Tax Day Tea Party April 15, 2009 Join the Chicago Young Republicans on April 15th as they re-enact their very own tea party aboard Chicago's Tall Ship Windy, the largest sailing ship in the county! Big John and Cisco Cotto of WIND560-AM host along with other VIP guests will attend. Come out and let your voices be heard! A Tax Day Tea Party Shore Event will also be held at the Billy Goat Tavern on Navy Pier next to Tall Ship Windy's dock. This event will go from 4:30-9:00pm and is free with a cash bar. Click here for more details. The Chicago Republican Women's Network will have Congressman Peter Roskam from the 6th Congressional District speak tat their Annual Tax Freedom Reception.  He will talk about the budget, the stimulus, TARP and other issues going on in Washington.  The details are as follows: CRWN Annual Tax Freedom Day Reception Special guest Congressman Peter Roskam Monday, April 20, 2009 English, 444 N. La Salle, 3rd Fl. Chicago, 6 to 8 pm Cash bar, hors d'oeuvres Free for members, $10 for non-members RSVP to events@crwn.org or reply to this email The Republican Organization of Elk Grove Township is Hosting a Screening of 33 - Minutes"A documentary on Missile Defense. Saturday, April 18, 2009 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Classic Cinemas Theater 1050 Arlington Heights Rd., Elk Grove Village Please RSVP by Wed., April 15 at www.roegt.org or (847)376-2757. The Jackson $5 Million? Chicago Sun-Times - 4/13/2009 Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's camp was told last year that U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) would raise up to $5 million in campaign cash for the ex-governor if he was appointed to President Obama's U.S. Senate seat, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.. ...read more... On Tax Day...Peraica to introduce repeal of the County Sales Tax Hike Click here to read more... Republican State Senator says colleagues need alternative budget plan Chicago Tribune - 4/11/09 Republican Sen. Matt Murphy of Palatine argues the GOP's Senate minority should consider coming up with its own alternative to Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn's spending plan if it wants to be able to legitimately argue that state government doesn't need a tax increase.....read more... Judy Topinka ponders come-back bid Crains Chicago Business - 4/13/09 The last Republican to hold statewide office in Illinois is pondering a come-back bid. Confirming chatter among GOP insiders, former state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka says she has been asked and is considering running in the 2010 elections, most likely either for her old job or for Illinois comptroller...read more... Card Check Stalls Chicago Tribune Editorial-4/9//09 The spectacularly misnamed Employee Free Choice Act looked to be cruising toward a victory in the U.S. Senate until Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) had an epiphany. The bill would essentially strip workers of the right to decide by a secret ballot if they want to have union representation. It would trigger union certification once a majority of employees checked a form saying they wanted to create a bargaining unit. The fear: that union organizers would pressure workers to make a very public declaration through the card check, whether or not they truly wanted a union.....read more... Todd Stroger candidly explains cigarette tax Chicago Tribune - 4/5/09 Great moments in candor: The subject was ever-increasing cigarette taxes, and the guest on WGN-AM 720 Wednesday morning was Cook County Board President Todd Stroger. Host John Williams asked: Isn't it unfair to keep targeting smokers with tax increases? "That is the American way," Stroger replied. "And the way that it's generally done is, you find some group that's small enough where they can't beat you up, and you tax them and you tell everybody else, 'See? We didn't tax you.' "