2010 Intelligence Report:
South Carolina:
The Democrats are worried about 2010.  They won't go down without a fight.  South Carolinians are hiring experienced local activists/organizers who know their communities. Those activists will gather for a summit.  They will compare notes and learn from each other.  With that new knowledge they will recruit and train local leaders.  Those new local leaders recruit more leaders and volunteers. They will continue until every precinct in the state has a trained, effective organization of Democrats dedicated to winning votes in 2010.  Their goal is to win every state and national race for their candidates.

Virginia: 
Virginia Young Democrats are looking for employees.  They ran an ad seeking field organizers and youth organizers. They will pay $300 per week, with free housing and gasoline reimbursement. They expect the assignment to last 40 days.  Their goal is
to turn out excited, young,  volunteers for campaigns. 

These efforts are being replicated by other Democratic party organizations across the nation.  Frankly, this is normal pre- election activity.  Are the Republicans doing the same?   Likely, but it wouldn't hurt to check the status of their plans. Call your county Republican chairman and find out what they are doing.  Or, check their web site for announcements.  

Suggestions:
Tea partisans can organize their tea party groups for the coming election or work in a Republican campaign. Ask the chairman if the party has decided whom to support in the race for congress in the primary. If that has not been decided, get out the word to precinct committeemen to support your tea party Republican candidate.

If your Republican chairman plans to support an incumbent, tea partisans may face a daunting task. If the incumbent is one with an acceptable voting record, throw your support to that person.  If their voting record stinks, run your favorite tea party Republican in the primary and work like crazy to get out the vote. 

It would help to have someone working in the Republican incumbent's campaign to report back on any plans-no matter how trivial-to a tea party Republican.  Someone should work for the Democrat candidate for the same reason.  Do you think this has never been done before?  Wrong. 

This information will be updated when meaningful information is learned.

Silent Growth in Government
The federal civil service hires 10,000 per month.  What do you think will happen when so-called Health Care Reform passes? The number of federal employees grows by 120,000 per year-more or less.  With all the clerks needed for government health care, the number of federal employees will be huge.

If it costs a business $15,000 to add, replace and train an employee just imagine the millions spent on hiring those clerks. They must be paid each month. They have a cushy retirement plan-not social security.  You pay for it.

Democrats love more government workers.  It is more people dependent upon government for their livelihood. More voters for them. More union members for SEIU. 

Ask congressional candidates how they will shrink government and where they will make the cuts.  

If they closed down the entire EPA, the number of government workers would still be higher within two years.  The policies of the civil service will continue to add more employees.  Obscenely-high paid executives justify their salaries because they operate huge agencies with so many workers. 

The federal government takes a common workplace task and slices it into separate tasks.  Each federal employee does only a portion of a task handled by private sector employees. 

How well has the present system worked?  The waste, fraud and corruption is staggering.  Probably enough that it could pay the bills for California and have money left over. Credit card abuse by government workers is a horror story in itself.  The sheer number of vehicles used by various federal agencies makes them the biggest customer of the auto industry. How would you like to have a business just doing oil changes for those cars?  

As with all other issues, the Radical Left overwhelms the federal civil service and retirement programs.  Just those two factors is enough to keep our nation bankrupt. Some among the Radical Left cheer what is going on.  Anyone who speaks out is
demonized in the media.  The Left just keeps working silently.  

Maybe there needs to be a couple million angry tea partisans in Washington until someone cuts the size of government at least 10% this year.  And again next year. And the year after that. ad infinitum.

Reduce the size of government and increase efficiency, reduce our obligations and get government out of our life.

Old Fashion Politics
The Republicans are playing a different game than the Democrats.  The Republicans still believe politics is the art of compromise.  They feel their job is to pass legislation.  They have forgotten they are there to look out for the interests of the people they represent, the nation as a whole, and to protect and defend the United States Constitution.

Democrats believe politics is a state of war.  Any victory, no matter how small, is significant.  Those who play "art of compromise" politics play right into the hands of the Democrats.

This is like Republicans going to a gunfight with Nerf darts.  It is time they became the party of No.

Contact your Republican representatives at state and national levels.  Tell them the days of "compromise" are over.  We no longer want old fashion politics.  If they won't understand they are at war get them out of office quickly as possible and replace them with someone who knows what is really happening. 

