This is from the Operation Coffee Cup Campaign against Socialized Medicine as proposed by the Democrats in 1961. As a private citizen at that time, Ronald Reagan spoke out against socialized medicine. There's no video in this clip because it's originally from an audio LP that was sent out by the American Medical Association.
Incredibly, the questions, issues and concerns that existed in 1961 are nearly the same that we face today. We are going down the same path today that the Democrats tried to lead the citizens of America down in 1961. Where is our version Ronald Reagan today?
The American Small Business Partnership
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Understanding the Opposition
Please note – this is extremely important: you need to recognize and be prepared for attacks on the messenger. If you look closely, you'll notice that the opposition is avoiding real debates on the merits of the arguments against the Healthcare Reform and the “Obama-Pelosi Utility Tax Hike” (Cap and Trade) bills. Rather, they're attacking the integrity or the legitimacy of the messenger in some way. You need to understand that they are simply employing techniques inspired by Saul Alinsky from his book, Rules for Radicals.
I highly suggest you read this article, especially rule #5:
http://www.geocities.com/WallStreet/8925/alinsky.htm
Want to know a little more on who Saul Alinsky was:
http://www.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=30778
The American Small Business Partnership
I highly suggest you read this article, especially rule #5:
http://www.geocities.com/WallStreet/8925/alinsky.htm
Want to know a little more on who Saul Alinsky was:
http://www.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=30778
The American Small Business Partnership
What else should YOU do?
1) Business Owners: All business owners should be communicating directly with their employees and customers with regards to how these bills will impact their jobs, and the price of your goods and services. We suggest creating pamphlets or handouts to give to your employees and customers.
2) Become an educator: Seek out two or three of your friends or relatives that are on the fence about these issues and educate them. Be patient, it may take several presentation of facts to convince them.
3) Sign these Petitions:
> Free Our Healthcare Now
> No Health Benefits Tax
4) Write a Letter to your local Newspaper Editor
In Louisville, you can contact the Courier-Journal by clicking here.
The American Small Business Partnership
2) Become an educator: Seek out two or three of your friends or relatives that are on the fence about these issues and educate them. Be patient, it may take several presentation of facts to convince them.
3) Sign these Petitions:
> Free Our Healthcare Now
> No Health Benefits Tax
4) Write a Letter to your local Newspaper Editor
In Louisville, you can contact the Courier-Journal by clicking here.
The American Small Business Partnership
How to influence Congress
This is an article from the Newsvine:
It seems that very few American citizens understand that Congress works for us, not the other way around. They are our employees and should be treated as such. They represent you and I and so they darn well better understand that.
Here is the post that I did that explains how your communication with them is handled. This comes from several years of citizen lobbying that I did while in college. I got to know a lot of staffers and met with a few congress critters while doing this and learned how they consider and rank communications from their constituents.
There is a hierarchy based upon the amount of work that a constituent puts into the letter.
From lowest to highest. Divide by 10 if it comes from out of the district (house) or state (senate)
5) Mass emailing: Lowest form and is immediately deleted if it is the same email sent by hundreds of people.
4) Single Personalized Email: Looked at by staffers and if it is a subject of immediate interest and if multiple emails that are clearly not copies or near copies, then they are considered, depending on how many received.
3) Fax: A fax, if it is not a spam (meaning the same text sent by many people) are considered at about the same level as a single personalized email. They are recorded and if enough come in that are clearly not copies or near copies, then they might make it to the congress person.
2) Letter: Clearly recorded and considered by staffers. Again the rules for personalized versus copies applies (your own words, no matter how angry, illegible, or good) meaning that if you took the time to write it, it probably means that you would vote with the item in mind next time. Multiply by 2x if hand written. Use a live stamp!
1) Express Mail, Fedex, etc: Highest consideration. Means that you really care/pissed but means that you really are engaged on the subject. They consider you an influencer and that you will probably talk ten people into your position, and that means votes for or against.
(Note: the article doesn’t mention it, but picking up a phone and calling is certainly effective as well!)
Another Rule
Multiply negative mail by a factor of ten (usually if one person is pissed, that ten others are as well). Multiply positive mail by factor of 100. People usually don't go out of their way to write positive stuff unless it is really good.
These are generalized rules to use with communicating with your congress person.
If you follow up any of these with a phone call, then they are really taken seriously, especially if you ask if they received it and what the staffer thinks.
Another general note - Almost none of your mail goes directly to the target without first going through the staff. The staff is a filter and many of them will formulate the reply from the congressperson, if not a form letter. Depending on the issue, you MIGHT get a response from the congress person, the more junior the member, the higher the likelihood of a response.
At the very top of the list is a personal visit. I encourage each and every one of you to visit your congress person and senator's office at least once in your life. They are YOUR EMPLOYEES and you have a right to check up on them. You might even remind them of this when you visit. Tell them that you are there for a performance review and that your vote is contingent upon a passing grade. Do it respectfully, but with sincerity as this is exactly what it should be.
