Tea

[John E]

Are we allowed to drink tea at the UP Coffee House?

http://www.teapartyofwmi.org/

~John

[John E]

Okay, I guess I'll test the waters with this teabag for your cup:

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/article.php?view=685

~John

[suydam]

Okay, I guess I'll test the waters with this teabag for your cup:

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/article.php?view=685

~John

[fotoman311]

I highly recommend the tea at Global Infusion, as well as The Sparrows.

Both places are my favorite tea-parties in town.

[jwazzz]

Are we allowed to drink tea at the UP Coffee House?

http://www.teapartyofwmi.org/

~John

[crinzema]

I think both stances don't see the issue at hand which is our national debt. One wants to increase it by spending, the other wants to increase it lowering taxes. And the funny thing is, the current administration might do both. If our government has a surplus of 1 billion dollars every year, which is joke because they are running a deficit of like 1 trillion a year. If we ran a surplus of 1,000 million dollars, or 1 billion dollars each year from here on out, in the year 14,000 A.D, we would break even. Talk about spending your grandchildren's money. And that is only if we run a surplus, remember, we are running deficits now in the trillions and only increasing. This isn't bad, this is morally disgusting. Spending in a recession is like getting high when your depressed. You not fixing anything but your temporary state. Personally, I'm for taxes and against spending. I believe it's the responsibility of the current generation to pay it's debts off. The longer we wait, the more people who are not responsible for this mess will have to pay for this financially irresponsible "tax breaks"(Bush) and "spending" (Obama). We vote for people who are irresponsible with our money. It's high time that we blame ourselves, the voters. Vote for people who won't spend money we don't have.

[John E]

Thank you for expressing your view, Crinzema. The Tea Party Movement isn't just about taxes. We are about influencing policy and working to get government officials elected who will defend and protect the original meaning of our Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. We are about limited government (No money for non-essential governmental departments.), financial and personal responsibilty, free market, liberty and a sound foreign policy.

~John

Get US out of the U.N.

End the Fed

[John E]

I would have to say Justin Amash does an excellent job at representing the values and principles of the Tea Party Movement.

~John

[jwazzz]

Thank you for expressing your view, Crinzema. The Tea Party Movement isn't just about taxes. We are about influencing policy and working to get government officials elected who will defend and protect the original meaning of our Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. We are about limited government (No money for non-essential governmental departments.), financial and personal responsibilty, free market, liberty and a sound foreign policy.

~John

Get US out of the U.N.

End the Fed

[Timize]

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/03/tea-partiers-heckle-dems-racist-homophobic-slurs

Stay classy, tea party.

[John E]

http://motherjones.c...omophobic-slurs

Stay classy, tea party.

[John E]

Could you make a list for me of what you consider non-essential governmental departments? I'd like to cross reference it with my own - thanks.

[walker]

For a short list I would start with the Federal Reserve.

Department of Education

U.N. Building

Department of Homeland Security

Downsize the Department of Energy

Just a few off the top of my head. Would need to look into others for a larger list.

~John

[John E]

Walker,

Other Tea Party People may disagree with me on this matter but I think public transportation is an essential service that some tax money should be used for.

I was totally for raising the property tax to support the Silver Line during the first request but after learning more and thinking more on the matter, I have been encouraging the Rapid to look for other sources of funding for improvements. I can't see them asking for a tax increase every time they want to improve public transportation. A good example of this possibility is Millennium Park.

~John

[jwazzz]

Tea Party people do not conduct themselves in such manners. IF those things happened, they would be done by agent provocateurs.

~John

[jwazzz]

As suspected, a March 24th Quinnipiac Poll shows that 74% of the "Tea Party" membership are self identified, ultra conservative republicans. This whole "grassroots" movement is nothing more than a K Street/Madison Avenue branding campaign. Are the tea baggers angry - no doubt but I question the sincerity of their anger when many of the issues they seem to be most upset about (runaway government spending, infringement on personal freedoms, growth of big government...) not only had their roots but flourished during the Bush/Cheney years - where was the anger then? Republicans are notoriously poor losers but brilliant at the art of re-invention - tea baggers are nothing more than a slick (and admittedly effective) ad campaign. Anyone who thinks that by returning the republicans to power will magically transform us back to a Leave It To Beaver America is fooling them self.

[John E]

jwazzz,

I believe the Tea Party Movement stemmed from the Ron Paul Revolution. Where was the media and understanding back then?

The Tea Party People are not a bunch of angry people. We are afraid of what the Government has become and is growing into. The Tea Party Movement is not about the Republican Party. The TPM is non-partisan. The TPM is all about working to get this country back to the Constitutional Republic that it was founded on. The TPM is afraid of the tyrannical government. The TPM is frustrated with a government that does not operate according to OUR Constitution and goes against the will of the people. The TPM is all about working to influence policy and to get Constitution and People backing people elected into office. Check out the Mission Statement of the Tea Party of West Michigan:

"To influence policy and affect the election of government officials who will defend and protect the original meaning of our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights."

The TPM is all about working to get our Government back to governing according to OUR Constitution. The TPM movement is about attempting to hold government officials accountable and attempting to get them from seeing themselves as officials but as public servants. The TPM is working to have a government that is by the people and for the people. Okay, this may be a dream, but it is a dream, vision that We The People are working to achieve.