The worst offenders are the Moderate (Rockefeller) Republicans.  They are bad as Democrats.  They just don't know why so many are upset about their spending habits during the Bush administration.  Neo-conservative and moderate Republicans are RINOs.  They are doing the same as the Democrats.  

Old fashion politics have been dead for years.  We are collateral damage in the war of Democrats on Republicans, and Moderate Republicans versus Conservative Republicans.  This makes it vital that we remove the current crop of incumbents who are willing to compromise while the other side is willing to win.

The only safe vote hereafter is for Tea Party Republicans.  

Public Speaking
Most people fear death less than speaking before a group. Especially a large one.

When I was a student I hated to give presentations before the class. I would often just freeze up, forget what I was going to say and rarely performed satisfactorily.  Now, nobody can shut me up. I enjoy speaking before groups. You can do it.

First, you have to know your subject. Preparation is the key.  If you know what you are talking about you will be considered an accomplished speaker.  Rush Limbaugh often mentions "show prep".  You can do the same for you speaking engagement. 

Second, the audience regards you as the expert. With adequate preparation, you truly are that expert. Act like it. Just assume the audience will keep up.

Third, because you know what you are talking about and the audience will consider you the expert, there is no reason to worry about the presentation.  Have confidence in your ability.  Just practice saying your talk at home. Read the information three or four times. Say it out loud a couple times. If you don't want to lose your place, use a single index card with some points you definitely want to present.

How much time do you have? At a school board hearing or city council meeting, you may only have five minutes. But, never fear. You don't have to use the full time allotted. Just say what you need within the time frame. If you only speak two or three minutes time is left for someone else to speak. And, while you can use up to five minutes, you don't have to use the full amount of time. If you have planned your discussion, it will be effective in less time.

I was asked to speak to a specialized group of professionals. I had information they could use. My allotted time was 45 minutes to one hour.  At the end of the session I concluded my talk and said I would be available for questions or discussions until everyone was satisfied. Only one person left. I was at the site for more than 90 additional minutes.   Still, I didn't get to everyone. I had lots of information. They wanted more of it.

That speaking engagement would not have been successful if I worried about my talk. I knew what I wanted to say. I even knew how to improvise.  I even planned for things to go wrong.  I had to improvise because certain equipment they were to provide failed to arrive. I couldn't use visuals. The only thing I had was a blank flip chart and a big marker. It worked out. When that group planned their speakers for the next year, they wanted me back. It was reported to the head of the organization that I was the best speaker they ever had.  This, from the person who was the kid who froze up in class. 

Don't worry about speaking before groups.  You don't have to be polished as a politician. Just speak from your head and heart. Each success brings more success. You will learn from the experience. I encourage anyone who has something to say to think it over enough that they have a plan. Practice the talk. Then, do it.  

Get Involved at School Board Meetings
Some school boards will meet regularly and accept public input. The larger the district the more likely they will require that you submit your topic a few days before the meeting. In that way, they can correct the problem you want to talk about.

A businessman friend of mine was invited to become a member of a school district's audit committee. This guy is aware of the value of a dollar. Then, the head of the school board invited him to visit any of their schools at any time.  They head of the district didn't think he would accept the open invitation.
 
When he showed up at a school, unannounced, he was given carte blanche to examine the building. He didn't like what he saw. The head of the district was informed of his presence and he was escorted from the building. But not before he saw what he needed.

The businessman made note of obviously wasteful procedures in just a few minutes in that one school.  Within one year, the head of that wasteful district resigned and went to ruin another district.

There may not be openings on your district's audit committee. Other opportunities may present themselves.  Just attend, listen, learn and volunteer.

Haven't considered school boards before?  Think about these next two paragraphs.

A midwestern city's school board hit some financial snags.  They learned there were over 1,000 teachers on the payroll who weren't assigned any classes.  They made a new requirement that teachers had to come to the board of education office to pick up their pay checks after presenting photo identification.  That school district has a pitiful status with state officials.  Some are hoping the state will ultimately take over the schools.  This problem has existed for over 30 years and some are finally starting to pay attention.

An Arkansas city had a promising group of football players in the freshman class.  The school spent two million to expand their football stadium.  The football coach was paid a base rate of $500,000 per year.  But, that meant the school had to cut back. So, there weren't enough school books for every student. They had to leave their books in the classroom at end of class.  The 
seniors on the team,  and the school,  ultimately gained national recognition for their football team.  The neglect of ordinary students was overlooked for at least two years before reaching the attention of the public.

