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NW Austin Republican Women

March 2012 Volume 2, Issue 3

Political ad paid for by the NWARW PAC, Susan Friedrich, Treasurer.

RNC Committeewoman Borah Van Dormolen to Address April 2 Meeting

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Borah Van Dormolen has traveled a long way since her early days as a student at West Chester College, Pennsylvania. In 1974, she enlisted in the U.S. Army and rose through the ranks retiring in 1997 after 23 years with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. She served in various command, staff and leadership positions, including a term as Professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. She was commander of logistics operations units for the U.S. Armys largest and most powerful military formations, including the famed 1st Cavalry Division and 13th Corps Support Command. She has served the Texas Federation of Republican Women (TFRW) as Vice President of Finance, Vice President of Legislation, Chairman of Leadership Development, District Director Coordinator and District Director of Senatorial District 24. During the TFRW State Convention in Corpus Christi, Borah was

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Van Dormolen to Address April 2 Meeting Update from Congressman Bill Flores Reporting Your Campaign Hours City of Austin Election is May 12 Update from NFRW RPT: ObamaCare Turns Two Recap of the Texas Railroad Commission Races Message from the President 1 1 2 3 3 3 5 6

elected President of the Federation for 2006 thru 2007. During the 77th Texas Legislature session, she served as Legislative Aide for State Representative Kent Grusendorf, (R-Dist. 94). Borah continues to be very active with the Bell County Republican Party. Borah is currently serving the Republican Party of Texas as National Committeewoman, representing Texas to the Republican National Committee.
For more about our April 2 meeting, please see page 6.

Cong. Flores Marks 2nd Anniversary of the Democrat Takeover of Healthcare

Americans are Still Not Celebrating Washingtons Healthcare Takeover
WASHINGTONU.S. Congressman Bill Flores (RTexas) released the following statement regarding the two year anniversary of President Obama signing the Democrat takeover of healthcare into law: Two years ago today the President and the Democrat controlled Congress failed the American people by passing and signing the budgetbusting, job-destroying healthcare reform into law. Americans are still not celebrating the fact that the government acted against the will of the people. Today, two-thirds of Americans believe the U.S. Supreme Court should throw out either the individual mandate in the healthcare law or repeal the law in its entirety. When I arrived in Congress one of my top priorities was to repeal the Democrat takeover of healthcare and replace it with common-sense reforms that lower costs, protect jobs, and protect the doctorpatient relationship. In the 112th Congress, House Republicans have passed 26 bills to repeal, defund, or dismantle the Democrat takeover of healthcare, which have unfortunately have died in the Democrat controlled Senate. Democrats have said that this legislation would create jobs, lower costs, and enable you to keep your own plan and doctor; we now know that these claims are false as we have had more time to study the bill and its effects. This is likely due to the fact Please see Congressman Flores on page 4

Page 2 Reporting Your Campaign Hours

By Dr. Rosemary Edwards, Campaign Activities Chair
Hello NW Austin Republican Women! I am starting my new role as your Campaign Activities Chairman and I want to get us started off on the 'right foot'! I would appreciate your cooperation in completing your campaign hours for this first quarter of the year and return it to me before the end of the month. My report is due on March 31 and it would be great to have some additional hours to report besides my own. And if you are looking for opportunities to get more hours, we have several projects at the TCRP Office this week that can use some extra hands to complete. Please call 302-1776 and talk with Carla or Sheila about how you might help us.

NWARW February Newsletter

Every little bit helps! Count your campaign hours and turn them in quarterly to our Campaign Activities Chairman. Help keep our club at the top of everyones go-to list for volunteers!

The form can be downloaded and completed or returned to be my e-mail (the link is at the end of this article). You may also drop it by the TCRP Office during our office hours which are Monday through Friday,10 am to 3 pm. The address is 7901 Cameron Road, Bldg. 3, Suite 202. Thanks so much for reporting your hours! Rosemary Campaign Hours Reporting Form Link: http://tfrw.org/pdf/Individual_Campaign_Hours_Repor ting_2011.pdf

City of Austin Election is May 12

Get informed and ready to VOTE!
The Texas primary isnt our first chance to vote in 2012 that honor belongs to the Austin City Council election being held on Saturday, May 12. We have been focused on statewide elections and on the national presidential primary, but what happens locally is extremely crucial. Please take a moment to look these candidates up and find out what they stand for, and plan to vote this May. Candidates that have filed for city council places are as follows (incumbents are bold): Mayor: Clay DaFoe, Lee Leffingwell, Brigid Shea Place 2: Mike Martinez, Laura Pressley Place 5: Tina Cannon, Dominic Chavez, David Conley, John Duffy, Robert "Bo" Prudente, John Rubine, Bill Spelman Place 6: Sheryl Cole, Shaun Ireland The election calendar for this election only is as follows (courtesy Travis County Elections): Saturday, May 12, 2012 Limited Uniform Election Date First day to apply for Ballot by Mail (does not apply to FPCA) Last day to register to vote First day of Early Voting in Person Last day to Apply for Ballot by Mail (received, not postmarked) Last day of Early Voting in Person Tuesday, March 13, 2012 Thursday, April 12, 2012 Monday, April 30, 2012 Friday, May 4, 2012 Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Please note if you are already registered to vote in Travis County, you do not need to register again. Voter registration cards will be mailed in April by the voter registrar. See you at the polling booth!

