It is good to see so many Old Friends: a look back at the Spring MDGOP Convention

The members of the Maryland State Central Committee gathered a couple of weeks ago in lovely Hanover, Maryland the Live Casino and Hotel.  Governor Bob Ehrlich kicked off the festivities Friday night with VIP Reception celebrating the release of the Gov’s fifth book.  There were over one hundred people in in attendance for the Friday night affair.  After the reception Maryland Republicans cut loose at Nicolee Ambrose’s karaoke party.  Corine Frank, MDGOP Executive director got things kicked off with her rendition of the 1983 Journey Classic Separate Ways, not to be overshadowed but the showstopper of the evening had to be the the Duet of Del. Metzgar and Del. Thaim, recreating the Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder’s Ebony and Ivory.  Perhaps we will have the Singing Delegates perform at our next MDGOP Convention much like the Singing Senator. 

As much fun the MDGOP Convention we do gather to conduct serious business.  We had several bylaw amendments passed by the central committee.   MDGOP passed several key bylaws changes on being in heaven forbid another lockdown where we can’t gather in person, we will be able to now do a virtual convention.  Our last virtual convention was made possible by a rule change by the Republican National Committee.  In addition, now counties that don’t have provisions on filling vacancies, after 90 days the Chairman can make the appointment, however in counties like ours we have a process in place, so for us nothing has changed.  

Convention adjourned early and we accomplished much.  We will do it all over again in October in Western Maryland at Rocky Gap, not only will we see the changing of the colors, but we will also have another opportunity to see our friends from around the state.  Also photos from our convention can be viewed at https://actionmontgomery.com/convention-2/ 

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Dwight Patel is a Member of the Montgomery County Republican Party Central Committee and Chairman of the Maryland Republican Party Technology Committee.

Volunteers Needed for MCGOP Booth - Montgomery County Ag Fair - August 13-21

Many supporters have been contacting MCGOP HQ asking about opportunities to volunteer their time to publicly promote our conservative issues and candidates. Your time has arrived, so mark your calendars!  The MCGOP will be hosting a "Welcome Center Booth" at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair (MCAF) in Gaithersburg, August 13 - 21.  We will be distributing MCGOP issue flyers, candidate literature and treats, signing up new members and taking donations, registering new voters, as well as answering questions on key issues (with our help) and why we are proud to be Republicans!  

Presented by the Montgomery County Republican Club

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We are the Maryland Young Republicans, an organization composed of young professionals ages 18-40 looking to get involved in the Republican Party.

Join your Montgomery County Chapter today!

Contact Renzo Rodriguez, Vice President at [email protected]

Check out our Facebook page to see upcoming events at Facebook mocoyrs.  https://www.facebook.com/mocoyrs

Our website at About — Montgomery County Young Republicans

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Please make a generous donation to the future of the Republican Party

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Contact Julie Krieger at [email protected].

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We deserve better in Montgomery County.

It’s six months into 2021 and our kids have been subjected to a year of screen time - and some grudgingly provided in-person schooling. Crime, car jackings and violence are increasing, drug deaths and suicides are at a high, and all the leaders from the other Party seem to care about is more funding, pushing Critical Race Theory and Defunding the Police.

The County Executive’s budget includes cuts to the police to eliminate five SRO’s at a cut of over $550,000 but includes an addition of about that much for an  “Inmate Advisory Council”; $175 million in a previously sun-setted (temporary) energy tax; $1,331 million in property tax; and $18 million in traffic cameras. Also let us not forget the bag tax, recordation tax and of course the $99.7 million that they make from liquor sales. Do you feel like an ATM?

The other Party is finally calling out the recent, increased scourge of violent anti-Semitism. Attacks on Synagogues and our Jewish citizens have no place in Montgomery County, our State, our Nation or any civilized place. It’s clear to us, but many - urged on by politics, the far-left and social media, seem to think hatred is welcome and appropriate.  It is not.

Our Republican voices are together, loud and clear… Get the kids back to full time quality education, Defend the Police, keep the School Resource Officers to protect our students, teachers and schools from unknown mayhem. We need leaders in local Government that exercise their fiduciary duty to the citizens of the county - and not their personal social engineering agenda.

The Republicans are moving ahead. Read this newsletter for all the in-person events our folks, Clubs and Candidates are hosting.

• Come to our grand-reopening June 6.
• Read our opinion pieces on Critical Race Theory, Party rebuilding, national politics and more.
• Follow and support us on social media.
• Join or patronize our advertisers.
• Sign up for our Webinar - Fatal Attraction: Biden and Nuclear Iran. 
• Sign up for Orientation, volunteering or donating, we need your help as we go to the mid-term elections next year.

As always, thanks for being a great Republican, and send me a note at [email protected]. 

