Entry 40             Submitted by: Mark Musselman

Current Event

According to – FOXNews.com, April 22, 2010 (full article available on-line)

A Democratic congressman is seeking to strip the word “navigable” from the 1972 Clean Water Act to allow the Environmental Protection Agency to surpass the limits imposed by a 2001 Supreme Court ruling on the kinds of waterways the agency can regulate.

That word typically is interpreted to refer to any body of water that is “deep enough and wide enough to afford passage to ships.”

But Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., who worked on the 1972 legislation as a Capitol Hill staff member, said he is trying to restore the original intent of the law.

“I know what it means and it says the purpose of this act is to establish and maintain the chemical, biological and physical integrity of the nation’s waters,” Oberstar said.

Some Republican advocates of land rights are wary, fearing that striking the word “navigable” from the Clean Water Act will bring every lake, pond, creek or mud hole under the EPA’s control.

“It potentially puts government in charge of all waters, including mud puddles, irrigation ditches,” said Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash. “If you take out ‘navigable’ in this bill, it could potentially lead to the federal government usurping state laws as it relates to water and regulating, therefore, mud puddles. I just think that’s bad policy.”
……………

VS

State vs. Federal control of waters

Founding Document

The Constitution, 10th Amendment

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

We the People:

This would have been another violation of the separation of powers, and yet another method for the federal government to withhold federal support to states which opposed it.

April 26, 2010

Dear Tea Partier,

Thank you.

I think it is important for those of us who have been engaged in conservative public policy battles for decades to thank you and give credit where credit is due.

While your opponents try to belittle you…smear you…ridicule or ignore you, it is evident to anyone who is paying attention that your efforts are already being felt all across the state.

Despite the story line your detractors are attempting to forward through the mainstream media, it is clear that your interest in politics and policy is informed, deep and goes far beyond attending public rallies every few months.

Because of your continued engagement, legislators in Madison are receiving record levels of contacts from their constituents. Because of your continued engagement, legislative and Congressional town hall meetings across Wisconsin are packed to the brim.

Finally, let me make the following point as clearly as I can.

Because of your continued engagement, three awful pieces of legislation were derailed last week during the waning hours of the final regular floor period of the Wisconsin Legislature.

As I wrote in the current installment of ‘That’s Debatable,’ exchange on WisOpinion.com:

Scot, for months the left, you and the Alinsky Brigade over at OWN have been trumpeting the virtues of efforts to address global warming, the election deform bill and the creation of regional taxing authorities for transit. The governor and both houses of the Legislature are controlled by Democrats. These bills should have been a slam dunk for passage. But, thankfully, like those who attempted to foist New Coke on us a quarter century ago, your side failed. “Epic Fail,” as the kids say these days. Let me save your side the cost of conducting post-implosion focus groups. I have a two-word answer for why the Democrats caved this week: Tea Parties. You see, the growing number of people who keep showing up at events across Wisconsin are smarter, more determined and more active than you give them credit for being. They also called their legislators and encouraged others to call when the left fringe of the Democratic Party tried to choke off the remaining manufacturing jobs in the state, attempted to facilitate greater election fraud, and tried to push a pro-tax, pro-train agenda down their throats. So, thank you, tea partiers. Keep it up. It helps Wisconsin on her road to recovery and it drives Scot and his buddies crazy! Cheers to sweet TEA.

There is no doubt that the defenders of job providers like WMC were diligent in their efforts and helped focus the public debate in opposition to the global warming bill. Similarly, local election officials and established anti-tax groups helped derail the election fraud and RTA bills. But your engagement provided the extra effort that was required to win those battles. You have become the ultimate variable in the poltical equation in Wisconsin.

The pundits who wondered if the Tea Party movement would amount to anything more than occaisional pep rallies do not have to wait until November. They got their answer last week, right here in Wisconsin.

I’ve said it before and will say it again and again: Despite the left’s attempt to paint you as a bunch of toothless, Fox News-brainwashed, GED-correspondence school dropouts who dance to the tune of your Big-Oil and GOP puppet masters, I’ve found you to be informed, skeptical and frustrated at the ever-expanding cost and reach of government. You are not going away, and you are growing in numbers everyday.

I know you don’t do this for adulation or publicity. But again, thanks, and keep up the fantastic work.

Lord knows, there is a lot more to do!

Sincerely,

Brian

By Brian Fraley
A MacIver Institute Perspective

By Greg Bump
WisPolitics.com

WISCONSIN DELLS — Speakers at the third annual “Defending the American Dream Summit,” hosted by the Wisconsin chapter of Americans for Prosperity, railed against health care reform, cap and trade and energy policy reform, the federal stimulus, and what they perceive as a general erosion of personal freedoms suffered under Democratic majority rule.

“We rightly recognize the American idea is under attack and we have to come to its defense,” said U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, who sent a video message to attendees at the Wisconsin Dells conference.

