The Republican Liberty Caucus of Northeast Florida had a crowd of well over one hundred people for its first meeting at the Four Points by Sheraton.

Cal Heseman opened with the Patriot’s Pledge, then RLCNEF Chairman John Stevens recognized the guests and gave an overview of the RLCNEF, its mission, values and goals.

In light of the cancellation of Marco Rubio’s appearance, his campaign offered Representative Aaron Bean to be the surrogate speaker on behalf of Rubio. Bean gave a compelling overview of the US Senate race, state and national politics.

Following Bean’s remarks, RLCFL Chairman Will Pitts, was interviewed by Radio Host Doug Kosarek. The interview contained questions pertaining to how an RLC endorsed candidate for the US Senate race might stand on specific policy issues. Chairman Pitts’ remarks were educational, stimulating and enlightening.

At the conclusion of this interview, the audience members were able to ask questions of Chairman Pitts and Representative Bean.

After the forum, three new events coming up for the RLC were introduced. Savannah Poole gave the details for the Members Only Cocktail Party on March 19^th. Mike Durden and Cliff Johnson explained the importance of the upcoming RLCFL Lobby Days in Tallahassee on March 22^nd and 23^rd. Kristi Dunn gave an overview of the Leadership Institute classes for Liberty Activists that will take place at the Four Points by Sheraton on May 1^st and 2^nd.  Information on all three events can be found on the RLCNEF website.

Charlie Shephard spoke about his company Community Advisors, LLC, the sponsor for this month’s meeting.

Chairman Stevens wrapped up by announcing the next regular meeting on April 6th.  At the meeting, there will be a vote on the RLCNEF bylaw revisions, as well as elections to fill the positions of Vice Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer (and any other vacancies on the Board).

Some comments regarding the meeting:

“The meeting was great. I would have loved to hear more from Mr Pitts. He was very informative. I loved the format. At the same time, I liked that John interrupted in the interest of time. It showed that the RLC recognizes that our time is valuable. Over all, I give the meeting 2 thumbs up!” –Lesa Melaugh

“Outstanding format. Will Pitts is such a great communicator.” – Mike Austell

“Thought it was great.  Beautiful place, and I think it is a dynamite place to have your monthly meetings.  Thought, in spite of Rubio canceling, you got a pretty darned decent turn out.  I had a great time and really enjoyed doing the food table thing!  Many very, very nice people, and everyone seemed to enjoy the event.” – Pat McBride

For more information on any of these events please see the RLCNEF Calendar at www.rlcnf.org

Next Board meeting: March 31, 2010, Office of WG Pitts

Next Regular meeting: April 6, 2010, Four Points Sheraton (8520 Baymeadows Rd.)

Open Letter to Bob Smith, a leader in the St. John’s County Republican Executive committee that continues to attack and smear the RLC, without ever attempting to address any issues he may have head-on.

Bob,

I got a call from the Rubio campaign this morning stating that you sent them an email that said that we did not want Aaron Bean to come speak based on our newsletter. This is not the truth. We are resending the announcement. I was waiting to talk to Aaron myself, since this whole scheduling thing has been such a fiasco. Now that we have confirmed him, we have no problem promoting him. The RLC would have appreciated if you had confirmed with us, before passing on misinformation.

I have recently been told of numerous times that you have gone out of your way to attack and smear the RLC, specifically with people in the Tea Party and 912 groups. I am not sure why you find it necessary to continue these aggressive and non-productive attacks. However, you need to understand that not only do most of the people that you talk to in attempts to smear the RLC come back to us to find out if there is any cause for the absolute vitriol that you send towards the RLC, this allows us to prove to them what kind of people and organization we actually are. Often times the very people you tried to convince that the RLC was evil and working against the party, end up becoming very active within our organization, once they see and understand how untrue your perceptions and attacks really are.

I know that you have told people that the RLC was the “kiss of death” to the Dan Quiggle campaign, that we lack integrity, and so on. I have a statement from Dan Quiggle stating the exact opposite. The RLC is consistent in its beliefs and what it stands for. When you state these kinds of things with no proof it proves that you have a different agenda than advancing principles of conservatism within the Republican Party.

Even those within the Republican Executive Committee, such as Lenny Curry and Cindy Graves (copied on this email), have proven to be leaders, because they understand that we are all, for the most part, working towards a common goal. They do not find it necessary to attack the RLC and are actually happy, many times, to have us working with them side-by-side. Sometimes we disagree, but neither Lenny nor Cindy have ever tried to shut out the voice of dissent. Often each of them have taken the time to listen to other points of view and even explain their own, allowing us to reach an agreeable resolution. This proves that it is only when you shut out the voice of the people – when you choose unethical, unfair and wrong behavior, when you choose to attack, berate and smear other Republicans – that there are problems.

It is funny how the ONLY club or committee in Duval or St. Johns that has problems with the RLC is the St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee. We are at nearly every GOP meeting in those two counties without any problems. We are being recruited to work on campaigns and people are flooding to our meetings, I get several emails a day from people asking for more information about the RLC.

