Women's Republican Club of Salt Lake City

2012-2013 WRC of SLC Board

2011-11-12T17:50:00.000-08:00

Tanya Lewis, Nicole Peterson, Kathleen Handy, Sharon Anderson & Val Ziegler

9/11 10th Anniversary Message from NFRW President, Sue Lynch

2011-09-10T23:17:00.000-07:00

"On Sunday, September, 11, 2011, we will pause to remember the 10th anniversary of the horrific and tragic events of September 11, 2001, that resulted in the loss of over 3,000 American lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends who continue to grieve the loss of loved ones. We will always remember the brave heroes of September 11, 2001, who laid down their lives in the ultimate sacrifice to save countless others.
President George W. Bush described the spirit of September 11th best when he said, "Now, we have inscribed a new memory alongside those others. It's a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning. It's also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for a friend-even a friend whose name it never knew."
May we always remember their spirit of bravery and self-sacrifice as we continue the efforts to keep our country safe and secure for future generations."

-NFRW President Sue Lynch

Yesterday's WRC of SLC Meeting

2011-03-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who came to yesterday's meeting. What a wonderful time we had at Market Street Grill. The food and accommodations were fabulous. We were pleased to hear from Dr. Donna Lee Bowen, a political science professor at BYU. In fact, Dr. Bowen was one of my favorite professors when I attended school there many, many years ago. Dr. Bowen specializes in Middle Eastern studies. She spoke for an hour about current events in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. It was extremely interesting. The following is from a few notes I took:

* Two Middle Eastern dominoes have fallen: Tunisia and Egypt.
* Why have they fallen? It is a rejection of humiliation. The people are tired of being humiliated through oppression.
* The Middle East is a spiral of violence.
* Our world's history is that of constant bloody battles interrupted by periods of exhaustion that we mistakingly call peace.
* What's happening now, is that people (who most of the world has written off) are saying "no more; we've had enough."
* It (Egypt) was a democracy in name only. If we don't vote, we get another dictator; and if we don't vote, we get what we deserve." (I cannot remember the name of the person Dr. Bowen attributed this quote to.)

It was a truly wonderful afternoon. I enjoy, so much, being around smart and informed women. Thank you for coming each month. You inspire me and re-charge my spirit. George W. Bush once said that "this young century will be liberty's century." He also said that "the momentum of freedom in our world is unmistakeable." I say, God-speed to everyone who yearns to breathe free. I don't know what role the U.S. will continue to play in the Middle East, but I hope we will forever remain a beacon of hope and liberty throughout the world.

One more thing, we are so happy that Junko's family in Japan is safe. Thank you so much for giving us an update on events there. We know this has been a difficult time for you. You are in our thoughts and prayers, Junko. Please let us know if we can do anything for you.

Here are some photos taken at yesterday's meeting:

Congratulations Julie Dole!

2011-03-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

On behalf of the WRC of SLC, I'd like to extend congratulations to Julie Dole, newly elected Chair of the Salt Lake County GOP. We are thrilled to have one of our members elected to this position. Many heartfelt congratulations to you, Julie. Please let us know what we can do to assist you. I know you will represent all conservative women well.

WRC of SLC Member, Julie Dole, Running for SLCo GOP Chair

2011-02-25T08:29:00.000-08:00

This is fabulous news! Please join me in supporting WRC of SLC member, Julie Dole, for chair of the Salt Lake County Republican Party. If anyone would like to assist with her campaign, please contact her as soon as possible. Her contact information is listed below. Thank you. The election will be held at the Salt Lake Central Committee Meeting on Thursday, March 17th.

Julie has authored the following (which I copied from her Facebook page):

Q. Why am I running?

A. I have the skills and background developed through many years in different positions in the county and state parties to make a good office better. With the leadership I will provide, we can continue moving forward and improve on the successes of the past several years.

Q. What will happen to the Political Director position?

A. With the current funding available, this position will cease to exist. One of my priorities as chair will be to raise money to avoid this outcome; allowing the county party to keep working on improved organization and communication. The year and a half I’ve spent in this position, gives me the intimate ability to work with the county leadership to find the right fit for the counties needs.

Q. Is there a conflict in being a chair candidate while you are still the Political Director?

A. In our county Bylaws, ARTICLE III Party Officers, Section 7. Restriction on Eligibility for Party Office, there is no restriction for county party staff. All elections are handled by an Election Committee with a chair appointed by the Chair or Acting Chair of the county party. As a person of integrity, I give my promise, that I will recuse or remove myself from any possible conflicts of interest, always deferring to the officers direction, so that the reputation of the party will not be harmed and the daily operations of the county party will continue without interruption.

Please contact me (801.699.7987 mobile or julieanndole@gmail.com) anytime with questions.

Upcoming Meeting Notice

2011-02-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

It's time to mark your calendars for our next meeting! We are pleased to be hosting BYU Political Science Professor, Dr. Donna Lee Bowen, on Friday, March 18th. Dr. Bowen's area of specialty is the Middle East with an emphasis on the Middle Eastern woman. Her presentation will be highly educational and interesting. Please invite a friend to attend.

The cost of the meeting (which includes lunch) is $30. The price is higher than usual to help pay for the room and podium/microphone charge at the Market Street Grill in Cottonwood. We have secured a private room that seats 60. We want a good turnout for this event.

We will also be having a prize raffle.

You need to RSVP to me or Val Ziegler asap. You can send your check to Val now, or pay at the door. Val's address is: 2642 Partridge Way, Sandy, UT 84093. Please indicate how you'd like your name printed on a name tag, and if you haven't already paid your dues this year, this would be an excellent time to do so. Annual dues are $30 for renewing members, and $35 for new members.

WRC of SLC Meeting

Friday, March 18th

11:30 AM - 2:00PM

Market Street Grill (Cottonwood)

Speaker: Dr. Donna Lee Bowen (BYU Professor)

Lunch Cost: $30 per person

Prize Raffle

February 9th Day at the Legislature

2011-02-10T11:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's "Day at the Capitol" was so much fun, that I wonder why we don't do it more than once a year? What an amazingly beautiful building it is. The energy there was palpable. Everyone hustling and bustling about. We were able to spend some time in the Gallery of the House of Representatives to watch them as they cast votes on various bills. There was so much activity everywhere.

A a beautiful lunch was set up for the legislators in the Rotunda. The decorations were so pretty. I know that the hard-working legislators appreciate the meals. Here's a picture taken of their luncheon, although it doesn't do it justice.

We met in Capitol Room 130 at 11:30, along with the Utah Valley Republican Women. From there, we were escorted to the chambers of Senator Margaret Dayton. She hosted us in the Rules Committee room. We heard about 2 Navajo WWII code-talkers who had addressed the legislature that morning. Senator Dayton became emotional as she re-counted their amazing story and presentation. She discussed the proposed State Gun legislation and defended it as she reminded us how John Moses Browning's contribution had assisted in swiftly ending the two World Wars. She was gracious to answer some questions, also.

We also heard from new Representative Holly Richardson (aka Holly on the Hill). She filled us in on the past 10 days of her very busy life, and walked us through a typical day as a legislator. The days are very long; they begin at 5AM, and go until 7 or 8:00 every night. One of Holly's daughter's died last week, and it has been an emotional roller coaster for her. As a club, we extend to her our condolences.

After meeting with Senator Dayton and Representative Richardson, we ate lunch together in the cafeteria. I'd never eaten there before and was pleased with the taste and price of the food. I took my 8 year old son with me, my 8 year old nephew and my mother, too. Everyone had such a nice afternoon. The only downside is the parking. It does take a while, so it pays to go early, which we did. Also, I backed into a car on my way out. Of course. Bad ending to a really fun afternoon. I backed into my garage door a week and a half ago, too. Sheesh.

Here are a couple more pictures. I wish I'd taken more. Not all of the photos are from my camera, so thanks to others for sharing. :)

January Meeting Re-Cap

2011-01-16T17:03:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who attended our meeting last week. Attendance was great, and enthusiasm is palpable. 2011 is going to be another amazing year for conservative women.

A nominating committee has been selected: Tanya Lewis, Sarah Nitta and Julie Dole with Sharon Anderson as an alternate. The nominating committee will meet within the next 30 days to begin selection of candidates to fill officer positions for 2012 and 2013. We will be voting on these next officers in April.

The Salt Lake County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner is Thursday, February 3rd at Little America. The WRC of SLC is purchasing a table. If you'd like to attend, please let us know and make your check payable to the WRC of SLC. We thought it would be fun to sit together. There are 8 seats at the table. Cost is $125 per person. Please let me or Val know asap if you'd like to sit at our table. I believe half the seats are already spoken for, so let us know quickly. First come, first served.

The monthly Women's Leadership Seminars start THIS WEEK! I am very excited about this. The seminars will be held on the 3rd Wednesday of every month @ 12PM at Merit Medical in South Jordan. Lunch will not be served, but you are invited to bring your own. All seminars will last for one hour. This month's seminar will be held on Wednesday, January 19th. The speaker is Thomas Wright, and he will be discussing the importance of networking and how to effectively do it.

Reminder that Wednesday, February 9th is our day at the legislature. Please plan on attending. We will be joining the newly formed Utah Valley Women's Republican Club at 11:30 in the cafeteria. Please watch this space for more information as the date approaches. We want as many members there as possible.

Also, our March meeting will be tentatively held on FRIDAY, March 18th to accommodate guest speaker BYU Political Science Professor Dr. Donna Lee Bowen. Details TBA. She will be discussing the plight of the middle-eastern woman. If anyone has any suggestions for a location, please let me know.

Many thanks to this month's speaker, Todd Weiler. He shared lots of wonderful information regarding how to become an RNC national delegate, how to get elected to the State Central Committee, etc...

Upcoming January Meeting Notice

2011-01-08T18:57:00.000-08:00

The next club meeting of the WRC of SLC will be held on Thursday, January 13th. Our featured topic will be "An Insider's View: How the Republican Party Operates in Utah". This will be presented by attorney and conservative political activist, Todd Weiler.

Todd is a former Utah GOP Vice-Chair, Davis County GOP chair, RNC delegate and president of the Davis Co. Chamber of Commerce. We've been fortunate to host many excellent speakers and presenters, and are pleased to continue in this tradition.

Please let me know if you'll be in attendance so we can make sure there is ample seating. Thank you.

Where: Market Street Grill (South Jordan)

10702 South Riverfront Parkway
South Jordan, UT 84095
(801) 302-2262

Mingle: 11:30 AM
Lunch: 12:00 PM

Speaker: Todd Weiler

Cash-For-Clunkers Math

2010-12-15T19:59:00.000-08:00

Was "Cash-for-Clunkers" a success? Well, think about it this way:

A clunker that travels 12,000 miles a year at 15 mpg uses 800 gallons of gas a year. A vehicle that travels 12,000 miles a year at 25 mpg uses 480 gallons a year. So, the average Cash for Clunkers transaction will reduce US gasoline consumption by 320 gallons per year.

They (the U.S. Gov't.) claim 700,000 vehicles, so that's 224 million gallons saved per year. This equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil. 5 million barrels is about 5 hours worth of US consumption.

More importantly, 5 million barrels of oil at $70 per barrel costs about $350 million dollars. So, the government paid $3 billion of our tax dollars to save $350 million.

We spent $8.57 for every dollar we saved. Wow!

Makes you really confident about the future of health care, doesn't it?

