Parsky in The News Parsky Watch Archives
More Parsky Watch Parsky Watch - The Magazine Take the Parsky Watch IQ Test Visit the Parsky Watch Store	Back to Parsky Watch archives Parsky reforms invite FPPC investigation Parsky Watch #43 April 28, 2003 PARSKY REFORMS BEARING ROTTEN FRUIT The ill-fated Parsky Reforms continue to bear rotten fruit. The latest bad apple to fall off the Parsky Reforms tree is the 21st Century Insurance controversy - which may have fallen off the news radar screen, but continues to envelope the CRP. In the latest development, the Federal Election Commission has opened an investigation targeting not only the CRP, but also all the involved county Republican parties. The CRP has hired legal counsel to represent itself, as well as the county parties. How does this issue involve Gerry Parsky? Because it is the “reforms” honchoed by the Parsky-meister back in the fall of 2001, that obliterated institutional barriers that would have prevented this mess from occurring. For those with short memories, prior to these “reforms,” the CRP’s executive authority was vested in the elected chairman, to whom the executive director and party staff reported. Parsky’s restructuring transferred that authority to an unelected Operations Committee – headed by himself, naturally. Tragically for the CRP, these changes crumbled the institutional checks that worked to prevent the party from acting against its own self-interest. You see, the CRP executive director is regularly pressured by Republican officeholders, candidates and consultants to do things that would violate campaign regulations and land the party in legal hot water. The E.D. – and all senior CRP staff – must be able to say “no!” to these powerful individuals in order to protect the CRP as an institution. When the office of chairman still retained executive decision-making authority, the chairman – and the staff who reported to him – were able to protect the party and say “No.” The Parsky Reforms tore down that firewall. Decisions now come from the Operations Committee, i.e. Gerry Parsky and the legislative party leadership. It is impossible for party staff to tell them “no.” And it’s easy for these leaders of the Operations Committee to order the CRP to take risky actions like the 21st Century Insurance money shell game. After all, they’re not the ones who will have to hire lawyers and pay fines. Those consequences will befall the CRP, and in this case the county parties and their treasurers (who are personally liable). Clearly, the Parsky Reforms have been a failure in every respect. Fundraising has shrunken, not increased. Instead of a permanent, professional staff, the CRP is already looking for a new executive director. Now, at the beginning of a new chairman’s term, is the time to look that fact squarely in the eye, scuttle those misbegotten “reforms” and return to the chairmanship the authority necessary to direct the protect the party.