What's going on at your school board? Likely, much the same or maybe worse.  Get involved.   

Rules for Signs
Signs have two purposes. First, to get out your message. Second, to attract new members.

A good sign gets out your message. It is readable when letters are large and clear enough to register with the reader.

Signs with cartoon characters don't help.  They provide an opportunity for politicians to call us nazis and other things.  Have an effective message. But decide how to fit it on your sign.  Following are some tips.
1   Keep your message to eight words or less.  If you want to include a web site address, e-mail address or phone
     number,  that counts as a ninth word.  It is okay. It is separate from the message.
2   Make your lettering readable at a glance. When the lettering is neat the message registers sooner.
3   If you are using a yard sign it must be readable from a car at 35 miles per hour.  If the sign is at or near a highway the sign
     and lettering must be readable at the speed at which the vehicles travel. Don't try to use calligraphy.  The lettering looks       
     good but isn't readable.
4  Use a contrasting background.  If you use red or black lettering it will look best on a white background. To make your letters 
     stand out, outline black letters with a fine red line.  Red letters should be outlined in black. This makes the letters sharper.
5   Use powerful words.  Dr. Frank Luntz did research on what words got the most favorable response. Signs that ask Who 
     Will Pay?  or  Accountability? are powerful.  A sign with one word, Why?, is highly effective.   It is recommended that 
     interested persons read Luntz's book, ''What Americans Really Want...Really".  There is a wealth of powerful information.
6   If you can't make a good sign, buy one.  There are many fast sign shops in most cities. There are other resources as well.  A 
     professionally-produced sign will get the message across better than hand-lettered.

Roberts Rules of Order
This little book is very handy.  It is used to conduct parliamentary procedure.  Government commissions, boards, panels and legislatures usually follow these basic rules.  It is recommended that you obtain and study the book to know the proper procedures.  You should follow a consistent format at your group meetings. Roberts Rules of Order will be a help. 

Some bodies will have additional rules and procedures.  Most organizations follow Roberts Rules of Order.   

Political Party Structure
The structure of your political party starts with a precinct committeeman. They are moderated by the party's county chairman.  The county chairman is overseen by the state chairman. The state chairman reports to the national committee.

Becoming a precinct committeeman is easy (and cheap) as just running for the office.  Or, if there is no Republican precinct committeeman in your precinct, call the county Republican chairman and ask to fill the position. You may be appointed to the vacant slot.  Committeemen vote on who will be county chairman, who the party will support in primary elections and other important decisions. It is up to the committeeman to get citizens registered and see that they vote. There is no salary for the position.  It is kind of like being an official volunteer. As a precinct committeeman, you will knock on a lot of doors, talk with a lot of people and do a lot of sign placement and other chores. It is often a stepping stone to higher political office.

Attract More Members to Your Group
So, you have a web site.  But, how many outside your group are aware of it? Maybe you have a blog, but there are no entries since two months ago.  How inspiring is that?  (Maybe assign someone to keep the blog updated with entries at least once per week?)  It takes work to get the word out to present and potential members. Maybe this will help.
 
Issue business cards to members of your group.  Or, let them print some up at a copy shop or office supply store.  They only must be in the official format. You need the name of the group and contact information.  Use a slogan that rings true with most people.  "Live Free or Die" registers positively with 88% of adults but may be too strong when trying to attract new members. Give business cards to interested persons or just hand them out at some event.

Create a flyer that advertises your group.  Have the flyer tell five or ten truths about taxes, government health care, schools, cap and trade, or some other topic.  At the bottom, show the name and contact information for your group.  Make copies of your black and white flyer at a copy shop or office supply store.

Distribute informative flyers at parking lots, grocery stores, Wal-Mart, sporting events, festival parking, fairs, carnivals, employee parking lots, office building parking lots, etc.   It takes about 45-60 minutes for one person to place 100 flyers.  That many flyers likely will generate one or two responses. Converting that person to a member will happen about 50% of the time. It will take a continuous effort.  But, it is better to get one or two new members each week than wait for them to find you. New members can bring others to the  group.

Business cards and flyers are a staple for new business start-ups. They should be used by your group to reach persons who may be interested in your activity. Place them in hands of friends and strangers or on windshields. Use a yard sign to advertise you are a member of a tea party group.

