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THE KITSAP REPUBLICAN

May 2024

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common Defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR for MEETINGS & EVENTS!

 

Issues & Board Meeting

1st Monday of every month

6pm Candidate Forum!

All 2024 Republican Candidates have been invited to attend!

7:30pm Central Committee and Executive Board Meeting

Next Meeting: Monday, June 3, 2024

KCRP Headquarters, 6610 Kitsap Way, Bremerton, WA 98312


23rd Legislative District Republicans Monthly Meeting

2nd Thursday of every month @ 6pm

Next Meeting: Thursday, June 12, 2024

Western Red Brewing, 19168 Jensen Way NE Poulsbo, WA 98370


Precinct Committee Officer (PCO) & Volunteer Meeting

Last Wednesday of every month @ 6pm

Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Special Speaker: George Hacker

Topic: So You Want to Make a Difference?

Cloverleaf Grill, 1240 Hollis St, Bremerton, WA 98310


KCRP meetings are open to all Republicans.


Check out our calendar!

★★★★★


I-2066 STOP THE NATURAL GAS BAN - Protect Energy Choice

Sign or get copies to share at the KCRP Office in Bremerton!

Regular office hours are 9am-5pm Monday-Friday

Note: The office will be closing early at 3pm for the rest of May.


Please help to get signatures for I-2066 to STOP THE NATURAL GAS BAN and Protect Energy Choice. This year the Legislature passed and Governor Inslee signed a law which restricts natural gas use and will cause massive energy rate hikes. Without I-2066, the new law allows utility commissions to radically increase costs of natural gas power to its customers without the normal checks and balances. The cascading effect means natural gas will eventually be unavailable to most Washington households. Seniors, young families, and low-income residents will be be the hardest hit. It will lead to higher prices across the spectrum of production including food, housing, and transportation. It will restrict residential builders’ choices in constructing homes with efficient energy packages.


I-2066 is supported by Washington Realtors, Washington Contractors Association, the Washington Hospitality Association, and many more. You can read more at letsgowashington.com.


★★★★★


Executive Board Member Reports


Juliana McMahan, Chair

The recent State Convention was an amazing experience. For the first time we held a statewide endorsement convention for our Republican candidates. Although it had some bumps, that is not unexpected considering the many handicaps we face with the current primary election process here in Washington state.


She believes we had the best Credentials Team at the State Convention led by Patti Schlack. Friday wasn’t our finest hour, but cooler heads did prevail. The problem started during a committee report. When people heard something they didn’t like, they started yelling. Some delegates were disrespectful to the committee chair. Finally, when everyone calmed down, we voted to not follow the committee recommendation (which could have been done without all the fuss). Our Kitsap delegation was respectful which made her so proud! Thank you to all our KCRP delegates. You set a great example!


At the Friday dinner the speaker was the co-founder of Mom’s for Liberty and she gave an inspiring speech. On Saturday we voted on the statewide endorsements. Kitsap County did a much better and faster job of counting votes at our county convention. It took the State Convention over four hours to count just the first vote. She was very honored to be the Platform Committee Chair. The delegates adopted the platform without any amendments, which was a testament to how the committee worked hard to represent all the counties. We adopted 22 resolutions with meaningful discussion about them.


★★★★★


Sean Murphy, Vice Chair & Events Committee Chair

The Events Committee had a great meeting on April 24 and created the beginnings of an infrastructure for moving forward. We had an entry in the Viking Fest Parade on May 18.


The Events Committee would like to find leads for each of our areas. We have volunteer leads for Silverdale, Bremerton, and Port Orchard. We still need volunteers for Poulsbo, Seabeck, and Bainbridge Island. It’s going to be a busy summer!


★★★★★


John Cameron, State Committeeman & PCO Committee Chair

The PCO of the month is Sean Murphy. Congratulations Sean!


He attended many events at the State Convention, learned state procedures, and networked with other leaders. He was impressed that Yakima County Republican Party harvested 3% of the total county’s ballots.


During the State Committee Meeting we elected a new National Committeeman, Matthew Patrick Thomas.


He was excited to have recruited Tara Lucas to help with the GOTV Committee. Jessica Rice has volunteered to help Tara.

