RCTPP

Ravalli County Tea Party Patriots

He’s Just Not that Likeable

I watched with amazement this morning as once again I was informed the polls show that the majority of Americans like the president. I am not one of those Americans. And I question those numbers.

I am reminded of high school, which frequently happens with this administration. Do you remember the popular cool kid who intimidated all those not quite as popular or cool? I remember that guy. I didn’t like him. I was afraid of him. And I never would have publicly criticized or even said anything negative about that kid. Because I knew that to do so would have negative consequences. I knew that kid was a bully. I had seen those consequences. I had seen people who had been within the inner circle suddenly excluded. I’d seen the cool kid mock them in a “laugh at them not with them” sort of way. And I had seen people nervously laugh even though they would rather not have. People didn’t so much like him as fear him. That kid is now our President.

In every speech, the president finds a way to mock those who disagree with him, and he does so with great skill.  As long as you are not the person being mocked, then you are one of those nervously laughing with him even if you think that maybe it’s a little mean-spirited, or unfair, or not quite true. And in every single speech he does in fact say things that are not quite true. Take last week’s jobs numbers. Last Friday when the jobs created number came in at 80,000, the president made several speeches in which he used the number 84,000. I have not heard him called on this misstatement by anyone. This use of an inflated number was not accidental. It is simply another example of his clever manipulation of fact, figures, and people to make things seem just a little more positive for him.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t find people who routinely exaggerate, misstate or lie to be that likeable.

Do you remember when Paul Ryan had the guts to present a real budget plan that addressed serious and controversial issues like entitlement spending? And then do you remember what happened? President Obama invited Representative Ryan to the unveiling of the President’s own budget plan, had him sit in the front row, and proceeded on national television to call Paul Ryan’s plan un-American, among other insulting things. He certainly sent a clear message that day, and that message was” oppose me and I will humiliate you.” So what’s so likeable about that?

And who could forget the infamous State of the Union address, when the president took the opportunity to criticize the Supreme Court for making a decision with which the President did not personally agree.  So, on national television with the people he wished to chastise sitting right up front with no opportunity then or later to defend themselves or refute his opinion and misstatement of the facts, he publicly chastised them for having the temerity  to go against his, the prom king’s, wishes.  Again, not so likeable.

What I dislike most about the President is the way he has further divided us as a country along every single division line he can find, socio-economic, religious, and racial.  And the use of the race card by everyone in his Administration and almost the entire liberal contingent is despicable.  Inevitably, because I have written this I will be called racist.  This in spite of the fact that I respect and admire such people as Herman Cain, Allen West, Thomas Sowell, Condi Rice, David Webb, Michael Steel, J.C. Watts to name a few.  These people are all black, but alas they are also prominent Conservatives, so they don’t count with the liberal race baiters.  The only way to prove you aren’t racist is to like Barack Obama.  Well, I don’t.  And it has nothing to do with his race and everything to do with his ideology and the way he is using it as a battering ram to destroy much of what I love about my Country.   I firmly believe that President Obama’s “personal likeability” numbers are rooted in the fear we all have of being called racist.  Because, let’s face it, he just isn’t that likeable.

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Springtime in the Bitterroot

Toward Regulatory Reform

Time to Reflect and Be Thankful

As Thanksgiving nears, I spent some time thinking about all of the things I have to be thankful for.  Some of those things, we all share.  I am very, very thankful that we had such wonderful election results.  Particularly in our county, where 14 of 14 Republican candidates won their races.  In my opinion, these candidates were so much more closely aligned with our core principles than the people who challenged them in their individual races.  Again, in my opinion, these new office holders are much more likely to go forward with a clear picture of what the citizens expect, and will be more accountable to those of us who sincerely believe in fiscal responsibility, limited government and free markets.  Congratulations to the winners, and a sincere thanks to all of those who worked so hard to get them elected.  I can only imagine how much time, energy and emotion went into this work.  I admire and am thankful for the people who are willing to do this important work.

I am also thankful for the generosity of our group.  The group has been generous in their patience with those of us who have taken on leadership roles and are new to political activism.  We are trying to figure out how to move forward in a meaningful and inspirational way so that our movement will grow and prosper.  Sometimes we drift a little off course and need feedback to get back on course, and so far the members have been kind and understanding as we learn and grow.  I am also thankful for the generosity they have shown in many other ways.  Two members of our group have given gavels to the officers.  There may also be a message there.  Hmmm.  Maybe they would be thankful for a little more order.  But more important is the generosity to the community.  We are currently collecting and donating food to Haven House.  Our first delivery was 70 lbs of food, and this week I will deliver more contributions which will probably double that amount.  When I made the delivery, I was thankful that our donation could help the many people in need in our community.  It is that willingness to personally help those in need, rather than expect an anonymous government to step in, that is at the heart of our beliefs.  For those of you who have never visited Haven House, I wish I could share what the experience is really like.  It is an emotional experience to see proud people who would much rather be able to care for themselves accepting the helping hand of their neighbors.  My niece, who lives in another state, shared a story with me that she heard from her son’s kindergarten teacher.  This child was very excited and telling the teacher how glad he was that it was Friday.  When the teacher asked why, the child told her that on Friday his Daddy got paid and they would have dinner that night.  I wonder how many children in our community are in this position, and I hope that our donations will help those children so that they can experience the joy of just being children without worrying about dinner.

