September 2023 Chairman’s Notes
There will be no meeting for September, which would fall on this coming Monday, 9/11. I ask you all to say a prayer that day in remembrance.
And instead of meeting, use the time you would have spent to reach out and help our candidates. Each of them needs help – door knocking, phone calls, writing postcards, talking to friends, and neighbors. Each of them needs resources – donate to their campaigns or directly to the party so we can print our sample ballots and other materials for early voting and for Election Day.
Our candidates are here: https://staffordgop.com/2023-elections/
If you have any questions, please let me know. I’ll be sending out more information soon about specific events and activities. In the meantime, please reach out to the campaigns and help get them across the finish line! Control of the state legislature, the Board of Supervisors, and the School Board rests in our hands!
In Freedom,
Tony DeTora
Chairman
August 2023 Chairman’s Notes
“I love agitation and investigation and glory in defending unpopular truth against popular error.”
– James A. Garfield, 20th President of the United States
Misinformation. Disinformation. Lies, damn lies, and statistics. Popular error.
How many names do we have for things that simply aren’t true? How many words do we have for things that are “known” by most people, but are also untrue. We just heard Vice President Kamala Harris claim that Florida’s new curriculum praises slavery as beneficial to those who suffered under it, when the truth is the exact opposite. We heard President Joe Biden claim that Georgia’s new voting laws were “Jim Crow 2.0” until the election happened and 0% of black voters said they had any difficulty voting. We heard Rep. Adam Schiff claim proof of Russian election interference which is now thoroughly debunked. We heard Hillary Clinton claim that MAGA Republicans are responsible for heat waves, that the 2016 election was stolen from her, and that she would only wipe her server “with a cloth”.
We live in a time when the popular error is very popular, and we must agitate and investigate and defend unpopular truths at every turn. The popular error is that Republicans are racist, sexist, and classist. The unpopular truth is that Republicans simply want everyone to be treated the same way – equally before the law, fairly by society at large, and by their character and actions rather than their immutable characteristics.
To quote the RPV Creed: we believe that all individuals are entitled to equal rights, justice, and opportunities and should assume their responsibilities as citizens in a free society.
Simple, straightforward truth. We will keep defending the truth, no matter how unpopular it is. It’s too important to do otherwise.
AUGUST MEETING
We will hold our next official meeting on Monday, August 14 at 7 PM at the Falmouth Fire Station – 250 Butler Rd. The full call is below. We will be considering an Endorsement for Griffis-Widewater School Board, a nonpartisan office. If you have questions, please let me know.
It is expected that we will move into Executive Session to consider confidential business. Executive Session is open only to active SCRC members, with special limited allowance made to others that the committee requires for the confidential business. Members will be sent a memo with additional details about the meeting.
GOVERNOR YOUNGKIN IN STAFFORD
Governor Glenn Youngkin will be in Stafford County for a “Parents Matter Conversation” at the Falmouth Volunteer Fire Department, 250 Butler Rd on Thursday, August 10. Doors open at 10am. Tickets are required. Follow this link for full details and to get tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/parents-matter-conversation-with-governor-glenn-youngkin-tickets-689434736857
TARA DURANT POSTCARD PARTY
Join Tara Durant and her volunteer team at Amy’s Cafe |103 W Cambridge St on Wednesday, August 9th at 6:00pm for her first ‘Postcard Party’ of the general election! Help spread the word of Tara’s campaign by writing postcards to neighbors across the 27th District and meet with fellow supporters. You can RSVP at: https://taradurant.com/postcard-rsvp/
FREDERICKSBURG FAIR
We had a great run at the Fredericksburg Fair, and I wanted to give a special Thank you! to Bill Stewart who really stepped into the breach to set up and manage our booth. Great job, Bill!
