A little bit about this great organization:

Common Ground America is a multi-year effort to establish active chapters in every legislative district in each state. In Texas, for instance, there are 150 districts with elected representatives in the state legislature. The goal of Common Ground Texas will be to have 150 chapters in the state of Texas by the end of 2012. Simultaneously, as we grow and learn, we will expand Common Ground into other states, with goal objective of having at least one chapter in every state by November 2012.

What is the role of a Common Ground chapter? Essentially to act as a liaison to elected officials, principally state reps and senators. This will mean establishing working, cooperative relationships with not only the elected officials but also their staffs in order to advance legislation in keeping with CGA’s principles and values. The chapter will act as a watchdog to ensure that legislators are acting in keeping with the wishes of their constituents, so a chapter leader will need to have the ability to accurately reflect the views of the residents in that district and effectively communicate those views to elected officials.

Ideally, a chapter leader will have the ability to recruit others to assist in the process and grow the chapter so that it develops relationships with other elected officials within its domain: city council members, local school boards, mayors, county commissioners, judges – anyone conducting the people’s business.

What will it take to be an effective chapter leader? Foremost, the ability to persuade on a non-partisan basis. There is much misinformation disseminated about particular bills and the legislative process, misinformation based primarily on rumor and misunderstanding, some of it deliberate. A Common Ground chapter must be seen as an accurate and unbiased source of information so that voters can be fully informed about what is happening in their state capitol, county court or city hall.

The ultimate goal will be for CGA to be a national organization influencing policy decisions not only in city hall but in Washington DC. CGA will raise and spend money in support of candidates who believe in limited government, individual liberty and personal responsibility.

Check out the website: www.commongroundamerica.com