RPOF's Greer flexes muscle, sparks fight

It seems RPOF chairman Jim Greer is wasting little time in exercising his power over local parties and GOP clubs. The Florida Republican Women's Network - formerly the Fl Federation of Republican Women, which is much more fond of former chair Carole Jean Jordan than Greer - was told Friday that Greer is insisting all Network clubs must apply for permission to operate as Republican clubs and could be stripped of the right to use "Republican" in their title without permission from local party officials.

FRWN President Anne Voss and National RWN President Judith Alertelli said in an e-mail they will "stand on principle" and continue to use the name "Republican" while maintaining independence from the party structure. "Anyone threatening to silence us should understand that we will not acquiesce to intimidation or unfair treatment."

Is it just us, or are Florida Republicans starting to sound a lot like Florida Democrats?

NOTE: We amended this post to reflect that Greer was really enforcing existing statutes concerning use of the name "Republican," rather than using the new statutes as we initially said.

Comments

Crist's folks at RPOF are the only good thing this party has going. Anyone at the RPOF quarterly could see that Republicans have problems!!! Count the walkers in the room - the average age has got to be 95.

speak softly and carry a big cane

Nothing new here.

FFRW is chartered at the national level and is NOT dependent upon state permission.

The new group, though, is not sanctioned by the National Women's group and so must apply for permission to use the name "Republican".

Think back to the fight a year or so ago where the FFRW wouldn't renew the membership of two of the women in violation of their charter; the NFRW revoked the FFRW's charter. Instead of going away and turning over the money to the RPOF as required by statute (Florida statute says that when clubs are dissolved they are to turn over all assets to the state party), the then defunct women's group gave everyone the finger and simply carried on under a new name.

This statute has been on the books for years and is nothing new.

Me thinks the Times is confusing the new statute that allows Greer to remove problem County Chairs.

Is this the Anne Voss down in Tampa that as president brought about the demise of the Florida Federation of Republican Women? Didn't she dish out "unfair treatment" to members who exercised their right to vote for a candidate not to Voss's liking?

And what exactly did they do with almost $80,000.00 that was in the FFRW's bank account? They sure didn't turn that over when they were forced to relinquish the charter.

basically

For years, any group that wants to have the name of the party in its name has to get the party's OK, what's the beef?

last i heard its still in a bank account pending the lawsuit. the problem is they are incorporated in florida, they say because the national group told them to. its just a mess.

I herad Albertelli and Voss had spent every last cent on traveling all over and shopping. Is there an accounting?

Voss surely has her hands full. She recently became chair of the Tampa bay Romney effort and now is now sending strongly worded emails about the RPOF chair . . .

I can't believe Ann Voss sends strongly worded emails about anything. Judith does the dirty work for that couple.

MEMO FROM NRWN PRESIDENT JUDITH ALBERTELLI AND FRWN PRESIDENT ANNE VOSS

Important

A Memo From: Judith Albertelli, President
                          National Republican Women's Network (NRWN)
                          Anne Voss, President
                          Florida Republican Women's Network (FRWN)

May 23, 2007
A Dark day for the Florida Republican Party~

On Friday, May 18, 2007, FRWN President Anne Voss and First Vice President Dolores Clark were directed to meet with Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer.  I participated in the meeting by telephone from Jacksonville.

Chairman Greer decreed that pursuant to the language in the new elections bill recently passed by the Florida Legislature, all clubs and organizations wanting to use the party name would have to get written permission from him to operate as a Republican club/organization. He went on to say that all Network clubs will have to apply to the Republican Executive Committee (REC) of the county in which they meet and obtain the written approval of two of the following three people in the REC: county chairman, state committeeman or state committeewoman.  His ultimatum indicated that refusal would require us to drop the word Republican from our name.

Furthermore, clubs receiving approval and having filed the appropriate documents with the party would receive only a “provisional” charter to operate on probation for one year. Following the probation period, they will then be judged by the “benchmarks” set by, and at the whim of, the State Party Chairman.  The new Florida statute gives power to the State Chairman to remove anyone from their position for any reason he deems valid.  His power to ῲemove extenῤs to county chairman and duly elected state committeemen and state committeewomen, as well as all REC and club ῭embers.

We were also told by Chairman Greer that the Florida New Federation and their unit clubs will not be held to the same standards. They will not have to apply for charters from the local REC members or the State Party Chairman.