★★★★★


Elizabeth Doll, State Committeewoman

The State Convention was quite crazy. We endorsed a host of candidates.


★★★★★


Shelly McKinley-Olson, Treasurer & LDD Committee Chair

She thanked Rose for setting up a survey for our LDD Committee. We’re looking at things like venues, ticket cost, buffet versus plated, and speaker type. We have tentatively scheduled next year’s dinner for April 13, 2025, at the Kitsap Golf & Country Club. Let us know if you have any ideas. We want to make the Lincoln Day Dinner something for everyone to enjoy.


★★★★★


Linda Popp, Secretary & GOTV Committee Chair

She attended the 23rd LD Town Hall with our Democrat representatives. Drew Hanson is a smooth operator and knows how to sound eloquent about issues. Tara Simmons spoke about some of the things she sponsored. One of those was for “free lunches for all children.” She wears her heart on her sleeve and gets emotional, drawing people into her passionate pleas. She makes people forget that the money is coming from somewhere – our pockets! Greg Nance is young and inexperienced.


She helped the Election Integrity Committee create lists of questionable voter registrations. They are starting to look at these lists.


★★★★★


Jamie Mills, Bainbridge Island Representative

She’s sorry she missed all the state convention stuff.


★★★★★


John Johanson, Bremerton & Candidate Support Committee Chair

He expressed his appreciation and admiration for all of Rose Schuessler’s help in getting the website updated with candidate resources.


He spoke with someone who expressed interest in running for County Commissioner but hasn’t committed yet. 

★★★★★


Francis Doyle, South Kitsap & Election Integrity Committee Chair

On the Election Integrity Committee they are really focused. Many thanks to Daniel Longley, Kim Barnett, Linda Popp, Chuck DeCosta, and Diana Lake. We must get people to vote! If we don’t get people out to vote, we’re done!


He attended a meeting of the South Kitsap School Board. The President resigned, so they’re looking for a new District 4 member. They will likely be running another bond on a much smaller scale.

★★★★★


Training Opportunity: So You Want to Make a Difference?

KCRP is hosting a special two-hour training event on Wednesday, May 29 starting promptly at 6:00 pm. Our trainer is George Hacker, a Clark County PCO who has graciously offered to provide this training and comes highly recommended. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. for time to network and fellowship.


When:   Wednesday, May 29, 2024 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Where:  Cloverleaf Sports Bar & Grill - Banquet Room, 1240 Hollis St, Bremerton, WA 98310


Description: This two-hour course will introduce you to the role, eligibility, qualifications, and duties of the Precinct Committee Officer (PCO). It demystifies the various election boundaries and the two committees that every PCO should belong to. The various meetings PCOs should attend are discussed and the course includes a high-level overview of the purpose of parliamentary procedures for meetings. Finally, the course shows the different ways a person can become a PCO and what their term of office is.


This course is for four types of people:

  1. New PCOs.
  2. PCO-curious folks who have heard about PCOs and have an interest in becoming a PCO, but they aren’t quite sure what they do.
  3. People who have never heard of a PCO, but they are tired of getting angry at the news stories of our country’s decline and they want to help make a difference, but don’t know how.
  4. Experienced PCOs who can learn a thing or two and share what they know with some new political friends.


Please attend and invite others who might be interested in this training. RSVP to David Gonzalez (pcodgonzalez037@gmail.com) if you plan to attend.


★★★★★


Volunteers Needed!


If you have been looking for opportunities to volunteer, now is a great time! Below are some key opportunities to help:


Volunteer to help on one of the many KCRP Committees. Some key committees: Events chaired by Sean Murphy; Get-Out-The-Vote Committee chaired by Tara Lucas; PCO chaired by John Cameron; Candidate Support chaired by John Johanson; Candidate Recruitment chaired by Rick Kuss; Lincoln Day Dinner chaired by Shelly McKinley-Olson; and Election Integrity chaired by Francis Doyle.


★★★★★


Thoughts and stray input


PCOs Monthly Meeting Report: Ideas were shared about how to help PCOs be more effective. One idea was to create a webpage with KCRP committee descriptions and contacts.

