Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities

Over 10 years ago Ben Cohen and a dedicated group of individuals set out to change the way the Federal government spent our money. From its humble beginnings, Business Leaders for Sensible Priorites has used clever marketing and an unrelenting schedule that includes meetings with local and national elected officials, political candidates, newspaper and magazine publishers, and, of course, recruiting and then leveraging the powerbase of business leaders, our organization has done an excellent job in educating people about Federal budget spending.

In 2006, we set up grassroots operations in the media rich presidential caucus and primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire. As candidates opened campaign offices, attended countless campaign ‘meet and greets,’ and toured the states on a regular basis, we believed that having a strong presence in each of these venues would enable us to shape both the debate and, ultimately, the agenda of these candidates. Along the way, we’d use the endless media coverage that descends on these states to educate and organize the local citizens.

Bolstered by earlier editorials in both TIME and The New York Times, a truly amazing exchange took place during the CNN Democratic debate when the CNN moderator and candidates alike used terms like "priorities," "cold war relics" and "what weapons systems would you cut?"

Although we’re far from the completion of our intended objective, I think it safe to say that we’re well on the road to success.

www.sensiblepriorities.org