Been pondering keeping everyone involved (16,000 volunteers, as Eric the Wag put it). I think we HAVE to give everyone something concrete to do before July. We sure can't afford to let Congress off the hook that long!
I'd like to try an experiment that may prove useful. If it works, that is. I propose we organize a quick, small protest on one or two specific subjects at one congress-critter's office. Say a limit of 50 people at the event (or whatever the number is that doesn't trigger the requirement for a permit). If we can do such mobilizations, then we can enlist the rest of you Tea Party folks to "advertise" them for us. What I envision is that before the protests, those not going flood the media with calls asking them to cover the event and telling the media that we are limiting the number of people physically there, but that they should to count them as having been there, too. Then, during the protest, those not going make calls at the same time as the demonstration to both Senators and their congressman, saying "Count me in as one of the people now outside congressman so-and-so's office!"
For the single subject of the protest, we could use two items. First is the Hate Crime law now being considered, H.R 1913. Go to this link: http://www3.capwiz.com/afanet/issues/bills/?billnum=H.R.1913&congress=111, which is part of the American Family Association (AFA.net) and read up on the bill. The danger here is that they are on the way to turning your free speech into a Federal crime. You know what happened to Miss California...now imagine a prosecutor with an attitude having the power to haul you into a kangaroo court for saying the same thing. THAT IS WHERE THIS LEADS. Seriously! They have huge problems with this very sort of thing up in Canada.
The second subject would be a protest of the actions of Ben Bernanke and Henry Paulson over what they did to the Bank of America. They bullied the CEO into hiding the fact that Merrill Lynch had massive losses from his own stock holders. They threatened to fire him if he didn't break the law! I propose we demand congressional hearings on the matter, with witnesses testifying under oath.
What I like about this idea is that we'd be going after Republicans who sold us out and lead the way for the massive abuses that have followed. We're non-partisan, right? That means we go after Republican turkeys, too! Should we later be giving a Democrat heck--we can point to this event. That helps ensure our credibility in the future.
Below are extracts from two articles on this subject. Check them out and give it some thought, please:
One Nation, Under Banks With Justice for No One: Jonathan Weil Commentary by Jonathan Weil
April 27 (Bloomberg) -- The spectacle of Ben Bernanke and Henry Paulson running roughshod over Kenneth Lewis and his minions at Bank of America Corp. raises a pivotal question for all Americans: Is the U.S. a nation of laws, or a nation of banks?
Let's start by examining the facts disclosed last week in a letter by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, while taking pains to present the actions of each player in this drama in the fairest possible light. Both Bernanke and Paulson in mid-December knew Bank of America was obliged by statute to publicly disclose the huge losses Merrill Lynch & Co. had racked up that month. You don't get to be chairman of the Federal Reserve or, in Paulson's case, secretary of the Treasury or head of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. without learning this basic tenet of U.S. securities laws. Instead of making sure the public was fully informed of the losses before Bank of America completed its purchase of Merrill on Jan. 1, they did all they could to keep the secret safe. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_weil&sid=aXHVu97lAGjs
and . . .
Mr. Lewis has told investigators for New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo that in December Mr. Paulson threatened him not to cancel a deal to buy Merrill Lynch. BofA had discovered billions of dollars in undisclosed Merrill losses, and Mr. Lewis was considering invoking his rights under a material adverse condition clause to kill the merger. But Washington decided that America's financial system couldn't withstand a Merrill failure, and that BofA had to risk its own solvency to save it. So then-Treasury Secretary Paulson, who says he was acting at the direction of Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke, told Mr. Lewis that the feds would fire him and his board if they didn't complete the deal.
Mr. Paulson told Mr. Lewis that the government would provide cash from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to help BofA swallow Merrill. But since the government didn't want to reveal this new federal investment until after the merger closed, Messrs. Paulson and Bernanke rejected Mr. Lewis's request to get their commitment in writing.
Way back when -- President Bush, Secretary Hank Paulson, and the spendthrifts in congress were trying to sell us on the "Troubled Assets Relief Program." They told us it would only be about $700 Billion.
On April 21, the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program Act of 2009--"SIGTARP"--submitted his quarterly report to Congress on his office's activities in relation to the TARP program. The report is a disquieting document that should be read by every American--certainly be every taxpayer.
