In Case You Missed It

This email was sent to what appears to be the board(s) of the NYSYRs as well as to all YR county chairs/presidents.

We were asked to post it in its entirety and are happy to do so since we suspect many of you regular untitled YRs have not gotten a chance to read it.

Submitted by Russell Gallo.

I am a member in Good Standing and respectfully submit the following proposed amendment for consideration by the membership of the NYSYRs.

Justification:

The right or freedom of association implies the converse, disassociation, to also be a right in a free society. The proposed amendments will guarantee that right to both current members of this organization and to their posterity. 

No club or organization except the military can force someone to remain a "member" for any period of time once the member no longer feels the club or organization is, or has become something other than, what they thought when they voluntarily joined.

This proposed amendment simply codifies that right.

I hope that each of you reads the entire amendment AND discusses it with your clubs before forming an opinion.

Amendment attached and pasted below.

Proposed Bylaw Amendment

Addition to Article I

G   Any Member can voluntarily relinquish its “credentialed status” (de-credential) by submitting written notification to the Corresponding Secretary who will forward the same to the Governing Board within seven days of receiving such notification. De-credentialing shall not preclude any Club from requesting credentialing at a later date.

     1       The notification must include the following information.

          a)      De-credentialing Club’s Meeting Minutes showing that a vote was taken to de-credential with the New York State Young Republicans and passed by two-thirds of the Club’s Members present.

          b)      A list of Members present and written confirmation from the President/Chairman of that club stating that there was a quorum.

          c)      The Member Club seeking to de-credential may submit an updated membership list with the notification.  

     2       The Member Club shall be deemed to have de-credentialed within seven days of the Governing Board’s receipt of the notification from the Corresponding Secretary if all required information is submitted.

     3       There shall be no vote by the Governing Board except as to whether or not all of the required information was submitted by the Member Club.

     4       If the Governing Board determines that there is required information missing, the Corresponding Secretary shall notify the Member Club within three days of such determination to submit any missing information.

     5       The Member Club may submit to the Corresponding Secretary the identified missing information or can withdraw its request to de-credential within 90 days. After 90 days the Member Club seeking to de-credential must submit a new notification with the information required in Section 1, a and b.

     6       Upon receipt of any missing information the Corresponding Secretary shall forward the same to the Governing Board within three days and the Governing Board shall have three additional days to request any further information required in Section 1, a and b.

     7       If any of the above time deadlines are missed by the Corresponding Secretary and/or Governing Board or the de-credentialing packet is deemed to be complete, the Member Club shall be considered de-credentialed immediately and all reference to said club shall be removed immediately from all media and correspondence generated or controlled by the NYSYRs with the exception that an email must be sent to all other Member Clubs identifying the de-credentialed club by name and stating that said club voluntarily relinquished its credentialed status.

     8       De-credentialing Clubs shall forfeit their credentialing fee and must submit a new credentialing fee in full if the Member Club seeks to credential at a later date.

Meshugganah!

We have been engaged in an interesting back and forth with a Jewish young republican. He has raised many interesting questions that we frankly do not have the answers to.

His club has been informed that there is a NYSYR meeting to be held on Saturday, October 5th. The problem for him and several other members of his club is that they are Sabbath observers and can not attend meetings on Friday nights or Saturday mornings.

We informed this Jewish YR that there is a proxy system set up by the NYSYRs. The system allows a delegate to carry one proxy for another member of his or her club up to a maximum of 5 live bodies with 5 proxies.

He then asked- what if my club is predominantly Jewish? How could we possibly be represented at a NYSYR meeting? How could any of us ever hope to be officers of the NYSYRs if all their meetings and elections are held during the Sabbath observances and proxies are not allowed at elections?

We don't know either.

They don't offer kosher lunches so we guess it isn't on the NYSYRs' radar yet.

Shootout in the OC Corral

Congratulations to Chairwoman Diana Sepulveda and the officers of the NYSYRs for holding a meeting that is affordable.

Although we received several complaints that Diana's buddies in Staten Island made a pretty penny from "profits" at the convention and that Orange County's YRs would not get the same treatment, we here at the Watch think this is a step in the right direction.

We encourage all to attend this General Meeting. From what we are hearing it promises to be something you won't want to miss.

New York State Young Republicans Fall Meeting October 5, 2013 10:30am to 3:30pm

Please join us for our 2013 Fall Meeting in Orange County! Agenda: Friday - October 4th 7:00pm - ??: Welcome night out on the town in Orange County Saturday - October 5th 9:00am - 10:30am: Governing Board Meeting 10:30am - 3:30pm: General Fall Meeting (Registration opens at 10am) -Registration fee of $15, includes lunch 6:00pm - 9:00pm: 3rd Annual Orange County Election Countdown Dinner - YR Rate of $45 (separate from meeting registration fee)  Sunday - October 6th  GOTV effort to support Team Orange NYSYR Fall Meeting registration fee: $15, includes lunch To register via paypal, click here  To register by mail, send your check to: New York State Young Republicans, c/o John Doyle, 23 Cypress Lane, Shirley, NY 11967 For those wishing to stay over in Orange County,  the OCYRs have a block of rooms available at the  Ramada Newburgh, 1289 Route 300, Newburgh, NY. Rate: $109 per night Code: Young Republicans Group - CG0276 Cut-off Date: Sunday, September 15th Call 845-564-4500 or click here!