SECURE YOUR VOTE VIRGINIA
Secure Your Vote Virginia has been established by Governor Glenn Youngkin to help ensure our victory in November. I know many of you have deep concerns about election integrity. The Governor and his team have worked diligently to eliminate any problem areas, to ensure proper ballot safety and security measures are in place, and to create this portal to help us all ensure that our votes are secured for 2023 and beyond. You can visit the portal at https://secureyourvotevirginia.com/
We fight and fight and fight and fight because we are the only ones who can do it. If we let up, if we allow them to lie and cheat and steal, if we leave our fellow citizens undefended and unprotected, then we lose everything we have fought for. I gave some examples of obvious lies, but their lies go so much deeper and lead to real harm. James Garfield did not serve long as President, but he did fight for the truth with the time he had. We owe it to everyone we know and love to do the same.
In Freedom,
Tony DeTora
Chairman
July 2023 Chairman’s Notes
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” – Preamble to the Declaration of Independence
How many Democrats today fundamentally believe that Governments grant us our rights? All of them! They believe that we have no rights, no property, no say except what they allow us to have. But we know the truth – rights are God-given and we have rights because we are people. And the government’s job – its only job – is to secure our rights from those who would deny them to us. King George III and the English Parliament forgot that, or never understood that. That is why a group of Englishmen went to Philadelphia in 1776, and a group of Americans left Philadelphia. That is where a nation was born. A nation that we proudly call home today.
It is our responsibility to uphold those great ideas in the Declaration of Independence, and to properly enact those provisions in the U.S. Constitution. Lately the road has seemed longer and more fraught than it should. Our society seems upended. But we hold onto these self-evident truths, and we fight each fight that needs fighting because we believe there is no alternative. There is nothing better now and there never will be.
As you celebrate this Independence Day, remember each generation had their own struggles and fights and as bad as it seems now, it has been much, much worse in the past. We will prevail if we fight – if we refuse to leave the field of battle. We have many elections this November, and the balance of power in Stafford County and in Richmond may depend on how well we do our jobs.
NEXT STAFFORD GOP MEETING
We will hold our next official meeting on Monday, July 10 at 7PM at the Falmouth Fire Station – 250 Butler Rd. The full call is below. We will be considering Endorsements for nonpartisan offices and other offices without GOP nominees. If you have questions, please let me know.
It is expected that we will move into Executive Session to consider confidential business. Executive Session is open only to active SCRC members, with special limited allowance made to others that the committee requires for the confidential business. Members have been sent a memo with additional details about the meeting.
REPUBLICAN NOMINEES
All eleven Republican nominees will be given an opportunity to address the membership at the July meeting. Some of them you’ve heard from recently, and some not. All of them need our help and support to win in November.
7th DISTRICT BBQ
The 7th Congressional District Committee will be holding an Election Kickoff BBQ, Sunday, July 16 at 4pm at the Lilac Pavilion at Locust Shade Park, 4701 Locust Shade Dr, Triangle, VA. Flyer is below with a QR code to reserve your spot. Sponsorships are also available!
ENDORSEMENTS FOR SCHOOL BOARD AND SUPERVISOR
Since School Board elections are non-partisan, we cannot have nominees. This year, School Board seats are open in George Washington, Griffis-Widewater, and Rock Hill. We also do not have nominees for the Supervisor seats in George Washington or Griffis-Widewater. We will consider endorsements for candidates in these five elections during our July GOP meeting. More information about the endorsement process has been sent to the membership. If anyone wishes to join the Endorsement Committee, we have an open spot. If you wish us to consider endorsing a candidate, please fill out this form and send it to me no later than 7pm Saturday, July 8. If there are any questions, please contact me at [email protected]
FREDERICKSBURG FAIR
The Fredericksburg Fair will run from July 28-August 6 at the fairgrounds. We need volunteers to help staffing our booth, and set-up at the beginning of the fair. Volunteer slots can be filled by using our sign-up genius here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050A4BACAB28ABF85-fredericksburg If you have trouble logging in, contact me or Charles Sterne at [email protected] for help.
I usually don’t go with a double quote, but President Calvin Coolidge put the truth of it as clear as day: “If all men are created equal, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions.” No wonder progressives don’t like the truth. There can be no progress beyond these truths.
