Dear Friends,

What a year 2009 has been. Our free enterprise system, which made us the most powerful and prosperous country in history, has been under constant assault. We have all been astounded by the sheer number of bad bills and initiatives coming out of Congress and the NC legislature. Individual economic freedom, which we cherish, is under attack.

At the same time, though, Americans have stepped up to the plate to stop this onslaught. People who have never been involved in politics in their entire life have now become activists because they know they have to do something. This year, Americans for Prosperity has grown astronomically in membership. Why? Because citizens are looking for a place to turn to join others and fight for this country.

So as 2009 comes to an end, we want to thank you for standing shoulder to shoulder with us as we try to defend ourselves from a federal government bent on destroying America as we know it. We have rallied, petitioned, called, emailed, and visited our elected officials in great numbers. With your help, we have tried to stem the tide and slow down the march toward socialism.

Some of the year’s highlights are below:

Card Check - The Employee Free Choice Act: Update: A great victory! The so-called card-check provision — which senators decided to scrap to help secure a filibuster-proof 60 votes — would have required employers to recognize a union as soon as a majority of workers signed cards saying they wanted a union. This has been taken out of the bill. Binding arbitration, unfortunately, is still in the bill and we will have to continue to fight this in 2010. Click Here for highlights on the Save My Ballot Tour.

North Carolina Coastal Conservative Conference: AFP partnered with a conservative coalition from southeast North Carolina and it resulted in a tremendous and historic gathering of hundreds of conservative activists in Wilmington.

The Year of the Tea Party: None of us will ever forget the year when citizens came out of the woodwork to protest the huge expansion of the federal government. AFP was involved with tea parties all across the state from our first one in March at the Capitol in Raleigh to our latest one in Plymouth in December. We have not seen the last of them.

Take Back Our State Tea Party: In May, thousands of activists descended on the State Legislature to fight against a bloated budget and tax hikes. Click Here for highlights.

Wilmington Tea Party and Annexation Public Hearing: AFP again partnered with conservatives in southeast North Carolina where over a thousand people congregated at the river in Wilmington to protest big government. Afterwards, we marched on city hall to protest the aggressive annexation policies of the City of Wilmington.

Patients First: Hands Off My Health Care Bus Tour: It all began at informational dinners at the RBC Center in Raleigh and the Jesse Helms Center in Wingate. AFP took the state by storm on our Hands Off My Health Care bus organizing rallies and gathering petitions at 30 cities, including a 1200-citizen rally at the Kerr Scott Building at the North Carolina state fairgrounds. The bus tour closed with a bang at a Nascar race in Charlotte and at the state fair in Raleigh. Click here for more info.

The Defending the American Dream Summit (A project of Americans for Prosperity Foundation): 450 North Carolina activists joined activists from around the country to rally at the Capitol in DC protesting the health care bill and then hearing from some of our nation’s top conservative leaders at a two day action-packed summit. Click Here to view photos.

Bus Trips to DC - Congressional House Call and Code Red Rally: Approximately 600 activists from across the state converged on the nation’s capital to protest the health care bills in Congress in November and December. Click Here for highlights.

Cap and Trade -Live from Copenhagen: AFP sponsored a luncheon in Raleigh with a live feed from our national staff in Copenhagen. Look for more battles ahead on this job-killing bill. Click Here to view the live feed.

Local Chapters: Members from all over the state have worked hard on local, state, and national issues including our members from AFP-Onslow and AFP-Wilmington.

These organizations have worked hard all year with rallies and protests, boarding buses to DC, and fighting state, national and local issues. We are very proud of these organizations and their accomplishments. Here are some pictures form these groups:

Click here for AFP-Onslow photos.

Click here for AFP-Wilmington photos.

The Billion Dollar NC Tax Hike: AFP members throughout the state voiced their outrage on our NoNCTaxHike website. The months-long fight against a bloated budget and tax increases culminated in a hundred activists paying a visit to the state legislature in the middle of the night when our representatives cast their stealthy votes.

Grassroots Victory - Taxpayers Won’t Be Forced to Fund Local Campaigns : AFP-NC lead the charge in the victory over an expansion of taxpayer-funded municipal campaigns. Thousands of members contacted their legislators and shut this bill down. Click Here to read more.

Fight in the State House for Lower Land-Line Costs: AFP wins the fight for lower costs and expanding options for local land-line telephone service

2010 is shaping up to be another incredible year. We are proud to work for and with YOU! In the coming year, we will continue the fight to protect individual liberty and prosperity on a local, state and national level. AFP would be honored if you continue to march in this army of activists.

The attacks on liberty, freedom and prosperity will not stop coming in the New Year. Some say they will only increase. We must remain focused, active, and ever vigilant in this fight. We appreciate all you have done with us this past year, whether in person, in spirit, by phone, email, or other means. We thank you.

Please help us continue the fight by making a donation to Americans for Prosperity to help us continue our efforts in 2010.