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Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Tea Party Protest at the Capitol
by Raoul Kleven, published on August 28, 2009 at 8:12PM
Storyline: Sacramento News
About 1,500 people gathered on the west steps of the State Capitol Friday afternoon to express their anger with state environmental regulations, which they said were responsible for increased unemployment in the state.
Present at the event were talk radio hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty, Congressman Tom McClintock and Mark Meckler, head of the Sacramento Tea Party Patriots and the event's organizer, as well as several business owners and a representative from the National Tea Party Patriots organization.
In addition to the protesters on the west steps, many tractors, big rigs and other trucks carrying signs and honking in support of the protest were on the streets around the Capitol.
Speakers at the event condemned state laws designed to protect threatened species of fish by reserving portions of the water supply, saying that the laws would ruin productive farmland and put farmers in the San Joaquin valley out of business. They also spoke against government regulation in general, with Meckler leading the crowd in chants of "Government is the problem," and "No more government." Speakers also cited the impact that environmental regulation has had on the timber and mining industries as evidence in favor of deregulation. Environmentalists were characterized as radicals who did not speak for the population, with one speaker saying, "Today's environmentalists were yesterday's communists."
Environmental regulation was not the only topic addressed – several speakers also inveighed against health care reform, calling it socialism, and congratulating the protesters and attendees of town hall meetings for slowing down any changes.
Members of the crowd carried signs reading "Farm water = jobs," and "If you like foreign oil, you'll love foreign food." Others carried posters calling the Obama administration communist, describing the United States as a Christian nation and advocating the deportation of illegal immigrants.
Also present at the event were representatives of the American Independent Party, the John Birch society and many other causes, including tort reform, tax relief and the legalization of marijuana.
The Tea Party Patriots organization also organized national protests on April 14, calling them 'Tax Day Tea Parties.' Many of Friday's speakers were also present at Sacramento's Tax Day Tea Party protest. While Friday's demonstration was not national, the group is planning another round of nationwide protests on Sept. 12, with a march on Washington, D.C., as the day's centerpiece.
The California Republican and Democratic parties were contacted, but as of press time neither had responded with a statement on the protest.
Photos courtesy of Ed Fogle, Maverick Photography www.maverickphotography.us.
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The rest of the article is mostly accurate. What was supposed to be a Tea Party event, for those of all political persuasions who are fed up with our inept government and wasteful spending habits, turned into a far right wing extremist rally controlled by corporate farming interests.
The absolute cherry on top of this steaming pile of a rally was that the farmers trucked in a bunch of illegal immigrants to hold picket signs! Now let me make one thing clear... Tea Party folks don't take to kindly to illegal aliens...but for some reason, no one seemed to care...that made me very suspicious...then I walked through the crowd and realized that 85-90% were farm supporters, and NOT “Tea Party Patriots.” It appears that the Tea Party organizers, worried about a poor showing, invited the farmers to jump in on the rally....what a HUGE mistake. I am a rabid supporter of the idea of the Tea Parties... I lasted about an hour before I left.
This rally was NOTHING like the Tax Day Tea Party on April 15th. It was a different crowd with a totally different message. Today was a divisive and mean spirited attack on anyone who cared about the environment, water or air quality; it was a diatribe against Democrats and those on the Left organized by high ranking GOP strategists trying very hard to masquerade as an independent non-partisan Tea Party. Well…they failed.
This was not the intent of the original early 2009 Tea Party movement, which was a non partisan movement against both political parties that have failed our country. It now appears that the GOP has taken COMPLETE control of the national Tea Party movement through GOP based PAC's, but being careful not to be linked as any "official" GOP organizing effort.
The Tea Party Express, which sponsored today’s event is organized and controlled by "Our Country Deserves Better PAC”. This is a Republican PAC with heavy hitter GOP strategists. Check out who is on their team yourself.
See: www.ourcountrydeservesbetter.com
Sadly the Tea Party movement will fail, it is disorganized and well meaning supporters are being used and lied to. The irony is that most joined along with this movement because they were sick and tired of being lied to by our politicians, but they have been duped, and now this same organization, is lying and misleading them. It never seems to end…Americans just can’t get an honest answer from anyone.
Despite what those on the Left would have you believe, not all conservatives want to poison the Delta, kill off fish or pollute our air.
