The nation has been focused on the first 100 days of the President as it seems to be all Obama all of the time for the main stream media. With a new president, the recession and excessive spending, it has been hard to really think of much else. Yet, right here in Illinois we have had our own 100 days of work by the Illinois Reform Commission which didn't get nearly as much attention. Governor Quinn put this commission together following the serious ethics problems facing the State, and a report has been issued. The report makes recommendations for campaign contribution limits, more disclosure, redistricting, and procurement changes, to name a few. The legislature has until the end of the month to bring the recommendations to the forefront and to vote for them, which isn't a lot of time. Please reach out to your legislators to let them know that the time for reform is now! You can go to www.chicagoelections.com and input your address to see what state representative and state senate districts you are in and then to the legislators site, www.ilga.gov to see who they are. We all have heard about the appalling and shocking things our former governor has allegedly done, and the reforms of the Commission are steps in the right direction to help prevent some of those things from occuring again. It was our 100 days which resulted in good ideas, and perhaps some of those will become law. See www.ReformIllinoisNOw.org for more information.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
We are pleased to be welcoming Congressman Peter Roskam as our guest speaker at our annual Tax Freedom Day reception on April 20th. He is a terrific person and dedicated public servant. We have a good crowd coming so we hope to see you there!
What a great showing at the Tea Parties on tax day! There were over 500 all around the country. Even the liberal, biased media had to report on them! Chicago Young Republicans did their own re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party and hosted a boat cruise, and made the news. Great job! These parties were non-partisan as democrats are upset, too, about the massive spending and large deficits of the Obama administration. The President and Congress are trying to push through their socialist agenda as quickly as they can but Americans are not going to let it happen without our opposition being heard. Please continue, as you have time, to reach out to your congressman about your concerns, as they can't totally ignore constituents if they hear from a lot of them. I did email as many Illinois congressmen as I could, but most won't let you email them if you are not in their district. We have links here on our site to contact our Illinois congressmen and where you can find information on publications that may be of interest. We do not get the whole story from the main stream media, and there is a lot that is kept out of the news.
We will be hearing more soon from other candidates running for office, on the local, county, state and federal levels and we will post their websites as their candidacies become official. There will be opportunities to volunteer for them directly and also to help out our local committeemen. It will be a great time to become more active, and to help gain republican victories in 2010! See you all soon.
What a great showing at the Tea Parties on tax day! There were over 500 all around the country. Even the liberal, biased media had to report on them! Chicago Young Republicans did their own re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party and hosted a boat cruise, and made the news. Great job! These parties were non-partisan as democrats are upset, too, about the massive spending and large deficits of the Obama administration. The President and Congress are trying to push through their socialist agenda as quickly as they can but Americans are not going to let it happen without our opposition being heard. Please continue, as you have time, to reach out to your congressman about your concerns, as they can't totally ignore constituents if they hear from a lot of them. I did email as many Illinois congressmen as I could, but most won't let you email them if you are not in their district. We have links here on our site to contact our Illinois congressmen and where you can find information on publications that may be of interest. We do not get the whole story from the main stream media, and there is a lot that is kept out of the news.
We will be hearing more soon from other candidates running for office, on the local, county, state and federal levels and we will post their websites as their candidacies become official. There will be opportunities to volunteer for them directly and also to help out our local committeemen. It will be a great time to become more active, and to help gain republican victories in 2010! See you all soon.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse on the federal level with TARP, the stimulus and bailouts, President Obama presents the biggest budget ever, filled with a huge wish list of spending, and it gets out of the Senate finance committee. And then, we hear that the President of the Czech Republic, France, Germany and even China express publicly their concerns about what we are doing! The President is proposing a budget of $1.5 trillion, which is a 100% increase over the largest we have ever had, according to several sources. The interest we would have to pay alone is estimated to be $800 billion a year! Free governments cannot sustain this amount of spending and resulting debt, and remain strong.
The President's and other democrats' proposals are extreme and I have never been so angry and I am worried about the future of our country if they have their way. President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Chris Dodd, Barnie Frank and Harry Reid are chomping at the bit to impose their socialist, liberal agendas to change this country as we know it. We can't afford the tremendous amount of debt that Obama is proposing that expands government more than ever before and that expansion threatens the very fabric of America. National Review cites that this budget would run up the nation's debt around $7 trillion between 2009 and 2019! In his two plus months in office, he is proposing more debt than we have incurred over more than two centuries of this country's existence. I can only hope that republicans who voted for him will see what he really stands for, and fight back. Most republicans already knew he was extremely liberal and didn't trust him, and it is worse than we could have possibly even imagined. His cap and trade policy and health care programs will truly ruin our economy and hurt those he says he is most concerned about. Let's hope the voting population will say no to what he is proposing by attending the tea parties and contacting their congressmen. We can't let America become like Europe. As I said earlier, even European countries think it is too much spending and debt! I thought I heard President Putin even had some concerns. Will the democrats listen to anyone?