2010-12-15T19:54:00.001-08:00


2010: The year of GOP women By: Women members of the House GOP Caucus December 15, 2010 04:42 AM EST
“In politics,” former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher noted, “if you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” That’s exactly what voters did this year. They’ve asked Republican women to represent them in Congress. Across the nation — from Washington state to Tennessee to New York — GOP women prevailed in this historic midterm election. Republicans gained at least 63 House seats — more than in 1994 and the largest GOP midterm gain in more than 70 years. And it wouldn’t have been possible without Republican women. They’ve made 2010 the “Year of the Republican Woman.” Republican female candidates spoke out against the Obama administration’s failed “spend, borrow and bailout” policies. They fought vociferously for the repeal of Obamacare and showed how government-funded health care is likely to hurt women across the country. They offered proposals to cut spending, create jobs and get America’s fiscal house in order. And they’ve shown that they can — and will — open the door to a better future for our children and grandchildren. They campaigned as compassionate women and fiscally responsible Republicans — and won. Here’s how it happened: The story began more than a year ago, when House Republican leaders made a concerted effort to reach out to GOP women and seek their participation. A record 128 GOP women ran for the House, and 17 filed for the Senate. This is twice the number of Republican women who ran for the House during the previous election cycle. After the primaries, 47 GOP women advanced as candidates for the House and six for the Senate. In addition, 14 Republican women ran for governor, and hundreds of others sought statewide positions. These numbers are unprecedented: Never have we witnessed such tremendous momentum for GOP women. Women were instrumental in achieving the largest House Republican majority in more than 60 years. Exit polling data reveal that the GOP overcame the gender gap by winning female voters by 2 percentage points, 51 percent to 49 percent. This was the first time House Republicans carried the female vote since exit poll data were first used in 1982. Moreover, Republicans gained a 12-point advantage with women over age 60 — and made solid strides with younger women as well. The momentum for Republican women has swept through the House, where we will welcome nine new GOP women in January — beating the previous record of seven Republican female newcomers in a single election (1994). But we’ll also greet one new female senator, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire; and three new GOP female governors — two of whom are minorities. In addition, Republican women gained more than 100 seats in state legislatures. But the story is about so much more than numbers. It’s a compelling story — comprising individual stories of women in Montgomery, Ala.; Syracuse, N.Y.; rural Missouri; and western Washington. It’s a story of Sandy Adams, a former deputy sheriff who had joined the U.S. Air Force at age 17. She won her Central Florida seat with nearly 60 percent. It’s a story of Nan Hayworth, an ophthalmologist and small-business owner whose knowledge of medicine can help her lead the fight against Obamacare next year. It’s a story of Diane Black from the Tennessee state Senate. She is a former nurse and educator who talks about fighting the arduous battle against Big Government and working to create jobs for the people of Tennessee. These are the stories that made 2010 the year of the Republican woman. They’re about farmers, attorneys, teachers, nurses, doctors, small-business owners, law enforcement officials, entrepreneurs, wives and mothers. They’re the stories of the dynamic and driven women who will be sworn in as members of the 112th Congress. We joined with Republican National Committee Co-chairwoman Jan Larimer and the National Republican Congressional Committee in September to welcome most of these extraordinary women to Washington. As we sat with them, we were struck by their extreme love of the United States and their desire to make it better. They want to get our country back on track again — to stand against the policies that have taken away our freedoms and fight for the ones that will restore them. As the era of Republican women begins, we know their contributions to the next Congress will be invaluable. Thatcher was right: If anyone can get the job done, it’s the women. And we have no doubt that these are the women who can make it happen. Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, Judy Biggert of Illinois, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, Lynn Jenkins of Kansas, Candice Miller of Michigan, Sue Myrick of North Carolina, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida are all GOP members of the House.

2010-12-12T19:33:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who came to our meeting this past week. It was truly one of the most energizing and exciting WRC meetings I've ever attended. 2011 is going to be an amazing year for the WRC of SLC. We have more new members, too. Please extend a warm welcome to Tanya Lewis, Dana Bentley, Kathie Johnson and Jolynne Alger. We are thinking of changing our meeting days to the second Wednesday of the month beginning in January. I will make an official announcement within the next week or so. Below are some pictures from this week's meeting:

Arlene Nelson and Jennifer Scott

Myranda Holgerson, Marianne Stoddard and Julie Dole

Val Ziegler, Sarah Nitta, Elissa Foutz and Julie Dole

Arlene Nelson and Jennifer Scott

Back Row: Julie Dole, Elissa Foutz, Myranda Holgerson, Arlene Nelson, Jolynne Alger, Kathleen Handy, Val Ziegler and Marianne Stoddard. Front Row: Jennifer Scott, Sarah Nitta and Dana Bentley

December Meeting Announcement

2010-11-30T11:57:00.000-08:00

Please join us for our last WRC of SLC club meeting of 2010.

When: Thursday, Dec. 9th

Where: Market Street Grill (South Jordan)

10702 South Riverfront Parkway
South Jordan, UT 84095
(801) 302-2262

Time: 12:00PM

R.S.V.P. Regrets Only

We will be meeting in the "Blue Room" which is located adjacent to the Oyster Bar. (Enter through the Oyster Bar doors.) In addition to the amazing food, we will reflect upon the past year, and discuss our vision for 2011. Everyone is welcome. See you next Thursday. If you have any questions, please let me know.

JUST FOR FUN:

Bring a wrapped white elephant gift. This is nothing to stress over!

Just bring something that you already have, and if it's political, all the better!

Also, we will be having an "on-time" drawing.

So, don't be late!

November WRC of SLC Meeting Update

2010-11-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

Don't forget that our November meeting is one week from today, Thursday, Nov. 11th. The meeting location has changed to the Market Street Grill in South Jordan. Our guest speaker is Utah GOP Chair, Dave Hansen. It will be interesting to hear his thoughts and reflections on this week's election. Please let me know if you're attending so I can get an accurate count. Thank you.

HaPPy HaLLoWeeN!

2010-10-31T22:36:00.001-07:00

Barbara Boxer Spoof

2010-10-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

Funny Barbara Boxer spoof. Oops. I mean Senator Barbara Boxer. It's definitely time to give her a rest.

November Meeting Announcement

2010-10-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

Please plan on joining us for our next meeting on

Thursday, November 11th

12:00 PM- 2:00PM

10702 South Riverfront Parkway
South Jordan, UT 84095
(801) 302-2262

We will be meeting in the Blue Point Room

(Enter through the Oyster Bar doors)

We'll discuss the mid-term election results.

Speaker details to follow.

RSVP to Kathleen Handy

(handyk@comcast.net)

or leave a comment.

Thank you!

Troublemaker Lunch

2010-10-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

I took some pics at today's Troublemakers' lunch. Wow! There's trouble, right here in Salt Lake City; with a capital T, that rhymes with P and that stands for Politics. It's nice to see so many women actively involved in making Utah a better place. Forgive me, but I've done the best I could at identifying everyone. Sorry that some of the photos are blurry. The room was a little too dark to focus well. Looking forward to next month's post-election lunch!

Val, Arlene & Heather

Melissa and Holly

Jolynne, Melissa and Holly

Jennifer, Janice and Cindy

Arlene and Myranda

Heather & Kathleen

Dana & Myranda

Today's WRC of SLC Meeting

2010-10-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

Today's WRC meeting was fabulous. We have been so fortunate to have amazing speakers month after month. Today, we heard from Leg. Dist. 25 candidate, Rick Raile, Utah Senator Dan Llijenquist and conservative political blogger, Holly Richardson (aka ""Holly on the Hill"). Rick talked to us about his goals as a legislator if elected. Dan discussed Utah's Medicaid crisis and the need for reform. Holly informed us how to become more electronically savvy and effective. I wish we'd had more time to listen. As it was, the meeting lasted almost two hours, but seemed to go by so quickly. I imagine I'm not the only one who left today's meeting feeling educated, energized and hopeful. Thank you to our speakers, and our faithful club members who attend our meetings and support our small, but wonderful organization.

2010-09-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

This is an excellent article from Mail Online regarding the relationship between feminist author, Alice Walker, and her daughter, Rebecca Walker.

How my mother's fanatical views tore us apart

By Rebecca Walker
Last updated at 1:18 PM on 23rd May 2008

She's revered as a trail-blazing feminist and author Alice Walker touched the lives of a generation of women. A champion of women's rights, she has always argued that motherhood is a form of servitude. But one woman didn't buy in to Alice's beliefs - her daughter, Rebecca, 38.

Here the writer describes what it was like to grow up as the daughter of a cultural icon, and why she feels so blessed to be the sort of woman 64-year-old Alice despises - a mother.

The other day I was vacuuming when my son came bounding into the room. 'Mummy, Mummy, let me help,' he cried. His little hands were grabbing me around the knees and his huge brown eyes were looking up at me. I was overwhelmed by a huge surge of happiness.

Maternal rift: Rebecca Walker, whose mother was the feminist author of The Color Purple - who thought motherhood a form of servitude, is now proud to be a mother herself

I love the way his head nestles in the crook of my neck. I love the way his face falls into a mask of eager concentration when I help him learn the alphabet. But most of all, I simply love hearing his little voice calling: 'Mummy, Mummy.'
It reminds me of just how blessed I am. The truth is that I very nearly missed out on becoming a mother - thanks to being brought up by a rabid feminist who thought motherhood was about the worst thing that could happen to a woman.
You see, my mum taught me that children enslave women. I grew up believing that children are millstones around your neck, and the idea that motherhood can make you blissfully happy is a complete fairytale.

Family love? A young Rebecca with her parents

In fact, having a child has been the most rewarding experience of my life. Far from 'enslaving' me, three-and-a-half-year-old Tenzin has opened my world. My only regret is that I discovered the joys of motherhood so late - I have been trying for a second child for two years, but so far with no luck.
I was raised to believe that women need men like a fish needs a bicycle. But I strongly feel children need two parents and the thought of raising Tenzin without my partner, Glen, 52, would be terrifying.
As the child of divorced parents, I know only too well the painful consequences of being brought up in those circumstances. Feminism has much to answer for denigrating men and encouraging women to seek independence whatever the cost to their families.
My mother's feminist principles coloured every aspect of my life. As a little girl, I wasn't even allowed to play with dolls or stuffed toys in case they brought out a maternal instinct. It was drummed into me that being a mother, raising children and running a home were a form of slavery. Having a career, travelling the world and being independent were what really mattered according to her.
I love my mother very much, but I haven't seen her or spoken to her since I became pregnant. She has never seen my son - her only grandchild. My crime? Daring to question her ideology.
Well, so be it. My mother may be revered by women around the world - goodness knows, many even have shrines to her. But I honestly believe it's time to puncture the myth and to reveal what life was really like to grow up as a child of the feminist revolution.
My parents met and fell in love in Mississippi during the civil rights movement. Dad [Mel Leventhal], was the brilliant lawyer son of a Jewish family who had fled the Holocaust. Mum was the impoverished eighth child of sharecroppers from Georgia. When they married in 1967, inter-racial weddings were still illegal in some states.
My early childhood was very happy although my parents were terribly busy, encouraging me to grow up fast. I was only one when I was sent off to nursery school. I'm told they even made me walk down the street to the school.

Alice Walker believed so strongly that children enslaved their mothers she disowned her own daughter

When I was eight, my parents divorced. From then on I was shuttled between two worlds - my father's very conservative, traditional, wealthy, white suburban community in New York, and my mother's avant garde multi-racial community in California. I spent two years with each parent - a bizarre way of doing things.
Ironically, my mother regards herself as a hugely maternal woman. Believing that women are suppressed, she has campaigned for their rights around the world and set up organisations to aid women abandoned in Africa - offering herself up as a mother figure.
But, while she has taken care of daughters all over the world and is hugely revered for her public work and service, my childhood tells a very different story. I came very low down in her priorities - after work, political integrity, self-fulfilment, friendships, spiritual life, fame and travel.
My mother would always do what she wanted - for example taking off to Greece for two months in the summer, leaving me with relatives when I was a teenager. Is that independent, or just plain selfish?
I was 16 when I found a now-famous poem she wrote comparing me to various calamities that struck and impeded the lives of other women writers. Virginia Woolf was mentally ill and the Brontes died prematurely. My mother had me - a 'delightful distraction', but a calamity nevertheless. I found that a huge shock and very upsetting.
According to the strident feminist ideology of the Seventies, women were sisters first, and my mother chose to see me as a sister rather than a daughter. From the age of 13, I spent days at a time alone while my mother retreated to her writing studio - some 100 miles away. I was left with money to buy my own meals and lived on a diet of fast food.
Sisters together
A neighbour, not much older than me, was deputised to look after me. I never complained. I saw it as my job to protect my mother and never distract her from her writing. It never crossed my mind to say that I needed some time and attention from her.
When I was beaten up at school - accused of being a snob because I had lighter skin than my black classmates - I always told my mother that everything was fine, that I had won the fight. I didn't want to worry her.
But the truth was I was very lonely and, with my mother's knowledge, started having sex at 13. I guess it was a relief for my mother as it meant I was less demanding. And she felt that being sexually active was empowering for me because it meant I was in control of my body.
Now I simply cannot understand how she could have been so permissive. I barely want my son to leave the house on a play-date, let alone start sleeping around while barely out of junior school.
A good mother is attentive, sets boundaries and makes the world safe for her child. But my mother did none of those things.
Although I was on the Pill - something I had arranged at 13, visiting the doctor with my best friend - I fell pregnant at 14. I organised an abortion myself. Now I shudder at the memory. I was only a little girl. I don't remember my mother being shocked or upset. She tried to be supportive, accompanying me with her boyfriend.
Although I believe that an abortion was the right decision for me then, the aftermath haunted me for decades. It ate away at my self-confidence and, until I had Tenzin, I was terrified that I'd never be able to have a baby because of what I had done to the child I had destroyed. For feminists to say that abortion carries no consequences is simply wrong.
As a child, I was terribly confused, because while I was being fed a strong feminist message, I actually yearned for a traditional mother. My father's second wife, Judy, was a loving, maternal homemaker with five children she doted on.
There was always food in the fridge and she did all the things my mother didn't, such as attending their school events, taking endless photos and telling her children at every opportunity how wonderful they were.