Americans need to stop picking sides on issues straight down party lines. We can be fiscally conservative and responsible, and at the same time protect our environment. But this protection of the environment must also be tempered and balanced. We must have farming, they must have water, but we also need to protect the Delta fisheries and ecosystem. We are an intelligent nation we can come up with a solution to this.
You just said that it's "high ranking GOP strategists" who "would have you believe that."
And yes the language I heard at this event was divisive and mean spirited. This is not supposed to be the intent of the Tea Party movement.
MARION, I don't get your point....you put words together I don't think I said...
CZ Fuller Riverside Ca.
"It now appears that the GOP has taken COMPLETE control of the national Tea Party movement through GOP based PAC's, but being careful not to be linked as any "official" GOP organizing effort.
"The Tea Party Express, which sponsored today’s event is organized and controlled by "Our Country Deserves Better PAC”. This is a Republican PAC with heavy hitter GOP strategists."
"Despite what those on the Left would have you believe, not all conservatives want to poison the Delta, kill off fish or pollute our air. "
Yep, as you say, you swing your broadbrush both ways, demonizing "those on the Left" for the messages and street theatre backed by "a Republican PAC with heavy hitter GOP strategists" you identified.
They were the ones sending the anti-environmental message, not "those on the Left."
I was there for almost the entire event. I saw Americans exercising Democracy. Truckers, farmers, ranchers, Vets, old and young. It was a grand event in the tradition of Americans standing up for freedom.
A couple of comments by other people seem to want to try to tie this to the Republican Party. It just so happens that the ideals of many Republicans are closer to the hearts and minds of the people than the lack of ideals as demonstrated by the left loony wing of the Democrat party. I don't care who sponsors these events as long as they reflect America and the Constitution---as written. Not as Obama, Pelosi, Reid and the other cast of villains would define it.
Who is against Freedom? Who is against lower taxes? Who is trying to bankrupt this country? Who is for regulations that kill jobs and business's? Who has turned this once great state into a bankrupt state and made it the laughing stock of the country? Liberals and liberalism! That's who! People that love this country and believe in the Constitution did not create this mess. It's the loony left liberal that has created this mess.
I enjoyed the Tea Party and believe in every issue brought up. And I support every issue. And I don't give a damn who puts these events together as long as they remain true to the original TEA Party goals.
Protect your freedom or we will lose our Freedom!
As Governor, he outspent the disgraced Gray Davis.
If it were not for Republican votes, the budgets would not have passed.
Freedom and Liberty are not the sole dominion of the Republican Party. Many Democrats still believe in America, as do Independents.
The Republican Party has become all but extinct in California politics, and deservedly so. They have nothing to offer.
Neo-Liberals, Leftists, statists, unionists and socialists have seized control of the Democratic Party and our state, but the Republican Party will not be the savior of our state. If there is any way to save our state from complete ruin, it will come from centrist Independents.
Whoever they are. Republican Lite Lite?
I have read in the press 2-6K, your estimate is by far the lowest and clearly inaccurate.
I can contact the tech guy for the sacpress and see if he'll change it to a different figure. It does seem like 1500 wasn't accurate, based on all the other reports I've been seeing.
I'm pretty right wing as seen by observers, but I am still able to notice when I'm being used by what appear to be my own betheren. I saw this coming and sent out a mass email asking if the TEA parties were being hijacked by big business. After attending the protest I think my fears were confirmed. It was all about water and farming. The truckers were a bright spot really. If anyone has a legitimate beef with regulatory government it's them. The Farmers....not so much. And about the latino water rights coalition and the farmers using them to try and introduce the far right wingers to immigration reform.....total fraud. I'm not going to call them illegal's as Gadfly did because I don't know that at all, but you cannot ignore that someone thought it best to mix two demographics that have wildly opposing views on another major issue with this one so they can use it to point to when they want to say "see? everyone wants more immigration or workers for farms".
The bright spot for me was that real people still came. I saw them standing on the sidewalks holding signs and getting involved trying to show passer's by that they care. they weren't all caught up in the frenzy all things Republican. I saw them as I drove around and around towing the mobile billboard and they saw me. We may have a hijacking of our movement going on, but that don't mean it will end up a success.