The Executive Committee of the Florida Republican Women's Network, having discussed the far reaching ramifications of the Chairman's interpretation of the Florida Election Law and selective prosecution of the law, have voted to stand on principle, continue to use the name Republican and maintain our independence from the Party structure and control.  We will not relinquish the right t` drive our mission, charter our own clubs and set our own benchmarks with ῴrue faith and allegiance to our bylaws.

We are prepared to defend our rights to call ourselves Republican and to join with other Republican women to have our voice heard and our impact felt in the public arena.  Anyone threatening to silence us should understand that we will not acquiesce to intimidation or unfair treatment.

 Our Republican credentials are considerable and we stand by our record.  This is not 1907- we will not settle for second class status in our Republican Party, the party of Lincoln and Reagan.

And I guess Carole Jean Jordan leaked this story to the St. Pete just like she aired the Federation's dirty laundry all over the country by calling Jeb, Mel Martinez and even Karl Rove about this nonsense.

They set the stage for Charlie to have total control of the GOP through that dunderhead, Greer.

I don't think any Party Chair should have that much power. Too Nazi for me.

7:05 - because the money belonged to the FFRW inc. and the board of that organization has control of the checkbook. The money is still in the account or been used on republican events

The money belongs to the Federation. People donated that money whether in the form of outright donations, ads in event programs, silent auctions, etc. The money was donated to the FEDERATION; to the group that was duly chartered by a National Organization. Not to some renegade group that wants to shop high end. When you lost the charter you lost the right to the money donated BECAUSE of the charter.

And if you talk about "Republican events" how about this one? You call this kind of public exibition - a newspaper publicly talking about the GOP's internal affairs a "Republican event"?

Guess what - with Republicans like Albertelli and the other thieves, maybe we need more Democrats!

7:55 then you wouldn't mind posting an accounting of all that money online, would you?

SHOW ME THE MONEY!!

go to the department of state's website and do a search for republican women, all their income and expenditures is public record since they're a political organization.

[nole]

IT IS TIME That as Republicans we stop BASHING each other...we need to focus on UNITY...Unity is what we need to win in 2008...........let us rise above the accusations, ugly comments etc and begin to join hands as we strive to be VICTORIOUS
let us all act like the adults that we are!!!!!!!!!!!

the florida federation of republican women are actually on the site. it shows their status as closed but has all the info up to the last quarter

Chairman Greer is taking the appropritate action which is in the best interest of all Republicans.

8:33 - theres always a big election, theres always some reason to not address problems. we're 2 years out, the RPOF needs to address issues now before its too late.

when you type the search, make sure you aren't typing "starts with" Republican Women. Its there with 290k in income and a quarterly report updated 3/31/07

Florida Federation of Republican Women, Inc. (CCE)

Status:
Closed

Address:
1715 NW 12th Road
Ft. Myers, FL 33908
(904) 268-6698

Committee Type:
Committee of Continuous Existence (CCE)

Chairman:
Anne Voss

UNITY IS A GOOD THING. UNITY WITH DECENCY, CLARITY AND TRANSPARENCY IS EVEN BETTER. Let's have a fuill accounting online, NOW!

it is online, you just have to know how to find it

8:42 - that organization, too, is "closed".

During 2006 (when FFRW lost the charter) it shows an income of about $5,000.00.
It lists expenses in excess of $20,000.00 . You spent 4 times as much money as YOU made after you lost the charter. Whose money were you then spending??

SO AGAIN, POST AN CCOUNTING ONLINE NOW!

[Pepublican Mabel]

So what if we have walkers? We vote more then the young ones. We can walk walk walk to the polling place and since we are retired we have plenty of time.

In fact, in September, 2006 - after you lost the charter and should have returned the money one of the expenses paid for with Federation money 3,195.00 to the law firm of ALBERTELLI & HALSEMA, P.L.. Hmmmm Is that Judith's lawyer-son working for you against the Federation with its own money?

I would say the Florida Federation of Republican Women, Inc. (CCE) and its President - Anne Voss and Treasurer - Livingston - have a lot of "splaining" to do...

7;09pm: I read that Ann Voss is a cochair for Romney in Hillsborough and is a political consultant who worked with her partner on the Gallagher campaign there. They lost that primary by 44 points from the tally on the Supevisor of Elections web site . .

[GBPO]

Bet Charlie comes to the rescue of the Women's clubs and has Greer back down... it has probably been set up to make CC look like the hero to Republican Women...

Same as when CC countered Greer's actions a while back... what was that issue?

