What if it’s all on purpose?

The country’s biggest talkers have unabashedly taken this question into consideration in recent weeks as the state of our nation’s economy continues to worsen. Even Rush Limbaugh, the most listened-to man in America, argued that an economic collapse or a default on our national debt would be “intentional” on the part of the current administration.

Intentionally destroying the economy? Why would our elected officials intentionally bring economic hardship on their own people? Who in our representative government would do such a terrible thing? We could ponder these matters all day, but these are the wrong questions.

Two weeks ago, the Department of Agriculture announced that more Americans than ever, a whopping 45.8 million, are on food stamps (now known as SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Of all Americans with stomachs, nearly 15 percent can’t fill them without the government, uhh, “supplementing” their “nutrition.” These 46 million recipients are only 67 percent of the number eligible to apply. That means that 22%, over one fifth of all Americans, have been determined to be in need of government-distributed money to put food on their tables. This is a tragic development for sure, as the mere thought of families unable to feed themselves is unsettling in this land of prosperity.

Via the Daily Kos

But take heart! Our beloved government has overcome hunger, so we need not despair over such an abysmal expansion of the welfare state. According to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, food stamps are just another form of “economic stimulus.” Well, that’s one way to describe it.

Normally, we would have let out a despairing sigh as we pointed to these welfare numbers as a sign of a poor economy. But as our elected leaders keep digging a deeper hole, the excuse makers are running out of alternative explanations, and the American people are beginning to wonder: Could this be more than a poor economy? Could this be an engineered trend? What could the engineers possibly stand to gain by impoverishing their own people?

Over 150 years ago, a French aristocrat named Alexis de Tocqueville wrote of the dangers of a “soft despotism.” Even a century and a half ago, after only a few years in the country, a foreigner was able to warn us of the risk of democratic oppression of the masses by their own selfishness. When people allow themselves to be nestled into the coddling arms of their own government, they forfeit their liberty, their treasure, their dignity, and the very self-reliance that makes them human.

Half of all Americans now receive some form of government aid, and the statists are happy to provide it not because they hope to solve problems, but because they hope to solidify and enslave a permanent base by holding dignified citizens ransom for votes. What more Americans are realizing every day is that we do not simply have a bad batch of politicians in Washington who are trying and failing at their jobs. We are not even governed, as many like to think, by a group of self-interested fat cats apathetic toward their own constituents’ needs. Our country is run by a crop of malevolent, power-hungry aristocrats bent on the aggregation of power at the expense of the people’s liberty.

Despite our oft-repeated national credo that “all men are created equal,” there is a ruling class in the United States, and its interests stand diametrically opposed to those of the American people.

As they sit in their smoke-filled room, this ruling class clambers for more “stimulus” (in the form of food stamps and otherwise). They toss us, the American people, onto the poker table like inherently worthless chips to be gambled away for more votes, more influence, more power, as they sip their brandy, puff on their expensive cigars, and project a chorus of belly laughs that lack even the slightest hint of restraint or remorse for their daily betrayal of the very people who empower them.

And why should they feel any lingering regret? As goes the dependence of the populace on the provision of the government, so goes the electoral security of the statist machine. Why not laugh with gusto as votes flow into the ballot box and treasure pours into the coffers? Sure, they have to face themselves in the mirror as one-fifth of their citizens hold out their hands for a “nutrition supplement,” but in return, they are assured that these government-manufactured Dickensian shells of once capable and driven individuals would never bite the hand that feeds them.

So what would you do in their position? More Americans than ever look to the government to put food on their tables every night. Would you solve the problem, or expand the base and your job security by adding more citizens to the government dole?

Our ruling class has run out of excuses for this abuse of power, and the American people have run out of patience. Our Washingtonian leaders can no longer claim to be even remotely interested in real recovery because we now see that they care only about power, gathered and hoarded on the backs of once-dignified citizens. It is clearer than ever that real recovery must come from somewhere else.

American Majority is pleased to announce that a Grassroots Activist Training will be held on on August 6th  in Irving, Texas. The event will be held at North Lake College, G-401, at 5001 North MacArthur Blvd. Doors will open and on-site registration will begin at 9:00AM. Training will begin at 9:30AM, and conclude at 4:00PM.