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2146933.html
Did you see the American Independant Party in attendance, how about the Pot legalizers,
What about the sales guy from Riverside and the retired Telecommunications guy(Veitnam Vet)
Did you talk to your fellow Americans or did you just look around and make assumptions in the hour you spent in judgement....So for me the silence you heard when the Spanish was spoken was a demonstration of acceptance of all you came with a VOICE to exercise the American Freedom of SPEECH...again GOD BLESS YOU!!!
CZ Fuller Sales guy from Riverside California & A "Tea Party Patriot"
As to big business, I really did not see that either. I did see a lot of small business people there, and small business has always suffered the most under the regulatory thumb of our government. It is part of the plan.
The water thing. I am glad they brought it up, as I was unaware of it. It has made me what to do some research as to how this all came about and how it is tied into the big farming co-ops taking over the Sinaloa Valley in Mexico after NAFTA went into effect. I am sure that you astute people out there understand how they did that. Perhaps this is a repeat here in the states to divest the small family farmers of their land so big agro farmers can buy it up cheep. Naw, Americans would not do that to other Americans, they might do it to Mexicans, but not their own people, right?
I was curious about the Mexicans that were there also, and being as I speak fluent Spanish went among them and talked to them. The greater majority of them were native born American farm workers who had come from families that had been in the valley for generations. But this is the typed of hysteria that has gripped this country. They were Mexican, they were farm workers, so the small minded assume they are illegal’s.
All in all it was a great day and I felt comfortable surrounded by so many decent Fellow Americans. The grass was nice and cool, the trees were spectacular, the speeches were inspiring, and the music was exciting. I am sorry that some of you had such an unsatisfactory experience, but perhaps that was part of the plan.
All in all it kind of reminded me of something Hilary once said. “We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration."
God Bless America.
I am also glad CARB was brought up. The organization seems to be totally corrupt. The regulations they issues are putting farmers, loggers, truckers and associated industries out of business. They are helping bankrupt the state. Again, extreme environmentalism at work---to the detriment of humans. They should be disbanded. Eliminate the agency.
Great day! It was a nice, passionate group of people standing up for Freedom.
The original tea part was a protest against "taxation without representation" these tea party people want "representation"--THEIR kind of representation ONLY but "without taxation." They are so informed that they don't even know the government benefits of freedom, law and order among hundreds of other benefits hat they and their children enjoy in our free society. Just wait until they see what happens without any government.
McClintock and Meckler are the good guys. I would suggest focusing your anger on the ones trying to bury this country and take away our FREEDOM. They are the truly evil ones.
You write as if you are angry about "big" government." What is that? How big is "big?" And as to truth, I wrote what I read. Tell THEM about truth--unless all the reporters are wrong and the signs that they carried didn't mean what was written, the tea party folks all around the country displayed a bunch of distorted and inflammatory messages, many of which were false. .
Me, I don't take the messages as distorted or inflammatory. However, inflammatory is good. We need a little passion and rabble rousing to attract the attention of the brain dead politicians that forgot they work for us and are accountable to us. Speaking for myself, I am scared and angry as hell at what the politicians have done to us in the last 40 + years. I know many feel like me. It is time for a real change. Back to the basics. Back to the Constitution as written.
Please, the disinformation about the people behind the farmers and workers that were at the rally being the local developers is not making you any points. I have to ask if you bothered to talk to those folks. The question is would there be a drought if we were not dumping all that water. I have read that the reservoirs were running at 95% capacity before we started dumping the water. I live about 4 blocks from Folsom and nimbus lakes here in the sac area, and the lakes was higher this year then for many years.
The Tea Parties were instituted to solve Americans problems, and farmers are Americans. So what part of the population would you like to restrict the movement to, your part? What is the main agenda if it is not about ALL Americans?
Yes. I heard the call government is the problem. Because Government is the problem. Government has become big and out of control, catering to the special interest and fish, not the people. Why does Nancy Pelosi need a huge jet run at our expense? She was not happy with the small private jet that comes with the job; she had to have a 200 seat jet that will get her back here to Cal every weekend non-stop at your expense (annual cost of about $5,760,000 to go home and back to work.). At least Jerry Brown drove a Plymouth and lived in an apartment he paid for. As to the no more government, well what I heard was no more big government. So, you were not there but know better than those that were? There you have it.
As to the tea party-ers displaying signs and distorting facts, you are doing a pretty good job of that yourself for someone who did not attend the rally.