We have issues on the state level and county level here in Cook County, so we are hit from all sides, with high taxes and proposed tax increases. I am worried and concerned, but I am also very hopeful that we will achieve republican victories on all levels in 2010. I am excited to help where I can and hope as many of you can help, as well. It is a great opportunity for us.
Chicago area republicans had the pleasure today to hear from Congressman Aaron Schock from Peoria and from Paul Vallas who is considering running for Cook County Board President on the republican ticket. They both see tremendous opportunities for republicans to come back on all levels, and the main points were less government, less spending, lower taxes, fiscal responsibility, and responsible government for the people. Mr. Vallas said we need to "reinvent" our county government and then we can build a responsible budget. Our State and County Chairmen, Andy McKenna and Lee Roupas, respectively, spoke as well, and they both are feeling positive about what we can do in 2010.
The main concern nationally now is the federal budget. We need to do what we can to stop it from becoming law without drastic changes. Republicans have a great chance to make a difference by letting your congressmen know how you feel. We should let all of our Illinois congressmen know what we think about the stimulus, the budget, nationalized health care, and cap and trade, to name a few issues. We sent an email out today with the contact information for all of our congressmen in Illinois. They need to hear from us, a lot of us, as a public outcry can make a difference. Even the main stream media has put the President and his appointees to task a little bit this past week!
So come join our group and others get involved and to participate in the political process! Candidates are announcing and we will make sure everyone knows who they are and how to get involved. We will hold a candidate forum later this summer, and will also notify people in our data base of other events coming up as we always do. Don't give up hope. Fight back!
We can stop the socialist agenda of the democrats if we become pro-active and speak our minds. Join our group and get involved and make a difference!
The President's and other democrats' proposals are extreme and I have never been so angry and I am worried about the future of our country if they have their way. President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Chris Dodd, Barnie Frank and Harry Reid are chomping at the bit to impose their socialist, liberal agendas to change this country as we know it. We can't afford the tremendous amount of debt that Obama is proposing that expands government more than ever before and that expansion threatens the very fabric of America. National Review cites that this budget would run up the nation's debt around $7 trillion between 2009 and 2019! In his two plus months in office, he is proposing more debt than we have incurred over more than two centuries of this country's existence. I can only hope that republicans who voted for him will see what he really stands for, and fight back. Most republicans already knew he was extremely liberal and didn't trust him, and it is worse than we could have possibly even imagined. His cap and trade policy and health care programs will truly ruin our economy and hurt those he says he is most concerned about. Let's hope the voting population will say no to what he is proposing by attending the tea parties and contacting their congressmen. We can't let America become like Europe. As I said earlier, even European countries think it is too much spending and debt! I thought I heard President Putin even had some concerns. Will the democrats listen to anyone?
We have issues on the state level and county level here in Cook County, so we are hit from all sides, with high taxes and proposed tax increases. I am worried and concerned, but I am also very hopeful that we will achieve republican victories on all levels in 2010. I am excited to help where I can and hope as many of you can help, as well. It is a great opportunity for us.
Chicago area republicans had the pleasure today to hear from Congressman Aaron Schock from Peoria and from Paul Vallas who is considering running for Cook County Board President on the republican ticket. They both see tremendous opportunities for republicans to come back on all levels, and the main points were less government, less spending, lower taxes, fiscal responsibility, and responsible government for the people. Mr. Vallas said we need to "reinvent" our county government and then we can build a responsible budget. Our State and County Chairmen, Andy McKenna and Lee Roupas, respectively, spoke as well, and they both are feeling positive about what we can do in 2010.
The main concern nationally now is the federal budget. We need to do what we can to stop it from becoming law without drastic changes. Republicans have a great chance to make a difference by letting your congressmen know how you feel. We should let all of our Illinois congressmen know what we think about the stimulus, the budget, nationalized health care, and cap and trade, to name a few issues. We sent an email out today with the contact information for all of our congressmen in Illinois. They need to hear from us, a lot of us, as a public outcry can make a difference. Even the main stream media has put the President and his appointees to task a little bit this past week!
So come join our group and others get involved and to participate in the political process! Candidates are announcing and we will make sure everyone knows who they are and how to get involved. We will hold a candidate forum later this summer, and will also notify people in our data base of other events coming up as we always do. Don't give up hope. Fight back!
We can stop the socialist agenda of the democrats if we become pro-active and speak our minds. Join our group and get involved and make a difference!