Keynote speaker Michael Reagan told the estimated 2,000 activists in attendance that “it is indeed time for another revolution,” noting it has been 30 years since his father’s “Reagan Revolution.”

Reagan, a conservative radio host, said without activism like the kind embodied in the Tea Party movement, his father Ronald Reagan may never have been elected president.

“It is time for another noisy rebellion,” he said.

He urged vigilance, saying “liberals, those people who are against our freedoms” never rest.

“The side that wants to take away our freedoms is working 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said.

Reagan, whose image was prominently featured on the event’s Web page, said despite what his brother, liberal talk radio host Ron, says, his father would have supported groups like Americans for Prosperity.

“It was organizations like this that elected Ronald Reagan to the presidency in 1980. So thank you,” Reagan said.

AFP Wisconsin state director Mark Block said the organization started out three years ago with 250 members. It’s now grown to more than 54,000 in the last year, “thanks to the Tea Party movement,” Block said. Block said a Tea Party rally is scheduled for April 15 in Madison.

Block said AFP is now the second largest grassroots group in Wisconsin. But they’re not settling for second place, especially with the state teacher’s union, WEAC, with 92,000 members sitting at the top of the list.

Block’s goal is for AFP to reach 100,000 members by this July 4.

Tim Nerenz, executive vice president of the Oldenburg Group Inc., a Milwaukee-based defense, mining and engineering firm, said American people have to return to a system where, “We own the mansion and government is the cabana boy.”

“And what does a good master do when a cabana boy doesn’t know his place?” Nerenz, a Llibertarian running against Dem U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin of Madison, asked the crowd. “That’s right. He fires him. … We should sack the whole mess of them and start over.”

There was a general feeling of anger and frustration running through the speakers. Nerenz declared, “We are not the party of no. We are the party of hell no.”

Though the rally didn’t promote formal partisan ties, Republican candidates were prominently featured.

Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, who is facing re-election this fall, highlighted efforts to “protect liberties” in his first term, enforcing “the rule of law not just against individuals, but against the government itself.”

Van Hollen ripped President Obama for criticizing the U.S. Supreme Court, saying that Obama is not providing “the sort of leadership we need in this country.”

“The sort of leadership we need is the sort of leadership that we are providing to make sure we will take unprecedented steps to protect your Second Amendment constitutional rights,” Van Hollen said.

He also highlighted his work to defend “traditional marriage,” prosecuting voter fraud, and enforcing immigration laws.

“We have taken over 360 criminal illegal aliens off the street and deported them to their countries of origin,” Van Hollen said.

“We need to preserve America for Americans,” Van Hollen said.

Among the Republicans politicking at the rally were U.S. Senate candidate Terrence Wall and congressional candidate Sean Duffy, who introduced speakers. Other Republicans in attendance included David Westlake and Dan Mielke, Wall’s and Duffy’s respective primary opponents, gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker and lieutenant governor candidate Rebecca Kleefisch. About a dozen GOP candidates had information booths set up outside the meeting hall.

Conservative state Supreme Court Justices Michael Gableman and David Prosser, a former GOP state lawmaker, also attended.

Prosser, who’s up for re-election next year, said the judiciary is under attack in the state from outside influences “spearheaded by ideologues who like activist judges who legislate from the bench.”

Referring to the two most recent state Supreme Court contests, which were won by Gableman and another conservative, Annette Ziegler, Prosser said those interests “are attempting to nullify two recent (Supreme Court) elections by harassing, defaming and intimidating the winners and trying to force their withdrawal from key cases.”

Further, he said, “They’re attempting to gum up future elections with requirements and restrictions that will make it impossible for a candidate to control his or her own campaign.”

Liberal group One Wisconsin Now mocked the proceedings, with OWN executive director Scot Ross saying in a statement that Wisconsin families are surely “waiting breathlessly to hear a group of Republicans offer more failed Republican policies which already collapsed our economy and cost millions their piece of the American Dream.

“Look for these partisans to call for more calls for tax cuts for the rich, more corporate deregulation, more money for the bankers and more health insurance company profits — and all of it paid for by middle class families,” Ross said.

State GOP chairman Reince Priebus made a pitch to the crowd, saying the party is “rebuilding credibility” with near unanimous votes against “PelosiCare and ObamaCare.”

He said Ryan and U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner are the kind of candidates conservatives can stand behind.

“The answer is we need people of their word,” Priebus said. “We need to start governing like we campaign.”

Sensenbrenner, R-Menomonee Falls, blasted the “cap and tax” proposal and thanked the crowd for helping halt the proposal. But he said Obama “and liberals in Congress are still looking for ways to tax our energy.