God Bless America
Yes, government is the problem. Do you think there might be current government loving people posting on this site? People afraid to disclose their true beliefs? People wanting to criticize the Tea Party and participants? People wanting to create doubt? Naw, that wold be "like the current government." Deception.
Again, good post and you are correct. In my humble opinion.
You are concerned about Pelosi, why were you and the tea party folks not concerned about the Clinton trillion dollar budget surplus that the Bush tax cuts to the wealthy turned in a deficit? Apparently the tea party people were not mad at Bush's illegal war when the U.S. invaded a nation that posed no threat to us while letting terrorism get a solid footing in a nation where bin Laden was and is still hiding?
tpierce 2: I agree that there is far too much corruption. It started when corporations realized that they could buy politicians with Reagan among them. Remember when the concept of public funding of campaigns was introduced to head off root cause: funding of campaigns by special interests like drug, various insurance companies and other corporate interests? The general public objected to cutting off that avenue. Go after that and you'll have my support.
Sorry but I don't believe in these updated and distorted versions of the tea parties--they are not any way like the ones I read about in history that preceded the American Revolution. These folks now don't believe in freedom for all--just want their own way.
I don't agree with subsidies. Again, government programs. I read the Bee as little as possible but I did read about the Tea Party because I attended the event---as usual. If they get 50% right or do a decent job of reporting it---that is a good day for the Bee. The only pictures they printed were of farm workers or farm owners. They did a reasonable job of reporting. But as usual, it was about 1/2 of what the event was about.
Advocate, are you a liberal, a plant or an uninformed citizen? I am a conservative Republican and damn proud of it. I suspect you are a plant.
Advocate, I don't give a damn about those fish. I care about the people who work hard, who have families to raise and educate and care for. They have responsibilities and lives and government policy is destroying this group of humans. This has to stop. We, as a nation, correct our mistakes. We are the most giving nation on earth and our citizens are the most generous on the face of the earth. We, the people, do not deserve to be abused by government.
Remember advocate, the government created the subsidies to farmers. Get government off our backs and out of our lives.
Farm subsidies began in the 1930-40's to help the small farmers throughout the country who were going broke at the mercy of the weather and commodities market. National Farmers Organization represented the small farmer. The Farm Bureau represented Republican big farmers. At the lobbying of BIG agribusiness, the subsidies covered them too. If you want to blame government for creating subsidies, blame the politicians who responded to meet a need and then swept in the corporate farmers at THEIR demand through campaign contributions. Talk about uniformed, you don't know that either.
Now, which government (federal, state, county or city) and which agencies to you want to abolish to achieve a small government? How and which governments have abused you? You definitely talk the party line with general accusations but no substance.
Big farming as you state it only amounts to 5% of the industry for farmer that earn up to $499,999.00 a year. For farmers that earn over $500,000.00 a year it drops to 2%. So if subsidies are working they are working for the vast majority of small farmers, not just big as you would have us believe. Size varies from farm to farm, not state to state.
"Model results support the hypotheses and show that lobbying expenditure in output markets is statistically significant, and that political campaign contributions to the Democratic Party significantly correlate with agribusiness firms' profits.” Logic dictates to me that the democratic farmers would be paying off the democratic politicians in their area, not the republican. And being that the house and senate are democratically owned, they are the ones taking the money.
I cannot find any information that substantiates your statement that the large farmers are mostly Republicans. What I am finding is that they are just like all American Businesses, mixed. If you can point me to a study that shows that big farmers are Republicans, and not a mix, please do.
Please do not make references like: “you’re fellow Republicans.” That is an ignorant assumption on your part and shows your bias. I am not a republican at all, I am a constrictive republican socialist separatist, and that is far from a republican. But most of all I am an American. An Astroturfing American at that.
I think this is just more of you disinformation or is this like a Hilary thing and you just "miss-spoke", not purposely lied? Or are you just uninformed?
"Now, which government (federal, state, county or city) and which agencies to you want to abolish to achieve a small government? How and which governments have abused you? You definitely talk the party line with general accusations but no substance"
I want to cut the fat off of all the above! They have all abused me. Now, what party is that? Your substance is not fact, it is contrived.
God Bless America
http://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/eaae02/24855.html
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/usv1.pdf
http://www.epa.gov/oecaagct/ag101/demographics.html
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/usv1.pdf
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-06-07-farm-subsidies_x.htm
What an imbecile.