Alice Walker's iconic book was made in to a film in 1985, and starred Whoopi Goldberg and Margaret Avery (pictured)

My mother was the polar opposite. She never came to a single school event, she didn't buy me any clothes, she didn't even help me buy my first bra - a friend was paid to go shopping with me. If I needed help with homework I asked my boyfriend's mother.
Moving between the two homes was terrible. At my father's home I felt much more taken care of. But, if I told my mother that I'd had a good time with Judy, she'd look bereft - making me feel I was choosing this white, privileged woman above her. I was made to feel that I had to choose one set of ideals above the other.
When I hit my 20s and first felt a longing to be a mother, I was totally confused. I could feel my biological clock ticking, but I felt if I listened to it, I would be betraying my mother and all she had taught me.
I tried to push it to the back of my mind, but over the next ten years the longing became more intense, and when I met Glen, a teacher, at a seminar five years ago, I knew I had found the man I wanted to have a baby with. Gentle, kind and hugely supportive, he is, as I knew he would be, the most wonderful father.
Although I knew what my mother felt about babies, I still hoped that when I told her I was pregnant, she would be excited for me.
'Mum, I'm pregnant'
Instead, when I called her one morning in the spring of 2004, while I was at one of her homes housesitting, and told her my news and that I'd never been happier, she went very quiet. All she could say was that she was shocked. Then she asked if I could check on her garden. I put the phone down and sobbed - she had deliberately withheld her approval with the intention of hurting me. What loving mother would do that?
Worse was to follow. My mother took umbrage at an interview in which I'd mentioned that my parents didn't protect or look out for me. She sent me an e-mail, threatening to undermine my reputation as a writer. I couldn't believe she could be so hurtful - particularly when I was pregnant.
Devastated, I asked her to apologise and acknowledge how much she'd hurt me over the years with neglect, withholding affection and resenting me for things I had no control over - the fact that I am mixed-race, that I have a wealthy, white, professional father and that I was born at all.
But she wouldn't back down. Instead, she wrote me a letter saying that our relationship had been inconsequential for years and that she was no longer interested in being my mother. She even signed the letter with her first name, rather than 'Mom'.
That was a month before Tenzin's birth in December 2004, and I have had no contact with my mother since. She didn't even get in touch when he was rushed into the special care baby unit after he was born suffering breathing difficulties.
And I have since heard that my mother has cut me out of her will in favour of one of my cousins. I feel terribly sad - my mother is missing such a great opportunity to be close to her family. But I'm also relieved. Unlike most mothers, mine has never taken any pride in my achievements. She has always had a strange competitiveness that led her to undermine me at almost every turn.
When I got into Yale - a huge achievement - she asked why on earth I wanted to be educated at such a male bastion. Whenever I published anything, she wanted to write her version - trying to eclipse mine. When I wrote my memoir, Black, White And Jewish, my mother insisted on publishing her version. She finds it impossible to step out of the limelight, which is extremely ironic in light of her view that all women are sisters and should support one another.
It's been almost four years since I have had any contact with my mother, but it's for the best - not only for my self-protection but for my son's well-being. I've done all I can to be a loyal, loving daughter, but I can no longer have this poisonous relationship destroy my life.
I know many women are shocked by my views. They expect the daughter of Alice Walker to deliver a very different message. Yes, feminism has undoubtedly given women opportunities. It's helped open the doors for us at schools, universities and in the workplace. But what about the problems it's caused for my contemporaries?
What about the children?
The ease with which people can get divorced these days doesn't take into account the toll on children. That's all part of the unfinished business of feminism.
Then there is the issue of not having children. Even now, I meet women in their 30s who are ambivalent about having a family. They say things like: 'I'd like a child. If it happens, it happens.' I tell them: 'Go home and get on with it because your window of opportunity is very small.' As I know only too well.
Then I meet women in their 40s who are devastated because they spent two decades working on a PhD or becoming a partner in a law firm, and they missed out on having a family. Thanks to the feminist movement, they discounted their biological clocks. They've missed the opportunity and they're bereft.
Feminism has betrayed an entire generation of women into childlessness. It is devastating.
But far from taking responsibility for any of this, the leaders of the women's movement close ranks against anyone who dares to question them - as I have learned to my cost. I don't want to hurt my mother, but I cannot stay silent. I believe feminism is an experiment, and all experiments need to be assessed on their results. Then, when you see huge mistakes have been paid, you need to make alterations.
I hope that my mother and I will be reconciled one day. Tenzin deserves to have a grandmother. But I am just so relieved that my viewpoint is no longer so utterly coloured by my mother's.
I am my own woman and I have discovered what really matters - a happy family.

Twitter and Facebook Accounts

2010-09-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to be "current", the WRC of SLC has joined Twitter, or rather more specifically, I have. My Twitter ID is "kathleenWRCSLC". I don't know how many of you have Twitter accounts, but if you do, please register as a follower of me/us. Goodness. All this lingo is giving me a headache.

Also, the WRC of SLC has a Facebook page, too. If you will "like" the page, you will be able to receive FB notices whenever I update the blog, send meeting notifications, make announcements, etc...

The methods of communication have changed a great deal over the past few years. Please have patience with us as we do our best to keep up. I used to think I was so hip, now my hips just ache most of the time. :)

October Meeting Notice

2010-09-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

Our next club meeting will be held on Thursday, October 14th at 12PM at the Salt Lake Country Club. Please mark your calendars now and plan on attending. Our scheduled speakers are Utah State Senator Dan Liljenquist and political blogger, Holly Richardson (aka "Holly on the Hill"). I've never met Dan, but I have met Holly several times and she's amazing. You won't want to miss this meeting. Plus, it's our last meeting prior to the November elections. If you have any questions, please let me know. Look forward to seeing you then. And as always, invite a friend, or two! See you on October 14th.

New Club Members

2010-09-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

We have two new club members: Carolyn LeDuc and Ashleigh Jones. Please welcome them to the WRC! It's so fabulous to see our club growing. Stay tuned for details about our upcoming club meeting in October. Don't forget to invite a friend. :)

New Jersey's Governor Christie Responds to a Teacher

2010-09-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

I've posted a clip of Governor Christie before, and am thrilled to do it again. I think this man is awesome. Maybe he'll run for president one day...

New Jersey's

5th Annual WRC of SLC Military Honor Event

2010-09-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the 5th Annual WRC of SLC Military Honor Event. What an incredible evening. My heart was full from start to finish. What an honor it was, for us, to pay tribute to 75 wives and mothers of deployed Utah soldiers. Brigadier General Liechty addressed us, as well as his wife, Karen. We also had several musical numbers in addition to a beautiful string quartet. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make it a success. Thank you to everyone who came, who participated, and who performed. To the women we honored, and to all the women who make this sacrifice, thank you. As General Liechty said "We think of you everyday." We salute you. Can't wait 'til next year. Below are some random pictures. (Double click on them to enlarge.)

A Story to Always Remember

2010-09-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

This is the story of our Mothers and Grandmothers who lived only 90 years ago.

Remember, it was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.

(Lucy Burns)

The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the vote. By the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.'

They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air.

(Dora Lewis)

They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cell mate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote. For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms.

(Alice Paul)
When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press. So, refresh MY memory, some women won't vote this year because - Why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining? I'm too tired? Too busy?

(Mrs. Pauline Adams in the prison garb she wore while serving a 60 day sentence.)

HBO produced a movie entitled 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. It's a shame that so many of us need the reminder.

Miss Edith Ainge, of Jamestown, New York
Never allow the actual act of voting to become less personal and more rote. Frankly, voting should never feel like an obligation. It's a privilege. It should never be "inconvenient".

(Berthe Arnold, CSU graduate)

What would these women think of the way we use, or don't use, our right to vote? Perhaps we should show the DVD at one of our meetings. All history, social studies and government teachers should include the movie in their curriculum. It should be shown on Bunco/Bingo night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and perhaps a little shock therapy is in order.

(Conferring over ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution at National Woman's Party headquarters, Jackson Place , Washington , D.C.Left to right: Mrs. Lawrence Lewis, Mrs. Abby Scott Baker, Anita Pollitzer, Alice Paul, Florence Boeckel, Mabel Vernon (standing, right))

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy. The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.' Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the women you know. We need to get out and vote; to use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women.

(Helena Hill Weed, Norwalk , Conn. Serving 3 day sentence in D.C. prison for carrying banner, 'Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.')
One more thing, even today, throughout the world, there are still women who are denied this right. Vote, not just because it's the right thing to do, and not just as a tribute to the women who fought for our right to do so, but do it also for those who still can't. Your daughters are watching you. What kind of example are you setting? Vote!

New Club Members

2010-08-31T15:13:00.000-07:00

We have three new club members over the past few weeks! They are:

Grace Sperry
Sharon Anderson
Janice Hubbard

Please extend to them a warm welcome. It is thrilling to watch our club grow.

A reminder to everyone: We will NOT be having a club meeting in September, instead, we will be hosting the 5th Annual Military Honor Event. Also, on Sept. 24th is the Women's Leadership Summit at the Capitol. Club meetings will resume in October; details will follow shortly.

Glenn Beck, MLK and Al Sharpton

2010-08-31T11:00:00.000-07:00

Please watch this video. It is well worth your time. This type of hate speech is terrifying. Aren't we supposed to be one nation under God? Reverend Sharpton, in my opinion, you certainly don't epitomize Christ or His teachings.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/video-glenn’s-disgrace-shocking-racism-at-al-sharptons-mlk-anniversary/

2010-08-25T14:57:00.001-07:00

The Women’s Republican Club of Salt Lake City

cordially invites you to attend the

Fifth Annual Military Honor Event

Saturday, September 11, 2010

6:30 PM

Registration begins at 6:00

Utah Air National Guard Dining Facility

765 North 2200 West, Salt Lake City

Please join us for an evening of

fine dining, entertainment & patriotism.

Cost: $100.00 for club member

$30.00 for committee member

Please R.S.V.P. by September 4^th

^{Seating is limited-- RSVP early}

Photo IDs are required to enter the base

RSVP & Questions: Val Ziegler

801.733.0580 valzmail@yahoo.com

Attire: Semi-formal; business dress

Yesterday's Meeting

2010-08-20T11:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's club meeting was amazing. For those who weren't there, you missed a fabulous afternoon. We were fortunate to hear from two speakers.

Our first speaker was Grace Sperry. Grace is the newest member of the WRC of SLC, and she is also running for representative of Legislative District 31 this coming November. Grace shared her reasons for running, as well as her desire to bring about good government. She's dissatisfied with frivolous and excessive legislation. She desires improved transportation throughout the State, and would like to see transportation monies used more effectively. We wish Grace success this Fall, and hope to see one of our members as an elected legislator. If you'd like to assist Grace with her campaign, please email her at gracesperryd31@aol.com. I know she'd appreciate monetary donations, as well as grassroots support.

In addition to Grace, we heard from Kitty Dunn, Vice Chair of the Utah GOP. The following is a summary of the notes I took as Kitty spoke. Therefore, any errors are mine.

Why are women hesitant to run for political office?

1. Their parenting skills come under attack.
2. There is a difference in the perception of qualifications.
3. Gender bias
4. Women think they need to be more qualified than their male opponent.
5. Women are typically not recruited by the party.

Most legislation affects home life and the family. Wouldn't a woman's perspective as a legislator be more beneficial than not?

Remember, you don't have to do it all now. Do some of it now. Learn everything you can now, and when the time is right, push forward; full steam ahead.

According to a survey, 60% of the men who run for office think they are qualified to do so. Comparatively, less than 40% of women with the exact same qualifications think they're qualified to run.

Women who run for office will often list everything they've done in the past as a way of trying to validate themselves. Men don't do this. Men typically reference passion, leadership and vision. Instead of stating what you've done, focus on what you're going to do.

Women, intuitively, have the skills necessary for running for office and for fulfilling the duties of the office.

The party needs to be better about reaching out to women. Don't wait to be asked to run. Do it.

Over the next two years, let's work together to identify, convince and recruit more women to run for office. Remember, once selected, she will need a support group; and that is the job of federated clubs such as ours. We need more women to be involved in all facets of public life.

The highlight of the Women's Leadership Summit on Friday, September 24th will be the workshops. Much time was spent selecting the presenters. The workshops will educate women on the ways to effectively and successfully pursue a political career. If you haven't registered, please do so. This will be a phenomenal event that you don't want to miss. The Utah GOP has also developed a mentoring program that will be implemented as a follow-up resource.
-----------------
On another note, the Honor Event of September 11th is approaching very quickly. We still need monetary and in-kind donations. If you haven't already done so, will you please telephone one or two of your personal contacts and secure a donation? Nothing is too small. Let's work together and make this the special event it's supposed to be. Thank you.

Message from SL County GOP Chair

2010-08-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

We have been having great success on our walks. Come join us and bring your family & friends. Meet at the given park anytime between 5:30-9PM on the schedule below and walk as long as you are able.

When & Where:
Thursday, Aug. 19th 5:30-9:00pm
Storm Mountain Park
11400 South 1000 East
Sandy, Utah
Map of Park: http://bit.ly/bMo4AN

Monday, Aug. 23rd 5:30pm-9:00pm
Draper Park
12500 South 1300 East
Draper, Utah
Map of Park: http://bit.ly/dsSbrs

Tuesday, Aug. 24th 5:30pm-9:00pm
South Mountain Park
657 East Vestry Road
Draper, UT
Map of Park: http://bit.ly/at4TSe

Wednesday, Aug 25th 5:30pm-9:00pm
Draper Park
12500 South 1300 East
Draper, Utah
Map of Park: http://bit.ly/dsSbrs

Thanks for all your efforts and support of the party! Contact our Political Director, Julie Dole (Mobile: 801-699-7987 or Email: julie@slcogop.com), with any questions.