There’s some additional great advice in this power point presentation:
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/health_cast/uploaded_files/Arnold_Slides.pdf
The American Small Business Partnership
It seems that very few American citizens understand that Congress works for us, not the other way around. They are our employees and should be treated as such. They represent you and I and so they darn well better understand that.
Here is the post that I did that explains how your communication with them is handled. This comes from several years of citizen lobbying that I did while in college. I got to know a lot of staffers and met with a few congress critters while doing this and learned how they consider and rank communications from their constituents.
There is a hierarchy based upon the amount of work that a constituent puts into the letter.
From lowest to highest. Divide by 10 if it comes from out of the district (house) or state (senate)
5) Mass emailing: Lowest form and is immediately deleted if it is the same email sent by hundreds of people.
4) Single Personalized Email: Looked at by staffers and if it is a subject of immediate interest and if multiple emails that are clearly not copies or near copies, then they are considered, depending on how many received.
3) Fax: A fax, if it is not a spam (meaning the same text sent by many people) are considered at about the same level as a single personalized email. They are recorded and if enough come in that are clearly not copies or near copies, then they might make it to the congress person.
2) Letter: Clearly recorded and considered by staffers. Again the rules for personalized versus copies applies (your own words, no matter how angry, illegible, or good) meaning that if you took the time to write it, it probably means that you would vote with the item in mind next time. Multiply by 2x if hand written. Use a live stamp!
1) Express Mail, Fedex, etc: Highest consideration. Means that you really care/pissed but means that you really are engaged on the subject. They consider you an influencer and that you will probably talk ten people into your position, and that means votes for or against.
(Note: the article doesn’t mention it, but picking up a phone and calling is certainly effective as well!)
Another Rule
Multiply negative mail by a factor of ten (usually if one person is pissed, that ten others are as well). Multiply positive mail by factor of 100. People usually don't go out of their way to write positive stuff unless it is really good.
These are generalized rules to use with communicating with your congress person.
If you follow up any of these with a phone call, then they are really taken seriously, especially if you ask if they received it and what the staffer thinks.
Another general note - Almost none of your mail goes directly to the target without first going through the staff. The staff is a filter and many of them will formulate the reply from the congressperson, if not a form letter. Depending on the issue, you MIGHT get a response from the congress person, the more junior the member, the higher the likelihood of a response.
At the very top of the list is a personal visit. I encourage each and every one of you to visit your congress person and senator's office at least once in your life. They are YOUR EMPLOYEES and you have a right to check up on them. You might even remind them of this when you visit. Tell them that you are there for a performance review and that your vote is contingent upon a passing grade. Do it respectfully, but with sincerity as this is exactly what it should be.
There’s some additional great advice in this power point presentation:
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/health_cast/uploaded_files/Arnold_Slides.pdf
The American Small Business Partnership
Blue Dog Coalition
The so called “Blue Dog Democrats” are the guys from conservative districts in the House of Representatives that are sitting on the fence on both the nationalized healthcare and global warming tax bills.
They can be influenced towards voting against both of these bills - with some help from citizens like you!
Please take the time to contact some, or all of these Congressman. Particular focus should be spent on local congressman within your state, as well as the four members in positions of leadership:
* Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration
* Rep. Baron Hill (IN-09), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy
* Rep. Charlie Melancon (LA-03), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications
* Rep. Heath Shuler (NC-11), Blue Dog Whip
Use the Blue Dog Coalition link to find out who’s on the list, and then use the Congressional Directory to find their contact information.
The American Small Business Partnership
They can be influenced towards voting against both of these bills - with some help from citizens like you!
Please take the time to contact some, or all of these Congressman. Particular focus should be spent on local congressman within your state, as well as the four members in positions of leadership:
* Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration
* Rep. Baron Hill (IN-09), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy
* Rep. Charlie Melancon (LA-03), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications
* Rep. Heath Shuler (NC-11), Blue Dog Whip
Use the Blue Dog Coalition link to find out who’s on the list, and then use the Congressional Directory to find their contact information.
The American Small Business Partnership
Congress contact information
Please click on the link below to find all contact information, including email, phone and street addresses, for all Senators and House members of Congress.
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt
We recommend that you contact all of your representatives in Congress - both U.S. Senators and your U.S. Representative.
More importantly: We also ask that you contact the Blue Dog Democrats, and the Senators in the Key Senators Campaign. The congressmen in both these houses, for all intents and purposes, hold the keys to the Healthcare Reform and the Global Warming Tax bills being passed. We must focus our efforts on these two groups.
The American Small Business Partnership
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt
We recommend that you contact all of your representatives in Congress - both U.S. Senators and your U.S. Representative.
More importantly: We also ask that you contact the Blue Dog Democrats, and the Senators in the Key Senators Campaign. The congressmen in both these houses, for all intents and purposes, hold the keys to the Healthcare Reform and the Global Warming Tax bills being passed. We must focus our efforts on these two groups.
The American Small Business Partnership
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