So you agree that the government should put 40,000 people out of work by implementing an ordinance to protect a species that is failing despite their efforts. Very American and compassionate. What I have to ask you is why we should take you seriously? Is that picture supposed to be you saving use from the terrorist hordes, or is that just another lie. It appears that you are not who you say you are, just a common fraud. Who r u Mr. Pin-Head, just another heckler. To find out what a fraud Jim Knapp is fallow the link below, he is not even registered under his own name and the admin of this site has asked him to please do so. In fact he posted an article he did not write.
Disregard the troll.
http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/5259/TAX_DAY_TEA_PARTY_IN_SACRAMENTO
God Bless America
As I said before, do your homework. The fish that they are trying to save are depleting despite this disastrous move. So the putting out of work of 40,000 people is just a waste. But you will never understand this as you do not wish to. All you want to do is try to run down the good people who are doing something. They scare you, don’t they? Try educating yourselves and not just run off at the mouth. Read this article and you may learn something. The experts disagree with you. The project is a failure. People are more important.
You talk about subsidies being bad, well, get ready, because of this move they will be giving more of your money to the people in federal aid.
Lost farm revenue will top $900 million in the San Joaquin Valley this year, said UC Davis economist Richard Howitt, who estimates that water woes will cost the recession-battered region an additional 30,000 jobs in 2009.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last month asked President Obama to declare Fresno County a disaster area to boost federal aid.
http://devinnunes.blogspot.com/2009/08/its-fish-versus-farmers-in-san-joaquin.html
Tpierce2, you are right, they are both plants. The state is going to lose lots of money that we desperately need, tens of thousands of people are going to lose jobs, and soup lines will get longer. But hell fire, let’s not kill some smelt. What kills me is that they did not even know what kind of fish were endangered and by their own admittance did not attend the rally.
HAHAHAHAHAHAH. Dupes.
Artsydee47, good for you and your girlfriends. That is true American Spirit.
God Bless America.
The "hard working families you keep waving" are just that. Hard working families. If their are legal they deserve better treatment than the pain inflicted upon them by government.
Demonizing all farmers and bankers does not make sense. Farmers grow our food. Bankers keep the money flowing. I work in the arena of finance and I can tell you that from my observation that banks are not lending yet. Am I going to blame all bankers? The answer is no. I blame the government mostly. I think the banking community is afraid of the regulators from government and from the uncertainty in the market. The Presidents programs are not working. Confidence and stability is not happening. Once again, failed government.
Subsidies, sure, I'll agree with you there. I'm more of a free market type and don't believe government should be giving tax payer money to prop up business. Including cash for clunkers and thousands of other give away programs.
If I was wrong about you and others being plants, then I apologize. I hope to see comments by you in other stories and welcome your reasoned and polite input.
God Bless America
One thing I do have to express as a disappointment is this. After reading other estimations of attendance, I have to say that overall attendants could have run as high as 15 16 thousand. Now I am not saying they were all there at the same time, but with the going and coming that many people attended at different times. This is always the case at rallies like this. People can only allocate part of their time to attend because of other commitments.
My disappointment was with the fact that there were not enough people of different ethnic backgrounds. I was also disappointed in the number of young people that attended, we have to get the youth involved with a youth movement. I would say that the average age of the people there was in the middle-late 40’s and mostly white. We need more diversity, but that will come with the understanding that they are welcome. I believe that the liberal press is painting this movement as being a white conservative movement to drive off the democrats and people of color. I know a lot of Mexicans and I am talking to them like a tio Duchlandia to get them involved.
I did like the statement by the black singer that opened the show. It went something like this. “I am black and I am American, I am not a black American, I am an American." That is not an exact quote, but it is close enough. He was making the statement as I was walking in, and I did not get his name. I did get his picture and I will contact Mark Meckler to get it so I can put it on my website. But that is what the tea party has been about. Americans without labels, well everywhere but here were as Billy the “A” so apply points out he should have said, just to be politically correct, that he was an Astroturfing American.
Hell, Billy, if that is what you want to call me, I’ll go for it. I am a Astroturfing American, and I am proud of it!
Tpierce2, will you go to another? I will because I was very pleased at what I experienced, and have to say it was a revelation. All this BS about it being full of angry pissed off conservatives is such a bunch of bunk. So if you go take some friends, that is how it grows, through recommendation and word of mouth.