Have a neighborhood cookout. Tell the whole neighborhood they are invited. Say the purpose is to read the constitution.  The document that our politicians have forgotten to protect. Or, just watch Tea Party, the documentary film.  It should spur anyone to join.  

If you had a new business, you would do everything possible to get out the word.  Being a tea party group is the same thing as a new business. People have to know about it in order to join.  There is an old advertising maxim; it takes nine impressions to attract a prospect.  So, you must keep trying until you have a huge number of members. Then, grow into an even larger group.

Increase Attendance at Meetings
Once, I was president of a local chapter of a national trade association.  Simultaneously, I served as president of a special interest group of business owners.  The trade association met 10 times per year. The special interest group once or twice.  Both enjoyed increased attendance when I applied some sound principles.

The trade association had about 100 members.  About 12-15 attended meetings.  Soon as I was elected to an officer, I surveyed the members to see what they would like for a location, type of venue, speaker topics, speakers and other items.  When the surveys were returned, we simply gave them most of what they wanted.  It wasn't long before we averaged 50-65 members per meeting.  At one meeting with a special slate of speakers, we had about 120.   

The special interest group enjoyed about twenty members at each meeting. There were about 60 members. Using the same technique, we moved the location of the meeting, the time of day and enjoyed nearly 100% attendance.   

If you give people what they want, you get greater attendance.  Then, the trick is to provide information they want to know, from knowledgeable persons. There may be a certain amount of business to tend to at the start of your meetings. After that, the speaker presents their information. 

At both the groups mentioned above, the meetings were luncheons. They were all business persons. We chose the entree, set the price (which covered most circumstances, including tip) to attend and included a little profit to administer the group. It is necessary to allow for some no-shows and those who don't rsvp but show up anyway. It's not that hard.

At the end of your meeting, if funds are available, give something away in a drawing.  Have the members drop a business card in a container when they enter or take a ticket with a number. Draw a card or number. The gift can be a box of chocolates or something else they will use and enjoy.  If the treasury is large enough, two tickets to a sporting event may be in order. A gift card to some establishment is always nice.  Use your imagination. 

Start and end your meetings on time, every time. People need to know how to allocate their time.  Time is valuable. Time is money.  Members have family commitments. Ninety minutes is the maximum time. Sixty minutes is just right.  By accomplishing a lot in a short time the attendees will perceive the meeting as a good value and a reasonable use of time.  

The best days (or nights) for meetings are Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. It may be necessary to divert from that schedule whenever the executive committee must meet to discuss other, detailed, business or administrative matters.   Ask your executive committee if they prefer a breakfast, lunch, dinner or other meeting.  Our executive committees always held breakfast meetings. 

Communications Interruptions
What have you done to stay in touch with other members on vital issues when communications are disrupted? Plan now for the inevitable. 

By the 2010 elections we can expect to see the internet modified or interrupted. There will be some reason for congress to push through a law entitled "net neutrality".  That means anything that could be considered dissent will be reported and dealt with.  Access could become restricted. Tea party communications will collapse without the internet. Killing communications is one way to assure victory for the radical left. Be prepared. Make a plan.

Set up calling trees to alert members of meetings and important events.  Don't forget postcards.  Faxes should  be safe.  Email will be out of the question. Devise a plan to deal with interruption of normal communications.

What about talk radio?  One way or another,  the Obama administration will attempt to shut down talk radio.  Some talk shows already have, or had, short wave capability. Others are considering it.  It is possible to obtain a portable, battery-powered, radio that receives short wave broadcasts.  I have had such a radio for years.  I don't know if they are still available at Radio Shack but they probably are still in stock.  Other retailers likely have them. It wouldn't hurt to have one.  

Flag Lapel Pins
Show pride in our flag and what it represents. Finding the lapel pins is not easy. 

They can be obtained on the internet but purchases must often be in bulk. Target sells a modified flag pin. Wal-Mart doesn't have them in any form.  Some department stores have them at inflated prices.  I found mine at a truck stop or "travel stop".  They were $4 each and I bought a few. They even tossed in extra clasps.

I pin mine on collars of polo shirts or lapels of various jackets. I wear one every chance I get.  If someone asks me about the pin I will likely reply "so folks know what side I'm on".  Then, I can explain what is going on in congress and what we must do about it.  That millions of Americans are standing up and becoming a force for freedom.

