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AFP Takes Its Hot Air Balloon Tour Cross Country to Expose the Hidden Energy Tax Hike in Cap-and-Trade Legislation

AFP targets key senators in the cap-and-trade debate in final push before Congress returns from recess

Sixth leg of cross-country “Hot Air Tour” begins August 31st with grassroots rallies in Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Nebraska

In the final week of recess, free-market grassroots group Americans for Prosperity is taking its 2009 Nationwide Hot Air Tour out West on August 31st to give citizens one last chance to make their voices heard on cap-and-trade legislation before Congress heads back to Washington to vote on the biggest energy tax in American history.

The tour will bring its 70-foot-tall hot air balloon to Helena and Bozeman, MT., Gillette, WY, Rapid City, S.D., and North Platte and Lincoln, Neb. from August 31 to Sept. 3.

“This cap-and-trade scheme is nothing more than a tax on energy- plain and simple,” said AFP President Tim Phillips. “We think American families need to know what these proposals will cost them – lost jobs, even higher energy prices, and less freedom.”

The Hot Air Tour has the goal of building grassroots pressure against costly state, local, and federal climate change policies. AFP has pledged to mobilize citizens in order to fight off any attempts to pass a cap-and-trade regulatory scheme, traveling to 15 states this year and hosting grassroots rallies with hundreds of citizen activists.

“As cap-and-trade legislation moves quickly into the Senate, we’re asking citizens at each event to urge their legislators to sign our No Climate Tax Pledge,” said Phillips. “We’re asking them to reject any form of the bill that increases the burden on taxpayers.”

Over 200 office holders have already taken the pledge, and citizens can send letters urging their legislators to sign the pledge at http://www.noclimatetax.com.

Below is the schedule of Hot Air Tour events:

Monday – August 31, 2009

*Helena, MT – 9:00-10:30AM

*Bozeman, MT – 5:30-7:00PM

Tuesday – September 1, 2009

*Gillette, WY – 5:30-7:00PM

Wednesday – September 2, 2009
*Rapid City, SD – 9:00 – 10:30 AM

*North Platte, NE – 5:30-7:00PM

Thursday – September 3, 2009

*Lincoln, NE - 9:00-10:30AM

More information about the Hot Air Tour, including a full schedule of events, is available online at http://www.HotAirTour.org. Look for updates and photos from the road.