The Rowlett Texas TEA Party

A Texas call for a Constitutional Convention; Good Idea or Bad?

2011-03-02T10:46:00.001-06:00

There are two proscribed ways for the U.S. Constitution to be amended. As Article V of the Constitution states:

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

Everyone of the Amendments to the Constitution has been initiated by Congress, and all but one Amendment was ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the States.

However, there have been 12 instances in the history of this nation when the States called for a Constitutional Convention. In every case, the reason for the actions by the States was ultimately resolved by the Congress through legislation.

The Texas State Senate has already passed SJR 1 calling for a Constitutional Convention to propose a Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment. The Texas State House of Representatives is will now consider a resolution for a Constitutional Convention. The Texas House Committee is scheduled to hear testimony tomorrow, Thurs 3/4/11 at 10:30 AM on SJR 1.

Many conservatives and fellow Tea Party organizations are warning against a Constitutional Convention because of the danger of the Convention going beyond its original purpose and making wholesale changes to our Constitution, including the rewriting of the Bill of Rights.

I do not fear the possibility of a runaway Constitutional Convention for two reasons:

In order for any changes to the Constitution, 34 states must call for a CON Con for the same purpose. I cannot imagine that 34 States would agree to anything, but I do believe a movement to call a Constitutional Convention would spur Congress to act.
Even if a Constitutional Convention was convened, any changes to the U.S. Constitution would require 38 State Legislatures to agree to those changes.

Specifically, however, SJR 1 is a very loophole ridden piece of legislation. It is written in such a manner, that even if it was in force today, all Bush and Obama administration federal budget deficits would still be allowable. SJR 1 may have a good intention to limit the spending of the Federal Government, but it is an empty shell when it comes to any real impact.

So while I support the Constitutionally authorized Constitutional Convention, a CON Con based on SJR 1 is a bad idea. I would like to encourage you to contact your State Rep to express your opinion on this matter. For those of you in Rowlett, that person is either Joe Driver or Jodie Laubenberg

Rowlett City Council to Discuss Employee Pensions Tonight!

2011-02-28T14:15:00.004-06:00

The Rowlett TEA Party identified 5 issues we considered important for our group to be involved in. One of those issues is the unsustainability of the City of Rowlett's pension system for employees. Based on an analysis from the city, Rowlett will be required to nearly double the amount of money that it contributes to employee pension plans. The City Council is meeting tonight to discuss the issue.

There is a specially called Work Session of the City Council on Monday night, February 28, at the Rowlett City Hall Conference Room, beginning at 6:30pm. I urge you to attend. The agenda and packet is attached.

The first agenda item is to consider City Employee Benefits. The City Manager is offering to change the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) plan for Rowlett by reducing the retirement COLA from 70% to 50% and eliminating the supplemental death benefit. This will save $129,736 on an annual basis. It is a good beginning.

However, the proposed reductions do not make any significant impact on the issue of sustainability that is such a severe issue for the City.

These two changes will only reduce the operating budget by $700,000 and then only after five years! The City CFO estimates a multi-million budget shortage in future years unless dramatic changes are made.

Also at issue is the timing of approval and implementation of any change to TMRS. The City Manager wants the City Council to approve changes on March 15. The City Council agreed to meet on March 19 in an all-day Work Session to consider the operating budget in a comprehensive manner and for multiple years. No piecemeal decision should be made until that comprehensive review is completed and communicated to the Rowlett taxpayers. The earliest that an ordinance should be considered is April 5.

Please plan to attend. Bring your friends with you. It is important that the City Council sees and understands citizen interest in this issue and that they will be held accountable for their votes. This item should be completed by 7:30pm.

I hope you can attend. With 3 Councilmembers up for re-election this year, it is important to show them that the citizens of Rowlett care about the financial future of our city.

GOP opposition to the Patriot Act

2011-02-15T09:14:00.001-06:00

Last night, the US Congress voted to extend several provisions of the Patriot Act. The final tally was 275-144. The main argument for renewal of these provisions is clearly a matter of protecting the US against a future terrorist attack. As is commonly said in support of renewal, "If you are not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about."

Twenty-seven Republicans voted against the renewal of the Patriot Act provisions. One of those Republicans was Tom McClintock's (R-CA). Consider his position on the Patriot Act (beginning at the 1:15 mark):

Strange bedfellows, indeed!

2011-02-10T11:15:00.000-06:00

What do Ralph Hall, Jeb Hensarling, and Sam Johnson (all Republican Congressional representatives with a Rowlett constituency) have in common with Barack H. Obama?

They ALL supported the renewal of three provisions of the Patriot Act that failed passage in the House of Representatives earlier this week. The provisions up for renewal give the federal government broad authority for warrantless searches and seizures, including:

Roving, warrantless wiretaps of virtually EVERY form of electronic communication used by U.S. citizens.
Secret federal searches without warrants OR knowledge of the resident.
Blanket warrants for the search and seizure of all library records, without naming individual suspects or providing probable cause.
Judicial warrants replaced with “National Security Letters” signed by unaccountable Obama Administration bureaucrats and gag orders for those served with these letters which make it illegal to tell anyone about it — including your spouse and your priest!
Drastic expansion of the definition of “domestic terrorism,” which is sure to include gun owners.
Expands asset seizure to permit the taking of assets from anyone “suspected” of terrorism, even if that person is NEVER charged or sent to trial.
Lone wolf provisions which allow the government to spy on ANYONE even if they’re not associated with a terrorist organization or foreign national, without due process or notification. (H/T: National Association of Gun Rights)

Everyone of these provisions is an assault on rights guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Please call the Congressional Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

And then send an email by clicking here.

A Viable Democracy Requires an Educated Voter

2011-02-08T10:40:00.000-06:00

". . . whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that, whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them right." - Thomas Jefferson

One of the key pieces of legislation we are monitoring in the Texas legislature is SB 139, Relating to the elimination of straight-party voting. The bill has been filed by Senator Jeff Wentworth of San Antonio. A companion bill has been filed in the House, HB 638, by Dan Branch (R-Dallas), Cindy Burkett (R-Mesquite), Jim Murphy (R-Houston) and Stefani Carter (R-Dallas/Garland). The Senate bill has been referred to the State Affairs committee. Rowlett's state senator, Dr. Bob Deuell is the Vice-chair for that committee.

The Rowlett TEA Party supports this legislation, joining other conservative groups across the state, including the Dallas County Republican Party Executive Committee. We support this bill because the straight party ballot encourages voters to be uninformed about the candidates they choose. Uninformed voters damage the very foundation of our system of government.

Please let Senator Deuell know you support SB 139 and the elimination of straight-party voting and want him to support Sen. Wentworth's bill in committee.

The Honorable Bob Deuell
P.O. Box 12068
Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711
(512) 463-0102
(512) 463-7202 fax

2500 Stonewall St.
Greenville, Texas 75401
(903) 450-9797
Fax (903) 450-9796

18601 LBJ Freeway, Suite 400
Mesquite, Texas 75150
(972) 279-1800
fax (972) 279-1065

or you can send him a message through his web page: http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist2/dist2.htm

For more on Straight-party voting:

Straight ticket votes reach 10-year high in Texas' largest counties - Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
Branch bill bolsters effort to end straight-ticket voting - Dallas Morning News
Blame the Voters for Bad Judges - D Magazine
We Win Big Nationally And In Texas- Dallas County Excepted - Texas Conservative Review

A reminder of our history

2011-01-13T10:53:00.000-06:00

Ronald Reagan, in his 1987 State of the Union address, said:

Many countries have written into their constitution provisions for freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. Well, if this is true, why is the Constitution of the United States so exceptional?

Well, the difference is so small that it almost escapes you, but it's so great it tells you the whole story in just three words: We the people. In those other constitutions, the government tells the people of those countries what they're allowed to do. In our Constitution, we the people tell the government what it can do, and it can do only those things listed in that document and no others. Virtually every other revolution in history has just exchanged one set of rulers for another set of rulers. Our revolution is the first to say the people are the masters and government is their servant.

The Constitution of the United States of America is the product of the minds of a group of men who, through Providence, came together to produce the most lasting written constitution the world has ever known. Fortunately for us, these men were exceptional – mostly young, and were planters, merchants, and lawyers, but remarkably, they were able to subordinate their personal interests in order to reach compromise They wanted to capture the spirit that had emerged from America’s victory over super-power Britain because they were concerned that spirit was fading, and they wanted to create a country with individual liberty. Historically, the state had been regarded as the ruler of the individual, but the Founding Fathers started with individual rights.

The Articles of Confederation, drafted in 1776, was the first constitution and legally established the union of the states. The ratification process was completed in March 1781, legally combining the sovereign and independent states, already cooperating through the Continental Congress, into a federation called "The United States of America." Under the Articles the states retained sovereignty over all governmental functions not specifically relinquished to the central government.

However, the Articles of Confederation were flawed and weak and could not secure the liberties won through the Revolution. The Articles provided no means for revenue other than what was received through its requisitions on the states, which were merely requests that could be ignored; it did not provide any control over foreign or interstate commerce which meant it couldn’t compel the states to honor national obligations, obey treaties, or pay foreign debt. George Washington was concerned about losing the momentum from the Revolution and said, “we have errors to correct.” James Madison believed that the solution was to create an “extended republic,” with checks and balances and a separation of powers between the branches of government.

There were several attempts at conferences to discuss how to correct the errors of the Confederation, and it was finally decided that a “Grand Convention” of all the states should meet in Philadelphia. The Declaration of Independence gave “the people” the right to choose and install any government they deemed appropriate to secure life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. [The word “happiness” is misunderstood today to mean something like citizens have a right to a good mood or material things, when at the time its meaning was “chance” – meaning, a citizen had the right to pursue opportunity.] The Founding Fathers wanted individual rights – a republic – instead of a democracy or unlimited majority rule which could result in the “tyranny of the mob.”

Alexis de Tocqueville marveled that “it is a novelty in the history of society to see a great people turn a calm and scrutinizing eye upon itself . . . and patiently wait for two whole years until a remedy was discovered, which it voluntarily adopted without having wrung a tear or a drop of blood from mankind.” In Federalist 1, Hamilton suggested the writing of the constitution would prove to the world “whether societies of men are really capable or not, of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend, for their political constitutions, on accident and force.

The Federal Convention convened in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787 but did not have a quorum of seven states until May 25. Seventy-seven delegates were appointed but only fifty-five attended, with Rhode Island refusing to send any representatives. By mid-June it was obvious that a new document would have to be crafted instead of amending the Articles of Confederation. Debates and redrafting went on for weeks over how much power a central government should have, how many representatives each state should have and whether they should be elected by the people or the state legislatures.

A major problem was the issue of slavery and it was hotly debated. Through a complicated bargaining process a compromise was worked out so that in exchange for a prohibition of export taxes, the slave trade was allowed to continue for only twenty more years, and for imported slaves to be taxable. And as repugnant as it is today that slavery was tolerated, it was a remarkable compromise considering the politics of the day.

