As West Virginia Republican Party Chairman Doug McKinney continues his push to hire an executive director and relocate the Party’s headquarters to a large home on Kanawha Boulevard many supporters and Party faithful are asking how the Party can afford such expenditures.
In fact, there was a teleconference meeting of the West Virginia Republican Party’s Financial Resource Allocation Committee (FRAC) last evening and the two main topics discussed on the call was the hiring of an executive director and relocating the Party’s headquarters to a property very near the intersection of Kanawha Boulevard and Greenbrier Street in Charleston, WV.
According to the latest Federal Elections Commission (FEC) report, the West Virginia Republican Party has almost $14,000 cash-on-hand. That number sounds great except the Party has averaged $15,836 in monthly expenses over the previous six months. It’s very likely at the end of this month the Party will have very little cash-on-hand.
So where will the West Virginia Republican Party find the money to pay a $40,000 annual salary and the lease or payment on a house on Kanawha Boulevard in Charleston, which will likely be at least twice as much as the $800 a month rent the Party pays now.
The only option available is using the $90, 047.02 investment CD that was acquired from the sale of the Party’s headquarters in South Charleston.
You can learn about how the West Virginia Republican Party came to own the dank dismal building which is known as the Ronald Reagan building by reading Chapter 3 in Gary Abernathy’s book Elephant Wars. Thanks to Google Books you can read the whole timeline by clicking here.
The problem with spending the $90,000 CD is that it might not be permissible under current election law. Since the State Party purchased the building in South Charleston the law has changed regarding campaign contributions and how corporate contributions can be used.
On November 6, 2002, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), also known as McCain-Feingold Act, was enacted which prohibits political parties from raising corporate campaign contributions for their political efforts.
Just before the BCRA was enacted the West Virginia Republican Party used corporate contributions to purchase the Ronald Reagan Building.
According to Abernathy’s book, financing for the Ronald Reagan Building was made possible with $112,000 ($100,000 from Don Blankenship, $10,000 from Jim Reed, and $2,000 from two unnamed corporate sources.) in corporate contributions. These were corporate contributions from a company or business, not personal contributions, this is an important distinction.
On November 6, 2002, just a few days after the West Virginia Republican Party purchased the Ronald Reagan Building, campaign finance laws changed and corporate contributions are now not permitted.
Today, the West Virginia Republican Party could not use corporate contributions to purchase a new headquarters.
Knowing this information the State Party and Chairman Doug McKinney should request an opinion from the FEC regarding the $90,000 CD.
Can the corporate money be used? Can the money be used to buy or lease another office for the WVGOP? Can the money be used to pay the salary of an executive director? These are all questions that need to be answered and soon.
If McKinney refuses to request a written opinion from the FEC and chooses to spend the corporate dollars obtained as a result of using the CD the State Party could face a steep punishment.
In other cases, the FEC has levied political organization and groups with very large fines for using corporate campaign contributions the wrong way.
There is a lot at stake if McKinney spends the money without seeking guidance from the FEC.
As money available to the Party dwindles and McKinney looks for extra cash laying around it’s coffers let’s hope he does the right thing and contacts the FEC for some guidance on what he can and cannot do.
If the WV GOP spends this money without approval, then people need to be removed from the Committee. For all of the ill-conceived ideas that have been brought up by the current leadership, this one is by far the most outrageous. This possibly illegal move could leave us in debt for one or two more election cycles.
You would think that McKinney would want to salvage the one decent thing he has done for this party: keep us debt free. I guess he has caught the deficit spending bug from our current leaders in Washington.
For conversation, assume it is legal to use the 90 thousand.
At 40 thousand per year for E.D., 24 thousand for rent, plus average monthly operating costs of 15 thousand. To provide any degree of financial solvency, that CD needs to be at least 900 thousand.
This is crazy!
I’ve watched all the comments and the fussing that is going on within the Republican GOP and outsiders as well. No wonder know one wants to help…Would you if it was within your business or home environment. Why are we tearing ourselves apart….Why not try to fix the problem within instead airing dirty laundry around the State…So the newspapers will pick it up and make headway for the Democrats who just love watching us pick ourselves to death. If we all would get together and support the Party. I don’t agree with everything that happens, but I WILL NOT make us a talking piece for those who already HATE us. What is the main goal of Republicans to elect Republicans who are qualified to be our representatives from local to national level.
