SEIA Response to the State of the Union Address

Solar industry already playing a role in economic recovery, creating jobs

WASHINGTON, DC – Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) President and CEO Rhone Resch today released the following statement in response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address:

“Tonight President Obama focused on the issues most important to American families: jobs and economic security. Nothing is more important than the peace of mind that comes from a good, secure job.  And today, the solar industry is providing these jobs for the American people. In fact, thanks to provisions in the recovery act, our industry grew by almost 40 percent in 2009, creating 18,000 jobs across the country in areas hardest hit by the recession, like our manufacturing centers in the Midwest. These are high quality jobs in communities across the country.  Jobs that can’t be outsourced overseas and that put our tradesman back to work installing solar on home, businesses and building the next generation of solar power plants.  In addition to providing a quality salary and benefits, the solar industry is bringing back a sense of pride in the American workforce.

“The solar industry is proud to be playing its role in helping America get back on its feet. But we also want to keep working with the Obama Administration and Congress to make sure the right policies are in place for the solar industry to continue to grow and provide the opportunity for all Americans to go solar.”

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About SEIA:
Established in 1974, the Solar Energy Industries Association is the national trade association of solar energy industry. As the voice of the industry, SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies to make solar a mainstream and significant energy source by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy.  Learn more at www.seia.org.    
 
Follow SEIA President & CEO Rhone Resch on Twitter: http://twitter.com/RhoneResch
See SEIA on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/thesolarindustry) and become a fan on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Solar-Energy-Industries-Association/112495296809). Read the Solar Bill of Rights at http://www.SolarBillofRights.org. 

Statement by MN Gov Pawlenty on Obama's Address

“While I disagree with his proposed direction, I agree with President Obama that education, health care and the deficit are critical challenges for our country. Our nation’s debt is a growing crisis that puts the country’s security at risk. Freezing some spending won’t solve the crisis – we need to actually cut spending. If we set priorities, make tough choices and reject tax hikes, we can create jobs without continuing to run up irresponsible debt.

“In the long run, our schools simply must do a better job of educating children if America is going to remain competitive. That’s why I’ve pushed to hold teachers accountable with a groundbreaking performance-pay system in Minnesota – reforms that I hope the President will push nationwide.

“Minnesota has also led the way on health care, passing reforms to move the system towards paying for and achieving better health care outcomes. Democrats should listen to voters, stop pushing a government-takeover of health care, and join with Republicans to pass reforms that will cut health care costs.”

AFP - Be a Part of the State of the Union

PLEASE Join us for the State of the Union …

Good Morning,

As you all know, President Obama is going to deliver his State of the Union (SOTU) address tomorrow night (Wednesday). Accordingly, I could think of no better way to spend my night than watching the rhetoric from Washington, with my friends from AFP.

AFP Foundation – New Hampshire will host a SOTU watch party for our friends. Buffet style food and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided free of charge.

What: State of the Union watching party
Where: The Draft Sports Bar and Grill, 67 South Main Street, Concord, NH
When: Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Time: Beginning at 8:00 PM

If you would like to attend, please register at http://afpsotu.eventbrite.com/. Your registration will help us ensure there is enough food for everyone.

The media will also be invited to this public event. Be sure to bring a friend and be ready to give your opinions of the President’s remarks.

Look forward to seeing you on Wednesday.

Corey R. Lewandowski
State Director
Americans for Prosperity – New Hampshire

AFP - Have Your Voice Heard at the State of the Union

This Wednesday evening, President Obama will deliver his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at a crucial time for our free market principles and our nation.

Due to the hard work of folks like you and the American people's strong voice, the president's health care takeover has been slowed.  As a result of his liberal agenda, the president's personal poll numbers are among the lowest for any president just finishing a first year in the White House. 

But, Wednesday night the president will attempt to redefine the health care issue, and really, his entire presidency.

We must make sure our message is heard on this crucial night -- by members of Congress and the media.

So Americans for Prosperity is hosting town hall meetings across the nation on Wednesday night beginning one hour before President Obama speaks.  CLICK HERE FOR LOCATIONS AND TO JOIN US

I hope you'll join grassroots activists like yourself to hear our "pre-response" to the president's speech and to send a message that this attempted big-government health care takeover must end now.   Then, we'll settle in together and watch President Obama's speech, after which you will have the opportunity to respond during a question and comment period. 

If you cannot join us in person, please go online to AmericansforProsperity.org at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time to see a live video stream of our anchor town hall meeting from the great state of Arkansas.  I'll be there with local and national speakers to deliver our message.

This weekend I looked at President Obama's address to Congress last January.  In the opening minute he promised to focus on job creation and getting our economy moving again.  But, sadly he's broken his promises, focusing instead on a big government agenda that:

* Passed a $787-billion "stimulus" bill that simply poured more money we don't have into pet projects and to political allies.  The president promised his "stimulus" bill would ensure that unemployment did not go above 8%, but today unemployment stands at 10% and real unemployment at 17%, according to Department of Labor numbers.

* Called for cap-and-trade legislation that will raise taxes on gasoline and utility bills, kill hundreds of thousands of jobs, and encroach on the freedoms of Americans as they live their daily lives -- all in the name of a global warming ideology that is called into question more and more each day. 

* Passed a fiscal year 2010 budget that raised non-defense discretionary spending by 12% at a time when American families and businesses are having to cut back their budgets.

* And, with jobs being lost and Americans deeply concerned about government spending and our economy's future -- the president actually decided his top priority was to try and spend trillions on a government health care takeover that would reduce patient choice, hurt the quality of our health care and create over 100 new government agencies with tens of thousands of new federal bureaucrats.

We've got to make sure the record of this president is brought before Americans this Wednesday night as he delivers his State of the Union speech, because this health care battle is not over.   

In fact, it's at an important point with Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid still saying they want to move forward with an aggressive health care bill.

Your hard work and sacrifice have won us some breathing room to protect our freedoms.  But Wednesday night is a big night for us as well as the president. 

Send a message to your members of Congress and to the media that free-market activists are calling for an end to this attempted health care takeover.  And, we're calling for the president and Congress to end their big-government, big-spending, tax-increasing ways NOW. 

Tim Phillips

PS:  Stay in the fight and have some fun as well.  Join us this Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time for one of our Americans for Prosperity town hall meetings.  CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS and to let us know you'll join us either in person or online this Wednesday.

One last thing.  The president has recently attempted to shift the focus from his big-government agenda by attacking fellow Americans with overheated populist rhetoric that seeks to find villains instead of solutions.  It's a tired old tactic from the Left -- remember Al Gore doing it in the closing days of the 2000 campaign?  But, we'll also be urging the president to end these negative attacks.