Unsolicited Mail Demanding Grievance filing with State Democratic Party

I received an envelope yesterday containing a pre-typed letter to Todd Turner, Chair of the Democratic Party of Arkansas with a hand addressed stamped envelope to Todd Turner. Herewith is the contents, typos and all (I will try not to add my own):

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Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

We will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

Todd Turner
Chair, Democratic Party of Arkansas
1300 West Capitol Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72201
FAX: 501.376.8409

Garland County Democratic Committee Concerned Members
June 14, 2010

Attention: Todd Turner, Chair of the Democratic Party of Arkansas

The purpose of this memo is to file a grievance to the State Democraitc Party of Arkansas regarding the Garland County Democratic Central Committee and specifically the Chair of the Garland County Democratic Central Committee, George Hozendorf.

On June 14, 2010, George Hozendorf, Chair of the Garland County Democratic Central Committee, called a special meeting of the Garland County Democratic Central Committee Executive Committee for the purpose of removing Virginia "Ginna" Watson from the Garland County Election Commission. The rationale presented by the chair, George Hozendorf, was due to the reduction to two polling locations for the Run off election on June 8th from 40 in the general primary on May 18th. However, the question is, if Ginna Watson had not been elected chair of the Garland County Election Commission on June 11th by the members of the Garland County Election Commission, would George Hozendorf, Chair of the Garland County Democratic Central Committee, have been asking for the removal of Ginna Watson from the Garland County Election Commission? The additional question is does the County Committee have the authority to remove anyone from the County Election Commission?

Arkansas Code # 7-4-102 County boards of election commissioners - Election - Oath states:
(a) (1) The county chair of the county committee of the majority party and the county chair of the county committee of the minority party shall be member of the county board of election commissioners together with one (1) additional or third member selected by the county committee of the majority party at the same time as the election of party officers.

(How can the County Committee select someone at mid-year versus at the time the party officers are elected after the first of the year?)and

Whereas
The State Board of Election Commissioners responded to enquiries regarding this issue that the County Committee did not have authority to remove a member of the County Election Commission.
And whereas the position of county election commissioners being a public office with a fixed term, and there being no power of removal conferred by statue, the Garland County Central Committee had no power to remove a County Election Commissioner, and
Whereas, the selection of the Party's members of the County Election Commission occurs at the time of the election of the County Committee's Officers (which is in January), it is improper to submit additional names to the County Election Commission other than the vacancy due to a resignation until January when the County Committee Officers are elected.

Whether or not we agree with the decision of the Garland County Election Commission to have only two polling locations during the run-off election in June 2010 is not the issue. No laws were broken and the appropriate processes were followed by the election commission. The Garland County Committee or specifically the Chair of the Garland County Democratic Central Committee is not in compliance with Arkansas Law in seeking to remove Ginna Watson from the Garland County Election Commission.

These actions are not in accordance with the Arkansas Code 7-4-102 and accordingly we respectfully request the Democratic Party of Arkansas to intercede in these actions of the Garland County Democratic Central Committee and prevent any further action of the Garland County Democratic Central Committee to remove "Ginna Watson" and replace her on the Garland County Election Commission as planned the by the County Committee on June 16, 2010. The DPA is respectfully requested to intervene and prevent any further actions of the Garland County Democratic Central Committee on this matter until there is an official ruling regarding the authority to remove Ginna Watson from the Garland County Election Commission.

We accordingly request action of the Democratic Party of Arkansas on this Grievance.

Thank-you,


CC: Georgen Hozendorf, Chair of the Garland County Democratic Central Committee

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And so it goes...

I respectfully ask that the person tell everyone that was mailed one of these who he/she is. To ask someone to sign their name to an 'anonymous' letter and mail it as if it was of their own accord and wishes, ranks right up there with the lowliest coward in the world.

If you are trying to incriminate someone that called for a vote of no confidence Wednesday of George Hozendorf, you're way off base and this is a cheap shot at manipulating public opinion.

Hot Springs Politics just wants to set the record straight- Claudia Reynolds had nothing to do with this farce.