On the headquarters, in Charleston….the FEC and RNC were contacted along with the SEC of State for their opinions. Why don’t we make ourselves more noticable and use the facilities for other possibilities during a very important election cycle. If we continue to think of ourselves as poor little me and whooa on me…Then that is what we will be..
If the Committee is unhappy with things as they are their chance will be in 2010 to change it. Do it through a vote not the news media….
Let’s Be Positive for Once…and see what happens..
Just my opinion. Thanks
Benjean
The WV GOP isn’t “tearing itself apart.” There is nothing to tear up.
Winning elections and having elected officials who actually fight for our issues would make us more noticeable.
Signing a mortgage that we can not pay will certainly make us more noticeable, but not in a good way. Getting attention from the IRS is not the kind of attention that we should want.
And this page is not the “news media.” You people seem to forget that your boy and main financial drain Gary Abernathy is the one that used to run to the media every time someone called him out for doing something stupid or not doing anything at all.
If the WV GOP was doing anything positive, then the “infighting” would go away. Instead of taking steps to win elections though, the WV GOP seems focused on trying to pretend to be something that it is not.
You can no longer deny that you are broke though, like you all did at the summer meeting in Martinsburg. The lies that were told to the Committee at that meeting should illicit calls for impeachment of the current leadership.
Benjean, do you really think that these issues haven’t been brought up in private? They have, only to be ignored by McKinney and other key leaders. Since our leaders ignore these issues in private, they give us no choice but to bring these issues into the sunlight. As a member of the media myself, I welcome any newspaper or media outlet who chooses to write about these issues. Sunlight is the only disinfectant for our problems.
I have many Democrat friends. They don’t hate us; they don’t even notice us. And when they do they usually support McKinney and Abernethy. If course they do, because our party is no threat to them with McKinney in charge. We’re a sleeping beast.
I don’t believe in the power of positive thinking. I believe in action.
Benjean,
I think what most people would like to see is a letter from the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) regarding what can or cannot be done with the $90,000. The RNC legal council has nothing to do with this issue.
According to the FEC website the West Virginia Republican Party has never requested an official opinion from the FEC on the options available for using this money.
Why hasn’t the attorney for the State Party requested in writing an opinion or advice on this issue and what is permissible for the Party to do at this time with the money?
While McKinney and others try to figure out the best way to drive our Party into bankruptcy, where is the plan to win elections next year? What seats can we win? Where do we need candidates?
Where is the leadership from the Chairman or someone at the State Party on opposing cap-and-trade? They have put out one press release!?
Where is the leadership from the Chairman or someone at the State Party on opposing the government takeover of healthcare that the current administration in Washington is proposing? No where!
Where is the leadership from the Chairman or someone at the State Party when is comes to fighting the toll increase on Interstate 77? Not one press release on this issue!
Why should West Virginia Republicans around the state financially support an organization that uses ALL of its money to pay out-of-state consultants, pay two secretaries, keep an office open in South Charleston?
It uses NONE of the money to help candidates or Republican causes? Why? Can someone please tell me why I should financially support a State Party that does very little to help Republican candidates?
We need leadership at the State Party! Do you think having a nice house on Greenbrier Street will help us win elections next year?
Do you think paying twice as much in rent as we are paying now will help us win? We are barely able to pay the bills now and the leadership at the State Party is trying to take on more financial burdens.
These disputes have only been brought into the public because Doug McKinney refuses to have a discussion with people who might have a different idea than his or Sue McKinney’s. There are people that disagree with Doug McKinney, Gary Howell, Craig Blair, and most of the Financial Resource Allocation Committee, but they don’t care what others think.
They want everyone to fall in line and help pay for the decisions they make on their private conference calls. They believe we shouldn’t ask questions. They believe we are not permitted to bring up questions at State Committee meeting. There wasn’t even time for questions at the last State Committee meeting.
Can someone please explain to me why I or anyone else should be supportive of an organization that has no leadership, ignores the questions and concerns I have, is acting in an irresponsible manner and on the verge of possibly breaking federal law, and is led by a Chairman under investigation for violating a federal law?