The new document they crafted called for three branches with checks and balances and secured individual liberties against foreign attack and oppression by their own government. There were specific limits on government, national and state, and reserved to the people all powers not granted to government.

The Constitutional Convention deliberated in secrecy and citizens were anxious to learn what kind of government was being proposed. According to the diary of a delegate, James McHenry, a Mrs. Powell asked Benjamin Franklin as he exited the convention hall, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” With no hesitation, Franklin responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

Finally, the Constitution was completed after months of debate, but several delegates were concerned that it wasn’t enough that it included provisions such as a prohibition against the suspension of habeas corpus and that state constitutions had their own bills of rights. George Mason moved that there should be a bill of rights but delegates were tired and ready to go home, and some were concerned as to how a provision that all men are born equal and free could be inserted with the issue of slavery unresolved, so they adjourned. However, after the states started reviewing the completed Constitution, the lack of a bill of rights became a major point of contention and states began submitting proposals to amend the Constitution before it was completely ratified. In December 1791 the Bill of Rights were added to the Constitution providing strong protections of individual rights.

The first seven articles of the Constitution constitute the road map for our country:

Article I: provides for the structure and legislative powers of Congress.

Article II: Section 1, covers the Presidency (term, election/electors, eligibility, succession, compensation, oath of office); Section 2, the President is commander in chief with power to make treaties and appointments, to fill vacancies (recess appointments); Section 3, provides for the state of the union message; and Section 4, provides for impeachment.

Article III: Provides for the judiciary and, in Section 3.1, sets forth treason provisions.

Article IV: States that Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts . . . of every other state. And, important to today’s illegal immigration crisis, Section 4: The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence.

Article V: Provides for the Constitutional amendment process, so that it’s difficult but not impossible to amend.

Article VI: Ratifies prior treaties, honors prior debts, and in Section 3 provides that senators, representatives, members of state legislatures and all executive and judicial officers are bound by oath to support the Constitution, but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office of public trust under the United States.

Article VII: Provides ratification by nine states is sufficient for establishment of the Constitution.

Today, our Constitution is under attack and must be defended. It is called “outdated” and “flawed,” and it is frequently ignored entirely. We are told it is “antiquated” or that it is a “living, breathing document” that should be interpreted according to the mores of today, rather than in strict accordance with its words which were so laboriously and brilliantly crafted by the Founding Fathers. Recently, a publisher thought it was necessary to add a disclaimer and parental advisory to its publication of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence: “This book is a product of its time and does not reflect the same values as it would if it were written today. Parents might wish to discuss with their children how views on race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and interpersonal relations have changed since this book was written before allowing them to read this classic work.”

Since its adoption, amendments, executive orders and judicial activism have weakened states’ rights and individual rights, strengthening the central government. Our legislative branch has been taken over by professional office holders rather than the offices being held by ordinary citizens as the founders intended. And although most of the framers anticipated that the federal judiciary would be the weakest branch, the Supreme Court has wielded enormous power, and law schools today teach “precedent” not original intent, so that precedent becomes law, bypassing the legislative process.

In order to defend the Constitution, we need to read and understand it and be able to educate others. We should encourage schools to teach the Constitution because our children are growing up without learning about the miracle of that special group of men who, despite all their differences, crafted a document that laid the foundation for, and accomplished their vision of, America. We must teach our children and fellow citizens about the principles of the U.S. Constitution and the values of our Founding Fathers because understanding and defending the Constitution and the values of the Founding Fathers is the key to maintaining our liberty.

•   READ the Constitution and The Federalist Papers.
•   UNDERSTAND its principles and understand your rights.
•   ENCOURAGE study of the Constitution in schools.
•   TEACH your children and fellow citizens the key to liberty.

   In the words of Daniel Webster:

Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster, and what has happened once in 6000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution, for if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy throughout the world.

[Article written by the Rowlett Texas TEA Party Vice President, Babs Millward]

In case you weren't paying attention...

2011-01-09T09:16:00.000-06:00

The Obama Adminstration quietly made an administrative change in the organizational chart of the bureaucracies established to implement the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The change moved the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, OCIIO, from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

I learned of this organizational change on Friday from a lobbyist colleague, and only after that did I find any news of this change. This description of the change is from National Underwriter Life & Health website:

The name of the OCIIO will be changed to the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO), and the CCIIO will be under the oversight of CMS officials, rather than directly under Sebelius.

The CCIIO will be led by CMS Principal Deputy Administrator Marilyn Tavenner.

If you have gotten this far, you may be wondering why this matters.

The Republican leadership has vowed to de-fund the regulatory agencies that will implement health care reform. OCIIO is an agency that is a linchpin for establishing the framework and regulations necessary for creating the state-based health exchanges. Prior to the move, the GOP had to set its sites on de-funding the HHS. Now it must de-fund CMS. When the Republicans attempt to de-fund CMS, the howls from the supporters of the health care reform will be deafening. They will proclaim loudly and repetitively that the Republicans are trying to de-fund Medicare (to appeal to the elderly) and that they are trying to de-fund Medicaid (to appeal to the poor and the easily fooled compassionate).

Please share this with your friends and neighbors so they may also know the ruse that the Obama administration will play.

Do not fall prey to the rhetoric! The GOP is not trying to de-fund Medicare or Medicaid. At least not yet.

Straight Party Voting - Now is the time to act!

2011-01-04T14:40:00.001-06:00

In some good news about the movement to eliminate the straight-party voting option, the Dallas County GOP passed a resolution encouraging Republican members of the Texas Legislature to support a bill that prohibits the corrupting practice. From the Dallas Morning News this morning:

The Dallas GOP organization also urged the Legislature to eliminate Texans' ability to vote straight-party tickets. A resolution passed by the group said the practice "has led to the election of unqualified candidates in down-ballot races solely because of their party affiliation."

We must keep the pressure on our State Representatives and State Senators to support free and fair elections by supporting Voter ID and prohibiting the straight-party voting option.

For our State Senators ask them to co-sponsor Jeff Wentworth's bill SB139.

When you contact your State Representative ask them to contact Representative Dan Branch to encourage him to file a similar bill in the House

Texas Tea Parties are Fighting in the Speaker's Race

2011-01-03T22:38:00.000-06:00

The following message came from our friends in the Kaufman Tea Party

--------------------------------------------

Tea Party Texans Rally in Austin to Oust Straus!

Join us in Austin on Jan, 10-11.

Tea Parties all over Texas will be converging on the State Capitol on
January 11, 2011, in opposition to the reelection of Joe Straus as Speaker
of the House. A massive turnout will send our Reps the unmistakable message
that if they go with Straus, their political careers as Republicans are
over.

We have been advised that spending the 10th at the Capitol, locating and

speaking directly with the various representatives to lobby against Straus,

will send a strong message and have a huge impact on the vote. The dates we

are looking at are the 9th through the 12th, but you are free to pick and

choose when you want to go, when you want to leave, and what you want to do.

There will be a rally at the Capitol steps on the 11th. Bring your signs!
Let's rock Austin!!!!!!

Contacts for more information are

jan
972-932-7575
janshedd@commonsensecitizens.net

John Tweedell
East Texas Constitutional Alliance
email tweedell@commonsensecitizens.net

-------------------------------------------

If you want information on ride sharing and on specific schedule of activities, please feel free to contact Jan or John.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T15:28:00.003-06:00

From The Rowlett TEA Party, to American Patriots everywhere!

We have a lot of work to do in the coming year, we'll be getting this TEA Party fired back up very soon. I hope you folks are ready to get busy.

My personal mandate to the new Congress

2010-12-28T10:35:00.010-06:00

My personal mandate to the new Congress

I just completed my "Citizen Mandate" for the newly elected Congress -- -- putting the new Congress on notice that I am serious about making sure these members of Congress do the right thing.

See the results of my Mandate below and go here to send your own Citizen Mandate to members of the New Congress right now:

http://www.grassfire.com/140/survey.asp?PID=26960961&NID=1

Fred Witzell's Citizen Mandate To the 112th Congress (my answers in bold)

Does the new Republican leadership in Congress have a mandate to change Washington, D.C.?
Yes, but only if citizens continue to hold all elected officials accountable
The issues I believe are important for the new Congress to address:

Limiting the size and scope of government

My CITIZEN MANDATE on government-run healthcare:

I am calling for ObamaCare to be REPEALED immediately

My CITIZEN MANDATE on illegal immigration:

Border security must be increased and those in our country illegally should be punished to the full extent of the law and deported

My CITIZEN MANDATE on the federal debt:
The federal debt is a serious problem but the answer is not higher taxes. Instead, we must cap spending and grow the economy

My CITIZEN MANDATE on government spending:

Government spending is our of control and the federal government should be required to reduce its annual budget every year until the budget is balanced

My CITIZEN MANDATE on TARP and other government bailouts:

Federal bailouts of the private sector such as the TARP program must be stopped immediately and any unspent funds returned to the taxpayers.

My CITIZEN MANDATE on taxes:

I oppose any and all new taxes and want the Bush Tax Cuts made permanent

My CITIZEN MANDATE on government takeover of industry
The federal government should cease and desist its socialistic takeover of industry and return companies like General Motors, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac to the private sector

My CITIZEN MANDATE on government welfare:

Social welfare and entitlement programs are undermining the long-term solvency of our nation and must first be capped and then reduced.

The issues I believe are important for the new Congress to address:
No taxpayer-funded abortions in federal legislation or programs

Embrace free-market solutions over Government involvement

Safeguarding individual liberties of citizens

Stopping the Socialist push to remake our nation

Strengthening our defense against radical Islam's war against the West

Securing our borders and stopping illegal immigration

Restoring limited government under the Constitution

Stopping the war on small business

Repealing ObamaCare

Maintaining the tax cuts for all Americans

Reducing the deficit and government spending

The SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE I believe the new Congress should address:

Repealing ObamaCare

Make your voice heard too!

Today is the LAST CHANCE to have our opinions heard on Net Neutrality

2010-12-20T13:16:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow the FCC will vote on a series of rule changes that will give it the authority to regulate broadband rates under the guise of making sure the Internet remains open and free. The FCC is attempting to implement these "Net Neutrality" rules circumventing Congress and violating a court ruling denying the agency the authority to do so.

Today, the Rowlett Texas TEA Party sent a letter to the 5 commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

“We the People” do not want “net neutrality”!

The internet is the only place where all may express their views without censorship. If someone does not like what the author has written they can leave that site and find one that espouses their views. For the government or a government appointed agency to impose or restrict open dialogue and/or free speech is a direct violation or our 1st Amendment rights.

Please remember that our Creator gives us rights and we “ENTRUST” some of these rights to the government to preserve; NOT remove. Free Speech is a natural right but access to the internet is NOT A NATURAL RIGHT, Civil or otherwise. Access to the internet may be obtained in our RIGHT TO PURSUE HAPPINESS, but it is NOT a guaranteed right.

Commissioner Copps has stated in an interview to the BBC that America” is not producing as much news” and “there is no oversight of the media”; oh, and perhaps there should be a “public value test”.