We have spent the last several years concentrating on what is going wrong with our country.  Let’s take time to celebrate the huge victory we have achieved during this time at the local levels and all the way to the Halls of Congress.  This Thanksgiving I hope you will join me in being thankful for the privilege we have to live in this country and to participate in the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

We Are In It to Win It

In 2004, then Senator Obama excited Democrats, Independents and a fair number of Republicans in a speech where he passionately proclaimed “We aren’t a red America, we aren’t a blue America, We’re the United States of America; We aren’t a white America, we aren’t a black America, we aren’t a Latino America, we are the United States of America.”  During his 2008 campaign, he promised the most transparent Administration ever, and that he would really bring bi-partisanship to Washington.  Hope and Change, remember?

Almost two years into his Presidency and back on the campaign trail (well, really, has he ever been off that trail?) here’s what he’s saying.  To a Latino audience he said  “If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying “We’re going to punish our enemies and we’re going to reward our friends…” ” and who are the enemies?  Well, according remarks made by the President at a fundraiser last Saturday, that would be anyone who does not support his agenda and  is not “thinking clearly” because we’re too scared and are not using “facts and science” to make decisions.  For those of you who are too stupid to decipher the facts and science remarks,  he meant you’re too stupid to understand that he is much much smarter than you, and you should understand you’re too stupid and just go along with him, because he is much much smarter than you.

And just when I thought he couldn’t dig that hole any deeper, he used that shovel to hit us again.  He’s back in that car, which frankly is completely out of gas, and has decided that middle class folks need to be in the front seat, and that Republicans can come along for the ride, but they have to get in the back.  I know I am now in very dangerous ground in the current politically correct environment, but I immediately read that as “get to the back of the bus.”   There are just so many levels of deceit and disdain in this analogy that it’s hard to decide which to discuss.  First, Republicans aren’t part of the middle class?   While I declare myself an Independent, I come from a family of Republicans who were at the bottom end of middle class and struggled to get squarely in the middle of middle class.  I know lots of Republicans, and I know lots of Democrats.  The Republicans I know are all in the middle class.  I almost have to admire the success with which the Democrats have painted the Republicans, and by extension, Conservatives as “fat cat” rich, selfish and uncaring people, and the Democrats as the party who cares about the little guy.  The problem is, is just isn’t true.  Look at the richest members of Congress, starting with Number 1, John Kerry, a Democrat.  In fact, 7 out of the top ten richest members of Congress are Democrats.  Then let’s look at the Democratic supporters, you know George Soros, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Steve Jobs, the Google guys, billionaires all.  Then there is the Hollywood crowd, Steven Speilberg and his Dreamworks partners, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg, Ophrah Winfrey and Tom Hanks, etc. etc. , none of them worrying about the next paycheck.  And if the Liberals are the people who care, then why aren’t they the people who actually give to the little guys.  In a study done in 2008, it was determined that the average liberal household earned 8% more than the average conservative household, but the conservative household gave 30% more to charity than the liberal household.  This figure doesn’t surprise me.  I know those conservative people who give.  The facts seem to support what I firmly believe, the liberals would rather the Government took care of it rather than reach into their own pockets to actually help a real human being in need.  Perhaps the most astonishing contributors to the Obama campaign were the much maligned and demonized Wall Street fat cats.  Among the big contributors were Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan Chase, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley.  On a side note, if you’ve ever wondered why your google searches, particularly on politics or controversial issues, seem to bring up an almost complete liberal list of sites, you should know that Google, Inc., donated over $800,000 to the Obama campaign.

Obama was once seen as the great communicator, articulate and inspiring.  Now he seems angry and mean spirited.  Rather than being the great unifier, he has been the most divisive President ever, promoting racial and class warfare.  Worse, his rhetoric is not Presidential.  He is the President of all the American people.  It is not acceptable for him to call fellow Americans “enemies”, it is not alright to send the Republicans to the back of the bus.

