Optimism About the 2022 Elections
Our January meeting featured our county GOP Chairman Michael Barnett, with good news on our readiness for the 2022 elections.
Referring to former Speaker Newt Gingrich’s insight that having multiple candidates on the ballot helps to get out the vote, he pointed out that we have Congressional candidates running in all 4 of the county districts, and state-wide we may pick up a seat. Lots of candidates have come forward to run at the state and local level as well, and our candidate recruitment efforts are going well.
Fundraising, locally and statewide, has gone through the roof (Lincoln Day on March 12 is about sold out), and the party has money to support all the Republicans who emerge from the primaries. (The party does not take sides in primaries).
In 2020 the party had 4 branch offices running in the county and this year we may have 5 or 6, counting the DeSantis and Mast offices. We are one of the few parties in the state with both federal and local campaign accounts, so support for the candidates for Congress as well as state and local can be intermixed in the offices.
Governor DeSantis only won by about 30,000 votes in 2018, but this year his popularity is high and he is doing great things so we expect a much better margin. The Democrats really have a weak bench (Charley Crist is a multiple times loser, and Nikki Fried is under investigation.) We cannot drop our guard however. The county DeSantis person, Natalie Fisher has opened an office at our HQ location on Palm Beach Lakes.
The Republican Executive Committee (REC) has been greatly expanded over the last year and now has 323 members, with some months seeing up to 50 new swearing-ins. The precincts have been organized with seven regional directors based on the school board districts working with vice-chairman Tami Donnally.
All in all, Michael is optimistic about our likely success this year.
Also at the meeting were candidates Peter Noble (Greenacres council), Steven Chess (CD22), and Angela Templeton spoke for Jennifer Showalter (SB6).
Next month we will have a special meeting on the March municipal elections, with participation by candidates running in the north and central county. Many of these are incumbents and need your support.
2022 Ann Roberts Scholarships
The Republican Club of the Palm Beaches’ Scholarship was named after a long-standing and active member of our Club, Anne Roberts.
Anne Roberts
Anne Roberts, a petite but strong and dedicated Republican, was born in Virginia in 1920. She lived and worked in Maryland until 1954, and then moved to Palm Beach County. Interestingly, this was the year after our Club was chartered.
While working as an R.N. for 50 year, she and her husband served on the REC. She was presented the Jean Pipes award by Palm Beach County Republican Party as an acknowledgment of her dedication to Republican principles. She never sought the limelight herself, working behind the scenes, continually letting others take credit. She always admonished us to “do the right thing”, make sure there’s education involved, mentor the young to follow in the right path, have fun, be prepared, and by all means, don’t lose money doing it!!! That is who Anne Roberts was!
In the late 80’s she had worked her way to 2nd Vice President of the Florida Federated Women. She was tasked with the “Entertainment”/Program for the NFRW National Convention held in Orlando on the 50th anniversary of the organization. She had the entire PB delegation, consisting of 6 Federated clubs, involved –even doing a “can-can” dance for one evening’s entertainment. What a “hoot” Anne was!
Her many committees remember her, not only for her great character and good judgment, but as the epitome of organization –always ready with even the tape, paper clips and scissors. She chaired a Lincoln Day Dinner in the 90’s, and true to who she was, read up on protocol for seating. She knew the value of research for allowing her to be sure everything ran smoothly—and many of us remember she knew how to delegate that research..
In 2005, Anne chaired the FFRW State Convention held in West Palm Beach. Despite a recent hurricane which cancelled the keynote speaker, she found a better one; and the show went on! If there were glitches, no one knew.
Anne left us before our club chartered with Republican Party of Florida. But, being a renaissance woman who realized that times change, I am sure she is smiling as we carry our Club’s Legacy onward. She would be very proud of the young folks who have received a scholarship in her name.
The Anne Roberts Memorial Scholarship is available to any resident of Palm Beach County who is a full or part time undergraduate or graduate student seeking to further their education. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or above and plan to attend an accredited college. Applicants must be registered (or pre-registered under 18 yrs. of age) Republicans. Current members of our Club may refer applicants for this scholarship. The deadline for this application is May 31. The recipient will be eligible to receive up to $500 to be sent to the school they will attend. Award will be presented at the monthly luncheon June 28, 2022.