HOW DARE YOU!

If We the People do not like what is being said we will change the channel or the station. If there are fewer viewers or listeners then they (the stations) will go out of business. That is the way the free market works!

In his latest rant Rev. Al Sharpton wants the FCC to take Rush Limbaugh off the public airwaves because he (Sharpton) is offended by what Rush says. If Mr. Sharpton is offended, then he too can change the channel or station.

Any action by the FCC to infringe on our 1st Amendment rights is mirroring dictatorial actions imposed by Hugo Chavez in Venezuela!

Sincerely,
The members of the Rowlett Texas TEA Party

CC: Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
Senator John Cornyn
Representatives Ralph Hall, Sam Johnson, and Jeb Hensarling

I would like to encourage all of you to send a similar note to the five FCC commissioners, our Senators, and your Congressional Representative.

Chairman, Julius Genachowski
Commissioner Michael J Copps
Commissioner Robert McDowell
Commissioner Mignon Clyburn
Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison

284 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-4304
202-224-5922

10440 N. Central Expressway
Suite 1160
Dallas, Texas 75231
214-361-3500
Senator John Cornyn

517 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
Main: 202-224-2934

5001 Spring Valley Road, Suite 1125 E
Dallas, TX 75244
Main: 972-239-1310

Representative Ralph Hall

2405 Rayburn H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515-0001
Tel No: 202-225-6673

104 N. San Jacinto St.
Rockwall, TX 75087-2508
Tel No: 972-771-9118

Collin County Courts Facility
1800 N. Graves St., Ste 101
McKinney, TX 75069-3322
Phone: 214-726-9949

Representative Sam Johnson

1211 Longworth Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202)225-4201

2929 N. Central Expy, Ste 240
Richardson, Texas 75080
(972)470-0892

Representative Jeb Hensarling

129 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-3484

6510 Abrams Road, Suite 243
Dallas, TX 75231
Phone: 214-349-9996

Morning Bell: The Tea Party is Back

2010-12-17T14:28:00.009-06:00

Morning Bell: The Tea Party is Back

Two hundred and thirty-seven years ago last night, a group of colonists disguised as Indians boarded British merchant ships and dumped an estimated £10,000 worth of tea into Boston Harbor. This Boston Tea Party, which John Adams described as the “grandest event which has ever yet happened since the controversy with Britain opened,” was not just a protest about taxation. Our forefathers did not destroy tea because of a simple tax dispute. The 1773 Tea Party were protesting the process by which the British government taxed them. They were fundamentally rejecting the way the British were governing them.

Last night, the spirit of the Tea Party won another major victory when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D–NV) was forced to drop his $1.27 trillion, 1,924-page omnibus spending bill. The problem with Reid’s omnibus spending bill was not just its size—although our federal government does spend far too much of other people’s money—but the way it was drafted and forced on the American people. For far too long our Congress has amassed more and more spending power into fewer and fewer legislative acts while waiting until the last possible minute to consider them. Lobbyists have made an entire business model out of identifying must-pass appropriations and tax bills and then getting pliant Members of Congress to insert their special breaks, loopholes, and giveaways. The omnibus collapse was a complete rejection of that way of doing business in Washington. Senator John McCain (R–AZ) told National Review: “I know this is a seminal moment, because for the first time since I’ve been here, we stood up and said ‘enough.’”

Last night’s victory could not have happened without the Tea Party. Earlier in the day, Tea Party–defeated outgoing- Senator Robert Bennett (R–UT) was working “actively to round up as many as nine potential Republican votes” for the omnibus bill stuffed with 6,000 earmarks worth $8 billion. But then Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R–KY) worked the phones all day twisting the arms of those nine Republicans, many of them members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to drop their support for the bill. It was not an easy sell. Senator Thad Cochran (R–MS), the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, had 281 earmarks worth $561 million in the bill. McConnell himself had 48 earmarks worth $113 million. But wisely, these lawmakers eventually saw the light. McConnell told National Review afterward: “We decided that we’re not going to pass a 2,000-page bill that nobody has seen since yesterday. That’s not the way to operate and that’s not the message from the November elections.”

Tea Party activists across the country should take a moment to celebrate this victory. But only a moment. Not all of the 111th Congress has gotten the message of the November elections. Too many on Capitol Hill seem to be operating under the belief that the American people voted in November to have President Barack Obama’s agenda shoved down their throats in December. The Hill reports: “Democrats will move instead to two high priorities on their legislative agenda: the DREAM Act, which would grant permanent legal residency to illegal immigrants under a certain age, and a repeal of the military’s ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy.” And let’s not forget the Boxer–Reid Land Grab and New START.

None of these issues demands resolution by a Congress that was “shellacked” at the polls last month. According to Gallup, the American people dislike this 111th Congress more than any other Congress in history. Specifically, a full 83 percent of Americans disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job, while only 13 percent approve. That is the worst approval rating in more than 30 years of tracking congressional job performance. Last night Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D–CA) House voted to prevent a massive tax hike on the American people. It now looks like Congress will pass a simple bill that freezes spending through February of next year. The 111th Congress has no mandate; they must go home and let the Tea Party Congress govern.

SOURCE HERE:
Morning Bell: The Tea Party is Back

In 1773 Americans answered the call. Americans continued to answer the call, right up until we fell off the credibility map at the end of the war in Vietnam.

I wonder, do Americans have the fortitude to stand and fight NOW or is some weak talk and a ton of APATHY all we're ever going to see again?

Does the TEA Party of today have the whereto to stand and fight, or to just talk? To talk peacefully, in the most politically correct manner imaginable? Because we don't want to have ANY conflict or to offend anyone now do we?

Tea Party participation in Grapevine parade raises questions

2010-12-16T18:43:00.002-06:00

Tea Party participation in Grapevine parade raises questions

A local Tea Party group's participation in Grapevine's recent Parade of Lights has drawn complaints from people who say politics should be kept out of community events.

About 20 people, some wearing military uniforms, were in the Northeast Tarrant Tea Party float during the Dec. 2 Christmas parade through downtown Grapevine. The float was a show of support to the military, said Julie McCarty, president of the Northeast Tarrant Tea Party.

Critics said the group itself is a political statement. Some also said they heard people shout politically themed messages from the float, something McCarty said never happened.

"I was taken aback that they were allowed in the parade," said Mark Bauer of Colleyville. "I've been to many Christmas parades, and I don't remember any other political groups ever participating."

The Tea Party is widely known as a conservative grassroots movement that emerged last year in response to growing government spending. With more than 1,500 local members, "I would simply say that the Tea Party is part of the community," said McCarty of Grapevine.

Full Story Here:
Tea Party participation in Grapevine parade raises questions

I suppose that we, the members of the TEA Party as a whole, don't have the right to exercise our participation in Christmas celebrations in our communities, and to show our love and respect for the troops, or for Christmas. At least according to some.

The Tea Party float was one of 123 in the parade, said RaDonna Hessel, president of the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored the parade. About 30,000 to 40,000 people attended.

Hessel said the chamber will review its rules for changes to avoid a similar controversy in future parades. The chamber will try to balance opposing views with not stepping "on free speech and community involvement," she said.

If the NE Tarrant TEA Party wasn't trying to recruit new members, if they were only honoring the troops and celebrating Christmas, I fail to see what the problem is, but, I'm not a moonbat Dem or a loon on the left.

Kathleen Thompson of Grapevine said the float surprised her.

"It was just a really ugly disruption," said Thompson, former president of the Mid-Cities Democrats. "People were there to watch their friends and family ride in floats and in cars. It was disruption of the whole idea of what a Christmas parade was supposed to be. ... Politics makes people very upset. Sometimes you just leave politics at the door."

Ahh, now the REAL problem rears it's UGLY head. The former president of the Mid-Cities Dems didn't like it. I thought that most of those folks were against anything Christmas and all for Winter Holiday and diversity?

Just sayin'...

I have NE Tarrant Tea Party linked in the sidebar of this blog as well and I encourage ALL TEA Party members to offer their support to these fine folks and let them know that their neighbors are backing them in their efforts.

Chicago Tea Party Gets a Bomb Scare for their Christmas Party

2010-12-15T22:58:00.006-06:00

Chicago Tea Party Gets a Bomb Scare for their Christmas Party

by Publius

Big Government Contributor Michael Volpe passes along this statement from the Chicago Tea Party:
Last Friday we held our downtown Christmas Party at Dugan’s Irish Pub.

We had a great crowd and the bar was filled with Christmas cheer until smoke began to fill the entire venue.

At approximately 8 p.m. the Chicago Fire Department were called to the bar to put out what was a very smoked filled bar.

After waiting outside for nearly an hour, we were told that the bar was closed for the night and we were asked to gather our belongings.

There were four small dynamite looking devices found in the men’s bathroom, smoldering in the trash can.

The following evening I received a phone call from Chicago Police Department Bomb and Arson officials.

Written on the lid of one of the toilets were: F*CK THE TEA PARTY

Bomb and arson officials have deemed this incident an arson.

Luckily, nobody was hurt, however, the good people of Dugan’s lost an awful lot of money.

Police are investigating and we are not going away
The whole statement is here. Of course, no one is reporting the left and the media keep trying to tell us about the violent aspects of the tea party. They are right about one thing; there is violence associated with the tea party, but it is violence directed AT the tea party.

Original Story Here:
Chicago Tea Party Gets a Bomb Scare for their Christmas Party

All I can say to my fellow TEA Party members is this, be ever vigilant, and always be prepared.

Yeah, I know, it's Chicago, but we CAN have things happen here too. Some of you were at the Rowlett Candidates Forum back before the last election. How many of you were ARMED? And yeah, I know, it was a church, but the question still stands, how many of you were ARMED?

I know of at least 3 TEA Party members and 3 candidates that were armed, that's just the ones I know about.

It's called preparation, it's called exercising caution. It's called SELF DEFENSE in Texas.

Last chance to short-circuit Obama's Internet power-grab

2010-12-15T17:52:00.007-06:00

Last chance to short-circuit Obama's Internet power-grab

President Obama and Elitist liberals are waging war on the last free-market stronghold in the world -- the Internet, and with your help we think we can stop them.

Click here now for more information and to take action:

http://www.grassfire.net/r.asp?u=35740&RID=22164557

Last week we brought you chilling details about Net Neutrality and how Obama was kicking you, Congress and the Constitution aside to achieve his goal -- taking federal control of the Internet using the Federal Communications Commission!

Liberal success would deal a severe blow to our Free Speech rights as the federal government would regulate, ration and control what you see and hear on the Internet!

December 20 begins the assault on YOUR FREEDOM

We have an incredibly short period of time to respond to Obama's Internet power-grab and we are urging you to take a few moments to sign our petition so that we can represent you on Capitol Hill in just a few days!

After signing, take a few additional moments to alert your conservative friends and family members to Obama's latest statist scheme.

Urge them to click below right now to stop his unconstitutional assault on liberty and freedom:

Like a huge cyber-wrecking ball, the FCC is poised to do Obama's bidding and begin the deconstruction of the Internet -- all in the name of freedom for all, and we have just days to stop it.

