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.

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.

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 Thursday, February 24 in Huntsville, AL to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists, especially in preparation for the 2012 elections.

The training will take place at The BBVA/Compass Bank Community Room located at 114 Governor’s Drive in Huntsville from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm.  Doors open at 5:30 pm.  The cost is $25 per person.

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 Vincent Kreul at Vincent@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

Vincent is a long-time conservative activist and campaign consultant, and has been very active in the tea party movement throughout the southern United States. Originally from Gillette, WY, Vincent now calls Huntsville, AL home.

In the wake of new Republican House leadership, a weak State of the Union, and a looming March 4th deadline for a continuing budget resolution to keep government running and the Capitol’s lights on, conservatives find themselves pressed against an innate system of government largess and go-along mentality.

While campaigning allows candidates to say much of anything without being held yet-accountable, governing is an entirely different animal; taking on the massive leviathan that is Washington DC will take a resolute spine and the tenacity of a junkyard dog protecting his wares. As congressional Republicans move into committee chairmanships an leadership positions,the message from the entrenched establishment is ‘sometimes it’s best to just quietly go along and not raise a fuss.’ Conservatives across the nation fear that this approach will lead to the inevitable ‘Conservative Light:’ someone who professes from high rooftops to be a staunch fiscal advocate of less government and will take the system head-on, however once in office and pressed, folds like a cheap suit and gives-in to base temptations.

Desperate and critical circumstances are often breeding grounds for true leadership to emerge: a divided nation brought Lincoln to hold us through a Civil War; in the face of spreading fascism, Churchill’s resolute stature held Europe together; and in the face of growing inflation, high unemployment, and a losing Cold War, Reagan transformed this country and took us to never-before-seen growth and security. We’re a few steps away from matching Greece in our financial house of cards, unemployment and housing continue to be issues, and now Egypt is a mess, causing more concern for an unstable Middle-East. The new congress must keep to their conservative principles, it is imperative that they force a Democrat Senate and Leftist Administration to reign-in spending across the board, get our economic house in order, and serve as a strong voice on National Security.

Circumstances are not easy, we face a desperate situation on many fronts, our newly elected conservative leaders must hold fast and emerge as the leaders our country needs them to be.

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.

It gave me great hope to read headlines such as “Judge Calls Health Law Unconstitutional” and similar titles, but to say that U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson of Virginia ruled the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional is simply not true.

Now, make no mistake. I am pleased to hear of Hudson’s ruling on the Minimum Essential Coverage Provision, as should be every American. In short, Virginia’s challenge to the constitutionality of a penalty to be imposed on any taxpayer refusing to purchase health insurance was upheld in a federal court today, and this is good news. Hudson, a George W. Bush appointee, has become “the first judge to rule against the law,” according to the Associated Press.

However, as lexington_concord writes over at RedState, it is essential for conservatives to realize that Hudson severed the Minimum Essential Coverage Provision from the larger Affordable Care Act, ruling only the “problematic” portion of the bill (namely, the penalty) unconstitutional.

Hudson’s argument is comprehensive and his reasoning sound. After reading through the ruling (it takes about an hour or so), one can be more or less satisfied with Hudson’s understanding of the Tenth Amendment and constitutional limits on the Commerce Clause and the General Welfare Clause.

Most importantly, Hudson ruled that the federal government does not have the power to impose a penalty to enforce any law that is not an enumerated power. Unfortunately for Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Hudson firmly believes that the Minimum Essential Coverage Provision “is neither within the letter nor the spirit of the Constitution.” Despite Congress’ attempt to categorize the penalty as a tax, thus bringing it under the legislature’s enumerated authority to tax, Hudson was not convinced. “The two words [tax v. penalty] are not interchangeable,” Hudson quotes, “and if the exaction [is] clearly a penalty, it cannot be converted into a tax by the simple expedient of calling it such.”

Amen.

