San Antonio Tea Party, April 15th, 2009
Main Blog Need to do Who's Who Draft Agenda About Donate Contact Us!

Who ARE we?  The San Antonio Tea Party aligns with The Tea Party Patriots. Here are Our Mission Statements:

CORE VALUES

  • Support the US Constitution
  • Limited Federal Government
  • Fiscal Responsibility
  • Free Markets<

MISSION STATEMENT

The San Antonio Tea Party is a group of individuals united by our shared concern over excessive spending by an out-of-control Federal Government that has exceeded bounds set by the US Constitution. As an organization, we believe that adherence to the US Constitution will result in a Limited Federal Government, Fiscal Responsibility, and Free Markets. We also recognize the strength of grassroots organizing powered by activism and civic responsibility at a local level. The San Antonio Tea Party's mission is to organize like-minded individuals, educate and inform others based on our core values, to secure public policy consistent with those values, and to positively affect the outcome of elections.

TALKING POINTS

The San Antonio Tea Party's core values are the values that America was founded on and they have roots in our shared heritage and belief in natural law. They derive from a belief in free will and the primacy of an individual who is responsible for his/her own actions.
  • The US Constitution protects the rights of individuals
  • The US Constitution grants certain enumerated powers to the Federal government
  • The US Constitution specifically prohibits the Federal government from some actions
  • The US Constitution reserves all other powers to the States and to the People
  • The Federal government has expanded beyond their authorized enumerated powers
  • The Federal government spends and borrows too much money because it has expanded beyond its authorized enumerated powers

RATIONALE

The impetus for the Tea Party movement has been excessive government spending. The root cause of the excessive spending is the expansion of the Federal government beyond its enumerated powers. The choice of these core values recognizes what binds us together as a group, but it is also strategic in that these values have the ability to unite a supermajority of American voters by focusing on the US Constitution. It also includes specific social issues which involve clear violations of the US Constitution.
We believe in the limited government described in the US Constitution, so we believe that many social issues are best decided at the state and local levels. Our stance on Government is rooted in the principles of Federalism enshrined in our Constitution. Since our organization is grassroots and built from the bottom up, we can unite on our shared values and address the rest at the local level if we choose to do so.
We also support the national movement's message of "fiscal responsibility, limited government, free markets." If our events, correspondence, websites, and interviews consistently include this same message then we will be united on the national and international front. A united front is a strong front and it is critical for the success of mission to secure public policy consistent with our core values, and positively affect the outcome of elections.

WHAT WE DO:

  • Demand full adherence to the Constitution of the United States by Federal, State, and Local governments and representatives.
  • Demand full adherence to the Constitution of Texas by State and Local governments and representatives.
  • Resist specific un-constitutional legislation and spending at the Federal, State, and Local levels.
  • Provide the motivation and means for the public to monitor the performance and adherence to the US and Texas constitutions of their Federal, State, and Local governments and representatives.

HOW WE DO IT:

  • Remain a non-partisan organization, neither controlled by nor beholden to any political party.
  • We align with, but do not take orders from, Tea Party Patriots, in order to better coordinate with, provide support to, and receive support from our sister Tea Parties
  • Organize large general demonstrations with themes and dates that are coordinated closely with other Texas Tea Party organizations for mutual support and maximum impact.
  • Organize small-scale demonstrations about specific subjects that target Federal, State, and Local representatives on specific subjects. These demonstrations will be coordinated with larger-scale campaigns by other members to encourage media coverage and to email, write-in, and fax the representatives’ offices concerning the specific subjects.
  • Hold periodic General Meetings to educate, inspire, and solicit ideas from our fellow Tea Party supporters.
  • Provide continuing education on the US and Texas Constitutions to the public so they can recognize when they need to hold their Federal, State, and Local representatives accountable.
  • Provide specific tools to allow the public to follow both the issues and the Federal, State, and Local representatives of their choice.
  • Provide a “Contract with the Constitution” that the public can use to gauge a candidate’s willingness to commit to full adherence to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Texas.