The Capital City Republicans, the Juneau branch of the Alaska Republican party, has an extra $100,000 in its coffers today as part of the fallout from a power struggle within the statewide organization.
Longtime party chairman and political power broker Randy Ruedrich said the transfer is intended to ensure the party’s money is spent as it is supposed to be spent, to unseat Democrats in the Alaska Legislature this year.
“We want to make sure the funds are used as they are intended to be used,” Ruedrich said.
At a contentious Republican Party convention last week, during which guest speakers from the mainstream establishment were shouted down, Ron Paul backer Russ Millette was elected chairman to replace Ruedrich after this election cycle is over.
The concern among mainstream Republicans stems from an aspect of party rules under which the chair-elect immediately becomes the Alaska Republican Party’s finance director.
Ruedrich said he hasn’t met Millette, but has heard him interviewed on the radio.
What Ruedrich wants to avoid, he said, is for those funds to be used in intra-party battles. And while he’s not heard that threatened, he is concerned enough to make the transfer.
In addition to the Ron Paul supporters’ libertarian leanings, the convention also saw active involvement of Tea Party activists who supported Joe Miller’s campaign against Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
Ruedrich said the main goal of the party should be focusing on electing Republicans.
“The funds for the House Majority and Senate challengers are supposed to be used specifically for races in the fall to defeat Democrats in the fall,” he said. “That means focusing on the main goal of defeating Democrats, especially in the Alaska Legislature this year.”
The party typically does not get involved in Republican primary elections, and hasn’t provided funds or endorsements, he said.
Ruedrich said more than $100,000 was transferred to the Capital City Republicans.
“This was done well before the convention to make sure the expectations of the donors were met,” Ruedrich said.
Connie McKennzie, who represents the Mendenhall Valley district, and Ben Brown, who represents the downtown district, head the Capital City Republicans. Neither responded to emails to their political email addresses Thursday.
Ruedrich said he and party officials have a responsibility to the donors to ensure the money is used as they’d been promised.
• Contact reporter Pat Forgey at 523-2250 or at patrick.forgey@juneauempire.com.
Comments (46)
Add commenthonesty and integrity not here
When a few select party leaders transfer funds to foster what they alone believe is the party goal you know you've been taken for a ride. These funds belonged to the party and were to be spent under the direction of the elected leaders. But wait rather than allowing the newly elected officials to determine the future of the party the good-old-boys transfer the finds to preempt any change in their plans. OH well I'm sure many will not be surprised that Randy and his cohorts once again did what they wanted done over the members choices. Then they wonder why the party is being torn apart due to such actions.
Way to go old boy's club
Legitimize the protesters with a fine example of why they are right.
Ssssssssssssssssssssssss
That hissing sound you hear is the republican party imploding all across the U.S.
They have been hijacked by tea party idiots, and extreme right-wing ideologues whose party doesn't even resemble a scrap of what Lincoln's republican party is.
And Obama is totally going to sail to victory in November.
There's only so many times you can bash gays, scream about taxes, scream for Roe v. Wade reversal, declare a war on women before moderates and sensible people think there might be a better way to vote.
Keep up the good work, republicans. I am enjoying the implosion.
Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss .....
This money was returned to the control of the donator
It is now controlled by The Capitol City Republicans where Paulette Simpson, spouse of SEALASKA luminary and corporate counsel E. Budd Simpson is a long time officer and past treasurer.
All that remains is to see which republicrat SEALASKA wants to support next.
Randy Ruedrich
Consistent to the end.
Comment
I don't know if Republicans will win back the White House but I am sure that Republicans will do well in Congress and will retain control in Alaska. There are lots of new, young Republicans in Alaska and these passionate, articulate, and informed people will make themselves heard. Recent newspaper articles reflect that. These young people may have read the Constitution more recently than the rest of us have.
But there is no fundamental division going on in the Alaska Republican Party while across the nation Democrats find themselves divided between environmentalists and unions. And Democrats eat their young; we saw Democrats toss overboard their US Senate candidate from Sitka - a great candidate by the way - so Senator Murkowski would be re-elected.