God Bless America
Like you, if someone wants to label me as Astroturfing then so be it. No more will I be part of the silent majority or succumb to political correctness. We are Americans, I'm damn proud of it and not afraid to say it. If it makes some people feel uncomfortable to hear it that is their problem. Not mine. We need a greater showing of Patriotism. Not less.
Yes, if possible I will be at the next event.
I am sure that we will not agree on a few things. That is what makes us Beings. Being Human is what makes us all alike; the path we walk is what makes us differ, the Beings part. Human Beings, or alike but different. I am sure that my view on the illegal immigration problem, having been closely involved in it for many years, is far different than yours. But we are both entitled to that opinion, and the right to express it.
I grew up in downtown LA in the 40’s and 50’s, Echo Park area, and I can remember when we had our first smog alert and I was not allowed to go to school or go outside to play. Not going to school was ok, but not being able to go outside was a pisser. I have see CARB type regulations all my life, and I was just through LA a few weeks back coming home from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. Guess what. LA is still the pits. From personal experience over a long period of time I can see no improvement. How about others?
I have done some messing with hho gas production and believe the answer is there somewhere. I own a 1973 Lincoln Continental Mark IV that I have a small hydrogen cell on. It does not have to be smog tested, but I did a before and after and the difference is astounding. On my trip to Nogales and back it got over 26 mpg and ran like a champ. I cannot say how much of a MPG improvement there was because I never did a before. What I can attest to is the difference in hydro carbon admissions from the lead sled improving drastically. But that is too much like magic for the government to get involved in. I am getting ready to build a bigger unit to mount in my trunk at this time.
This is way off subject, and I apologize.
God Bless America
I agree with the basic idea of the Tea Party rallies, fiscal responsibility and that, but frankly some of the rhetoric displayed there is a little off-putting and scary.
It seems like a lot of the people holding signs about socialism, communism, and fascism don't quite know the definitions of each. For example, I saw one sign which said 'It's worse than socialism, it's Marxism.' I'm not quite sure what message that one is supposed to be getting across.
If you were to ask a real, doctrinaire communist, they would probably disagree almost as vehemently with Obama's policies as any attendee of the Tea Party rallies. For different reasons, but the point is still worth making.
And while anger at political leaders is perfectly normal and probably deserved, the level of what I have to call hatred and vitriol at these events has been scary. On several occasions while I was in the crowd I heard people talking loudly about killing democratic politicians and other 'communists.' No one even batted an eyelash, and I doubt they were speaking ironically or making jokes.
So I guess what I'm saying is that the basic idea of the Tea Parties is a good one, but there does seem to be a lot of unpleasantness collecting around them.
PS: I've just been talking to an acquaintance who used to work on a farm, and he is of the opinion that the whole water problem could have been solved by the farms in the valley adopting more efficient irrigation methods ten or fifteen years ago. Hindsight is 20/20, but perhaps some similar changes should be made now? I don't claim to know much about agriculture, though.
I take time from work, at my own expense, to attend these events.
This country is going in the wrong direction in my opinion. Otherwise, I would be at work. And fishing on weekends instead of attending political events. I don't really like standing out at events with the temperatures around 100 degrees and high humidity. Not my idea of a great day. I consider it a necessary day for our country. Yea, I attended the Sacramento Tea Party event. The first and second. And others that will follow. This country is going toward Socialism, perhaps worse.
I took into account the responses and responded. In my opinion yours and others were not accurate regarding the Tea Party. If my audience are liberal so be it. If you are a lib ok. Just don't tell me how I should respond to and audience. I can respond any way I want and you and others were wrong about the Tea Party. I and others were there. Apparently you were not at the Tea Party. Apparently others left early. I attended most of the event. As did others on this board.
I have a couple of words that you won't like. Screw you liberals. I've heard enough over the years to realize what a danger you are to our country. You don't own these boards. You don't own me. You don't own other posters on this board that express an opinion different than liberalism. We can all post, all debate, but no bs. I consider you liberals a clear and present danger to this country. If you disagree tell me why. I'll be happy to debate your policies any time. I've learned that you guys have no ideas and no substance regarding policy and truth. So bring on the debate.
The Tea Party was a very fine event. Why don't you attend one with an open mind? If you have one.
Personally, I am scared for our country. I've never been an activist. I always voted and thought that was my duty. Well, I need to do more. We are Americans. The Constitution is our guide.