Also importantly, Hudson is doubtful as to Congress’ authority to forcibly compel citizens to participate in a market by unwillingly purchasing a commodity. He writes, “A thorough survey of pertinent constitutional case law has yielded no reported decisions…extending the Commerce Clause or General Welfare Clause to encompass regulation of a person’s decision not to purchase a product.” That’s right. Just as we thought, this is an unprecedented move by Congress, or as Hudson calls it, an extension of the Commerce Clause “well beyond its current high water mark.”

Despite these encouraging statements and Hudson’s sound reasoning, his severance of the Minimum Essential Coverage Provision from the larger health care bill is less than many had hoped for. In effect, though he has ruled the most controversial part of the bill, the “individual mandate,” unconstitutional, the massive government regulation, interference, and taxation also imposed by the Affordable Care Act remain in effect.

There is still plenty of work to be done, though the Virginia ruling is encouraging, to be sure. As one caller on Rush Limbaugh’s radio show said today, “salvation will come from the South.” As a native of Virginia, I am proud to hear that that appears to have been the case today. But the incompleteness of the Hudson ruling reminds us that this is a battle not yet won, and the fight for limited government and increased liberty will be long and tenacious. Thankfully, such signs of progress as these will sustain us until we achieve victory.

Interesting story on Kansas Watchdog regarding current laws in Kansas and what voters think of charter school restrictions.

The report cited in the article mentioned three states which earned strong A’s (the District of Columbia, Minnesota and California) share these five characteristics:

1. Set charter schools aside in creation and oversight from the conventional system.
2. Ensure that the same amount of money allotted for one child’s education in a state follows that child to the school of choice — entirely.
3. Permit distinct, independent entities to open schools and hold them accountable for both growing charter schools that are great and closing those that are not.
4. Educate children well and add value every year to the learning they receive.
5. Do not require adherence to the same failed layers of oversight and bureaucracy that have hindered progress in our conventional public schools.

Also interesting in the article was a survey conducted asking Kansas voters how much they thought government is spending per pupil on education- only 10 percent of respondents were correct.

Today at RedState, Erick Erickson has a great post about the battle to limit earmarks and pork spending from Washington.  Most recently? Roads, bridges and interchanges should be exempted from the earmark moratorium, high-ranking officials protest.  It’s a great reminder that advocating for limited government must continue to be top-of-mind for all of us as we go into the holiday season.  It can be hard to make time for much of anything during the busy days leading up to Christmas, but it’s important to keep reminding those inside the beltway of the opinions of the grassroots.

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2010/12/09/an-earmark-solution-to-nowhere/

Nestled between Thanksgiving and Christmas, as we all revel in the season and work on getting things handled at the office so that we can spend some time with family and friends in just 20 short days, our Senators in DC are hard at work making sure that they can toast to new taxes on New Year’s.

What am I talking about?  It’s hard to know, isn’t it, with so many opportunities being discussed to raise our taxes- The Food Modernization and Safety Act (S510).  This act will tax food producers in the midst of an on-going recession, and will give our federal government new, unprecedented power over this industry- both foreign and here at home.

So how does it work?  The act requires that food sold within the US must be inspected by an FDA inspector- and they plan to hire 5,000 new employees in the next two years in order to do this.  That’s right, as you and I are still tightening our belts, and employers across the nation are struggling to keep their existing employees paid, our federal government wants to increase its own size even more.

Of course, there will be new streams of revenue created by this bill… now that all food must be inspected by the FDA, the farmer/seller will be charged a fee.  Expect your food costs to increase as the growers/sellers must pass on that new, added expense.

Wait! It gets better.

Suppose that same grower who will be paying these new fines just to be able to continue their job has one instance of food poisoning. In the event of a recall, the new fees put the cost of that recall directly on the grower. This one instance of food poisoning (which, if you follow food news, you know food poisoning can crop up just about anywhere), could easily put the farmer out of business, as they have to deal with a possible nationwide recall, investigations, public notifications and of course the loss of revenue.

