AFP Sighting - Guess where?

Here's AFP at the RNC. This is just a wild guess... but I think this guy is from Wisconsin. 

Sullivan discusses energy policy
Tulsa World - Tulsa,OK,USA
Americans for Prosperity's Oklahoma director, Stuart Jolly, told a gathering of about 30 people that cap-and-trade would cost Americans $1.2 trillion in its ...

Stuart Jolly's Op-ed in the Daily Oklahoman in the Opinion Section.  http://www.newsok.com/article/3290609 

 The Event from OCU with U.S. Rep Mary Fallin, a part of our Carbon Credit Tour http://www.edmondsun.com/homepage/local_story_239235034.html?keyword=leadpicturestory

Stay tune for more updates! 

Keith Olbermann from MSNBC is an idiot...  See what he said about AFP last night.  So I guess tornados, hurricanes, storms and flooding are now new events according to Keith Olbermann and that they're all caused by global warming...what an idiot!   See the story and video.

Olbermann Mocks Canceled Anti-Global Warming Event; Group Fires Back
Business Media Institute - Alexandria,VA,USA
Olbermann, on the August 19 broadcast of MSNBC’s “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” took aim at the Americans for Prosperity’s “Hot Air Tour. ...

Americans for Prosperity to Host Series of Forums Focused on Costs of Global Warming Alarmist Policies 

Global Warming Alarmism Distorts U.S. Energy Policy, Group Says 

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma chapter of the grassroots free-market group Americans for Prosperity (AFP) will kick off a series of educational forums in August to focus on the economic costs of policies being advanced in the name of “fighting” global warming. The series is called the “Carbon Credit Tour.”  The forums will specifically address how global warming alarmists like Al Gore are cheering on proven-failed energy policies, such as increasing taxes and regulation on domestic energy producers. 

The series will kick off on August 14 with a forum featuring speakers such as Congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma’s 4th District. Forums scheduled for August 25 and August 26 will feature Congressman Frank Lucas, and Congresswoman Mary Fallin, respectively. The last scheduled forum in August will be held on August 27, and Congressman John Sullivan will address attendees. 

Global warming alarmism is a key reason why lawmakers refuse to embrace market-based solutions to energy challenges, according to AFP. And in fact, many members of Congress are pursuing regulations designed to make energy more expensive so Americans use less of it. 

The forums are part of AFP’s overall campaign to expose economy-destroying, job killing policies being advanced in the name of global warming that would have a nearly immeasurable environmental benefit. 

A complete schedule of the forums can be found online at www.AFPOK.org  

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is the nation’s premier grassroots organization committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org 

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So, here's the scoop.

 The Carbon*Credit tour

 Operation: Piggy (this is secret)

 Operation: "Hey, you've got my pin code!" (We're working on the title)

 Grass root events at some select locations

 Defending the American Dream Summit: II in October will be a blasts!  Go to www.DefendingTheDream.com for more info and to register!

  -=upcoming events=- (check the front page for the most up to date postings)

* 8 Oct - Garfield County Republican Women's Club  11:30 am at Northern Oklahoma College (NOC) Student Center on Main Street.
* 26 Aug - Rep Mary Fallin  - Chapter Meeting; Carbon*Credit Tour - 6:30 - Oklahoma Christian University, Edmond
* 12 Aug - Rep John Sullivan  - Chapter Meeting; Carbon*Credit Tour
* 14 Aug - Rep Tom Cole  - Chapter Meeting; Carbon*Credit Tour - 5:30 - ADA, OK @ ECU
* 25 Aug - Rep Frank Lucas  - Chapter Meeting; Carbon*Credit Tour
* Rep Dan Boren  - Chapter Meeting; Carbon*Credit Tour:  DECLINED
* 11 Sept - Norman Grass Roots Meeting - 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. - @ Olive Garden
* 10-11 Oct - Defending the American Dream Summit II - Washington D.C.

Hope you can make one of these!! 

For Immediate Release – July 31, 2008

Contact: Stuart A. Jolly, (405) 514-0514

OKLAHOMA CITY – Americans for Prosperity (AFP) today stated that throwing more money at Oklahoma schools is not the solution for education challenges faced by the state. The statement comes on the heels of an announcement made by the Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) expressing its intent to request an additional $850 million from taxpayers to increase per pupil spending.