Thanks,
Thomas Wright, Chair

2010-08-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

Town Hall Meeting

Hosted by Morgan Philpot

Republican Candidate for Second Congressional District

Please join us for this important meeting. NOW is the time to ask questions and DEMAND answers. Let YOUR voice be heard!

As your next Congressman I want to meet you and learn about the issues that affect your life. Please join me at a public Town Hall Meeting to voice your concerns.

I will not be filtering questions. Your concerns will be addressed.

Event Dates:

SLC Library- August 19^{th @} 7PM

(210 East 400 South, SLC)

Lehi Renaissance Academy- August 20^{th @}7PM

(3435 North 1120 East, Lehi)

2010-08-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

A couple of things...

1. Meeting Change Reminder - Our August meeting has been changed from August 12th to August 19th. The location is still the Salt Lake Country Club, and the meeting time is 12PM. Kitty Dunn, Vice Chair of the Utah GOP, will be our guest speaker. If anyone has questions, please let me know.

2. There are quite a few Republican women from Utah attending Glenn Beck's Honor Event in Washington D.C. on Saturday, August 28th at the Lincoln Memorial. There are lots of flight options into both Dulles International and Reagan National airports. Also, I have hotel reservations at the Marriott at Wardman Park. (BTW, this hotel is located just 9 miles from the Reagan National Airport.) The Glenn Beck rally begins at 10AM. If anyone is interested in attending, please let me know. My email address is handyk@comcast.net. You can also call my mobile at (801) 755-9795. Thank you.

Obituary of Luella Finlinson

2010-07-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

We would be remiss if we did not pay tribute to one of the WRC's finest and most loyal members, Luella Finlinson. My apologies for not posting her obituary sooner. It is my understanding that Luella joined the WRC in 1944 and remained active until her death. She was a tremendous example to all of us. We honor her, her commitment and her service.

Luella Wheeler Finlinson
(September 11, 1911 - June 13, 2010)

Luella Wheeler Finlinson passed away on Sunday, June 13, 2010, at the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah within three months of her 99th birthday from complications related to a stroke.

She was a lifelong resident of the South Cottonwood region of Murray. Luella was born on September 11, 1911 to Jesse Hyrum and Rena Doty Wheeler. She was raised on the Vine Street Wheeler Farm. While Luella never moved far from her original home, she traveled the world and touched the lives of many people.

Luella lived an active life, full of family, faith and service. In the weeks before her passing, she hosted a family dinner, directed the Memorial Day decorating of graves, attended a play, baked cupcakes for her oldest great-grandchild’s 13th birthday and lead the music in her ward Relief Society meeting. Luella was the ultimate example of enduring to the end with grace, charm and determination.

Education was always important to her. Luella attended Woodstock Elementary, and Granite High School, and graduated with a teaching degree from the University of Utah with High Honors in 1933. While attending the U, Luella became a member of the Delta Gamma Sorority and participated in a “DG” sponsored social and philanthropic activities for the rest of her life. As a DG, Luella participated in testing preschool children for “lazy eye blindness.” After graduation, Luella continued to test preschool children and eventually served as an officer of the Utah Society For The Prevention of Blindness. The last time she tested preschool children was in the Spring of 2010.

Luella taught school for six years in the Murray, Granite and Jordan School Districts. At the U, Luella met and later married Fred Lyman Finlinson on June 13, 1939 in the Salt Lake Temple. They are the parents of three children, Fred, David (deceased) and Judy.

Music was an important part of Luella’s life. She was a member of the Tabernacle Choir for twenty eight years, which provided her historic opportunities, like the first European Concert tour and the first satellite TV broadcast. Luella sang in her ward choir all of her adult life and loved attending musical performances.

Luella was actively engaged in civic, social, political, legal and church activities. She as served in almost every position in the P.T.A, on elementary and secondary levels. Luella has served on the Women’s State Legislative Council, initially representing the LDS Relief Society. Her last session was the 2010 General Session ending in March of this year. Luella was also active in the Utah Women’s Republican Club and the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.

Her mother, Rena Doty Wheeler, was one of the founders of the Cottonwood Maternity Home. Luella has followed her mother’s example and has served in support of health care. Luella has served on the Amicus Board. Since 1976, she has been a member of the Cottonwood-Alta View Health Care Foundation and then as a member of the Deseret Foundation for the IHC Hospitals in Salt Lake Valley. Luella received special recognition awards from each organization that she served in; but far more important than the awards, were the friends she journeyed with along the way.

Luella was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She always had a calling. The Relief Society, however, was always dear to Luella’s heart, serving as the Ward Relief Society President, Stake Relief Society President, and as a member of the General Board. Luella was released on 6th of June, 2010 from her assignment as the Ward Relief Society Chorister.

Luella’s greatest calling was “Mother” and her greatest devotion was to her family. Luella rarely missed a dance recital, piano concert or birthday of any of her grandchildren and her great grandchildren. Her home was the site of countless parties and Sunday dinners. Luella’s high point was Christmas Eve as her family gathered in her living room to sing Christmas carols and read from Luke about the birth of Christ. “Believing Blood” ran deep in Luella and she passed the strength of her testimony in the Savior and the restored gospel on to her family.

She is survived by her son Fred (Chris) Finlinson and her daughter Judy (John) Lever, 16 grandchildren, 14 grandchildren spouses, and 32 great grandchildren.

Luella was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, her husband, Fred, her son, David, daughter-in-law, Jeanne Finlinson and son-in-law, John Lever.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 19, 2010, at the South Cottonwood Chapel, 5600 South and Vine Street, Murray, Utah. The services will start at 12:00 pm. There will be viewings on Friday, June 18, 2010 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm and Saturday, June 19, 2010 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am at the South Cottonwood Chapel. Interment will be at the Murray City Cemetery.

In Lieu of Flowers, the Family suggests a contribution to the Perpetual Education Fund.

Women's Leadership Summit

2010-07-19T20:23:00.000-07:00

Please see the following letter from Kitty Dunn, Vice-Chair of the Utah GOP.

I'm writing to encourage you to save the date of Friday September 24, 2010. On that day the Utah Republican Party will present a Women's Leadership Summit. Because of your involvement in the political arena I think you are a perfect candidate to attend this event.

The "Women's Leadership Summit - Increase Your Influence in Utah Politics" is a Utah Republican Party program under the direction of the Vice Chair. The summit will be an all day event held on Friday, September 24th at the Utah State Capitol building. There will be a $10 registration fee that will cover breakfast, lunch and materials.

Our goal is to increase women's involvement in the political arena. The workshops will be presented from a "how to" premise. We want women to not only be informed but more importantly to know that they can, and should, have more influence in the political arena. We will offer instruction as to how to launch and build a successful career of involvement in politics as a volunteer, a professional, part-time or full-time.

Our summit will be pro-active by offering workshops in each of the areas where women can make a real difference and have influence in the political process. The following workshops will be conducted by experts and professionals:

· You as a Candidate 

· You as a Political Consultant 

· You as a Fundraiser 

· You as a Lobbyist 

· You as a Grassroots Activist 

· You as a Commissioner or Committee Member

Our keynote speaker will be our own RNC National Committeewoman Enid Mickelsen. During lunch there will be a video presentation recognizing women from Utah who have been or are contemporary political leaders. The program will not end with the summit. We will continue through the year with follow-up seminars and workshops where women will receive more detailed instructions, mentoring, and opportunities for networking and involvement.

Please save the date and watch for registration details that I will be sending to you soon - and please share this email with friends you think would be interested in the summit. I am excited about this event and I hope you will plan to attend.

Best,

Kitty Dunn

Utah Republican Party Vice Chair

801-856-0267 801-856-0267

kittydunn@comcast.net

Meeting Reminder

2010-07-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, August 19th at 12PM at the Salt Lake Country Club. Kitty Dunn, Vice-Chair of the Utah GOP, will be speaking. Please also join us for lunch afterward at 1PM in the Grill. Please invite your friends and neighbors. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to our small, but growing, club. Together we can make a positive difference.

(The Salt Lake Country Club is located at approximately 2400 South 2400 East in SLC.)

2010-07-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

The following obituary appeared in the Las Vegas Review-Journal this past week.

CHARLOTTE MCCOURT Charlotte M. Tidwell McCourt, 84, of Pahrump, passed away July 8, 2010, after a long illness. She was born Dec. 25, 1925, in Wellington, Utah, and was a 40-year resident of Nevada. Charlotte held a zest for life and loved serving her family of five children; 20 grandchildren; and 65 great-grandchildren. She had been the wife of Patrick L. McCourt for 67 happy years. Active in her community, she assisted in many political figures' campaign efforts. As an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Charlotte served as a leader in the Relief Society for over 20 years. She and her beloved husband also served a full-time mission in the Cabanatuan Mission in the Phillipines. Charlotte is survived by her husband, Patrick; children, Pat and Nellie McCourt, Dan and Lanny Shea, Bill and Marsha Sortor, David and Sherry d'Hulst, and Tom and Ann McMullin; and many grandchildren. A memorial service was held Saturday, July 10, at the LDS Chapel, 921 E. Wilson, in Pahrump. We believe that Mom would say she was mortified to have taken a large role in the election of Harry Reid to U.S. Congress. Let the record show Charlotte was displeased with his work. Please, in lieu of flowers, vote for another more worthy candidate.

Americans for Tax Reform

2010-07-10T17:23:00.000-07:00

The following article was found at www.atr.org. Is it just me, or is anyone else feeling just a little outraged?

Six Months to Go Until The Largest Tax Hikes in History

From Ryan Ellis on Wednesday, July 7, 2010 5:27 PM

In just six months, the largest tax hikes in the history of America will take effect. They will hit families and small businesses in three great waves on January 1, 2011:
(N.B. This version of the document contains even more tax hikes than the original version did)

First Wave: Expiration of 2001 and 2003 Tax Relief

In 2001 and 2003, the GOP Congress enacted several tax cuts for investors, small business owners, and families. These will all expire on January 1, 2011:

Personal income tax rates will rise. The top income tax rate will rise from 35 to 39.6 percent (this is also the rate at which two-thirds of small business profits are taxed). The lowest rate will rise from 10 to 15 percent. All the rates in between will also rise. Itemized deductions and personal exemptions will again phase out, which has the same mathematical effect as higher marginal tax rates. The full list of marginal rate hikes is below:

- The 10% bracket rises to an expanded 15%
- The 25% bracket rises to 28%
- The 28% bracket rises to 31%
- The 33% bracket rises to 36%
- The 35% bracket rises to 39.6%

Higher taxes on marriage and family.  The “marriage penalty” (narrower tax brackets for married couples) will return from the first dollar of income. The child tax credit will be cut in half from $1000 to $500 per child. The standard deduction will no longer be doubled for married couples relative to the single level. The dependent care and adoption tax credits will be cut.

The return of the Death Tax. This year, there is no death tax. For those dying on or after January 1 2011, there is a 55 percent top death tax rate on estates over $1 million. A person leaving behind two homes and a retirement account could easily pass along a death tax bill to their loved ones.

Higher tax rates on savers and investors. The capital gains tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 20 percent in 2011. The dividends tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 39.6 percent in 2011. These rates will rise another 3.8 percent in 2013.

Second Wave: Obamacare

There are over twenty new or higher taxes in Obamacare. Several will first go into effect on January 1, 2011. They include:

The Tanning Tax. This went into effect on July 1st of this year. It imposes a new, 10% excise tax on getting a tan at a tanning salon. There is no exemption for tanners making less than $250,000 per year.

The “Medicine Cabinet Tax”  Thanks to Obamacare, Americans will no longer be able to use health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), or health reimbursement (HRA) pre-tax dollars to purchase non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines (except insulin).

The HSA Withdrawal Tax Hike. This provision of Obamacare increases the additional tax on non-medical early withdrawals from an HSA from 10 to 20 percent, disadvantaging them relative to IRAs and other tax-advantaged accounts, which remain at 10 percent.

Brand Name Drug Tax. Starting next year, there will be a multi-billion dollar tax assessment imposed on name-brand drug manufacturers. This tax, like all excise taxes, will raise the price of medicine, hurting everyone.

Economic Substance Doctrine. The IRS is now empowered to disallow perfectly-legal tax deductions and maneuvers merely because it judges that the deduction or action lacks “economic substance.” This is obviously an arbitrary empowerment of IRS agents.

Employer Reporting of Health Insurance Costs on a W-2. This will start for W-2s in the 2011 tax year. While not a tax increase in itself, it makes it very easy for Congress to tax employer-provided healthcare benefits later.

Third Wave: The Alternative Minimum Tax and Employer Tax Hikes

When Americans prepare to file their tax returns in January of 2011, they’ll be in for a nasty surprise—the AMT won’t be held harmless, and many tax relief provisions will have expired. These major items include:

The AMT will ensnare over 28 million families, up from 4 million last year.  According to the left-leaning Tax Policy Center, Congress’ failure to index the AMT will lead to an explosion of AMT taxpaying families—rising from 4 million last year to 28.5 million. These families will have to calculate their tax burdens twice, and pay taxes at the higher level. The AMT was created in 1969 to ensnare a handful of taxpayers.

