A Reply to Sunshine State News Interview of Nelson Diaz, Miami GOP Chair

A Response to Sunshine State News Article - "Miami-Dade GOP Chair Nelson Diaz to Ron Paulers: I'm No Liberal, Let's Work Together" 

The South Florida TEA Party Blog has written a number of articles regarding the Miami GOP and its new chair, Mr. Nelson Diaz. We want to offer a congratulations to Mr. Diaz for making a public appeal to Party faithful that have expressed reservations about the future of the Miami GOP.

As a voice for our TEA Party brothers and sisters in South Florida, I would like to present three questions that answered satisfactorily should make every conservative in Miami stand in line to join Republican electoral efforts with Mr. Diaz at the lead.

The greatest concern that Republicans have about Mr. Diaz is regarding his impartiality to serve as Chair while working as a professional lobbyist. His explanation of his campaign contribution to DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman-Shultz indicates that his employer and his clients can exercise influence over him that may cause a conflict of interest between his professional and Party duties.

Keep in mind, a professional lobbyist serving as the head of a political party can be an effective coordinator with Republican elected officials far better than the average citizen because of their professional experience. A Republican stronghold county like Miami-Dade  would have a lot to gain from a lobbyist who knows and has worked with every elected Republican in the area.

1) How much will Mr. Diaz's employment as a professional lobbyist affect his impartiality to be an effective "Republican Leader"?

Mr. Diaz does not have an easy job as a lobbyist. Lobbyists provide a service that removes government impediments to growing businesses, pressures public officials into sending tax payers their expected public services and when these efforts fail even inviting electoral challenge to those non-responsive, public officials. Lobbying is part of the American political tradition as the application of the basic right of petition and redress and as such the lobbyist's work is a public service. 

RPOF Considers Purging Hundreds of Members

Orlando, FL - Republican State Committeewoman Liliana Ros of Miami-Dade County presented a proposal today to the Republican State Committee to enforce the requirement regarding the submission of loyalty oaths to the RPOF office in Tallahasse affecting ALL county-level Republican Executive Committees. The RPOF voted to send the proposal to committee to study the proposal. If the proposal passes, hundreds of REC members throughout Florida could be removed from their position, potentially throwing the party into chaos.

Loyalty Oaths are an interesting issue to the RPOF. The Loyalty Oaths under Jim Greer (former RPOF chair appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist and felon) was used to get rid of uppity grassroots who gain too much control of their county party organization.

Recently, the current RPOF chair, Lenny Curry used the Loyalty Oath to remove a county chair that supported non-Republican candidates and harassing/preventing Republicans from the "TEA Party and 912 groups" from joining the Executive Committee. This is good example of proper enforcement.

Correction Regarding "Angel" Zayas

A correction with apologies is in order. We corroborated that a Mr. Zayas was the improper time keeper  for the Miami GOP Election in December 18th but we told the wrong name for this gentleman.

I was corrected by an email from Mrs. Aida Ventriere-Zayas (see below) that it was NOT "Angel L. Zayas" (Democrat) but "Eleodoro E. Zayas", a registered Republican. Mrs. Ventriere-Zayas was until recently a Miami GOP staff member for the past 4 years (related articles) and an elected member of Republican Executive Committee of Miami-Dade County (REC).

It was this Eleodoro E. Zayas that was appointed as the time keeper during the REC Election. However, I have not received any response as to why a non-REC member and spouse of a staff member would be participating in directing the election?

Thinking out loud, why was Mrs. Zayas fired from her position shortly after the REC Election?