American Majority will be unveiling some new curriculum, covering topics such as*:
- 10 Tips to Full Speed
- Social Capitalist: Keys to Online Activism
- Grassroots Organizing for Freedom

Other topics and guest speakers include:
- The TEA Party Impact in the 82nd Legislative Session (JoAnn Fleming, TEA Party Caucus Advisory Board)
- Focus Local: Keys to impacting your Municipality (Katrina Pierson, TEA Party Review)
- New Tools for Voter Engagement (Roy Magno, Political Gravity)
- GOTV: Beyond the Basics (Ken Emanuelson, Dallas TEA Party Steering Committee)

Registration for this event is $25.00 per person, and includes lunch and training materials.

* Presentation topics are subject to change.

Our nation was founded by ordinary citizen activists desiring a government that was accountable to the people.  Today, ordinary citizens across our nation are tired of the status quo and ready to engage for the betterment of their communities. American Majority’s political training addresses these passions by providing education and resources to help you meet your goals.

American Majority will conduct a Grassroots / Activist training that will provide citizens with the tools necessary to win elections and implement limited government and free market principles.

The training will take place on Saturday, June 11 at the Moline American Legion (1623 15^th St  Moline, IL 61265) from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Registration begins at 9:30 am. Registration is $25 per person in advance or $30.00 at the door.

In addition to providing an opportunity to meet other patriots in your community, the seminar provides an opportunity to network and learn from grassroots organizers with successful campaign experience. Topics to be covered during the training include:

• Public Speaking
• So You Want to Become a Campaign Manager?
• Patriots 2.0 New Media, Social Media, Online activism
• Precinct Power – Micro Targeting and Door-Knocking Your Community

If you have any questions or would like additional information, e-mail Lonny at Lonny@AmericanMajority.org

American Majority is a non-profit and non-partisan political training organization whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leaders committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market.

This past Saturday the 14 Democratic Senators from Wisconsin who had brazenly shirked their responsibilities to the people of Wisconsin by opting for a cowardly month long escapade across the border in Illinois, finally came back to their rightful place – Wisconsin.

And while the labor union and other assorted leftists gave them a “hero’s welcome” when they “bravely” (think storming the beaches at Normandy) made their way back to the capital in Madison, evidently the welcome they received from their spouses at home was not so welcoming.

Here is just a sampling of what might have been said to them by their spouses:

(And for full disclosure, the list presented above is for entertainment – i.e. humor – purposes only.  None of the quotes or situations presented are true…as far as we know.)

14. “What’s that, Tim?  Did you just ask me what that smell was?  That’s the damn garbage I let pile up during the month you were not here to take it out!  It looked like to me that when you left you were running from all of your responsibilities – one of which is to take out our trash!”

13. “Why yes, Spencer, I did take the liberty to relocate you to the living room for an indefinite period seeing as how you decided a month ago to take the liberty to relocate to Illinois for an indefinite period.”

12. “Oh, no, Timothy, I did miss you.  But when you said you were leaving for a while and didn’t know when you would be back, I decided to move on.  You remember our pool boy, Kevin, right?”

11. “No, Jon, what that letter says is that we have 30 days to vacate the premises not vacation from the premises.  It’s called foreclosure, and it’s what happens in the real world when people massively overspend, miss work for a month, and can’t pay their bills, you idiot!”

10. “All your suits are at the dry cleaners, Dave.  Oh, wait, never mind.  They are all at Goodwill because I threw them out after you left me all alone for a month, you jerk.”

9. “Well, Jim, I couldn’t exactly let the Lego Millennium Falcon sit completed on the kitchen table for God knows how long after you ran off to Illinois.  But don’t cry.  You can put it back together, dear.  Surely it won’t take that long.”

8. “Were you not in Civics class that day, Robert?  A recall is when the people decide to remove or replace an elected official before their term is up because they were doing a crappy job.  Sound familiar?”

7. “You were gone for one month, Chris, and all you brought back was this shirt that says ‘I holed up in a motel just across the border from Wisconsin like a scared little girl for an entire month because I refused to do my job, and all I got was this lousy t-shirt’?  Really!?!?”

6. “Sure I ate out every night, Julie!  Did you really expect me to cook for the entire month you were gone?”

