12:46 PM
The Mercer County Republican Central Committee held their Lincoln Day Dinner at the Mercer County VFW in Aledo on Saturday, February 20th. We were honored to have as our guest speaker, Robert Enriquez, Republican for Secretary of State. Mr. Enriquez spoke about the great free market and enterprise system in America. We take our freedom too much for granted and we must always take a moment to reflect on our freedom and just how important and cherished it is.
Mr Enriquez announced that if elected, he has chosen Andy Andrejewski, who ran for Governor, to coduct a forensic audit of the Secretary of State's operations. His sound management style will be a welcome change to Illinois.
We thank Robert for his commitment to the Republican Party in Illinois.Bobby Schilling, 17th Congressional Candidate also spoke along with all of us local candidates. We appreciate the kind support.
Pictures: above, left: Bobby Schilling, right: Robert Enriquez
below: left:BillHanford, Bobby Schilling campaign coordinator and Vicki Bull, candidate for Mercer County Clerk
right: Vicki Bull and Mike Bertelsen, Mercer County Treasurer and
Mercer County GOP Chairman
12:35 PM
- Pension Funding and Fairness Act. This requires borrowing early on, but would put pensions on a real path to full funding with all debt paid off by 2024.
- No more big spending! Wasteful pork is hurting us.... big time. See the 2010 Piglet Book for details.
- A three-year freeze on state spending The new study, due out in March, will show that spending in Illinois can be flat-lined.
- A full-fledged Illinois Performance Audit will be done which most likely will show the economic decline in Illinois started in 1970. Recommendations for change will reverse the course.
9:06 AM
I learned yesterday that the Republican candidate for Illinois Secretary of State is to be our guest speaker for our Lincoln Day Dinner. Robert Enriquez will be attending our dinner set for February 20 at 7 PM at the Mercer County VFW in Aledo. Tickets are $20 and if you would like some reserved for you e-mail me at mikebertelsen@westhamlet.com.
On February 4th Mr Enriquez unveiled his plan for the Secretary of State's office. He wants the Secretary of State database available to law enforcement agencies and wants cost reductions. We are pleased to have Mr. Enriquez available to us in Mercer County. He is a welcome addition to the Illinois Republican team!
8:24 AM
Since Bill Brady announced his candidacy eleven months ago today, he has criss-crossed the state countless times, logged thousands of miles in the air and on the road, and committed countless hours to getting his message out to the voters of Illinois.
There is no candidate who has worked harder in this campaign than Bill Brady. He's been out there proving to Republican voters that he's the true and proven conservative candidate in this election. He talks the talk and, unlike others, he has walked the walk-- from retooling his business in these tough economic times to casting the tough votes and standing up for his principles in the legislature.
Bill Brady is the true conservative in this race, with a proven track record on the issues that matter most to Republican voters.
As the only Downstate candidate in this election, Bill Brady offers a clean break from the Chicago-style politics and politicians of the past. He will run a transparent and trustworthy government, restoring Illinois integrity and image.
Bill Brady is the only candidate with business and legislative experience. Of all the candidates for Governor, Republican or Democrat, Bill Brady is the only one who has stood solidly and consistently against raising taxes. And, as Governor, he will continue to do so.
Bill Brady is also the only candidate to have earned the endorsement of both statewide pro-life groups, because he believes government has an obligation to protect innocent human life.
He is a consistent supporter and advocate of the Second Amendment. As a member of both the NRA and Illinois State Rifle Association, Bill Brady has fought efforts to weaken the Second Amendment with gun control laws, further restrictions on ownership and attempts to outlaw specific weapons.
Please take the time to vote for Bill Brady today, because you want a new direction for Illinois.
Take the time to vote for Bill Brady, because you want a Governor who can balance the budget and, like your business and family, won't spend money the state doesnt have.
Cast your vote for Bill Brady, because you want a Governor who will bring jobs back to Illinois and keep any more jobs from leaving the state.
Tell your family and friends to vote for Bill Brady, because it is time to end the culture of greed and corruption in Illinois politics and make our state a place we can be proud of again.
Vote today. The polls close at 7 p.m. Then join us at our Election Day celebration at the Bloomington Doubletree, 1 Brickyard Drive, Bloomington.
8:10 AM
Pat Brady, Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party made the statement after the State of the Union Address:
"After his agenda took a stunning defeat in Massachusetts, President Barack Obama claims he finally gets the message and has opted to join the American people in their anger. What he fails to understand is that the frustration stems directly from the leftward agenda he has tried to push through Congress despite the overwhelming protests of voters. They’re furious because the Obama Administration promised that his so-called $787 billion economic stimulus experiment would keep employment under eight percent, but today the national unemployment rate is ten percent and Illinois has lost over 193,000 jobs since Obama took office. They’re irate because rather than focusing on getting America back to work, his Administration has consistently tried to use the economic crisis as a means to pass his expensive liberal agenda of government-run health care and unsustainable budgets."
"It is clear that the President and his Democratic allies are playing politics, hoping that voters will have forgotten the billions of dollars that have been spent over the past year without any form of accountability. But personality is not enough to convince voters when the policies coming from this White House are so obviously flawed. But we have already seen that President Obama has no coattails in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts; three states that the President won in the fall of 2008. Illinois is next. If Democrats like Melissa Bean, Debbie Halvorson, Bill Foster, and Phil Hare continue to embrace his big-government agenda then they will soon find themselves into a forced retirement."