RCPB Scholarship application 2022
Previous Year Winners
Covid precluded our scholarship program in 2021, but in 2020, our winners were:
BEN DEHAAN was a senior at Palm Beach Atlantic University majoring in Business Management and Political Science. He is an honor student, serving with the Student Body, has volunteered with the Republican Executive Committee Offices, and spent working hours during high school and college working in small business in West Palm Beach and his home state of Michigan. He hopes to run for office one day.
KEELIE HANLEY, who graduated from SunCoast High school locally, began her college career at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with her twin sister, Rileigh, who has since been appointed to the US Air Force Academy. Keelie is continuing at Embry-Riddle with a focus on Computer Engineering. Many in our Club watched Keelie grow to adulthood as she attended our meetings with her family or volunteered for Congressman Brian Mast. She was honored to be an escort for a Korean War Veteran on one of our Palm Bach County Honor Flights to Washington DC.
RCPB Scholarship application 2022
Holiday Cheer and Place of Hope at December Lunch
On 12/14, we were joined by Jamie Bond, director of advancement and development for Place of Hope Treasure Coast, and vocalist Monique McCall.
Monique performed some of her own songs, including “I feel like Florida today“, and “I wanna live like everyday is Christmas” as well as a stirring rendition of “O Holy Night“.
Jamie gave us a snapshot of some of the programs at Place of Hope, including their safe houses for the victims of sex trafficking. For more information, she directed us to their youtube channel at: www.youtube.com/c/PlaceofHopePBG
Club Treasurer Betty Anne Starkey presented Jamie with a donation on our behalf in support of the Place of Hope programs.
Candidates in attendance were Jen Showalter (SB6) and Jeff “Bongi” Buongiorno (CD21).
Sid Dinerstein – Playing by the “Gretzky Rule”
“I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” – Wayne Gretzky
In politics as in hockey, leading the target is always a good idea.
Applying this rule at our November lunch, pundit Sid Dinerstein gave his views of the puck’s location in January of 2025.
With the overwhelming disaster that is the Biden Administration continuing on its destructive path, Sid predicts that the next Presidential election will see the “end of the communist era” in America. With another Biden term practically impossible in the current environment, and a Kamala Harris candidacy a joke even to most Democrats, who will the candidates be?
Plotting their ideological leanings on a virtual baseball field, all the current Democrats (with the exception perhaps of Tulsi Gabbard) are way down the left field foul line. On our side, he sees Donald Trump as center-right, along with Mike Pompeo. Ron DeSantis is a little more right, Nikki Haley and Mike Pence a little less so.
Will Trump run again? A lot of events are coming together to suggest a run and a win are likely. The election audits continue under the MSM radar, and people don’t like cheaters – perhaps willing to right a wrong. The Durham indictments are ramping up and we should see more light shown on the Russia collusion conspiracy. The Virginia results (in which Trump played an important role even if not campaigning for Youngkin) are a harbinger, and his role in the 2022 midterms will be significant.
America is rejecting the communist movement, and the GOP will likely pick up 50 House seats and a few in the Senate. Desantis will win in a landslide, and the “Squad” will be crushed. Steve Bannon will kick ass against the “January 6th Commission”, and a Biden impeachment in the next Congress is a real possibility.
Virginia showed us the trends: momma bears and freedom up, AOC, BLM, CRT and Biden down.
To capitalize on all this, we need new Congressional leadership. McCarthy and McConnell are good people but not the warriors we need. Sid would rather see the ascendancy of Brian Mast and Rick Scott.
Prediction: Trump gets second term.
How can we help? Show up, speak up, pay up!
Also at the meeting we heard from candidates Sara Baxter (CC6), Jennifer Showwalter (SB6), and Jeff Buongiorno (CD21), a spokesperson for Bailey “Fiona’s Mom” Lashells (SB3), and Caneste Succe who offered us contacts in the Haitian community.
Club Hosts Panel Discussion on Cancel Culture and Intimidation is Schools and Business
How much does the “Cancel Culture” and “Wokeness” affect you? If you’ve ever had a social media post removed or restricted you have felt its effects. If you are a student or teacher in the woke education system, or a professional needing to maintain a certification you have likely experienced it also. In addition to Education, the Government, Media, Sports, Entertainment, Corporate America – even sometimes our neighbors are all engaged in the process of throttling thoughts about which they disapprove.
On September 28th, we invited some members of the community to share their thoughts about this growing threat to our liberty.
Melissa Tellez is an Engineering student at PB State College, and founder of their Turning Point USA chapter and has been politically involved since her high school days. She gave us a feeling for the difficulty in getting students to speak up about their beliefs in the face of peer pressure to conform to the liberal orthodoxy.