@ glacierdogs
You could not be more wrong.
Scott Adams from Sitka was never thrown overboard. He lost due to Murkowski's bought-and-paid-fer support by Sealaska because she promised them land for votes! Why else would Natives turn their back one of their own, and a Democrat? They did it because of Murky's empty promise.
And those informed and articulate people are the same ones occupying Wall Street and elsewhere because, as you said, they are informed, and they are fighting back.
And democrats aren't divided between environmentalists and unions. Nice try. We believe in both. We don't have to choose. Our tent is very large.
Now go back and watch your Fox News Blonds tell you what you need to think.
I wish you would have more
I wish you would have more respect for natives in this land Jo.
When YOU bash republicans (the same way you accuse them of doing to others) your at least talking about people that have chosen to be apart of a group.
The Native people that voted for her did so because they agreed with her. Not because they were promised lands that the average regular native person would have nothing to do with. The lands deal would take land away from all of us and give it to developers, native developers or not.
Stop putting everyone that disagrees with you in a box.
@glacierdogs...
"passionate, articulate, and informed people" ? Well, right on one of them.
And which constitution are you talking about? Alaska's, which I strongly doubt any Republican in Alaska has read, or the US Constitution, which most Republicans in Alaska don't understand?
@alaskastu... it was definitely a vote with the expectation of a payback. Many rural districts that voted for Dems across the board went the opposite for Murkowski. A bad idea, Scott would have been better for Alaska by far as Murkie's party line votes have proven time and time again.
gdogs
If there's "no fundamental division going on in the Alaska Republican Party", then why did Ruedrich feel compelled to make off with all of the funds? Nothing screams "fundamental division" louder than the raiding of the party treasury.
There ARE some passionate, articulate, and informed young republicans. And they have woken up to the fact that the current good old boy republicans like Cathy Munoz have been selling Alaska out to corporate interests, as evidenced by Munoz' vote supporting Parnell's oil tax giveaway.
I think there's more common ground between them and some democrats than with the old guard GOP.
Glacierdogs, Jo is right.
Glacierdogs, Jo is right. With all due respect, you could not be more wrong, at least in regards to there being no division in the Republican Party. There is plenty, and the recent Republican primary election process in Alaska (and across the country) is a perfect example.
I took part in the Republican primary and Mr. Reudrich and the GOP establishment behaved like children. They practiced deceipt, fraud and arbitrary changing of their own rules in an attempt to exclude Republicans who did not support the pre-ordained candidates. In other words, people who support Ron Paul. They even tried to wrongly exclude military members from participating. What do you think of that, military members?
These tactics are being used across the country, and in some states have been worse than what took place in Alaska.
The only reason Ron Paul supporters have survived (and handsomely at that) is because they are coming better organized and better educated on the GOP's own rules then the GOP establishment is. Deliciously ironic, really.
You are right that there are lots of passionate, articulate, and informed young "Republicans" waiting in the wings. Problem for the GOP is, these young folks actually believe in the Constitution and are sick and tired of corruption and religion running the party. Which, of course, is why they scare the crap out of the GOP establishment. Plus, as Jo pointed out, some of them are the same ones occupying Wall Street, etc. They are Americans first and political party members last (if at all).
And just to clarify, I am not a Republican. I used to be until I woke up (for the same reasons stated above). I registered as a Republican to take part in the process for Ron Paul and will be fixing that registration issue quick like.
Anyway, so long Mr. Reudrich. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
Let me see now
The Republican Party is giving candidates in Juneau $100,000 for the next election. Maybe the Democrats will do the same. We just have three elected representatives in Juneau, and so a hundred thousand dollars here, or maybe more by the Democrats, means they will be spending about $33,000 for candidates or twice that amount.
The money will go to television ads, newspaper ads, brochures, mailings and other recipients to try and persuade us how to vote. People listen to and watch TV, read the newspapers, brochures and those things and then imbued by what has been told them, vote for a candidate.
