The 10% Solution? MassGOP Budget for 2024 to Target 90% of Expenditures to Overhead
SPECIAL COMMENTARY BETWEEN PRINTED EDITIONS
by Lonnie Brennan
Here we go again. Just when you think it might be OK to support the dysfunctional Massachusetts Republican Party, Chair Amy Carnevale quietly pushed out a budget for 2024 – the big election year, with just 10% of expenditures targeted to support candidates.
Listen to the balloon deflate; listen to the drummer’s symbol crash and rumble to silence on the floor.
From January to February 2024, the Carnevale’s budget will dedicate at total to $15,000 for candidate recruitment, support, and training. But fret not, by year’s end, that number will grow, for a total of $90,000 in “Candidate Support & Training.” Meanwhile, Carnevale has earmarked $856,952 to salaries, meetings, consultants, fundraising, and other non-candidate items.
It’s a budget that keeps on giving … the advantage to the Democrats.
Faced with not even enough Republicans in the Mass. Senate to play a game a bridge (yes, there are only three), Carnevale and her hand-picked executive committee and treasurer have 90% of all expenditures earmarked for overhead.
So, what’s in the overhead? For starters, forget about the $3,500 per month the MassGOP has been paying for rent. Apparently Carnevale has found or expects to find more posh digs, because that number has been raised to $10,000 per month.
While we’re looking at increases, “Payroll/Consulting” comes in at cool $360,000 (42% of all projected expenditures), but when “Health & Dental Insur[ance]” is added in at another $18,000, along with “Travel, Meals, Lodg[ing], and Milages (sic)” of $24,000, we’re talking some serious change being doled out. But again, not to candidates.
Just putting together the expenses marked for State Committee meetings ($3,000 per meeting, for a total of $12,000), along with website expenses (for a mostly static website of little consequence) of $8,800, it’s becoming apparent that Carnevale doesn’t do things on the cheap.
But wait, there’s more. Carnevale has earmarked $120,000 for “Legal” expenses for 2024, but it’s unclear why. Sidenote: the new chair was taken to task at the most recent State Committee meeting for unilaterally making a mid-five-figure payout to an individual who had billed the MassGOP. It took one State Committee member at least five questions to peel the onion and get Carnevale to admit, in a low tone, what she had done. (I watched it. Live. It was painful. It was embarrassing. The Chair of the MassGOP, Carnevale, doing her best Jen Psaki imitation – the Biden shill liar press secretary). Carnevale reluctantly consented that she had made the payment despite no signed contract, no payment of a required down payment of $10,000 to initiate the contract, and with no discussion/vote of the MassGOP Executive Committee. Carnevale said she did it to avoid any litigation. No discussion. No mediation. No notice. Just write the check!
Between meals, meetings, consultants, salaries, perks, benefits, and other overhead, Carnevale’s budget leaves just 10% for “Candidate Support & Training.” But, given the past almost 10 months of her history as Chair, one quickly wonders what “Support & Training” will mean. Perhaps more money for consultants to “Support and Train?”
The Carnevale MassGOP 10% Solution – giving the Democrats the gift that keeps on giving.
That’s why most of the voters are unaware of good Republican candidates. Many people first hear of the name of the local GOP candidates in Massachusetts only when they go into the voters booth.
I wonder if the afternoon radio talk show host on WRKO, (among other stations) will talk about this since he seems to have a huge interest in Massachusetts politics. Or will he just continue his petulant insults directed at Jim Lyons and Geoff Diehl because of the HUGE amount of advertising dollars he lost when his deep-pocketed buddy Chris Doughty lost in the primary.