Small business expensing will be slashed and 50% expensing will disappear. Small businesses can normally expense (rather than slowly-deduct, or “depreciate”) equipment purchases up to $250,000. This will be cut all the way down to $25,000. Larger businesses can expense half of their purchases of equipment. In January of 2011, all of it will have to be “depreciated.”

Taxes will be raised on all types of businesses.  There are literally scores of tax hikes on business that will take place. The biggest is the loss of the “research and experimentation tax credit,” but there are many, many others. Combining high marginal tax rates with the loss of this tax relief will cost jobs.

Tax Benefits for Education and Teaching Reduced.  The deduction for tuition and fees will not be available. Tax credits for education will be limited. Teachers will no longer be able to deduct classroom expenses. Coverdell Education Savings Accounts will be cut. Employer-provided educational assistance is curtailed. The student loan interest deduction will be disallowed for hundreds of thousands of families.

Charitable Contributions from IRAs no longer allowed.  Under current law, a retired person with an IRA can contribute up to $100,000 per year directly to a charity from their IRA. This contribution also counts toward an annual “required minimum distribution.” This ability will no longer be there.

An Interesting Article Regarding Arizona's Illegal Immigration Battle

2010-07-09T21:34:00.000-07:00

July 09, 2010

Arizona's Constitutional War Powers

By James Carender

Given the levels of illegal migration and narco-trafficking across its southern border, the State of Arizona deserves America's commendation for the remarkable restraint it has exhibited in dealing with what has become a most serious international and domestic problem.

Arizona Senate Bill 1070, signed into law by Governor Janice K. Brewer on April 23, 2010, is a tiptoe exercise through an immigration minefield. In its essence, however, the law demands roughly no more of an individual than is required to open an account at the local video store. Indeed, the law presumes that one is not an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States if a valid Arizona driver license, non-operating identification license, tribal enrollment or identification card, or U.S. federal- or state- or local government-issued identification is presented, and if that issuing entity requires proof of legal presence in the United States before issuance of the identification card (Arizona Senate Bill 1070, Section 2). The bill appears intended to work hand in glove with federal immigration statutes and to "discourage and deter the unlawful entry and presence of aliens and economic activity by persons unlawfully present in the United States" (Section 1).

The route taken by the State of Arizona, enactment of Senate Bill 1070, is far less severe than it could have been if the route taken had been war, as granted to the states by the U.S. Constitution.

Article 1, Section 10, Cl. 3 of the Constitution of the United States of America provides that "[n]o state shall, without the consent of Congress ... engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay."

This section of the U.S. Constitution gives to the State of Arizona (or any other State) the right to engage in war if "actually invaded" or if there is "such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay." This right is reserved to the states to be exercised without the necessity of obtaining the consent of Congress in the described exigent circumstances. Without question, the debate, should Arizona have chosen this road not heretofore taken, would have centered on the meaning of the terms "invaded" and "imminent danger." Those are, in fact, arguable issues. But if drug lords are posting sentries with AK-47s on hilltops inside the State of Arizona to protect drug transport routes, and if "coyotes" are ravaging the fragile Arizona desert with their never-ending human chains, then the debate is settled.

Enactment of Arizona Senate Bill 1070 should not have been necessary, nor should the State of Arizona ever be put into the position of having to choose war because of a "guarantee" in, again, the U.S. Constitution. Article IV, Section 4, of the Constitution of the United States of America provides that

[t]he United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and, on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.

This section of the U.S. Constitution clearly mandates that the United States government shall protect Arizona against invasion and, on application of the Arizona legislature (or the governor when the legislature cannot be convened), against domestic violence! President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Reid, and Speaker Pelosi are not fulfilling their constitutional duty to protect Arizona from the long-enduring invasion of drug smugglers and illegal migrants.

In a well-documented article, Joe Griffith describes how progressive Democrat President Woodrow Wilson was faced with a violent border situation, in 1915, when Pancho Villa and his men conducted raids along the U.S.-Mexico border. Villa and his men launched a horrific raid against the people of Columbus, New Mexico, killing many of the residents and burning much of the town. President Wilson dispatched Brigadier General John J. Pershing and his troops to protect the border.

Our Constitution is not purely a charter of negative liberties. It places affirmative burdens of utmost importance squarely on the shoulders of the members of Congress and the president. The Constitution demands of our national leaders (and guarantees) that the United States shall protect every state in this union against invasion. There has been (and continues to be) a critical failure on the part of the president (the Commander in Chief) and the U.S. Congress when it comes to border enforcement and stopping the invasion. Pancho Villa's "invasion" and destruction were not the actions of a government, yet President Wilson exercised his authority under the Constitution to send federal troops to protect the border. The current "invasion" has not been shown to be an invasion by the government of Mexico, and the question arises why President Obama cannot do as president Wilson did and secure our southern border. The president did take an oath to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States," and that includes the Constitutional mandate that he shall protect Arizona and every other state from invasion.

The author is retired and a former felony prosecutor/assistant District Attorney in a Texas border town.

Page Printed from: http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/07/arizonas_constitutional_war_po.html at July 09, 2010 - 11:30:51 PM CDT

Deliver Us from Evil

2010-06-23T22:54:00.000-07:00

A thought provoking article I came across today. Does it strike a chord with you, too?

Deliver Us from Evil
By Robin of Berkeley

It's funny how trivial events somehow get seared into your brain. This one is from years ago, when I was enjoying a yogurt on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley.

Suddenly, a large exotic bug appeared and started dancing around. Its iridescent colors caught the sun and glistened like a rainbow. A crowd formed to watch its antics in shared delight.

Out of nowhere, a lunatic pushed through the crowd. I'd seen this guy before -- paranoid, menacing. His rage toward the bug slit me like a knife. The insect was getting attention, people were happy, and he was out for revenge.

The man bolted through the crowd, possessed. He jumped on the bug, over and over and again. People gasped. A child cried. And then, as quickly as it began, it was all over.

Silently, numbly, the crowd dispersed. The man, now triumphant, smiled hideously. I threw away the yogurt, which was now rendered tasteless.

I'll never forget the look of blind hatred on that man's face. It communicated this: "I want what you have."

And: "If I can't have it, I'll destroy it."

This random experience flashed in my mind recently when I was in a Berkeley bookstore. With my newfound interest in religion, I wanted to peruse that section.

After hunting down a clerk to unearth the tiny religion area, I perused the shelves. In actuality, the area should have been called the Anti-Christianity Section.

While there were respectful tomes on the other religions, the Christianity section was a virtual pillorying of Jesus.

Every book denounced him, mocked him, or reinvented him as something entirely new. There were books debunking the Gospel, with each author sounding gleeful, like a wicked child.

Now, I understand that some people reject religion. But why the venom? The contempt, the need to torpedo Christ?

This campaign against Christianity isn't confined to an obscure Berkeley bookstore. And it didn't begin with Obama. There's been an active crusade for decades to try to destroy Jesus with Alinksy-like tactics: freeze the subject, humiliate, marginalize.

But while demonizing Christianity is nothing new, it's reached a fever pitch since Obama came on the scene. It's no wonder: Obama sent out clear messages from the start.

Obama's first interview as president was for an Arab broadcaster. Then he covered up a cross at Notre Dame and was a no-show on the National Day of Prayer.

Lately, it seems like open season on Christians. The Pope has been subjected to unprecedented condemnation, with atheists Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens plotting ways to have him arrested.

Comedy Central plans a cartoon show mocking Jesus. On the TV show Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David does something so offensive that I will only offer you a link.

In the past I would simply put on my therapist cap with people like these. I'd probe their childhood for evidence of maltreatment. I'd label them as narcissists and antisocial personalities.

But now I have a different worldview, one that goes much deeper than just the psychological. Now I understand that this world is infused with the Divine. And that there is a competing force, one that is the polar opposite.

I now have a word for that creepy feeling deep down in my gut. And I finally understand the source.

Now I see what's really behind the campaign to banish religion; it's to render us utterly helpless. Because after all, without God, what protection is there in this brutal world?

Sadly, grievously, I look out on my country. I see the corruption and undoing. I witness the ever-growing tsunami of hate that threatens everyone in its path.

And I see citizens oblivious to the dangers because they're mired in the slime of moral relativism. They have no language, no hiding place, no possible way to shield their children in the deep and darkest nights.

And I see that lunatic, the one with the crazy, hollow eyes. But he's not just on Telegraph Avenue.

He's far and wide: in the hallowed halls of Congress, in the institutes of higher learning, in basement rooms where small men troll.

If you listen closely, you can hear that same diabolical cry: "I want what you have.

And if I can't have it, I'll destroy it."

The lunatic is on the grass.

The lunatic is on the grass.

Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs.

Got to keep the loonies on the path.

The lunatic is in the hall.

The lunatics are in my hall.

The paper holds their folded faces to the floor

And every day the paper boy brings more.

And if the dam breaks open many years too soon

And if there is no room upon the hill

And if your head explodes with dark forebodings too

I'll see you on the dark side of the moon.

(from "Brain Damage" by Pink Floyd)

A frequent American Thinker contributor, Robin is a licensed psychotherapist in Berkeley and a recovering liberal. She would like to thank her friend, Joe Sellwood, for his illuminating thoughts on the subject. Due to time constraints, Robin isn't reading the comments page. If you'd like to send her a comment, feel free to e-mail her at robinofberkeley@hotmail.com.

Page Printed from: http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/06/deliver_us_from_evil_1.html at June 24, 2010 - 12:54:36 AM CDT

Deliver Us from Evil

2010-06-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to introduce "Countdown To Victory", a weekly newsletter
from the Utah Republican Party. This newsletter will be released each
Wednesday until the November election. We hope it will keep you up to

date with our Republican candidates and their progress towards the election,
keep you advised of events, and give you opportunities to be actively involved
in the process.

Weekly feature sections will include:

"As I See It" - Dave Hansen, URP Chair.

Insight into the election and assessment on how our
candidates are doing

"Down to Business" - Kitty Dunn, URP Vice Chair

All about the work of electing Republicans and how to do it

"IMO"

OpEd from Guest Contributor

"Upcoming Events"

Important calendar items

"Stuff You Should Know"

Links to articles, videos and commentary on current issues

"PermaLinks"

Links to important websites

Please see the first edition of "Countdown To Victory" by clicking here.

The newsletter can be accessed directly through the party website by clicking
on the Weekly Newsletter button on the right hand side of the main page.
The newsletter is in PDF format. When the PDF opens, if it does not display

at 100%, please change the display to 100%.

We hope you enjoy "Countdown To Victory"!

Dave Kitty

Dave Hansen Kitty Dunn

Utah Republican Party Chair Utah Republican Party Vice Chair

daviddhansen@msn.com kittydunn@utgop.org

2010-06-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

Dear WRC of SLC Members,

As president of the WRC of SLC, I feel it necessary to publicly address the controversy surrounding Mike Lee's withdrawal from our debate. As you are aware, the WRC of SLC, along with the UFRW (Utah Federation of Republican Women) offered to sponsor, organize and advertise a debate between U.S. Senate Republican candidates, Mike Lee and Tim Bridgewater, on Saturday, June 19th.

Two days ago, Mike Lee's campaign withdrew from the debate without offering an explanation or apology. Obviously, it is difficult to host a debate with only one candidate. Yesterday, it came to our attention that Mike Lee was disseminating information about his cancellation, as well as information about the WRC and UFRW, that is complete fabrication.

There are a few things I want everyone to know:

1. We (UFRW and WRC) never changed the venue of this debate. The venue was secured approximately two weeks ago and was agreed upon by both campaigns.

2. Mike Lee's campaign never requested to have a staff member vet questions prior to the debate. He claims that he did, and that we denied the request.

3. Cherilyn Eager was not involved in organizing this debate, and in fact, we would have gladly asked her not to attend if her presence there was cause for concern. Cherilyn Eager is the VP of Media Relations for the UFRW, and has been for several years. She simply disseminated the UFRW authored press release.

4. We never received any communication from Mike Lee's campaign that there was anything amiss. I spoke with Mike Lee's campaign manager on Wednesday via a phone call that I initiated.

5. Finally, yesterday, I learned of Mike Lee's reasons for cancellation by reading a statement on his "Mike Lee for U.S. Senate" facebook page. (This statement, by the way, has since been deleted off both facebook and his website.)

If you will scroll through our blog, you will see that the WRC hosted both candidates this year. Both were treated with the utmost respect and professionalism. Our club hosted Mike Lee on February 11th, and Tim Bridgewater on March 11th.

The primary election is this coming Tuesday, June 22nd. Who you vote for is your personal and private choice. I am not trying to sway you one way or the other. Please, just vote. It's important to exercise your right to do so. Many women, in years gone by, fought long and hard for us to have that right. Please don't take for granted their tremendous sacrifice. Utah was one of the first states to grant women the right to vote. We are proud of that heritage, as well as our heritage of being the oldest Women's Republican Club in the nation. Established in 1899, we have weathered many a storm and will weather this one as well.