“If Congress won’t act, then the EPA is threatening to enforce the tax through its bureaucracy. By expanding the definition of the Clean Air Act from its simple goal of keeping dangerous toxins out of the air, the EPA recently found the air we all exhale – carbon dioxide – is so dangerous that you must be taxed for it,” Sensenbrenner said. “So I guess the answer from Al Gore and Barack Obama is hold your nose.”

Grover Norquist, a leading national conservative voice and the head of Americans for Tax Reform, said citizens whose political leanings are to the right of center “simply want government to leave us alone.”

Norquist said his plan has a two-step process: stop any and all tax increases, and stop excessive government spending.

He didn’t let Republicans who vote for tax increases off the hook either, though he said they are a rarer breed than Democrats. He likened Republicans who raise taxes to the experience of finding the head of a rat in a nearly finished soft drink.

“Those few Republicans who do raise taxes, they’re the ratheads in a Coke bottle,” he said.

Joe Wurzelbacher, who gained fame during the 2008 presidential campaign as “Joe the Plumber,” was presented with a “Defender of the American Dream” award.

“I demand less taxes. I demand less involvement in my personal life,” Wurzelbacher said, drawing applause.

Hosted by Americans for Prosperity Foundation
Wisconsin Chapter

Co- Sponsored by the Wisconsin Prosperity Network

Friday, March 12, 2010 – Saturday, March 13, 2010
Chula Vista Resort, 2501 River Road, Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965

Hotel Reservations for Chula Vista and surrounding hotels 1-800-388-4782
Additional Hotels Rates Can Be found At www.fightbackwisconsin.com

This agenda, all events, speakers, and times subject to change
Registration at www.fightbackwisconsin.com
Member Registration $ 39.99 – Student Registration $ 24.99
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Michigan
Sponsorship Opportunities Available

Friday, March 12th
10:00 am
Pre-Registration – AFP & WPN Summit Headquarters Room
Chula Vista Resort – Laguna Vista Room – 2nd Floor
Pre-Registration Pick-Up Location
AFP & WPN Staff Office
Chula Vista Resort – Aztec Room – 2nd Floor

4:00 pm
Chula Vista Dome Opens For Vendors

5:00 – 6:30 pm
Candidate and Coalition Receptions
Note: Candidate & Coalition Receptions are NOT sponsored or funded by Americans for Prosperity Foundation, Americans for Prosperity, or Wisconsin Prosperity Network. They are sponsored by totally separate organizations or individual campaigns. Contact candidates for specific information.

7:30 – 9:00 pm
AFPF – AFP Welcoming Reception
Sponsored by Wisconsin Prosperity Network
Chula Vista Resort – Conference Center Ballroom

Mix and mingle with speakers, leaders, and staff members.

Saturday, March 13th

8:00 am
Shuttle Service Available Between Resort and Chula Vista Dome
* Chula Vista Parking and Shuttle Fees Apply

8:00-9:30 am
REGISTRATION
Chula Vista Dome

9:30 am
OPENING CEREMONY – FREEDOM TEAM

9:40 am
SPEAKERS
Mark Block – AFPF & AFP Wisconsin State Director
Tim Phillips – President Americans for Prosperity
Tim Nerenz – The Oldenburg Group
Lord Christopher Monckton – Former Adviser to Margaret Thatcher
J.B. Van Hollen – Wisconsin Attorney General
Grover Norquist – Americans for Tax Reform
Phil Kerpen – National Policy Director, Americans for Prosperity
Paul Driessen, APR, Esq.
Eric O’Keefe – CEO, Sam Adams Alliance
Linda Hansen – Wisconsin Prosperity Network and Prosperity 101™
Steve Moore – Wall Street Journal Debra Waller – Chairman of the Board & CEO, Jockey International
James Sensenbrenner, Member of Congress
Niger Innis, Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)
John Fund, Wall Street Journal
Bucky to the Rescue – Dr. Chris Magiera Dr. David Gratzer – Author, The Cure
David Prosser – WI Supreme Court Justice
Herman Cain – Author, Radio Talk Show Host

11:30 am
Defender of the American Dream Awards
Presented by State Representative Leah Vukmir & Pat Synder, WSAU Radio
National Award: Joe the Plumber (Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher)
State Award: State Representative Bill Kramer
Media Award: Patrick McIlheran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
AFP-WI Volunteer of the Year: Jim Zeiler

12:00 Noon
Lunch Served in the Chula Vista Dome – Tickets Required Note: All pre-registered attendees will be guaranteed lunch. Lunch tickets are not guaranteed to same-day registrants but will be provided on a first-come, first serve basis.

12:30-1:15pm
Lunch Program
Vicki McKenna, WISN Radio, WIBA Radio
Keynote Speaker, Michael Reagan

Shuttle Service Provided to Chula Vista Resort for Afternoon Sessions

1:45 – 3:00 pm
Session 1

Break Out 1-A
RightOnLine – New Media
Chula Vista Dome

Learn how to maximize your effectiveness by harnessing the power of the internet. Study best-practices, learn new tools and techniques, understand social media networking, and learn to use technology safely and effectively.

