Bill Smythe 5/12/21 I helped form the Fiscal Conservative of Hamilton County PAC in 2017 with a small group of Fishers “activists”, including our current Treasurer and last remaining founder, David Giffel. We made our first social media effort a video calling for the resignation of County Councilor Jeff Hern after he admitted to the stealing of campaign signs of one of his political rivals who now is our senior policy advisor Rick McKinney.
The intervening four years have been quite the roller coaster with some wins and some losses but for the most part we have stayed true to our focus on fiscal issues that impact HamCo. Way back then we were seen (and reveled in that fact) as the “opposition” party as the democrats were nonexistent. Things were going as well as could be expected with the constant changeover of members and directors given, we are all volunteers. Then in late 2019 we voted to endorse a Democrat Jocelyn Vare for Fishers City council. A decision David Giffel described “as the biggest mistake we have ever made, given the headaches it cost us all”.
I do not share David’s concerns as I wrote here in 2019, but I do respect it has taken a toll on his reputation as a good Republican, something extremely important to him, and has led to friction between us. Our group was behind a failed effort to unseat HamCo GOP party chair in March and I was not much help as I had sworn off my affiliation with the GOP by then. During that effort I was speaking with an elected official who asked me, “would I come back” if Mr. Hevesy won? I replied, “no way in hell, it has become a cult.” I knew then this day was coming and I should have probably resigned and saved us all a little unnecessary strife.
This week the executive board of the FCOHC has informed me they wish to never again endorse nor support any non-republican, and that they wish to engage with and embrace Republicans that align with our message that have been hesitant to do so due to our non-partisanship status. I have no interest in leading a partisan wing of the GOP that likely will drift into social issues emblematic of today’s GOP.
So, by mutual agreement, I am resigning my position as President of the FCOHC effective immediately and Marla Ailor will assume that role going forward. She is a rising political star and an amazingly effective leader who will take this group to new and different levels. I wish nothing but the best for her and David as they travel down this path and I go off to chase my windmills elsewhere. It seems there is a new conservative party emerging that warrants my attention. A worthy new adventure !
Goodbye and good luck.
Smythe is a lobbyist and political consultant that ran for county commissioner in 2016 in the GOP primary. You can follow him on his HamCo FB political page here or on twitter .