Brevard Republican Executive Committee to elect new Chair tomorrow night

An Open Letter to the Members of the Brevard Republican Executive Committee (BREC) from Brevard Tea Party Organizer Matt Nye

Dear fellow BREC members,

With the election of a new Chair tomorrow night, we have the opportunity to change both the face and dynamic of the BREC. While I am excited about the election, I have been disappointed by some of the behavior I have witnessed and the logic being employed by many who will be voting.

First, full disclosure: I have only been a registered Republican and active member of the BREC for the last few years. I cannot claim 10 plus years of service like others, but I will let you be the judge as to whether or not I have had an impact in the short time I have been involved.

Prior to becoming active in this committee I was registered No Party Affiliation because I thought both parties were corrupt. Guess what I learned upon becoming an active member? I was absolutely, 100% correct, as has been proven by numerous RPOF scandals and the voting record of almost our entire Brevard legislative delegation.

Let’s be clear: it does absolutely no good to elect Republicans that betray their oaths and act like Democrats. I am not here to elect Republicans in name only. I am here to elect candidates who understand and believe in the US Constitution, and, more importantly, whose votes will reflect that understanding and belief. By this I mean candidates who vote for less government, less spending, lower taxes and more freedom.

If one uses the above as the standard for whether or not our local Executive Committee is a success, instead of just referencing how many “R”s or “D”s we have in office, one has to conclude the BREC is a dismal failure. With the exception of a handful of local officials, most of the Republicans elected act and vote like Democrats.

Worse still, the elected officials know the BREC is toothless and has nothing to offer in terms of helping to get them elected, or holding them accountable after they are elected. The absence of said officials at the monthly committee meetings sends the message loud and clear: “Except for the cameo right before the election where I pop in to do a Barbie wave and try to pick up a few volunteers and votes – you have nothing to offer me”. This attitude must change if we want to get solid leaders elected and expect to hold them accountable.

Albert Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. At the time of this writing, we have four candidates in the race for Chair. Three of them are long time BREC members that have invested countless hours over many, many years, and I truly respect and appreciate their service.

The other, Frank Zilaitis, has only been a registered Republican for 18 months (previously registered NPA), and is being vocally criticized for it. But there is no “tenure” when it comes to politics and activism; there should be no ring to kiss when it comes to volunteerism.

This is about who can effectively articulate and implement their vision of what the Brevard Republican Executive Committee should be. So far the only candidate I have seen that has even expressed a coherent vision is Frank Zilaitis.

I encourage everyone that will be voting tomorrow night: please *read* what you have been sent, forget the labels and who has been involved for how long and instead focus on the substance of what these candidates have proposed.

Ask yourself if you think the person has the right ideas, and whether or not you trust that person to stand on principle no matter what pressure is applied by state or national leadership.

In the short time we have been involved, I have watched Frank Zilaitis step up to the plate time and again. He wrote the much lauded resolution condemning pre-primary endorsements that put the BREC in the media last year. He represented members of the Republican Liberty Caucus pro bono at the kangaroo court known as the grievance hearings last year.

In January of this year I watched him go toe to toe with Senator Thrasher over the RPOF Chair race, and call out Senator Haridopolos and Representative Cannon over the credit card charges. I watched him stand up to Chairman Steele over the “sense of the body” to see whether the members of the BREC supported Day or Thrasher.

I do not always agree with Frank, but the one thing I know with absolute certainty is that he is one of the most principled and honest individuals I know, and he absolutely will not back down, no matter what threats are leveled against him.

The choice is ours. Will we act like entrepreneurs and take the view that merit, not tenure, is the standard by which we should judge? Or will we adopt the government bureaucrat mindset that time served entitles you to a promotion? As a walking, talking example of the former mentality, you know who I will be voting for.

May the best candidate win.

Sincerely,

Matt Nye
Organizer, Brevard Tea Party
Chair, Republican Liberty Caucus of Central East Florida
Candidate, Brevard County Commission, District 4