Meanwhile, these 5,000 new employees will be regulating foreign imports into the US as well. In order for foreign food companies to export to the US, they must first be inspected by their own government (provided its standards are deemed strict enough by, who else, our government), or they must be inspected by our new 5,000 inspectors. In the summary provided by congressional staff, it says this regarding this legislation’s power: “Directs the Secretary to develop a comprehensive plan to expand the technical, scientific, and regulatory capacity of foreign governments and food industries from which foods are exported to the United States.”

A legislator who I worked for several years ago told me that the first rule of legislating is this: Do no harm. He said the second rule is  similarly simple: If the problem can be solved outside of government, take no measures to correct it. This law is a rather brilliant example of what happens when legislators fail to follow either of the two rules.

Currently, the Senate has passed the bill, and it is resting in the House, where it is being held up by representatives who are concerned about its house of origin.

You see, our constitution states clearly that any revenue-raising bill, such as this one, must originate in the House, then go to the Senate. So those Senators of ours? Either they failed to read the bill and don’t know that it’s raising revenue, or they know and they ignored the constitution. Luckily for those of us who think that government should be limited in size and scope, this scuffle will likely slow the bill down- though it may still be pushed through in a few weeks.

Thanks to Nathan Unruh for the background research.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had an article in yesterday’s paper discussing merit pay for teachers.  It suggested that Milwaukee and other Wisconsin schools could learn from other school districts like Pittsburgh’s school district, which has successfully implemented a merit pay system.

With school board elections coming up quickly in the spring, it is important that if you support education reforms like merit pay for teachers, that you run for school board.  If we want conservative policies in our schools and local government, we need to have conservatives run for office so they can implement those conservative policies.  The filing deadline for the school board elections is January 4, 2011.

My colleagues have posted recently about the importance of the upcoming city council and school board elections; here in Kansas, we’ll be voting on those local individuals representing us in April and now is the time to start thinking about solid, conservative candidates who can carry the people’s voices.

Changing the world starts in our own backyard, and I firmly believe that one of the most important things that you can do tackle your own backyard.  To understand the issues that you’re facing, what your city council, school board, or county commission is doing can take a lot of time to research though.  Often the news media fails to cover their actions in any real depth, and that can leave a true information void that damages our ability to hold our elected representatives accountable, whether for a job well done, or for a vote cast poorly.

Here in Kansas, though, we have a new, unique tool to help us.  We always say at American Majority that we give away so much because we believe that knowledge is power, and we want to take the power out of the hands of the elite, the bureaucracy, and place it in the hands of the people.   A great partner in this effort is the Kansas Policy Institute, which is daily conducting research and monitoring issues within our state.  And this week, they’re giving all of us an entirely new, free tool to help us hold government accountable.

It’s called KansasOpenGov.org and on the site, you can easily find such information as the state checkbook, school districts revenue and spending per pupil (including a comparison tool, where you can see how your district ranks against others in the state), state pay and benefits for employees, state union and non-union employee contracts, even detailed property tax information listed by county, so you can see exactly what your area looks like against other like areas in the state.

What’s the value of all this?  If knowledge is power, then easily-obtained knowledge is worth gold.  In my time at American Majority, I have spent countless hours searching for information which was previously very difficult to find, compile and understand- now, I can easily and quickly access it online, see it broken down and analyzed for me as well as have access to the raw data.

Check it out.  Know what’s happening in your backyard.  And let’s get actively involved in changing the game in our own communities- whether it’s holding your school board accountable for their spending, standing up to a county commission that wants to increase your taxes, or stepping up to put your name on the ballot for city council or school board.  Ronald Reagan once said that all great change in America begins at the dinner table.  He was right.  And today, all great change begins in our own backyard.

With the end of mid-term election season quickly approaching, nearly every poll, blog post, and even MSM news story has come to a similar conclusion: at least one house in Congress (and possibly both) is almost guaranteed to flip from one party to another.  And on a larger scale conservative and center/right candidates should also make rather significant gains in statehouses and governorships from sea to shining sea.

