STOP2006
Is this organization just waiting to be touched by the monolith?
As a Stanley Kubrick fan (although, I never understood Eyes Wide Shut) I always love 2001: A Space Odyssey. My favorite part is when the monkeys are around the mysterious black monolith and they are touched by a spark of intelligence, which evolves them, enabling them to kick some major pre-human monkey butt.
Darwinism/Intelligent design argument on South Dakota Lawyer aside, what got me thinking of all of this is looking at the success of the efforts of Bill Napoli's group in collecting the signatures for the STOP2006 petitions.
I've noted a couple of times that much like the MAINstream Moderate Group, there had been a group of conservative Republicans who had bonded together. And it only lasted a few months before it fizzled out.
But now we have STOP2006, a new effort rising from the political gene pool, which seems to be kicking some butt in the signature collection department. Right off, they are more active than the prior conservative group. I get e-mail updates from them at the rate of about one every week or so.
That's much more than I hear from the MAINstream group at the moment. And it's more than I hear from Ron Williamson's e-mail newsletter, the Great Plains Public Policy Institute (Which you can subscribe to by sending a note to ron.williamson(at) greatplainsppi.org or sign up at the website at http://www.greatplainsppi.org). And note to the SPPPI, I do enjoy getting these.
Clearly, this group is fired up, kicking tail and taking names one signature at a time. If STOP2006 can pull things together for a successful election run, they might be on the cusp of significantly affecting tax policy in SD. If they can come through one election and remain unified for going after more taxation/appropriation issues, they might be on the verge of evolving into something much more.
Why do I think as I do? I was reading a magazine the other day, Budget and Tax News, and in there, I noticed an advertisement for the Taxpayers League of Minnesota (www.taxpayersleague.org). And it really got my attention, because it sounds so much like what I know of people involved in the STOP2006 movement. Read their manifesto:
In Minnesota, this outfit comes up with legislative scorecards, a weekly radio show, educational brochures, etc. Check out the link of "No New Tax" pledge signers. They've clearly got the attention of the movers and shakers in that state. Could this be the future of STOP2006 after it's touched by the monolith?
Most times, these ballot initiative movements fizzle off into the background after their job is done. But most movements don't have Bill Napoli behind them. I noted in an earlier post that bill had assembled some impressive conservatives working to move his group forward. Bill might be abruptly candid at times, but he knows his conservative issues. And it looks like he now knows how to successfully mobilize and energize a team with a similar mind-set.
They very well could pull out a win in 2006. And if STOP2006 passes, do you really think they are going to STOP there? We'll have to wait and see.
Darwinism/Intelligent design argument on South Dakota Lawyer aside, what got me thinking of all of this is looking at the success of the efforts of Bill Napoli's group in collecting the signatures for the STOP2006 petitions.
I've noted a couple of times that much like the MAINstream Moderate Group, there had been a group of conservative Republicans who had bonded together. And it only lasted a few months before it fizzled out.
But now we have STOP2006, a new effort rising from the political gene pool, which seems to be kicking some butt in the signature collection department. Right off, they are more active than the prior conservative group. I get e-mail updates from them at the rate of about one every week or so.
That's much more than I hear from the MAINstream group at the moment. And it's more than I hear from Ron Williamson's e-mail newsletter, the Great Plains Public Policy Institute (Which you can subscribe to by sending a note to ron.williamson(at) greatplainsppi.org or sign up at the website at http://www.greatplainsppi.org). And note to the SPPPI, I do enjoy getting these.
Clearly, this group is fired up, kicking tail and taking names one signature at a time. If STOP2006 can pull things together for a successful election run, they might be on the cusp of significantly affecting tax policy in SD. If they can come through one election and remain unified for going after more taxation/appropriation issues, they might be on the verge of evolving into something much more.
Why do I think as I do? I was reading a magazine the other day, Budget and Tax News, and in there, I noticed an advertisement for the Taxpayers League of Minnesota (www.taxpayersleague.org). And it really got my attention, because it sounds so much like what I know of people involved in the STOP2006 movement. Read their manifesto:
About the Taxpayers League of MinnesotaI sense a strong similarity here. "Lower taxes, limited government and full empowerment of taxpaying citizens in accordance with Constitutional principles?" That almost sounds like a plank out of the Republican platform.The Taxpayers League of Minnesota is a nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots taxpayer advocacy organization which fights for lower taxes, limited government and full empowerment of taxpaying citizens in accordance with Constitutional principles.
The Taxpayers League's mission is to represent Minnesotans who believe in limited government, low taxation, local control, free enterprise and the Constitutional principles set out by our nation's founders.
The Taxpayers League is fighting to reduce and reform taxation, eliminate government waste, and improve efficiency. It serves as a strong voice for all taxpaying citizens in Minnesota.
In Minnesota, this outfit comes up with legislative scorecards, a weekly radio show, educational brochures, etc. Check out the link of "No New Tax" pledge signers. They've clearly got the attention of the movers and shakers in that state. Could this be the future of STOP2006 after it's touched by the monolith?
Most times, these ballot initiative movements fizzle off into the background after their job is done. But most movements don't have Bill Napoli behind them. I noted in an earlier post that bill had assembled some impressive conservatives working to move his group forward. Bill might be abruptly candid at times, but he knows his conservative issues. And it looks like he now knows how to successfully mobilize and energize a team with a similar mind-set.
They very well could pull out a win in 2006. And if STOP2006 passes, do you really think they are going to STOP there? We'll have to wait and see.
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