Erik Telford, Executive Director, RightOnline
J.J. Blonien, Editor, AFP-Weekly Reader
Curt Mercadante, Merc Strategy Group

Break Out 1-B
Global Warming – Climate Change – Economic Suicide
Chula Vista Club House

Learn facts about climate change, global warming, “green jobs”, and corresponding legislative proposals. Study the economic impact of proposed federal and state legislation and how it would affect you and your family.

Phil Kerpen, AFP National Policy Director
James Sensenbrenner, Member of Congress
Lord Christopher Monckton
Paul Driessen, APR, Esq.
Niger Innis, Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)
State Representative Jim Ott

Break Out 1-C
Hands Off My Health Care!

Hear from medical experts about the effects of proposed health care legislation. Find out what you can do to maintain your health care freedoms.

Dr. David Gratzer
Dr. Pam Galloway
Dr. Chris Magiera
Dr. Joshua Block

Break Out 1-D
It’s Your Vote …Protect It!

Voter Fraud. It is real. It is rampant. It is a problem in Wisconsin. Study the facts and learn how to protect your vote and safeguard our democracy.

Ardis Cerny, Co-Chair, The We’re Watching Committee
Mary Ann Hanson, Co-Chair, The We’re Watching Committee
Ginny Graham, Annette Kuglitsch, Debbie Moran
John Fund, Wall Street Journal, Author of Stealing Elections, How Voter Fraud Threatens Our Democracy

Break Out 1-E
Prosperity 101™ – Voter Education

Prosperity 101™ Job Security through Business Prosperity, is an innovative new approach to voter education and mobilization. Learn how to impact your workplace and your schools with foundational truths about our economy. Become informed, involved, and impactful to protect YOUR prosperity.

Linda Hansen, Wisconsin Prosperity Network and Prosperity 101™
Steve Moore, Wall Street Journal
Herman Cain, The New Voice
Panel of Business Leaders

Break Out 1-F
Media Relations 101

Learn best practices for dealing with the press and how to maximize your effectiveness in various media markets.
Panelists with share the Do’s and Don’ts of Media Relations to help your voice have impact.

Mary Ellen Burke, AFP, National State Communications Manager
Vicki McKenna, WISN Radio, WIBA Radio
Patrick McIlheran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Pat Synder, WSAU Radio
Bob Delaporte, Wildwood Communications

Break Out 1-G
Property Rights and Coordination

Our Founding Fathers guaranteed our right to own property, but the right is in jeopardy. Hear from experts in the field, study proposals regarding land use, and learn to protect your right to private property.

Fred Kelly Grant, Stewards of the Range
Don Parmeter, American Environmental Institute
Jay Verhulst, Foundation for Common Sense

Break Out 1-H
Legal Implications for Organizations

What are legal rules for activists and organizations seeking to impact public policy? Learn how to protect yourself and your organization by attending this important session.

John Flynn, Americans for Prosperity, Legal Counsel
Mike Dean, First Freedoms Foundation, Legal Counsel
James Troupis, Attorney, Michael Best & Friedrich

Break Out 1-I
Dude -Who Stole My Wallet?

Specifically designed for College and High School students, this session will cover basic economic principles in a unique way. If you are a 15-25 year old, or if you work with young people, this session is for you.

Walter Nocito

3:45 – 5:00 pm

Session 2

Break Out 2-A
Net Neutrality

Government take-over of the internet? Learn the stark realities of such proposals and how you can protect your First Amendment rights and the right to freely access information and technology.

Phil Kerpen, Americans for Prosperity, Vice-President & Policy Analyst

Break Out 2-B
Taxpayer Tea Parties – Health Care Constitutional Amendment

Who are Tea Party activists and how are they impacting our state and our nation? Meet the “people-next- door” who have helped to revolutionize the political debate in Wisconsin. Learn how to be involved to protect YOUR freedoms!

Jim Zeiler, AFP Wisconsin
Oriannah Paul, Sheboygan Tea Party
Tim Dake, Grandsons of Liberty
Meg Ellefson, Wausau Tea Party
Scott Sidney, AFP Wisconsin

Break Out 2-C
Countering Alinsky’s Rules

Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals hit the nation and began a tidal wave of liberal activism. Study the impact and reach of the center-left movement and learn how you can counteract it by becoming aware and involved to create a tidal wave of conservative activism.

Vicki McKenna, WISN Radio, WIBA Radio
Brian Schimming, WIBA Radio
Maggie Delaporte, Women Patriots of Wisconsin
Jolene Churchill, Women Patriots of Wisconsin

Break Out 2-D
Fair Taxation for States
Understand fair and unfair taxation for states and how it affects you every day.M. Kevin McLaughlin, Iowans for Discounted Taxes
Brett Healy, President, The John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy

Break Out 2-E
Transparency & Government Accountability

Transparency in government is not unattainable. Voter watchfulness, voter education, and voter involvement will stem the tide of government waste and corruption. Learn how you can promote transparency in government.