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
We are living in interesting times here in Illinois which are bringing new opportunities for Republicans! With our former governor being kicked out of office and a new U.S. senator appointed amid a scandal, Illinoisans finally appear to have had enough of the unethical behavior and the ruinous programs that have been part of the past administration. Republicans can take back state-wide offices, congressional seats and local legislative seats in the 2010 election and more and more of you are looking to get involved! We have received so many emails from people wanting to learn more about CRWN and about how to become part of Chicago and Cook County groups. It is great to see! Our candidates on al levels will need your help for the next round of elections and it is a good time to start hearing more about who is looking to run. We do have a special election in the 5th congressional district coming this spring so you can actually help out now if you are available. The candidates are on our site under links so please contact them if you want to volunteer.
I would like to congratulate Michael Steele for being elected as our new national party chairman! He does appear to be someone who will help Republicans win back the majority in congress. It will be exciting to see what his plans are for our party.
We look forward to seeing some of you on February 4th as we celebrate the 200th birthday of one of our greatest presidents, President Abraham Lincoln. We are planning many other events throughout the year and hope you will join us when you can!
Kathy Thomas, CRWN President
I would like to congratulate Michael Steele for being elected as our new national party chairman! He does appear to be someone who will help Republicans win back the majority in congress. It will be exciting to see what his plans are for our party.
We look forward to seeing some of you on February 4th as we celebrate the 200th birthday of one of our greatest presidents, President Abraham Lincoln. We are planning many other events throughout the year and hope you will join us when you can!
Kathy Thomas, CRWN President
Thursday, November 13, 2008
The election is over and John McCain and Sarah Palin were not successful, and the U.S. house and senate lost more seats. It is a difficult time for republicans all over the country and now we have to work even harder to regain some of the losses in the 2010 election. Chicago republicans worked hard to help Senator McCain and even called into other states, and some took time out of their busy lives to go to other key states to participate in the last 72 hour push. We have a great group of people of all ages in Chicago who have become more active and it is important for all of us to continue to stay involved and to build on the momentum that has been built up over the years. Many CRWN members did their part in this election cycle and we proud of you all!
We had our own elections last night for our board and we want to congratulate our officers: Kathy Thomas, President; Kathy Gallanis Matern, 1st Vice President; Sandee Geringer, 2nd Vice President; Carol Hensel, Treasurer; Christy Schmid, Secretary; and Sarah Riddell, general member/Facebook coordinator. Thank you all for your participation! We have two new officers and we look forward to bringing new ideas to our group. We had a good meeting and were given good suggestions for other things we can do in 2009.
Our next task will be to work with candidates for the 2010 elections. All of the state-wide offices are up as are some of the county-wide offices. As always, CRWN will be sure to let everyone know who is running for what and how to reach their campaigns so that you can decide whom you want to help. We need to look foward and see how we can improve and become a stronger party again, and work hard to get republicans elected here in Illinois! We look forward to seeing you all soon!
Kathy Thomas
President, CRWN
We had our own elections last night for our board and we want to congratulate our officers: Kathy Thomas, President; Kathy Gallanis Matern, 1st Vice President; Sandee Geringer, 2nd Vice President; Carol Hensel, Treasurer; Christy Schmid, Secretary; and Sarah Riddell, general member/Facebook coordinator. Thank you all for your participation! We have two new officers and we look forward to bringing new ideas to our group. We had a good meeting and were given good suggestions for other things we can do in 2009.
Our next task will be to work with candidates for the 2010 elections. All of the state-wide offices are up as are some of the county-wide offices. As always, CRWN will be sure to let everyone know who is running for what and how to reach their campaigns so that you can decide whom you want to help. We need to look foward and see how we can improve and become a stronger party again, and work hard to get republicans elected here in Illinois! We look forward to seeing you all soon!
Kathy Thomas
President, CRWN
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
The debate the other night showed John McCain to be the best man to be our next president! He stated his issues while pointing out things for us to know about his opponent. Yet, the polls aren't as positive for him as they had been in some states. The economy is in trouble and it is crucial to have a republican in the White House to help get us out of this situation. The election is four weeks away and things are getting down to the wire. If you can help the McCain campaign, let us know as we have been sending out information on what we are being asked to do to help. It is all about phone banking in Chicago into key states and some of us are going to Kenosha on the next few Saturdays to help out there.
There are many ways to get involved in campaigns here in Illinois as our local candidates do need our help, too. Candidates are linked on our site and you are able to see who is running and decide where you would like to help. CRWN has sent out emails with lots of information on upcoming events and we hope you have been able to get to some of them and to learn more about how you can participate.
Many of you have been at our CRWN and McCain events over the past few months in Chicago and it is great to see so many republicans getting involved in the city! All of this momentum will be important to keep up even after this election as our state wide office holders will be campaigning soon for 2010. Everything you do makes a difference!
There are many ways to get involved in campaigns here in Illinois as our local candidates do need our help, too. Candidates are linked on our site and you are able to see who is running and decide where you would like to help. CRWN has sent out emails with lots of information on upcoming events and we hope you have been able to get to some of them and to learn more about how you can participate.