I’d love to hear from you. Your notes are encouraging and welcome.

Reardon “Sully” Sullivan, PE

MCGOP Chairman

By Paul Agle

“Critical Race Theory” is essentially a shared delusion.  The bad part is its advocates believe if they delude us as well it becomes real.  It has all the earmarks of a religion; no proof, lots of belief required, and extensive proselytizing.  The proselytizing of the bureaucracy, government contractors, and the education system is funded 100% with taxpayer dollars.  Trying to establish a state religion of “critical race theory” is unconstitutional and all funding of these activities should be denied.

“When you wish upon on star” is not a useful approach to crafting real policy solutions.  This helps to explain why believers in “critical race theory” are often such dishonest and evil people.  They are trying to forge reality with their beliefs.  They are the hammer, and we are the ingot.  Never be the ingot.

For “Critical Race Theory” to reach critical mass there must be massive corruption of the educational system and some corruption to the legal system.  The corruption of the legal system is proceeding nicely. 

The residual discrimination against black people as a result of slavery has been cleverly extended to cover all non-white people.  This is the tool used to justify the 'diversity and inclusion “training”' that the proponents claim “CRT is not.”  Liars.

They have cleverly turned “whites are keeping the black man down” to “whites are keeping ALL non-whites down.”

Let's pick one of those "people of color" and see how this works in practice. Let's pick Asians.

Harvard is using personal ratings of students, mostly by admissions staff, as a major factor in admissions.  And these subjective ratings by people who did not interview the students, lowball Asians.  The result is Asians needed 250 more points on their SAT score over whites to enter Harvard.  Harvard staff are only 2.9% conservative (the country is 40% conservative) so we know it isn't conservatives that are doing it.  So, in practice the believers in critical race theory are keeping the “yellow man” down.  That sounds like “White Supremacy” to me.

As a side note: the 93% discrimination against conservatives at Harvard should be a cause for concern and lawsuit.  

Here’s another illustrative story:  This football coach of Korean heritage found out what it’s like to be on the “wrong” side of diversity when he applied for a job with an unnamed NFL team recently.  Despite a resume that includes 55 games of experience as an NFL offensive tackle – the first Asian American first-round draft pick in history – and 10 seasons as an assistant coach under Super Bowl winners Andy Reid and Doug Pederson, Chung was turned away.  “It was said to me, ‘Well, you’re really not a minority,” Chung told The Boston Globe.  Chung is Korean, as are both of his parents. Because Asians are successful they are “really not a minority”.  They probably aren't “people of color” either.

Why are Asians, many of whom (or their ancestors) came here with nothing so successful? 

The direct way to improve student scores is targeted policies to keep families intact, as many Asian do. Statistically Asians are the least violent Americans.  And single mother homes have long been known to correlate with lower academic performance and more male violence (widows on the other hand have children that perform at the level of married couples).

It doesn't look like critical race theory supports the facts on the ground.  Family structure does.  And Asians who would be affected by racism as “people of color” outperform whites.

Not only are the advocates of “critical race theory” worshiping a false god, but the policies that emanate from their beliefs are destructive.  Critical Race Theory is needed to support diversity.  Diversity is a broad attack on meritocracy.  In a diverse world it matters what color you are more than who you are.  An unelected elite gets to pick and choose.  Someone's ox is going to get gored.  And as Harvard shows, who gets gored can be pretty arbitrary.  There is apparently not enough graft and opportunities for control in meritocracy.

Critical race theory (CRT) cannot survive in a viewpoint diverse environment, hence the discrimination against conservatives.  Viewpoint diversity (2.9% conservative at Harvard) is apparently verboten.

The real question is why are progressives doing this instead of attacking the core issues of inner city communities.  Looting and burning the inner city cores and “critical race theory” are no substitute for addressing the family issues that are at the heart of inner city problems and doing a better job of reducing the violence.  As the 2020 murder rate shows – the activities of the far left are making things worse not better.  

They are using the universities as a farm team, indoctrination center, and disinformation generator.  150 diversity officers and 50 diversity professors at Ohio State add nothing to education but expense.

And it is going to get worse.  An Oregon school system is a preview of the future.  'In her blueprint, [Tigard-Tualatin School District Director of Equity and Inclusion, Zinnia Un] describes the new oppressor as an amalgamation of “whiteness,” “colour-blindness,” “individualism,” and “meritocracy”… For Un, they are the values of white society, the primary impediment to social justice...

Once suitably ashamed and disintegrated, the victim – and the word victim is entirely apt – is quizzed on whether their submission to this psychological abuse has resulted in sleep deprivation and broken relationships – these are good signs, apparently. Signs of “change-making” and “solidarity.” Of emerging wokeness.'  