Sheila Weinberg, The Institute for Truth in Accounting
Dan Burton, Community Organizer
State Representative Bill Kramer

Break Out 2-F
Activist and Candidate Training

Are you a fiscal conservative considering a run for School Board, City Council, County Board or even the State Assembly or Senate? Attend this session to learn valuable first steps and critical information about legal issues, campaign organization, and more. This is a must for potential candidates!

Lonny Leitner, American Majority

Break Out 2-G
Executive Briefing – Wisconsin Prosperity Network and Prosperity 101™
Chula Vista Resort – Upper Dells Ballroom

Open to Prosperity Warriors and Prosperity Club Members

Linda Hansen, Wisconsin Prosperity Network & Prosperity 101™
Steve Moore, Wall Street Journal
Herman Cain, The New Voice
John Fund, The Wall Street Journal
Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform
Michael Reagan, RadioTalk Show Host and son of President Ronald Reagan
Wisconsin Business Leaders:
Tom Schuette, Wausua Homes
Steve Loehr, Kwik Trip
Dr. Tim Nerenz, Oldenburg Group, Inc.
Steven Fettig, Tankcraft & Plasticraft Corp.
Gerardo (Jerry) Gonzalez , Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan, LLP

5:00 pm
Official Summit Activities Conclude
Shuttle Service Will Be Provided to Chula Vista Dome Closing Session

5:30 – 7:00 pm
Reception – Sponsored and Hosted by Wisconsin Center for Economic Prosperity
Chula Vista Dome

Meet and mingle with candidates from across the state. Reception is fully sponsored and hosted by Wisconsin Center for Economic Prosperity.

Co-Hosts: Rob Kieckhefer and Jason Kohout
For Information visit: www.wcep.org

Notice of this reception is provided for information only. The reception and corresponding activities are not sponsored or hosted by Americans for Prosperity Foundation, Americans for Prosperity, or the Wisconsin Prosperity Network.

7:00 – 9:00 pm
Dinner On Your Own

9:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Mark (Block) & Mike (Kaminski) After the Tea Party – Party
Chula Vista Convention Center

Live Music – Cash Bar. Mix and mingle with others and relax in the beauty of the Chula Vista Resort.

Note:
Summit attendees are invited to join Lord Monckton and the Republican Party of Sauk County (RPSC) for dinner (cocktails at 6; dinner at 7) at the Kalahari Resort. AFP attendees will receive the special membership rate of $35. Pre-register by emailing chair@saukgop.org with your names and tickets requested. Pick them up at the RPSC booth.
This invitation is provided for information only. The RPSC Dinner and corresponding activities are not sponsored or hosted by Americans for Prosperity Foundation, Americans for Prosperity, or the Wisconsin Prosperity Network.

1. Commuter rail is extremely expensive. The Parsons-Brinckerhoff Transport 2020 study of commuter rail found that it would cost three times as much as improvements in bus service throughout the Madison area.

2. Only a few people will have the opportunity to ride it. While the bus improvements mentioned above would serve the entire Madison area, commuter rail would serve only one corridor.

3. Even fewer people actually would ride it. Most new commuter rail lines in places like Seattle, Dallas, and San Jose carry only a few thousand riders a day.
In 2007, Seattle’s carried 4,000 round-trips per weekday; Portland, ME about 500; Ft. Lauderdale 550; Nashville
264; Dallas-Ft. Worth 4,450; San Diego 2,900; Stockton-San Jose 1,400. Any respectable bus route can carry that many people. (B.R. addition: One lane of a highway can carry more people 24/7, 365 days including weekends and holidays)

4. Buses are safer: commuter rail kills more than twice as many people per passenger mile carried than buses.

5. Buses are more flexible and don’t require intrusive land-use regulation. An accident shuts down rail service; buses can drive around. Because rails are fixed, rail transit agencies promote land-use regulation that greatly restricts what people can do with their land both near rail stations (where they promote higher densities) and far away (where they want to limit development so that everyone has to live near the rail line).

Portland ’s new mayor, for example, says he wants to put ALL 300,000 new residents that Portland expects in the next 25 years within a quarter mile of a rail station. Sounds just like Kathleen Falk doesn’t it?

6. T2020 says you “can’t build more roads in Isthmus due to the geographic restrictions- narrow Isthmus surrounded by lakes.” These same reasons apply to adding trains that cross 60 existing roads 8,000 a day between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. It only makes it 60 times worse than without the trains. Trains will cause instant and continuing gridlock at all those RR Crossings. The existing RR Tracks are not underground or elevated. They are at the same grade as the roads and were built for Freight in the 1850’s long before most of the roads that are there today were put down.

