repubgazette5-23-07tablegamesdecisionwvgopmoney

By Gary Abernathy

I am taking advantage of whatever readership this website has built over the past two years to ask very bluntly for every Republican reading this to send money to the West Virginia Republican Party.

For some Republicans, that's all that needs to be said. The state GOP needs money? Say no more -- a check is on the way. I know who you are, and I deeply appreciate you, as always.

But for others -- actually most -- more arm twisting is unfortunately required. More reasoning is necessary, more begging, more pleading, more justifications. Frankly, I'm out of B.S., and I usually have plenty to spare. I've written endless and countless fundraising letters for the state party, appealing to your higher character, encouraging, exorting, reasoning and reminding. It's just time for every Republican to write a check. Just because you're a Republican.

Let's take a look at just how simple this equation really is, with the help of past campaign finance records.

* In 2000, the WVGOP raised about $220,000, including RNC transfers. Outside of federal races for president and the 2nd Congressional District, it had a dismal election at the state level and even left countless legislative and statewide races uncontested.

* In 2002, the WVGOP raised about $350,000 on its own, not counting RNC help. It picked up 11 seats in the Legislature.

* In 2004, the WVGOP again raised about $350,000 (triple that if RNC transfers are included), helped elect Brent Benjamin and Betty Ireland, defended every incumbent in the Legislature and picked up four additional legislative seats (although it should have done even better).

* In 2006, the WVGOP raised about $150,000. We all know what the outcome was in 2006.

Do we really need to analyze that, or is that plain enough?

Every Republican member of the State Legislature, every member of the Republican State Executive Committee, every county chairman, every Republican mayor, councilman, commissioner, sheriff -- every registered Republican or Republican sympathizer -- the minute you finish this article, please get out your checkbook and write a generous check to the West Virginia Republican Party.

Ever since the Iraq war began, Republicans have cornered Democrats over whether or not they would vote to give our troops the ammunition they need. Republicans find it repugnant that any member of Congress would hesitate to sign off on whatever is necessary to arm and protect our troops, regardless of individual feelings about the war itself.

And yet, a lot of Republicans seem not to realize that the ammunition of their party comes from absolutely nowhere but their own pockets. Not someone else's pockets. It's not some other Republican's responsibility to fund the party. Ask not what your party can do for you, ask what you can do for your party.

When Republicans read stories about how little money the state GOP has raised, they tend to blame the party; the party is just not doing a good job of fundraising. Tsk tsk.

In reality, when the state GOP comes up short on funds, it's because Republicans across the state didn't give enough. It's not Doug McKinney's fault, it wasn't Robin Capehart's fault or Kris Warner's fault or David Tyson's fault. The shameful discrepancy between what

It was always a long shot that three justices could be convinced that the Legislature did not have the power to interpret "lottery" any way it wanted, after the law approved in 1984 said, “The legislature may authorize lotteries which are regulated, controlled, owned and operated by the State of West Virginia in the manner provided by general law (emphasis added).”

Several legal authorities spoken with in recent weeks said a more effective argument would have been based on a violation of "equal protection," i.e., the rights of all West Virginians outside of Kanawha, Hancock, Ohio and Jefferson counties were being violated by not having a voice in a decision with clear ramifications for everyone. More on that in an earlier column.

the Democrats raise (over $1 million last year) and what the Republicans raise is purely a function of Democrats giving to their party and Republicans not.

I heard one well-known Republican public official comment on this subject a couple of years ago during a radio interview. This was right after the internal GOP party fallout of the 2004 election, and he used it as an excuse why he chose not to give to the party, saying, "There's always all that infighting. That's why I give to individual candidates, not to the party."

Yes, there was a lot of infighting, and there was a lot of infighting before that, and there is today, and there will be in 2020. Using the infighting as an excuse not to give is like the wayward Christian explaining he quit going to church because of all the hypocrites. We all find someone else to blame for the things we just don't want to do. Some people say, "I give to my county party." Good! Give to the state party too. That's how it has to work, or it doesn't work at all.

The West Virginia Republican Party is not the chairman, or the leaders in the Legislature, or the headquarters in South Charleston. Every Republican reading this is the West Virginia Republican Party. Aren't you embarrassed that your party still has a debt from 2004 of more than $100,000? You should be -- it's your party!

Maybe someone else made mistakes, maybe the debt is not your doing. But haven't you ever had something happen that you had a responsibility to pay for, even though it wasn't your fault? I know I have. It's your party, and you have to take care of it.

One hundred thousand dollars in debt! Just 200 people giving $500 a piece could eliminate the debt. Or just ten people giving $10,000 each. I can name ten Republicans off the top of my head very capable of doing just that.

A handful of people give monthly, making it a regular part of their budget. They pay the electric bill, the gas bill, the water bill, the cable bill, and send a check to the state party. That's how it should work for a cause you believe in.

Sorry to go off on a rant about this, but hey, I've been begging for money for the West Virginia Republican Party for most of the past six years, and I've run out of ways to nibble around the edges. Do you believe in Republican principles? Do you want to elect more Republicans? Then write a check, and then write another one a couple of months later. That's how this deal works. It's an ongoing commitment.

The Democrats are laughing their asses off right now reading this, and it's embarrassing to have to write it. But we don't fundraise the way the Dems do. We don't employ a "pay to play" system, or threaten people with their jobs or their political futures.

We have about 350,000 registered Republicans in West Virginia. If every one gave five bucks, we'd have nearly two million in the bank. If every one gave one dollar, we'd just about match our high water funding marks of 2002 and 2004.

In reality, what we should have are about 1,000 consistent donors, each giving about $100 dollars a year, on average. That's a base to start each year of $100,000. We raise the rest through large dollar donors, fundraising events and fundraising visits from Washington headliners.

I could go on, but I know you're as sick of reading it as I am of writing it. How 'bout just making it easy? Please send a check to P.O. Box 2711, Charleston WV 25330, or click here for the party website's donor page. Thank you.