NWARW February Newsletter

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Update from the National Federation of Republican Women

Affirms GOP Support of Women at Spring Board Meeting
NEW ORLEANS More than 250 Republican women leaders from across the nation gathered at the National Federation of Republican Womens (NFRW) spring board meeting in New Orleans on March 1517 to prepare for the 2012 elections and to declare that the latest Democrat media strategy is just a cheap political ploy. Democrats are running around squawking about a Republican War on Women, NFRW President Rae Lynne Chornenky said. They are ignoring the indisputable fact that the NFRW has more than 75,000 female members whose leadership, influence, skill and passion for conservative principles form the backbone of our party, and have for more than 70 years. This liberal campaign scheme is clearly a sign of desperation and is simply not rooted in fact. Chornenky encouraged attendees to stand strong during this critical campaign year. It will take all of us, working as a unified team, to restore effective leadership to our great nation. We must elect a Republican president and U.S. Senate in November,

Our club is a federated chapter of the National Federation of Republican Women. Visit them online at http://www.nfrw.org

and maintain our numbers in the U.S. House and in state and local governments. In preparation for the elections, attendees participated in workshops on the national political landscape and on counteracting voter fraud. In addition, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal delivered an inspirational keynote address on why conservative initiatives are working in his state and across the nation. Founded in 1938, the NFRW has thousands of active Please see NFRW on page 4

ObamaCare Turns Two: A Message from the Republican Party of Texas

Two years ago, President Obama signed his massive government takeover of health care into law. You would think that the Texas liberal elite would be holding a massive celebration to herald the milestone. But they aren't. ObamaCare is so unpopular both nationally and here in the Lone Star State, that President Obama and Texas Democrats are completely ignoring the 2-year anniversary of his biggest piece of legislation. That's OK. We'll mark the occasion for them. And our own Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has a special birthday present for ObamaCare that he'll be delivering next week during arguments at the Please see ObamaCare on page 4 Despite the presidents promises, ObamaCare has left Texas undeniably worse off. Health care costs will continue to skyrocket into the foreseeable future, and Americans have less freedom to make their own health care decisions. Texas Republicans will be "celebrating" ObamaCare's unpopularity with voters from here until November. We are going to make sure Texans remember that during a recession the Democrats decided to pass a bill that has increased the debt, hurt small businesses, and made health care more expensive for families. U.S. Supreme Court.

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Congressman Flores from page 1
that then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi had stated we have to pass the bill to find out what is in it. Last week, the Congressional Budget Office released a disturbing report showing the Democrat takeover of healthcare will cost an astounding $1.76 trillion, nearly double its Congressman Bill Flores (Roriginal price tag. This legislation will Texas) subsequently force many companies and small businesses to give up their current healthcare plans, subjecting them to the costly new mandates which will increase premiums. Seeing such results places a great importance on the House to do whatever we

NWARW February Newsletter

can to ensure the Democrat takeover of healthcare is never implemented. The Presidents policies are failing and are continuing to harm families, job growth, and our economy. We must move forward and create better solutions that empower patients and families to make their own healthcare decisions. Congressman Bill Flores represents the 17th District of Texas and is an entrepreneur, former energy executive, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and member of the House Budget, Natural Resources and Veterans Affairs Committees.

ObamaCare from page 3

Under ObamaCare, Texas families will pay more for health care, and taxpayers will foot the bill for increased government spending. Unaccountable government bureaucrats will make decisions once left to patients and their doctors. Millions could lose the insurance they receive from their employers, even though President Obama promised that would never happen. We cannot afford ObamaCare. Its mandates and regulations are bad for small business and economically destructive. Texas needs marketbased solutions to rising health care costs, not a budget-busting one-size-fits-all Big Government law. The RPT will be working all year long to keep voters informed about what's at stake in this election, and putting an end to ObamaCare is one of the key messages for Republican victory in November. This socalled "signature" piece of legislation is an albatross around the neck of the President and the entire Democrat ticket in Texas. Help us spread the word by supporting the RPT with a contribution so that we can keep on the offense throughout 2012.

Remember to tell VP Cassie Daniel if you join the RPT Grassroots Club! Our club goal is 50% or greater!

NFRW from page 3

Live in Travis County? Want to serve as an election judge or clerk for the primary or general election? Contact Lisa Messana with the Travis County Republican Party at lmessana.tcrp@gmail.com

members in local clubs across the nation and in several U.S. territories, making it one of the largest womens political organizations in the country. The grassroots organization works to promote the principles and objectives of the Republican Party, elect Republican candidates, inform the public through political education and activity, and increase the effectiveness of women in the cause of good government. For more information about the NFRW, visit www.nfrw.org.

