Jimmy Mack…go get your money back!

Back in 2005 we interviewed a little known figure named
Chris Simcox, at a Conservative Republican Women’s Club
in Montebello, California…Chris was a California school
teacher that had moved to Tombstone, Arizona and bought
the local newspaper. He had gotten lots of letters to the
editor regarding the activities of “illegal immigrants”
moving across that Arizona border – either armed drug
dealers and willing Mexican military, coyotes with their
customers or just plain criminals. Chris thought it might
be a good idea to document these activities. He gathered
a few ranchers and locals and armed with cell phones,
walkie-talkies and binoculars they watched and then called
the Border Patrol when they spotted something suspicious.
Chris had been doing this for three years. At that time
there were rumors that the “right wing crazies” had taken
over this effort and were not only carrying firearms
(legal in Arizona) but harassing and intimidating the
poor innocents..just trying to come to the USA for a house
cleaner position.

Well, what is important here is the relationship of Chris
Simcox to then conjecture ridden Jim Gilchrist. You can
watch our interview and determine for yourself….”who
founded the Minutemen?” It was fairly straight forward:
Chris would run the volunteer groups that actually manned
the border, run the background checks and make sure “no
nut cases” became part of the Volunteer Organization. Jim
was to pursue the political side and go after businesses
in this country that would indiscriminately hire “illegals”
for under the Minimum Wage or without other benefits.

Gilchrist was also charged to marshall the forces of the
Tancredos’ in Congress. Gilchrist was going to go after
the “Big Federal Grant Money” to help fund both sides of
Minuteman; The Minuteman Project and The Minuteman Civil
Defense Corps.

But remember, this was late June of 2005. Everyone wanted
to know “who are the Minutemen?”. It was September of 2005
when we heard that Jim Gilchrist was going to speak at a
local home gathering in Costa Mesa. When we approached him
and asked to interview him. Jim blew us off..with his black
eye underliner make-up showing. Jim’s firey presentation
was pure victim world. He claimed that Hispanics around
the country had put a hit out on him. Jim repeatedly
screamed about fear for his life, over and over again.
He never mentioned by name Chris Simcox once. By March
of 2006 Gilchrist was running for Congress…hey, it was
always all about Jim! We contacted Simcox for a comment
…and got none! The Gilchrist campaign was fraught with
endless accusations against other candidates…including
challenging one candidate during the Irvine debates “to
go outside right now!”. Gilchrist got up and left in the
middle – screaming insults to the camera as he went…not
exactly the kind of guy you want for Congress – but that
is just our opinion. That didn’t deter Jimmy boy however
….and when he lost in the Primary as a Republican, Jim
ran in the General as an Independent. Jimmy “G” came out
third in Primary and lost going away in the General.

Fast forward to the recent events regarding the current
Minuteman Project gone wrong. Activist Barbara Coe has
been fighting the “illegal immigrant issue” for over eight
years that we know of…..Gilchrist had become isolated
and didn’t want Chris Simcox to share any glory or power
and so invited Barbara, Marvin Stewart and former Campaign
worker for Gilchrist – Deborah Courtney to join “his Board”
of the Minuteman Project. All about control…Gilchrist
didn’t quite understand that in non-profit organizations;
there are no one man shows. With Barbara Coe as his prime cheerleader Gilchrist seemed to be motoring along just fine.
What he failed to grasp was: You better know the little
details of the By-Laws of your own organization!

Last week Gilchrist was ousted, kicked-out, fired and
thrown out of the Minuteman Project by his own three Board
Members. Seems that a paltry $750,000 bucks have gone missing.
Yes, this is the same Gilchrist that stealthily had accused
Chris Simcox of “selling out the cause” to
“Conservative Mass Mailing Organizations”!
The two don’t talk too much anymore!

Whatever good the “Minutemen” have done in the last three
years may all go the way of the “horse and buggy” due to
the efforts of so-called charismatic leader Jim Gilchrist.
Yes there are legal filings….suits….trouble a plenty
for all concerned. The good news for Gilchrist: he got his
name in the paper. The bad news for Gilchrist: he better
find someone with a good lawyer. The efforts of Gilchrist
to get “Employer Sanctions” from various Government Agencies
…may or may not happen. Legislator’s are going to be quick
to distance themselves from the cloud of pecuniary controversy
and concern that now wil dog the Minutemen.

Whatever happens, defending the borders has become a big
deal. The efforts of Barbara Coe….no matter how tainted
…..has shown that eight years of effort can in fact do
something in a national sense. What? Well first, let’s see
where that $750,000 grand went!

About Ron & Anna Winship

Independent News Producers/Writers and Directors for Parker-Longbow Productions. Independent Programming which includes a broad variety of Political, Entertainment and Professional Personalities. Cutting Edge - a talk show...is the flagship of over 30 URL websites developed or under development. The Winships have been blogging for the Orange Juice since back when nickels had buffalos on them, and men wore onions attached to their belts, because it was the fashion back then.