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.

Entry 14                               Submitted by: Mark Musselman

Current Event

As reported by theGrio on 08/12/2009- (full article available on line)

A new ad campaign by a group advocating for healthier school lunches has stirred up a food fight of sorts in Washington.  Posters placed in a Washington subway station and created by the non-profit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine show a young girl with a thought bubble containing these words: “President Obama’s daughters get healthy school lunches. Why don’t I?”

The White House has asked the group to take the signs down, saying they violate Malia and Sasha Obama’s privacy. Neither Sasha nor Malia are pictured in the ad.

VS

Free speech verses the executive branch of government.

Founding Document

The Constitution, First Amendment

We the People:

We do not know what the consequences would have been if the group had not complied with the request of the Obama administration. Can we ever take our constitutional rights for granted?

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)

By

Joe “The Plumber” Wurzelbacher

We will never control our government until we control the federal tax system.

It is corrupted and unfair and feeds unchecked government growth with our money. It has made the federal government far more powerful than what was supposed to be its equal—our state governments. The income tax hides the cost of the government from plain sight and provides endless amounts of our money for the advancement of politician’s personal ambitions. It is very good for those in Washington and very destructive for the rest of us.

We’re being treated as if our only value as citizens is how much more money we can be made to give up out of our paychecks. When it comes to more and more spending and more and more taxes, it is a one-way conversation. I’m ready to talk back and I don’t think I’m alone. That’s why I’m calling on every patriot to join me in a tax revolt march on Washington , D.C.

I’m leading a Tea Party Patriot team in a growing on-line tax revolt which arrives in Washington , D.C. on April 15^th to merge with huge physical rallies. It’s a new technology that allows people to choose a graphic “avatar” to digitally march on-line to Washington with hundreds of thousands of other Americans. Even the homebound, recovering veterans and the elderly can add their voice to this new American chorus.

I’m seeing a lot of people remembering that politicians are supposed to follow the will of the people—not trample it. Like Boston Harbor , this is where we again make our stand.

First you choose an avatar at: www.onlinetaxrevolt.com. Then you choose a team. Michael Reagan has a team, Neal Boortz has a team, Ken Hoagland of FairTax.org has a team and I have a team, among a growing number of others. Every day after you join the march, you can check your progress toward Washington , D.C. on a Google Earth map of the United States . You can see other marchers from your hometown, read blogs from the leaders and count the growing number of citizens willing to make a stand.

The on-line tax revolt is open to all whether they favor the Flat Tax, the FairTax or the kind of simplification that President Reagan won. What this march is really about is shifting public policy back to favor the public instead of the political elite. Right now, the on-line revolt has 100,000 marchers and is growing by 1,000 people per hour. It’s wake up call to those in the halls of power.  

This nation began in a tax protest against the rule of royalty, indifference to what were once loyal citizens of the crown and the arrogance of power. A brand new form of government began here that held that government power could only be granted with the consent of the governed. Well guess what? The aristocrats are back, the arrogance of power is back and even taxation without representation is back as our government pledges the earnings of future, unborn, generations of American citizens to secure mind-numbing levels of national debt today. It will ruin the country if we don’t stop it.

This is not the government we learned about in our civics class and not the liberty for which our forefathers shed blood. It’s time for the next great American tax revolt and I hope you join me.

Joe “The Plumber” Wurzelbacher was thrust into the national spotlight when he asked Barrack Obama why it was fair to take his earnings and give it to others. Joe has kept asking hard questions of government leaders ever since. Joe leads the Tea Party Patriot Team at www.onlinetaxrevolt.com.

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

Entry 24S                                               Submitted by: Mark Musselman

Current Event

As reported by ABC News.com February 24, 2010 (full article available on-lin)

At the National Press Club on April 26, 2005, then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was asked about a move being discussed by Senate Republicans, then in control, to change the Senate rules so as to require a mere majority vote rather than the 60 votes necessary to end a potential filibuster.

“You know, the Founders designed this system, as frustrating it is, to make sure that there’s a broad consensus before the country moves forward,” then-Sen. Obama told the audience.

His remarks have garnered some attention in recent days given the current likelihood that Senate Democrats will next week use “reconciliation” rules, which require only a 51-vote majority, to pass health care reform legislation, bypassing the current Senate rules of requiring 60 votes to cut off a potential filibuster and proceed to a final vote.
………………………………………

“And what I worry about would be you essentially have still two chambers — the House and the Senate — but you have simply majoritarian absolute power on either side, and that’s just not what the founders intended,” Obama said.
==============================================

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (full article available on-line)

“Reconciliation is a legislative process in the United States Senate intended to allow consideration of a contentious budget bill without the threat of filibuster. …………………………………………..
Under the original design of the Budget Act, reconciliation had a fairly narrow purpose. It was expected to be used together with the second resolution adopted in the fall, and was to apply to a single fiscal year and be directed primarily at spending and revenue legislation acted on between the adoption of the first and second budget resolutions. But Congress has used the procedure to enact far-reaching omnibus budget bills, first in 1981.
The Byrd Rule (described below) was adopted in 1985 and amended in 1990. Its main effect is that reconciliation cannot be used for provisions that would increase the deficit beyond 10 years after the reconciliation measure.

