Who is the Butler County Godfather?
Of all the emotions I have expected to embrace as a Butler County Republican, I never -- in my wildest dreams -- thought that shame would be one of them. Today, my friends, I am ashamed to be a Butler County Republican.
I would have thought that we, as a party, would have learned the valuable lesson of humility and rid ourselves of the arrogance of past mistakes, but clearly I over-estimated the capacity for greed and the lust for power that has infected this once proud party.
Elected officials are supposed to be public servants not mafia dons. Some of the names I have been hearing -- from my many sources within Butler County government and politics -- do not surprise me one bit: the old school, tired Republican establishment that thinks they are smarter than everybody else and are willing to deny the good people of Butler County the right to choose what kind of government shall be put in place.
I have to admit that I am surprised by a few of the names I have been hearing because I thought I had come to know them as honest actors in the struggle for good versus evil. When it comes time to name names...and if you don't think I will do just that, then you don't know me as well as you think you do...this is not a list that you are going to want to be on.
That's right. I am compiling a list for publication. This list will only appear here, but in literature that I will make available to the good people of Butler County. It is time that Republicans take responsibility for our transgressions and do something about fixing the actual problem that we face in Butler County: nepotism and a clear lack of an ethical compass.
It is no longer acceptable for a few politically connected men to meet in a room to decide the fate of Butler County. It has been said that sunlight is the best disinfectant, and I intend to shine a very bright light down some of Butler County's deepest and darkest holes to reveal these critters for who and what they are...
To my friends on the Central Committee: Ultimately, it is OUR responsibility to keep this party on the right path. We have, for far too long, allowed weak party leadership to be influenced by the allure of power and greed. It is my sincerest hope that you will join me -- and many others in our communities -- in this confrontation with the forces who have made a mockery of our values and principles which we hold so dear. We must rid ourselves of this shame and the only way to do that, unfortunately, is to act against it. They have operated in the shadows for fear of you knowing what they are planning.
We simply can not afford politics as usual -- particularly the brand that has been practiced here in Butler County -- when so much is at stake. So far, we have been very lucky that the local Democrats have been caught unprepared to take advantage but that time has been wasted on silly political ploys, maneuvers, and games that will cost us in the long run.
The final question that each of us must answer is this: With whom do you stand?
More to come.....