Anyone?
Roman- Can you provide your readers with a list of the members of the FRAC and their phone numbers or email addresses? I believe concerned Republicans should call these people and let them know how we feel. After all, aren’t we their constituents?
Roman asks several very good questions.
The idea that we should blindly give to the WV GOP with no input from us and no accountability from them is exactly what the Democrats have been doing with our state government for the last eight decades.
WV GOP to Conservatives: Sit down, shut up, and pay up!, which is exactly what the Democrats have been saying to WV taxpayers forever.
I think the point needs to be made that these criticisms are rightfully directed at only a part (though an influential part) of the state committee leadership; that there are many folks on the committee who feel the same way, who believe in acting responsibly, who have spoken out, but who in the end lack the instututional, legal or political power to force the hand of those acting irresponsibly.
Maybe we need to make a list of the “bad apples” in this mess (which by extension would include making a list of “good apples” for lack of a better term) so we don’t end up throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Please contact the following members on the Financial Resource Allocation Commitee (FRAC) of the West Virginia Republican Party Executive Committee and let them know how you feel about this issue.
1. Chairman Doug McKinney – (304) 842-6440 – wvgop1@wvgop.org
2. Donna Gosney – (304) 369-1414 – dlgosney@suddenlink.net
3. James Reed – (304) 587-8322 – cwalker@reedbrotherltd.com
4. Bill Snyder – (304) 536-9435 – bill@rbsinc.com
5. Gary Howell – (304) 788-6554 – gghowell1@verizon.net
6. Mike Ankrom – (304) 617-6208 – pikeatmu98@aol.com
I tell ya, if buying a home you can’t afford, along with the other bills, while preaching a message of fiscal responsibility, doesn’t bring credibility to the party’s efforts to become a viable political force, I don’t know what does.
Yes, lets ignite the fire even more by providing a “list” of all those who disagree with Roman and his minions….good thinking
Ankrom isn’t even member of the committee; how is this possible?
Yes Frank, how dare we hold the State Republican Executive Committee members – which we vote for in public elections – responsible. How dare we take up their precious time by calling them with our concerns. I forgot our committee was akin to the Communist Party.
Benjean,
I appreciate your remarks about tearing up the party, but I must tell you that I think that all this gnashing of teeth is, in the long run, a good thing. The state desperately needs for the Rep party to stand up and become powerful. We need two parties in this state. But they can only do that by differentiating themselves from the democrats. You don’t differentiate yourself by supporting closet liberals like John McCain and electing two recent appeasers to the governor’s mansion.
I will apologize in advance for trying to characterize some of the comments I see on this board, but I mostly characterize them as frustrated. They seem frustrated that they cannot agree on the issues. Until they do agree on the issues, and until those issues reflect some modicum of differentiation from the democrats, the party will continue to lose elections.
I think there are some clowns that forget who they serve as members of the WV Republican Executive Committee.
Frank- The contact information Roman posted is public and available to everyone via wvgop.org.
We preach holding the other party accountable at every Lincoln Day Dinner and Pig Roast. Yet, we fail to hold our Republican leadership to the same standard. Why?
Don’t we call and email Jay Rockefeller’s office when he makes a bad decision or takes us in the wrong direction? I do. Maybe you should too!
All this public discourse could have been avoided had the exec meeting in Martinsburg considered these issues in the meeting.
Mike, you say there should be a call for impeachment, as I have always said, if there are so man people disappointed with, etal, then it shouldn’t be a problem to find out how you could do that.
GOD BLESS
SORRY, its supposed to read “if there are so many….”
I see my email and phone are posted here. Great! I will be in San Diego for the rest of the week, attending the Republican National Committee meeting, so I may not be able to respond before the first of the week, but I am always glad to hear of my fellow Republicans and will answer any questions or concerns to the best of my ability.
The party does not have the funds to buy/lease a Boulevard property for its headquarters. No more money from me until I see a workable game plan regarding finances, candidates, a vision/platform, an executive director I agree with and some real leadership.
The Boulevard/Greenbrier property in question currently has a rental asking price of in excess of $2,000/month. It has three off-street parking spaces.