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Messages from the Executive Committee

This month, were recapping the Texas Railroad Commission races.

The Mamie Eisenhower Literacy Project

Our clubs traditional focus is on education and literacy. In an effort to expand our outreach, we are participating in the Mamie Eisenhower Library Project. Each month, we will donate a book on conservative issues or personalities to a local library, on behalf of our guest speaker.

We have had several months worth of speeches from the candidates for Texas Railroad Commissioner. We do appreciate your patience when we began, there were only a handful of candidates in the race. By the time we heard from Commissioner Smitherman in March, there were two races for Railroad Commissioner, and a total of ten candidates between the two races. Hopefully weve all learned a lot and will vote in these two primary races with confidence! The Railroad Commission deals with a variety of issues related to oil and gas, and our commissioners are often on the frontline of debates and issues such as environmental protection, private property rights, job growth in the oil and gas industry, natural gas pipeline safety, and so on. One major issue we learned a lot about was hydraulic fracturing (or fracking/fracing). By popular request, here is a breakdown of the two races with links to candidate information (if available). Railroad Commissioner (unexpired term): This is the seat that was previously held by Michael Williams, and is currently held by appointee Barry Smitherman. The candidates are: Al Lee (http://www.alleetx.com/)

MELP is the National Federation of Republican Womens oldest literacy program, celebrating more than 45 years of book donations from an approved list to schools and libraries.

Elizabeth Murray-Kolb (no website) Greg Parker (http://www.parkerfortexas.com/) Barry Smitherman (Incumbent) (http://www.smithermantx.com/) Railroad Commissioner: Elizabeth Ames Jones decided not to seek another term as Railroad Commissioner, and several candidates are seeking the nomination. They are: Becky Berger (http://www.beckybergerfortexas.com/) Beryl Burgess (http://www.berylburgesstexasrailroadcommissionercandidate.com/) Warren Chisum (http://www.chisumfortexas.com/) Joe Cotton (no website) Christi Craddick (http://www.christicraddick.com/) Roland Sledge (http://www.rolandsledge.com/) You can find out who all the candidates are on the primary ballot in Travis County by going to the Travis County Republican Party website here: http://www.traviscountygop.org/blog/ballot-order.html

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NWARW February Newsletter

A Message from the President

RSVP by March 29 http://www.nwarw.org or email Susan at skfriedrich@austin.rr.com NW Austin Republican Women April 2012 Meeting Guest Speaker: RNC Committeewoman Borah Van Dormolen Lunch is $16 Sweet Apple Pecan Salad w/ Chicken Social at 11:!5am, Meeting at 11:45am Dave & Busters, 9333 Research (183/MoPac)
I was so excited to see so many of you at our March meeting! We filled every table on the lower level of the We had a great many It was a very full and Our speaker, room we use at Dave & Busters. way up the ballot to Congress!

candidates come, running for races from city council all the informative meeting, and I think Im safe in promising that our April meeting will be just the same. Borah Van Dormolen, is a familiar face to many of you, and shes going to give us the low-down on the Republican delegate process for the national convention. This is one of the hottest topics in national news and as party Republicans, it affects us all it may have a great impact this year on who our nominee to defeat the incumbent President will be. I hope you can make it, and of course BRING A FRIEND! Speaking of bringing a friend, I hope to see you at our fundraiser at the California Pizza Kitchen in the Domain this Thursday evening, March 29. Well be there from 6pm to 9pm, and 20% of all purchases made will be donated to our club. Its a low-key atmosphere, too, for meeting the candidates who are coming a chance for face-to-face conversation with them! You wont want to miss this and youll be helping our club at the same time. In this months newsletter, I included an update from one of them, Republican 17th Congressman Bill Flores. He represents the District, which now extends into the

2012 Officers
President Michele Samuelson Vice President Cassie Daniel 1st VP Membership Jen Stratton 2nd VP Programs Joyce Melugin Treasurer Susan Friedrich Recording Secretary Rhonda Murphy Corresponding Secretary Cherri Spradling Chaplain Chris Sale

northern portion of Travis County. Hes the gentleman who defeated long-time liberal Democrat incumbent Chet Edwards in 2010 and were happy to welcome him to Travis County! Republican Congressmen Lamar Smith and Michael McCaul, and Democrat Lloyd Doggett, are all still in the county as well. If you are in Travis County, you can find out which districts you live in at this website:
http://www.traviscountytax.org/showVoterSearch.do

Committee Chairmen
Campaign Activities Dr. Rosemary Edwards Caring for America Evelyn Farmer Fundraising Cassie Daniel Historian Carolyn Isbell Hospitality Elaine Lehmann Legislative Murlene Johnston Telephone Carol Gontko

(In Williamson County, there were changes as well please see me if youre curious to know where you ended up). I hope to see you all Thursday evening and again on

We are in need of chairmen for Awards and By-Laws please see Michele if interested

Monday!

Michele Samuelson 2011-2012 NWARW President