The advocates of CRT claim “Whiteness,” “colour-blindness,” “individualism,” and “meritocracy” are the values of white society.  And signs of psychological abuse are a positive outcome?  The discussion should not be about whether to oppose “critical race theory”, but why we haven't removed these sick and disturbed racist sadists from positions of authority to stop them from causing further harm!  

What is further distressing is the way people of color (except Asians apparently) are implicitly claimed NOT to value “colour-blindness,” “individualism,” and “meritocracy”.  

The viewpoint of advocates of “critical race theory” is so removed from reality as to constitute a threat to the Republic.  What would our future America be like without “color-blindness,” “individualism,” and “meritocracy”?  Their apparent goal is to turn us all into serfs.  Their solution to the residual effects of slavery is to enslave everyone. The US has been trying to move to a color-blind merit-based society.  We were making progress toward the goal of a society where Americans “will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”   If “critical race theory” and other fruits of social constructionism are allowed to flourish that will never happen.  The far left, which for years has claimed Martin Luther King's mantle, now sadly seem to be urinating on his grave.

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Paul Agle is a farmer (Michigan), digital hardware engineer, software engineer, 6 time marathoner, 40 year Gaithersburg Resident, 30 year Republican volunteer, a close observer of the human condition and a member of the Montgomery County Republican Central Committee.

LORRAINE KUCHMY

Lorraine grew up in Rochester, NY.   She attended American University in Washington, DC where she studied International Relations and Economics.  Once in the center of government action, she remained.  

Her love of travel was piqued when she was part of an International Humanitarian Aid group which took her to Russia.  “I was very glad to return to America, and the Russian experience made me realize how very fortunate we are to live here with so much freedom,” Lorraine said.  For fifteen years, she worked for a travel-related company, a natural fit for a woman who loves the adventure of travel.  Lorraine has packed her bags for at least twenty trips to Europe.  One of her favorite countries was Hungary where she loved the food.  Since 2003 Lorrainne has been employed as Director of Administration for The Livingston Group, former Congressman Bob Livingston’s government relations firm.  She has worked there for 18 years.

Lorraine’s father is a Ukrainian immigrant who has only a sixth grade formal education.  Despite that, he was able to start a business.  Her mother is of Ukrainian descent and Lorraine is active in the Ukrainian American community. Musically trained in piano and voice, Lorraine participates in the music ministry of her North Bethesda church.

Those who have called GOP Headquarters and left a message have likely spoken with Lorraine who calls back those who left messages.   In April of 2016, she was asked, by the then Central Committee Chair, to respond to Headquarters voicemails “for about 3 months.”  She likes talking with the callers, and enjoys their conversations.  Some call with complaints, some seeking information, offer to become more involved, and comments that prompt enjoyable conversations.  Face to face dialog is one of the advantages of working at the Republican booth at fairs and events, and she likes that.  Lahinch Tavern & Grill is one of her favorite restaurants.   

Lorraine has served as MCGOP Treasurer, Finance Chair, and was Chair of the Conservative Author’s Series.  In the spring of 2017 when MCGOP moved the website to Nationbuilder, she headed the website review committee to determine layout for the new site.  Worked in small business management for most of career, except for a couple of years on President George W. Bush’s staff in Correspondence.  Lorraine has been a CCWRC member since 2002;  2nd Vice Pres (Program Chair) 2011-13, and MCFRW political activities co-chair 2013-14.  She has a University of Dallas MBA and a Certificate in web design from Georgetown University.  Rochester NY native. Active in the Ukrainian American community.

Having visited about half of the states in the USA, Lorraine wants to see the others.  None she has visited stands out as a favorite, as each is unique in its own way.  Her next trip will be to cover more states.

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DWIGHT PATEL

It is hard to keep pace with Dwight!!  His political interests date back to his high school days when, at about 15 years old, he met the former V.C. of Central Committee, Katja Bullock.  In 1987, Dwight Patel, Marcus Alzona, David Talcott, Elisa Bocanegra, Kirk Waibel, Wayne Tung, Sven Khatri and Keary Loomis started the first High School Republican Club in Maryland, called the Blazer Republicans group at Montgomery Blair High School.  

Dwight Patel, first got interested in politics at a young age watching the 1976 GOP Convention with his grand-dad.  Dwight was always a Republican in 1980 in his fourth grade class he was one of 4 kids who voted for Reagan in the Mock Election, John Anderson got 1 vote and 19 went to Jimmy Carter.