5. “No, Mark, those UAW fellas you know didn’t drop off an envelope full of cash while you were gone.  And even if they had, I wouldn’t tell you!  You left me all alone for a month and accomplished absolutely nothing with your stupid publicity stunt!”

4. “Yes, Fred, I saw you on the TV.  And I heard what you said about doing the right thing.  But let me tell you something, buster, the right thing was to come home, do the job you were elected to do, and take care of your damn family.”

3. “I have no idea how long it is going to take to do a month’s worth of laundry, Lena.  But you’ll have plenty of time to do it in the next couple of weeks while I am out partying with my buddies every night.”

2.  “It’s not like I can return it, Kathleen!  Do you know how many miles I have put on this Harley in the month you gone hanging out in Illinois and not doing your job?”

1. “Oh, are you looking for your Dom Perignon, Robert?  I’m so sorry but I drank it and replaced it with some Pabst Blue Ribbon now that you are all about representing the Working Man, you hypocrite fleebagger.”

What do you think of the list?  And what would you say to these men and women if you had the chance to meet them?

It’s hard to believe that protests have now been going on in Madison for 16 days and 14 State Senators have been AWOL for 13 days now.   Here is some of the latest news.  A private citizen is suing one of these Senators to compel the Senator to return to the state Capitol.  The Senate has voted on a resolution to impose a fine for Senators missing two or more days.   Taxpayers continue to pay the salaries of these 14 AWOL Senators and are wondering when this all will end.

Yesterday, Governor Scott Walker continued to show resolve in confronting liberal policies through introducing his Budget Bill.  Governor Walker’s Budget Bill contains bold reforms to address Wisconsin’s $3.6 Billion Deficit.  Wisconsin has been crippled by liberal policies, but that is changing.  While the Budget Bill reduces state aid by roughly $1.25 Billion, the almost $1.5 Billion in savings from the budget repair bill creates a net increase in revenue.

Despite the opportunity for savings, many local governments are backing themselves into a corner where they may have no other option but to lay off many teachers and other local government employees.   School districts across the state are rushing through collective bargaining agreements that continue largess government spending.  When the reduced state aid comes, those local governments will be stuck with significant gaps between expenses and revenue.

Thankfully, some local government leaders, such as Wausau Mayor Jim Tipple, have decided to halt union negotiations until the dust settles with the Budget Repair Bill.  The fact is that the Budget Repair Bill gives local governments tools to be able to reduce their spending.

Conservatives must continue to have their voices heard!  Contact your elected officials about Gov. Walker’s Budget and your local government officials about union negotiations.  The voice of the Wisconsin taxpayers has to be heard.

This time he’s taking on Google, and this is sure to be a battle of epic proportions.

In this clip found on NBC Bay Area’s website (more on this less-than-professional news outlet in a moment), Beck questions the ties of the internet giant and says that he will most likely not be using Google anymore.

Now, briefly, I’d like to point out that, contrary to the article’s title, Beck does not “urge a Google boycott.” In fact, he emphatically says the opposite. He states that he personally will not be using it, but that he is not trying to lead a boycott. Second, look at the picture of Beck posted at the top of the article. I’m not sure if it’s the NBC affiliated status, the San Francisco location, or both, but something tells me these guys don’t like Glenn Beck very much.

Now, about Google.

Beck explains that, for several reasons, he is “uncomfortable” with Google because of its involvement in the recent Egyptian revolution, its coziness with the U.S. government, and its donations to some left-wing organizations. His discomfort is warranted.

Last year, Google donated $145 million to charity, some of these donations to left-wing non profit groups. However, as found here, Google has a policy of matching the charitable gifts of its employees up to $12,000, meaning that plenty of non-left-wing groups received Google money as well. As Beck mentions, Google has partnered with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, an agency that exists to provide satellite images to government intelligence services. This could be good for national security given the sophistication of Google Earth, but it is also a bit disconcerting.

But all things considered, the bigger question is: what should we do about it? Even Beck says,

I’m not sure if I want my search engine involved in government overthrows, good or bad. What I want from a search engine is good search results.

Like Beck, I would prefer that my search engine not be involved in revolutions. But the sticky part of this situation is that Google is the undisputed king of good search results. It is the single most visited site on the internet with over three billion hits per day. Statistically, over 95 percent of you found the American Majority website for the first time through Google.