We plan to proceed with our event this Saturday night, June 19th. Obviously, it won't be a debate. Candidate Tim Bridgewater has committed to attend despite Mike Lee's absence. If you haven't met him previously, this is an opportunity for you to do so. Please join us as we celebrate being Republican women in Utah. I'd love to see you there. Please bring your daughters and granddaughters, your friends and neighbors, too. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Handy

2010-06-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

Rolly: GOP women in the cross hairs

By Paul Rolly

Tribune Columnist

Salt Lake Tribune

Updated:06/17/2010 05:46:24 PM MDT

With less than a week before Tuesday's primary election, the Mike Lee campaign may have alienated a major organized bloc within the Republican Party, and now is trashing that group on his campaign's Facebook page.

The Utah Federation of Republican Women and the Salt Lake City Republican Women's Club were dismayed Thursday to learn Lee had backed out of a debate they were co-sponsoring between Lee and his opponent Tim Bridgewater.

The debate was scheduled for Saturday evening at the Merit Medical Complex in South Jordan and several hundred people are expected to attend. But Kathleen Handy, president of the Republican Women's Club said she began hearing Tuesday that Lee was not planning to attend. She called his campaign and got a return call Wednesday, just three days before the debate, confirming the cancellation.

"It goes without saying that we are extremely disappointed in Mike Lee's decision to cancel his commitment to appear at our debate, UFRW President Darcy Kruitbosch said in a statement. " We are further dismayed that no explanation or apology was offered. Numerous volunteers have spent countless hours in preparation for this event. "

Dan Hauser, Lee's deputy campaign manager, said they decided to back out after the debate format was changed and they learned Cherilyn Eagar, a Bridgewater supporter, was involved in debate planning. They also were troubled the venue was changed to Merit Medical, which is owned by Fred Lampropoulos, also a Bridgewater supporter. He said it appeared the event was being stacked against Lee.

Handy said Hauser's claims are utterly false.

Merit Medical was a site suggested by the Salt Lake County Republican Party after several other venues contacted by the debate organizers could not accommodate them, she said. Lampropoulos, according to GOP officials, has always been generous in making his South Jordan facility available for Republican events.

Eagar's name was on the original debate announcement because she is the media relations volunteer for the UFRW, but had nothing to do with the debate, Handy said. Former Gov. Olene Walker, who had changed her travel plans to accommodate the group, had agreed to moderate the debate.

Meanwhile, comments on Lee's Facebook page have suggested the debate organizers were trying to set Lee up.

"We were never taking sides," Handy said. "We were trying to do something positive for the Republican Party and now we're getting trashed."

2010-06-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

Utah Federation of
Republican Women &

Women's Republican Club
of Salt Lake City

News Release

For Immediate Release

Contacts:
Darcy Kruitbosch, President, UFRW

ufrw@hotmail.com

801-510-2349

Kathleen Handy, President, WRC of SLC
handyk@comcast.net

801-755-9795

Utah Republican Women announce Tim Bridgewater's commitment to appear at debate despite opponent's unexplained cancellation

June 17, 2010, Salt Lake City, UT. Darcy Kruitbosch, President of the Utah Federation of Republican Women, announced today that U.S. Senate Republican candidate, Mike Lee, has cancelled his commitment to appear at a UFRW/WRC sponsored debate with opponent Tim Bridgewater. No excuse or apology was offered for the last-minute cancellation.

"It goes without saying that we are extremely disappointed in Mike Lee's decision to cancel his commitment to appear at our debate. We are further dismayed that no explanation or apology was offered. Numerous volunteers have spent countless hours in preparation for this event. Furthermore, we feel it important to offer an apology to former Utah Governor, Olene Walker, who changed travel plans, at her personal expense, to serve as moderator of this event," Mrs. Kruitbosch said.

U.S. Senate candidate, Tim Bridgewater, has committed to attend despite Mike Lee's unexplained withdrawal. Please join us this Saturday, June 19th, from 6-7:30 PM, at the Merit Medical Complex (1600 West Merit Parkway, South Jordan, UT) as we celebrate Republican women across the State of Utah. (To access Merit Medical Complex, enter off of Redwood Road at 9850 South.)

Utah GOP Announcement of Senate Debate

2010-06-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

Are you one of the many voters who
want more information before
casting your vote in the U.S.
Senate Primary on June 22nd?

If so, now is the opportunity to get informed.

The Utah Federation of Republican Women (UFRW) and
the Women's Republican Club of Salt Lake City (WRC) are
co-hosting a debate between U.S. Senatorial candidates
Tim Bridgewater and Mike Lee.

This is an event you will not want to miss!

When:

Saturday, June 19^th, 2010

6:00PM Reception

7-8:30PM Debate

Where:

Merit Medical Complex

1600 West Merit Parkway

South Jordan, UT

Moderator: Former Utah Governor Olene Walker

If you could ask either candidate a question, what would it be?

Please submit your questions to us.

Entrance to the public is free. Booths are available to candidates, organizations, and businesses for $50. Contact Kathleen Handy (WRC of SLC) at handyk@comcast.net or Darcy Kruitbosch atufrw@hotmail.com if you would like a booth or need

additional information. We look forward to your questions,

and hope to see you at the debate.

Debate sponsored by:

Utah Federation of Republican Women

Women's Republican Club of Salt Lake City

Debate Moderator

2010-06-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled to announce that former Utah Governor Olene Walker will serve as moderator of the WRC/UFRW sponsored debate between Tim Bridgewater and Mike Lee.

America Rising

2010-06-12T14:20:00.001-07:00

Wow. Very powerful. Double click to view full screen

What's Missing?

2010-06-11T06:46:00.000-07:00

On May 28th, Barack Obama held a press conference to discuss, among other things, the BP oil disaster. Anyone notice what's missing? Where's the American Flag? Since when does the President of the United States hold a press conference without the flag? Every time I think I've seen it all, turns out I haven't. There's a pit in my stomach. Yours, too? Is it 2012 yet?

2010-06-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

A Short Spelling Lesson …

The last four letters in American = I Can

The last four letters in Republican = I Can

The last four letters in Democrats = Rats

End of Lesson. Test to follow in November.

November has been designated as rodent extermination month.

Please Submit Debate Questions

2010-06-10T09:34:00.001-07:00

Do you have any questions you'd like to ask Tim Bridgewater and/or Mike Lee? Now is your chance. We will be selecting from your questions for the June 19th debate. Please, either comment below, or email your questions to me: handyk@comcast.net. We will not consider questions that blatantly favor one candidate over the other. We appreciate your participation, and look forward to receiving your questions. Thank you.

GOP Women Dominate Primaries

2010-06-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

What an exciting time for Republican women! The following story is by ABCNews.

Five Primary Races Dominated by Republican Women Could Set Course for Midterm Elections (By HUMA KHAN, Washington, June 8, 2010)

In one of the most heavily contested races today, Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle surpassed more than a dozen GOP candidates to become the Republican nominee who will face off against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in November. Republicans in Nevada battled fiercely for a big prize: the chance to take on the Senate seat that Reid has occupied for more than two decades, and possibly render him the second Democratic party leader to be ousted by the Republicans in six years, after Tom Daschle in 2004. Angle, a former assemblywoman, was in a neck-and-neck race with former state GOP chair Sue Lowden, who was favored by the state's Republican establishment. What started off as a shoe-string campaign for Angle morphed into a million-dollar push to derail Lowden: The so-called Tea Party Express funneled half a million dollars into Angle's campaign, with hundreds of thousands more coming from other national conservative groups such as theClub for Growth. Angle is an anti-tax crusader and an uncompromising conservative. She favors abolishing the Departments of Education and Energy, phasing out Social Security and Medicare, and removing the United States from the United Nations. Reid's campaign views Angle's non-mainstream platform as one that can easily be targeted in the November midterm election. Even though several incumbents have lost in primaries -- Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons today became the first sitting governor to lose a reelection bid -- not all is lost for incumbents.

Longtime Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln narrowly avoided becoming another casualty of anti-Washington sentiment, barely defeating Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, a favorite of labor unions and environmental groups in a close runoff race today. Lincoln had slightly more than 50 percent of the votes, with Halter trailing closely behind, according to the Associated Press. Lincoln's win is a major blow to labor unions and liberal groups, who poured millions of dollars into Halter's campaign, and in a state that normally doesn't garner this much national attention. "The vote of this senator is not for sale and neither is the vote of the people of Arkansas," Lincoln said in her victory speech, rebuking national labor groups. Lincoln, who won the support of both President Obama and former President Bill Clinton, was blasted by national labor unions for voting for the federal bank bailout and opposing the option of a government-run insurance plan in the health care bill and the Employee Free Choice Act, or card check, a high priority for the labor movement. The groups wanted to paint Lincoln as an example of what would happen to Democrats who crossed liberal groups. Lincoln's win is also a victory for Obama and Clinton, who campaigned for her in the final days of the race. Lincoln has been in the Senate since 1998, when, at 38, she became the youngest woman to be elected. She serves as chair of several important committees, including Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and the subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure. Lincoln will face an even fiercer fight in November as Republicans take aim at her Senate record and take advantage of the anti-incumbent sentiment that has ended careers of Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pennsylvania, and Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah.

The primaries in 12 states today tested the temperature of the anti-Washington sentiment and marked the latest test for ideological movements within both major parties. The anti-incumbent sentiment accelerated the momentum among newcomers in ousting established lawmakers in Congress. At the same time, from California to Georgia, it pitted party members against each other, exposing the ideological frays within each party.

Tea Party Favorites Take Center Stage
Tea Party favorite Nikki Haley nabbed a majority of votes in the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary, but stopped just shy of the 50 percent of votes needed to avoid a runoff, according to the Associated Press. Nevertheless, the South Carolina primary dealt a blow to the GOP establishment in the state: Both Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer and attorney general Henry McMaster, once considered frontrunners in the race, trailed well behind Haley and conservative Rep. Gresham Barrett. Haley and Barrett will face off again in a runoff election two weeks from today.
The divisive South Carolina gubernatorial primary was dogged by ethnic slurs -- a GOP state senator called Indian-American Haley a "raghead" -- and allegations of marital infidelity. But Haley's popularity has risen in recent weeks, thanks to endorsements from the Tea Party in general, and Sarah Palin in particular. The former Alaska governor campaigned with Haley and recorded a telephone message calling the allegations against Haley "made-up nonsense." Tea Party supporters also nabbed a victory in the contested runoff in Georgia, where former state representative Tom Graves defeated former state House member Lee Hawkins in a special election for the U.S. House of Representatives. Graves was backed by the Atlanta Tea Party Patriots and the conservative Club for Growth.

Still, in another key battleground -- Virginia's fifth Congressional district -- the Republican establishment's candidate Robert Hurt flew to an easy victory with 48.4 percent of the votes. 2010 Election Maps: Follow the Senate, House and Governors' Races

California Republican Senate Primary: November Battle of 'Scrappy' Political Women?
Ex-Hewlett Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina defeated Rep. Tom Campbell and state Assemblyman Chuck DeVore in the race to challenge incumbent Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer in November.
Fiorina, as with Haley in South Carolina, received an unexpected endorsement from Palin even though DeVore has been supported by Tea Party groups. Palin recorded a telephone message for Fiorina, urging voters to "help get our country back on track" by voting for the former executive. Fiorina spent a lot of her own personal wealth on the campaign, a point likely to be seized upon by Democrats in the midterm elections. Campbell has struggled to keep pace, temporarily withdrawing television advertising last week. A libertarian on most social issues, Campbell has focused his rhetoric on his electability in the final days of the campaign. All the candidates seized on the nation's anti-incumbent sentiment to attack Boxer, who has served in the Senate for 17 years.

California Gubernatorial Primary: Inheriting Schwarzenegger's Problems
Former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman beat state insurance commissioner Steve Poizner for the nomination to succeed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the moderate Republican governor whose tumultuous time in office is coming to an end. Whitman spent more than $70 million of her money in her campaign to succeed Schwarzenegger, a moderate Republican. In a bid to win over conservatives, Poizner made immigration the defining issue of his campaign, supporting the controversial Arizona law on illegal immigration and attacking Whitman for opposing it.
Whitman will face Democrat Jerry Brown, the state's attorney general, in the fall. Brown previously served as governor from 1975 to 1983. Today's primaries could be the last to be held in the state. A ballot initiative seeks to limit the general election to two members of the same party. Proposition 14 would replace party primaries with a "top-two" election structure for congressional, statewide and state legislative elections. All candidates would be included in a single primary election open to all voters, regardless of party registration. Candidates would have the option to declare a party preference or appear on the ballot with no affiliation. The two candidates with the highest vote totals in the primary would then advance to a general election. Write-in votes would be ignored. The November ballot thus could feature two members of the same party as the only options.

ABC News' David Chalian, Devin Dwyer, Alex Pepper and Jonathan Karl contributed to this report.

Tim Bridgewater/Mike Lee Debate

2010-06-08T17:47:00.000-07:00

The WRC of SLC, along with the UFRW, is pleased to sponsor a debate between U.S. Senatorial candidates Tim Bridgewater and Mike Lee on Saturday, June 19th.