Frankly, much good will hopefully come out of this election cycle.

But is our work done on November 2^nd?  Have we truly changed our country after the election results are all tallied?  Are we to sit back and simply revel in what we have done before focusing on 2012?

The answer to each of these questions is clearly NO.  The unavoidable truth is that there is MUCH more work to be done.

However, I don’t mean just on a national scale – I mean in our own backyards.

The state I live in, Oklahoma, does something very interesting each fall when people are thinking about holiday plans, the end of the school semester, and anything other than politics: they have school board candidates in every district across the state file to run for office…during the first Monday through Wednesday in December.

Yep, if you want to run for school board in Oklahoma, you have to file at the most random time possible.

What this also means is that a month after the election season finally “ends” for 2010, a new one starts right back up.  And most people don’t even know it.

In fact, a majority of people probably have no clue that people are filing for an office that directly impacts their kids and their communities in some very dramatic ways.  And it is only natural that if they don’t know about school board filings, they surely do not know about the school board elections.

And we wonder why school board elections on the second Tuesday in February across Oklahoma typically see voter turnout anywhere between 3%-5% in each community.

Thus, for many school board candidates ignorance is bliss at the ballot box.

But so what?  Who cares about school boards anyway?  You should.  Why?

Because think about this:

The President of the United States chooses and thus advises the Secretary of Education, who heads the Education Department.  The Education Department is pressured by the National Education Association (a powerful and liberal teachers union) in a variety of ways to impact education legislation in Congress.  Then the same issues being pushed by the NEA at the national level are then also pushed by local chapters – the Oklahoma Education Association in my home state – who also lobby and look to persuade state legislators, the state Department of Education, school administrators, and school board members about issues they deem important.  In turn, the state Department of Education and state legislature then set guidelines and mandates for school district administrators and school board members across the state who in turn pass them on directly to the teachers who spend 8 hours a day inside the classroom with our children.

Thus, our last line of defense in this chain of national impact at the local level in education are school board members who are willing to stand up and fight for fiscal responsibility, authentic educational accountability, school choice, unbiased teaching materials, and unheeded transparency within the education system.

So, sure, it is great that the House is going to change hands in a few weeks, and I am excited as anyone to see folks from across the country stand up in defense of our freedom and liberty over the coming years.

But if you really want to impact your community and the future of your kids, don’t stop after November.  Don’t allow your natural inclination to rest and relax after your victory so that you lose sight of your local community.  Don’t let the strides we have made on the national level get overlooked at the local level – especially with school boards.  Don’t cease working to save and change the country you love so much.

The time is coming to transition from a national mindset to a local one.  The time is coming for conservatives to run for these local and vitally important offices or energetically support those who do run.  The time is coming to get off the sidelines in local elections just like we have in the national ones.

Simply put, the time is coming when we will continue to work for freedom and liberty in our local educational systems.

In the middle of October, 2008, when I still had my own personal blog (never again) I predicted that Barack Obama would win the Presidential election.  Though the poll numbers were still pretty tight at that point, the writing was on the wall as far as I was concerned.  Thus I conceded a month early and wrote a post about what conservatives should do next after the November elections.

The purpose of the post (entitled “The Conservative Reaction: A Call to Action”) was to ask the question:

“What should we as Conservatives do after the election we face of an overwhelming Democratic House and Senate and a newly elected Democratic President?”

Now, two years later, I wanted to go back and see how conservatives have done.  Thus, here is what I wrote as the “Five Things I am Going to Try to do During LUPO – Life Under President Obama”.  Check them out along with my new comments underneath.

Number 1: As a conservative, Barack Obama’s election means I must stand firm in my convictions and be ready to defend my positions…

First off, I know of many folks who immediately started reading up on the free market system, the constitution, and the history of the founding fathers in order to begin educating themselves.  Additionally, conservatives have been challenged by prominent conservatives to know where they stand and why.  And overall, conservatives have started going on the offensive more and more as the country has been taken down the road to even more massive government and less individual freedom.

