NASSAU COUNTY CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC. "The government is us, we are the government, you and I." Teddy Roosevelt

The Tea Party Movement

Every day people

Often ignored by the main stream media, the New York Times finally acknowledged the Tea Party movement last week in a feature article. Their story line was the typical hit piece often reserved for those that oppose big government. Even so, its a reluctant acknowledgement of the power and influence of the largest grassroots movement ever seen in modern America. The movement just didn't material from thin air, it was spawned and created by the actions of an out of touch and arrogant congress, united by the radical policies of President Obama.

The word Tea in Tea party stands for Taxed Enough Already. Looking back to American history, the battle over taxes was fought and won in battle against England more then 200 years ago. The gift of our forefathers was our constitution and our Republican form of government. When written, the memory of abuses by England were fresh in the minds of America's young patriots. Over time, we have taken our freedom for granted and our trust in government while diminished was not a priority. Even if the government went astray, it would right itself, it usually does. Whether by the election of a new President or by the temperance of the Senate, public policy could be altered. In extreme cases, judicial review would remediate the error. Then came the financial crisis and the promise of hope and change.

During most elections, the party in power wins or loses based on the condition of the economy. September marked the beginning of an economic tsunami not seen since the great depression in terms of inter related economic collapse. The question for the Federal government was how to fix it before it spiraled out of control. The answer came in the form of a government bailout, TARP, the Troubled Asset Relief Program. The purpose of program was to purchase so called toxic assets from failing banks and inject liquidity into the frozen credit markets. The 700 billion dollar program was one of the largest spending bills in American history. While it has had some success with unfreezing the credit markets, it has created a host of others problems notably the precedent of extreme spending. This decision set in motion American's thrust toward economic ruin and planted the seed of the Tea party movement.

Most Americans believe that we as a People live in the greatest country in the world due to our freedom. Freedom means limited government. As government gains ground, we yield more of our freedom. Government cannot exist without the authority granted by its People. Government is of the People, by the People and for the People. Unfortunately, the trend in Washington has been in the opposite direction. Our elected leaders have become detached from every day people and have embarked on their vision of utopia; an elitist class that dictates their benevolent compassion in the form of higher taxes, increased regulation and more government control. Their god is government and they serve as it's high priests. Only they understand what is good for the governed. Any rejection of their agenda is apostasy. It just needs to be re-explained. Their morality is not a morality like that of people of faith, their morality is pure and just without the need of our Creator. It is their vision of America remade. Our entitlements are the spoils of their power. Its about control.

Our elected leaders are blinded by the lust of power. Their overreach has become unbearable. The national debt in 2008 was 9.985 trillion dollars. In 2009, the debt increased by two trillion dollars and is projected to hit 14 trillion this year. If spending is not addressed, the debt could double to18 trillion dollars by 2014. This year the U.S. Gross Debt as a percentage of GDP is estimated to reach 98.1% and Public Debt (excluding inter-governmental obligations) is estimated to reach 63.6%. Currently, for every federal dollar spent on discretionary spending, two dollars are spent on mandated programs. Based on the trajectory, spending for mandated programs will continue to rise limiting the government's ability to allocate resources where needed. The only option is to cut spending. Not wanting to give up control, the only option for our benevolent high priests are tax increases. How can they redistribute wealth without taxes? After all, this is what entitlements have become. From a safety net to a blanket which will end up smothering our economy. 

A overwhelming majority of Americans oppose the President's healthcare plan and yet they are prepared to ram it through. Yes there needs to be changes such as tort reform, portability and competition between state lines but not a government take over of healthcare. Energy is the lifeblood of a growing economy and yet the President wants to push through a cap and trade scheme that will drive up the cost of energy even though the charade of global warming has been exposed. No one can accuse the President of being inconsistent, his social agenda is no different then his economic agenda. He wants to grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens against the wishes of the American public. Protecting America is job number one for this administration and yet the national security policy is to criminalize terrorism as well as our ability to fight it and grant illegal enemy combatants constitutional protections contrary to legal precedent. Even on the most controversial social issues, the President has been hard at work through the use of executive orders altering the concept of marriage, gender and family planning. Its as though the President and Congress have deluded themselves into believing that a new America came into existence on January 20th 2009 without the constitution and the consent of the governed. Even with the political fallout from Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts, the President and Congress remain on auto pilot like a Kamikaze headed for the deck of a carrier in the Pacific.

How can anyone except Washington and the so called mainstream media not understand the TEA party movement?. When has anyone alive today seen such a movement across America where rallies, protests and spontaneous events have erupted? Its made up of millions of people from all walks of life, all political persuasions and diverse demographics. There is no national leader per say but there is a nationalized agenda. Its NO to the President's agenda. With the use of the internet; websites, blogs, meet-up sites and YouTube, the message of the movement has spread. The People are angry but its not indiscriminate anger due to a failure to understand what Washington is trying to do. Its exactly because they do understand what the President and Congress are doing that has made them so angry and focused. The only change the President can hope for is what the People will allow.