San Antonio Tea Party, April 15th, 2009
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These were the opening remarks at the Boerne Tax Day Tea Party

Joni was kind enough to send me the text of her speeches. Please give them both a read.

Hello all you chattering class right-wing extremists! Well, that’s what some in Senate and the Department of Homeland Security call you, anyway. I’d prefer to think of us as freedom and liberty-loving American patriots.

Anyway, I’m Joni Schmidt, and I’d like to welcome you to the Boerne edition of the Nationwide Tax Day Tea Party! I’m just like you – I don’t want to have to do this; I’ve never protested in my life before the 1st Tea Party on February 27 in San Antonio. I’d rather be home, spending quality time with my hubby, taking care of my animals, tending my garden, even cleaning the house! But this Tea Party isn’t about me or what I want to do – it’s about the very survival of our nation.

To be fair, my discontent didn’t start with this administration…I called and wrote my Congressmen lots of times during the spending free-for-all government of the last president, too. But it doesn’t seem like calling and writing do any good anymore. It seems they need to hear from us in a different manner. So we’re here today because we’re dissatisfied (to put it very mildly) with the direction Congress is now taking our country. We’re dissatisfied with the so-called stimulus bill, mortgage bailout bill, the Omnibus bill, and all of the huge budget deficit spending Congress has passed, we’re dissatisfied with the rapid descent into socialism, and we’re dissatisfied with their proposed tax increases on the wealth- and job-producers in our nation. And Stimulus II is just around the corner. Tell me - how many normal families continue to spend money they don’t have when they find that they have more month than money?

Hey, I have an interesting statistic for you: did you know that as of yesterday, all the money you earn for the rest of the year is yours? April 14 was tax-freedom day. And I heard on a talk show yesterday (either Rush or Hannity, can’t remember which), that next year – with the new proposed tax plan – we’ll have to work 45 days more each year for the government. Go home and figure your daily earnings, multiply them by 45, and see how much more deeply Uncle Sam will have his hands in your pocket pretty soon. Makes you sick to your stomach, right??? Let’s see if we can do something to head this off at the pass by showing Congress we’re ready to hold them accountable and vote them out of their cushy jobs if they keep failing us.

If you haven’t seen it already, there’s a poster up here with each state’s tax freedom day on it. Although Texas is better off than most states, do you still feel as though you‘re taxed to death? I mean, I don’t mind paying taxes…as long as my tax dollars go to defend this nation from enemies – that’s the only true function of the federal government, you know. Too often, our tax dollars are just spent frivolously. For example, how many of you agree with awarding ACORN and other “community organizing groups” several billion dollars out of the stimulus package that was passed in February? How many of you agree with giving Hamas $900,000,000? They’re an avowed enemy of our loyal Middle Eastern ally! How many of you agree with giving $20,000,000 to resettle people from the Gaza strip right here in America? Oh, you didn’t know about that? On Jan 27, the President signed an executive order entitled “Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to Gaza.” Will those people be our friends? Only time will tell. There are so many ways our tax dollars are being taken for granted by our non-representing representatives, nothing surprises us anymore. They actually think WE OWE THEM, that the money they confiscate from us is their money, and that we actually even owe them more…it’s time to change the way they think!

The good thing is, people from all sides of the political spectrum are waking up to the increasing government intrusion into our lives . Look around you. Would you ever have expected to be a “protestor?” Did you previously feel as though you were all alone? Today, all over the nation, we’re proving that all along we really were the silent majority. And for future tea parties, I would wager the attendance will just grow and grow. The Tea Party I threw together in just 3 days on February 27 in front of the Alamo brought only 35 attendees. I had no idea how to even go about organizing anything like that! I was expecting 15, so 35 was an astounding success. I vowed that, to count the next tea party a success, somewhere around 100 people would participate. I’m happy to say, thanks to your determination to preserve our Republican form of government, this Tea Party is already a success in my book!

Before we get started, I’d like to thank a few people. First, there’s Suzy Bettac – without whom this program would not be nearly as interesting. I’ve never worked with someone as gung-ho as Suzy: someone who knows what they’re after, and actually goes out and gets it done right the first time. And the numerous volunteers who have stepped up to get the sound system, photography, videography, citizen reporters, man the sign-up table, bring water and sand. You’re the best! And I appreciate you more than you know.

Now, we have a great program prepared for you, and my new goal tonight is for you to have had a rewarding, fun evening gathered with like-minded folks. So I’m going to turn the mike over to Pastor Garfield Green for the invocation – and let’s get started!