Outgoing Cook County Republican Party Chair Mark Delamater leads the county convention at the Senior Center in Grand Marais Tuesday, February 16, 2010.
Not all of Cook County’s 12 precincts were represented at the county Republican convention Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at the Senior Center, but 23 citizens proceeded smoothly through debates over resolutions to pass on to the district.
With input from the non-voting Republicans in attendance, county delegates and alternates elected at the February 2 caucus approved five resolutions. Four of them related to the eighth section of the Republican Party of Minnesota’s standing platform, entitled “Making Government Smaller and Better.”
The first resolution advocated setting term limits on federal offices. Nelda Westerlind stood up and said it’s time to stop pork barrel projects, even if they benefit us. “If we want to get rid of the old boy system, we have to get rid of the old boys,” she said. Kay Levitan maintained that perks such as “Cadillac” and “Mercedes” health benefits lure legislators into trying to stay in office. According to Jay Mesenbring, without more turnover, special interest groups gain too much power.
The second resolution would establish a rule prohibiting a law from being passed before the public has adequate time, such as 30 days, to review it and ending lastminute changes that people wouldn’t find out about until afterthe law was passed. Such a rule, Garry Gamble said, would reduce the possibility of “buying votes” and allow open dialogue among the populace.
The third resolution stated that laws that apply to the people should apply equally to government employees and those who govern. Thiswould keep public employees and officials, for example, from getting better health insurance than everyone else under a national health care program. The next resolution followed this line of reasoning, calling for elimination of special pension plans for legislators. The law would give legislators the same social security benefits as the people who elected them.
The last resolution regarded the platform section on defending America at home and abroad. It opposed relinquishing management of the Internet to any foreign organization, including the United Nations. George Carlson spoke up, saying President Barack Obama is supporting a movement to get the U.S. to relinquish control of the Internet. The Internet was designed to keep things like banking systems from being struck down unilaterally, Carlson said, but putting it into the control of an entity such as the United Nations would leave it vulnerable.
Elections for county party offices were held. New cochairs are Marc Breitsprecher and Garry Gamble. The new secretary is Mary Petz. Jim Hall will serve another term as secretary. He reported a balance of $203.88 in the party’s account, out of which a bill for $54 in advertising will be paid.
Outgoing chair Mark Delamater encouraged those going to the district and state conventions by saying Cook County has sometimes been the only county with 100% of its delegates in attendance. “Even though you’re small,” he said, “you can have an influence.”
DFL resolutions sent to the district
DFL resolutions generated but not discussed at the DFL county convention on February 2 and passed along for consideration at the district level included opposition to non-ferrous mining in northeastern Minnesota and an appeal to “carefully consider the risk to Minnesota’s water” in considering such projects; an appeal to the state to fund education at 70% of a school district’s actual cost per pupil; opposition to cutbacks and delays in funding of public schools; support for instant run-off voting; a bonding bill supporting retrofitting, rehabilitation, and remodeling projects; funding for scientific research and science education from preschool through college and funding for NASA projects.
Cook County GOP 8th District
convention delegates and alternates:
Garry Gamble
Rae Piepho
Joan Crosby (alt.)
Mary Petz (alt.)
» The district convention will be
April 10 in Cambridge.
Cook County GOP state convention
delegates and alternates:
Tom Crosby
Garry Gamble
Jay Mesenbring (alt.)
Mary Petz (alt.)
» The state convention will be
April 29-May 1 in Minneapolis.
Cook County DFL 8th District
and state convention delegates
and alternates:
Paulette Anholm
Bill Hansen
Bill Hennessy
Jerry Henniker
Frank Moe
Virginia Reiner
John Bottger (alt.)
Joan Farnam (alt.)
Denny Fitzpatrick (alt.)
Frank Moe (alt.)
Sam Parker (alt.)
Fritz Sobanja (alt.)
» The state convention will be
April 23-25 in Duluth.
» The district convention will be
May 1-2 in Hinckley.
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