Robin Yess Resigns as Ulster County GOP Chair

I just received Robin Yess's resignation as chair of the Ulster County Republican Committee.  With Robin gone, the Ulster County Republican Committee is a force for bigger government.  Yess writes that five GOP legislators plan to support the Golden Hill nursing home, a boondoggle that will cost Ulster County taxpayers $80 million.  Yess's argument is that the GOP is really the GOB--the Good 'Ol Boys Party.  It seems to me that what has happened in the Ulster County GOP is very much what is going to be happening all over the country.  As insurgents like Yess start to realize the impossibility of reforming the GOP, increasing numbers of Republicans will disassociate themselves from it.  Tea Party activists who believe that the GOP is less socialistic than the Dems are delusional.  The next presidential election year is going to see a boom in third parties, especially if a big government advocate wins the GOP's presidential nod. 

To: All Town Chairs

Please share with your committees, but in the event you don’t, a hard copy is going to the entire County Committee in tomorrow’s mail along with some other documents of interest.

Since the Fall of 2007, I have been actively involved in the County Committee and obviously the Republican Party in Ulster County. Since being elected as Chair last September, I have continued to work hard and have tried to move things forward in a positive direction. At every turn there are those who work against my efforts or do nothing but complain. It’s not everyone, but it’s enough.

There are a lot of problems with politics and political parties, but the ‘GOB’ is the biggest problem for the GOP. The GOB being the ‘Good Old Boys’. Since my election as Chair I have witnessed some outrageous things and heard some shocking things, but I guess it’s expected. What isn’t expected is Elected Republican Officials who don’t stand up for Republican Party platform and principles. What I am talking about is, of course, Golden Hill Health Care Center. In my opinion, there shouldn’t be any discussion or consideration amongst Republican Legislators as to our stance on this issue. My position – and I believe the position of most true Republicans – is that government has no business being in a business that can be run by the private sector. Period. However, we have some Legislators (I now refer to them as “The Golden Hill Five”) who believe that the County should not only continue to run a nursing home, but that we should spend and borrow upwards of $80 to $100 million to make that happen. All for 280 beds. There is no way that taking on this kind of debt or even half that amount will not increase our taxes. And anyone who believes that we will receive an influx of cash from the State to help fund this project, given the financial times we’re in, is a fool.

I am a Republican because I support limited and smaller government, and certainly less and fewer taxes. It seems that the GOB are always fighting me, working behind the scenes going out of their way to make me look bad, diminish my authority or make my efforts fail. When five out of eighteen Republican legislators support continuing a County Run nursing home, more debt and more spending, we, as a Party, have a serious problem. The Golden Hill dilemma is a serious issue for me. I suppose I have come to realize that I am wasting my time working to support a Party that clearly does not share the same principles and values as I do. When a former County Republican Chairman speaks at the Republican Caucus on 4/12/11 and promotes the idea of continuing a county run nursing home, we have a problem. When five of our Republican legislators want to vote in favor of building a new nursing home, spending money we don’t have and imminently raising taxes, we have a problem. I have worked very hard to support Republican Party principles, which is what I thought we were all working toward, but clearly that’s not the case...

....I am resigning as Chairman of the Ulster County Republican Committee effective immediately, and no, I am not interested in assuming any other role. My four years of volunteer service conclude today. As First Vice Chair, David Van Benschoten will conduct the nominating convention on June 2^nd unless he declines to do so. This evening I returned all documents in my possession to Republican Headquarters. Over the weekend, I will deliver an envelope to Secretary Jacobsen that will include some important information, passwords and my keys, and the checkbooks will be delivered to Treasurer Berenda. I will submit all ads for the dinner journal to PDQ Printing tomorrow so they can get ready for printing and will leave all dinner related documents with Patty Jacobsen.

I suggest that the ousters get to work right away to show how they can make things happen so that when Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb shows up to speak at the dinner, he’s got a good crowd to address. Good luck and to those of you who have supported my efforts, I thank you with all my heart. I will always be available to help true Republicans and you know who you are.