What is interesting in my observation is that the media does not report on how the TPM is working to get people elected who stand on the Constitution.

Why do people complain about an organization of people that are working to get this country back to the Constitutional Republic? What is wrong with having a limited government, personal rights and responsibilities? Are the people complaining the ones who do not want personal responsibility and expect the government to take care of them?

The TPM is about preventing us from a growing TDA (Tyrannical Dictatorship of America) and getting back to the United States of America where the States govern the Federal Government rather than a Federal Government that governs States, Counties and local governing bodies and people. The TPM is about getting the Federal Government out of our personal lives.

~John

[mallguy]

The biggest problem I have with the tea party movement is not their desire to have a more concise government but the religious undertones of the entire movement. Thats the rub for me. I have not seen one Tea Partier declare themselves to be a Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, or even a servant of the only true God: Ra. Every time religion is brought up they all, magically, turn out to be Christians. Why is that?

[John E]

It is nice seeing both sides of how people see the "Christian Tea People". To clarify the view of the Tea Party Movement I will let you know what is happening. The weekly Tea Party of West Michigan opens with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. The Tea Party has made the decision to not get tangled up in social issues. Though they are extremely to us personally we do not want any distractions or divisions that could take away from the pertinent issue that are dictating the course of our country. The Tea Party will focus on Constitutional matters of legislation regardless of religion or race. The Tea Party accepts ANYBODY who stands for our Constitution.

Best always,

~John

Get US out of the U.N.

End the Fed

[crinzema]

Let me preface with this; I voted for Bob Barr on the libertarian ticket in 08, but if you asked me now who I'd vote for, it would be the least partisan candidate whether that be on one side or the other. I'd say the one issue that makes me want to disassociate myself with the "tea party movement" is their disrespect of the governing authority. It's true that we are a country "for the people" and "by the people", but government must govern over people. Whether government overreached their authority is a topic of debate, but responding with civil discourse is equally uncalled for.

As suspected, a March 24th Quinnipiac Poll shows that 74% of the "Tea Party" membership are self identified, ultra conservative republicans. This whole "grassroots" movement is nothing more than a K Street/Madison Avenue branding campaign. Are the tea baggers angry - no doubt but I question the sincerity of their anger when many of the issues they seem to be most upset about (runaway government spending, infringement on personal freedoms, growth of big government...) not only had their roots but flourished during the Bush/Cheney years - where was the anger then? Republicans are notoriously poor losers but brilliant at the art of re-invention - tea baggers are nothing more than a slick (and admittedly effective) ad campaign. Anyone who thinks that by returning the republicans to power will magically transform us back to a Leave It To Beaver America is fooling them self.

[crinzema]

I'm disturbed when their religion influences their political views. That stuff should be checked at the door and governing issues should be addressed with an impartial perspective.

[crinzema]

If you believed in Mother Earth, you'd take your eco beliefs and vote with your convictions. Why can't a christian do that. This is a democratic society. People are free to vote with whatever convictions they hold to. Your free to feel disturbed by that fact, but don't hamper with other people's freedoms. When people feel like their freedoms are being encroached upon, they do things they don't normally do. Which can explain why you might see some psychopaths in the streets of D.C. representing the tea party movement. I hope that gets us back on topic. And no, that was not a threat.

[John E]

Will the Tea Party Movement have an effect on local governments? Will DDA's be removed by the case of taxation without representation? Will the dictator style governing of the Grand Rapids mayor with his "cabinet" replacement to rezone the Meijer property so they could build the new Meijer Super Store be questioned? Will local governments be able to poison municipal water systems without permission from the people? How much will the TPM effect county governing?

Do you think that the TPM will shake up governments across the board?

Just tossing out a bunch of questions to ponder on and discuss.

As a side note I would like to add that I really don't like how this country has become a democracy. A democracy is gang rule (And yes, I see most governments try to rule like a gang.). The United States of America was set up as a Constitutional Republic where personal rights have the same say as majority rights. The U.S. Constitution begins with "We The People"! OUR Constitution is the document of We The People to regulate how our Federal Government is to govern. We NEED to hold our governments accountable to OUR Constitution!

ROAR

Restore

Our

American

Republic

~John

Get US out of the U.N.

End the Fed

[jwazzz]

John E - What local government is trying to "poison" its water supply without the consent of the people and who in their right mind would vote to have "poison" added to their water in the first place? As far as your desire to see that the US be turned into a Constitutional Republic "...where personal rights have the same say as majority rights." - how exactly would laws be enforced if your rights trumped those of the majority? What may have been noble ideas in 1776 would not necessarily translate into a good way to govern a nation of almost 400,000,000 people in 2010. And finally, you asked if the TBM would shake up governments across the board - they may have a marginal effect on the mid term elections this year however, as the health care debate recedes from the headlines now that it is the law of the land and we move on to the next big agenda item, immigration reform, the majority of the TBM will be exposed for what they truly are - mean spirited (I'm being kind) white people who can't accept the fact that they will soon be in the minority in this country. If you thought Health Care Reform got ugly, wait for Immigration Reform to take the main stage. You ain't seen nothin' yet.

[jwazzz]

I'm disturbed when their religion influences their political views. That stuff should be checked at the door and governing issues should be addressed with an impartial perspective.