Many of you have been at our CRWN and McCain events over the past few months in Chicago and it is great to see so many republicans getting involved in the city! All of this momentum will be important to keep up even after this election as our state wide office holders will be campaigning soon for 2010. Everything you do makes a difference!
We look forward to seeing you over the next few weeks!
Kathy Thomas, CRWN President
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
It is an exciting year with the elections heating up and with the strong showing of our talented Olympic's team in China. There is a lot of energy in the Chicago area for our candidates, from Senator McCain down to the local races. McCain and Obama are basically tied in the national polls and the difference in Illinois isn't as great as many would have thought. Chicago republicans are busy getting voters engaged in the presidential election through the many coalitions that are active here. You can email us at events@crwn.org to learn more about how to get involved.
We have other good candidates whom we can vote for in the City from the U.S. Senate, to congressional races to county-wide races. It is important to help wherever we can. Everything we do to help John McCain and others benefits all republican candidates as it raises awareness for their races. Suburban congressional candidates need our help, as well, if you are able to head out of the City. We have links to the candidates on our site. The energy we create now will help us build momentum for our state-wide elections in 2010, which is another critical year for Illinois republicans.
We look forward to seeing you at the many events coming up over the next few months as we head into the final stretches of the election of 2008! Enjoy the rest of the summer.
CRWN
We have other good candidates whom we can vote for in the City from the U.S. Senate, to congressional races to county-wide races. It is important to help wherever we can. Everything we do to help John McCain and others benefits all republican candidates as it raises awareness for their races. Suburban congressional candidates need our help, as well, if you are able to head out of the City. We have links to the candidates on our site. The energy we create now will help us build momentum for our state-wide elections in 2010, which is another critical year for Illinois republicans.
We look forward to seeing you at the many events coming up over the next few months as we head into the final stretches of the election of 2008! Enjoy the rest of the summer.
CRWN
Sunday, March 23, 2008
It is National Women's History Month and the Library of Congress has put together a wonderful website with informational articles and links to stories on the success of women throughout our country's history. It is worth taking some time to go through this at http://www.loc.gov/topics/womenshistory. We hope you enjoy your reading!
Thanks to those who were able to attend our last event with radio show host Cisco Cotto from WIND 560 AM. It was a good event and we had lively, interactive discussion. Cisco spent a lot of time answering questions for us and the evening was enjoyed by all. We look forward to seeing you at events soon!
CRWN Executive Board
Saturday, February 23, 2008
The primary in Illinois is over and it looks like Senator John McCain will be the republican nominee for president. We are not sure who the opponent will be on the other side yet but it looks to be a very challenging campaign no matter who it is. It is an important election year and all candidates will need our help to get elected! Please try to help the candidates and the committeemen where you can.
Our next event is February 28, 2008 at the Erie Cafe at 5:30 with special guest Cisco Cotto from 560 WIND AM Radio. Details are under Events on our site. He will talk about the primary and the upcoming general election and give us a chance for an open discussion. Some candidates and committeemen will be present so it will be a good opportunity to meet them and to see how you can get involved.
We look forward to seeing you over the course of the year!
Kathy Thomas, President CRWN
Our next event is February 28, 2008 at the Erie Cafe at 5:30 with special guest Cisco Cotto from 560 WIND AM Radio. Details are under Events on our site. He will talk about the primary and the upcoming general election and give us a chance for an open discussion. Some candidates and committeemen will be present so it will be a good opportunity to meet them and to see how you can get involved.
We look forward to seeing you over the course of the year!
Kathy Thomas, President CRWN
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Happy New Year from the CRWN Executive Board! We hope you all enjoyed the holidays. Now that they are over, it is time to focus on the primary which is February 5, 2008 here in Illinois. It is hard to believe that the Iowa caucus night has come and gone already but may states have moved up their votes. Illinois is now one of the earlier primaries so it is in play for the presidential candidates, even the republicans! Many of the candidates have been in Illinois and some have offices in the state. It is an exciting time for Illinois republicans to participate in the political process and to be involved in the election cycle. Please see the Candidate side bar for contact information for campaigns you are interested in helping out. They all can use help so please try to do what you can. Every little bit makes a difference!
Joining CRWN is a great way to network with fellow republicans in Chicago - there are more and more of us! We have a great group and will be sending out notices for upcoming events, including our book club on January 25th. If you would like to join, please fill out the attached membership application and send it in with your check. We welcome women and men to our organization! We look forward to seeing you soon.
Kathy Thomas
President, CRWN
Joining CRWN is a great way to network with fellow republicans in Chicago - there are more and more of us! We have a great group and will be sending out notices for upcoming events, including our book club on January 25th. If you would like to join, please fill out the attached membership application and send it in with your check. We welcome women and men to our organization! We look forward to seeing you soon.
Kathy Thomas
President, CRWN