For a long time, she accepted the narrative that President Trump was all the bad things that CNN and others said about him. When she started to do her own research though, the misinformation became clear and she became a fan of the Trump policies. Now she tries to spread that word to her peers.
Audrey Friedrich is a practicing Psychologist who deals with anxiety disorders and Obsessive-Compulsive behavior, particularly among the young. In recent years she has seen a significant uptick in the number of gender dysphoria cases. As many parents are learning after distance learning gave them a window into their children’s classrooms, the schools have been pushing the message that it is perfectly normal to be confused about your gender identity, and that there are many options to effect a change in the gender to which you were born. Hence the uptick in young people seeking counseling in that area.
Audrey has also experienced the leftist bias in training courses she has taken in the field, where transgenderism is all about an agenda and not “evidence based treatment”. She found that good to know as she can counsel parents of gender dysphoria children what to expect from the “establishment”.
Christian Acosta is an Adjunct Engineering instructor at PB State who gave us some reason to be optimistic, at least about the State College system. Since many of his students are returning to school from the workplace, they are more grounded in life skills and less susceptible to indoctrination. Also, since state funding is in play, and our state education system is less tolerant of biased behavior on the part of their schools, there is more freedom of expression than you may find in a private University.
There was a goodly number of candidates who came to the meeting to introduce themselves to the members. Shown below from left are Jeff Buongiorno (CD21), Peter Noble (Greenacres Council), Brian Norton (SD29), Jason Mariner (CD20), Michael Caruso (HD89) and Rick Roth (HD85).
Jennifer Showalter on CRT and What Ails the Palm Beach Schools
In the process of restarting the club for 2021, we decided to bring focus on some of the critical issues that currently threaten our way of life. Cancel culture, compromised elections, open borders, economic insanity, and the total politicization of media, corporations, academia, K-12 public schools, cultural institutions and most of the federal government are all things we must understand in order to fight against them.
This week our topic was one of the most insidious of these threats and one that is not easily observed – the indoctrination of our children in K-12 public schools. If there was a silver lining to the pandemic, it was that “distance learning” let parents see for themselves what was being taught in the classrooms. Many did not like what they saw.
Presumably with the goal of creating a whole new generation of citizens sympathetic to Marxist ideas, our school systems are being taken over by the radical left. Critical Race Theory, teaching that the color of your skin is more important than the content of your character, is taking root like an invasive species, and seeks to divide us into warring camps.
Jennifer Showalter, our speaker this week, has been bringing the heat of public scrutiny to the Palm Beach School system through appearances at school board meetings and demonstrations in the streets. Joining her counterparts nationwide, she is asking the tough questions and bringing accountability to those who would poison the minds of our children. Here is a synopsis of what she had to say in her riveting half hour lecture on the state of our schools:
Calling it the “fight of our time”, Jennifer showed us how CRT and other Marxist projects are seeping into every corner of society. In the schools specifically, we are seeing homogeneous “anti racist” training seeded into all subjects using resources provided by such groups as “Brain Pop”. One result other than overt indoctrination is a reduction in proficiency levels for the skills that count – math, language, history and science.
This is not an isolated problem. Backed by the teacher’s unions and groups of the teachers themselves who have vowed to teach this stuff in spite of laws being passed against it, the local system is pushing forward. Teachers are taking action to prevent parents from hearing what is said in the classrooms by requiring student headsets for distance learning, and stopping the lessons if parents are observed in the room. The School board for its part, is trying to deal with the overwhelming opposition by labeling it a “faction” and limiting public input to one speaker for 3 minutes. At workshops, they are looking for ways to exclude the public altogether. This is not transparency or representative government in action!
Some of the specific ills that Jennifer is fighting against include the sexualization of children and the focus on gender identity, the “dumbing down” that occurs from the remnants of common core where everything is subjective, and the focus on “emotional learning” that shuts down the right-brain. There is no “objective reality” anymore and even science is performed by “consensus”. All people are to varying degrees “oppressed” or “oppressors” and their privilege or disadvantage is ranked by their “intersectionality”. “Equity” is to be favored over “Equality”, so that we seek equal outcomes rather than equal opportunities.
The school district’s mission statement became a public discussion over the words of “white advantage”, but what remains of it seeks conformity, not individuality. We are graduating clones – conditioned to respond to stimulus (ie. obey) rather than those capable of independent thought.