My friends and associates are afraid for our country and I'm not ashamed to say so. We care about the United States and will defend it. Totally. I don't know how many of you feel this way. This is our country. Period.!!!
Unfortunately they do not have to debate and the reason for this you so apply explained. The guy making to rules does not know what he is doing because of a lack of background. They will not debate because they know they do not have an answer. I would like to tell you a short story that happened to me a few years back.
I was mentoring a young Persian lad in business and he wanted to go to China to buy product to import into the US. I just happened to have a friend in China running a jewelry factory for some people on the coast. He had run my jewelry factory in Rancho Cordova for me back in the last 70es, and was very astute. I contacted him and he told us when to go over for the big trade show in Canton. We went to the show and among the products my young friend bought was a container full of hammers. All kinds if hammers, axes, splitting mall, and sludge hammers. He paid for them and they were delivered in Oakland. We went down and paid the duties and arranged to have them delivered to his warehouse in South Sac. He bought them at a good price and passed it on to his customers and they sold like hot cakes. After 5 months and when he was only in possession of about 15% of the shipment he received a letter from the Customs Department that he had to pay an additional six thousand bucks in Anti-Dumping Fees. Well this would have put him in a negative balance on the purchase, so he called me.
I had never heard of such a thing and began to investigate. Well it appears that the US Customs Department can look at you invoice and make the determination if you have paid to little for a product and fine you accordingly. What they had done was figured out his duties when the product came in and set a duty on it, and my feeling was they had their chance at that time. Coming back later after he had sold the product and adding on an additional fine was not fair. It they had told him at the first he could have adjusted his price and made a few bucks.
Then I started to read the law and it appeared that over 3\4 of the shipment was not covered because of a weight restriction on the hammers heads. The law pertains to hammers that were over 2 lb., and the vast portion of the shipment was carpenter hammers from 12oz to 18oz. We prepared and went to SF for the hearing.
Two people walked into the conference room looking grim and handing us their cards that said they were Import Specialist. They started in on the young lad as if he was a criminal before he stopped them and informed them that I would be handling this matter. I asked them to please tell me about this Anti Dumping Fee regulation and how it all came about, and they did. Then I asked them to please read the portion of the law that pertained to this case so I would know if I had come to the right conclusion or not. After they went over it I informed that that 82% of his shipment was not covered by this regulation because it pertained to hammer head weight of over 2 lbs. I pulled out all of the hammers that we exempt along with the invoice and pointed them out to them.
They sat there for 30 minutes arguing with each other over whether they should cut the handles off before they weighed the hammers or not. They did not know. Finally I cut in and said “Look, the cards you gave us said Import Specialist on them and you do not even know how to handle this problem. How do you expect my young friend here to know? The regulation says hammer heads, not hammer head and handle. Come on Hamid, let’s go. When you folks get it together send us a bill.” And we walked out.
What I am getting at Mr. Smith is that these people do not know what they are doing other then they are supposed to take our money. That is why they avoid debate.
Buy the way, about two months later Hamid got a letter stating that he was going to be excused because it was his first infraction. They are probably rewriting the regulation to include the handle. These small minded people are in the position of destroying businesses and families and in so doing assure themselves a nitch in the bureaucratic chain.
This is the fat I want to cut.
God Bless America
Great post. Great background information. I am totally impressed.
The circumstance was just too dangerous in Nogales and she would have to walk through the desert for about 8 hours and I would not let her do it. I will now have to lie cheat and do whatever it is necessary to get her here another way. I can try the k3 visa, but she has to be sponsored for 10 years, and because of my disability I make $400. a year short of the money necessary to sponsor my own wife here.
Most people just do not understand anything about why we are having this immigration problem, but I have studied it for years. The government is the problem here, they can change it but it is a HUGE cash cow for them, so they will not.
If they wish to make a federal felon out of me because I wish to spend the last few years of my life with my wife, then they will succeed. What happened to my right to the pursuit of happiness, or does that only apply if you are married to a white American?
God Bless America
“I have the feeling that these 'tea party' events are attended mostly by republicans bitter about Obama's election. Not all, but most.
Perusing their websites, you see a lot of references to 'the liberal media,' and links to republican websites. Lots of pictures of Ronald Reagan, too. Hardly a paragon of fiscal responsibility or laissez-faire capitalism. Also, on what purports to be the official website, you can see an excited notice that Sean Hannity will be attending one of their events.