7. If you move all the existing Freight trains to 12a.m to 4 a.m. to accommodate commuter rail between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m., you will have the noise, train whistles and commotion of trains DAY and NIGHT!

8. With buses, you can try them out in a new area or to a nearby city with little cost to lease or run buses for a trial period. If it works, you can add on for little cost. If it doesn’t, you can adjust the areas served and see if that works. If it doesn’t, you drop it and you haven’t lost much money or time.

9. With commuter rail, you must invest a billion dollars or more over 4 or 5 years to build the infrastructure, equipment and skilled people for the line before the first passenger steps aboard. You cannot predict how many people will ride the rails, and once put down, can never change the route. If it turns out poorly and you shut it down, you must repay all the Federal funds you received and return the equipment that is portable and deal with all that is not portable.

10. Liability insurance for buses is not cheap – unless you compare it with insurance for commuter rail. Across the U.S. the Freight train owners have negotiated a no-fault agreement with their rail sharing partners – commuter rail – so that even if they are the cause of an accident, they are not liable for any damages.

Example: CAL Metro accident in Sept 08 could run as high as $1 Billion in damages that will be paid by the taxpayers, not the Freight train owners. (The at-fault party was CAL Metro also)

It’s been a year since Rick Santelli’s epic rant on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade. Who could have guessed that his call for a 4th of July “tea party” on Chicago’s lakefront would be the catalyst for birthing a national movement?

When a string of nationwide tea parties exploded onto the national scene last April, the phenomena was dismissed (and dissed) by the political class as “Astroturf”. Tea parties have since collectively morphed into a bona fide national political movement that is now widely regarded as a major force in the upcoming 2010 election cycle. Mark Block, Wisconsin State Director of Americans for Prosperity recalled the past year recently.

While acknowledging January’s “Massachusetts Miracle” and last November’s New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial victories as evidence of the tea party’s muscle, Block’s take is a little different: “Massachusetts was an interesting win. But if you would have been standing in that cabbage field in Racine, Wisconsin in 20 degree weather in January with 4,000 other people, you’d realize just how deep this movement really is.”

Block was hoping for a turnout of 2,000 for the first Madison tea party last April 15. When 8,000 folks showed up – with handmade signs no less – the handful of organizers were stunned. Block said, “People didn’t realize that there were that many people that felt and thought like they did.” 65,000 people attended 24 tea parties around Wisconsin last 4th of July. Another record 15,000 turned out for a tea party at Milwaukee’s lakefront last September.

Meg Ellefson is a stay-at-home mom who was worried enough about her kids’ future that she went back home and started a local tea party group in Wausau. Wausau also happens to be the hometown of Rep. David Obey (D-7th District), House Appropriations Committee Chairman and author of the hugely unpopular Stimulus bill.

When Obey declined to hold even a single “listening session” in his own hometown last August, a record 1,400 folks showed up in Wausau August 27 for an AFP Healthcare Town Hall. Now in a fight for his political life, Obey is trying to hang on to the seat he’s held for 40 years. Seasoned political observers suggest that Obey is “toast” in what will amount to a political tsunami around Wisconsin (and the nation) in November. 

When it comes to the future, Block is crystal clear: “The day that the Tea Party appoints a leader is the day the movement dies. The day it decides to become a third party is its death knell.” 

According to Block, there are far more Reagan Democrats and JFK Democrats out there than Obama Democrats. Block  is exhorting Independents, Tea Party Democrats and disgruntled Tea Party Republicans to get involved at the local party level and work to get fiscally responsible candidates elected. The strategy is deceptively simple: infiltrate and take over where it matters the most. 

Block expects another blockbuster crowd for the upcoming “Defending the American Dream Summit” in Wisconsin Dells on March 12-13. He suggests registering at: www.fightbackwisconsin.org 

March 5, 2:57 PMMilwaukee Political Buzz ExaminerKathy Banaszak

Friday & Saturday – March 12 & 13

Chula Vista Resort
2501 River Road
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965

Hotel Reservations: 800-388-4782

SUMMIT HIGHLIGHTS

Official Opening Ceremony With the
FREEDOM TEAM Saturday Morning
at 8:00 am
Defender of the American DreamAwards
State/Nationally Recognized Speakers
Voter Education
Activist & Candidate Training
Property Rights & Coordination
Countering Alinsky’s Rules
Legal Implications for Organizations
RightOnLine – New Media
Taking Back Our Elections
Proposed Health Care Amendment

Register Here
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS

Vicki McKenna – WISN Radio, WIBA Radio

Lord Christopher Monckton – Columnist, inventor, and Advisor to Margaret Thatcher

Honorable James Sensenbrenner – Wisconsin 8th District

Herman Cain – Author, Radio Talk Show Host

Steve Moore – Wall Street Journal

Grover Norquist – Americans for Tax Reform

John Fund – Wall Street Journal

Tim Phillips – President Americans for Prosperity

Mark Block – AFP Wisconsin State Director

J.B. Van Hollen – Wisconsin Attorney General

Joe Wurzelbacher – “Joe The Plumber”

Eric O.Keefe – CEO, Sam Adams Alliance

Linda Hansen – Wisconsin Prosperity Network

Tim Nerenz – The Oldenburg Group

Niger Innis – Congress of Racial Equality

Dr. David Gratzer – Author, The Cure

Debra Waller – Chairman & CEO, Jockey International

Phil Kerpen – Nat.l Policy Director, AFP

Paul Driessen – APR, Esq.

