California Co-Chair, Central Coast Vice-Chair release statements on UCSD College Republicans
Posted by punch bowl | Posted in CR gossip | Posted on 08-04-2009
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Sorry for the long post, but apparently everyone in California has an opinion on this.
A message from Leigh Wolf, Co-Chair of the California College Republicans:
I wasn’t going to release this e-mail but after seeing recent blog posts regarding the UCSD situation I was left with no choice. At the College Republicans meeting during the California Republican Party convention we welcomed some of the biggest names from around the state. These speakers included gubernatorial candidates Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner as well as the Chair and Vice-Chair of the state party.
Also present were countless elected officials from around the state. Inez Feltcher and the rest of the students accusing the CCR excomm of corruption, decided to hand out a “press release” that detailed the extensive in-fighting at UCSD. There was no contact info on this “press release,” it was basically a hit piece. CCR does everything in it’s power to maintain and professional image. I was not happy because the entire state leadership was watching a CR club air their dirty laundry to the entire delegation. These actions served no purpose other than to make CCR look childish and petty.
I called over one of the students handing out the “press release” and told him to leave. I then told him if he pulled something like this again i would publicly embarrass him and make him famous to all of CCR. This was deemed an illegal “threat” by Inez Feltcher. She sent me this e-mail (see attached) warning me that i could be facing a lawsuit if I continued to threaten them with public humiliation. Inez Feltcher and her ilk are loose canons and shameless opportunists.
They are playing CCR politics with their clubs in-fighting to benefit one slate. The idea that a CR would threaten to sue the CCR ExComm for threatening to embarrass them for acting like children is both laughable and foolish.
A message from Ryan McNicholas, California College Republicans Central Coast Vice-Chair:
Last Thursday, the California College Republican Executive Committee voted to choose one college republican club over the other at UCSD. Regardless of whether or not you think this issue should have gone one way or another, there were many problems with the vote. I was the only member of the executive committee that had not already chosen to endorse or was on a slate at the time of the vote. The vote taken was not impartial and thus should not have happened in the circumstances that it did. The Executive Committee and the Chairwoman have failed as representatives of the California College Republicans. I felt the vote improper and only voted to show my support for the legitimate UCSD club. I read a prepared statement and here it is:
“It is my job as an elected person of this committee to represent my constituents and the California College Republicans with the best of my ability to ensure the integrity and honesty of this organization. The questions put before us are is it constitutional, morally, or ethically right that an Executive Committee would have the power to choose a club over another, one which has already been established and chartered by the California College Republicans before. Regardless, if you believe that Triton CRs is more legitimate, would our organization really go out and not recognize a group that we have before? A club that has all the materials needed as a LEGITIMATE club should have. The UCSD College Republicans has been a recognized club at their school since the mid 1980s and have shown true legitimacy as a college republican group. I do not believe that it is our right as a committee! Our constitution protects against the formation of a SECOND club at a university, the Tritons CRs are a SECOND club and we can not deny the legitimacy of the UCSD College Republicans. They have done everything we ask of a chartered club to get re-chartered!
Finally, if we actually believe we have that power to make that distinction even though I believe we do not; we have another issue at hand. As Michael Antonopolous said earlier [paraphrasing] the outcome of this vote has direct implications on the upcoming CCR elections. Especially because the new club has been help to be started by the candidate for Admin Vice Chair of the Revolutionize CCR slate. Since that is the case if we do go through with this vote, I would ask for all of those who have a vested interest or have proclaimed endorsement to exclude themselves from the vote. Unfortunately that would only leave myself as a voter and I understand that quorum would not be met, so I would beg of the Chairman to please form a subcommittee to make a finding as to what club has the right to be chartered by CCR at UCSD. The subcommittee of which would have impartial persons reviewing the facts that would carry the full weight of this committee’s endorsement. Thank you all so much for listening!”
Article VIII, Section 5 of the California College Republican committee supports a formation of committee by a majority vote by our Executive Committee. The requests for those to exclude themselves and for the Chairman to select a committee were both denied. Yes, the Chair, Secretary, and two of Revolutionize CCR’s candidates did abstain; it was quite convenient that quorum was already met with the six other votes.
There is nothing that says in our constitution that conflict of interest would automatically not allow you to vote in a delicate issue. It comes to the decision of the person voting and whether or not they feel they can vote impartially. These persons truly felt that even though they had endorsed and were running on a certain slate, they could still vote void of personal gain. I am very sorry for this judgment as I believe it to be very wrong.
During the conference call, one member of the executive committee brought up personal problems he had with Inez Feltscher. Another committee member had to stop him because he felt it was petty and too personal for the situation. The first committee member’s actions is a perfect example of his conflict of interest. As well, in recent dialogue while another committee member, he brought up the possibility of just not recognizing either club for the time being until they work it out, but then thought better of it once he realized that two of his slate persons could not run if their club was not recognized.