Now that these programs in the classroom are coming to light, we must bring the fight to them. Get informed and engaged, show up, wave signs, come to meetings and spread the word.
Jennifer Showalter is an announced candidate for School Board District 6, the seat currently held by Marcia Andrews. For information about her campaign, and to volunteer or donate, click HERE.
Representative Rick Roth on a Most Amazing Legislative Session
This year’s legislative session in Tallahassee should make us all proud. As the Biden Administration and their Progressive minions in Congress go about their business of compromising election integrity, mismanaging the pandemic, socializing the economy, promoting Marxist ideology in the schools and encouraging the muzzling of Conservative expression in Social Media, the state of Florida has said “Stop! Enough!” Many of the bills that were passed and signed into law directly counter the Progressive agenda in DC.
District 85 Representative Rick Roth was in the thick of it this year, and came to the RCPB this week to highlight what a Republican Legislature and great Governor can do when the times demand it. In his written end of session report, he covers the just passed $102B budget, sweetened with federal stimulus funds, and then lists fully 28 bills that he considers key. (Click here for a copy of the report.)
It should be noted that those bills that are counter to the Biden agenda and opposed by the national media (Election reform, anti-riot act, anti-lockdowns, social media, school choice, women’s sports, free speech in the schools) were passed strictly along party lines.
Among the highlights:
- In the area of Covid-19 response, they passed civil liability protection for businesses and other entities (HB-7005), augmented the emergency preparedness fund (HB-1595), and set limits for emergency management response by local governments such as lockdowns and vaccine passports (HB-7047).
- To protect our communities, they passed the “Combating Public Disorder Act” (also known as the anti-riot act HB1), set out best practices for law enforcement (HB-7051), solidified election integrity (SB1), and put serious penalties on social media companies for arbitrary censorship and de-platforming of Floridians (HB-7013).
- For our education systems, we now have expanded school choice (HB-7045), protection of women’s sports (HB-51), a defense of free speech (HB-233), and a “Parent’s Bill of Rights” over how their children are taught and treated in the schools HB-241).
- For the environment, they established a grant program for local communities to deal with sea level rise and other resilience (HB-7019), partially funded by the Documentary Stamp Tax (HB-5401) and strengthens the protection for farmers against nuisance lawsuits (HB-1601).
- For Home Rule, there will be an amendment on the ballot to abolish the Constitutional Revision Commission (HJR-1179), limit local interference in port operations (SB-1194) or the use and sale of fuel types (HB-839 and 919).
- Regarding Insurance, they abolished “no-fault” car insurance (HB-719), and adjusted Citizen’s coverage versus private insurance and their ability to adjust rates (HB-305).
Representative Roth is not a stranger to his constituents – he is a regular at the REC, clubs like this one, city councils in the north county and business and civic groups. He is also frequently out on the street with us at Trump flag-waving and other showings of support. Even given that, he says he is not seen “in the newspapers” much, as he gets more done working behind the scenes with the Speaker and other Legislative leaders. He also is active seeking input for legislation, and spent time with SOE Wendy Link to get her input on the elections bill.
President Kim Davis, Representative Rick Roth and past President Fran Hancock.
Also at the meeting, we welcomed new President Kim Davis and bid farewell to past president Fran Hancock who received flowers and Kudos from club Secretary Bette Anne Starkey. Fran will be moving north soon, and leaves behind a significant legacy of Republican leadership in the state and county of close to 50 years.
Kudos to our new venue the Palm Beach Kennel Club, for hosting a great meeting in an attractive setting with a delicious buffet lunch.
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, July 27th. Save the date!
Ann Roberts Scholarships Awarded
This year, our Club’s Anne Roberts Memorial Scholarship for the 2021 school year went to two deserving students:
BEN DEHAAN is a senior at Palm Beach Atlantic University majoring in Business Management and Political Science. He is an honor student, serving with the Student Body, has volunteered with the Republican Executive Committee Offices, and spent working hours during high school and college working in small business in West Palm Beach and his home state of Michigan. He hopes to run for office one day.
KEELIE HANLEY, who graduated from SunCoast High school locally, began her college career at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with her twin sister, Rileigh, who has since been appointed to the US Air Force Academy. Keelie is continuing at Embry-Riddle with a focus on Computer Engineering. Many in our Club watched Keelie grow to adulthood as she attended our meetings with her family or volunteered for Congressman Brian Mast. She was honored to be an escort for a Korean War Veteran on one of our Palm Bach County Honor Flights to Washington DC.
