Maricopa County Democratic Party reorganization completed UPDATED 10:30pm MST 12-8-14

Yesterday (Saturday, December 6), elected Democratic precinct committee members in Maricopa County elected a new executive committee for the 2015-2016 election cycle.

With pretty much no drama (only one contested race), the new officers are:

• Kelli Butler, chair
• Steven Slugocki, 1st vice-chair
• Randy Keating, 2nd vice-chair
• Robert Donat, secretary
• Jacqueline Adams, treasurer
• Jessica Gonzales, sergeant-at-arms

These people have experience in the trenches. Kelli and Randy were, during the 2013-2014 cycle, LD chairs (28 and 26 respectively). Steven was re-elected as 1rst vice-chair.

Though Arizona Democrats, especially in Maricopa County, fared better than our counterparts in traditionally Blue States, nobody is satisfied that we failed to pick up ground in the legislature or that we lost all of the statewide office races. 

To highlight the perspective, Republicans in Arizona are apparently taking heat (in-fighting) for not picking up any seats (net gain) in the legislature.

-----

In related news, now that Kelli Butler holds the MCDP chair position (which automatically makes her a member of the Arizona Democratic Party state committee), her state committee position from LD28 becomes open.

Because LD28 now has an open SC seat, there is a process for filling it. We already know that Rodney Glassman wants to be a member of the state committee, which is a requirement when a person runs for ADP chairman.

LD28 chairman Gary Gilger will make a recommendation to current ADP chair Bill Roe. Bill is not required to accept that recommendation but will appoint an LD28 elected PC.

When I criticized Glassman, on this blog and on Facebook, a few people took offense.

There is a plethora of data demonstrating Glassman's lack of fitness to serve in any leadership position in the Arizona Democratic Party. 

What had come up at the LD28 reorganization meeting about Glassman was that he had held a fundraiser for Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Smith. If that had been all there was to the situation, it may not have been a big deal. But there was substantially more to it.

On the subject of support for Scott Smith, Glassman touted his long time friendship with the former Mesa mayor. I get that. Friendships, including those reaching across the aisle, can be a good thing. But the pertinent facts include that Glassman's family (financially rich as a result of a long history of predatory lending to small family farmers in California) donated (at least) $10,000.00 to Smith's failed campaign. But a paltry $100.00 (from Sasha, none from Rodney) to support Fred DuVal in his race against Scrooge McDucey. If anyone could have afforded to contribute 10 grand to help the Democratic candidate for governor, it's Rodney and his family.

Compiled from the Arizona Secretary of State's website:

Glassman Family (brother Jeremy. mother Linda, father Robert):

* total to Republicans: $6,500 ($6,000 for Smith; $500 for Jeff Dial)

* total to Democrats: 0

Rodney Glassman:

* total to Republicans: $2,000

* total to Democrats: $ 145

Sasha Glassman:

* total to Republicans: $2,950

* total to Democrats: $1,055

Detail by individuals, dates, and amounts below (all info retrieved from AZ SOS website):

GLASSMAN, RODNEY

* Foothills Democrats 03/19/2014 $40

* Smith Governor 2014 04/27/2014 $2,000

* Democrats of District 28 10/07/2014 $5

* Garcia 2014 10/15/2014 $100

GLASSMAN, SASHA

* Landrum Taylor 2014 10/06/2013 $100

* Robert Meza for State Senate 2014 10/07/2013 $440

* Dial 2014 10/20/2013 $500

* Larkin for Legislature 10/20/2013 $100

* Vote Reagan 2014 12/10/2013 $100

* Anna Tovar for Senate 01/11/2014 $100

* Marquez for Arizona 04/01/2014 $15

* Smith Governor 2014 04/27/2014 $2,000

* Bob Worsley for State Senate 05/19/2014 $250

* BARTON4AZ 07/28/2014 $100 (rwnj Brenda Barton)

* Felecia for Arizona 2014 07/30/2014 $100

* Elect Eric Meyer 09/07/2014 $100

*Fred for AZ 10/25/2014 $100

As you can see, Glassman had his mother and his wife each contribute $500.00 to the Republican opponent of LD18 Democratic senatorial candidate Janie Hydrick. $1,000.00 to help defeat a Democratic candidate for state senate. Is that a big deal? Of course, he will say, rightfully no doubt, that said Republican, Jeff Dial, is also a close friend.

Why any Democratic activist would think somebody like Rodney would be a good candidate for ADP state chairman is beyond me.

Wait, there's MORE! 

To qualify for election as an LD28 precinct committeeman, Rodney submitted a nominating petition with ten signatures of voters, the minimum required in this case. The only problem is that two of the ten were and still are not valid signatures of Biltmore precinct Democratic voters. One is a registered Independent voter. Another is not registered to vote at the Biltmore precinct address listed on the petition.

Either Rodney was just careless in collecting and not verifying his signatures or he knew the two signatures were invalid, in which case one would rightfully question his integrity. Whichever it was, it seems quite clear that Rodney's not qualified for the position to which he aspires.

Barbara Serbin, whose signature is on line 3, was not and is not registered to vote at the address she listed on the petition, or anywhere in the Biltmore precinct.

Geoffrey Balon, an criminal defense attorney working in law enforcement, has his address restricted on the voter roll, but he was and apparently still is registered as an Independent, not a Democrat.

[As of July 2017, Balon says he has always been a Democrat. As an additional update, Glassman, having previously changed his party affiliation to Republican, fittingly has initiated paperwork to run for a seat on Arizona Corporation Corruption Commission filer ID 201800220. Glassman's campaign committee chair is Republican Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. Not that Glassman is any more qualified to serve as a Corporation Commissioner than as chair of the Arizona Democratic Party.]

The bottom line in all of this with Rodney is that he's pissing into the wind with his campaign to get elected ADP state chairman.

UPDATE           UPDATE           UPDATE

Previously, I forgot to add that Glassman's PC nomination paper has at least one pertinent, relevant detail that might matter, especially to my Progressive friends.

On May 27, 2014, Rodney Glassman submitted to Maricopa County Elections this nomination paper stating that he was putting himself forward as a candidate for the office of Precinct Committeeman for the Biltmore precinct and LD28, subject to the action of the DEMOCRAT Party. In other words, with as much information as is available to demonstrate that Glassman is #Bad4AZ, it really all boils down to the fact that he even uses the Republican epithet for the party he wants to represent.

Do I really need to make it any more clear than this?