Over the course of five debates, most BREC chair candidates have talked about “growing the grassroots” as a blueprint for winning elections in Broward county. Richard DeNapoli has an eight-point plan which includes placing a committeeman in all 800 precincts. Jay Narang proposes narrow casting: targeting voters in every precinct and encouraging them to join the BREC. Tom Truex thinks both men have it “backwards”.

Truex has repeatedly stated his goal is to “get local officials elected first”. He believes winning elections will drive people to join BREC. How would he accomplish this? He has experience from his own campaigns in Davie; Experience he promises to share with other candidates. But how do you win an election without better organization and manpower provided by local activists who are the heart and soul of BREC?

A Truex mailer states:

“For obvious security reasons, I’m not publishing my detailed action plan for BREC on the Internet. But I would be happy to send you more details.”

At last night’s DC WORKS FOR US candidate townhall, RED BROWARD asked Mayor Truex if he would share his plan with those in attendance. He did not give any new details.

Today RED BROWARD received a hard copy of the Truex plan. Under the three part plan,  BREC would “communicate with, coordinate and unite local elected Republicans, and, BREC must recruit, train and support local candidates.” The first part of this plan would see the creation of 5 to 7 “regional teams”. These “community action teams” (CATs), would focus upon local elections in their designated areas. Even though they would meet no more than four times a year, each team “will be responsible for defining all goals long term plans for defending incumbents, or replacing them upon retirement or promotion and winning new seats.”

The Truex plan will develop a “comprehensive rating system…A-F to help assess best what seats must be defended and what seats are winnable.” The teams will be made up of elected officials, club presidents, appointed officials and other “key contacts”.

Part two would divide the county into regions. Again an “A-F” would be employed to:

“1. Incumbents: prioritize the seats that are to be defended

2. winnability: of remaining seats–prioritize!”

Truex would create a “pool of funds” to help incumbents, “seed” candidates,  and help “strong” candidates. Fundraisers would be held to acquire the “pool”. The final section of part two deals with “networking”: communicating to “higher up” state and federal officials to tell them of the importance of this plan.

The final part would see the creation of a chairperson and a committee to coordinate these activities; “[T]he chair shall have a committee that consists of chairs of all CATs, elected officials, and BREC leadership”. This super committee would meet once a year, while the chairs of the CATs would meet semi-annually. The chairperson would, “call and conduct meetings”, act as “one point of contact for candidate recruitment”,  conduct “CAT coordination” and “communicate to BREC chair and board all pertinent activities and progress.”

Where does the membership of BREC fit into this plan? Who picks this chairperson? Who picks the CATs? Is this allowed under RPOF rules? What about BREC rules? Would these meeting be open to all BREC members? How would a local elected official feel about getting an “F” from the chairperson? What criterion would be used to determine grades?Who would hand out funds? Would it be the chairperson? The BREC chairman? Who controls the money?

Lots of questions. I welcome more answers.