I still remember the smell of that locker room.

Every summer during college, I worked at a plant on an industrial island in the Mississippi River. Corn syrup (the fructose in our soft drinks) was the main product, although we also loaded some impressively big barges with some sort of cattle feed.

Hours were long, days were hot (try working under a giant dryer turbine in July), and we all wore long-sleeves and jeans, plus steel-toed boots and hard hats. And were thrilled to do it.

The college program was a great deal and we knew it. A kid couldn’t make that kind of hourly wage, not anywhere. That’s why we jumped at every chance to work more: 12-hour days, seven days a week. They literally had to make us go home. We were disgusting, ripe messes by the time we got there, but we were happy.

And that was before that first paycheck came. I tore it open in the men’s locker room and couldn’t believe my eyes. It was more money than I’d ever earned in my life. I was grinning like the guy on that Enzyte commercial.

Unfortunately for me, a union employee saw the whole thing. He asked me what I was smiling about, and as only an idiot 19-year-old can, I told him. Bad move.

The next day, our supervisor brought us the news: the union foreman had gotten wind of how much the college kids were making, and from now on, overtime was gone. This in spite of not one single full-time (unionized) employee ever wanting to work more than a “straight eight”.

That was my first experience with unions. They didn’t seem right back then, and they don’t seem right these days. Oh, I know they put into place some needed protections (and things like weekends) way back when, but there had to be a reason even my grandparents and their co-workers at the sewing machine factory wouldn’t have them in their workplace by the 1940s.

Fast-forward to now. We look across the nation’s landscape and see states (if you can even call it one anymore) like California. Once the capitalist miracle of both America and the Pacific Rim, the eighth-largest economy on the planet is now more akin to that of a third-world country. It’s tens of billions of dollars in debt. And owned lock, stock and barrel by Service Employees International Union (SEIU)—the mother of all public (read: government) employee unions.

Move to the Midwest and it’s no better:  the United Auto Workers (UAW) union finally killed the goose that laid the golden eggs in Michigan, and now I guess we’re all part-owners of lovely downtown Detroit, courtesy of those federal government bailouts.

Right next door is ground zero. Wisconsin. Whether it’s the governor’s Budget Repair Bill that finally brought teachers’ unions to task or the average state taxpayer reconsidering public employee unions’ right to collectively bargain in the first place (a “right” that FDR, Samuel Gompers and George Meany—presidents of the U.S., AFL and CIO, respectively—were against, by the way), the state capital of Madison has been white-hot all winter with scheduled votes, a dereliction of duty by Democrat lawmakers, pro-union protests, and anti-union counter-protests.

Three special elections later (failed recalls of a state Supreme Court Justice and Republican legislators—with a recall for Governor Walker still yet in the works), the unions’ back has been broken. Tens upon tens of millions of dollars—much of it from out of state—plus floods of volunteers from nationwide affiliates have all seen their efforts wasted. The country is finally waking up to the fact that a transfusion of socialism into the body politic is simply bad medicine.

Americans just want to work. They understand more government (and more government employee unions along with it) just doesn’t cut it. And they vote with their feet:  moving across the country to get to states and places like Virginia. Texas. Tennessee. Right-to-Work states led by business-friendly elected officials. States that have free markets, and low (or no!) taxes. And jobs. Lots of jobs. Not to mention that certain air they have about them.

That air with the smell of freedom in it.

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 excited to be a part of the We the People Convention on July 1 & 2 in Columbus, OH. Our Candidate Training track will be available on both Friday, July 1 and Saturday, July 2 starting at 9:00 a.m. The Convention is being held at the Columbus Convention Center located at 44 N. High Street in Columbus.

Topics presented by American Majority at the Convention include*:

• So, You Want to Run for Office?
• Campaign Plan
• Campaign Fundraising
• Campaign Communications
• Taking Your Campaign Online
• Get-Out-The-Vote

For details on other presentations and sessions offered at the We the People Convention, please visit their website.

To register for the We The People Convention, please visit the Convention website. The cost is $100/day, and includes some meals.  The purpose of the Convention is to provide education and resources to the citizens of Ohio who are looking for ways to be engaged and informed in our political system.