Pat Synder – WSAU Radio

Fred Kelly Grant – Author, Justice My Ass

Tentative Schedule of Events

Friday, March 12th

10:00 am
Pre-Registration
AFP Summit Headquarters Room
Chula Vista Resort – Laguna Vista Room – 2nd Floor
Pre-Registrations Can Be Picked Up Here

AFP Staff Office
Chula Vista Resort – Aztec Room – 2nd Floor

4:00 pm
Chula Vista Dome Opens For Vendors

7:30 – 9:00 pm
Welcoming Reception
Chula Vista Resort
Conference Center Ballroom

Saturday, March 13h

8:00 am
Shuttle Service Available between Resort and Chula Vista Dome
* Chula Vista Parking and Shuttle fees apply

8:00-9:30 am
Registration – Chula Vista Dome

9:30 am
OPENING CERMONY – FREEDOM TEAM

Mark Block – AFP Wisconsin State Director
Tim Phillips – President Americans for Prosperity
Tim Nerenz – The Oldenburg Group
Lord Christopher Monckton
J.B. Van Hollen – Wisconsin Attorney General
Grover Norquist – Americans for Tax Reform – Tentative
Phil Kerpen – National Policy Director, Americans for Prosperity
Paul Driessen, APR, Esq.
Eric O’Keefe – CEO, Sam Adams Alliance
Linda Hansen – Wisconsin Prosperity Network and Prosperity 101TM
Debra Waller – Chairman of the Board & CEO, Jockey International
Steve Moore – Wall Street Journal
John Fund, Wall Street Journal
Niger Innis, Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)
John Fund, Wall Street Journal
Dr. David Gratzer – Author, The Cure
David Prosser – WI Supreme Court Justice
Herman Cain – Author, Radio Talk Show Host

11:30 am
Defender of the American Dream Awards
Presented by State Representative Leah Vukmir & Pat Synder, WSAU Radio

National Award: Joe the Plumber
State Award: State Representative Bill Kramer
Media Award: Patrick McIlheran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
AFP-WI Volunteer of the Year: Jim Zeiler

12:00 Noon
Lunch – Served in The Chula Vista Dome – Tickets Required

12:30-1:15pm
Lunch Program

Vicki McKenna, WISN Radio, WIBA Radio
Keynote Speaker, Michael Reagan, Invited

Shuttle Service Will Be Provided to Chula Vista Resort for Afternoon Sessions

1:45 – 3:00 pm
Session 1

Break Out A
RightOnLine – New Media
Chula Vista Dome
Erik Telford, Americans for Prosperity
J.J. Blonien, AFP-Weekly Reader

Break Out B
Global Warming – Climate Change – Economic Suicide
Chula Vista Club House or Upper Dells Ballroom
Phil Kerpen, AFP National Policy Director
James Sensenbrenner, Member of Congress
Lord Christopher Monckton
Paul Driessen, APR, Esq.
Niger Innis, Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)

Break Out 1
It’s Your Vote …. Protect It!
Chula Vista Resort
Ardis Cerny, Co-Chair, The We’re Watching Committee
Mary Ann Hanson, Co-Chair, The We’re Watching Committee
John Fund, Wall Street Journal

Break Out 2
Prosperity 101TM – Voter Education
Chula Vista Resort
Linda Hansen, Wisconsin Prosperity Network, Prosperity 101TM
Steve Moore, Wall Street Journal

Break Out 3
Media Relations 101
Chula Vista Resort
Mary Ellen Burke, AFP, National State Communications Manager
Vicki McKenna, WISN Radio, WIBA Radio
Patrick McIlheran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Pat Synder, WSAU Radio

Break Out 4
Property Rights and Coordination
Fred Kelly Grant, Stewards of the Range
Don Parmeter, American Environmental Institute
Jay Verhulst, Foundation for Common Sense

Break Out 5
Legal Implications for Organizations
John Flynn, Americans for Prosperity, Legal Counsel
Mike Dean, First Freedoms Foundation, Legal Counsel
James Troupis, Michael Best & Friedrich

