If we have a meeting tomorrow night, I really don't expect much fireworks, although it could happen. As many of you know, part of being the executive chair of the Butler GOP is having a seat on the board of elections, a job that pays around $16,900 a year. This is a position that must be voted on by the party and it is a four year term. Hardly enough money to support a family and if the truth were known, a lot of that money finds it way back into the party. Most large party organizations pay their chairs or executive directors a salary. We do not.
To put it in perspective, the chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party makes around 125k a year. Although we are smaller, if you based it on percentages, we would be paying at least 65k to 75k a year. While I am not advocating that, I am merely pointing out that we receive good value from Chairman Ellis based on his effort and the amount of time devoted to the party. I am of the opinion that his so called opponent (who just got his butt handed to him for State Central Committeeman) would not give us as much time, effort and quite frankly, leadership skill.
While I have the utmost amount of respect for my esteemed fellow blogger, Matt Hurley, I am of the opinion that the leadership 'vacuum' he describes is more in line to inherited issues than to ones that exist within the core of the leadership circle. I tip my hat to that circle who work behind the scenes to make it happen for this party. While I normally remain silent on these issues, I want to make it clear on this one thing: No one has worked harder and with more due diligence than Tom Ellis.
While Tom's neutrality on issues can be frustrating at times, it is almost always appropriate. He doesn't get involved in the little petty mind games some people play and he always tries to take the high road. That has cost him favor with some people, but to me, it denotes principle centered leadership. He can count on my vote, that is for sure!
To give it a little more perspective, it is always easy to take pot shots from the outside. There is within our party a group of people who will never be satisfied with whoever we put in leadership and that is part of the deal. Naysayers and negative people will always be among us and I say, keep on trucking because they will never be happy no matter what we do.