In Freedom,
Tony DeTora
Chairman
May 2023 Chairman’s Notes
“People ask me about if, being a Republican, you guys want to cut everything and stop everything and not help people. I find that patently false.” – Senator Tim Scott
I’ve been hearing this recently because of our successful fight against the Largest Tax Increase in Stafford History. And not to say that Senator Scott didn’t go far enough, but I think that is a blatant and willful lie. You can see more details below, but the Republican plan (which passed 5-2) provided a $16.2 million increase to the Schools Budget – the single largest increase in Stafford history. This is the 3rd year in a row that the Republican plan gave the largest increase in Stafford history to the schools – with our schools getting ever larger increases each year.
Don’t believe the lies that Republicans don’t care about schools, or children, or teachers. You can believe what you want about Democrat plans that just might bankrupt a significant percentage of neighbors, families, and friends.
You cannot tax your way to prosperity – unless you are the king. And we threw off royalty in 1776. The Supervisors are exploring new ways to generate revenue without just piling it up on the backs of property owners, but they are severely hampered by the state legislature about what they can do. They are have been working with Governor Youngkin and our local legislators to find solutions.
Which brings me nicely into our Candidate Forum on Monday. Instead of our regularly scheduled May meeting, we will have a Candidate Forum with those seeking the Republican nominations for Stafford Treasurer, for the 27th Senate district, for the 29th Senate district, and for the 65th Delegate district. More details are below, and I hope to see you there.
NEXT STAFFORD GOP MEETING
We will not hold an official meeting in May. Stay tuned for details about June.
CANDIDATE FORUM
We have invited all of our candidates in contested primaries to participate in the Stafford GOP Candidate Forum on Monday, May 8 at 6:30pm at the Falmouth Fire Station at 250 Butler Rd in Southern Stafford. The forum is being co-sponsored by the Fredericksburg City GOP, the Prince William County GOP, and the Spotsylvania County GOP. Come out to hear our candidates, what they stand for, and how they plan to represent you!
- Tara Durant – State Senate District 27
- Matt Strickland – State Senate District 27
- Nikki Baldwin– State Senate District 29
- Maria Martin – State Senate District 29
- Lee Peters – House of Delegates District 65
- Michael Kasey – House of Delegates District 65
- Heather Mitchell – Stafford County Treasurer
- Mike Sienkowski – Stafford County Treasurer
STAFFORD COUNTY BUDGET
The following is the message that was sent out by Stafford County about the FY2024 Budget, tax rates, and CIP:
Stafford’s Board of Supervisors adopted its Fiscal Year 2024 Budget and
Fiscal Year 2024–33 Capital Improvement Program. The FY2024 Budget
takes effect on July 1, 2023, and includes a real estate tax rate of $0.93 and
a motor vehicles personal property tax rate of $5.49 ($2.745 effective rate).
Before this meeting, the Board of Supervisors did vote to advertise the real
estate tax rate at $1.145.
The Board of Supervisors provided a $16.2 million increase to the School
budget, the largest increase in history. The increase includes a 5% percent
pay raise for all school employees. The Budget also includes several
enhancements to public safety, such as one new fire crew, six new deputies
for the Sheriff’s Office, 11 school protection officers and a Homeland Security
investigator.
The FY24 Budget goes into effect on July 1, 2023. The new tax rates are
based on a calendar year and will be in effect starting with the June 2023
payments. New Utilities fees also go into effect beginning July 1, 2023.
All information on the FY2024 Budget may be found at
www.staffordcountyva.gov/budget. The Adopted Budget will be published
before July 1, 2023.
2023 ELECTIONS
The county is looking for more poll workers (Election Officials). With the increased number of precincts, and a county-wide primary, they need our help. The best way to ensure election integrity is by having Republicans in every precinct actually running the elections. If you’d like to sign up, or for more information, go here. If you can’t commit all day, then make sure you sign up with the party to help in a poll greeter role.
SPEAKER SERIES
This month, our Speaker Series welcomes Maureen Siegmund who represents Garrisonville on the School Board. The event is, as always, on the 4th Monday of the month, May 22 at 6:30pm at the Porter Library, 2001 Parkway Boulevard. More information below or at this link.