The Inspector General's report documents the stunning and at least partly illegal expansion of TARP from the $700 billion originally allocated by Congress to what is now a $3 trillion complex of programs. This chart shows the various programs that are now included within SIGTARP's oversight, and how they have expanded from the initial $700 billion. Note that some of the programs are still incipient; $3 trillion is by no means a final number.
We had a very productive Executive Committee meeting yesterday. The big news is that we have a candidate venue and approach for the 4th of July. We want to do something more family oriented--an old-fashioned Independence Day picnic. Something with just a few short speeches and lots of family fun. We plan to visit the proposed venue next Saturday, and hope to be able to announce the location at the Sunday general meeting.
We also had a long discussion on lessons learned. Each of the committee members sent emails to me and I collected them in one document. It's 19 pages long! (No, I am not going to post it. But I will say that many of them were more brutal on themselves than anyone else.)
More good news: Your generous donations covered the cost of the Tax Day Tea Party event, plus some. We're not in hock! That's a relief to one member who had pledged to take out a loan against his property to guarantee we could cover our bills. There are still some bills we don't have nailed down to an exact figure, but our accountant should soon have a pretty full accounting of our income and costs.
As it was before the Tea Party, there is a lot going on behind the scenes that you don't see. We know everyone wants to help--we all get emails and phone calls saying "I want to help!" As one wag put ityesterday : We had 16,000 volunteers in front of the Alamo! Another thing we're working on is better utilizing the volunteers. One member will be stepping up to coordinate volunteer efforts. For the moment, the best thing you can do is follow the steps we outlined in the program and repeat at the "IMPORTANT! What Can I Do Now?" link on the page. Educate yourself and figure out which is the best way for you to contact your Senators, Congressional Representative, State Senator, State Representative, county representative, and city council representative. As the Boy Scouts say: Be Prepared!
One last announcement: This web site, TheyThinkYouAreStupid.com, is no longer "Robin's personal fiefdom." Control has transferred to the San Antonio Tea Party. Eric Adam, Matt Perdue, and my humble self will be the ones with the passwords. Don't be surprised by the updates that are eventually coming. For instance, we'll change the "white text on black background" to something more neutral. We also have a two-person rule in effect now. All posts have to be approved by a second person. And yes--I had to ask for permission to post this.
Thanks for you patience as we've had a rest (and paid some attention to our spouses and chores at home). Well, most of us. Some have been very busy, like Eric Adam (video), Tiffany (T-shorts) and Gail (getting the books straight). Here's our immediate plan:
The Executive Committee will meet tomorrow, to discuss lessons learned (many!) and plans for the future. We're shooting for July 4th.
The General Meeting will be a week from Sunday, May 3rd, at 5PM. The Magic Time Machine is graciously allowing us to use their facility again, so we can accommodate up to 160. I do of course suggest you plan on having dinner there as the best way of saying "Thank You."
If 100-1,000 people show up at a rally, the event may or may not get media coverage, and that coverage may or may not be snarky or dismissive. Congressmen may or may not notice, and the President's spokesman will announce he's not aware of them.
But if 100-1,000 people show up at a town council, city council, etc. meeting, in most places, that's an earthquake. It varies widely, but most local government budget meetings are sleepy affairs, and many local lawmakers are used to settling their spending with minimal scrutiny. They've never seen anything like several hundred people showing up with the same message of "don't waste my money."
It’s not just about protesting in the streets. It’s about demanding accountability from your government at all levels — and getting it. In Woonsocket, RI, Tea Party activists swarmed the City Council and stopped massive new supplemental tax hikes to bail out the public school district. The tax measure, which had been expected to pass 6-1, went down by a 4-3 vote (hat tip - Granite Grok):
So, did your State Representative and State Senator vote to force the governor to accept the bailout money? Maybe you should call them and ask--and be SURE you POLITELY let them know how you feel about the answer!
The minor cut of $100 Million that President Obama was making such a fuss about yesterday are like a family with a $60,000/year income cutting out a latte or two per year. Another great way to look at it came courtesy of Instapundit, but originally from Heritage.org:
I was just wondering if any of you that were in front of the stage just MIGHT have had a camera rolling when I got up on stage to make the annoucement about the t-shirts, and then kicking the party off with the updated version of the video.
I don't think our official film crew was in place when that happened, so if anybody does have it, please contact me at info@sateaparty.info, and use "I have the video" in the subject line.