Reception: 6PM

Debate: 7-8:30PM

Mingle: 8:30-9PM

Merit Medical Campus

1600 West Merit Parkway

South Jordan, UT

(enter from East side of Redwood Road,

just south of 9800 South)

Invite your friends, families and neighbors. Hope to see you there.

WRC Sponsored Tim Bridgewater/Mike Lee Debate

2010-06-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

The WRC of SLC, along with the UFRW, is sponsoring a debate between U.S. Senatorial candidates Tim Bridgewater and Mike Lee on Saturday, June 19th. Tentative time is 7PM. Doors will open at 6PM. Come early to meet the candidates, browse the booths and socialize. Location TBD. We are very excited. Please invite your friends and neighbors. We hope to have a great turnout, but can only do so with your help. If you have any questions, let me know.

In Honor of Our Military

2010-05-31T10:16:00.000-07:00

2010-05-30T15:32:00.000-07:00

Obama is victim of Bush's failed promises

"Barack Obama is setting a record-setting number of records during his first year in office.

Largest budget ever. Largest deficit ever. Largest number of broken promises ever. Most self-serving speeches ever. Largest number of agenda-setting failures ever. Fastest dive in popularity ever.

Wow! Talk about change.

Just one year ago. fresh from his inauguration celebrations. President Obama was flying high. After one of the nation's most inspiring political campaigns, the election of America's first black president had captured the hopes and dreams of millions. To his devout followers, it was inconceivable that a year later his administration would be gripped in self-imposed crisis.

Of course, they don't see it as self-imposed. It's all George Bush's fault.

George Bush, who doesn't have a vote in congress and who no longer occupies the White House, is to blame for it all.

He broke Obama's promise to put all bills on the White House web site for five days before signing them.

He broke Obama's promise to have the congressional health care negotiations broadcast live on C-SPAN.

He broke Obama's promise to end earmarks.

He broke Obama's promise to keep unemployment from rising above 8 percent.

He broke Obama's promise to close the detention center at Guantanamo in the first year.

He broke Obama's promise to make peace with direct, no precondition talks with America's most hate-filled enemies during his first year in office, ushering in a new era of global cooperation.

He broke Obama's promise to end the hiring of former lobbyists into high White House jobs.

He broke Obama's promise to end no-compete contracts with the government.

He broke Obama's promise to disclose the names of all attendees at closed White House meetings.

He broke Obama's promise for a new era of bipartisan cooperation in all matters.

He broke Obama's promise to have chosen a home church to attend Sunday services with his family by Easter of last year.

Yes. it's all George Bush's fault. President Obama is nothing more than a puppet in the never-ending. failed Bush administration.

If only George Bush wasn't still in charge, all of President Obama's problems would be solved. His promises would have been kept, the economy would be back on track, Iran would have stopped its work on developing a nuclear bomb and would be negotiating a peace treaty with Israel. North Korea would have ended its tyrannical regime, and integrity would have been restored to the federal government.

Oh, and did I mention what it would be like if the Democrats. under the leadership of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, didn't have the heavy yoke of George Bush around their necks? There would be no ear marks, no closed-door drafting of bills, no increase in deficit spending, no special-interest influence (unions), no vote buying (Nebraska, Louisiana).

If only George Bush wasn't still in charge, we'd have real change by now.

All the broken promises, all the failed legislation and delay (health care reform, immigration reform) is not President Obama's fault or the fault of the Democrat-controlled Congress. It's all George Bush's fault.

Take for example the decision of Eric Holder, the president's attorney general, to hold terrorists' trials in New York City. Or his decision to try the Christmas Day underpants bomber as a civilian.

Two disastrous decisions.

Certainly those were bad judgments based on poor advice from George Bush.

Need more proof?

You might recall that when Scott Brown won last month's election to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts, capturing "the Ted Kennedy seat," President Obama said that Brown's victory was the result of the same voter anger that propelled Obama into office in 2008. People were still angry about George Bush and the policies of the past 10 years. and they wanted change.

Yes, according to the president, the voter rebellion in Massachusetts last month was George Bush's fault.

Therefore, in retaliation, they elected a Republican to the Ted Kennedy seat, ending a half-century of domination by Democrats.

It is all George Bush's fault.

Will the failed administration of George Bush ever end, and the time for hope and change ever arrive?

Will President Obama ever accept responsibility for something... – anything?"

(This article was written by Chuck Green, a veteran Colorado journalist and former editor-in-chief of The Denver Post. He can be contacted at chuckgreencolo@nutt.com)

Utah GOP Convention Survey

2010-05-29T18:03:00.000-07:00

Click on the following link to see the results of Brigham Young University’s Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy Utah Republican State Delegate Survey prior to, and after, the Utah GOP Convention. The information gathered is very interesting.

http://csed.byu.edu/Assets/Utah%20GOP%20Delegate%20Survey%20Results%202010.pdf

Tellin' it like it is...

2010-05-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

Utah GOP Convention 2010

2010-05-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

Pictures taken of some members of the WRC of SLC at the

May 8th, 2010 Utah GOP Convention.

New Jersey's Governor Christie - How about "honest & refreshing"?

2010-05-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

New Jersey Governor Christie calls columnist
thin-skinned for inquiring about his
'confrontational tone'

Directions to the Salt Lake Country Club

2010-04-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

MAP & DIRECTIONS

The Country Club is located at 2400 E. Country Club Drive (2380 S.), north of I-80. It is approximately 10 minutes from downtown Salt Lake.

Directions from I-15 Head North or South to I-80 East.
Continue on I-80 East towards Park City.
Take Exit #129 then, quickly exit at the Parley's Canyon Blvd.
Head west to the intersection of 2100 S. & 2300 E.
(There is an Albertson's Grocery Store on the northwest corner).
Turn left at the light and head South to Country Club Drive.
Turn left on Country Club Drive and proceed East through the gates.

Click on the Image to Enlarge

Directions from the East 215 Belt Take the 215 East Belt heading towards city center.
Take the Foothill Exit and quickly exit at Parley's Canyon Blvd.
Head West to the intersection of 2100 S. & 2300 E.
(There is an Albertson's Grocery Store on the northwest corner).
Turn left at the light and head South to Country Club Drive.
Turn left at Country Club Drive and proceed East through the gates

Click on the Image to Enlarge

Scheduled Speakers for April 15th WRC Meeting

2010-04-09T13:26:00.000-07:00

Neil Walter and Morgan Philpot, Republican candidates for the 2nd Congressional District, will be speaking at our meeting on Thursday, April 15th.

Meeting Reminder

2010-04-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

The next WRC of SLC meeting will be held on Thursday, April 15th at the Salt Lake Country Club at 12PM. For those interested, we will be eating lunch in the grill immediately thereafter, so don't forget to bring your money! All lunches are around $15.

Very Interesting Article

2010-04-03T17:59:00.000-07:00

OPINION
MARCH 21, 2010

Inside the Pelosi Sausage Factor

Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak sold his anti-abortion soul for a toothless executive order.

By KIMBERLEY A. STRASSEL

Last week Republican Rep. Mike Pence posted on his Facebook site that famous Schoolhouse Rock video titled "How a Bill Becomes a Law." It's clearly time for a remake.

Never before has the average American been treated to such a live-action view of the sordid politics necessary to push a deeply flawed bill to completion. It was dirty deals, open threats, broken promises and disregard for democracy that pulled ObamaCare to this point, and yesterday the same machinations pushed it across the finish line.

You could see it all coming a week ago, when New York Rep. Louise Slaughter let leak a breathtaking strategy whereby the House would not actually vote on the unpopular Senate bill. The House would instead vote on a "reconciliation" fix to that bill, and in the process "deem" the underlying legislation—with its Cornhusker kickbacks and Louisiana purchases—passed.

The Slaughter Solution was both blunt admission and warning. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not have 216 votes to pass the Senate bill, there never was going to be majority "support" for it, but they'd pass it anyway. The final days were a simple death watch, to see how the votes would be bought, bribed or bullied, and how many congressional rules gamed, to get the win.

President Obama flew to Pennsylvania (home to five wavering House Democrats), Missouri (three wavering), Ohio (eight), and Virginia (four) to hold rallies with small, supportive crowds. In four days, Mr. Obama held 64 meetings or calls with congressmen. The goal was to let undecideds know that the president had them in his crosshairs, that he still had pull with the base, and he'd use it against them. By Saturday the tactic had yielded yes votes from at least half the previously undecided members of those states.

As for those who needed more persuasion: California Rep. Jim Costa bragged publicly that during his meeting in the Oval Office, he'd demanded the administration increase water to his Central Valley district. On Tuesday, Interior pushed up its announcement, giving the Central Valley farmers 25% of water supplies, rather than the expected 5% allocation. Mr. Costa, who denies there was a quid pro quo, on Saturday said he'd flip to a yes.

Florida Rep. Suzanne Kosmas (whose district is home to the Kennedy Space Center) admitted that in her own Thursday meeting with the president, she'd brought up the need for more NASA funding. On Friday she flipped to a yes. So watch the NASA budget.

Democrats inserted a new provision providing $100 million in extra Medicaid money for Tennessee. Retiring Tennessee Rep. Bart Gordon flipped to a yes vote on Thursday.

Outside heavies were enlisted to warn potential no votes that unions and other Democrats would run them out of Congress. Al Lawson, a Tallahassee liberal challenging Blue Dog Florida Rep. Allen Boyd in a primary, made Mr. Boyd's previous no vote the centerpiece of his criticism. The SEIU threatened to yank financial support for New York's Michael McMahon. The liberal Working Families Party said it would deny him a ballot line. Obama deputy campaign manager Steve Hildebrand vowed to challenge South Dakota Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin if she voted no. New York's Scott Murphy was targeted as a part of a $1.3 million union-financed ad campaign to pressure him to flip. Moveon.Org spent another $36,000 on ads in his district and promised a primary. Messrs. Boyd and Murphy caved on Friday.

All the while Mrs. Pelosi was desperately working to provide cover with a Congressional Budget Office score that would claim the bill "saved" money. To do it, Democrats threw in a further $66 billion in Medicare cuts and another $50 billion in taxes. Huzzah! In the day following the CBO score, about a half-dozen Democrats who had spent the past months complaining the bill already had too many taxes and Medicare cuts now said they were voting to reduce the deficit.

Even with all this, by Friday Mrs. Pelosi was dealing with a new problem: The rule changes and deals winning her votes were losing her votes, too. The public backlash against "deem and pass" gave several wary Democrats—such as Massachusetts's Stephen Lynch and California's Dennis Cardoza—a new excuse to vote no.

Mrs. Pelosi jettisoned deem and pass. Once-solid Democrat yes votes wanted their own concessions. Oregon's Pete DeFazio threatened to lead a revolt unless changes were made to Medicare payments to benefit his state. On Saturday Mrs. Pelosi cut a deal to give 17 states additional Medicare money.

By the weekend, all the pressure and threats and bribes had left the speaker three to five votes short. Her remaining roadblock was those pro-life members who'd boxed themselves in on abortion, saying they would vote against the Senate bill unless it barred public funding of abortion. Mrs. Pelosi's first instinct was to go around this bloc, getting the votes elsewhere. She couldn't.

Into Saturday night, Michigan's Bart Stupak and Mrs. Pelosi wrangled over options. The stalemate? Any change that gave Mr. Stupak what he wanted in law would lose votes from pro-choice members. The solution? Remove it from Congress altogether, having the president instead sign a meaningless executive order affirming that no public money should go to pay for abortions.

The order won't change the Senate legal language—as pro-choice Democrats publicly crowed within minutes of the Stupak deal. Executive orders can be changed or eliminated on a whim. Pro-life groups condemned the order as the vote-getting ruse it was. Nevertheless, Mr. Stupak and several of his colleagues voted yes, paving the way to Mrs. Pelosi's final vote tally of 219.

Even in these waning minutes, Senate Democrats were playing their own games. Republicans announced they had found language in the House reconciliation bill that could doom this entire "fix" in the Senate. Since many House Democrats only agreed to vote for the Senate bill on promises that the sidecar reconciliation would pass, this was potentially a last-minute killer.

Senate Democrats handled it by deliberately refusing to meet with Republicans and the Senate parliamentarian to get a ruling, lest it be unfavorable and lose House votes. The dodge was a clear dereliction of duty, but Democrats figure the Senate parliamentarian won't dare derail this process after ObamaCare passes. They are probably right.

So there you have it, folks: "How a Bill Becomes a Law," at least in Obama-Pelosi land. Perhaps the most remarkable Democratic accomplishment this week was to make the process of passing ObamaCare as politically toxic as the bill itself.

President Obama was elected by millions of Americans attracted to his promise to change Washington politics. These were voters furious with earmarks, insider deals and a lack of transparency. They were the many Americans who, even before this week, held Congress in historic low esteem. They'll remember this spectacle come November.

Ms. Strassel writes the Journal's weekly Potomac Watch column from Washington.

2010-03-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

Maxine sums up the health care bill.

Let me get this straight. We're going to be gifted with
a health care plan written by a committee whose
chairman says he doesn't understand it,
passed by a Congress that hasn't read it
(but exempts themselves from it), signed by a
president who also hasn't read it and who smokes,
with funding administered by a treasury chief who
didn't pay his taxes, to be overseen by a surgeon

general who is obese, and financed by a country
that's broke.