In just a few days, Grassfire Nation will deliver tens of thousands of petitions to each of the five FCC commissioners, including FCC chairman Julius Genachowski, strongly opposing this statist grab reminding them that the FCC does not have the power or authority to force any such actions!

Obama took over healthcare, the banking industry, auto-industry - now he's eyeing the Internet.

Take immediate action by signing below, and then alert your friends.

Thank you for standing with Grassfire Nation.

Steve

P.S. Again, after signing our petition forward this message to 30-40 friends alerting them to the FCC's plan to seize control of the Internet. Urge them to add their name to our petition by clicking here now:

http://www.grassfire.net/r.asp?u=35740&RID=22164557

NAACP seemingly abandons Tea Party tracking website

2010-12-14T12:59:00.003-06:00

NAACP seemingly abandons Tea Party tracking website

The NAACP hasn’t updated its teapartytracker.org website since October 20, and hasn’t tweeted from its special TeaPartyTracker handle since August 30.

This might mean the NAACP has decided the Tea Party movement isn’t racist after all. When the NAACP launched the website, which was meant to monitor “racism and other forms of extremism within the Tea Party movement,” it said, “our hope is that this site remains empty—that the Tea Party’s initial steps toward monitoring extremism within their ranks bear fruit. But if not, the NAACP will be there, as we have for more than one hundred years, to expose racism where it exists, in whatever form it takes.”

Well, there haven’t been any updates to the site since mid-October, and the website’s main video, one from the misleading “journalistic” duo of New Left Media, has held its place at the top of the site since late August.

Since the NAACP said it will be there to “expose racism where it exists, in whatever form it takes,” when the organization is not producing that content, does that mean the NAACP is admitting there is no racism to be exposed, in any form, in the Tea Party?

The NAACP failed to respond to The Daily Caller’s request for comment or clarification.

Full Story Here:
NAACP seemingly abandons Tea Party tracking website

I want to congratulate each and every member of the TEA Party, not just here in Rowlett, but all across this great nation. We didn't take the bait, we proved the NAACP wrong. We exposed those that were fake TEA Party members and were only in attendance to cause hate, and to spread that hate and disruption.

We are making a difference, but we're not finished. There is much work to be done, the biggest job we face now is that of keeping the TEA Party a non-partisan organization and not allowing it to be co-opted by ANY party.

Let's keep up the fight America. Together we are STRONG!

Straight-Party ballots must go

2010-12-13T15:18:00.000-06:00

The State of Texas in a very important way is quickly becoming like the socialist nanny states of Western Europe. In Europe, the electoral system is based on a parliamentary system of representation. In that system, a voter picks a slate of candidates based on party. Here in Texas, we have essentially the same system. It is known as the Straight Party ballot. Only 16 states have an option for straight party voting, and nearly all of them did so to prevent Republicans from being elected in the years after the Civil War or after the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

In case you haven't noticed, in Dallas County, it worked like a charm - again. No county-wide office in Dallas County was won by a Republican. In the counties surrounding Dallas County, the opposite was true. In both cases, the results of the election put in office several candidates from both major parties that may cause lasting damage to the principle of Limited Government that the Rowlett TEA Party holds dear. (I will not name names here, but if you ask me in person I'll be happy to share.)

The Dallas Morning News ran its bi-annual piece on the matter in conjunction with State Senator Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, filing legislation to prohibit the straight-party option on the ballot. The article lays out some the arguments for eliminating this anti-democratic practice and I encourage you to read it.

Straight-party voting skews results, is bad for democracy, foes say

State Rep Dan Branch, a Republican representing Park Cities and surrounding Dallas neighborhoods, also known as Dallas' "gayborhoods", is considering filing similar legislation to Senator Wentworth's in the Texas House. Please take a moment to encourage him to do so. While you are at it, contact your local state representative and let them know,

"No Straight-Party ballots in Texas"

Dan Branch (R)
3953 Maple Avenue
Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75219
(214) 745-5768
(214) 745-5883 Fax

dan.branch@house.state.tx.us

Joe Driver (R)
201 South Glenbrook Dr.
Garland, TX 75040
(972) 276-1556
(972) 276-8207 Fax

joe.driver@house.state.tx.us

Jodie Laubenberg (R)
Rockwall County Office:
603 N. Goliad
Rockwall, Texas 75087
(972) 772-8525
(972) 722-3377 Fax

Collin County Office
206 N. Murphy Road
Murphy, Texas 75094
(972) 468-4189 Phone

jodie.laubenberg@house.state.tx.us

This version of 'Kick the Can' will cost us all dearly.

2010-12-10T11:42:00.001-06:00

Dr. Paul Rahe is a professor of History at Hillsdale College (to some this is a dubious distinction). But today, he has posted a column on BigGovernment.com that speaks about economics. He takes great pains to describe in very simple language two types of recessions. First, he describes the economic downturn we've all experienced, a business cycle recession:

Downturns occasioned by the business cycle are caused by overproduction. When businesses have more stock than they can sell, they stop producing and lay off workers. The workers laid off and no longer getting paychecks cut back on their consumption, and this in turn reduces the demand for goods and services and causes other businesses, which find their products and services no longer as much in demand, to curtail their efforts and lay off another set of workers. And so the recession grows, building on itself, until some businesses find that they have underproduced or underprovided for the services in demand. Then, the same process takes place in reverse with stepped-up production and a stepped-up provision of services requiring stepped-up employment, which occasions more consumption requiring another round of stepped-up production and provision of services and a further increase in employment and so forth – until production and provision once more overshoot demand. In the absence of perfect knowledge, human beings living in commercial societies are fated to suffer from an oscillation of this sort – between boom and bust.

The second type of recession is a fiscal recession, again from Dr. Rahe:

The last one we experienced in the United States began in 1929, and it was a doozy. Fiscal recessions are a function of the level of indebtedness. The one in 1929 was preceded by an extended period in which the Federal Reserve Board, supported by the Secretary of the Treasury, followed an easy-money policy. Interest was low; money was lent to all and sundry on easy terms; home-buyers and consumers took out loans they could not manage; and investors with borrowed money took great risks in attempts to make a quick buck. Bubbles appeared; and when the stock market finally crashed and the unemployment rate went up, the number of bankruptcies was legion. Those able to manage their debts concentrated on paying them down; and, for a good long time thereafter, Americans were very, very reluctant to take on debt.

Dr. Rahe argues that we are in a fiscal recession. I believe he is correct.

Here is a chart posted on Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis:

Today we are seeing a correction to this fiscal recession as consumers reduce their debt. And just like in the period after the Great Depression, many families are adapting to a new way of household finance. They are no longer using revolving credit to make purchases. Here is a bit of evidence reported in the New York Times yesterday,

The lowest percentage of shoppers in the 27-year-history of a national survey said they used credit cards over the Thanksgiving weekend, while the use of general credit cards like Visa and MasterCard fell 11 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, according to the credit bureau TransUnion.

According to Dr. Rahe, "Something like 2.1 million houses are in foreclosure," and "the real estate market has not cleared."

Most local governments receive the bulk of their revenue from two sources: sales taxes and property taxes.

A decline in consumer credit will necessarily mean lower consumer spending, especially on the kinds of goods that local governments typically assess a sales tax (e.g. not food, and not pharmacy). In fact, in Rowlett, TX, sales tax collections from October 2010 are down almost 20% compared to October 2009 (Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts). Property appraisal values are down, and therefore, property tax collections will be down as well.

Add to this mixture, a burgeoning expense to fund the pension system for city employees, and you have the same recipe for disaster that other cities and states are facing. Other governments are addressing their budget problems in diverse ways:

In San Diego, Mayor Jerry Sanders (the city's former police chief) is pushing to eliminate pension plans for new city employees, offering 401(k)-like savings accounts instead.
In Wisconsin, Governor-elect Scott Walker raised the possibility of essentially abolishing state employee unions on Tuesday as one option to control rising employee benefits costs and eliminate the state's budget deficit.
In Houston, Mayor Annise Parker said Wednesday that mandatory furloughs for civilian city employees likely will be used to help close the city's remaining $30 million budget gap.

Add to these maneuvers, a few options specific to pensions such as:

prohibiting the practice of allowing retiring employees to work hundreds of hours of overtime in their final year, and then counting that pay in determining the pension payment.
treating new employees differently and by stopping existing employees from accumulating new benefits. (This would require a change in Texas state law)
requiring employees accept lower benefits. (For Rowlett this might include a reduced match by the city or reducing or eliminating funding for COLA adjustments)
RAISING PROPERTY TAXES

Like many governments, those responsible for such decisions are more likely to kick this can down the road then to deal with it now. For places like San Diego, Houston, Wisconsin Illinois, and California, the can has hit a wall. My sources tell me that Rowlett's City Council may choose to kick the can just a little bit further.

In this game of Kick the Can, the problem doesn't go away, it only gets worse.

I WANT YOU!

2010-12-02T19:49:00.002-06:00

Folks, we need your ideas and suggestions!

If we want the Rowlett TEA Party to grow, we have to work together and we all need to do everything we know to do and everything we can think of to make it happen.

We're hoping you'll all have some contribution, something we can do as a group to keep things going!

What will we fight for...?

2010-11-30T14:00:00.001-06:00

The Texas legislative session begins on January 11, 2011.

I want to start a discussion about which issues the Rowlett TEA Party should get involved by lobbying our state reps, our state senator, and by educating our neighbors.

The key issues I believe we should focus our energy on include:

School choice. Whether through an expanded charter school program or through educational vouchers, parents should have a choice in where and how their children are educated. And since it is critical to the democratic process for the citizens to be educated, we cannot continue to try and fix a system that is built on achieving mediocrity.
Voter ID. Although I believe this issue will be fast tracked through the Legislature, it is important for the Rowlett TEA Party to voice its support for Voter ID legislation in order to preserve the integrity of our election process. Nothing is more damaging to a democratic process than a compromised election system.
Health care. The Texas legislature will consider legislation very similar to voter approved constitutional amendments in many states, including Missouri, Arizona, and Oklahoma that deny the federal government the power to mandate we purchase health insurance. This legislation will be Texas' way to say, "Not in our state!" If there is a more important issue than this to keep the authority of the federal government at bay, I am not aware of it.

Other key issues we should lend our support to include:

Immigration enforcement.
Opting out of Medicaid (through a statewide block grant)
Redistricting
Reforming laws that govern municipal pensions to allow cities greater flexibility.

What else? Post your thoughts in the comments.

Obama calls for 2-year freeze on federal pay

2010-11-29T17:22:00.004-06:00

Obama calls for 2-year freeze on federal pay

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama on Monday proposed a two-year freeze of the salaries of some 2 million federal workers, trying to seize the deficit-cutting initiative from Republicans with a sudden, dramatic stroke. Though signaling White House concern over record deficits, the freeze would make only a tiny dent in annual deficits or the nation's $14 trillion debt.