It looks like the $25 or $50 an average person in Juneau might be able to contribute to supporting a candidate won't mean much.
We probably can't change the way political advertising goes. We can take time and evaluate those who are currently in office and see if we want to re-elect them or not, or evaluate other candidates. We don't have to be slaves to advertising.
When I go to Costco, Fred Myer, Safeway or any other store in Juneau, I evaluate the product that I will buy. I don't go just by advertising, but what the product, has been, is and will be in my life.
We need to do the same with political candidates whom we are asked to elect on the basis of advertising. We need to know exactly what we have been or will get for our vote.
Respect
I respect the Empire's right to have commentators identify themselves using some code word, icon or whatever and never have to reveal who they actually are. However, for my part, I just sign my name and make my comment, and if people agree or disagree with me they may do so or even call me on the phone.
But what I suspect, and of course can never prove or show, is that some individuals use a code name to avoid letting others that they may have a special or vested interest in what they say and may sound "impersonal" or "objective," but in reality is not so.
I was kind of impressed to see the Editor of Empire make a comment and openly displayed who he was and why he was making a comment. He wasn't hiding behind some code name.
Wally
I think the money was squirreled away in Juneau to be used on races state-wide. It's just that Ruedrich knew he had a cadre of loyal old-guard GOPers in Juneau whom he could trust to fund the "right" candidates.
But they better spend some on Munoz because I expect the democrats have her in their sights, as does the tea party. Her vote for Parnell's giveaway was massively unpopular. I can only guess that she actually believes it was the right bill to vote for.
I don't think the voters believe that.
Imagine that!
Looking at my crystal ball hmmmmmm let's see
they don't believe in global warming, they believe global warm
is a myth. Oh yes the volcano is the cause of global warming.
Hmmmmmm let's see what else oh yes the earth is flat and there is no such thing a ancient critters from the past.
Sara Palin, Ron, Mitt, Newt what do they all have in common?
No sense of humor, can't see beyond their tunnel visions.
Popcorn anyone!
The following letter from
The following letter from LeClair/Ryan Law Firm to Mr. Reudrich is in reference to just one of issues that happened during the election process:
http://c3408770.r70.cf0.rackcdn.com/4.17.2012%20Ltr%20to%20Alaska%20Stat...
Juneau mystery
Could it be that "glacier dogs" is old "black dog" with a new code name?
@Alaskastu
I DO have a great deal of respect for Alaskan Natives. Nice race baiting though...
But the fact remains that certain demographics tend to vote as a group. Recent history has shown that Alaska Natives, as a group, tend to vote Democrat. And rightly so, because Democrats are the party who traditionally fights for oppressed minorities and civil rights.
But along comes a greedy, power-hungry republican (Lisa) who lost her primary to a tea partier because she thought she was invincible. Her senate seat was in danger. Then, staring defeat in the eyes, she circled her wagons and did what most desperate politicians do; "promise them anything!" And it doesn't matter if the promise is fulfilled or not. All that matters is keeping her senate seat.
She promised Sealaska a speedy resolution to the 30 year old land grab clustermuck if Sealaska would throw the Native vote her direction.
They did.
She did not.
Even though elders of the Yu'piks and other Native corps and tribes threw their support behind one of their own, Scott McAdams, Sealaska did not.
And she won because of the Native vote, endorsed by Sealaska. Their huge "Murkowski 2012" sign in front of their building stands testament to that.
Now WHO threw WHO under the bus???
Oh, and regarding division among the GOP, isn't it amusing that Romney could only garner about 27% of the GOP? That means 73% of the GOP wanted someone else!
@Colorado14er
We have something in common...
I, too, was a republican in my early twenties. I believed in fiscal conservative ideals, a strong military, family values, until I saw how the GOP defined those terms.
And we had grossly different definitions.
And when I was around 27, I saw the GOP for what they are; an industrial war machine who manufactures wars to make money, and an institution to protect the wealthy at the expense of the poor. They are also destroyers of the U.S. Constitution because they are always trying to amend it.