“We believe that public school funding is either ‘too high’ or ‘about right’, just like the 64 percent of Oklahomans who responded to a recent Friedman Foundation survey,” said AFP Oklahoma Director Stuart Jolly. “Oklahoma schools have enough money.  It’s just not being spent wisely.”

According to a recent AFP analysis, just 12 years ago Oklahoma’s entire state budget was $3.4 billion. Today, the education budget alone is $3.8 billion, meaning the state spends more today on Oklahoma’s education system than it did on all state programs just 12 years ago. “And what do Oklahoma students have to show for it?” Jolly asked. “The same grade they did 12 years ago – F.”

Meanwhile, education administrative costs in Oklahoma are three times the average amount for the region. In 2006, Oklahoma spent $753 per student while the average for the region was $242 per student.  Oklahoma spends three times more on school administration than Arkansas ($215), Kansas ($258), or Texas ($252). Just 59.7 percent of education dollars are actually spent in the classroom. Putting $500 more per student back in the classroom – or $10,000 per classroom – is a first step toward addressing the state’s failing education system, AFP contends.

Since 1985, Oklahoma’s student population has grown by 7.1 percent, but the administration to take care of those students has grown by 46 percent.  Additionally, The education budget during this same period has grown from $1.4 billion to $3.8 billion.  And where does Oklahoma rank today nationally?  The same place it did in 1985 – near the bottom.

AFP is calling for a larger percentage of education dollars to be spent in the classroom and for greater choice in education. When taxpayers and families have more choices, schools will improve.

“Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to throw good money after bad,” Jolly concluded. “Our schools must spend the dollars we have entrusted to them wisely before they even think about asking for more. Ultimately, all families should have more choices when it comes to what schools their children go to.”

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits. For more information, visit http://www.americansforprosperity.org//

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Breaking news from our team on the ground in Nashville.  The Nashville Parks Department is denying us permission to launch the balloon, citing the fact that our permit says balloon rides but not specifically the word "launch."  This despite the fact that we have explained to them on the phone multiple times our precise flight plan and before today there was no indication that there was a problem or any defect in our permit.  Clearly, Gore is calling in favors to stop the embarrassing visual and negative coverage surrounding our event and ratcheting up the beating he is taking over his home energy use

How Oklahoma Will Be Affected by the Lieberman-Warner Global Climate Change Legislation

Table 1: Estimated Economic Impact of S. 2191 in Oklahoma

Table 2: Changes in Household Energy Prices in Oklahoma Due to S. 2191

View more at the Heritage Foundation research center. 

How awesome is that?! See below.

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=9af0d4fb-802a-23ad-4d12-920136f25450

Since December, the world has been confronted with irrefutable evidence that our current bio-fuels mandates are having massive and potentially life threatening consequences.

Once again, we are reminded how restrictive government mandates and ill-advised bureaucratic meddling produce unintended consequences. Trying to centrally manage and "plan" a global food distribution network and economy through clumsy, unrealistically high mandates has been a proven failure.
An April 28 article on our current bio-fuel mandates in the National Review by Phil Kerpen and James Valvo detailed the mindset of bureaucratic planners.

"Each new generation of central planners believes the previous generation wasn't smart enough. Yet central economic planning is forever doomed to failure since the approach itself limits human freedom, ingenuity, entrepreneurship, and innovation."
To put it into simpler terms: As Ronald Reagan once said, "The more the plans fail, the more the planners plan."

In case you missed our amazing event, here are some pictures. Enjoy!

Side note: Daily Oklahoman, can you count the amount of people in these pictures? Try, take some shoes off if you must!

"Group warns of global warming alarmism [23 mins ago] <http://newsok.com/group-warns-of-global-warming-alarmism/article/3238553/?tm=1209789966> 
NewsOK.com - Oklahoma City,OK,USA
        The so-called "Hot Air Tour" is sponsored by an anti-tax group called Americans for Prosperity. Speakers gathering stood in front of a mock hot air balloon ..."
       
       
  Setting the record straight!