I know this seems so egotisitcal, but I would just like to see it from the cameras point of view.
We are trying to get a good idea of what the demand is for the shirts.
If you pre-ordered before the rally and have not received your shirt yet, keep in mind, when you fill out the form on this page, you are stating how many ADDITIONAL T-Shirts you will want.
THIS IS NOT A PRE-ORDER FORM, we are just trying to get an idea of the demand that is out there. Go to the form
Jeanette was kind enough to send me this picture and I am just vain enough to post it. It was taken during Glen Beck's show, as Adam was interviewing me on the air for HIS show on KSLR. Those headphones are AMAZING. We were right next to the stage and the loudspeakers. The crowd & show noise was incredible, but these headphones blocked it all out.
Apparently the Express-News must have come really early, because the SAPD has run the numbers using their geometric grid system, and have confirmed that the crowd size was about 20,000 at it's height.
Here's the video that was played on the jumbotrons at the beginning of the party. I just changed a few little things to make it current for the event time. Plus I added Marna's design to the very end...
I sit here tonight/this morning just humbled and overwhelmed.
I never thought that a little one minute video that I created would have lead to this.
I was just awe struck by all of you. Your patriotism, you energy, and your respect.
I can't begin to put into words what it meant to me when some of you came up to me and thanked me for the video, what it meant to you.. what it made you feel. I was just lost for words. (Which - ask my wife - is a rare thing for me.)
I did that video for all of you, and for our future.
It never occurred to me that I would get on the stage tonight, but when Tiffaney (who - by the way - sacrificed all of her rightful time watching the Tea Party to sell the shirts) asked me to clarify some things about the T-shirt sales, I felt that it was the right time to play the update version of the original video.
(I Was planning on kicking off the Party with that video anyway, but I never thought that I would be able to address all of you)
Standing in front of all of you, and seeing the flags, the messages, it quite honestly overwhelmed me. Then your reaction came when the video started...I know I didn't really show it, but I was almost on the verge of tears.
The energy that I received from all of you is not only why I am still awake - but also why I know that what we are doing is right.
One thing that I was not able on stage was to thank people:
I cannot say enough about the Executive Committee. Robin, Matt P., Diane, Julia H., Jeanette, Tiffaney, Paula, Dee, Eric G. (the "other Eric".), "Pepper", Julie C., Dee G... the list is almost endless.
From the Texas 912 Project: Greg Climer and Karl Sweetman. Especially Greg....he has really been there for me personally as a friend.
Ken Boykin who traveled from D/FW.
Al Frakes of SAFStudios and his crew who covered this, and Will Rast who volunteered his whole family to come help with the Video coverage and be under Al's direction.
Steve Vaus for playing his absolutely beautiful song.
Alan Amato - who is a fellow Church member and photographer of mine, and he wasn't sure if he could make it, and he just happen to catch me as I entered the secured area.
Marna Roch - Who designed the "Alamo/Snake Logo" on a complete lark, and it has become the symbol for our movement.
I am so happy that my parents and my in-laws were there to witness the fruition of all of this first hand. My mother is the artful one with words, but my dad taught me the technical skill on computers that lead to the personally climatic moment of that video being played before all of you, and he has always taught me to go after what I feel is right.
My in-laws gave me the greatest gift any two people can give: not only their respect, but also their daughter whose is now my wife.
My wife has dealt with many things when it has come to this project, just as many of the executive committee have: the long nights, countless phone calls, the stress, the sometimes going to bed alone because I was working on something. She supported me through all of this, no matter what.
She loves my daughters, and they love her. I love her and I couldn't live without her.
I wish my two children - Michaela and Angelica - could have been here to see how "daddy throws a tea party." Anyone with daughters should know exactly what I am talking about.
Last, but definitely not least, I wish to thank the Father who created me, the Son that saved me, and the Holy Ghost that inspires me. His Hand was in all of this, and that's why this came together as well as what it did.
I know I have left some people out...but if you had anything to do with the setup (like the stage and the audio visual crew that performed a near miracle with the setup.) GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU!
Let us all rest for a minute, and then get ready again for battle.
Thank you San Antonio! While is wasn't perfect, It was GREAT? Why? Because of YOU. The police report that you were a GREAT crowd. When they had to ask you to move, or whatever, there were no hassles or complications. WELL DONE!