"Small businesses and families are tightening their belts," Obama said in brief remarks at the White House. "The government should, too." The administration said the plan was designed to save more than $5 billion over the first two years.

The proposal, which must be approved by Congress, would not apply to the military, but it would affect all others on the Executive Branch payroll. It would not affect members of Congress or their staffs, defense contractors, postal workers or federal court judges and workers.

Obama's move was an attempt to get in front of Republican plans to slash federal pay and the workforce next year, when they will flex more legislative muscle than now. It came a day ahead of Obama's meeting at the White House with both Republicans and Democratic leaders - his first with Republicans since the midterm elections - and two days before the deadline for recommendations by his deficit-reduction commission.

Full Story Here:
Obama calls for 2-year freeze on federal pay

Freeze federal pay? Here's my message to the federal government and ALL federal employees, suck it up and stop griping.

Pretend you're a Senior Citizen or a disabled American trying to scrape by on Social Security. We have been frozen for 2010 and 2011 already. No cost of living allowance.

Here in Rowlett we have a lot of TEA Party members that are seriously qualified as Seniors. I'm certain that we have some, at least a few, that are retired on disability. I would be interested in hearing how this federal wage freeze and the no COLA for Social Security recipients is going to affect our members, their friends and/or family.

The president said the economy and federal spending were at the top of the agenda for Tuesday's meeting, one he said he hoped "will mark a first step towards a new and productive working relationship" between the two parties. Because of GOP midterm gains, "we now have a shared responsibility to deliver for the American people on the issues that define not only these times but our future," Obama said.

House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio, on track to become House speaker in January, said he was pleased with the president's announcement.

I am agreed with Boehner, this is a good move. It won't solve ALL of the issues, but it's a start.

But with no COLA for 2 years, with wages frozen for federal employees, what about inflation? What do we do when OUR money doesn't go up at all but the cost of our goods does?

Do you remember the stories about the elderly eating CAT FOOD?

Tea party seeks Capitol clout after election gains

2010-11-16T13:42:00.003-06:00

Tea party seeks Capitol clout after election gains

WASHINGTON (AP) - Tea party activists and other conservatives, eager to transform electoral gains into clout on Capitol Hill, are pressuring Republican leaders to take a hardline approach in the next Congress, shunning compromise for confrontation with Democrats.

The strategy is likely to bring gridlock on major issues - particularly tax cuts and spending - and make it more difficult for President Barack Obama and Congress to find common ground on virtually any measure. It's also leaving key Republicans, in charge of the House and with larger numbers in the Senate, less room to maneuver as they seek to show they can make the big changes they've promised.

GOP leaders have bowed to the pressure already this week.

Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, said he'd go along with a ban on the practice of earmarking - in which lawmakers steer federal spending to pet projects in their states and districts. The decision narrowly averted an internal party fight over earmarks, and gave the tea party a high-profile victory reflecting its growing influence.

Full Story Here:
Tea party seeks Capitol clout after election gains

We have established a *toe hold*, nothing more.

Some are already looking at the GOP gains in the recent election and are saying *Mission Accomplished*. The couldn't be further from the truth. The work has barely begun for Conservatives and TEA Party members.

Conservative leader Richard Viguerie said: "Today begins the process of repairing the Republican brand."

I sincerely hope that *brand* can be repaired, it would likely be a more acceptable endeavor to most Conservatives than the effort required to for a viable 3rd party.

If the GOP is to be repaired, let it begin with the routing of ALL RINOs.

FreedomWorks retreat seeks to refocus Republican lawmakers on tea party goals

2010-11-11T11:07:00.004-06:00

FreedomWorks retreat seeks to refocus Republican lawmakers on tea party goals

FreedomWorks, the conservative political organization that spent millions of dollars helping to elect tea party-backed candidates across the country, is hosting a retreat in Baltimore on Thursday and Friday to encourage congressional Republicans to stay true to the small-government principles they espoused during the campaign.

FreedomWorks' chairman, former House majority leader Richard K. Armey, and its president, Matt Kibbe, will talk to incoming and returning Republicans about not setting aside their advocacy for lower taxes and spending in the interest of finding favor with Republican leaders or scoring valuable committee assignments.

"We have to move from the election cycle and a year in which Americans across the country have been expressing concern and talking about what they don't want from their government to where we start to move toward with what we do want," said Republican Sen.-elect Mike Lee of Utah in a telephone interview from the Hyatt Regency on Baltimore's Inner Harbor. "We will be talking about ideas on how to move forward."

The retreat highlights the potential for conflict between Republican leaders and new members who campaigned forcefully on a message to change the culture of Washington - and who, in some cases, took aim as much at Republicans as Democrats for their role in allowing spending, earmarks, taxes and the national debt to spiral upward.

Full Story Here:
FreedomWorks retreat seeks to refocus Republican lawmakers on tea party goals

That's a great start, keep it in their heads, 'YOU work for US and WE can, and WILL fire you if you make a move to The Dark Side'.

Earlier today, I posted this on my personal blog: Earmark dispute splits GOP senators.

It can't be stressed too often, we must be ever vigilant. Our nation faces great peril from ALL fronts, one of the greatest perils we face is the GOP (RINOs) and Democrats that spend OUR money like there is no tomorrow.

At the rate these guys have been going, there may well BE no tomorrow if we're not careful and keep a constant eye on what goes on in American politics.

And so it begins…

The RINOs love pork just as much as the Dems. I told my readers before the election, ‘as soon as the elections are over, we’ll see a resurgence in the RINO herd’, and we are. NOW is the time to put a lid on it too. STOP these out of control RINOs from spending money this nation doesn’t have. NOW is the time for the entire GOP and ALL Conservatives to stand and tell a few Senators NO! A word that HATE to hear.

Now What?

2010-11-03T09:40:00.000-05:00

Last night the political landscape in Texas changed dramatically. Most "experts" on Texas politics were calling for up to a 10 seat gain for the GOP in the Texas House of Representatives. While there may be some seats in dispute, as of this morning, the GOP looks to have 99 or more seats in the House. That is a 2 to 1 margin in the House! Just as nearly all the statewide races went 2 to 1 for the GOP.

Now we can start to have an influence. I almost feel like a kid in a candy store. With these margins, there is no need for the GOP to tiptoe around some truly conservative causes:

Could we actually see the Texas House nullify the mis-labeled Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act?

Is it possible, the GOP House will actually support choice in education?

Will the GOP leadership actually reverse the tide of our expanding Texas government and actually cut or eliminate big government programs?

The answer to all these questions depends on us, and grassroots activists across the state to infuse some political courage into our state reps.

Let's roll!

TEA Party Business - A Call to Action

2010-10-15T15:53:00.005-05:00

Group wants prayer discontinued at council meetings

I know some of you have seen this story already, Group wants prayer discontinued at council meetings and I want you to know, the Rowlett TEA Party Executive Board has agreed to engage this nonsense and will express our support in a letter to the Rowlett City Council.

I have personally been in touch with Mayor Pro-Tem Todd Gottel and assured him that I would do everything in my power to support the Mayor and Council in their action against this travesty.

Jerry Berggren has also spoken to Mayor Harper and assured him of our support.

Now, the Rowlett TEA Party will become fully engaged.

If any of you can make it to the City Council meeting on Tuesday night, Oct. 19th at 7:30PM you will have an opportunity to speak directly TO the Council and go on official record with your opinion.

Now we need to bring the power of the Rowlett TEA Party to bear. It's time for ALL concerned citizens to send letters and/or email to Mayor Harper and the Council expressing your views on this serious issue.

You can contact ALL members of Council and City management at these addresses:

Brian Funderburk - bfunderburk@Rowlett.com
Chris Kilgore - ckilgore@rowlett.com
Donna Davis - ddavis@rowlett.com
Doug Phillips - dphillips@rowlett.com
John Harper - mayor@rowlett.com
Lynda Humble - lhumble@rowlett.com
Michael Gallops - mgallops@Rowlett.com
Patrick Jackson - pjackson@rowlett.com
Susie Quinn - squinn@rowlett.com
Todd Gottel - tgottel@rowlett.com

City Council Bulk Email - citycouncil@rowlett.com

The Rowlett TEA Party endorses Rep. Joe Driver for Texas House District 113

2010-10-13T12:45:00.000-05:00

The Rowlett Tea Party proudly endorses Joe Driver for the Texas House of Representatives, District 113. We this endorsement very carefully, considering the recent allegation levied against Mr. Driver over his campaign finances, but ultimately, we believe he will represent the interests of Rowlett far better than his opponent.

The 2011 legislative session is vitally important for Rowlett and Garland as it is likely that a two new Congressional seats will be formed in North Texas. Rowlett will have a unique opportunity to be represented by a single representative in Washington, potentially a representative that is more familiar with the unique needs, concerns and interests of our city, rather than three Congressmen, each with only marginal interest in our city. Redistricting is a very important and very difficult process for a freshman representative to navigate successfully, so on this point Mr. Driver's experience will be invaluable.

Also in this session, the Texas legislature will have to take on mandates from Washington to create the necessary infrastructure to support health care reform legislation. We believe that Mr. Driver will be better positioned to help Texas stand up to the federal government's mandates to protect the freedoms of all Texans from an overreaching federal government.

The Rowlett Tea Party includes members and board members familiar with campaign finance law and after thoroughly reviewing the campaign finance irregularities Mr. Driver has been accused of, we have concluded that Mr. Driver's only sin was little more than a bookkeeping error and that he did not "double dip" from state monies, as his opponent and the Dallas Morning News has falsely accused him.

Finally, Mr. Driver is largely in agreement with our core principles both in his rhetoric and his voting record. Ms. Dorris is clearly not.

The Rowlett TEA Party endorses Sen. Bob Deuell for TX 2

2010-10-13T11:39:00.004-05:00

The Rowlett TEA Party endorses Sen. Bob Deuell for TX 2

There are a lot of GOOD people saying a lot of GOOD things regarding Se. Bob Deuell, and we are in 100% agreement, Bob Deuell IS the BEST choice for Texas Senate District Two.

Some other endorsements for Sen. Deuell:

“Deuell, 59, a Greenville physician and former school board member, has emerged over four lawmaking sessions as a thoughtful, engaged lawmaker and a resource for colleagues on health issues.”
-Dallas Morning News-

“This fellow is a champion. He is a fine conservative. He is a soldier and a champion for keeping taxes low.”
-Lt. Governor David Dewhurst-

“Dr. Bob Deuell is the model public servant. I have often said that I believe he is the best State Senator in Texas and I look forward to working with him for years to come.”
-Mayor John Harper, Rowlett-

“That's where GOP Sen. Bob Deuell earns his pay. The Greenville physician stepped in once again to guide the Senate through
the maze of health spending.”
-Dallas Morning News-

"One reason we do have great freedom here in the State of Texas, is because we have a State Senator that has represented us in the manner we want to be represented. I've known Senator Deuell for quite some time and I'm proud to have him be my State Senator."
- Pat Chase, Treasurer, Hopkins County GOP -

"You're a good doctor, a doggone good Senator and one terrific friend. And I thank you and your wife for everything you've done."
- The Hon. Ralph Hall, U.S. Congressman -

Senator_Deuell_Endorsement.FIREFIGHTERS.pdf

More Endorsements for Sen. Deuell

The Rowlett TEA Party Endorses Jerry Pittman for Dallas County Constable Pct. 2

2010-10-11T19:44:00.003-05:00

The Rowlett TEA Party Endorses Jerry Pittman for Dallas County Constable Pct. 2

Jerry Pittman brings 37 years of law enforcement experience to the table. He was with the Garland Police department for 25 years and retired at the rank of Lieutenant.