The GOP is the gay-bashing, women-bashing, elitist, white only, patriarchal, repressive, regressive, disgusting, hypocritical, christian-centric party who protects the wealthy.
I got out.
And I went one further and joined the ACLU and have been a proud card-carrying, freedom-protecting defender of the Constitution/Bill of Rights since.
Glad you got out too.
Let's hope others see that party for what it is.
@ Jo
You're right, the GOP has become most everything you listed. I think labels are foolish, but if you wanted to label me something, I suppose it could still be conservative or even libertarian. But for me, this means everything revolves around the Constitution. It means life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for everyone, regardless of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc.; fiscal conservative ideals in the sense of not putting ourselves so deep into debt that we risk destroying our currency and ultimately our way of life; a strong military, but one that is much more efficient, effective, and isn't having to run around the world fighting wars for the benefit of banksters, corporations and politicians; family values, as in all types of families, not just Christian ones; free markets, not the weird crony-capitalist/fascist/oligarchy hybrid we have now; and so on.
And don't get me wrong, I don't support President Obama or the Democratic Party either. But my reasons for that are the same as why I don't support the Republican Party. It's all about corruption and the fact that the real levers of power are pulled by elite banking and corporate interests. The last 30 years or so, even while both parties clearly demonstrate differences on social issues, when it comes down to things affecting our freedom, civil liberties, and overall wealth and prosperity, both parties' actions and voting records are nearly identical (and equally damaging).
Most of our major institutions are corrupt and our politicians clearly bought and paid for. The game is rigged. It's a big club, and the majority of Americans are not in it.
There is such a massive amount of clear evidence of this, I'm constantly frustrated that more people do not see it. This is where younger generations (and some in my generation - I'm 35) come in though. They do see it.
Lastly, while I know you and many others who post here would disagree (even vehemently) with me on my overall views about both political parties or my support for Ron Paul, in the end, I think most of us have a lot more in common than we realize. No matter what political party one belongs to or leans toward, we need to demand that all branches of our government stand against all forms of corruption, ensure that our existing laws and regulations are enforced, and stop passing laws that clearly violate the Constitution like the recently passed NDAA law.
Other things like re-instituting Glass-Steagull in its full form and fixing loopholes that allow corporations to avoid paying taxes, etc. would be nice too.
We are Americans. Isn't this what Americans should do?
Sorry for such a long winded post. I don't get to post on here that much and when I do, I want to be as clear and detailed as I can.
Oh and Ron Paul has qualified
Oh and Ron Paul has qualified to be on the ballot at the Republican national convention. He recently won Iowa, Colorado, Minnesota, Louisiana, and Massachusetts (Romney can't even win his home state!), where he captured 75% of the delegates. Other states may follow. Even though it's likely he will not win the nomination, at the very least he and his supporters will have an extremely strong voice at the convention.
The only reason his numbers are not higher is because of the MSM's refusal to acknowledge he even exists along with the GOP establishment's shenanigans.
It also appears the only people who really want Romney are the GOP establishment and their followers. Most Ron Paul supporters will NOT vote for Romney, and I seriously doubt that most independents or people on the fence with Obama (shoot, even those extremely dissapointed with him) will vote for Romney.
So if the GOP is foolish enough to choose him and they lose, then they deserve what they get. They have always had the ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory anyway.
Paulette Simpson was an early supporter of Palin
She is hardly a moderate or RINO.
This is fun!
This is so much fun I wish I had as much time as some of you apparently do to do this. The young Republicans that show up at Alaska events supporting Ron Paul and the Tea Party have nothing in common with the Occupy Wall Street 99% crowd. The young R's want government to leave them alone, and they all have jobs.
The occupiers want handouts. It's as simple as that.
We conservatives are Republicans but we like our tea strong. Some of us may stick by our .45 Colts and others may like .44 S&Ws. We disagree but we all show up to help Republicans.
As a card-carrying member of the Tea Party I can tell you that Rep. Munoz may or may not be one of us - really don't know - but we support her because she supports jobs and freedom. What is not to like about that.