One thing you didn't get to see was the Press Conference. We got asked about "Astro-turfing." (That's what the other side does--some Billionaire pays an organization to pretend to be grass roots. Think the usual "rent-a-mob" they have, all with identical, pre-printed signs.) Boy, did we put that canard to rest!
Actually, the media questions were quite fair, and the reporter was who asked that one was a bit apologetic. Sort of, "Sorry, but I had to ask that...."
I know it ran long. We're sorry. Lesson learned: Time the speeches at a rehearsal!
Wow, so much to say, yet just one thing, really --
We have gotten serious updates on street closures, VIA information, and other things that we are getting just hammered about. (Such as Parking and other things)
I HAVE SAID THIS ONCE, AND I WILL SAY IT AGAIN, :
If you are coming from out of town: GET A HOTEL ROOM!!!! CHECK PREVIOUS POSTS FOR THE MAP OF HOTELs COVERING THE AREA.
We also are having overflow going to HemisFair Plaza! You will beable to see the event from there on jumbotrons and everything else. If you are even thinking that you are going to get to the area after 5 p.m., assume to go ahead and go to hemisfair.
(Edit by Robin -- Hemisfair: That's why we need more money!)
Today's top letter is from "rick." He has a somewhat different view than most of us:
This day will be hilarious!!! I am going to watch and see just how man "sheople" you get to come out to this half ass cry for attention. The people spoke on November 4th, 2008 and guess what?? You lost!!! Get over it. The road back is going to be tough and we all know it. Please be a real american and support who the people voted for by a large margin.
I am interested in seeing just how many wide angle shots they show of the crowd. I bet few because of low turnout.
Suck it up... losers :)
While Rick's definition of a "large margin" may be debatable, I wonder if he ever used the "support who the people voted for" argument for any other president. His lack of awareness in the level of interest in coming out to the Tea Party is clear, though. Methinks he'll be shocked and appalled on Thursday morning!
Here again, we get an idea of what some people are thinking.
I - Eric - received this via the contact form:
This is really a comment. I purchased a package of two 12x18" American Flags at Walmart for $1.86.
It is my intention to remove them from their poles and turn them upside down as a sign of DISTRESS.
I looked at the flag etiquette website,www.usa-flag-site.gov/etiquette, and it states that this is a sign of distress.
I can't think of a better time to do this and wondered if it wouldn't be a good idea to share this idea with others that might want to do the same thing?
I think a sea of upsidedown flags pretty much says it all.
If you think this idea has merit please share it, otherwise we will be the two people with the upsidedown flags. God Bless you ALL for doing all of this planning.
My Response:
According to Title 36, USC, Chapter 10, § 176:
"The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property."
Neither your life nor your property will be in danger at our Tea Party, and we will not have people using such a signal which is reserved to very rare and grave circumstances to make a political statement.
Your Actions would bring disgrace to our flag, our country, and our movement by doing this.
I respectfully ask that you do not do this. Have a Blessed Easter,
Eric
We have enough concerns right now than a bunch of people trying to disgrace our flag and our country.
The inverted flag is a signal for a geniune, IMMEDIATE, emergency of life, limb or property, and while some of us may think that this is an appropraite signal.. it is not. Ever heard of the story about the "Boy Who Cried Wolf?"
Anyone doing this will be asked to leave. We are not militants. We are not fanatics. We are Americans.
Statement on Glenn Beck not wanting to be the keynote speaker
Today on his nationally broadcasted radio program, Glenn Beck stated that he did not want to be the keynote speaker at the San Antonio Tea Party.
We - at the San Antonio Tea Party respect the choice of Mr. Beck, and since that announcement we have learned the following from members of Mr. Beck's staff:
Mr. Beck WILL be speaking. He will welcome the crowd from the stage, lend his support for the event, and speak for a few minutes as an opener. He wants this to be about us - the regular people - and not about him.
Mr. Beck did not want to make the San Antonio Tea Party about himself, and we appreciate his concerns about this issue.
We are currently addressing the speaking agenda, but we just wanted everyone to know that Mr. Beck will be at our event, but he will not be - by his own choice - the keynote speaker. Mr. Beck did not want his celebrity to overshadow the work of the everyday individual, which is what this event is about.
One other issue that has be raised is the issue of the RSVP link on our website. (www.sateaparty.info or www.theythinkyouarestupid.com). Many people have raised concerns that when they want to RSVP.