I will continue to do everything I can to support the UCSD College Republicans as my duty to ensure the integrity of the organization that I was elected to represent. I feel for the members of the club that were ousted and I hope that the situation resolves itself in the most just way possible.
[...] can see the e-mail from Inez Feltscher here. A statement from Ryan McNicholas, CCR Central Coast Vice-Chair, and the 1 vote for UCSD chartering is up on CR Nation. No TweetBacks [...]
Without getting into all of the internal drama here, I can tell you one thing that’s very difficult to dispute – and that just about any republican campaign staffer or candidate in San Diego will easily confirm. There are most definitely two separate, operating chapters at UC San Diego (the notion that one is a paper club that never meets and has no members is completely false). And while both may be operating chapters, the Triton chapter and its members clearly set themselves apart in the past election by busting their asses walking precincts, phonebanking, and volunteering on practically a daily basis for any campaign that needed their help – while the College Republicans at UCSD often committed and rarely, if ever, delivered.
I’m not a CR any longer, but as I recall, the purpose of being a CR was to get republicans elected. If that’s really the case, it should be pretty clear which ones are the REAL CR’s at UCSD.
Ryan, you claim that you were the only Ex Comm member that was not on a slate and had not endorsed. I’m pretty sure that you’ve endorsed both slates at different times, and that you were once slated as Exec Director on the Red State Rising slate… Don’t play the innocent bystander.
I’m sorry Leigh Wolf, Mr. Co-Chairman but, you don’t have your facts straight. The press release handed out simply stated what had taken place in regards to Megan Rodriguez’s standing in the club. The UCSD College Republicans found it necessary to send out the press release because of the fact that Megan was going around claiming that she was still an officer of the club in question before the new club, Triton College Republicans had been established at UCSD and for that matter recognized by the school. Furthermore the release was only given to Board members of the California College Republicans and simply stated Megan’s standing within the club to clear up any misunderstanding that was held by the members of the CCR Board at the time.
In regards to the messages you sent to Inez, you can say whatever you want in regards to what was said but, you clearly threatened physical violence against her there is no denying that.
The California College Republicans Leadership owes an apology to Chairwoman Inez Feltcher and the entire College Republican membership for their mishandling of the situation and their inability to admit it.
Joseph,
How would you feel if people showed up to YOUR house or started making phone calls to YOUR house just to clear up misunderstandings and hand you papers about the misunderstandings, would you be upset?
This was a state meeting, run by the state Eboard, if you want to spend the weekend walking around handing out hit pieces that is one thing, but to walk into someone’s event and create a scene, well, that is just uncalled for and I think while it might have been a bit intense that Leigh reacted appropriately.
Can somebody please tell me who Ostunio is and why he feels his opinion matters in this situation? My understanding is that Ostunio doesn’t even go to UCSD.
As I stated in my letter to Leigh, which I hope you will read, the purpose of the “press release” was only to inform, in writing, the members of the Excomm board that Megan was no longer an officer in our organization. We’re working on posting it to our website, gop.ucsd.edu. Our Secretary quietly walked up and handed it to the Excomm members, only to be screamed at by Leigh. It was not a hit piece, and it certainly was not causing a scene until Leigh himself caused one. As for it being at the meeting, it was early on before the meeting started, and it was the most convenient way to find all the Excomm board members at the same time.
“it was the most convenient way to find all the Excomm board members at the same time.”
OHHH….i’m sorry Inez, i didn’t realize you didn’t have e-mail.
Sounds like the leadership of CCR is not being at all professional on THIS forum. How can they claim to be striving for professionalism when they appear to be acting like children here, re: the post just above this.
it’s sad that this blog as acted as a public stomping ground for CRs to air dirty laundry for all to see…for what good does it anyone?
I am a CR at CSU Monterey Bay not UCSD but I agree with Leigh. The CR’s at UCSD acted unprofessional, if they really wanted to inform the CCR excomm then why were they handing out the “press release” to everyone, not just the board members? Informing everyone about one club members status seems like a very trivial pursuit, it is more likely that they had other intentions.
“I will continue to do everything I can to support the UCSD College Republicans as my duty to ensure the integrity of the organization that I was elected to represent.”
I think McNicholas should worry more about his own region rather than the UCSD folks. He really has no place in this issue considering he has done nothing to expand or promote Central Coast, At least not that I have seen. It’s his duty to ensure that Central Coast is successful and to maintain the integrity that Central Coast is lacking, but that is not the case because he doesn’t do anything.
Leigh was doing his duty to ensure that the CCR event at CRP was not interrupted by politics, ironically. Whether or not Megan was a leader in the club, CRP was not the place to promote this.