I'm still interested in going to this though, at the very least just to see if my assumptions have any truth to them.”
http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/5259/TAX_DAY_TEA_PARTY_IN_SACRAMENTO
God Bless America
Can any elected politicians help you? That is one of the reasons they are elected and part of their job. If we citizens have a problem with bone headed government they are supposed to be there to assist.
Regarding you post about the liberal writer above: Most liberals don't get it yet and most politicians that are liberal don't get it. You were at the Tea Party. You and I and others on this board saw the make up of crowd and if you follow t.v., mostly Fox, and you watch the rally's you will see that these are real authentic Americans defending our country. We are not scripted, we are real and we are concerned for our country. We are tired of intrusive, out of control government. I've been to 4 tea parties. These are real people, not paid, not scripted. We are just fed up.
Take care. I wish I could say I could help but don't know what I could do. I am just starting to get involved into politics in an active way. This administration, and prior administrations have really made a mess of almost everything they touched.
Keep posting. God Bless American and our people.
This all came about because of 9\11. Before 9\11 my wife had a 10 year visa that allowed her to come and go as she pleased. The first time she entered after 9\11 they took this visa away from her and implemented the new immigration laws which now exclude the spouses and children of American citizens from getting visitors visas.
I have talked to Boxer and Finestines office to no avail. I will get her up here but I will have to become a federal felon to do it.
God Bless America
Republican neo-conservatives are more to blame for our current situation than the Democrats.
If it was not for Bush, corporatist, Oil companies, PNAC and AIPAC..Obama would not have gotten anywhere near the White House. Republicans can blame themselves for blindly following the GOP.
Bush and his crew are not conservative by any means... just like Clinton was NO Liberal... and now Obama follows in their footsteps...giving TRILLIONS of dollars to Bankers and Corporations... This country is controlled by a corporate oligarchy, which is not based on capitalism or a Free Market... The last thing the corporate heads in this country want is a Free Market.
The Oligarchs screwed up America and drove it's citizens like cattle into the open arms of the Great Leader. While you Republicans scream about "losing our country" and "socialism" Obama is pumping Trillions into corporations. But for those in the GOP Corporations = Capitalism...morons, you just don't get it.
I also find it hilarious that Liberals support what Obama is doing....maybe they are too blinded by the thoughts of free government cheese and free health care...
In the end..the corporations will get richer, and the moronic masses will pay the price.
McCain in not conservative. He is a "moderate" Republican. That is he is a RINO. I held my nose and voted for him because Sara Palin entered the race. Until her entry I was torn between voting for him and sitting out the race. It would have been the first time in a kazillion years that I did not vote for a President. Well, Sara entered, she ignited a large chuck of the Conservative base like me and I voted. Many Republicans sat it out. Hence, Obama! Moderate, liberal Republicans, RINO's, whatever you want to call them, they will not win elections. They are too much like Democrats.
Good post---except McCain. Keep posting. That is just my opinion.
Can you imagine the courage it took for him to stay in that hell hole when they would have released him? My God, I could not have done it.
God Bless America and God Bless John McCain
What?
God Bless America.
That is an example of another hyperbole.
God Bless America.
Now, to the moment. He should retire with dignity. He ran as a moderate and there is a world of difference between "moderate" and conservative. As a party, he ran, many of us sat it out and we got BHO. The most left wing nut job ever to win the White House.
What do you think of Van Johnson and all the other Czars? This does not have the feel of America! It has to stop.
we are indeed in for some very bad times ahead, and shortly. Van Jones, his new green czar, is a self-proclaimed Marxist. When he lived in San Francisco, he was heavily involved with STORM, or Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement. A group explicitly committed to revolutionary Marxist politics whose points of unity were revolutionary democracy, revolutionary feminism, and revolutionary internationalism, the central role of the working class, urban Marxism, and Third World Communism.
"In December 2002 STORM dissolved due to internal tensions and rivalries. Its most notable leader was Van Jones, who would go on to become President Barack Obama's “Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation” in 2009. "
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=7491
This is the type of people he is going to enlist in his attempt to socialize this country. We have to continue on with the tea party movement, but we must organize into a party with a specific set of goals. See my handle you asked me about. Ad @comcast.net and email me if you wish.
God Bless America