If you have any questions about this training, please contact Allison at allison@americanmajority.org.

*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.

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 Wednesday, May 18 in Northglenn, CO to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists.

The training will take place at the O’Meara Ford located at 400 West 104^th Avenue in Northglenn, Colorado from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  Registration opens at 5:45.  The cost is $25 per attendee.

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 Kathleen Baker at Kathleen@ammechanics.org or call 303-817-3048.

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

Kathleen Baker became involved in the tea party movement in Colorado in March 2009. She was a co-founder of the Evergreen/Conifer Tea Party, which received national attention when asked to present at the National Tea Party Convention in February 2009. She also co-organized the 2010 Denver Tax Tea Party. During the November 2010 elections, she oversaw the social media for a nationally known candidate’s campaign, which a L.A. newspaper cited as the most active social media for all candidates nationwide. She currently is a precinct committee person and district area coordinator in her county for her political party, as well as co-organizer for Liberty on the Rocks Clear Creek. She also writes for a national news website.

She is a certified American Majority Mechanic Trainer as part of the American Majority Mechanics Program.  Kathleen 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.

Every elected official, from school board member to state legislator to the President of the United States plays a vital role in shaping the policies and direction of our communities, states, and nation. These offices deserve men and women who are grounded in the principles of liberty and individual freedom. American Majority’s political training is designed to enhance your campaign effort through targeted education and resources.

American Majority is hosting a Candidate/Campaign Manager Training on Saturday, May 21 at the Miami University Voice of America Learning Center located at 7725 Voice of America Centre Dr., in West Chester, OH (located off of I-75 between Dayton and Cincinnati). The training will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Please report to Room 116.

The cost for Activists and Campaign Managers is $35 per person if registered online and $45 at the door. The cost for Candidates is $50 per person if registered online and $60 at the door. These costs include a boxed lunch and all training materials.

The Candiate Training program is designed specifically to educate candidates on every level how to run effective and victorious campaigns and prepare them to become successful elected officials. The Campaign Manager and Activist lectures provide extensive knowledge on the role campaign managers and volunteers play during an election, as well as how citizens can be engaged and effective in their community.

The Candidate/Campaign Manager Training Program includes the following topics*:

• Creating your Campaign Plan and Campaign Structure
• Campaign Fundraising
• History of the Progressives
• Public Speaking and Messaging
• The Role of a Campaign Manager
• Get-Out-The-Vote
• Campaigning Online
• Winning your Precinct

Upon completion of this political training seminar, candidates will receive continuing education materials, access to podcasts and other presentations, communications curriculum, and suggestions to help them utilize think-tank resources.

If you have any questions, please contact Allison James at Allison@AmericanMajority.org or call 571-420-2300.

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.

*Lectures are subject to change.

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?

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.

This event is being rescheduled for another date- please contact Seth@americanmajority.org for more information.

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 and The Bowling Green Southern Kentucky Tea Party  is pleased to announce an Activist Training will be conducted on Saturday, April 2nd in Bowling Green, KY to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists.

The political training will take place at Best Western located at 166 Cumberland Trace Road in Bowling Green from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  Registration opens at 8:45 a.m.  The cost is $25 if you pre-register online by March 15th and $30 at the door.  Space is limited.  Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

Topics* to be covered during the Training include:

• The System: In this presentation we discuss the system our Founders establish, and we breakdown the progressive rise and how their efforts over the past 100 years have build the system we now face.
• Building Coalitions: We cover specifics on how to lead an organization, keeping your volunteers engaged, making a difference, being most productive, how to hold elected officials accountable, and how to work together with other organizations in your area.
• Community Organizing for Freedom: Steps you can take in your community to find new leaders, increase transparency and find the votes.
• Fundraising: Who to ask, how to ask, how much to ask for- these are all important questions that you need to have answered before you start fundraising.
• New and Traditional Media: This presentation explores how activists today can utilize social media to win the hearts and minds of fellow citizens, much like the pamphleteers of the American Revolution.

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

Political Training Registration

If you have any questions or would like additional information, call Beka Romm at 913-940-7369 or e-mail Beka@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.

* Topics are subject to change.

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.