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What Is CRG Network?

CRG Network is composed of three separate and distinct organizations each with a specific mission.

CRG Network PAC

The most well-known organization within the CRG Network family is the CRG Network Political Action Committee (PAC).  This is the group most often associated with successful grassroots political action across the state.  It's mission is to help citizens elect fiscally conservative candidates, assert property rights, and remove corrupt and/or fiscally irresponsible politicians from office.

CRG Network PAC is an outgrowth of Citizens for Responsible Government PAC (CRG), arguably Wisconsin’s most effective taxpayer group.  A year after helping organize a sweeping series of successful recalls (the nation’s largest at the time) in Milwaukee County, CRG realized that politics was returning to business as usual and a new strategy was needed to maintain earlier taxpayer gains with a statewide effort.  CRG Milwaukee became the first statewide affiliate of CRG Network

CRG Network PAC is a non-partisan, fiscally conservative, grassroots political action group.  While the CRG Network family of institutions is fiscally conservative, it does not become directly engaged on social issues, liberal or conservative.  It has endorsed and helped remove both Democrats and Republicans.  CRG Network PAC has no executive board, only an unpaid, volunteer administrative staff.  All decisions are voted on directly by the membership.

CRG Foundation, Inc.

A little known fact about CRG Network (and CRG Milwaukee previously) is that, in their entire history, they have filed only one recall, their very first action, the recall of Milwaukee County Executive Tom Ament.  Since that initial event in 2002, CRG Network has been primarily engaged in educating grassroots groups in how to deal with unresponsive government agencies and officials.  Every recall and action since then has been accomplished by other groups and affiliates who have come to CRG Network for educational assistance.

CRG Network Foundation, Inc. was formed as a 501(c)(3), non-profit, tax-exempt corporation to formalize and emphasize what has become the primary role of CRG Network, providing the tools and training for ordinary citizens to become re-engaged in managing government.   The Foundation is completely apolitical and has helped educate rural, urban, suburban, and inner-city groups.  The future goal of CRG Network Foundation is to establish a "CRG University" with formalized programs and accreditation in areas such as statutory compliance, campaign finance reporting, public relations, grassroots organizing, and other essential bodies of knowledge.

CRG Advocates, Inc.

A third function of CRG Network is to lobby and advocate for fiscally conservative and property rights legislation on a local and statewide basis.  Although not widely understood and often ignored, political campaigning and legislative lobbying are considered two completely different functions under Wisconsin State Statutes.  As such, it is a legal necessity to organize and account for these activities separately.  After consultation with the Wisconsin State Elections Board, CRG Advocates, Inc. was formed to segregate PAC activities from those more properly characterized as lobbying.

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What Are the Goals of CRG Network?

A CRG Network has four goals.

1. Educate citizens on how to successfully engage and manage their government.
2. Motivate fiscal conservatives to vote in increasingly larger numbers.
3. Organize fiscal conservatives into the most influential political force in Wisconsin.
4. Encourage fiscal conservatives to contribute the human and financial resources needed to grow and be successful.

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Who Created CRG Network?

A group of concerned citizens, CRG members, and professionals with specialized skills in political action, database design, internet technology, finance, and campaign management spent a year developing a new strategic plan – CRG Network.  That plan was shared with other benefactors who donated seed capital, equipment, office space and other items necessary to launch the effort.

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Why Was CRG Network Formed?

Average citizens lack political clout for one reason.  Unlike unions and other special interest groups, they have never attempted to organize, vote, or raise funds in sufficient numbers to become effective.  Ordinary Wisconsinites are losing the competitive battle with the tax-spending special interests and regulatory bureaucrats.  We see the results in higher taxes, rampant corruption, usurpation of property rights, and failing public services.  Recently, citizens have begun to realize they do have power to hold government accountable if they choose to exercise it.  CRG Network was formed to bring hard-working, responsible Wisconsinites together in solidarity and to create the "critical mass" needed to win.

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What is CRG Network NOT?!

Sadly, the success of CRG Network has attracted not only supporters but detractors.  These detractors are largely people who have been the beneficiary of past government waste and corruption or have aligned themselves with political parties and politicians who have been held accountable with CRG Network help.  We do not have any problem with those who disagree philosophically with our goals.  That is the essence of a vibrant, free, and democratic society.  We welcome healthy debate and often learn new things because of it (Lesson 1: CRG Network is not infallible).  But, let's debunk some of the bald-faced lies!