3:45 – 5:00 pm
Session 2

Break Out 6
Countering Alinsky’s Rules
Vicki McKenna, WISN Radio, WIBA Radio
Brian Schimming, WIBA Radio
Maggie Delaporte, Women Patriots of Wisconsin
Jolene Churchill, Women Patriots of Wisconsin

Break Out 7
Taxpayer Tea Parties – Health Care Constitutional Amendment
Jim Zeiler, AFP Wisconsin
Tim Dake, Grandsons of Liberty
Oriannah Paul, Sheboygan Tea Party
Scott Sidney, AFP Wisconsin
Meg Ellefson, Wausau Tea Party

Break Out 8
Net Neutrality
Phil Kerpen, Americans for Prosperity, Vice-President, Policy

Break Out 9
Fair Taxation for States
M. Kevin McLaughlin, Iowans for Discounted Taxes

Break Out 10
Political Math Can Magically Balance Your Budget!
Sheila Weinberg, The Institute for Truth in Accounting

Break Out 11
Dude-Who Stole My Wallet?
Walter Nocito

Break Out 12
Activist and Candidate Training
Lonny Leitner, American Majority

Executive Briefing
Wisconsin Prosperity Network – By Invitation Only
Chula Vista Resort – Upper Dells Ballroom
Linda Hansen, Wisconsin Prosperity Network & Prosperity 101TM

5:00 pm
Official Summit Activities Conclude

Shuttle Service Will Be Provided to Chula Vista Dome Closing Session

5:30 – 7:00 pm
Reception
The Chula Vista Dome
Invited Candidates for Elected Office
Sponsored and hosted by Wisconsin Center for Economic Prosperity
Co-Host – Rob Kieckhefer and Jason Kohout
For Information visit: www.wcep.org

7:00 – 9:00 pm
Dinner On Your Own

9:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Mark & Mike Tea Party Thank You
Chula Vista Convention Center
Live Music – Cash Bar

By Andy Steinke, Dells Events

wde-news@capitalnewspapers.com

The organizers associated with the national tea parties are hosting a summit in Wisconsin Dells next month that is expected to draw 3,000 to 5,000 people.

The Wisconsin Chapter of the Americans for Prosperity Foundation will hold the “Defending the American Dream” summit — its third annual get-together — at the Chula Vista Resort dome March 12 and 13.

Chapter Director Mark Block said some of the confirmed speakers include Joe Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the Plumber; Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen; U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner; Lord Christopher Monckton, an advisor to former U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; and Wall Street Journal columnist Stephen Moore.

Two other big-name guests, U.S. Rep. Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota and Ronald Reagan’s son Michael Reagan, have also been invited.

Block said the summit will focus on the group’s two biggest issues, health care and the pending state bill on global warming, but will also discuss cap and trade, voter rights, activist training and Card Check — a proposed federal bill to eliminate secret ballots in union elections.

“We would consider (the global warming bill) economic suicide for the state,” he said. “It would double, in some cases, the price of electricity and would force manufacturers to move out of the state.”

The bill, if passed, would require 25 percent of electricity to come from wind, solar, biomass and other renewable sources by 2025. Block said the move would cost Wisconsin tens of thousands of jobs.

The group chose to hold its summit in Wisconsin Dells for two reasons.

“One, it’s a strategic location. Our organization has held most of our events in Milwaukee and Madison. Out of our 54,000 members, over half of them live in that La Crosse, Wausau, Eau Claire area to the north. And they’ve been telling us that they wanted a location they could drive to in one day,” Block said. “And two, Chula has the facilities large enough to handle the people we are expecting.”

The last summit drew 850 people, but Block said you can’t compare that summit to this one because of how much the group has grown in the last year.

“Recently, we haven’t done an event with less than 3,000 people at it,” he said. “We have close to that (number) registered already for Chula Vista…I fully anticipate selling this event out.”

The Wisconsin chapter of Americans for Prosperity formed with 250 members about three years ago, and was one of only four state chapters. Americans for Prosperity now has more than 900,000 members nationally in all 50 states and 28 state chapters.

“(It’s been) kind of a by-product of the tea party movement, where average citizens who had never been involved in the political process before now feel threatened by what the governments in Madison and D.C. are doing,” Block said.

A tea party rally on the Capitol steps drew 8,000 people on April 15, and another event on the shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee gathered 15,000 people on July 4, Block said.

Town hall meetings in Madison, La Crosse and Wausau to discuss health care legislation drew a combined 3,750 guests.

“People don’t, for the most part, think their elected officials are listening to them,” Block said. “And the tea party movement is a way for the average citizen to let their officials know they aren’t in favor of more taxes, spending and regulation.”

As for the summit’s theme, Defending the American Dream, Block said the American dream is the ability to prosper.

“We aren’t against government,” he said. “We are against government policies that prohibit an individual or business from prospering…We are for less taxes so people who are trying to put food on the table have more disposable income to pay their bills.”