Congress used reconciliation to enact President Bill Clinton’s 1993 (fiscal year 1994) budget. Clinton wanted to use reconciliation to pass his 1993 health care plan, but Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) insisted that the health care plan was out of bounds for a process that is theoretically about budgets.”
…………………………………….
======================================================

According to THE HILL.com on – 02/24/10

Sen. Robert Byrd warned Democratic colleagues against changing filibuster rules in order to advance their legislative priorities.

“I am sympathetic to frustrations about the Senate’s rules, but those frustrations are nothing new,” Byrd wrote. “However, I believe that efforts to change or reinterpret the rules in order to facilitate expeditious action by a simple majority, while popular, are grossly misguided.”

Some liberal Democrats have called for a change in the Senate’s filibuster rules, which require 60 votes to end debate on an issue. In recent years, the mere threat of a filibuster on a matter before the Senate has meant a de facto requirement that most votes in the Senate have to have 60 votes.
…………………………..

VS

The Tenth amendment and Senate rules vs “Some liberal Democrats”

Founding Document
US Constitution, Tenth 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.

US Constitution, Article I, Section 5:
Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behavior, and, with the Concurrence of two-thirds, expel a Member.

In 1975, the two thirds rule was changed to three fifths.

We the People:

Consider what type of person would participate in a violation of Senate rules in order to vote for something that violates the tenth amendment, and which most Americans oppose.  They call them US Senators from Wisconsin.  More should just call them.

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
John Rovens, CEO, Be Great, LLC (tentative)

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

Entry 13                                          Submitted by: Mark Musselman

Current Event

As reported by the Los Angeles Times December 12, 2009 – (full article available on line)

More than a year after the financial crisis devastated the economy and triggered massive taxpayer bailouts, the House narrowly approved the most sweeping overhaul of financial regulations since the Great Depression in hopes of preventing a similar catastrophe.

The sprawling measure would grant the government broad new authority to break up large financial firms if their size poses a major risk to the economy, as well as to seize and dismantle such firms if they teeter near bankruptcy. A new $150-billion fund, paid for by the financial industry, would cover the costs of any government takeovers.
….

One of the most controversial parts of the legislation is the creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Agency. The new agency would have the power to write rules for a variety of financial activities involving loans or credit, to monitor large banks for compliance and to ban products and business practices it deemed unfair, deceptive or abusive.
……

The legislation would prohibit future bailouts to save a company from bankruptcy, as was done with AIG, by granting the government a new “resolution authority” for seizing and dismantling large financial firms before they collapse.

…..
VS

Congress verses the authority granted it in the Constitution.

Founding Document

The Constitution, Article 1, Section 8.

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

We the People:

There is nothing in the article above or any other in the Constitution which grants Congress the authority to regulate financial firms. Some may site precedence from past regulations, but as the saying goes; “two wrongs do not make a right”. When they exceeded their authority by forcing companies to grant risky loans over the last 20 years, Congress destabilized the banking industry; and thus it has proved the wisdom in the constitutional limits on their power.

The US House of Representatives are again pitting the people against large companies as a diversion from Congress’s past mistakes in order to justify their grasp for more power. President Obama is loudly admonishing financial executives for the same reason. We must let them know that we recognize their maneuvers, and that we will vote accordingly.

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.”

Entry 12                                                  Submitted by: Mark Musselman

Current Event

As reported by CNN on August 19 – (full article available on line) {this trial case is pending as of 12/4/09}

Two Florida school administrators face contempt charges and possible prison time for saying a prayer at a school luncheon.

They face a non-jury trial September 17 before U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers. The statute under which they are charged carries a maximum penalty of up to six months in prison, subject to sentencing guidelines.
Attorneys defending Lay and Freeman call it outrageous that the two are being prosecuted for “a simple prayer.” But the American Civil Liberties Union, whose lawsuit led to the consent decree, maintains that students have a right to be free from administrators foisting their religious beliefs on them.
….

On January 28, “Lay asked Freeman to offer a prayer of blessing during a school-day luncheon for the dedication of a new fieldhouse at Pace High School,” according to court documents. “Freeman complied with the request and offered the prayer at the event. It appears this was a school-sponsored event attended by students, faculty and community members.”
….
Liberty Counsel said it is challenging the consent decree, maintaining that it “unconstitutionally infringes on the rights of teachers, administrators and students.”

VS

The opinions of a few ACLU leaders vs. the First amendment of the US Constitution.

Founding Document

The Constitution, First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;…..

Quote from Thomas Jefferson

“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.”

We the People:

There is nothing in those words of the first amendment or in Thomas Jefferson’s clarification which prohibits the verbal prayers of any school administrator. Indeed the first amendment demands protection from prohibiting the free exercise of religion – regardless of the location.

Ironically, the civil liberties of those administrators are being attacked by the ACLU. I resigned my membership years ago because the ACLU leaders have perverted their organization’s charter.

The Liberty Counsel deserves our support for defending those administrators. The chilling effect is intimidation of any teacher or official from praying on public property. In addition, tax dollars for schools will be diverted from education. However these attacks will get worse if we are not willing to pay the costs to fight them in our school systems.