Because people have embraced this responsibility, it has truly been incredible to see how many folks are now openly touting their conservative beliefs and their love for liberty.  Well done, American public.

Number 2: As a conservative, Barack Obama’s election means I must be creative in how I get my message to the masses…

When I wrote this post two years ago I was really curious how this was going to play out.  But two years later, I see how conservatives are using tools like Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and conservative websites to truly spread the message of conservatism effectively and strategically.  Heck, even conservative candidates are (finally) eschewing traditional media sources and taking their message straight to the people.

It is truly amazing to know that our better ideas and principled positions are finally starting to reach the average citizen – and it is humbling to know that American Majority has been at the forefront of this movement through our trainings, outreach, and education of a new generation of concerned Americans.

Score another one for the good guys.

Number 3: As a conservative, Barack Obama’s election means I must unite with those around me who believe as I do…

The implications of this advice are obvious two years later – The Tea Party Movement.  Not only has the movement grown exponentially since the spring of 2009, but it has also become a political force in all parts of the country.  And while the MSM mocked it, misunderstood it, and tried its best to kill it, the Tea Party folks have continually gotten more and more excited about cleaning house in Washington.  Thanks for that, President Obama; in reality, we owe you big time.

Oh, and just to channel my inner Al Gore, since I wrote about the need to unite and come together about 6 months before the Tea Parties started, I will take full and complete credit for them.  Yea for me.

Number 4: As a conservative, Barack Obama’s election means I must not give into the lie that conservatism is dying…

Well, obviously this is not the case.  Even though the pundits declared a new era in politics and the death of the conservative movement, we’ll see just how dead we are on November 2.

However, as a side note, if the (hopefully) decisive election results don’t clearly state the case for the country’s desire for smaller government, less spending, more accountability, and decidedly more transparency, then maybe Chris Christie can get in someone’s face and explain it to them nice and plain-like.

Number 5: Lastly, as a conservative, Barack Obama’s election means I must embrace the hope that even though things look dark now, there is a light upon the dawn…

Ah, yes, hope.  Not a false hope or a government-built hope, but a genuine and authentic “clean-out-the-halls-of-Congress-kind-of-hope” is what I feel when I look around the country and see people working hard to change our country for the better.  It truly is a blessing to see that apathy is slowly being replaced once again by the American desire for freedom, liberty, and prosperity.

Thus, before we battle for the next 20+ days for the future of this country, take a second to enjoy the fact that the horizon is breaking forth through the morning dark.  Relish the thought that soon our anger, our disgust, and our weariness will soon be replaced by a steadfast resolve to hold a new batch of elected representatives responsible for their actions and their votes.

For it is nearing the time to go from educated and informed voter to become educated and informed constituents once again – this time with a new focus and a renewed strength to see the American Dream make its comeback.

And be sure that while our days have been dark for the past two years, the light of freedom will show itself very bright very soon.  For this reason, I am thankful and encouraged by what has transpired within this movement during the past two years and what will happen many years into the future.

Fight on, fellow Americans, fight on!

You might remember this post from last week, where I discussed the new “driveway tax” passed last week by the city council in Mission, KS.  This tax (assessed as a fee) will apply to nonprofits including churches, schools and governments, will charge homeowners $72 each year for having a driveway, while businesses will be charged a minimum of $3,558 per year.  Some businesses, such as a fast food franchise, would owe $12,200, while larger retailers such as Target will be charged $64,750 annually.

As discussed in that article, the city of Mission will spend more than $2 million on parks and recreation this year.  I just wanted to illustrate the types of programs that money provides…

Two days after the city council passed this monstrous tax increase, the city emailed this message to city residents:

Pool Party 4 Pooches

Tuesday, September 7

“Bring your dogs out and help them cool off!  The Pool Party for Pooches will be at the Mission Municipal Pool the day after the pool closes for the season.  We will have three sessions for you and your pooch to have a great time playing and getting wet.  We even have a kiddie pool for people with smaller dogs.”