Moreover, American Majority recognizes the importance of using Google to your advantage as a conservative activist, even though Google and its executives have shown themselves to be liberal more often than not. When we speak of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), we are really talking about what we call “Google Juice,” your ability to appear high on a list of Google Search results. SEO is crucial in creating your online presence as a candidate or activist, and Google is virtually the only search engine worth focusing on.

So, being that Glenn Beck influences so many people, what do we do now? Is Google worth worrying about, or will we go on using it because it is the biggest and best? I don’t know about you, but I have to think for a few seconds to even come up with the name of an alternative search engine to Google. Can we even make a dent? Should we even try?

As a child of the 1980’s, I protested vehemently when my wife recently went and rented the updated, Will Smith-ified version of The Karate Kid. The film stars his son, Jaden, and is a remake of sorts from the CLASSIC film of the same name that came out when I was six.

And yes, I absolutely adore the original.  I love it for a number of reasons: Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi, a 37 year old Ralph Macchio playing a teenage Daniel, and Elisabeth Shue simply being Elisabeth Shue.

Plus, the crane kick at the end still gets me.  And the scene where Daniel dresses up like a shower for the dance and then gets chased by the Cobra Kai in their skeleton costumes is awe-some.  But I digress.

In regards to the updated version, it was not as bad as I thought it would be.  Jackie Chan does a decent job as the maintenance man turned martial arts teacher and I grew to love little bitty Jaden Smith as the Daniel character.  Plus, using China as the setting was a brave move that paid off.

And while there is no crane kick at the end of the film, they really did do a nice job with the sappy and victorious ending.  (I don’t want to completely ruin it for anyone who has not seen the film.)

Now why do I bring all this up?  Because while the idea of re-making a classic film that came out only 27 years ago makes me nervous, the folks who produced it changed the movie up just enough to not be a total rip-off of the original.

And thankfully, they also inserted enough subtle references to the original to pay honor and homage to it.

Basically, those involved did their best not to totally re-make The Karate Kid but rather make a film that followed the same story but in a new and fresh way while also giving the original its proper respect.

Which brings me to Ronald Reagan.

Anybody else notice how seemingly each week some potential GOP presidential nominee distastefully communicates that they are the new and updated version of the Gipper?  Does this make anybody else sick to their stomach?

This hit a fever pitch a few weeks ago during the celebration of what would have been Reagan’s 100^th birthday.  From what I saw and read it very much seemed that some of the potential nominees wanted to exhume the guy’s body and use it as their future running mate.

But guess what? Just as there will never be another Ralph Macchio/Elisabeth Shue version of The Karate Kid, there is not another Ronald Reagan waiting in the wings to run for president.  Seriously, that person does not exist.

The simple fact is that Ronald Reagan will justifiably forever be the torch bearer of the conservative movement.

But lest we forget that he was a once-in-a-lifetime president, politician, and leader.  He was as transformative, charismatic, and strong as any public figure in the last 150 years.

So while we should learn a lesson from Will Smith (wait for it) and emulate Reagan’s legacy and philosophies (such as striving for a more limited government, lower taxes, and a firm hand to spread freedom around the world), we should also be encouraging our up and coming leaders to TRY NOT TO BE THAT MAN ALL OVER AGAIN!

Seriously, can’t there be a presidential hopeful who pays homage to the man without implying they could be our generation’s version of him?

Furthermore, the need for a new type of Reaganesque leader on the right dovetails nicely with this article about just how great the need is to groom and raise up a new “Great Communicator” on the conservative side of the aisle.

And no, Ronald Reagan cannot be that person for us.

Thus, the application to these truths is that as a conservative movement we must identify, encourage, and support someone who is like Reagan without trying to be Reagan all over again.

And, yes, that does sound a lot like how Will Smith handled remaking what is perhaps the greatest movie of my generation.

On Friday, Governor Scott Walker announced his Budget Repair Bill aimed at covering Wisconsin’s deficit of $137 Million for the current fiscal year ending June 30, 2011 and addressing the $3.7 Billion deficit for the two year budget.   Unions and other liberal organizations sounded shocked at the possibility of spending cuts.

