I gotta say, I am really disappointed.

The New Mexico Republican Party State Central Committee
met today to decide to maintain the status quo.

They like the rule of the gavel
more than they like Robert's Rules of Order.

It bothers me that the decision was driven by ignorance.

Somebody got up and told people it would cost $500 a meeting
to adopt Robert's Rules of Order.

And I guess people believed him.

He also argued that, to adopt Robert's Rules of Order was to enable the bad guys to take over meetings because they are the only ones who know the rules.

And I guess people believed him.

Someone else argued that the state had no right to tell the county, precinct and ward bosses how to run their meetings.

And I guess people like to be bossed around at the county, precinct and ward level.


No one suggested a better alternative than adopting Robert's Rules.


They were so bent on cutting of their nose to spite their face,
that they voted in favor of continuing the Rule of the Gavel.

What were they thinking?

Why was such an important issue as the adoption of Robert's Rules allowed only 3 1/2 minutes of explanation and defense?

Why were candidates given only three minutes?

Was there no part of that meeting that could have been
truncated in favor of more important business?

They were offered the opportunity to codify their right to know about decision making that affects their interests.

They decided instead, to leave that issue in the hands of people who stood right up and said;

If you make secret meetings against the rules,
we'll just take them outdoors and have them anyway.

That one was explained and defended in 3 1/2 minutes as well.

I listened to one person after another talk about higher standards of conduct, and not one of them talked about how they would hold themselves honestly accountable to a higher standard of conduct.


It bears noting that;
Jon Barela could not have done a better job
of moving the agenda, and quieting a large room
with a fair number of people who insisted upon carrying on
too lengthy and too loud conversations in the back of the room.

But still.

Before the meeting today, I was looking forward to becoming more active in the Republican Party.

Now, not so much.