This election is a referendum on Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, the Democratic Congress,  Obama policies and his Administration.  Never has it been more important to be involved and to do everything possible so that our message cannot be ignored, ridiculed or dismissed.   We are not going to compromise our principles.  We will hold all  politicians accountable.  We will be vigilant and committed.  We understand that this election is critical to the future of our country, and the next election is just as important.  This election is literally about the stopping the deconstruction of the United States of America as we know it.   We must GET OUT THE VOTE.

Get Out the Vote that Matters

Since our group was formally organized in July, there has been an on-going discussion with members and people considering our group about the issue of endorsing candidates.  We made a decision that we would not endorse any specific candidates.  What may be getting lost is that we do endorse our principles.  And we need to make sure that when we are talking to people about getting out the vote, we are clear that we want them to vote for candidates who have shown through their record, or have made promises, to follow those principles when making decisions in office.

This is a critical time in the history of our country.  President Obama got elected because many people heard but were not listening to his message.  Looking back, he was telling us just how liberal his agenda was and how hard he intended to work to put his job-killing, financially disastrous plans in place.  Well, you need to be listening now.  The President is out there saying he is determined to go forward, not back.  Forward with what?  Card check, which will take the secret ballot away from union elections and allow coercion to force employees to join unions who will then turn around and use millions of dollars on the re-election campaign for guess who.  Dear to his heart is Cap and Trade, or the Renewable Energy Standards push,  another program which will kill the current domestic energy programs such as oil and coal in favor of  technology that does not yet exist or whose cost is prohibitive and does not create jobs, such as wind and solar.  The additional cost to the consumer for these fantasy programs will drive our energy costs so high that we all better buy snuggies for our family for Christmas.  And let’s call it what it is, a huge tax increase for every American.   Then let us not forget the flagship, Obamacare.  This alone will change the very fabric of our lives.  And the President himself is now admitting that Obamacare will not lower health care costs. Who could have seen that coming?  The majority of Americans, that’s who.  We are the majority of Americans, and we have decided we don’t want people in power who ignore us, mock us, and then take away our jobs, our health care and our rights to make the most basic choices about our lives.

So now it’s time to do something.  We need to get out the vote.  This is a national election and every state counts.  Of course we must be informed and involved locally.  But we must realize that a dramatic change must occur nationally if there is any chance of reversing this train wreck.  If you have a candidate you strongly endorse, help them out.  You can, and need, to do anything you can to get good candidates elected.  Just because the RCTPP, or people representing themselves as RCTPP, is not endorsing candidates, or doing campaigning for a party or candidate such as working phone banks doesn’t mean you can’t do these things personally.  Log on to Freedom Works, sign up, go the Freedom Works PAC, click on the GOTV tab and sign up to do phone bank volunteering.

It’s not too late.  We must not look back and wish we had done more.  Get out the vote, and make sure it’s the vote that supports our core principles.   Vote for fiscal Responsibility.  Vote for limited Government.  Vote for free markets.

Voting for the First Time

Yesterday, the RCTPP Board went to the Willow Court Apartments to see if we could find a permanent meeting space.  I guess we must have been just a little raucus as a woman went to the front office to ask who we were and why we were there.  That woman was Eve Mann.  When she was told that the tea party people were there, she was so excited she came in to talk to us.  She was very animated and asked if we were the tea party, and then exclaimed “You’re my people.”  We talked a little bit about what our objectives were, and I asked her if she was going to vote.  Turns out that she was not registered to vote, and had never, ever voted.  However, she wanted to vote, she just didn’t know if she could as she had just moved here 4 months ago.  She also was concerned because she did not have a car, so it was difficult to figure out how to actually get to a voting place.  Nancy immediately provided her a copy of our voters guide.  I checked with the County Elections Office about eligibility.  Later that afternoon I called Eve to tell her she could register late and vote.  By that time, Eve had read most of the guide and had some questions.   We made a date and this morning I drove her to the elections office where Eve registered and voted for the first time in her life.  She brought her camera so she could have a picture of this important moment in her life.  I asked her if I could take a picture and post it on our website.  She was happy to let me do so.  Everyone at the election office joined in the excitement of her first vote.

The whole experience was very satisfying and touching.  Eve was so happy and excited to take advantage of this remarkable gift all Americans have to take part in the process of choosing our Representatives. It was also a good reminder of how important it is to ask everyone, “Have you registered to vote?  Do you need any information?  Can I give you a ride?”  I have been sending this message in my emails, I have been talking about it at meetings, I say talk to your family, talk to your friends, talk to strangers.  Well this is the first time I have actually asked a stranger those critically important questions.  As a result, there is now one more registered voter in the state of Montana.  Eve told me she’s sending the picture to her kids and encouraging them to vote, as she doesn’t think they have ever voted either.  So that one contact will have a ripple effect.