So if you stop and examine this, the fact of the matter is that whenever there is a problem, the same leadership within the St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee is involved. It is those people and their behavior, and not the RLC, that is the common denominator when problems arise at the St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee meetings.

If Senator Thrasher sticks to his word (and I hope that he will), as he gave it to me, to John Stevens and to Will Pitts, that he believes we are working together for a common cause (as we are), that he wants to bring the party together and stop the unneeded attacks on others within the party, then you and the others in the St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee will need to find a way to work with us. We are fighting for our country. We have the same goal. While we may disagree with how to get there, the constant attacks and attempts to smear the character of others, proves that it is never your intention to work with others and it is you and not the RLC that are attempting to tear the party apart.

I would point out, that the Tea Party and the 912 groups share the RLC’s vision and that all of these groups are growing. Many of these people are joining their local Republican Executive Committee in order to fight for principles. They share the RLC’s message. To continue to fight us on these issues is to fight what is a growing majority within the Republican Party.

You have yet to actually attempt to talk to us, about any of the issues that you are so vocal about with everyone else. On every public forum that you posted your hateful words regarding the RLC, I have posted my contact information. I have NOT caused problems, I have always voted Republican and I have worked hard on Republican Campaigns, as has nearly everyone else in the RLC.

You and the others in St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee leadership do not get to choose who is Republican. This is my party as much as it yours. I fight for the values that the GOP has always been for and I am disappointed when a candidate is chosen in the primary or is elected that I feel does not represent those values. This is the cry of the rank and file Republican today. And we want to use that passion to move our party back to those values once again. When people like you create road blocks to that cause, it not only drives a wedge into the party, it shuts out the voice of the people that the leadership within the St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee are supposed to be representing.

You know very little about the RLC or the people that are within the organization. By never seeking to find out more or attempting to see what we could work together on, you, sir, are the one causing problems in the party.

If you are not the one trying to drive a wedge into the Republican Party by determining who is acceptable and who is not, then you would attempt to make ways for us to work with you, instead of you working against us. I will also add that is you and a handful of others in the St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee that are spreading these untruths regarding the RLC. We are focused on the big picture, which is the goal of restoring our Republic and we are not spending our time trying to find ways to attack you or the St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee. It is our wish to work together.

Prior to the attacks, character assassination and grievances, several attempts were made to reconcile with the St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee and these attempts and acts of faith have been disregarded.

Consider this story, http://staugustine.com/stories/082508/news_news01_002.shtml

Jon Woodard and Becky Reichenberg agreed to cease attacks on the RLC on the condition that John Stevens and Wynona Mayer drop out of the race, which they did, in good faith, taking them at their word. Less than a year later those very people were involved in a grievance proceeding with one of the  people ( John Stevens) they had given their word to.

Now it is happening again with Precinct Committeeman Cliff Johnson being shut out of the vote for John Thrasher. He politely asked for the records, via certified mail, that would prove that he has missed three meetings, and was denied. He was denied entry at the vote and now has been ignored in his request for the records that should simply prove that he missed three meetings. This kind of behavior is not demonstrated on the part of the RLC, these are things happening at the St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee and within their leadership.

Many of the rank and file  who hear this story and the lengths that it appears that the St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee leadership has gone to, in order to shut out a certain group of people, are baffled and disenfranchised (with the party, not the RLC) to say the least. We do not want bad publicity, we do not want to keep fighting. But we believe the message of return to Constitutional principles is worth fighting for, and because of that, we are not going away.

So now I am asking you, as a leader within the community and the party, will you step up and be the one to make amends? Will you cease the attacks and admit that we have more in common than we do different? Will you allow us to work towards the same goal?

Most of the RLC feels it has done all it can do, we have put our contact information out there, along with an open invitation to sit down and talk these issues out. I hope that as a leader and fellow fighter and servant within the party you would take us up on that and stop with the senseless attacks.

I hope to hear from you soon, all my contact information is below.

Kristi Dunn

MsKristiDunn@gmail.com

US Senate Candidate Marco Rubio will be the featured speaker at the March 2^nd Republican Liberty Caucus of Northeast Florida (RLCNEF) Meeting. Rubio is running against Florida Governor Charlie Crist in a race that has generated interest throughout the country.

The RLCNEF is anxious to hear Rubio address the liberty issues they have been focused on since being chartered in May of last year. Questions will cover the proper role of government, state and national sovereignty, foreign policy, monetary policy, the national debt and civil liberties. There will be a “liberty lightning round” in which Marco will be asked a series of support or oppose questions as well as a Q&A opportunity for members and guests. The host of the evening’s event will be Will Pitts, State Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida (RLCFL).

The March meeting will be the first in the new Four Points Sheraton location. There will be a reception from 6:00PM – 7:00PM with complimentary drinks and appetizers donated by the RLCNEF membership followed by the meeting from 7:00PM – 8:15PM.

All are welcome to attend RLCNEF Meetings regardless of party affiliation.

Please help us promote this event!

Promotional Flyer:
http://files.meetup.com/1148187/RLCNEF_March2010_Regular_Meeting_Flyer.pdf

Facebook Event:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=346585562537

Meetup Event:
http://www.meetup.com/RLCNF-org/calendar/12590727/