During his career there, he was assigned to the Dallas Area Organized Crime Task Force and trained extensively in investigative work, surveillance, electronic counter measures and warrant preparation.

Jerry spent several years in the uniformed patrol division and worked closely with citizens of this community on a daily basis in all types of activities.

Jerry was assigned to the traffic division as a motorcycle officer and was trained at Texas A & M in advanced accident investigation and accident reconstruction.

Jerry was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and attended the University of Texas at Dallas, Police Supervision Training, and was assigned to Jail Supervisor where he closely supervised all arrests and reports.

Jerry has been with the Dallas County Constables Office for the past 12 years and has worked in the warrant division, civil division, and the traffic division where he is currently assigned. Jerry has extensive knowledge of the problems faced by the Constables office and is, in our opinion, the best man for the job and will straighten that office out, returning it to the level of respect and competency the citizens of Dallas County expect.

With his long and successful career in Law Enforcement, it is our pleasure to endorse Jerry Pittman for Dallas County Constable Pct. 2

The Rowlett TEA Party Endorses Amie Parsons for State Board of Education, District 12

2010-10-11T16:25:00.005-05:00

The Rowlett TEA Party Endorses Amie Parsons for State Board of Education, District 12.

Amie is a dedicated mother of two young children and a certified teacher. She was born, raised and educated in Texas, graduating from Rockwall High School and UTD.

The State Board of Education has two key functions under the Texas Constitution:

To maintain the permanent education fund

To establish curriculum standards for Texas public schools

Amie wants the State Board to work to improve the education of Texas students by:

Creating state curriculum standards that will prepare students for the all important college entrance exams.

Encouraging greater parent and teacher involvement in establishing the State’s curriculum standards.

Developing curriculum standards for vocational education programs in school districts across Texas.

Amy also supports funding to assist public charter schools, a move in the right direction for giving parents and students a choice in their education.

With respect to her opponent, George Clayton (R), we agree with the sentiment of the Dallas Morning News,

“...Clayton’s passion and anger haven’t translated into workable ideas for the post he’s seeking. And Clayton, 60, seems to have a tenuous grasp on the board’s role.”

The Rowlett TEA Party Endorses Danny Clancy for Dallas County D.A.

2010-10-10T17:08:00.000-05:00

The Rowlett TEA Party Endorses Danny Clancy for Dallas County D.A.

Until recently many of us in Rowlett had not met Danny Clancy, but we had the opportunity to meet him and talk at length at the TEA Party forum.

We had the distinct pleasure to make his acquaintance, talk with him in a very casual and informal manner and then to hear him speak as to why he should be the next Dallas County District Attorney.

“It seems like each day I open the newspaper there’s a story about our District Attorney, but unfortunately they have nothing to do with fighting crime. Instead, it’s ethical questions, political grandstanding and cover-ups. Our taxpayers and families deserve better.

I think it’s time for a DA who is making headlines for putting our toughest felons behind bars, and as your District Attorney, I will personally handle the prosecution of our most violent criminals. With close to two decades of experience as a prosecutor and a criminal court judge, I have the real-world experience fighting crime, and I am committed to re-focusing the DA’s office on what should be its top priority: keeping our families safe.”

Danny Clancy is the best choice for Dallas County D.A. He is, in our opinion, the ONLY choice. We honestly believe that Danny will do a fantastic job as Dallas D.A. and will make Texas proud of this native son!

From the Danny Clancy web page:

News and Updates
Endorsements

Campaign Address:
3131 McKinney Avenue, Suite 800
Dallas, Texas 75204

Campaign Contact:
Abby Hoak
Phone: 214-850-3397
Fax: 214-740-9912
abby@dannyclancyforda.com

The Rowlett TEA Party Endorses Jeff Weems for Texas Railroad Commissioner

2010-10-10T14:51:00.007-05:00

The Rowlett TEA Party Endorses Jeff Weems for Texas Railroad Commissioner.

Jeff was raised in the oilfields of West Texas and Louisiana. Jeff has worked in the OIL Industry, and has the scars to prove it too!

The Texas Railroad Commission is a misnomer at best, but it is the most important regulatory commission in Texas.

The Texas Railroad Commission was formed in the 1890’s to protect farmers from predatory pricing by the railroads. The Texas Legislature later gave the Commission additional regulatory responsibilities, primarily over trucking and oil and gas exploration and production. Over the years, the Commission’s authority over railroads and trucking was reduced, and finally eliminated altogether in 2005.

The Texas Railroad Commission is currently responsible for:

*Regulating oil and gas exploration and production;
*Regulating pipeline (both natural gas and hazardous liquid) safety;
*Regulating certain coal and uranium surface mining operations;
*Setting rates for pipelines and for natural gas utilities;
*Regulating natural gas utility safety measures; and
*Creating and applying programs designed to promote the use of and market for *Liquefied Petroleum (LP) or Propane gas.

Jeff is a strong supporter of ALL things Texas. He is a proponent of property rights and is set to tackle the eminent domain issue that most Texans are tired of.

Eminent Domain

n. the power of a governmental entity (federal, state, county or city government, school district, hospital district or other agencies) to take private real estate for public use, with or without the permission of the owner. The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution provides that "private property [may not] be taken for public use without just compensation." The Fourteenth Amendment added the requirement of just compensation to state and local government takings. The usual process includes passage of a resolution by the acquiring agency to take the property (condemnation), including a declaration of public need, followed by an appraisal, an offer, and then negotiation. If the owner is not satisfied, he/she may sue the governmental agency for a court's determination of just compensation. The government, however, becomes owner while a trial is pending if the amount of the offer is deposited in a trust account. Public uses include schools, streets and highways, parks, airports, dams, reservoirs, redevelopment, public housing, hospitals and public buildings.

We believe that Jeff Weems would make an excellent Texas Railroad Commissioner.

Jeff's opponent? Well, ask him if he ever threw a *spinning chain* or *racked* pipe...

Rowlett Tea Party Announces Candidate Endorsements

2010-10-08T15:12:00.009-05:00

UPDATED October 10, 2010, 15:40

ROWLETT, TEXAS – Unlike many local Tea Party groups, the Rowlett Tea Party is proud to announce its endorsement of candidates for the November 2010 election. In order to receive the Rowlett Tea Party endorsement, a candidate had to receive support from the majority of Board members and the support of two-thirds of the group’s membership.

GOVERNOR - NO ENDORSEMENT

RAILROAD COMMISSIONER - Jeff Weems (D)
TEXAS SENATE, DISTRICT 2 - Dr. Bob Deuell (R)
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, DISTRICT 12 - Amie Parsons (L)
JUSTICE, 5^TH DISTRICT COURT OF APPEALS, PLACE 4 - Lana Myers (R)
TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, DISTRICT 113 - Joe Driver (R)
TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, DISTRICT 101 - Cindy Burkett (R)
DALLAS COUNTY JUDGE - Wade Emmert (R)
DALLAS COUNTY CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 2, PL 2 - Jerry Pittman (D)
DALLAS COUNTY JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT 2, PL 2 - NO ENDORSEMENT
JUDGE, 191^st Judicial District Court - Matt Rinaldi (R)
JUDGE, Dallas County Court #8 - Deandra Grant (R)
JUDGE, 203^rd Judicial District Court - Jennifer Balido (R)
JUDGE, 116^th Judicial District Court - Mike Lee(R)
JUDGE, 301^st Family District Court - George White (R)

More endorsements will be forthcoming.

Rowlett Tea Party endorsements are based on several factors, including:

Agreement with the Rowlett Tea Party’s core principles to Uphold the U.S. Constitution, adhere to the principle of Limited Government, Fiscal Responsibility, and the promotion of Free Markets.
Responses to voters’ guides published by other organizations and media.
Statements and responses to questions at the Rowlett Tea Party Candidate Forum held on September 25, 2010.

For more information about the Rowlett Tea Party and its candidate endorsements, please visit the website, http://www.rowletttexasteaparty.com.

The Rowlett Tea Party is a non-partisan group of concerned citizens living in Rowlett, Texas and surrounding areas, that has come together to educate our neighbors of the importance of a Constitutionally Limited government that practices Fiscal Responsibility and promotes Free Markets.

###

What can I do?

2010-10-08T11:57:00.001-05:00

I hear this question all the time. I've taken some time to reach out to conservative activists across the fruited plain, and here are a few of their ideas:

Neighborhood Walkers - Putting candidate information on doors and/or talking to residents.
Campaign Office Helpers
Poll Worker (Early Voting and Nov 2) - Observing for fraud, gather emails as people leave the poll.
Precinct Leader - Organize volunteers to canvas a precinct.
Senior/Assisted Living Outreach
Youth Voter Outreach
Drivers to Take Voters to the Polls
Coordinators for Candidate Forum Team
Phone Bank Callers (from your own home, script is already written out)

We've already held a Candidate Forum, so now it's time to do something else. One of the most effective activities we can accomplish individually is to be a Poll Watcher, to watch for voter fraud. I contacted the Dallas GOP to ask about being a Poll Watcher, and this is what they told me:

There will be training sessions next week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings beginning at 7:30 pm. The training usually lasts about 1 hour. It is only necessary to attend one training session. If you are interested in attending, please contact Tyler Atkins to reserve your spot. You can reach him at tyler@dallasgop.org.

I would like to encourage anyone that wants to get involved to contact Tyler and get some training. UPDATE: Because some of you have already asked, you cannot legally carry a handgun into a polling place even if you have a Texas issued Concealed Handgun License.

We will have more opportunities to spread our message this election season, so come back to this page often and learn what you can do to help restore our nation to political sanity.

The Rowlett TEA Party Candidates Forum

2010-09-27T16:56:00.002-05:00

The Rowlett TEA Party Candidates Forum

On Saturday, Sept. 25th, 2010, the Rowlett Texas TEA Party held the biggest, and most successful event in it's history.

The candidates forum was a tremendous success.

When you consider that we were up against the 1st weekend of the Texas State Fair, University of Texas football, the Grambling vs Prairie View game at the fair, and just being Saturday, we were very pleased to have had over 50 candidates and their support staff, Channel 5 News, Kenny Green of the Rowlett Lakeshore Times, most of the TEA Party board and several TEA Party members as well as over 200 citizens in attendance.

We had a number of unscheduled candidates show up and set out signs and literature even though they knew they weren't going to get on stage.