Sponsored, of course, by the City of Mission Parks and Recreation Department.  Now look- I like pools and dogs as much as the next person.  But really?  We needed to increases taxes by such exorbitant amounts while we spend upwards of $2 million dollars on a department that (among other, more important things, yes) sponsors pools days for puppies?

For this, our founders sacrificed their lives, fortunes and sacred honor?

Special thanks to Currie Myers for passing along the news about the pooches’ day at the pool.

What if you owned a small business?  What if you owned a small business and your customers came to your store or office?  What if you owned a small business where your customers came to your store or office, and parked in your parking lot?  What if you owned a small business where your customers came to your store or office, parked in your parking lot, and the government made you pay taxes for each and every car?

Would you still own a small business?

These may sound like hypothetical questions, but for a city in Kansas, they have become reality.  Last night, the city of Mission passed a new tax on driveways.   Yes, driveways.  Home owners will pay $72 each year for having a driveway.

Business owners, though, take the biggest hit in this new tax, which is being hailed as “revolutionary” and “ground-breaking.”  Beginning in December, all businesses will be taxed a fee of at least $3,558 per year.

But wait- it gets better…  Let’s say that you own a local bank, where customers come in to see you for home loans, business improvement packages, or simply to put money aside for the future.  You could owe the city $5,659 per year.  Maybe you own a local fast food franchise- do you have an extra $12,200 sitting around?  Because that’s how much you could be paying.  Maybe you work at a local Target- where the annual tax would amount to a whopping $64,750 per year.

Government charging businesses for having customers.  Doesn’t that sound like penalizing businesses for doing business?  (You know, investing in our economy?)  Because it sure sounds that way to me.

Let’s be honest, here- a small business owner taking on an additional $3,000-5,000 in taxes between now and December?  That could absolutely mean no Christmas bonuses for the employees.  Or how about that $65,000 tax on the local Target?  Do you think corporate headquarters will feel the brunt of that?  No, it will be the cashiers, customer service representatives, and cart shufflers who get laid off, or don’t get a raise.  The people who rely most on those jobs- and of course, the increased cost of doing business will be passed on to you and me, every time we visit that bank, eat at that restaurant, or shop at that store.

One last thing I forgot to tell you- Mission is very close to the Missouri state line.  After the Kansas legislature passed the second largest tax increase in our history- increasing sales tax in the entire state- and now that the city of Mission is burdening businesses in this manner… how many businesses do you think will stay in Kansas (much less Mission)?  How many will cross over into nearby Missouri?  How many new businesses will we attract?  And how many jobs will be lost, whether now or in the future, because of the elected officials’ decision last night?

We talk a lot about focusing local.  Chances are, if you own or are employed in a Merriam business, you understand the costs of elected officials who do not understand the importance of limited government on the local level.

Oh, one more thing- that tax?  Do you know what it’s going to pay for?  Transportation projects including a new express bus service to the upscale Country Club Plaza.  Help me here.  If you’re going to shop at Armani, Tiffany’s, Brooks Brothers or J. Crew- are you really going to be riding in a bus to get there?

It doesn’t make much sense to me, burdening families during a recession, when goodness knows we’re all tightening our belts as much as we can already. It makes even less sense to further burden the businesses that employ our spouses, friends and neighbors in the middle of a recession that no one sees a fast track out of.  Don’t worry though… I’m sure government officials know better than me.  After all, the mayor of Mission?  She is an attorney who “represents individuals and small businesses.”  And I’m sure the city really does need the money… after all, Mission is only spending $2,837,785 on Parks and Recreation in 2010.

Special thanks to Chris Stigall with the KCMO Morning Show with Chris Stigall for the background information in this story.