I am always amazed at the ease with which people tell lies, or convince themselves of things which aren’t true. People get ideas into their heads and refuse to let them go. Research shows that people, when shown evidence that contradicts their beliefs, will become more entrenched rather than reconsider. I think this is doubly true when we look at the media, most of our universities, our entrenched “elites” who run most of our institutions. Public trust of our institutions is at historic lows. And for good reason. They blatantly tell lies, then when caught tell you the next lie – that they said the truth all along. We have much hard work as we seek to unspool their lies and take back our society. But there’s nobody I would rather be on this journey with than all of you.
In Freedom,
Chairman
April 2023 Chairman’s Notes
March 2023 Chairman’s Notes
February 2023 Chairman’s Notes
“The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help.”
– Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States
NEXT STAFFORD GOP MEETING
We will hold our next meeting on Monday, February 13 at 7pm at the Pancho Villa Mexican Restaurant, 752 Warrenton Rd. Fredericksburg. The official call is below. If you wish to become a member, or renew a lapsed membership, you can enter your information and pay the dues here. We’re asking everyone to try to sit by Magisterial District – we’ll need to do some things by district in the meeting, so it will be easier if they’re already together. Come Early – Order Food and Drinks – Support Our Local Businesses
STUDENTS FOR LIFE ACTION
Thank you to Les Gabriel who forwarded me information about Students for Life Action targeting Representative Abigail Spanberger because of her vote against the Born-Alive Survivors Protection Act (H.R. 26). They are asking for small donations to help support these students who are engaged in this campaign. Donations can be made here: https://studentsforlifeaction.givingfuel.com/sflactionpizza?registrants.source=hf®istrants.messageid=230202
17 ELECTIONS IN 2023
We will have 17 elected offices to fill in Stafford County this coming November. Many of our incumbents are running for re-election. We have some new names and faces putting themselves out there. And we’re still seeking individuals who may want to be Republican candidates in upcoming elections. If you or someone you know may be interested in running for office, please reply to this email so we can set up a time to talk. An up-to-date list of this year’s elections can be found at our website: https://staffordgop.com/2023-elections/ We will update this page regularly with new information about the process and candidates.
SPEAKER SERIES
We will hold our next SCRC Speaker Series event on Monday, February 27 at 6:30pm at the Porter Library at 2001 Parkway Boulevard, Stafford, VA 22554.
IMPORTANT COMMITTEE BUSINESS
At our meeting on Monday, we will choose the method of nomination for eight of the upcoming elections, we will consider our annual budget, and start preparing to fully support our Republican candidates to secure victories in November. More information on these items will be sent to our Members’ distribution list. If you are a current member and haven’t been receiving our Members’ distribution emails, please reply to this message and let me know. We’ll get it sorted out.
In Freedom,
Tony DeTora
Chairman
December 2022 Chairman’s Notes
“Let the light of millions of candles in American homes give notice that the light of freedom is not going to be extinguished. We are blessed with a freedom and abundance denied to so many. Let those candles remind us that these blessings bring with them a solid obligation, an obligation to the God who guides us, an obligation to the heritage of liberty and dignity handed down to us by our forefathers and an obligation to the children of the world, whose future will be shaped by the way we live our lives today. ” ―Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States, in his 1981 Christmas Address to the nation
We will not hold an official meeting in December. Our next official meeting will be on January 9, 2023. Information (including our location) will go out before the meeting.
SCRC CHRISTMAS PARTY
We will hold our annual Christmas Party on Monday, December 19 at 6:30pm located at Augustine North Community Center, located at 201 Monument Dr, Stafford, VA 22554. Thank you to Adela Bertoldi for securing the location for us. This party will be a pot luck affair – so bring something for everyone to enjoy! I will send out more detailed information as we get closer.
2023 Stafford County Elections
As you are aware, we will have 17 elections in Stafford County in 2023. All of the Constitutional offices are up for election, as are the state legislature seats and Supervisor and School Board seats in three of the districts. We will post information about each of these elections at https://staffordgop.com/2023-elections/ as we proceed. Information for candidates is already available at the Virginia Department of Elections website: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/candidatepac-info/candidate-bulletins/ It is our responsibility to decide how our nominees are selected. In the coming weeks I will share information about that process as we move toward making those decisions in the new year.
God bless us, everyone!
In Freedom,
Tony DeTora
Chairman