CAGOP Chairman’s Race Update: A Top Vendor to CAGOP is Also Jessica Patterson’s Consultant. (Think #CAPANDTRADE) (Originally written 2-7-2019) I will disclaim this post the way I do most posts about the CAGOP Swamp. I am not alleging any illegal activity. The purpose is to show how small and insular the world of the people seeking to install Jessica Patterson as CAGOP Chair is. See a recent email sent out by Meridian Pacific attempting to identify delegates supporting Mrs. Patterson: (Note, your intrepid blogger was scrubbed from the list)

Get to know Meridian Pacific – they are a top GOP Consultant. They have been for years. The entanglements in this CAGOP Chairman’s Race should be looked at. Three of their four partners are known to me, John Peschong, Matt Rexroad and Tom Ross. One of the key arguments against Jessica Patterson are the insiders that are attempting to wield the levers of power to install Jessica Patterson as CAGOP Chairman.

As of the time I wrote this blog, almost 40% (Update: I calculated the actual number at 29%) of appointed CAGOP Delegates are staff, consultants or staff of consultants. This is not a representative sample of the real GOP, this is about controlling an outcome. (I wrote a detailed blog about the staggering number of proxies and that the delegation of the CAGOP is a joke as 44% of Jessica Patterson’s Votes in 2019 were via Proxy.)

I know Matt Rexroad to be a solid Christian man. While I am of the opinion that Matt Rexroad is a liberal Republican, I have spoken to him a few times over the years. I have nothing but good interactions and experiences with him.

I do not know Tom Ross, having only met him a couple of times. He is a polite and professional man, people that have spoken to me about him always have good things to say about how he conducts himself. (Update, as of 12-2020, I can confirm Tom Ross does not like me very much)

I also do not know John Peschong, and despite my having been in CAGOP Politics for 21 years, I have never met him in person. Again, It never ceases to amaze me how many of these insiders I have not met. Again and Again, I am reminded that there are two worlds in the CAGOP – one for the consultants and insiders – then the one for the rest of us. (Note, as of 12-2020 now 23 years later, I still have not met John Peschong)

My issue with Mr. Peschong is his role in the 2011 Platform extermination drill. He voted for shredding the CAGOP Platform as the then chairman of the San Luis Obispo GOP.

If you check the financial reports of the California Republican Party, you will see Meridian Pacific all over them. A lot of the mail you get from the California Republican Party about Ballot Measures is done by them. The problem comes in because of the multiple entanglements. (Update: Nothing Changed in 2020 – Another $5.2 Million as of the writing of this blog)

Click here to see the 2017-2018 CAGOP expenditures. Note that the top 4 are mailers sent statewide by Meridian Pacific. The top 4 total over $3MM in gross cost. The Grand Total approaches two times that. None of this is unusual, it is the normal course of business and explains a lot of the opposition to changing the status quo. Now, add in the $5.2MM I wrote about a couple days ago, and you can see why Meridian Pacific is in the middle of Jessica Patterson’s re-election.

As you can see, Mr. Tom Ross, who is a board member of the CAGOP is also the Political Director of the New Majority. It is a very small world. It is the opinion of this blogger that this is a conflict of interest. Were Jessica Patterson to be elected CAGOP Chair, will the money keep flowing as it does now from the CAGOP using Meridian Pacific as a vendor? What kind of benefit will the New Majority get out of the deal?

Mr. Tom Ross did indeed abstain (while Mayes’ Girlfriend Kristen Olsen voted no) when the vote came to the CAGOP Board of Directors to hammer Chad Mayes for Cap and Trade. But, at the same time, Meridian Pacific (Mr. Ross’ firm) was being paid by Mr. Mayes and others to message the Cap and Trade issue in a positive way. There are just too many entanglements.

You can learn a lot from Jessica Patterson’s Twitter Feed that your intrepid blogger was able to churn up despite professional attempts to hide it. Captured in time and space, they forever show her allegiance. Note that in addition to 7 county chairs that are controlled by political operatives, CRP Board Members Mario Guerra, Deborah Wilder and Sue Caro – (three of the most vocal opponents of action against Chad Mayes) have endorsed Patterson.

In case you missed our first installment of gems mined from Jessica Patterson’s Twitter account, they are embedded for your review.

Understand who the players and entanglements are. Understand why it is so difficult to get the party leadership to take a stand as so many of them are financially conflicted and intertwined. Understand what will continue if Jessica Patterson is elected Chairman of the CAGOP.

Will the platform get shredded? Will Cap and Trade get promoted? Will more RINO type Republicans get funded? These are all fair questions to ask as it pertains to Jessica Patterson’s expected performance as CAGOP Chairman.  (Update: By a 42-44 vote, the Pro-life Plank survived Jessica Patterson’s platform committee, more coming soon on the spending decisions but they were no different than they had been in past years)