The fact remains that cutting government spending isn’t easy.  Almost regardless of what elected officials would try to cut from their government’s budget, there would be strong opposition from those currently benefiting from that government spending.  When I worked on Capitol Hill, a budget was introduced that proposed cutting funding for public television and public radio.  As soon as the hosts on public television and public radio announced the proposed budget cut, our Congressional office received a deluge of calls, e-mails, and letters against the proposed cut in spending.  Ultimately, Congress voted against the spending cut because of the political pressure from constituents to continue to fund public television and radio.

Once a person benefits from government spending, they rely upon it and will be extremely motivated to contact their elected officials if there is even a rumor of cutting that spending.  Almost without fail, there will be stronger political pressure to not cut spending than the political pressure to reduce the spending.  Moreover, government agencies always think their budgets should grow, regardless of the effectiveness or necessity of their programs.  It takes a tremendous amount of courageous and commitment to see a proposed spending cut through to be enacted into law.

Looking around the country, even Democratic Governors in other states are proposing budgets with significant spending cuts.  In New York State, for example, Governor Cuomo, a Democrat, announced a budget with cuts to many government programs.   While some states, such as Illinois, have raised taxes to address their dire fiscal situations, most states see that their bloated budgets must be cut.  The private sector has had to make cuts to employees’ benefits, salaries, etc.  The public sector finally has to face the music.

The Tea Party Movement helped to elect a new wave of conservative leaders throughout our country.   Many taxpayers across the state and nation voted for conservatives due to the liberals wasteful spending and bloated budgets that have created these deficits.

What will the Tea Party do now? Will the Tea Party use their political power to contact their elected officials to support spending cuts? Or will the Tea Party let liberal groups drown out their calls for less spending and limited government?  On Tuesday (Election Day- Don’t forget to vote!), the Joint Finance Committee will hold a hearing regarding the Budget Repair Bill at 10am in Room 412 East of the WI State Capitol.  The left will certainly be organized and will show up with strong numbers in opposition to the spending cuts.  Will conservatives speak up?

If I were to walk up to a random person today and ask him/her to share their thoughts on the upcoming spring elections in Kansas, I’m willing to bet that the response would be, “What elections?”

These elections are so often forgotten about, and so few people actually vote in them, let alone volunteer on campaigns for them.  There are many times when these seats go unfilled because there aren’t enough people interested in running for the available positions.  So many people fail to understand the importance of these elections because in their minds, who gets elected to their local school board just doesn’t matter.  What people don’t realize is how much power their local school boards actually have, and how great of an impact an individual can have on school board elections just by getting involved.

But why would somebody want to get involved with school board elections?

Well, if you have children in the school district, there are a few obvious reasons why you would want to help quality candidates get elected to the school board.  School boards are responsible for:

• Hiring and working with the superintendent.
• Overseeing school personnel.
• Reviewing and approving curriculum that students learn.
• Tracking district enrollment and attendance.
• Monitoring student achievement.
• Setting the academic calendar.
• Managing student transportation.
• Ensuring that local schools are in accordance with federal and state academic standards.
• Providing parents and members of the community with a voice into the education of their children.

All of these tasks are ones that shape the learning environment and educational experience of your children. It is vital that these tasks aren’t just given to anyone. These students are the future of this nation.  We have an amazing opportunity to shape the people that these students become by influencing the dynamic of their school boards now.

What if you don’t have children in the school district, though? Why should it still matter to you?  Well, you may not care quite as strongly about the educational experience of students in your district, but I bet you care about your money!  School boards are also responsible for the following:

• Establishing approximately 55-60% of the local property tax bill.
• Administering the local education budget.
• Approving facility maintenance and construction.
• Negotiating subcontractor agreements.

I don’t know about you, but in my home county, property taxes have gone up 168.9% just since 1997. There’s no telling how different the circumstances would be now if people in my home county would’ve been paying attention to the school board all these years.  If you care about where and how your hard-earned money is being spent, then it is of the utmost importance that you get involved in your local school board elections.

If your state’s filing deadline has not yet passed, I encourage you to seriously consider running for your local school board.  If the filing deadline has passed, then volunteer to help campaign for the candidate you are supporting.  Even after the elections are over, it is in your best interest to continue being involved with the school board.  Attending school board meetings is the best way to hold members accountable for the actions that they take while in office.   If everyone does their part to get involved with their local school boards, these elections will no longer be forgotten ones.

