By Mike Engleman on Jan 10, 2023. In my last blog, I presented how forming a coalition of affecting change locally by finding others to join the cause. Form your coalition. Meet weekly, outline and discuss objectives. Attend meetings, ask questions, make elected officials uncomfortable in defending their decisions while ignoring you! Use social media and print media to inform and educate others. You will be amazed at its impact, results, and effectiveness! Recruit candidates, or run yourself for office or precinct committee.

With this, my final ‘Change Is Local message, I will offer experiences dealing with the Republican Party leadership. Also, what I discovered to be successful, and things that were not successful. Mind you, again, it’s not a one size fits all approach. Just offering insight from my experience and observations! Until then, stay focused!

In tackling changing the Party leadership, the attention would be finding candidates who agrees with our core objectives of the coalition, for them to become precinct committee members. Once you achieve the majority, then nominate officers/leaders with the same vision for the local Party, as we have in local government. I personally will be a precinct committeeman along with others participating in our coalition. We have 2 years to put this together for 2024. We will get it done. Next objective will be the local city council and Mayoral election this year. I plan to run for City Council in my district. I am recruiting other candidates to run for the other 4 offices. Then, we will accomplish the goal of transforming both, our city and council government with transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility.

We have the majority of our community residents behind our efforts and the cause, making things easier to achieve. None of this happens without fully engaging the community with information. It’s the educational approach necessary to create public support. Using Print media, and social media to inform people sure had bigger returns than I thought possible.

Now, things I learned that were successful and those things that were not successful. You never understand what is unsuccessful until you first learn what was successful. Preparation! When you’re forming your initial community coalition, put a list of 5 or 6 goals and objectives. Keep it simple. Research. Arm yourself with facts, figures, information so you have confidence in what you bring to the council meetings. Know the answers to your questions before they answer. It is much more professional and impressive when you know what you’re talking about. Do not fake it.

Delegate to others, do not try to do everything yourself. You’ll find yourself spinning your wheels so to speak not getting anything accomplished, then frustration sets in, which leads to feeling defeated. There’s strength in numbers! The more people you have invested with time, talents, energy, the more credibility it gives the coalition. Let others take the lead in speaking at the meetings. It builds confidence and helps groom them to potentially run for office someday. When people are engaged and involved, and feeling accomplished, it builds character. Do not get complacent. Stay tuned to everything but balance your life. Burn out can be an issue. But, if you have good people on board, that shouldn’t be a problem.

In conclusion, never lose sight or focus of your original objectives, which should never change. The only change should be in the approach and with personalities of working with others. Differences of opinion on strategy will occur, but being open to discussing those differences, coming to a consensus will keep unity strong! No single individual has the best idea all the time. Discuss several options, form a consensus all can support and agree with, develop the strategy and go with it. Remember this, it’ll always be a work in progress as it should be. I hope you found my blogs on this subject very helpful. I’m no expert, just relaying experience, work, results. Adapt to anything as long as you’re moving forward!

With my next blog, I will focus on what we can expect with House investigations and committee’s in light of the recent House Speakership battle, which I was cheering on, and I’ll explain why, later! Until then, keep pushing America First!