CRG Network is a not a "Republican front group."  CRG Network has never received funds from or worked with any political party.  This is simply a hackneyed epithet hurled by people who do not care for fiscal conservatives.  Part of this thinking is likely due to the fact that the Republican Party claims to embrace fiscal conservatism (at least in theory although not always in practice).  Also, CRG got its start by helping complete a series of successful recalls in Milwaukee County where virtually every politician is a Democrat.  As soon as CRG Network became a statewide entity, the very first target was the highest ranking Republican in the state, the Republican Senate Majority Leader, who was successfully removed from office by an overwhelming margin.

CRG Network is not just an angry suburban phenomenon.  It is true that, in the beginning, CRG enjoyed most of its success by helping to recall suburban politicians (and it is also true those citizens were plenty angry).  However, this was simply a function of who it was that asked for help at the time.  Since then we have responded to requests from inner-city students, social agencies, historic preservationists, unions, rural groups, and all other manner of citizens.  They all had one thing in common.  They thought their government was not being responsible.

CRG Network is a not  a large, secretly funded, political monolith.  CRG Network has a very small, all-volunteer staff who work for free, travel and consult on their personal time, and often do not even receive reimbursement for expenses.  We look much larger for two reasons.  First, we have been extremely successful due to the dedication and skills of our volunteers.  Second, we are beginning to attract numerous local groups into a loose affiliation based on that success.  Our finances are a matter of public record which shows we have never had more than a few thousand dollars in the bank (although we do admit we are trying to change that).  We also have and respect many different opinions internally.  Trust us, we debate, fight, break up, make up, and do it all over again.  But, because of that respect and deep passion for our home state, we stay together to fight the good fight.

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How Does CRG Network Decide Who It Will Help?

CRG Network pledges its assistance to any group who fulfills the following four requirements.

1. The planned action must be legal and consistent with the mission of CRG Network.

CRG Network's mission is to promote fiscal conservatism, assert property rights, and eliminate government corruption.  Any planned action must primarily involve one of these goals.  CRG Network does not become engaged on purely social issues.

2. The applicants must demonstrate a viable constituency within the governing district involved.

The group must demonstrate it is a viable committee composed of representatives from the district, committed to their cause, and capable of accomplishing their goal (with CRG Network help).  Groups initially as small as two persons could comply with this requirement under certain circumstances.  CRG Network will not initiate unsolicited actions nor accept solicitations from groups outside the jurisdiction of the desired action.

3. The group must register as a Political Action Committee (PAC) and file a EB-1 form with the proper state or local filing clerk (this requirement may be waived where not applicable).

This demonstrates a public commitment to the desired action and a commitment to comply with all statutory requirements in its execution.  CRG Network will work closely with all groups to complete this requirement.

4. CRG Network will make an internal determination on the availability of resources to become engaged in the action.  In some circumstances, a vote of delegate members may be required.

CRG Network is limited only by the resources available.  It is even possible that we would assist both sides of a debate as our primary mission is to engage average citizens in managing their government.  As CRG Network grows it can handle a greater number of simultaneous actions.  In cases where financial resources or candidate endorsements are involved, approval by a majority of voting delegates may be required.

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Why Choose CRG Network?

CRG Network is your best choice to help gain control over Wisconsin politics for the following reasons.

CRG Network is an ACTION group.  Our primary goal is not to write whitepapers or issue reports.  We help create tangible pressure on politicians to respect taxpayers, property owners, and average citizens.  We have given citizens the tools to hold more politicians accountable than any other group in Wisconsin history.

CRG Network is administered by political, financial, legal, and technology professionals dedicated to saving Wisconsin from a downward slide brought on by politicians more interested in personal and party power than in responsibly representing citizens.  We are not tax fanatics, philosophers, or academic ideologists.  We are business-oriented professionals with a serious passion for the state we call home.

CRG Network has a track record of success unequalled in Wisconsin.  We do not just think we can do what we say, we have proven that we can.

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List of Citizens Victories with CRG Network Help

State Senate Majority Leader Mary Panzer

Panzer was the most powerful state politician behind the Governor.  She was voted out of office by an overwhelming 4 to 1 margin because of her refusal to schedule a vote on the Taxpayer Bill of Rights.  CRG Network PAC provided the Grothman campaign with a full-featured website with on-line donation capability that raised thousands of dollars, over-sized signage, volunteers, and political consulting.
 