Doubful ... these women are the same women who backed Tom Gallagher to the hilt. They include Carol Jean Jordan who had the audacity to run against Greer - handpicked by CC. Try again...

Can someone draw a timeline as to what has transpired.

why is Greer picking on these women
Seems a little heavy handed. How much harm can they do?

9;30 Ann Voss' political consulting partner there is April Schiff who also was a chair of the Gallagher campaign in Tampa and is working with Brent Doster, Tom's statewide chair on a tax activity.

Looks like the Gallagher people are trying to capitalize on CC being out of town to start a civil war. This smells like Doster, TG, Stemberger and the usual cast of characters. CC should issue a decree at a all hands meeting to his top staff to treat his supporters like gold (i.e. return calls, be accessible..etc), we are his front line troops against crap like this, especially when he is out of town.

[terminator]

9:54
Yeah and you subscribe to the Warren Commission report too!
Tom's got better things to do with his life these days, thank you!
The power play by CC and Greer amounts to little more than Nazism at its best.
Folks should be alarmed by this, not praising it and looking for "suspects".

There are two groups. Greer gave approval to the New Federated group during the quarterly meeting. Then he said that the Republican Women's Network would be asking the county chairs for charters and he urged them to put differences aside and sign off on these charter request. Every indication was that all of this was worked out the day before the meeting started and everyone was in agreement as to how to move forward. I do not think it is Greer that is the problem here. If everything was worked out, why has the Women's Network all of a sudden refusing to participate? The RPOF constitution does not even come close to recognizing them or giving them any sort of special status. Wall, the head of the New Federated group was present and participating in everything. Never saw the Women's network group at the meetings.

this is another case of bossy southern white guys telling "their" women to drop the attitude and do what they are told. truly intelligent women wouldn't put up with this crap.

Greer did the right thing , he was following the RPOF rules. He told the network that they could get a charter and then be part of the party , he tryed to support both groups. But Albertelli and Voss did what they always do ,cause trouble , Greer needs to stand firm . Follow the party rules or pay the price .

I think Charlie Crist went to Israel to learn some hardball negotiating skills that he can use with these Republican hens when he gets back.

Are there republican clubs for transsexuals?

Albertelli lost the nomination for national president of federated republican women and has been bitter ever since. She and Anne Voss almost destroyed the Republican women but now that a federated group has re-organized, Albertelli and Voss have a lot of sour grape type feelings and want to foster that on everyone. They are extrememly bad losers. Good for Chairman Greer. I only hope he can help get the federated money back these two losers stole from the federated organization! Albertelli used most of it to pay their lawyer who just happens to be her son!!!

Ladies, this is not a big deal. GET OVER IT. Just get permission to exist like every other club in the state...

It's funny how all of us GOP politicos outside of the GOP women's cat fight just roll our eyes and share common stories/observations of what an irrational pain in the ass you broads are. I'm talking about both sides of the fight. You're all crazy. Most, not all, but most of you don't do ANYTHING. You're worthless, yet you act as if you're St. Peter gaurding the gate the way you try to shake down campaigns and talk like people should kiss your oversized and overperfumed fannies. Please understand, I value you as a human being and I love your general love of country, but as far as politics goes, you are completely unimportant and you give us all headaches with your non-stop Bulls*@!. Stop the insanity, please.

Me thinks this is a set-up. If this was already settled why write a letter you know will end up in the media. Some entity is trying to undermine Greer and Charlie. Look at the players, are they the TG, Romney types, starting to see who may be behind this intended strife. Charlie and Greer needs to not take this lightly, this is a direct challenge to them by factions within the party determined to seem them fail. Note the timing, Charlie and his generals are out of town, how convenient.

[Maverick]

Sound like Carol Jean Jordan and Carol Carter are back from their cruise, this all smells like the work of the Carol's.

[Nancy]

Jeez! This reminds me of high school where the guys always got over their differences but the girls held onto grievances and continued to snipe at each other forever! It also shows why some of the formerly federated clubs chose to go co-ed and apply directly to the RPOF for a new charter, thus bypassing the women's groups entirely.

Definitely a Carol Jean Jordan-Judith Albertelli orchestrated actvity to embarass and weaken Greer. They both have an ax to grind and hate Greer. How convenient that CJJ is "on a cruise", missing the last RPOF mtg the same day CC and his generals leave town and the media gets this story. Convenient alibi. Hope Greer and CC understand from this the fact that there are some that just wont ever support them.

It is histrionics like this that prove the GOP needs a strong leader like Greer to control the party. Good for him.