You D's are seriously conflicted. You want to support Senator Albert who was recorded shaking down a couple municipal assemblies using his claimed oversight of their capital budget allocations. You want to support the head of Sealaska, who has total salary and benefits of over $1 million but you don't support the Sealaska bill. You support the dishonest election behavior that got Obama elected. But at the same time you trash the Tea Party only because you disagree with their beliefs.
It amazes me that D's read in the Constitution what isn't there and refuse to acknowledge what is there. RKBA is not an anachronism and it's not about pheasant hunting. I don't care what a fellow does with his donkey so long as he does it in his own barn but that behavior is not specifically protected by the Constitution. This is fun but I am out of time. See you in the funny papers.
Ron may have qualified to be on the ballot
But he did not recently win the states you claim Colorado14er:
Massachusetts - went to Romney (Paul finished 4th)
Louisiana - went to Santorum (Paul finished 4th)
Colorado Caucus - went to Santorum (Paul finished 4th)
Minnesota Caucus - went to Santorum (Paul finished 2nd far behind Santorum)
Iowa Caucus - went to Santorum with Paul & Romney close behind
You are delusional, Paul has not won a single caucus or primary. Gingrich and Santorum have more delegates than Paul does and they have also qualified to be on the ballot at the GOP convention in Tampa but have had the good sense to get behind Romney. Even Michelle Bachmann has endorsed Romney.
The Seattle Times reported that Paulbots were tossed out of the 37th LD in Washington State last week, the Washington State GOP is having none of the shenanigans that Alaska went through -- and Kirby Wilbur (the Washington GOP Chair) is also on the board of Citizens United, he is about as conservative as they come these days, friend of the Koch Brothers.
Keep saying it, glacierdogs
If Cathy Munoz shares the values you espouse on this forum, most Juneau voters will go with another candidate, because you are a fringe extremist by Juneau standards.
Cathy better start speaking up soon to distance herself from the likes of you, or she'll be letting you define her. And perhaps you are accurately doing just that. Perhaps the real Cathy Munoz is standing up. Heck, for all I know, you ARE Cathy Munoz.
Gonna be an interesting election season. Looking forward to watching the backpedaling.
@ Seadog - You are referring
@ Seadog - You are referring to the initial "beauty contest" votes in those states. I was referring to the actual election of delegates to the national convention. Stop listening to the MSM and educate yourself on how this election process actually works before you call me delusional.
The 37th LD District in Washington is King County, where Ron Paul supporters were booted from the caucus because they dared to elect a meeting chairperson who was not the King County GOP leadership's choice. A vote was held, and the Ron Paul supporters' choice was elected.
Instead of turning over the gavel to the elected chairperson, the King County GOP Chairman booted the Paul-dominated caucus outside, saying "I am going to have to step away from responsibility and have to ask you to take your caucus elsewhere."
The vote was held, and everyone at the caucus had the right to nominate their own candidates to run the meeting. While chairs obviously affect outcomes, that doesn't mean you can just eject those who aren't your side because your candidate loses.
Paulbots - never let facts get in their way
Guess you can't handle the truth. And in Washington State there are super delegates and you still don't have any of those yet either.
I'll tell interpret what the actual primary elections where people voted should have let you know (not the caucuses) - Republicans don't believe in Ron Paul, they prefer Santorum or Gingrich before they even get to Ron Paul. The provisional nominee is Romney for the GOP. Get used to it.
Can't handle the truth,
Can't handle the truth, indeed.
You're right, establishment Republicans and their followers believe in Wall St. approved ORomney, religious nut-job Santorum, or all-of-the-above Gingrich instead of the only actual conservative in the race. Romney will be the nominee, and you will lose. Get used to it.
Ron Paul is not a conservative Republican
He is a libertarian, racist nut job and he needs to run in a different party.
And what makes you think that I'm a Republican?
Racist? Please. That is not
Racist? Please. That hand is not only false, but way overplayed.
If you are not, I assumed wrongly and I apologize.