We were afraid that we had the schedule booked too tight, but as it turned out, all candidates spoke for their allotted time and took questions, and we were able to get ALL the judicial candidates on stage and they too had an opportunity to speak briefly as well.

I want to extend many thanks to ALL the candidates, The First United Methodist Church of Rowlett, the Cub Scouts that stood as *Color Guard* and presented the flags, Mayor Pro-Tem Todd Gottel and especially to the TEA Party members that came, helped, stayed all the way until the end and helped us with the hard work of setting up and tearing down.

I have to extend a very special THANK YOU to TEA Party member Mr. Frank McKimmims for his GREAT work in doing the video for this event. Frank, you were a God send!

I know I'm missing someone in this, that's always the case, and if I missed you, I DO apologize.

All I have to say now is this, lets get together and decide WHO it is we want in office, offer our endorsements and then work as hard to get the vote out as we did to make this forum the HUGE success it was!

GOP tries to bring tea party enthusiasm into fold

2010-09-16T15:58:00.003-05:00

GOP tries to bring tea party enthusiasm into fold

WASHINGTON – Can this political marriage survive?

More than a half dozen tea party-backed candidates have captured Republican Senate nominations, and now the GOP is trying to bring their rebel supporters' enthusiasm into the fold for November.

Republicans have little choice but to at least put on a show of unity: Alienating the antiestablishment tea party could undercut GOP efforts to post big Senate gains, perhaps even win control outright.

Judging by how quickly the GOP establishment embraced tea party nominees after earlier primaries, it may not take long for them to consider insurgent Christine O'Donnell one of their own in Delaware. The state's Senate primary was the freshest source of Republican division after O'Donnell's stunning upset of nine-term Rep. Mike Castle. He hasn't yet rallied behind her but others have, including once and maybe future presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Full Story Here:
GOP tries to bring tea party enthusiasm into fold

Remember this fellow TEA Party Patriots, the GOP/RNC is singing a love song right now, they NEED the TEA Party and our votes, but their interest in the TEA Party is far less than that of a friend and ally!

Former Senate majority leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), now a D.C. lobbyist, warned that a robust bloc of rabble-rousers spells further Senate dysfunction. “We don’t need a lot of Jim DeMint disciples,” Lott said in an interview. “As soon as they get here, we need to co-opt them.” SOURCE

Beware TEA Party, beware indeed!

The GOP/RNC would like nothing better than to make you believe that they are going to change, that they are going to be 100% Conservative all the time, but they are NOT! They are going to pander the Conservatives and TEA Party faithful in order to get your vote.

As soon as elections are over, it's back to business as usual for the GOP.

GOP regroups after Tea Party wins

2010-09-15T17:30:00.005-05:00

GOP regroups after Tea Party wins

WASHINGTON — A win certified Wednesday in the Senate primary in New Hampshire for a candidate backed by the Republican establishment helped offset earlier primary election victories in Delaware and New York by Tea Party-backed insurgents.

In New Hampshire, former attorney general Kelly Ayotte was named the winner in the Republican primary for Senate, marking a narrow victory over conservative lawyer Ovide Lamontagne, who campaigned with the support of Tea Party activists. Ayotte had the support of the Republican Party and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin in her bid for the seat held by retiring GOP Sen. Judd Gregg. Ayotte will face off in November against Rep. Paul Hodes, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

In Delaware, marketing consultant Christine O'Donnell upset Rep. Mike Castle for that state's Republican Senate nomination. O'Donnell, backed by Tea Party activists and out-of-state financing, took down Castle, a centrist and popular fixture in Delaware politics who had been heavily favored to not only win the party's nomination but also to take the Senate seat long held by Vice President Joe Biden.

Full Story Here:
GOP regroups after Tea Party wins

STRIKE while the iron is hot!

The TEA Party is on a roll my friends. We are making waves and getting a lot of notice now, and it's not just the name calling Left that is noticing either. The TEA Party is on every major news source in America right now. And this is only the start.

We are in our infancy right now, we're not even crawling yet, God help the Dems and RINOs once we can walk and run!

TEA Party candidates are making a HUGE splash in politics right now. The TEA Party is tired of the status quo, the Good Ol’ Boys network, the wink and nod politics, the career politicians and politicians that seem to have forgotten this one indisputable fact: YOU WORK FOR US, not the other way around.

We have their attention, now we hang on to them and chew like a dog with a bone!

GOP tries to take out tea party-backed candidate

2010-09-12T13:06:00.004-05:00

GOP tries to take out tea party-backed candidate

DOVER, Del. (AP) - Arms linked, Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell and her conservative backers kick up their heels and clap to the strains of an original song with lyrics befitting a tea party.

"Look out Washington, D.C., 'cause we are on a roll and we're rocking across this country with a message to be told."

It's a tune that's unnerving the Republican establishment in Delaware, which fears being felled by swift kicks from O'Donnell - and tea partiers.

Not long after tea party-backed Joe Miller stunned Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the Republican establishment is furiously trying to avoid a similar outcome in the Delaware primary on Tuesday. Republican leaders, top strategists and even the Delaware state GOP chairman have taken the unusual step of openly working to defeat O'Donnell and ensure the nomination of their preferred candidate, nine-term Rep. Mike Castle.

Republicans, who have an outside chance of capturing the majority in the Senate in November, see Castle as their best chance of winning the seat long held by Vice President Joe Biden. The moderate Castle is a former governor and has been the state's lone congressman since 1993.

Full Story Here:
GOP tries to take out tea party-backed candidate

Make no mistake my fellow TEA Party Patriots, the GOP knows we're here and they are NOT at all happy with the idea that MOST of us in the TEA Party are not going to march to their GOP drumbeat any longer.

No more posers. No more pretenders. No more RINOs! Not now, not ever.

And remember, the GOP only seeks to pacify the TEA Party, then co-opt us into their ranks once the election season is over.

Tea party rallies seek momentum as elections near

2010-09-12T10:17:00.005-05:00

Tea party rallies seek momentum as elections near

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Thousands of tea party activists are expected to gather Sunday in Sacramento and at two other major rallies around the country, as the movement's leaders look to energize conservatives before the November election.

Rallies also are being held in St. Louis and Washington, D.C.

Organizers say the events aim to call attention to what they describe as big government run amok and to recall the sense of national unity Americans felt the day after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

But the rallies also represent an opportunity to build momentum before the general election. The tea party is counting on its members to turn out in large numbers and prove the movement is a political force with staying power.

Full Story Here:
Tea party rallies seek momentum as elections near

Nowhere in this story did I see anything from Beck or Palin about the CORE VALUES of the TEA Party.

*Uphold the U.S. Constitution*
*Limited Government*
*Fiscal Responsibility*
*Free Markets*

There was vague reference to those CORE VALUES but they are not specifically mentioned. As the Rowlett TEA Party President, Jerry Berggren, mentioned in our last meeting, ALL TEA Party members need to know these CORE VALUES by heart.

The 'Rah-Rah' rallies are great, the high dollar speakers not taking a fee, or donating that fee back to a good cause is wonderful, but that is not all that there is to a TEA Party group.

As one person said, 'this is a lifetime commitment', let's just not forget where we came from and most of all, not forget why we came to be.

Dem base told: Fear Tea Party

2010-09-08T11:05:00.003-05:00

Dem base told: Fear Tea Party

Democrats desperate to convince their base to show up at the polls in November have begun talking less about issues and more about the possibility of a “Tea Party Congress” next year.

The passage of landmark bills such as healthcare and financial regulatory reform has not triggered as much grassroots enthusiasm as initially envisioned, Democratic strategists say. And while the right is engaged this cycle, the left is deflated.

“This is a big problem,” said Democratic targeting and turnout guru Hal Malchow.

So Democrats have turned to a strategy that may be their next best bet: demonization of the “insurgent” Tea Party.

“These are not your run-of-the-mill Republicans we’re talking about here,” said one Democratic organizer working in a state with a contested Senate race this fall. “When you actually start telling voters what these candidates are about, it scares the hell out of them.”

In the past several weeks, when Democratic activists cite the ramifications of a “Tea Party Congress,” they say, more volunteers have signed up to knock on doors to preserve a Democratic-led House and Senate.

Read the Full Story Here:
Dem base told: Fear Tea Party - TheHill.com

I guess they have realized, the accusations of *racism* are getting them nowhere!

Tea Party or Establishment, GOP Looks for Gains

2010-09-07T14:56:00.006-05:00

Tea Party or Establishment, GOP Looks for Gains

WILMINGTON, Del. -- In the turbulent year of the tea party, Republican Rep. Mike Castle of Delaware set out to jangle no nerves as he ran for a Senate seat long held by Vice President Joseph Biden. It's the way Republican strategists originally envisioned 2010, a roster of seasoned politicians pointing the party toward significant gains in the Senate.

"He brings our style of civility and independence to Washington and works to develop solutions," is the soothing, even quaint message on the 71-year-old lawmaker's campaign website, which shows him in a suit and tie, working alone at his desk. Experience "is hugely important," he said in an interview.

After two terms as governor and nine as the state's lone congressman, Castle appears better positioned than other veterans who faced a tea party-backed challenge this year. If he prevails over Christine O'Donnell on Sept. 14 -- he and GOP officials have launched a fierce counterattack -- he would join more than a half-dozen other veteran Republican officeholders on the ballot in Senate races.

In matters of style as well as policy and political experience, they are the polar opposite of Rand Paul of Kentucky, Sharron Angle of Nevada and Ken Buck in Colorado, all of whom tapped into an anti-government sentiment, espouse politically risky positions, won primaries over establishment candidates, and now face particularly difficult races in the fall.

Full Story Here:
Tea Party or Establishment, GOP Looks for Gains

One thing is a certainty, the TEA Party has garnered a great deal of attention and we have a lot of notice from politicians on ALL sides of the spectrum.

The Democrats call us names and the Republicans are thinking that maybe we're taking the Grand Old Party over and making it go Conservative again.

That means we ARE doing the RIGHT thing.

One thing bothers me greatly, the GOP has made it clear, they intend to co-opt the TEA Party.

"We don't need a lot of Jim DeMint disciples," Lott told the Washington Post, referring to the conservative South Carolina senator who has been a gadfly for party leadership and a champion for upstart conservative candidates. "As soon as they get here, we need to co-opt them." Republican Lobbyist Trent Lott: "As Soon As Tea Party Candidates Arrive, We Need To Co-opt Them"

I don't know about you, but speaking for ME, I won't be co-opted by anyone, especially the RINO infested GOP.

I am personally acquainted with a TEA Party group, not a part of it, I just know quite a few of their members, and that group is a GOP creation. Inspired and created to promote GOP ideas in their town and county. For that very reason, I have personally cut all ties with that group.

The TEA Party was NOT designed to be a wing of the GOP. It was NOT designed to be co-opted BY the GOP. The TEA Party was designed to take the Conservatives of this nation to a place they haven't been in a while. A place where true Conservatism is the plan. A place where RINO politics isn't allowed.

For those that don't know, RINO = Republican In Name Only, in other words, a conservative Republican when the mood strikes them, or the need hits them. Think John McCain.