In 1988 Dwight and his Blazer Republican Club volunteered on the Bush Quayle and Connie Morella campaign.  After the Election in November Dwight met former Vice Chair of the MCGOP the Honorable Katja Bullock, he called head quarters and Katja answers the phone.  Dwight asked if he could have eight tickets to the inauguration of President Bush, January 20, 1989.  Dwight got the trademark Katja response “Honey I will see what I can do, no promises…”   Katja worked her magic as she is famously known for she got him 8 tickets to the Inauguration and as a bonus go 6 invites to the Junior Inaugural Ball, which had a surprise guest, The President and the First Lady.

Until his Junior year politics was a hobby, however Junior year in High School he took a Political Science class at Montgomery College, Rockville, where his professor Bob McHenry who inspired him to look at Politics as a career.  Until this point Dwight was looking at being the next Frank Lloyd Wright, however destiny had a different path for him.  He decided his Senior year he’d go to GW and major in International Affairs, however his Dad said everyone in our family has a Science Degree, Dwight made a compromise first he’d get his International Affairs degree then go back for his Architecture degree.  

While in college he got his first paid political job working for Candidate for Governor of Maryland in 1990, Bill Shepherd, Dwight says, “Bill Shepherd was the most unique candidate for Governor, because he had his wife as his running mate.”  Shepherd and Shepherd lost in the fall election of 1990.  While in College Dwight Interned for Sen. Alfonse D’Amato, twice once his freshman year and again his junior year.   In 1992 Dwight was youth Director for Pete King for Congress, NY-3, (became NY-2 in 2013).   In 1993 Dwight went to work on the George Allen for Governor Campaign in Virginia.  Over his career  in politics Dwight has managed campaigns in New York, New Jersey, Alabama, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Maryland.  

Dwight has been active with the Montgomery County GOP long before he was appointed to the Central Committee in 2011.  Former Chairman Mark Uncapher and former Vice Chair Katja Bullock encouraged him to apply for the vacancy on the Central committee for an At-Large slot.  Dwight was elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018.  Some of his activities with the Central Committee, along with Bruce Stern, he organized the two very successful Golf Tournaments which morphed into our Fall Reagan Dinner, the reasoning behind was “…Well we had more people interested in the dinner than the golf…”  In addition he added the breakfast and lunch component to the County Convention, which turned the convention from a loss leader to a profitable venture.    

If you are out of breath, rest and read on…

Dwight is also a published writer.  His book “The Ray Krul Story” details the life of Ray Krul of Baltimore County who played for the Durham Bulls.  Ray bought the Rosedale Ice Company and was largely responsible for the election of Spiro Agnew.  To accomplish this, Ray put a political card in each customer’s ice delivery!  Ray had a dishonest partner who cheated him, and he had to start over.  Never discouraged, Ray dug in and did just that!  He was best known for his very generous help for many people.

Photography has always interested Dwight, and he also published a coffee table book “Maryland State of Mind” featuring his photos of the state’s diverse landscapes and scenes.  More of Dwight’s photography appears on his websites:  Dwight’s World.com, Dwight’s wizard.com and Dwight’s Nation.com.

Several years ago, Dwight relates, he weighed 350 pounds.  One day, looking in the mirror, he said to himself, “This has to change.”  He began power walking and lost a significant amount of that weight.  Soon, however, he began running and was doing just that during this interview!  In 2010 he weighed in at 158 pounds!  On average during the week, he runs 6 miles, and on weekends will often run 10 miles.

Dwight is a Trekkie!!  His favorite move of all time is Star Trek 2.  His favorite songs are Forever Young, Thunder Road, and River of Dreams.  Archie Bunker’s Place, All in the Family, the Jeffersons, Simpsons, I Dream of Jeannie and all the Lucy shows are favorite television.

His grandfather? Had a large collection of Lionel trains which Dwight inherited.  He also collects old toys, and has a large collection of political campaign pins and likes gardening.

Dwight loves road trips and his favorite vacation is driving across the country.  He has been to 39 states so far, and the longest trip was cross country to California.  The Dakotas and Alaska are on his bucket list.   

Quotes –

“I so admire Dwight Patel for his optimistic, positive and innovative leadership to advance our shared foundational principles. Our country and party need many more passionate, creative Initiators like Dwight to attract more freedom-loving people to our cause.”

- Governor George Allen

”Dwight is one of my oldest and most valuable friends in politics. He is the ultimate political warrior-always willing to go to bat for the GOP and our candidates-even in deep blue Montgomery County!”

- Governor Bob Ehrlich

“Dwight is one of the most optimistic and creative guys, I ever had the pleasure of meeting”

• Sen. Alfonse D’Amato, NY

“My friend Dwight Patel, I first met when I ran for US Congress, in a few words he is loyal, hardworking and clever, no one should ever make the mistake of underestimate him”

• Rep. Pete King, NY-2

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Karol Smith is a writer, former candidate, organizer of GOP Asbury and member of the Montgomery County Republican Central Committee.