’t pass, anyone wanting to put up an alternate slate may do so. If 2nd slate does not pass, we will then open up for individual nominations.
Triston Cole: Because of Kim MacMaster’s involvement in last election, would like to move Kim MacMaster up to a voting delegate. Kim expressed desire to be a voting delegated. Randy suggested Kim contact the proposed slate of voting delegates and “work it out with them’”.
MRP State Committee members are made up of 14 Congressional Districts with each represented with 3 men, 3 women and their district chair. 1st Dist. Committee chose to eliminate territories in regard to state representation and go with the top 3 men and 3 women vote receivers via the popularity vote.
Rona Romney McDaniel appears to be a ‘shoe in” for MRP State Chair. Discussion on whether a conflict of interest would arise if her uncle Mitt decides to run.
Jim Gurr: “this is problematic.” Kim MacMaster: “Hopes” Rona would have enough checks and balances to remain transparent. Randy talked with Rona: She said, “she would be above board, would not have agreed to the rule change that Schostack agreed to with Saul., on Santorum election issue. She would be hanging herself” Randy suggested having 15 Congressional field offices throughout the state and hire qualified regional field officers from within the state. Asked why are we paying $ 300,000.00 to a media director from Oregon, that doesn’t know where Sleeping Bear Dunes is located?” Rona said she understood and agreed.
Discussion on candidates for Party Vice Chair, Youth Chair, Ethnic Vice Chair. Will have full list available to delegates prior to state convention.
Discussed May 5th Ballot Proposal. Rep. Cole: putting together facts both pro and con so people can articulate and share facts with their neighbors. Tom Sommerfeldt: recommends going to Mackinaw Center web site for complete information.
Randy: Read the actual proposal language as it will appear on the May 5th. ballot. “1. Amendment to the MI Constitution: to eliminate sales and use taxes on gasoline and Diesel fuel on vehicles operating on public roads starting in October of 2015. Sales tax currently being charged goes away, since this tax funds schools, it leaves a hole in funding schools.
2. Wayne Schmidt’s bill introduced in April of 2013, to increase in the sales tax from 6 to 7% was used. Nine (9) bills tied to this ballot proposal will go into effect with it’s passage,…if the ballot proposal fails those ten bills won’t go into effect.
3. Activate other laws dedicating additional revenues for transportation purposes, including roads, streets and bridges.(Doesn’t say FOR roads, but INCLUDING, which indicates money will be spent for other things.)
Require state funds be used exclusively for financial assistance for public school districts, community, colleges, career technical education and related scholarships and dedicate a portion of the use tax for school aid purposes.”
If passed, sales tax on everything goes from 6-7% with $300 million to schools, $260 million for Earned Income Tax Credit, $130 Mil to mass transit (buses and trains for Detroit) $70 million to local municipalities with deficits. If it doesn’t pass, they will go back to the drawing board. The new senate may then go with the House plan to fund road repairs without raising taxes.
Discussion on how taxing petroleum products at wholesale level via a percentage tax will be passed on to consumer.
$20 Million to be raised for ads promoting passage of the proposal. AFP and Mackinaw Center have come out against it. Michigantaxpayer.com will provide resources on line, ie: printable flyers and other resources.
State Rep. Cole: One of the bills tied to passage of this proposal: Won’t give the $1.7 Billion to road builders in one lump sum, but will be sectioned out over three years to pay off the debt, Gov. Engler incurred.
Cheri Hogan: Legislators came up with millions to spent on new state offices,Lansing Visitors Center, film subsidies, but can’t come up with money to fix roads.
Jim Gurr: Earned Income Tax Credit is going to be a problem: Thousands more people added to Medicaid will be eligible for the credit. Doesn’t think they’ve done the math.
Possible return of farming Hemp in MI.(once a major export)
State Rep Cole: Appointed as Vice Chair of Agriculture Committee, also on Energy, Judicial, Outdoor Recreation and Transportation.
Christian Marcus reported on Antrim County County Commission.
Randy has been appointed to Antrim County Economic Development Corporation. Reported on committee’s mission statement.
Conversation regarding pros and cons on the $50,000, paid to Northern Lake Economic Alliance and disadvantages of having commission meetings held during the day, when business owners are at work.
Reminder to pay dues and of our goal to invite friends and neighbors to join and grow the party to 1% of of our county’s population of 25,000 = 250
8:45 Motion to adjourn: Mike Bertram: 2nd Kim MacMaster
Respectfully Submitted by: Priscilla Miller, ACRP Secretary