State Assistant Senate Majority Leader Mary Lazich

Lazich lied to constituents when asked whether she voted for the pro-taxpayer majority leader.  CRG Network did an investigational poll that revealed at least one senator lied about their vote and Lazich was forced to confess to her lie when CRG pushed for a re-vote.  She subsequently resigned the leadership post she was promised in return for her vote under continued CRG Network pressure.

 

Milwaukee County Executive F. Thomas Ament

Tom Ament was arguably the most powerful politician in SE Wisconsin having achieved "boss" status in Milwaukee County.  Ament resigned after facing recall when CRG collected 182,000 signatures (110,000 more than needed) in 30 days (half the allotted time) for his role in perpetrating a pension fraud that paid millions ($120 million and counting) in lump sum retirement payments and other benefits to county employees.
 

Milwaukee County Board Chairman Karen Ordinans

Ordinans was recalled and replaced in a special election for her part in approving and passing the Ament pension plan.  Think your vote doesn't count?  Ordinans lost the recall election by only three votes.
 

Milwaukee County Supervisor Kathleen Arciszewski

Arciszewski was Ament's hand-picked replacement for Supervisor Robert Krug when he started asking too many embarrassing questions about the fraudulent pension plan.  Krug had been the county board representative on the Personnel Committee which had partial oversight of the pension deal.  An ardent supporter of Ament, Arciszewski was recalled and easily defeated in a special election.
 

Milwaukee County Supervisor David Jasenski

Recalled and removed by special election.

Milwaukee County Supervisor LeAnn Launstein

Recalled and removed by special election.

Milwaukee County Supervisor James McGuigan

Recalled and removed by special election.  McGuigan attempted to return to the County Board by campaigning in the next regularly scheduled election but was defeated again this time by a different candidate when the incumbent who originally replaced him retired from politics.  McGuigan had the audacity to claim that the fraudulent pension benefits were owed to him and refused to sign the pension waiver signed by all other county supervisors.

Milwaukee County Supervisor Penny Podell

Recalled and removed by special election.  Podell was recalled after mounting a failed legal maneuver to have recall petition signatures invalidated.

Milwaukee County Supervisor Linda Ryan

Recalled and removed by special election.

Franklin Alderman Basil  Ryan (no relation to Linda)

Recalled and removed by special election.

Wauwatosa Alderman Mary Heins

Recalled and removed by special election.  CRG provided public relations, publicity, and petition circulation assistance to an extremely well-organized effort spearheaded by former CRG board of director member Stan Zurawski, Sr..

Waukesha School Board Member Roger Danielsen

During the fight against a major Waukesha School Referendum, Danielsen used his position of authority to leak personal information about a Waukesha School District student, and daughter of a local organizer, to the press.  Danielson resigned within 24 hours of a press release from CRG Network calling for his resignation or face recall.

Pewaukee Mayor Jeff Nowak

Recalled and removed by special election on the primary ballot when one of two recall opponents received over 50% of the vote.  The incumbent mayor received only 12%.  CRG Network helped with many aspects of the recall including the legal challenge to the petition signatures.
 

Kewaskum School Board Member Neal Weare

Recalled and removed by special election.  CRG Network helped with many aspects of the recall including the legal challenge to the petition signatures.


PabstCity TIF District

CRG Network coordinated a grassroots effort with the aid of local businesses and historic preservationists to defeat legislation to create the $79 million (principal and interest) PabstCity TIF District.  The TIF was viewed as as a risky venture that was little more than corporate welfare with little long term benefit to the City of Milwaukee.  CRG Networked targeted 4 aldermanic district with a literature and phone campaign that ultimately influenced two alderman to change their votes and defeat the project.
 

Fond du Lac Water Treatment Proposal

Local politicians were looking to build an unneeded water treatment facility at a cost of $50 million dollars.  CRG Network worked closely with local organizers to reverse a council decision to proceed with the project.

Waukesha School Referendum

CRG Network provided extensive educational and technical assistance in successfully defeating a referendum which would have raised taxes over $5 million dollars per year for a four year period.  The referendum was heavily supported by the local school board and teachers union who brought significant financial and volunteer pressure to pass the referendum.

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