The Anne Roberts Memorial Scholarship is available to any resident of Palm Beach County who is a full or part time undergraduate or graduate student seeking to further their education. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or above and plan to attend an accredited college. Applicants must be registered (or pre-registered under 18 yrs. of age) Republicans. Current members of our Club may refer applicants for this scholarship
Rabbi Alan Sherman at January Lunch
Fresh off a gig at the Trump Club 45, Rabbi Alan Sherman had some uplifting thoughts at our January lunch.
A former Army chaplain who ministered at the 1000 bed Pittsburg Army hospital, the Rabbi works with various Palm Beach County non-profits, including Morse Life Health System. A Trump supporter, he came sporting his “Israel Supports Donald Trump” yarmulke, which had been signed by the President at one of the Air Force One arrivals.
When he was a member of the 1500 member Union of Reform Judaism, he stood alone in opposing their disrespect of Donald Trump by ignoring his well wishes on Rosh Hashanah, and finally quit when they dissed the US Israel policy by condemning settlement expansion in the West Bank.
It is clear that the Rabbi holds conservative views compared to much of the left leaning Jewish community. On immigration, he believes in assimilation – if people are not willing to adopt our culture when they come here they should stay home. He believes that gender confusion, a result of the latest push by the left to reject the principle that only there are only two biological genders, is hurting children. The ten to one ratio of leftist professors in the colleges and Universities is outrageous. And of course, Socialism is dangerous – just look at Venezuela.
He does see reason for hope though. “Be strong, stick together and we’ll get the President re-elected!”
Also at the meeting was House District 91 candidate Sayd Hussain with a plan for replacing Democrat Emily Slosberg. The incumbent is vulnerable this year after her arrest for trespassing and criminal mischief last March and a hospitalization for post-traumatic stress disorder.
In keeping with the March 17 Presidential Primary that is also a municipal election in many of the cities, towns and villages of the county, next month we will have a candidate expo. Council and Commission candidates from Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, North Palm Beach and Boynton Beach have agreed to participate, and we are inviting several more. These people are the future leaders of our county – come and meet them, even if there is not a municipal election in your own city.
Cruise Line’s Efforts in Dorian Relief
At our December lunch, Anita Mitchell and her daughter Kimberly were on hand to describe the efforts of the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line to provide relief on Grand Bahama Island following the devastation of Hurricane Dorian.
Anita Mitchell
Dorian, the category five monster that turned much of the Abacos and Grand Bahama into rubble in September, remained over the northern Bahamas for a day while we in South Florida hunkered down for the blow that didn’t come. We “dodged a cannonball” in Anita’s words.
Kimberly Mitchell
Mitchell, who is the Corporate and Community Relations VP at the cruise line, described how their ship, the Grand Celebration, sailed shortly after the storm’s passage to initially provide evacuation assistance from Grand Bahama during a 12 hour stop. Later, they would ferry needed supplies, equipment and volunteers to the island to assist in the recovery. Other cruise lines were helping too, but their larger ships had to anchor out while the Grand Celebration was able to tie up to the dock, greatly facilitating loading and unloading.
Their ships were also involved in hurricane relief during 2018 in the Virgin Islands.
Tamula Helmuth
Kimberly Mitchell, Executive Director of the Everglades Trust and a former WPB Commissioner, spoke about the effort to set up a charitable organization to continue providing relief, described the efforts of the local business community in West Palm Beach, particulalry restaurant owner Rodney Mayo.
Rashad Reckley
The businesses provided supplies and donations as well as loaning their employees to help in the efforts. A 501(c)(3) charitable organization, the Bahamas Relief Cruise (BRC) was created with the help of Gunster and former Senator George LeMieux. Donations are accepted at their website.
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line operates two cruise ships from the Port of Palm Beach, providing 2 night trips to Grand Bahama and Nassau. Many of the club members have been on these trips and spoke well of the experience. Anita described what the ships have to offer in the way of accommodations, food and entertainment, and brought along two of the on-board performers who gave us a taste.
Vocalist Tamula Browning Helmuth entertained us with a variety of musical selections including Etta James “At Last” and a hearty rendition of John Fogerty and CCR’s “Proud Mary” as rendered by Tina Turner. She was accompanied by saxophonist Rashad “the SAX Man” Reckley.
Reckley, an Abacoan victim of the hurricane himself, performed with his leg in a cast as Helmuth related how he clung to a tree as the hurricane destroyed his home.
Also at the meeting was CD18 candidate Nick Vessio.