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Getting in on the action
Political action management for Lodge 7 couldn’t be in better hands than Merck’s. He learned the trade the hard way, having run for office a few elections back. He lost. Big.
Merck did not have FOP support when he made that run. That led him to get in on the political action when being elected a Lodge trustee in March.
“I wanted the FOP to show it is supportive of candidates that are more than just part of the Democratic machine,” he con- fided. “The way we keep order on the streets is on life support because of the politicians who have been elected who do not support law and order.”
Merck reports that the formulation of the committee is key to its impact. The group includes police officers who are ultra-pro- gressive Democrats, as well as those who are constitutional pa- triots.
When the Lodge went into endorsement lockdown, active discussion took place about all candidates with a focus on the merits of their performance. Special attention was given to whether they supported law and order or leaned more toward restorative justice. Voting records of incumbents were checked thoroughly. And then checked again if needed.
“Everyone was given the opportunity to say why they felt each candidate would be better than the other,” Merck added. “There was not an endorsement that was steamrolled through. They were very thought-out, with vigorous debate.”
Partnering the political action committee with the legislative committee was done to ensure that candidates know they can’t talk the talk of advocating for law enforcement without follow- ing through to pursue legislation that betters the lives of police officers. The political action fund has made contributions to en-
Chicago Police Detective Jeff Muehlfelder will not only be a strong voice for his sisters and brothers in law enforcement, but he lso wants to stand up to the Democratic machine.
sure members’ voices are heard, but it’s also seeding growth for the Lodge to become much more relevant in the political spec- trum.
32 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ OCTOBER 2020