Backroom Deals: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

Who knew what, when?

The delegates sent to the YRNF Convention in Alabama by the NYSYRs had their registration fees paid for them indirectly by "candidate for YRNF Chair" Jason Weingartner.

In a contested race (this one was until the last minute) it would create a conflict of interest if a vote-casting delegate receives any financial compensation or advantage from a candidate either directly or indirectly before casting his or her vote.

We have already chronicled the lack of any endorsement mechanism in the 3 NYSYR governing documents as well as the shady backroom endorsement of Mr. Weingartner by the current/past NYSYR officers so we won't go into any more detail on that in this post.

Before we get any hate mail or silly comments, let us be clear: This is just another example of the true nature of the current and recent past NYSYR leadership and their convoluted and poorly written governing documents. This is not necessarily about Mr. Weingartner (though he makes it so easy).

Someone with a spine should have objected to this series of transactions and from what we can tell no one did.

Pay to play?

Conflict of Interest?

Unethical?

Shady?

Money Laundering?

Violation of Election Law or at least the spirit of the Election Law?

Those are questions for you to ponder.

Here are the facts:

New York State Election Law

Sec. 14-120. Campaign contribution to be under true name of contributor

1. No person shall in any name except his own, directly or indirectly, make a payment or a promise of payment to a candidate or political committee or to any officer or member thereof, or to any person acting under its authority or in its behalf or on behalf of any candidate, nor shall any such committee or any such person or candidate knowingly receive a payment or promise of payment, or enter or cause the same to be entered in the accounts or records of such committee, in any name other than that of the person or persons by whom it is made.

So can someone tell us if the "contribution" to the YRNF was given in the true name of the person giving it?

Did anyone accept a payment or promise of payment for any purpose other than a legitimate contribution to a political organization?

On 7 May 2013 the NYSYRs made the following expenditure/contribution to the YRNF:

Payee/Recipient	Amt	Expense Code	Date	Disburser	Filing	Sched	Office	Dist
ANEDOT 450 LAUREL STREET, SUITE 2105 BATON ROUGE, LA 70810	2,000.00	OTHER - 2013 YRNF CONVENTION REGISTRATIONS	07-MAY-13	ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK STATE YOUNG REPUBLICANS	2013 July Periodic	F	N/A	N/A
Total Expenses	2,000.00

Then on 21 June 2013 the NYSYR received the following contribution:

WEINGARTNER, JASON 20-64 46TH STREET ASTORIA, NY 1105

2,000.00

21-JUN-13

ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK STATE YOUNG REPUBLICANS

$2000 out, $2000 in.

The money was used to pay the registration fees of the officers/delegates representing the NYSYRs at the YRNF Convention in Alabama where Jason Weingartner was (s)elected YRNF Chairman.

As in most (s)elections in which the NYSYR leadership are involved, the result was unanimous. 

We wonder why...

Cancelled: 2013 NYSYR Annual Saratoga Day at the Races

Saturday, August 10th & Sunday, August 11th 

Due to the recent changes in regards to political fundraising laws on NYRA property (including Saratoga Race Course), it is with deep regret that our Annual Day at the Races event has been canceled. 

We are working on a future fundraising and networking event and will provide information once the planning is complete.

____________________________________

Questions:

1) Why can't the NYSYRs still hold an event there? Just don't charge everyone double the price to make a "profit." Hold it as a social event and have everyone pay their own way. Sounds too republican for the NYSYRs though.

2) What are the NYSYRs (the officers) doing with all the money they already have? Meetings still cost a small fortune to attend, even the ones where elections are rumored to be allowed.

3) Shouldn't meetings where max participation is supposedly the goal be reasonably priced or free?

The NYSYRs have $15,919.15 on hand. 

Expenses:

The vast majority of the NYSYRs expenses (approved by who we ask) are for fundraising activities. Again, for what???

Here are a few examples

NYSYRs in Alabama

5/17/2013- $2000 for YRNF Registrations (Alabama)

Hypocrites? Expensive registration fees paid for by NYSYR (your $) funds.

5/1/2013- $288.78 for a "Chairman's Gavel." 

WTF?


SECTION 2:  The Governing Board shall set the policy of the NYSYR and bring business before the NYSYR. All withdrawals of funds, by check or otherwise, shall require the authorization of the Chair or the Governing Board. The Governing Board must approve all financial expenditures over $100. All expenditures must be presented to the membership for ratification as part of the Treasurer's report.

____________________________________

Food for thought:

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

Read More Here