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Saturday
March 20, 2010 Since 1922 |
Area residents gather to vent ire
By Cierra Putman
The Baytown Sun Published July 2, 2009 Hundreds came out to the Houston Raceway Park Wednesday for the San Jacinto TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party to show their displeasure with governmental officials.
“We all have a lot better things we probably could be doing tonight, coming up on a holiday weekend,” Steve Pike, San Jacinto TEA Party Chairman, said. “We’ve all got other things that we could be doing. I don’t know about you, but I’m fed up. That’s why I’m here today. I am absolutely fed up with the status quo.”
“I’m here primarily because I felt like I’m seeing my government turned into a socialist state without due process,” Ted Caffarel said. “I think voting for legislation on bills that are passed with 300 page amendments at 3 a.m. was not how America was made great; it was made great by people putting their best foot forward and being very open about the process that laws are being made. And that’s not what we have right now. As a result I’m becoming more and more active,” Caffarel said. “Just voting isn’t enough anymore.”
The goal of the party was to encourage everyday citizens to educate themselves and others about the happenings in local and national government, Pike said. The group is also in favor of encouraging officials in Washington to promote free market economics and discontinue wasteful overspending.
The TEA party is not affiliated with any political party, but many of the speakers were in strong support of conservative values.
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale and Congressman Ted Poe served as keynote speakers, but the crowd also heard remarks from conservative-libertarian Apostle Claver Kamau-Imani and citizen speaker Daniel Blackford. Conservative talk show host Natalie Arceneaux served as the Master of Ceremonies.
“We worry in this age of economic trouble about the value of our currency, the dollar,” Kamau-Imani said to the crowd. “But what we should worry about more is the value of the word liberty. As we moved away from July 4, 1776 the value of that word has been reduced to the point where government robs us of liberty without any reference to The Constitution whatsoever.”
Both young and old attended the event they hoped would tell politicians they were unhappy with overspending, certain legislation and other actions. For many members of the crowd like Charles Harper, it was their first time attending. He did not participate in any of the Tax Day Tea Parties in April, but thought this time he needed to participate. He even brought his 5-year-old son Mason.
“I feel like it’s something I’m supposed to do,” Harper said. “I try to explain to him the importance of the government.”
To some, it might have appeared as if the reincarnation of George Washington and a living, breathing Uncle Sam came out to support the TEA Party, but it was local businessmen Kory Whitley and Frank McClosky incognito.
Whitley and McClosky said they attended the rally to show their displeasure with the state franchise tax, but other items on the chopping block Wednesday night included legislation to change the nation’s health care system and pieces of legislation they were unhappy with.
There are plans for similar TEA Parties to take place in the Houston Area this week. For more information about the San Jacinto Tea Party and other parties visit www.sanjacintoteaparty.org.
The Baytown Sun Published July 2, 2009 Hundreds came out to the Houston Raceway Park Wednesday for the San Jacinto TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party to show their displeasure with governmental officials.
“We all have a lot better things we probably could be doing tonight, coming up on a holiday weekend,” Steve Pike, San Jacinto TEA Party Chairman, said. “We’ve all got other things that we could be doing. I don’t know about you, but I’m fed up. That’s why I’m here today. I am absolutely fed up with the status quo.”
“I’m here primarily because I felt like I’m seeing my government turned into a socialist state without due process,” Ted Caffarel said. “I think voting for legislation on bills that are passed with 300 page amendments at 3 a.m. was not how America was made great; it was made great by people putting their best foot forward and being very open about the process that laws are being made. And that’s not what we have right now. As a result I’m becoming more and more active,” Caffarel said. “Just voting isn’t enough anymore.”
The goal of the party was to encourage everyday citizens to educate themselves and others about the happenings in local and national government, Pike said. The group is also in favor of encouraging officials in Washington to promote free market economics and discontinue wasteful overspending.
The TEA party is not affiliated with any political party, but many of the speakers were in strong support of conservative values.
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale and Congressman Ted Poe served as keynote speakers, but the crowd also heard remarks from conservative-libertarian Apostle Claver Kamau-Imani and citizen speaker Daniel Blackford. Conservative talk show host Natalie Arceneaux served as the Master of Ceremonies.
“We worry in this age of economic trouble about the value of our currency, the dollar,” Kamau-Imani said to the crowd. “But what we should worry about more is the value of the word liberty. As we moved away from July 4, 1776 the value of that word has been reduced to the point where government robs us of liberty without any reference to The Constitution whatsoever.”
Both young and old attended the event they hoped would tell politicians they were unhappy with overspending, certain legislation and other actions. For many members of the crowd like Charles Harper, it was their first time attending. He did not participate in any of the Tax Day Tea Parties in April, but thought this time he needed to participate. He even brought his 5-year-old son Mason.
“I feel like it’s something I’m supposed to do,” Harper said. “I try to explain to him the importance of the government.”
To some, it might have appeared as if the reincarnation of George Washington and a living, breathing Uncle Sam came out to support the TEA Party, but it was local businessmen Kory Whitley and Frank McClosky incognito.
Whitley and McClosky said they attended the rally to show their displeasure with the state franchise tax, but other items on the chopping block Wednesday night included legislation to change the nation’s health care system and pieces of legislation they were unhappy with.
There are plans for similar TEA Parties to take place in the Houston Area this week. For more information about the San Jacinto Tea Party and other parties visit www.sanjacintoteaparty.org.