The RSVP Link was to obtain a good idea of how many people were intending to come, and apparently it has been overloaded. The lack of being able to RSVP does not mean that you cannot attend the Tea Party, we just wanted to get a general idea of how many would be attending. That link is now removed until further notice.
We - as the San Antonio Tea Party Executive Commission - just want everyone to be comfortable and safe.
Please keep watching the website as further announcements are made.
We are working several avenues for Park and Rides, seating, and other issues.
The one suggesting that I - Eric - would make is to GET A HOTEL ROOM. There are plenty of hotels around the Alamo within a decent walking distance. This way you have a room, parking, etc.
Keep in mind though, that many people may be coming in for the kick off of Fiesta. So I would try and get a hotel room for the 14th-16th. This is just a suggestion.
Below is a map of the hotels around the Alamo/Alamo Plaza (Yes the little red dots are hotels too)
Confirmed: TED NUGENT TO PLAY NATIONAL ANTHEM AT TEA PARTY
We can officially confirm that Ted Nugent will be attending the San Antonio Tea Party at the Alamo Plaza, AND he will be performing the National Anthem!!
We had quite a meeting. There was space for 160, and it was full! Some notes at random, from the guy at the podium:
1. We need Doctors, Nurses, EMTs and the like. We are looking at THOUSANDS of people, and we need a well staffed safety crew.
2. We need a staggering amount of money. Just hiring the off-duty officers we will be required to have will probably cost more than $8,000.
3. A reminder--this is a non-partisan event. ALL who agree that the government is wasting far too much money are welcome, as long as they abide by the rules.
4. We had a lot of "Why don't you do X?" Questions. Some were very good; there are problems we did not yet know we had.
5. The Magic Time Machine deserves your patronage, and soon, please. They treated us VERY well, and we should all thank them by having a fun-filled meal there.
6. Julia Hayden, our media rep., gets interviewed on Monday, 6 April, at 4PM, I believe. That's Adam McManus's show on KSLR, AM 630 in San Antonio. Give them a listen!
I am a former Marine, and though I believe in the ideals Beck has been mouthing, his attack on that young Marine who called his show today shows Beck to be a hypocrit. HE DOES NOT BELIEVE WHAT HE IS SAYING TO US! Please, make a stand for what's right. Tell Beck NOT to come - not now. PLEASE! If he will attack a Marine honestly seeking help from him, we cannot trust Beck anymore.
My response, endorsed by several other members of the Executive Committee --
Sir,
I am a retired USAF captain, who also served as an NCO before commissioning. I have reviewed a video of the young Marine's phone call (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLbJKiIhDzg). I agree with Mr. Beck. Any Marine, Soldier, Sailor, or Airman who does not believe he can follow the orders of the current President of the United States should so state and ask to be discharged. Period. This was true of those who served under President Bush and felt that Iraq was an "illegal war" or a "war against mulims" or that felt he was "selected, not elected." This remains true of any who believe that President Obama is unfit, unqualified, or a "closet muslim," or whatever.
Barack Obama is the duly elected President of the United States. He was elected by the electoral college, who's ballots were publicly counted in a joint session of Congress, and sworn into office by the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. Like it or not--like him or not--President Obama is Commander in Chief of the US armed forces. One of the worst things that could happen to our Republic starts with members of our military refusing to follow the lawful orders of the elected President. I, for one, am glad to have missed out on the joys of military coups that have plagued so much of the world.
We hope this makes our position as "The LOYAL Opposition" clear.
Many large kudos to Eric Green, Diane Eagan, Eric Adam, Matthew Perdue, for an unbelievable peice of work. They did the equivalent of placing a hat on the table, and then pulling out three rabbits, two of MyLovelyWife's apple pies (steaming hot), a baby elephant and a fully grown rhinoceros.
Thanks, too, to those of you who used gentle suasion on Glenn Beck, the City, and the Fiesta Commission.
The next Organizational Meeting is set for Sunday @ 5:30 PM at theMagic Time Machine, 902 NE Loop 410. This time, it's inside, at a restaurant that is open! Space may become limited, but there is easily room for the number we had last week. If you've never been there, it's a fun place for family events. See their web site!
There is a LOT of work ahead. Come ready to find a way to help make it all happen in a way that will be peaceful and effective!