So, the elections are over and the legislative sessions have begun. Everyone is waiting with bated breath to see what those freshmen legislators are going to do, and tea partiers are hanging on every quote and vote to hold them accountable. If you don’t think times are changing, think again. The Pulaski County Quorum Court now has their budget available online here http://www.co.pulaski.ar.us/comptroller.shtml and Arkansas legislators from the last session are having their reimbursements scrutinized with a fine tooth comb here http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2011/jan/30/expense-tabs-8-10-top-50000-20110130/ It’s never good news for a lawmaker when their expense reimbursements are listed in the state’s largest newspaper. And of course, the newspaper is blamed for doing “a very detrimental thing to the people of Arkansas in the way that you constantly hound elected officials and make them look bad,” Laverty said. “You all do it more than anyone else.”

Transparency….shining the light on the good, bad and ugly. It is one thing that all activists – conservatives, liberals, and just about everybody in between can agree upon.

Recently, a city mayor declared that he wanted to broadcast “bird songs” on the streets of his city. The rationale? Bird chirping makes people happy.

Never mind the fact that I personally think bird chirping is the most annoying sound on the planet, I nonetheless stopped to wonder, is this really what our cities should be worrying about?

Right now in Kansas, city council and school board candidates are ramping up their campaigns for our April elections, and we’re getting ready to hold our third candidate training specifically for them. Sometimes I get questions about why the local level is important- and it’s stories like these that illustrate why.

There are a few key questions any elected official should ask themselves when faced with a proposal, such as broadcasting bird chirping:

First: Is this something we have the authority to do? I strongly believe in federalism, the notion that local entities can make better decisions than federal entities, but that still doesn’t authorize local governments to legislate outside of their jurisdiction. In this case though, I would say, sure, there’s nothing in the state or national constitution that expressly forbids the city of Lancaster, CA from broadcasting bird chirping. It might ruffle a few feathers (sorry, I had to go there), but it’s not directly unconstitutional.

Second: Is this something that we should do? Meaning, will the benefits this entails outweigh the costs to do it. I couldn’t find any estimates of what it would cost the city to erect speakers from which to broadcast the bird song, but I can’t imagine that the benefits could outweigh the cost. Which brings to point, what are the benefits? According to the mayor, increasing the people’s happiness. How interesting. Our Declaration of Independence says that one of our inalienable rights is the pursuit of happiness - that means that I get to choose what my happiness is, and how to pursue it. It does not mean that government is responsible for giving me happiness.

Third: Is this something we can do best? Often times governments take on ideas or projects that a private entity could do better. I have to think that if this bird-brained scheme were really a bright idea, wouldn’t private charities and enterprises take it up?

Several months ago, I wrote about Bell, California, where the city manager was making nearly double the salary of President Obama, and the council members were also making off with salaries of $100,000 per year. While both this story, and the story of the bird-chirping mayoral proposal take place in California, I can’t help but think that this problem isn’t localized to that state only. We all ought to be monitoring our local governments to know what they’re doing and how they’re representing us.

Our nation was founded by ordinary citizen activists desiring a government that was accountable to the people.  Today, ordinary citizens across our nation are tired of the status quo and ready to engage for the betterment of their communities.

American Majority is pleased to announce an Activist Training will be conducted on Saturday, February 26th in San Luis Obispo, CA to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists.

The training will take place at the San Luis Obispo Country Club Tournament Room located at 255 Country Club Drive in San Luis Obispo from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  Doors open at 10:00 a.m.  The cost is $25 per attendee in advance and $35 at the door. For high school and college students, the cost is $15 in advance and $25 at the door (please call 540-338-1251 to register if you are a student).

The training will be conducted by a certified American Majority Mechanic Trainer (read more about your trainer at the end of this article).

Topics* to be covered during the Training include:

• The System (an in-depth look at the system we’re in, how we got there, and what we can do about it)
• Grassroots Action (ideas and practical steps to engage our communities and organize a coalition of volunteers)
• Precinct Power (changing your community one precinct at a time with specific micro-targeting and focused action)
• Patriots 2.0 (effectively utilizing social networking tools, blogs, wiki projects and other technologically-driven platforms)

Full training materials, samples and supplements will be provided to help you apply what you learn to your organization, candidate, cause or community.