 

The Events Committee met and discussed finding leads for each of the fairs, festivals, and parades with a KCRP entry. If you are interested in volunteering to help with a local event, please contact events@kitsaprepublicans.com.

 

John Cameron spoke at length about ballot harvesting. Many were shocked to learn that Washington state has no laws concerning ballot harvesting. Many concepts were discussed and strategized. Contact John if you have ideas or questions about this.

 

Churches were mentioned as points for encouraging voter registration and participation. All agreed church-goers are a group which can boost the vote.

 

All Republicans are encouraged to find soft Republicans in their neighborhoods and social spheres and encourage them to vote. Talk about things people care about. Someone is going to win. Choose the "lesser of two evils" if it comes to that. It's your country. Take it back.

 

WSRP State Convention Report:

We're not the party that yells. We're the party that fixes things. – overheard at a KCRP meeting

 

The WSRP State Convention held April 18-20 was recorded by TVW. Here is the link to the Saturday afternoon session which includes the adoption of the WSRP Platform:

https://tvw.org/video/washington-state-republican-party-2024041158

 

Kitsap was one of the most organized when it came to check-in and "the nuts and bolts" of organizing our delegates. Kudos to Patti our Credentials Committee leader!

 

Not unexpectedly, the press reports focused on the brief incident with "mob rule" and lack of decorum during the first session, and not the progress that really happened as the delegates came together to accomplish the business of the convention. Kitsap County delegates represented our county well by maintaining decorum and using proper procedures to help move the business forward. In the end, the majority ruled (as it should) and Chairman Jim Walsh did a great job keeping things running and on track.

 

We need to all get away from the thinking that the loudest is going to "win" and get all the attention. This is hardly civil when it comes to getting true work done and will not help us get Republicans elected. We need teamwork, not aggression.

 

Our friend Braden Sisk with his four-legged companion, Harry, were selected to be one of our delegates to the Republican National Convention on July 15-18 in Milwaukee.

 

On Saturday, the voting method for national delegates was using paper ballots. Tabulation took far too long and the convention ran out of time in the building. While ballot counting was in process, the WSRP Platform was put forth and it was accepted with no changes. In addition, 22 resolutions were adopted by the delegates.

 

John Cameron wrapped up our PCO meeting with a heart-felt pep-talk. Our convention was a meeting of like-minded people. We all believe in the Constitution, the right to debate, and the right to express our opinions without repercussions. Don't give up! And don't lose hope. There are others like you out there trying to do the right thing.


★★★★★


Sign Stealing: The sign stealing continues. This seems to be a long-term behavior. Some suggestions: 1) Track the signs you put up and, if they disappear, check the nearby bushes for them. It's easy for someone to tear them down, heave them into the bushes, and not be caught with the evidence (as happened a few months ago). 2) Put trail cameras on them, then present the evidence to the authorities. This could get expensive but might be worth it if the signs are in a strategic position. 3) Coat them with Vaseline. Those signs are pricey!!! Use your imagination if this is your fight to fight. Be careful and good luck.


★★★★★


Voting Statistics: AARP Bulletin (April 2024) had an excellent article with many stats on voting laws and where we stand after the COVID mess. We all need to know the basics: voting laws are left up to the States by the US Constitution, with the exception of the 26th Amendment, which says you must be 18 years old and a US Citizen to vote. 81% of bipartisan voters support photo ID requirement to vote.

 

In the 2020 presidential election, 65% of eligible voters ages 45-64 voted, 72% of those older than 65 voted, while 48% of voters 18-24 voted. So in terms of "recruitment" it sounds like we need to target our younger population. The "older population" figure could also be worrisome. If you have older friends and family in nursing care, be sure to help them cast their ballots, before someone else does. If they are infirm, it will take witnesses on the outside of the envelope, but this is easy to do. It does take some effort, but it's worth it.

 

According to the Pew report, 82% of bipartisan voters support having paper ballots to back up electronic voting. Ballot security has gained a lot of attention since 2020, and American citizens are not embracing the idea of computer-based balloting.


