Q&A Transcript from Candidate Forum

Hope you are doing well.  Sorry you were not able to make the SD5 forum on April 17th. All three candidates for the State Chair attended.  I found it both interesting and informative.  Each candidate had an opening statement and then 8 questions that had been written by audience members were asked.    Each candidate had 1 minute to respond to each question.  The SD5 Committeeman, Hal Talton served as the moderator.   These are my notes of the 8 questions and the responses.   Anything in [ ] are my comments.  I missed some info but believe I captured the essence of each response. I was able to get a copy of an audio recording of the Q&A – this helped in filling in a couple of gaps and double checking the numbers.  I did not type up the 5 minute intro each candidate did because the same issues are raised in these questions.    If there is a high interest in the 5 minute candidate speeches, let me know.   

Candidates for State Chair include: Cathie Adams, Steve Munisteri, and Tom Mechler.  This was their speaking order for the forum.  Order rotated with each question.

Question #1 –  What are your specific plans for reducing the  debt of the Republican Party of Texas?

Cathie Adams – I have awesome news.  We are not spending .75 cents to raise a dollar. That’s never been true. I walked into a lot of red ink.  My first step was to change out the executive director.   We now have a highly respected young man and a very successful fundraising effort going.  We are focused on  victory in November, not on debt.

Steve Munisteri –  I have a degree in Finance from the UT Austin.  I’ve looked at the FEC reports.   These are the numbers – we spent about $1,400,000 on direct mail and telemarketing to raise $1,550,000.  That’s about .70 per dollar. [I missed a something] that brings it the cost to .75 to raise 1 dollar.  See reports at FEC online to see the numbers.  Executive Director was let go.  He made $92,000 a year.   Cathie hired a new executive director, he makes $150,000 plus bonuses.    Increase of $58,000.  When we’re losing money, why are we raising salaries?

Tom Mechler – I’ve been involved politically for 25 years.  I’ve been involved locally, just like you have.  Our party is struggling. I can give you copies of the reports.    When our current chair took over in October the debt was $530,000 the debt is now over $754,000.   How do we fix the problem???   We’ve got to focus on solving the problem.  We have to regain the confidence of the business community.  They are socially conservative just like we are but we must begin to talk about the fiscally conservative issues. That’s what’s going to bring them back.   This is where the TEA party groups are coming from because the Republican party is not dealing with this fiscally conservative issues.

Question #2–  [My question] – What do you believe are the three most important issues facing the Texas GOP and what would you do to address them if you become Chair?

Steve Munisteri – Administratively, the biggest problem is the debt.  We need to move from telemarketing and direct mail to a membership based program.   [Gave details about I missed – involving regional fundraising to support counties as well as State level. Making hundreds of phone calls.  Because he’s not working/retired, he will get an apartment in Austin to give these problems the attention they need. ] Second problem is organizationally.  Third, stand for conservative values.

Tom Mechler – The financial problems are huge.  But if someone paid off all our debt, does that solve the problem?  No.  The financial problems are a system of a larger problem.   We’ve got to get our team back together.   We’ve got to get people to stop working around the party and start working through the party.  The  County Chairs just got an email this past week from a former Chair of the party saying Voter Vault is a disaster – a work around was proposed.  This has got to change.  We have to build this organization from the bottom up – not from the top down.  That’s what I’ll do as Chair.

 Cathie Adams – Paul Ben? is our new treasurer.   I’m building bridges with donors.  I raised more money from when I came in [Oct 24th] to the end of the year than predecessor raised in the earlier part of the year.  We have turned this ship around.

Question #3 –  As the party Chair  you are the face of the Texas GOP.    How will you improve the media presence  on behalf of the Republican party?

Tom Mechler – The media can’t be an excuse; I was a County Chair 3 times.  There are newsmakers and newsreporters.  When I was treated unfairly by a reporter,  I didn’t give them any stories.  Those that are fair, you sit down with them and talk with them.  You answer their questions.  If they don’t give you a fair shake you deal with them as I just described.

Cathie Adams – Brian Preston is the media person with the RP today.  He worked for Laurie Ingram.  Also a blog that gets about 40 million hits a day, “Hot Air”.   Model of National RPT, we don’t want to follow.  We want to be effective, that’s exactly what we are doing.  We have our act together, it is winning elections.  We’re like a laser, all the way to victory.   

Steve Munisteri –  For 15 years I served as a television commentator.  I held my first press conference when I was 18 years old.  I have a lot of experience dealing with the media.   Also over 20 years in the courtroom as an attorney.

class="MsoNormal">Question #4 –   What is your plan on how to reach the youth?

Cathie Adams – I have 5 grandchildren, I have an ear toward the younger generation. It won’t be Fox News, not newspapers.  We need to look at Facebook and Twitter.  We have a model allready, our Governor has given us that example.  He won, even without a run-off.

Steve Munisteri – I have experience organizing campuses.  30 years ago I founded the Young Conservatives of Texas.   I was also the State Chairman for four years for Young American’s for Freedom and also State Chair of Young Texans for Regan.   Facebook and Twitter are nice, but not for organizing.  You make it a social event with good speakers that  will inspire them.  When I was in Austin a young woman came up to me and said, “I’m so inspired, how do I get involved?”  That’s how you get young people involved.

Tom Mechler – I was County Chair in Alaska for 4 years.  In 1993 I started as County Chair in Pampa.  We I first became a County chair in Texas the thing that was being discussed was we’ve got to more young people involved get more Hispanics involved.   We’re still talking about it.  The way to get them involved is to give them a place at the table.   They want to be part of the solution, listen to them.  Help them be prepared to take over the party as we retire.  

