Americans for Prosperity

Dear Myron,

This morning I write to you from Sacramento, CA where last night hundreds of fired-up grassroots activists attened the Americans for Prosperity Foundation's Defending the American Dream Summit®. CLICK here for pictures.

Today, hundreds of thousands of Americans will stand up for freedom by participating in hundreds of tea parties across our great nation. Hopefully, you're heading out to an event near you!

I'll be at Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Arizona for the big tea party there. If you're there, make sure you come up and say hello.

This Tax Day, we face big challenges.

* The new Obama/Pelosi/Reid health care takeover includes almost $564 billion in new taxes on American families and businesses.

* If the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire on December 31 of this year (and President Obama and Speaker Pelosi say that is their intention), then we will see an almost $1-trillion tax increase.

* The Death Tax will come roaring back. The best news about today's tax day is that for the first time in 94 years, death is not a taxable event in America. Unfortunately, Democrats want to bring back the death tax at an outrageous 55% rate!

* The top personal income tax rate will go back up to 39.6%. Taxes will skyrocket on capital gains.

* 47% of Americans no longer pay personal income taxes due to policies coming out of Washington, D.C., and it's not surprising that the burden on the remaining most productive Americans keeps going up.

* You would think all this taxing means a balanced budget. Of course, you would be wrong. The federal budget deficit this year is expected to end up over $1.5 trillion.

Not surprisingly, all this taxing and spending is killing prosperity for Americans. In fact, personal income is down 3.2% since President Obama took office when you exclude government handouts. It's the same old story. As government advances, opportunity and economic prosperity for Americans recedes.

Thankfully, a majority of our fellow Americans are joining with us to turn things around. Here in California, the energy is electric. Tonight I talked to grassroots activists and tea party leaders who are spearheading the drive for freedom in our biggest state, and they are on a roll. Trust me when I say this: liberal icon Senator Barbara Boxer is in trouble. After 28 years of radical left-wing votes, and after demonstrating her arrogance (remember when she scolded an American Army General telling him to call her "Senator" when he dared to call her "Ma'am"), I believe it's clear the people have had enough of her.

We're starting to win and the Left knows it. I do not often quote the late Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi, but speaking of his own country's fight from freedom from Great Britain he said the following: "First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win."

Gandhi may have been speaking decades ago, but he summed up where we stand pretty darned well.

So this Tax Day, be of good cheer. Keep up the fight. Endure assaults from the Left with the knowledge that the Left's slurs and attacks only show their weakness and desperation.

Our ideas matter. And, the dedicated work of grassroots leaders like you matters.


Tim

PS: Please send along your pictures and thoughts on today's tea parties across the nation. Send them to me here at this address or post them on our Facebook Fan Page here.

Thanks for all you're doing. Much lies ahead.
Like what Americans for Prosperity is doing? Invest in our work by clicking here. We're supported by our more than one million citizen-activists nationwide. Your contribution in any amount will go a long way in promoting free-market policies at all levels of government - local, state and federal. Thanks!


Americans for Prosperity® (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual's right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits. AFP has more than one million members, including members in all 50 states, and 30 state chapters and affiliates. More than 60,000 Americans in all 50 states have made a financial investment in AFP or AFP Foundation. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org