★★★★★


Bob Ferguson's Tuna and Chicken Payments: Our Attorney General “paid” us for eating tuna and chicken. Some people think he should be impeached for trying to buy votes by sending out these checks.


https://www.krem.com/article/news/verify/washington-tuna-chicken-rebate-checks-attorney-general/293-9eb4a439-db67-457e-b494-be510ab2e3a2


★★★★★


Schools: A question was raised about the resignation of a school board member in South Kitsap. Read about it here:


https://www.kitsapdailynews.com/news/sk-school-board-president-resigns

 

Schools are often topmost in conversations at KCRP meetings. One member tossed out a statistic of "the state spends over $18,000 per student." (Google showed it as $18,354/year.) School money comes out of the pockets of property owners and from sales tax. Charter schools are regularly mentioned as having bi-partisan support. Many believe we also need to reinvigorate trade and vocation programs such as agriculture, auto-body shop, textile arts, and West Sound Tech. All parents need to stay involved and challenge the school boards on a regular basis and advocate for our most precious things in life...our children and their future.


★★★★★


Title IX: Mr. Biden in his infinite wisdom has seen fit to reverse many of the protections for women in the name of LGBTQ rights. These alterations to women's sports and locker room use are set to take effect before the next school year begins. If you worry for your daughters' safety in school, be proactive and attend school board meetings to address this Federal law intruding into our lives. And write your Federal representatives. Talk with your daughters and offer to enroll them in a self-defense course!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebrS8wYgWvA


★★★★★


Homelessness Resources

Veterans Affairs Homeless Programs: www.va.gov/homeless

VA Homelessness Hotline: Dial 877-424-3838 and Press 1

Narcotics Anonymous: www.kitsapgov.com/pubdef/Pages/AA-and-NA-Meeting-info.aspx

NA help line: 360-215-2616


★★★★★


Kitsap County Auditor's Office - Elections Information

www.kitsap.gov/auditor/Pages/elections.aspx


★★★★★


School Board and City Council Notes


KCRP School District Information Page

www.kitsaprepublicans.com/school-districts


Bainbridge Island School District

School board website: www.bisd303.org/domain/44


Bremerton Bremerton School District

School board website: www.bremertonschools.org/SchoolBoard

Documents link: go.boarddocs.com/wa/wabrsd/board.nsf/public


Central Kitsap School District

School board website: www.ckschools.org/administration/c_k_s_d_school_board/school_board


North Kitsap School District

School board website: www.nkschools.org/about-us/school-board

Advisory board website: www.nkschools.org/get-involved/advisory-committees


South Kitsap School District

School board website: www.skschools.org/school-board

Board meetings recap: www.smore.com/gp6t2


Many parents in the South Kitsap district have found the "Parent Square" app/link to be very helpful in "being connected" with their district. See www.skschools.org for more information. 


City Council

Video archives of city council meetings from all over Kitsap County can be found at: 

bremerton.vod.castus.tv/vod/?live=ch1&nav=recent


★★★★★


Book Recommendations: Looking for good patriotic fiction novels for your youngsters? Look up this lost classic: Ben and Me by Robert Lawson. They don't write kid's books like this anymore. Think of the plot as mixing the story of our Founding Fathers with Ratatoille. Benjamin Franklin has a mouse for a friend who gives him advice. The humor is timeless and the illustrations are fantastic. Robert Lawson wrote a sequel, Mr. Revere and I, which tells the tale of Paul Revere's ride from the point of view of the horse.

 

Another good right wing read is True Grit by Charles Portis. This was made into a movie with John Wayne in the 70s and got mixed reviews. Once you read the book you realize the book is much better than the movie, especially if you're from Oklahoma. The book takes place in Indian Territory c. 1880 and has US Marshals and Texas Rangers as characters. It's a wonderful "true values" sort of western read. It includes some "girl power" and it is highly recommended.

 

Happy reading!


★★★★★


KCRP Executive Board Contact Info:

www.kitsaprepublicans.com/board


Contact other conservative groups in our area: www.kitsaprepublicans.com/local-groups

 

Contact Newsletter Editor: josiec5150@gmail.com

Note: Please put your topic in your tag line and source your articles. Thank you!


YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

 

Do you have 1-2 hours a week or month to volunteer in person, at home, or virtually? KCRP needs volunteers in many areas for any skill level.


Volunteer Now!

Check out our website


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