What could possibly go wrong?

2010-03-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

Mamie Eisenhower Library Project 2010 List Available

Our History Is Our Future

"If we forget what we did, we won't know who we are."- Ronald Reagan, Farewell Address to the nation.

If we don't know where we have been and how we came to be this wonderful country, we will fall for the latest fad or charismatic speaker. Please consider theses books as the "Owners' Manuals for the United States of America."

Click on the link below to be directed to the recommended list of books.

http://www.nfrw.org/documents/publications/MELP_2010.pdf

2010-03-23T10:43:00.001-07:00

National Federation of Republican Women
Decries Passage of Health Care Bill

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Following the passage of the Democrat health care bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, National Federation of Republican Women President Sue Lynch said:

“The National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW) is disappointed in the Democrats’ decision to disregard the will of the American people to advance a strictly partisan plan that fails to fix the real problems in our health care system. What arrogance.

“As House Minority Leader John Boehner said last night in a very passionate speech, ‘This is the people’s House. The moment the majority forgets it, they start writing themselves a ticket to minority status.’

“The NFRW is issuing a ‘call to action’ to our more than 1,500 clubs, asking each to watch closely those representatives in their districts who voted to support this bill. They need to be held accountable for putting America in jeopardy.

“In contrast, we applaud House Republicans, who, despite intense pressure from their Democrat colleagues, stood firm and united in their efforts to defeat this bill.”

Founded in 1938, the NFRW has thousands of active members in local clubs across the nation and in several U.S. territories, making it one of the largest women’s political organizations in the country. The grassroots organization recruits and elects Republican candidates, advocates the Party’s philosophy and initiatives, and empowers women in the political process.

For more information about the NFRW, visit www.nfrw.org.

Message from Speaker Dave Clark re: Kevin Garn's Resignation

2010-03-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

Today, I received Representative Kevin Garn's resignation. I respect his decision and feel it is appropriate and have therefore accepted his resignation on behalf of the Utah House of Representatives. I am grateful to Representative Garn and his family for the time he spent in service to the State of Utah. Mistakes made many years ago should not detract from the good work the Representative has done during his time in the Utah House of Representatives.

Members of the House recognize this. And while not condoning his inappropriate actions, we wanted to show support to a colleague. This is the state of mind that gave rise to the applause directed to Representative Garn on the final night of the session. A standing ovation is a standard custom of the House, and was a natural conclusion to Representative Garn's difficult and emotional statement. I hope the people of Utah understand that our support of Representative Garn and his family does not in any way signal support for illegal, unethical or ill-advised action by any member of the House.

There are no handbooks on how to handle these difficult situations, and we were dealing with this matter on the busiest legislative day of the 2010 session. In hindsight, an alternative forum for the announcement may have been more appropriate. I sincerely appreciate those who evaluate this situation with a sense of justice and compassion for everyone involved.

I want to remind each public official to remember to protect the trust the people of Utah have given us.

Speaker Dave Clark

Message from U.S. 2nd Congressional Candidate Neil Walter

2010-03-23T10:00:00.001-07:00

My name is Neil Walter and I am running for US Congress in Utah's 2nd congressional district against Jim Matheson. With the caucuses upon us, I want to express my appreciation to those of you who have taken time to meet with me to discuss the issues facing our nation.

Let me reiterate my feelings about this race and the direction of our country. We must have a change of agenda in Washington DC. The Democratic Leadership has focused on a health care plan we don't want when they should be fixing the problems that are hurting our families--issues like the economy, the creation of jobs, and irresponsible federal spending.

Yes, the health care bill passed with votes to spare. The passage of this bill is an enormous new entitlement that is irresponsible at any time and especially during these economic times. The trillions that are required to pay for the bill will come from taxing the public and will slow both economic growth and job growth in the United States. The elitist attitude required to justify the passage of a bill Americans disapprove of, on the basis that they will come to appreciate it later, is representative of the way Washington DC is disconnected from the real world. Our representatives in Washington DC should have to immediately eliminate their current Congressional health coverage and receive coverage per the bill while paying for the costs out of their own pockets-not the US Treasury.

While Jim Matheson ultimately voted against the bill, he failed Utahans through his lack of leadership among the 54 blue dog Democrats and his inability to moderate the liberal Democratic party's agenda as promised. By empowering Nancy Pelosi's leadership and helping elect her as Speaker of the House, he has enabled policies that are an outright attack on the Constitution, American capitalism, state's rights, and our individual freedoms. Moreover, he has failed to use his position of influence within the party to ensure governance is, as the Blue Dog's website says, fiscally responsible, bipartisan, and common sense. Jim Matheson does not represent the principles of the conservative 2nd District.

The current abuses begin with those in Washington DC believing they know better than we do about what is best for our families and is facilitated by career politicians protecting their jobs. If only they were as vigilant at protecting the jobs in our communities. The Democrats have justified using the recession for an unprecedented and inappropriate expansion of Federal programs and oversight. This is not the proper role of government! We are tired of bureaucrats telling us how to educate our children, manage our lands, develop our resources, and provide for our families. We need economic growth, not new entitlements. We need fiscal responsibility, not bailouts and new spending!

Why are Democrats forcing Americans who believe abortion is morally wrong to pay for the procedure in the Health Care bill? Why do bureaucrats in Washington DC believe they will chose a better insurance plan for our families that we will? Why does nationalizing the student loan market along with nationalizing health care suddenly make the heath care bill more attractive? What has happened to principled leadership? We need new representation in Washington DC from individuals who will stand up for conservative Utahans.

I realize Jim Matheson will be a tough challenge, He has sold members of our party on the idea that he is a conservative blue dog, but he has enabled Nancy Pelosi and the liberal agenda she is forwarding. We don't want it, and Jim won't fight against it.

With your commitment to restore this seat to the Republican column, I know we will be successful in November. If we haven't met already, I invite you to attend one of my upcoming events. Please visit my website,www.neilforcongress.com to learn more about my platform and my background. I hope to earn your vote in the coming weeks.

Neil

Neil Walter, MBA, CFA
Republican Candidate for US Congress

Utah's 2nd Congressional District

c. 435 229 1205

f. 435 627 5716

www.neilforcongress.com

www.neilonfacebook.com

Message from U.S. 2nd Congressional Candidate Morgan Philpot

2010-03-23T09:59:00.000-07:00

Dear friends:

Last night the Democrats trampled the US Constitution and hijacked 1/6th of our economy by passing Obama's health care "reform" bill. While that travesty was unfolding, Utah's 2nd district Congressman sat quietly on the sidelines. Simply put, those of us in the 2nd district had no voice in Congress.

We cannot afford fence-sitting while the liberal agenda is driving our country over a cliff. There is a fight brewing - a fight for freedom and for liberty. I believe that now is the time to take a stand. Let me fight with you. I will continue speaking up for correct principles and the proper role of government as I have done for many years. That is why I am running to be your representative in the 2nd Congressional district - but I can't do it alone. I need your help. Please donate to my campaign today - and ask your friends and family to do the same. I need donations in all amounts - $50, $100, $1000 or more. Go tohttps://www.philpotforcongress.com/volunteer/donateand donate today.

Matheson has been on the fence for 10 years, protecting his re-election chances instead of "putting Utah first". He has enabled the Obama/Pelosi/Reid agenda by voting with his party 92% of the time. He has not spoken up as this administration has made it crystal-clear that they can and will do anything they want - until we the people stop them. Join with me as we choose sides and lines are drawn. America has a destiny. It is to be the standard bearer of freedom and liberty. Ronald Reagan said that America is freedom's last stand. Help me get to DC and work to reclaim our great American legacy.
Thank you,

Morgan Philpot

Message from Congressman Jason Chaffetz

2010-03-23T09:52:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Democrats in the United States House of Representatives ignored the will of the American people and passed the final version of President Obama's health care reform bill. Despite our tireless efforts to stop it, we have just witnessed the government takeover of health care, complete with public funding for abortion, massive new tax increases and unconstitutional mandates on individuals.

Nancy Pelosi has promised that if they can kick through this door, more legislation will follow. Democrats in Congress have met the firm resistance of America on the other side of that door, but they have still managed to kick it open.The Democrats must be stopped.We need to slam the door on them and their destructive agenda.

If you're as fired up as I am, and you want to make a difference,please consider donating to my campaign for reelection. We must send a clear message to the powers in Washington, DC. They need to be reminded that they serve at the consent of the governed.

Under the false pretense of compassion Democrats have taken a commodity and proclaimed it to be a right. Many Members of Congress actually believe it is their duty to legislate new rights to the American people. But these so-called rights they concoct actuallystrip freedom from many in order to grant privileges to a few. They have either forgotten, or do not believe, that God gives people rights -- governments do not.

We cannot allow our federal government to strip from us more personal freedom and liberty. The Democrats in Congress, along with the President of the United States, have made it clear that they have no interest in what the American people want. They will not stop until they are fully satisfied or soundly defeated. With your help, we can fight back.

This health care debate has never really been about health care. For the Democrats in Washington, DC this debate is about power and control. For the rest of us, it's about preserving America, our way of life and our children's future.

Over the past fifteen months I have worked tirelessly to fight corruption, reign in federal spending and limit government intrusion into our lives. Please help me continue that fight by donating to my campaign for reelection. I cannot continue without your support.

Sincerely,

Congressman Jason Chaffetz

Tim Bridgewater Addresses WRC of SLC

2010-03-11T18:53:00.000-08:00

At our meeting this afternoon, we were pleased to have U.S. Senatorial candidate, Tim Bridgewater, address us. Below are some pictures of his visit.

February Meeting Minutes

2010-03-11T18:51:00.000-08:00

WRC of SLC

Meeting Minutes

February 11, 2010

Treasurer Report: 2010 draft budget will be presented to the club during the March 11, 2010 meeting.

Lincoln Day Dinner was a success for the SLCo GOP.

Speaker: U.S. Senatorial candidate Mike Lee

Mr. Lee indicated he is running for Senate because he believes, as do a LOT of other Americans, that the federal government is too big, too expensive and too intrusive in our lives. Mr. Lee discussed the deficit and how it is too large. He believes the citizens too much in taxes. He believes it’s immoral to add debt to our unborn children. Mr. Lee would like to see our government get back to using the US Constitution as the basis of our government. As a body, Congress hasn’t respected States’ rights and the People. They (elected officials) have taken an Oath to support the Constitution, but then they forget about it once elected. He would like to restore fiscal responsibility.

Club Business: We discussed the club’s sponsoring of new members. We have a couple of new members, too: Angie Randle and Blakely Bowers. As a club, we have agreed to sponsor new memberships and renewal memberships for inactives through June, 2010.

Our next meeting is on Thursday, March 11 at 12:00 PM at the Salt Lake Country Club. Our speaker will be US Senatorial candidate, Tim Bridgewater.

Meeting Reminder

2010-03-10T13:25:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder about tomorrow's meeting at the Salt Lake County Club. The meeting begins at 12PM. We will have an "on-time" drawing for those who arrive no later than 12:00. (Very cute prize!) U.S. Senatorial candidate, Tim Bridgewater, will begin speaking at 12:30PM. Also, on the agenda is the Camp Patriot Honor Event, as well as the proposed 2o10 WRC of SLC budget. I look forward to seeing many of you there! If you have any questions, or proposed agenda items, please let me know.

Salt Lake Country Club (Directions)

2010-03-06T18:58:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to the Salt Lake Country Club on Google maps. As you will see, the country club is just north of I-80, and about 1/2 mile west of Foothill Drive. The coordinates are approximately 2400 South and 2400 East.

The easiest way to get there is to head west on Parley's Way to the intersection of Parley's and 2300 East. Turn south on 2300 East and travel approximately three blocks. Turn left onto Country Club Drive (through the gates). The clubhouse is straight ahead.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2400+country+club,+country+club+drive,+salt+lake+city,+utah+84109&sll=40.715964,-111.820543&sspn=0.006603,0.014001&layer=t&ie=UTF8&hq=2400+country+club,&hnear=Country+Club+Dr,+Salt+Lake+City,+UT+84109&ll=40.718599,-111.822442&spn=0.006603,0.014001&t=h&z=17

Become a Member of the WRC of SLC

2010-03-03T20:57:00.000-08:00

All new members who join the WRC of SLC before June of this year will have their first year's dues ($35.00) paid for by the WRC of SLC. Simply click on the link below to download an application. Complete the application and bring it with you to next week's meeting. What are you waiting for? There's never been a better time to join the oldest women's Republican club in the nation!

WRC of SLC Membership Application

Upcoming Events

2010-03-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

This is a reminder of our next meeting on Thursday, March 11th at 12PM at the Salt Lake Country Club. Tim Bridgewater, U.S. Senatorial Candidate, will be addressing us. Please remember to invite a friend (or two!). I look forward to seeing you then. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thank you.
Also, caucuses are quickly approaching on March 23rd. Please mark your calendars and plan on attending. Watch your newspapers for publications of meeting locations. If you cannot remember which precinct you are in, go to www.slcogop.com where you can locate your precinct by entering your home address.