HAYWOOD GOP's SAGA CONTINUES

On Friday, May 9th, I reported that a group of Haywood County Christian conservative Republican residents, with concerns and questions about the governing of our county, state, and country, held their first Town Hall Meeting at the Haywood County Republican Party Headquarters the evening before.

This Town Hall, the first in a series, was organized to provide Haywood County Republicans with an opportunity to come together, discuss, and exchange information and concerns that they believed had a significant impact on their safety and well-being. Issues that our government entities were failing to address. These Town Hall meetings were structured to allow a speaker, either a politician or a political influencer, to address attendees on specific topics, followed by an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and present concerns.

Haywood County Republican Party Chair, Michael Loomis, eagerly agreed to allow these county Republicans to hold their monthly Town Hall meetings at the county Republican Party’s Headquarters and further enthusiastically agreed to allow the county Republican Party’s Second Vice Chair, with the assistance of Janet Presson, a well-known advocator for the citizens of Haywood County, to over-see and coordinate these meetings.

It should be noted that the Haywood County Republican Party Headquarters is only used in the evenings once a month, on the first Thursday of the month, for their monthly Executive Committee business meeting. On all other evenings during the month, the office remains unused.

With great enthusiasm, these Haywood County Republican citizens, under the guidance of the two previously mentioned individuals, held their first and last Town Hall meeting on Thursday.

The first and last because the Chair of the Haywood County Republican Party, Michael Loomis, after having just provided the Party’s Second Vice Chair, and Janet Presson, his blessings to coordinate and hold these Town Hall Meetings at the Haywood County Republican Party Headquarters, suddenly, on the morning of the first meeting, advised the Party’s Second Vice Chair that he was retracting his commitment to them to hold these Town Hall meetings at the Haywood County Republican Party Headquarters.

He justified his unwillingness to honor his commitment to them by stating that he was receiving pushback from “certain” individuals. In my opinion, those “certain” individuals were Vickie Reece, the County Party’s First Vice Chair, and Vickie Queen, who has no role with the county Republican Party Executive Committee. Both of whom are opposed to the two Town Hall coordinators and their mission to keep Haywood County residents informed.

Chairman Loomis indicated that he and these two “certain” individuals, felt that by allowing Janet Presson, a long-time anti-vaccine advocate against the injecting of vaccines into our babies and children which had not undergone rigorous testing, to assist the Second Vice Chair in coordinating these Town Halls, the Haywood County voter population would come to view the Haywood County Republican Party as the anti-vaccine party.

On Sunday afternoon, the county party’s Second Vice Chair and co-coordinator of these Town Hall meetings spoke with Chairman Loomis. Mr. Loomis advised her that, after careful consideration, he realized he had made a mistake in revoking his commitment to them and now regretted having done so.

However, despite this admission, he did not offer to reinstate approval for them to resume holding their Town Hall meetings at the county Republican facility—something one would naturally expect from Chairman Loomis if he were indeed being truthful to her about his regrets over his decision. Given that the two ladies who were to coordinate these Town Hall meetings, as well as those who would attend, were strong Christian conservative Republican residents of Haywood County, Chairman Loomis, in my opinion, had an obligation to rectify his error by reinstating his approval.

Before I proceed with my critical opinions regarding the significant leadership failures on the part of Michael Loomis, let me present my credentials, which equip me with the expertise to articulate these assessments of Michael Loomis’ leadership capabilities and failures.

I have been politically active throughout my entire adult life, having served this country at every level of government, including:

Ø  Serving 13 months in combat in Vietnam as a Marine, attaining the rank of sergeant,

and receiving two combat commendations and the Presidential Unit Citation;

Ø  Thirty-two years in senior management positions with the Department of Veterans

Affairs rising to the top administrative position of Director of Veterans Health Services at the VA Headquarters in Washington D.C,. during which time I administered the VA’s Health Care Administration Management Internship program and chaired the

committee that wrote the “Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (HIPAA);”

Ø  Two terms as an elected township councilman;

Ø  Eleven years as a volunteer firefighter and EMT, achieving the rank of Captain, and

served as the Chair of that fire department’s Board of Directors;

Ø  Owned and operated my own private business; and,

Ø  Have been heavily active with political parties in various capacities over the past sixty

years.

With that background in mind, let me proceed with my observations and opinions of our county Party’s Chair and his failure to honor his commitment to fellow Haywood County Republican officers and voters.

So, after admitting his supposedly sincere regrets for retracting his commitment and not standing behind his word, he still would not reverse his decision due to the intimidating pressure being put upon him by these “certain” individuals. The Chair, Michael Loomis, could not bring himself to do the right and honorable thing by ignoring these “certain” county party agitators, and reinstate his commitment to allow the Town Hall meetings to continue under the leadership of the Haywood County Republican Party’s Second Vice Chair and Janet Presson.

His failure to do the right thing by the Haywood County Republican Party and its constituents, driven by his fear of just two “certain” individuals, reveals a total lack of courage and strength on his part—qualities vital in any successful leader.

Michael Loomis was more willing to reject and push out two strong Christian conservative Republicans who were willing to coordinating these Town Hall meetings because of a baseless fear of being labeled the anti-vaccine party of Haywood County, than face down, in my opinion, two intellectually challenged individuals who have politically contributed very little to our Party.

So, my question to you Chairman Michael Loomis is:

“How do you rectify, in your mind, the belief that the voters of Haywood County will view the Haywood County Republican Party as being an” anti-vaccine party” because one of the coordinators of those Town Halls has advocated against the use of undertested vaccines, while simultaneously not be worried or concerned that those same voters will not now view the Haywood County Republican Party as the “Gay Party”. After all, you were elected as Chair, an openly gay man?”

Both assumptions are absurd and baseless, making them irrelevant to your decision-making process, strongly suggesting that your decision was based on your fear of “certain” intimidating and aggressive individuals.

Either neither assumption is valid and should not be a concern, or both are valid; in that case, we have a very serious problem with our Haywood County Republican voters.

So, which is true, Chairman Michael Loomis?

Keep in mind, Michael Loomis, that the Chair position demands courage, reliability, and, most importantly, the ability to be trusted by those they represent.

In just six days, you have demonstrated a lack of courage, reliability, and trust. During those six days, you have lied to both the coordinator of those Town Halls and me on multiple occasions regarding how and why you retracted your permission to this group of Haywood County Republican voters.

You have revealed yourself to be an individual who, in my opinion, is devoid of honor and integrity, and you have no place in being the Chair of the Haywood County Republican Party.