2009 Pennsylvania
Leadership Conference

Putting the Taxpayer First

Moderator:

Jim Broussard, Citizens Against Higher Taxes

Panelists:

Joe Hillard, Freedom Works

Charlie Gerow, Quantum Communications

Mike Folmer, State Senator

Pete Sepp, National Taxpayers Union

Saturday, March 28, 2009

9:30 - 10:30 am

Moderator:


Jim Broussard

• Jim Broussard, Citizens Against Higher Taxes (click for bio)

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Dr. James H. Broussard is professor of History and former chairman of the department, at Lebanon Valley College. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Duke University, and has taught at several colleges before coming to LVC in 1983. He founded and was first president and then executive director of the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic. He has published a book on The Southern Federalists (Louisiana State University Press) and several articles on American political history.

In 1989 he founded Citizens Against Higher Taxes and for the last sixteen years has worked to elect pro-taxpayer candidates to the legislature and state office and to enact legislation to control spending, reduce taxes, and expand taxpayer rights. His current major priorities are to eliminate the school property tax, give taxpayers the right to vote on school tax increases, and pass a Taxpayer Bill of Rights in Pennsylvania. Citizens Against Higher Taxes also works with local taxpayer groups around the state to elect pro-taxpayer school board members.

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Panelists:

Joe Hilliard

• Joe Hilliard, Freedom Works (click for bio)

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Joe Hilliard has been active in politics and campaigns for more than twenty-five years. President Ronald Reagan and Joe's extensive research of the Founding Fathers ignited his passion for limited government principles.

Joe has a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Industrial Engineering from Lehigh University. In 2001, he left the corporate world to become a full-time activist for his political principles. He applies his engineering skills to analyze many aspects of government operations and policies.

Since 2004, Joe has been active with Freedom Works and is currently Field Coordinator for Pennsylvania. Joe has organized "Citizen Action Groups" that analyze local government policies and fiscal impacts. This information educates voters to change politician's decision-making and policies. Joe frequently comments, "If you can't change city hall, you won't change capitol hill."

Joe is a regular contributor for the Lehigh Valley Poliblog and a local newspaper "The Lehigh Valley Commentator".

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Charlie Gerow

• Charlie Gerow, Quantum Communications (click for bio)

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Charlie Gerow is a longtime conservative leader in Pennsylvania and a founder of the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference. Two decades ago Human Events called him "one of the state's most able and durable conservative spear carriers." National Review calls him "a prominent conservative."

A graduate of the Villanova University School of Law, Charlie began his career working for then Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan. Charlie continued his association with the Reagan family for more than 25 years. He is a Founders Club member of the Reagan Alumni Association.

Nationally sought after as a speaker, Charlie regularly appears in statewide and national media. He is the political analyst for WHP TV-21, the Harrisburg CBS affiliate.

Charlie serves on the Board of Directors of the American Conservative Union, the Nation’s most prestigious conservative organization, and on the board of the Freedom’s Foundation at Valley Forge and the Keystone State Games.

Charlie is the CEO of Quantum Communications, a Harrisburg based public relations and public advocacy firm.

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Mike Folmer

• Sen. Mike Folmer, PA State Senator (click for bio)

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Mike Folmer is a State Senator representing the 48th District. Since taking office in 2006, Senator Folmer has worked to advance his "Promise to Pennsylvania", Legislative Reform, Political Reform, Tax and Spending Reform, and Legal & Labor Law Reform.

In just his first year in office, Senator Folmer had an initiative signed into law: Act 76, which both expanded the rights of foster children and foster parents and saved Pennsylvania taxpayers $300 Million in federal funding. Senator Folmer has had a number of other bills passed by the full Senate.

Senator Folmer was born January 2, 1956 and he is a lifelong resident of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Senator Folmer has worked as a small businessman and financial consultant. In 1975, Mike married his high school sweetheart, Sheila. Three years later, he graduated from Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana with a bachelor's degree in history.

Senator Folmer and his family are members of the Church of the Servant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Palmyra where he teaches a children's Sunday School class. The Folmer's have two grown children, Michael and Elizabeth, and are proud grandparents.

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Pete Sepp

• Pete Sepp, National Taxpayers Union (click for bio)

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As Vice President for Policy and Communications, Pete Sepp has helped to develop the 362,000-member National Taxpayers Union's (NTU) public relations, promotional, and government affairs strategies. He oversees a library of statistics, commentaries, and other information, and lends technical advice and tactical assistance to state and local taxpayer organizations.

He has written and edited numerous publications including studies on Congressional perquisites and citizen-initiated tax revolts. He has testified before Congress on matters ranging from Government-Sponsored Enterprises to Medicare's finances, and has lectured in the U.S. and abroad on issues such as tax administration reform. Sepp is Editor-in-Chief of NTU's award-winning periodicals, Dollars & Sense and Capital Ideas.

Sepp has appeared on every major television network, is a frequent guest on radio programs, and has been widely featured in print media. He has also survived two appearances on "The Daily Show" with his professional reputation just barely intact.

Sepp graduated cum laude from Webster University in St. Louis, MO with a B.A. in History and Political Science. Before coming to NTU, Sepp served with the St. Louis County Board of Elections and the Kit Bond for Senate Committee.

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