Political Training Registration

If you have any questions or would like additional information, contact Laura Boatright at Laura@AMMechanics.org.

American Majority is a non-profit and non-partisan organization whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leaders committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market.

* Topics are subject to change.

About Your Trainer

A homeschooling mom, Laura Boatright has been active in community service and politics for a number of years ranging from involvement in her church and local PTA to conducting voter registration and petition drives and playing a leadership role in local political campaigns.

Laura launched the Tea Party IE in March 2009 that drew 1,600 participants and remains very active in the Tea Party movement in California.  In August 2009 she helped organized a coalition to protest the state’s eco tyranny which included farmers and worker, truck owners and drivers, miners and loggers and was co-sponsored by the Howard Jarvis Tax Association.  The event drew over 10,000 participants.  She has been invited to speak before several political and non-political groups.

Laura has a passion for training new organizers and members of their groups.

The trainer for this event is a certified American Majority Mechanic Trainer as part of the American Majority Mechanics Program.  This individual was identified, trained and certified to conduct Activist Trainings on behalf of American Majority.

The American Majority Mechanics Program was launched in 2010 with goal of training citizen-activists to equip others to become engaged in their state and local communities.  The program is named after the roughly 30 citizens who called themselves “Mechanics” and organized an intelligence network designed to monitor and inform the citizenry about British activities in New England colonies on the eve of American independence.  Among its most notable members was Paul Revere.  For more information on become an American Majority mechanic, please contact us.

Mixed in the debate among the many issues swirling around Washington is the question on federal bailouts for cash-strapped states. Following the practice of using taxpayer money to prop up failed banks, the auto industry and the notorious AIG, the ‘too big to fail’ approach is being thrown around to lend assistance to a handful of states that are careening towards a cliff they must find some way to navigate.

Living generously during prosperous times, committing to lavish pensions with menacing unions, and failing to plan when good times end, states now find themselves squeezed. The deficit numbers are quite stark: $25 billion for California, $15 billion for Illinois, and $10 billion for New Jersey. Financial analyst Meredith Whitney, celebrated for forecasting the collapse of the banks, now predicts that we’ll begin to feel the states’ pain in the spring when federal stimulus money dries up. As recently as 2009, California was forced to issue IOU’s in lieu of payment due to lack of funds, the State Treasurer Bill Lockyer is making headlines once again saying the Golden State may have to once again use promissory notes as early as April if new Governor Jerry Brown does not address the problem quickly. In Illinois, the state legislature just passed a 66 percent increase on income tax as a means to address their state financial shortfall.

The conspicuous question on the table is what to do? Is the federal government now to run to the aide of states who can’t keep their books balanced? Is California to live high-on-the-hog with all benefits of Golden State amenities while a Texas or Indiana covers their bill? The answer is a resounding ‘no.’ In difficult times you have to make difficult decisions, a family must find ways to reduce spending and live within their means when hard time fall upon them, a business must learn to adapt and cut expenditures when the economy slows, and so it must be the same for states.

Within each of these states’ governments, they must confront their own problem and find a solution unique to their own circumstances including cutting state programs. The above-mentioned New Jersey is garnering front-page news with Governor Chris Christie making sweeping decisions in confronting runaway union pensions, ending wasteful construction projects that incur massive costs, and actually laying out a business friendly environment to encourage companies to move to New Jersey rather than increase taxes on their earnings. Here in Texas, our legislature is meeting to find a solution to our own budget shortfall, estimated to be close to 15 billion.

The fatigue voters felt after the numerous bailouts and government acquisition of private entities has run itself deep in the minds of voters across the country; recent November elections and a new congress reflect this sentiment. If Washington were to attempt another bailout for states on the brink, the general response from voters would be swift and harsh claiming they’ve had enough already, let the states figure it out for themselves.

One of the great, and often understated, things about this nation is the freedoms we have across the board. Aside from the constitutional rights we all know and love, one liberty we have is the ability to move freely whenever and however we choose. If someone finds themselves living in a state that issues worthless IOU’s for payment and has to suffer through a massive tax increase so government can balance their books, he is free to get up and move and find a much better place to live, most likely to a state that controls spending and keeps taxes low.

