On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Lincoln Club of Fresno County, I want to thank you for your continued support of Central California’s most important political action committee. It is time to renew your annual dues, and enclosed you will find a reminder. We appreciate your generous contributions to our organization, which help us achieve our objectives.

2006 was a challenging year for Republicans, and much of it a result of the lack of leadership at the state and federal levels. When core principles are abandoned, such as limited government, border security and problem solving, our voters had no incentive to go to the polls. And in November, they stayed home in droves. Although the Governor was re-elected, he ran on largely principles inconsistent with those of our Party. One shining light in the election was Steve Poizner being elected insurance commissioner, a victory we can build on.

Locally, you funded a radio campaign in which over 171,000 people visited the Lincoln Club website and downloaded our voter guide! Our site become the most visited political website in Central California during the election season; a small victory we can be proud of!

2007 will be a year of opportunity, challenges and growth. There are a large number of policy issues facing the region and the state this year. With the Presidential campaigns already starting, we are working diligently to provide you with exclusive Member-Only events. In addition, this is a year where we have serious discussions with our elected officials and candidates about where the GOP is going. Not only are we going to be a part of that discussion – we are going to lead it.

You will also notice that we are slightly restructuring our membership levels and organization this year. 2008 will be an extremely eventful year. It is our mission to build the organization financially, and to double our membership in order to reach our goals. These goals include:

There are many other reasons to maintain your membership in the Lincoln Club as well. While we meet approximately four times annually, the luncheon programs are timely, interesting and beneficial to all who attend. This past year we had guests including Assembly Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, Federation for Immigration Reform representative Ira Mehlman, and Republican pollster Steve Kinney, and Fresno Unified Superintendent Michael Hanson.

We have established our calendar for 2007 and it promises to be an exciting year. We have set dates for four luncheons already, and are planning an inaugural dinner in December featuring a high-profile speaker, which will sure to be the event of the year. This is the year to join!

With Federal and State races already decided for the coming year it is time to think and act locally. Your support will help impact County, City and School Board governance, and improve the quality of our representation at all levels of government.

Preserve the gains we have made in the past year by renewing your membership in the Lincoln Club of Fresno County today. Should you have any questions, please contact our Membership and Events Coordinator, Ashley Aluisi, at (559) 240-0727 or aaluisi@gmail.com. Or feel free to contact me directly at mike@fresnolincolnclub.org. We look forward to your involvement in 2007.