By comparison, the prior small HQ nearby that was occupied through the 2002 cycle then rented for under $500/month with minimal utility expenses. It had daytime parking for perhaps up to eight cars in its large lot for the 12-unit building, and spaces on the Boulevard in front.
Based on our current lack of success electing folks to the facilities at 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, and the propensity of those elected not to financially support the party to any great extent……I fail to see the logic in spending extra dollars to be near the seat of power.
Further, as we know from more retail campaigns in our larger towns, a better approach for the sake of workers and party volunteers would be a large, less finished space in a shopping center or some such, with plenty of free parking. There is plenty of cheap rental property of that nature in strip centers around Charleston. No better place to run a campaign & phone banks than a well-lit shopping center space.
I have been following the commentary. Earlier this week I posted an idea on my blog (www.phillipsbillboard.com) that has the potential to put us on the right track. It is below.
It’s Time for a Real Republican Summit
Over the weekend I participated in the Underwood Interns Republican Summit. The exchange of information was productive and the new faces were exciting.
Driving home I thought it is time for a real Republican Summit. Nothing is getting done by the State Party. The citizens of our State deserve a two-party system. Those crying out to help are being ignored. Real leadership is needed.
There is essentially one role for a political party. That is getting the faithful to the polls. This is not getting done. All one has to do is look at the near misses in 2008.
There are no fights or factions in the Republican Party. It is all about frustration. This must be ended.
The example set by the Underwood Interns (Governor Underwood would have been proud) should be followed by the State Party Chairman. He should call a real Republican Summit.
My vision would be a small group of not more than a dozen which includes the experienced, new idea folks, friend and foe. Everything should be on the table. A Summit leader who has proven they understand the party, political process and State should lead the Summit.
A proper setting should be found and the Reagan 11th commandment should guide the Summit.
This group should meet until the job is done – even it takes days. All this must be accomplished by Labor Day.
Bill. I think you’re onto something.
Bill,
I am with you all the way on this.
A good leader would say, “Let’s talk and get this taken care of” and do what it takes to resolve the problems. It is always good to listen well and to seek the counsel of the wise. A leader can either be a polarizing figure or a leader who unifiies.
Republicans are right on with the issues and a good leader would also say, “let’s work it all out so we can be the most effective Republican Party that West Virginia has ever seen”. I truly believe that can happen and will work toward that goal.
Winston Churchill said, “Never, never, never give up”.
Bill, I agree, but I think more than a small group, b/c it will seem like you are keeping people out. Unfortunately if you opened it up, I would bet you wouldn’t have but around 50.
I do agree with you that someone else should lead it.
Buddy,
There would be 50 from Kanawha County alone.
Maybe so, but I really don’t think we should limit it.
Best point Bill Phillips makes…….
“There are no fights or factions in the Republican Party. It is all about frustration. This must be ended.”
It’s not North v. South, or Unions v. Tort Bar, or Warner v. Tyson etc.
Rather, it’s Change v. Failure/Status Quo. And those protecting the latter are few, though predominantly self-interested or disengaged. Luckily, outside Doug and the webmaster, few on that second side have much of value to lose in any scenario.
I certainly like the idea of a Summit to begin the process but that would require all sides to come to the table with the intent of building a better State Party. If experience has showed us anything it is that not all folks are open to discussion and cooperation. I don’t believe there are factions but, rather, a simple few folks intent on maintaining the status quo. Although the ideal would be a State Party that was functional, viable, and relevant, many of us have decided there is not time nor any need to wait.
The WV Conservative Foundation is doing pretty darn well. We have funded the Tea Party movements, sponsored and funded the town hall meetings and rallies against Cap & Trade, brought the Texas GOP Chairman to WV to speak with various coalitions, are working to end the terrible multi-member district system, are planning efforts to defeat the heinous healthcare proposals, and plan to continue our efforts against Cap & Trade.
We are also in the process of establishing a PAC and actively engaged in candidate recruitment. By the way, we have done all of this without any overhead or administrative expenses. It’s not about bricks and mortar. It is all about effectiveness.
A Summit would be great if all parties come to the table with an open mind and the best interests of the GOP front and center.
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