        Dear Mr Kelley:

        The Oklahoman's coverage of the Oklahoma City stop of Americans for Prosperity's (AFP's) nationwide hot air balloon tour was a gross distortion of our event and our message. The article was written with blatant disregard for fair and balanced reporting, but even worse without regard for the facts.

        Despite questionable weather, our registration records show that at least 241 Oklahomans took time out of their Thursday evening to hear about the high costs of proposals being pursued by elected officials in the name of global warming. The Oklahoman's wildly inaccurate guess of "about 100 people" is not only unfit for publication, but undermines the keen interest in this issue demonstrated by the hundreds of citizens who attended our event.

        The primary goal of AFP's Hot Air Tour is to highlight the unaffordable economic costs that would be imposed on American families and businesses under a complex government regulatory scheme that caps carbon emissions. Yet the Oklahoman failed to point out this goal and also neglected to mention that the Congressional Budget Office, not AFP, scored legislation to create a cap-and-trade system as a $1.2 trillion tax increase.

        The Oklahoman continued its pattern of inaccurate – to the point of insulting – reporting when referring to AFP's tour as the "so-called 'Hot Air Tour'" and calling AFP a group on the "fringe of current debates about the science and politics of global warming." The families and business owners who attended our event are the heart and soul of our nation, not some fringe movement that can be easily dismissed. The Oklahoman should instruct its reporters to reserve such biased claims for the editorial page.

        If the Oklahoman considers it necessary to belittle citizen organizations such as ours with inaccurate and insulting reporting, the paper has just taken a big step toward diminishing the value of citizen activism throughout the political process. All politics aside, the reality is that grassroots groups such as Americans for Prosperity are a valuable feature of any thriving democracy and should be recognized as such. Citizens deserve better from our state's largest newspaper, and the truth would be a good starting point.      

        Sincerely,      
        Stuart Jolly
        Oklahoma Director
        Americans for Prosperity

A week after the even and we FINALLY got a newspaper to print something good about us.

The Daily Oklahoman reported the event to have "about a hundered people" when in reality we had 240+ registering on arrival at the event. Then the paper went on to talk about the science of global warming (they are pro-warming) and then failed to even discuss the economic effects. Tsk Tsk! Oklahoman.

However, we did get some good press!

"Global warming — full of hot air?

Wednesday, 07 May 2008
 
Stuart Jolly, Oklahoma director of Americans for Prosperity, addresses a political action rally audience Thursday at the Coca-Cola Event Center parking lot.

The Americans for Prosperity organization is on a nation-wide tour for the purpose of educating the public on the debate over the country’s energy policy, saying current proposals would drive the cost of energy higher. With growing energy costs, prices for products and transportation would follow suit, the grassroots organization claims.
“Many of those same representatives and senators that are actually complaining about high gas prices themselves are actually supporting legislation that will raise gasoline prices—it’s going to raise them considerably higher,” Jolly said, referring to..." Read the rest here.

Last night in Oklahoma City, over 240 citizens turned out to hear from AFP President Tim Phillips, AFP Oklahoma Director Stuart Jolly, and other speakers about global warming alarmist policies that will increase taxes and regulation, forcing strains on family budgets and harming our overall economy.

Earlier yesterday morning, nearly 60 citizen activists attended a similar stop in Wichita, Kansas. They turned out at 8am on a work day to stand against the dangerous alarmist policies that threaten our very freedom and prosperity. AFP’s cold air balloon served as a billboard for the group’s message: Global Warming Alarmism: Lost Jobs, Higher Taxes, Less Freedom. 

On Wednesday night, nearly 80 citizen activists attended the Hot Air Tour stop in Kansas City, Missouri. Stop after stop, citizens from across this country are turning out in a strong show of force to send a message to the policy makers advancing this alarmist agenda: We simply can not afford the massive tax increases, skyrocketing gasoline and energy costs, and economic devastation that will result from these so-called “solutions” to the “global warming crisis.” And we will not sit idly by while dangerous policies, fueled by hysteria, are forced through all levels of American government. 

And so we’re on to Dallas, on to Houston, on to Lafayette, and on to a stronger future for our country and our children.