Tax season is upon us once again.  You likely have begun receiving your 2010 tax documents (W-2s, 1099s).  In Madison, the legislature is considering tax bills ranging from a tax deduction for hiring new workers to tax forgiveness for two years for new businesses moving to Wisconsin.   Today, Governor Walker signed into law an exemption from income for contributions to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).

As a former tax attorney, I find the recent tax debates in Wisconsin particularly interesting.  One side is arguing that we need to pass a variety of tax deductions and breaks to attract more employers to this state to create jobs.  The other side argues that we will increase our estimated $3 billion deficit if we pass these tax bills because of lost tax revenues.

It is a well-known fact that Wisconsin has high individual income and property taxes.  Wisconsin’s individual income tax rates range from 4.6% to 7.75%.  These rates are a staggering 25% above the national average and rank 11th highest among states which impose an individual income tax, according to the non-partisan Tax Foundation.

Illinois recently made headlines because its legislature passed a bill raising individual income taxes 66%, but even with that rise, the Illinois individual income tax rate is only 5%.  The Packers may have beaten the Bears on Sunday to advance to the Super Bowl, but Wisconsin’s individual income tax rates are still 2.75% higher than Illinois’ rates in the highest tax bracket.   While Wisconsin may have lower corporate tax rates than many other states, the individual income tax rate in Wisconsin is particularly unfriendly to flow through entities (Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), Partnerships, Subchapter S Corporations, etc.) that are taxed at the partner/owner level .

Wisconsin property taxes are 23.6% above the national average.  These property taxes are the 8th worst property tax rates in the entire country.  The combined state and local tax burden in Wisconsin ranks 9th nationally.

Solutions to fix Wisconsin’s state and local tax problems are not easy.  For instance, if you want to reduce your property tax bill, you would need to address the high property taxes with your local school board, city council, county board, area technical college (if you have one), and state government, since all of these entities affect your property taxes.

The complexity of this problem in addressing property taxes is why Wisconsin needs a new generation of liberty-minded leaders to run for state and local office.  We need people to run for school board, city council, county board, state legislature, and other offices to address the high tax issue as well as many other issues stemming from big government.  It all starts with engaged citizens knowing what is happening at the local levels of government.  Attend a school board, city council, or county board meeting.  Follow what’s happening and voice your opinions.  If you do not like what they are doing, then YOU need to run for office and replace them!

Here in the great state of Kansas, we are fast approaching the deadline to file to run for local offices like city council and school board. Many active and passionate citizens are currently throwing around or already committed to the idea of running for some of these available positions. They’re tired of seeing their tax dollars go to waste at the hands of the least watched and many times, most corrupt segment of government.  In fact, just this morning I received an email from a man who said he was “…sick of having a city council and mayor that love to spend money on things that have nothing to do with the function of government.”

Running for these local positions is one of the best ways to have an immediate and direct effect on your community.  And the best part is, you don’t need to make a huge financial commitment in order to ensure your success. We don’t all have thousands of dollars to commit to a campaign.  If you do, by all means, utilize it. However, the best way to promote your candidacy for a local office like city council, school board, etc. isn’t by fundraising; it’s by what I like to call “friendraising.”  Be a candidate EVERYWHERE you go. Just the other night, I was talking to a man who had recently filed to run for city council.  He told me that just a few days before, he was at the grocery store getting his prescription filled at the pharmacy and happened to mention to the pharmacist that he was running for city council.  Much to his surprise, the pharmacist invited him to come speak and promote himself at a group meeting she attends on a regular basis.  These kinds of opportunities are everywhere if you just remember to carry your candidacy with you wherever you go.  Attending local meetings like Lions Club, Rotary, etc. in your community is an excellent way to friendraise and make your candidacy known.

Money is a great tool to have access to in terms of purchasing campaign materials. However, money can’t pass out those campaign materials for you.  Money can’t write letters to the editor about why you should be elected. Money can’t put a sign in its yard to promote you. And money can’t knock on a person’s door and inform him/her about your candidacy. But friends can. Fundraising is definitely important in any campaign, but friendraising is just as, if not more effective.  So don’t count yourself out just because you don’t have the funds. Your community needs you.