Question #5 – What has the party done for and effective minority outreach.  How can we accomplish this ?

Steve Munisteri – Latest Census estimates. 37% Hispanic, 12% African American.   It doesn’t take a statistical wizard to realize we need them to win elections.  I have worked with minority outreach.   I ran an office for Bush in ’04 in California for 4 weeks.   It was prodomently Hispanic.  I went in not knowing anyone.  They had never had an office before.  Went in not knowing anyone.   In 4.5 weeks recruited 200 volunteers, walked all 83 precincts and 15,000 made phone calls.   Two months in Iowa we recruited County Chairman for Hispanic Coalitions.  

Tom Mechler – 1993-2000 I was County Chair in Gray County.  In 1998 I asked the nominating committee chairman to bring a multiracial delegation be sent to the State Convention, it had never been done.  I’m committed to minorities to the party.   What has the party done?  Little to nothing so far.  It’s been rhetoric so far.  There are two parts to this.   Micro and Macro.  Speak to them about issues important to them.  Show them the Republican party is just as conservative as they are.   Going door-to-door showing them  they belong in the Texas GOP.   When they see what we stand for I believe they will come be a part of this pary.

Cathie Adams – It is really exciting to meet people of all colors.   One of the communities I’ve had a long standing relationship with – the Vietnamese community in the Houston area fled communism and they elect a Democrat,   Something is broken.  As far as the Hispanic community  goes, we have a very aggressive inclusion idea going on --  the last thing we need to be doing is some big tent idea – but going   neighbor to neighbor and finding the republicans in those precincts.

Question #6 –  What in your educational prepares you to fix the party’s financial mess?

Tom Mechler – undergrad Mechanical engineering – A&M;  MBA in Finance from Wharton Business School.  We can turn this situation around, we can solve these problems.   We have to change the paradigms and some of the attitudes we had with respect to some of the people we interact and communicate with.

Cathie Adams – It can be done because it is being done.  The ship is already turning. From the end of Oct to the end of the year I raised more money than the previous chair raised from Jan to Oct.  I find going and talking with business men very, very enjoyable. It is going an building relationships.  Last week aI was talking with a man in Austin.  He told me, You’re the first GOP Chairman who has ever been by my office.  I see Democrats all the time.  Folks, I am going out there.  I’m talking to them and I am enjoying it and they are responding.  Our debt is being paid down and I’m not going to give you numbers now, but you’ll get them very, very soon.

Steve Munisteri – Repeats question.   I have a degree in finance.  I also have a law degree.   In 1982 I started a business with myself and a telephone phone.  I built it up to 49 employees and 6 million a year before I sold it.  I also have 3 other businesses that I worked in.  Because I’m retired I can go an work this full time.     Because the Chair brought up her fundraising ability I want to point out that since she took over the end of October until March 1st – the we’ve had only  3 donations from individuals over $1,000. $1,500, 2,000 and $3,000.  I’ve had two $10,000 donations for my little campaign

Question #7 –  The RPT staff has 5 or 6 staffers, the Dems have over 20.  Is that large enough to beat the Democrats in November?

Cathie Adams – Before going  to that answer I must say that the money I’m raising is for the convention.  We are going to have one bang-up, awesome fun convention.   As far as the number of staff that we have --   We are in the process of choosing a victory chairman.  When that person comes on staff, you are going to see a lot more staff than you do today.  We are at a skeleton crew today.   I did inherit a debt.  The bleeding has stopped, we are paying it down.  These gentlemen are running against my predecessor – not me.  Let me tell you, this is a very, very fun job.   We are on the right track.  Winning elections is my goal and my focus.

Steve Munisteri – According to the Dems web site they have 19.  That doesn’t count the Obama Organizing for America which has 5.  So that’s 24 for them and about 5 for us.  Because we are still red state, we’ll probably win in November.  Since the fundraising came up again let me read the numbers – this is since Cathie was chair.  She began Chair on Oct 24th

 Oct 31 – debt $530,000

Nov 30 – debt $574,000

Dec 31 – debt - $624,000

Jan 31 – debt - $684,000

Feb 28th – debt $754,000

Tom Mechler – You’ve got to look at the numbers or you aren’t going to know what’s going on.   The money being raised by this Chair is going to the Convention.   $400,000 is in the cost convention.   There’s a lot of fundraising that’s going not coming from the same people who do the FEC reports.  Corporate donors are giving for the convention – that is not operating money.   The operating money is what’s in the toilet right now. Operating money is where you hire your staffers.  The Democrats are out there organizing and pounding the daylights out of us and we’re just trying to keep the lights on and keep the rent paid. That’s what’s got to change if we are to be successful.  No, that’s not enough people to pull this thing off, in my opinion.

Question #8 –  Have you/ will you make endorsements as RPT Chair? Why or why not is that proper?

Steve Munisteri – My policy will be that I will NOT endorse in any race as RPT Chairman.  The enemy will be Obama.  I want to try to bring everyone together.  We need all hands on deck.  It will be my policy as State party chair, to remain neutral.  

Tom Mechler – I feel very, very strongly about this.  The current leadership of our party has endorsed several people in the primary.  I will not endorse in contested races.  I would support a rule change that prohibits the Chair and Vice-Chair of our party from endorsing in inter-party races. 

Cathie Adams – When I was National Committee Chairwoman I endorsed, it is expected of those in leadership.   When I became party chair I said I wouldn’t withdraw those endorsements already made.  As Chairman I have not and will not be endorsing.  I do not believe that is the most effective leadership. [Not sure what to make of this comment.  Someone in the audience told me afterwards that she endorsed more than one candidate during our recent primary.  Was told this happened twice during an State Republican Executive Committee meeting Austin.]