Ostracized

After reading Dan DeWitt's column in the Hernando Times it looks like the local Hernando County Republican Executive Committee has hit an all time low by black-balling local realtor Gary Schraut. Mr. Schraut has been a loyal party member and does not deserve the venom and hate spewed upon him by party insiders.

What happened to the "big umbrella" of the Republican Party?

Do all registered Republicans in the county need to fall into lock-step with the state committeeman and chairwoman or face being ostracized from the party?

Apparently, the HCREC has a revised motto. It must say "do what I say, not what I do" because they certainly have swayed from conservative principals with their poster-boy Jim Adkins. Adkins wants to pass out gift cards purchased with taxpayer money in a scheme to pad a few pockets in the community. If anyone is keeping score on local Republican activities, you must know that your head will be handed to you on a platter if you speak ill of their boot-licking lackey, Jim Adkins.

Dan DeWitt's column alluded to the split in the Republican party. While I agree that it appears that way, he is certainly on the wrong path. This split isn't anything new with the HCREC. Some members of the HCREC have even resorted to becoming physical with Republicans that do not follow blindly like lemmings. It has become common place for a certain member of the HCREC to physically shove fellow Republicans that do not agree with his warped sense of party loyalty.

So while DeWitt may think this trend is following some national format, I respectfully disagree with him. This hate and venom has been brewing locally behind closed doors for a good, number of years. This is either a power-trip by some on the executive committee, or maybe a few are just loosing their facilities, going nuts so to speak, with age and senility. The perceived loss of power by some in the REC could be the underlying factor in their bizarre behavior of late...