It's all about our Core Values America, and standing up for what's RIGHT, not necessarily what's popular.

Wary of tea party, GOP attacks Senate candidate

2010-09-03T15:28:00.003-05:00

Wary of tea party, GOP attacks Senate candidate

WASHINGTON (AP) - Delaware Republicans call Senate hopeful Christine O'Donnell a liar who "could not be elected dog catcher" in a fierce attack that underscores GOP fears of the tea party-backed candidate knocking off top recruit Rep. Mike Castle and winning the nomination.

Stunned by tea partier Joe Miller's upset of Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Republicans are taking no chances in Delaware, which holds its primary Sept. 14. The party sees Castle, the state's lone congressman since 1993, as the best candidate for the seat long held by Vice President Joe Biden.

Republicans circulated audio of a testy, 22-minute interview that O'Donnell had with radio station WGMD on Thursday. Party officials also have said she inflated her resume and made flat-out untrue statements while being dogged by questions about tax liens and foreclosures. Castle says she has misrepresented his record.

"She's not a viable candidate for any office in the state of Delaware," state party chairman Tom Ross, who is backing Castle, said in a telephone interview. "She could not be elected dog catcher."

Castle's campaign began running radio ads on Thursday and prepared negative television ads against O'Donnell. The radio ads cite a News Journal of Wilmington, Del., report on O'Donnell's finances and declares her "a financial nightmare."

Full Story Here:
Wary of tea party, GOP attacks Senate candidate

IF, and I DO say IF, Christine O'Donnell is what the GOP claims her to be, she has NO business being the Senator from Delaware.

"According to the News Journal, O'Donnell has become a professional candidate, living off contributions from her two failed campaigns," the announcer says. "While leaving a trail of unpaid bills to vendors and staff, O'Donnell instead used those donations for her own personal expenses and rent. ... While you work hard to pay your bills and taxes, Christine O'Donnell lives by different rules."

I sincerely hope that they have full citation of those accusations and that it's not just more political games taking shape.

The Tea Party Express has announced a six-figure commitment to back O'Donnell. The group announced its first expenditures - more than $46,000 - late Thursday and put the anticipated cost at about $250,000.

"We are launching an aggressive multimedia and multiplatform campaign to help propel Christine O'Donnell to victory, and we've only just begun," said Amy Kremer, chairman of the Tea Party Express.

And I hope the TEA Party Express has their ducks in a row too. I would hate to see them spend that much money on a candidate that is not what they say they are.

Conservative Group Accused of Abusing Tax Status

2010-08-27T17:15:00.003-05:00

Conservative Group Accused of Abusing Tax Status

WASHINGTON — Democrats are charging that political commercials financed by an increasingly prominent conservative foundation with ties to the Tea Party violate the foundation’s tax-exempt status by crossing the line into political campaigning.

In a complaint filed this week with the Internal Revenue Service, lawyers for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee charged that the group, the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, has been running ads in Kansas, Missouri and Michigan that are inherently “political in nature,” contravening a ban under federal tax law. A copy of the complaint was provided to The New York Times.

The foundation, which has just begun a $1.4 million ad campaign criticizing the economic policies in Washington as “wasteful spending,” has become a vocal critic of Democratic policies and drew a rebuke this month from President Obama.

Non-profit groups like the foundation, which falls under section 501(c)3 of the tax code, are forbidden from participating in “any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to a candidate.” They may, however, seek to educate voters or conduct broader get-out-the-vote drives “if conducted in a non-partisan manner,” the I.R.S. says.

Their tax-exempt status is crucial to the income of such groups, because it allows donors to take an income-tax deduction for contributions. Americans for Prosperity, which called the complaint without merit, said it had raised money from 70,000 individual donors.

Full Story Here:
Conservative Group Accused of Abusing Tax Status

This story ties in closely with the last meeting of The Rowlett TEA Party and a discussion we had regarding incorporation and candidate endorsement.

Not that we are anywhere near the size of Americans for Prosperity, but as the article states, 'non-profit groups' and we are a non-profit group, at least for now, which falls under section 501(c)3 of the tax code, are forbidden from participating in “any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to a candidate.”

To be tax-exempt as a social welfare organization described in Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 501(c)(4), an organization must not be organized for profit and must be operated exclusively to promote social welfare. SOURCE

I'm sure greater minds will hash this out, I hope it comes out well for AFP.

As GOP civil war rages, Democrats look to benefit

2010-08-26T10:16:00.002-05:00

As GOP civil war rages, Democrats look to benefit

WASHINGTON (AP) - A Republican civil war is raging, with righter-than-thou conservatives dominating ever more primaries in a fight for the party's soul. And the Democrats hope to benefit.

The latest examples of conservative insurgents' clout came Tuesday at opposite ends of the country. In Florida, political newcomer Rick Scott beat longtime congressman and state Attorney General Bill McCollum for the GOP gubernatorial nomination. And in Alaska, tea party activists and Sarah Palin pushed Sen. Lisa Murkowski to the brink of defeat, depending on absentee ballot counts in her race against outsider Joe Miller.

Full Story Here:
As GOP civil war rages, Democrats look to benefit

A fight is being waged within the Republican Party. It's a fight between REAL Republicans, the old fashioned Reagan Conservative Republicans, and the RINOs that have come to represent a party that is in severe need of a makeover.

The GOP has made it clear that they will blow smoke up the TEA Party's skirt, use them if they can, and once elections are over, they plan to try and co-opt the TEA Party into being a wing of the GOP.

It's just NOT going to happen that way folks.

There are multitudes of Conservatives out there in *I VOTE LAND* that are SO tired of the GOP, Michael Steele, the RNC, the RINOs, Graham, McCain, Murkowski, Snowe, Collins and so many others. I am happy to see that in many cases, REAL Republicans are replacing RINOs.

The GOP is likely to survive its bitter intraparty battles in such states as Alaska and Utah, even if voters oust veteran senators in both. But tea party-backed candidates might be a godsend to desperate Democrats elsewhere - in Nevada, Florida and perhaps Kentucky, where the Democrats portray GOP nominees as too extreme for their states.

Too extreme for America and their states? Or for the Dems and their game?

God, guns and guts is too extreme? Believing in God is too extreme? Standing up for the right to life of the unborn is too extreme? Wanting secure borders and wanting those in this nation that are not here legally removed? That's too extreme for the Dems?

Do Americans, especially the Blacks of this nation, which do, by and large, vote Democratic, need to be reminded that it was the Democrats that started the Klan? It was the Democrats that sought at every turn to deny the Black man the right to vote? To be counted as a WHOLE person? Do the Dems REALLY want to go there regarding extremes?

If Murkowski joins Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, as a victim of party activists who demand ideological purity, other Republicans are still likely to win in November, though Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., would have to deal with more maverick members who are loathe to compromise. And the conservative insurgency is hardly all-powerful, as Sen. John McCain proved by easily winning renomination in Arizona despite a challenge from the right by J.D. Hayworth.

'As a victim of party activists who demand ideological purity' has a nice ring to it.

Compromise is OUT of the question! Compromise is what took America to the brink of disaster, the one that we are now facing in the person of Barack Hussein Obama.

Regarding Conservative insurgency and John McCain, all I can say to the GOP voters of Arizona is this; John McCain is nothing more than an ass-kissing RINO. He got all Conservative as soon as the election cycle started again, and you folks bought it. As soon as it’s over, he’ll go right back to being an ass-kissing RINO, writing bills with Feingold and the like, reaching across the aisle and siding with the Dems at every occasion.

Arizona, you should be ashamed of yourselves.

The White House has tried to link the Republican Party with the fledgling conservative-libertarian tea party coalition - and demonize the combination as too extreme for the country.

That's "the Republican tea party" that's "offering more of the past but on steroids" and is "out of step with where the American people are," Vice President Joe Biden told the party's rank and file last week.

Here we go with that too extreme stuff again. What, exactly, is too extreme?

An American president bowing to foreign dignitaries? Is that too extreme?

How about giving away TRILLIONS of our tax dollars for a bail out and stimulus that simply has not worked?

Nevada Republicans' nomination of tea party favorite Sharron Angle may save Sen. Harry Reid, the Democratic leader. His popularity has fallen sharply among state voters, but Democrats say Angle's comments are scaring voters away from her and back toward him.

I can't argue that, don't intend to try. You see, for some reason, Americans have become a lame, lazy, apathetic and complacent bunch. A real speaker of the truth scares many in this nation. The weak are going to follow the path of least resistance and align themselves with the one that tells them of all the free milk and honey they will provide, as long as you give the vote to them.

The truth isn't spoken. The fact that we have to work for a living, the fact that we can't be the savior to all the little creatures on the planet is NOT what the weak minded libbers or RINOs want to hear and it's not what Dems and RINOs are preaching!

The left and RINOs don't want the truth. They can't handle the truth.

Stand your ground TEA Party Patriots. Don't bow to the GOP or the Dems. Stand for what you know is right for America and stand for what's right in your heart!

Don't get weak now. We have a lot more fighting to do, and we're weeding out the weak sisters as fast as we can. We need men and women of courage, people that aren't afraid to stand and be confrontational. People that aren't afraid to get bloodied in the fight!

America 1st! Vote your conscience, not some PARTY line. Challenge everything!

I know, this has to be the big extreme the Dems are talking about; that wonderful ObamaCare program? How about it Dems? You still want to talk about extreme?

I can't speak for ALL TEA Party groups in America, but if ANY of them have become a part of, or a servant to the GOP, they have co-opted themselves and are no longer a representative of what the TEA Party is all about. And yes, I DO know of some that have.

If not now, when?

2010-08-26T09:49:00.012-05:00

The Rowlett Tea Party has as one of its core principles Fiscal Responsibility.

While we often focus on Fiscal Responsibility at the national level, we have a duty as a local grassroots group to hold our local elected leaders to task when it comes to being responsible with our money.

A case study on what NOT to do...

As many of you may be aware, the Dallas Tea Party is one of the largest and most active groups in the Tea Party movement. However, they dropped the ball last night.

The Dallas City Council opened the floor to public comment last night about the city's property tax rate. As reported in the Dallas Morning News, of the more than 30 people that approached the microphone to comment, only ONE spoke against RAISING the property tax rate for the City of Dallas.

Where were the Dallas Tea Party activists? Why didn't they show up in force to support those elected officials trying to hold the line on tax rates?

I am not raising this point to be critical of the Dallas Tea Party, but to offer a lesson for the Rowlett Tea Party.

In addition to educating our neighbors and fellow citizens about the importance of Fiscal Responsibility at ALL levels of government, we must make our presence known at City Hall.

The Rowlett City Council will have its final opportunity for citizen comments on the budget on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 during the Council's regular session. It is time our voice is heard in the Chamber of the Rowlett City Council!

Together we will learn about our government: city, state, and federal!

Together we can see our core principles realized here at home, in Austin, and in Washington, D.C.!

Together we will make Rowlett, Texas and the USA a better place for our children and grandchildren - just as our parents and grandparents did for us!