So once again I encourage you, talk to your friends, talk to your family, TALK TO STRANGERS!  It is now 2 weeks to the most important election in our lifetimes to date.  Don’t wait and then wake up on November 3 wondering if you could have done more.  Come to our meeting on Thursday, Oct. 21.  We will discuss how we can make contact with potential voters and get a voters guide in as many hands as possible.  To take back a phrase, Yes We Can!!!  Then let’s take back our country.

It Just Doesn’t Add Up

I watched with repulsion mixed with fascination as the “hearing” on immigration began with a performance by Steven Colbert.  John Conyers, someone with whom I don’t normally agree (who can forget his famous mocking ”Read the bill?  Read the Bill?” tirade?), asked Mr. Colbert to leave and I hoped we would be spared the embarrassment of watching our elected leaders fawn over yet another celebrity who brought nothing to the debate except a monumental ego and a performance that was not even remotely funny.  I saw an estimated cost of over $125,000 to bring the Colbert Show to Congress.  I am sure when you add up salaries, technology, etc., it was easily that.  Already I have seen columns defending the hearing saying it really didn’t cost that much, and we should all lighten up.  We need a sense of humor.  Well, I admit I don’t find anything about this charade funny. It is just another example of Congress spending our money, yours and mine, as if it came from the tooth fairy.  The central issue for me, and I think a lot of other Americans is, no one is adding up the cost. 

Here is how some of your stimulus dollars have or are being spent:  $1 million for covered garages for bicycles in Portland, $200,000 for tattoo removal in Southern California, $11 million to build a bridge between two adjacent Microsoft Headquarters buildings (wait, I hadn’t heard Microsoft was in financial difficulty) $578,661 for solving the homeless problem in Union, New York (they didn’t ask for the money and don’t have a homeless problem), $2.2 million for skylights in a Montana state-run liquor store, $650 million for the digital television converter box coupons (does anyone know anyone who used one of these?), $160 million for “Paid Volunteers” (I used to call that a job) at the Corporation for National and Community Service, $554,763 for new windows for  the closed Mt. St. Helens Visitors Center, $762,272 for “Draw Dance” Interactive Software, 3.8 million for a “streetscaping” project that reduced traffic and caused businesses to fire two employees, $200,000 to help Siberian communities lobby the Russian government (I feel really good about this one), $700,000 to find out why monkeys respond negatively to inequity, $193,956 to study voter perceptions of the economic stimulus (hmmmm, wonder what they found), $363,760 to help the National Institutes of Health promote the positive impacts of stimulus projects.  I really could go on.  And on.  And on.  But as I add each futile dollar spent that did not create anything more than a few very temporary jobs and a lot of animosity, I feel my spirits sinking.  So I will stop.

Now I don’t work for the CBO, so my figures may be off, but that all added up to $831,553,852, without the Colbert appearance.  I have heard many pundits, including so-called conservative pundits, call some of these projects things like chump change, an amount so trivial we shouldn’t even care if it was thrown into a volcano.  That mindset is dangerous and directly responsible for our country’s financial woes.  I care, you care.  We want representatives who care.  

I resent every penny spent to bring a comedian to provide mock testimony before Congress.  It made a mockery of our Government, it was disrespectful, and it was insulting to a group of people who lead unimaginable lives of poverty and desperation.   In fact, I demand that Steven Colbert provide a check to the General Fund of the U.S. Treasury reimbursing the government for his compliance in one of the most ridiculous displays of stupidity yet seen in the hallowed halls of Congress.

It’s just 37 days until the most critical election in our collective lifetime.  You really can vote out stupid.  Tell your friends, remind your family, Vote.

Great Response at the Ravalli County Fair

Thank you to all the members of our group who volunteered to be in our booth.  The response was very positive overall.  At the booth, we had two petitions, one to repeal health care, which is sponsored by National Tea Party Patriots organization, and one to keep all of the Bush Tax Cuts, which was sponsored by The League of American Voters.  241 people signed the petition to keep the tax cuts, and 251 signed the petition to repeal health care.  These petitions will be sent to these national organizations and these signatures will be added to those of other concerned citizens nationwide.  These petitions will then be sent to our Representatives.

Thanks to Patrick Ballance and Nancy Ballance, we had an impressive Voters Guide to share.  We gave approximately 300 of these guides to people who stopped by the booth.  The response to this guide was very positive and appreciative.  This voters guide is a work in progress, and many of the candidates listed in the guide have contacted us to make sure we include additional information in future reprints.  This guide will be updated continually between now and the election, and we hope to put it in as many voters hands as possible.  It is intended to be factual and informational, and people of all political persuasions can use it to understand the candidates and assure they are casting informed votes based on their individual core values.

Remember, it is only 55 days until the 2010 election.  Your vote counts.