Wear a flag lapel pin whenever you can. It sometimes starts conversations. Give it a try.  If all tea partisans wore flag lapel pins to rallies and protests, it would be another unified identity item.  I can tell strangers sometimes don't speak but I can see they have respect for me as I wear that pin.

Maybe wearing a flag lapel pin would cause a tide of national pride and drive the leftists crazy.  That, alone, would make it worthwhile.  There would likely be an increase in the number of politicians wearing them. 

Coping with Challenges
The primary tactic of Radical Leftists is to overwhelm the system. They are doing it with legislation. That's why you see 2,000 pages in a bill.  It is also loaded with "earmarks".  The Radical Left is in a hurry as they know they will lose seats in 2010. 

Set up your group so at least one person visits city council meetings and reports to the group.  Another watch the school board.  Someone keep an eye on bills in process at the state level.  Maybe two or more from your group visit state committee hearings to testify against legislation.  Don't forget your county commission.  Everyone knows about congress. That is the main point of focus.  However, the local, county and state bodies need watching.  They operate the same as Washington.  None of these jurisdictions represent us. They represent themselves.  

When you gain a new member, introduce them to the available tasks and assignments.  Get them involved right away.  Their involvement will perpetuate the momentum of your group. 

If you are lucky enough to have an advertising or public relations expert in your group, ask them to help in the way they know best.  Whatever a person does at their job may bring new skills to your group.  Ask each new member of their interest.  Try to assign something they will be able to handle and enjoy.

All persons assigned a responsibility need to report to a committee chairman or at the regular meeting.  Meantime, if an emergency arises in one of the monitored bodies they need to advise the organizer, or some other designated person, with urgent information.  The person assigned to spread the word or coordinate some action can act accordingly.

Breaking the Code
When Democrats name a bill, they title it just the opposite of what it will do.  For example, Health Care Reform means the end of health insurance and start of total government control.  Net Neutrality means a reduction in our free speech.  When  a bill includes the word Omnibus in the title, it just means it is a huge spending bill.  Cap and Trade has no relation to the real intent, which is to tax us to death. 

One should always assume the Radical Left (mostly Democrats but some Republicans) does not have our best interests at heart.  They title a bill to make it an easier sell in the media and to citizens. The actual content is different from the "image" conveyed by the title.   The real intent is to spend your money and take your freedoms.
 
Coordinate With Other Groups
The Organizer of your group should reach out to other groups in the area. In some metro areas there are many tea party,  912 and other groups.  Why not arrange a monthly or bi-monthly meeting of the Organizers to brainstorm matters?  Discuss coming projects and how all groups can help.  Talk about problems and solutions. The tea party movement includes taxpayer organizations, patriot groups, various tea party organizations and other like-minded persons.  Don't forget the Libertarian party. At least start with all tea party groups. Then add other organizations as needed. Use your blog to mention activities by other groups. If you like, encourage members of your group to attend the event of another group or organization.  In this way, all grassroots groups appear to have a larger presence.

Real Estate Taxes
You may not be aware that you can often reduce the property tax on your home.  Many home owners don''t receive their tax valuation notice. It often goes to the lender who makes certain the taxes are paid so the mortgage is protected.  

Typically, valuation notices go out around the first three months of the year.  If you find the value of your home is inflated, you can fight it.  Your county appraiser (sure sounds better than assessor, right?) can tell you the value of your home.  You may be able to set it up so your valuation notices come directly to you.

Then, if the valuation is too high, contest it following the guidelines provided by the county appraiser's customer service office.   Most ad valorem appraisal systems use the sales comparison approach to determine your home's value. With the changes in the economy, home values are down.  Take advantage of the system to win a reduction in your property tax.  It will reduce your monthly mortgage payment amount. 

You won't need an attorney.  You can usually do it yourself. Put the savings from your mortgage payment in an account.  It could be used for an emergency or to fund your tea party activity.

City Earnings Taxes
I once worked for a company located in a city which withheld a city earnings tax.  While in that town's city hall on other business, I stopped in the earnings tax office and asked some questions.  I learned that I was entitled to a 50% refund because I lived outside the city in which I worked. They would only go back five years.

These same circumstances apply if there is a county earnings tax.  You may be in a similar situation.  If so, check to see if you can get a refund. It can be a nice bonus. All you have to do is fill out some forms.

The refund could help pay for a trip to Washington so you can participate in a rally.  If nothing else it takes a few dollars out of the hands of wasteful politicians.