Waco Tea Party Blog

School House Rock - Great American Melting Pot (America Rock)

2011-04-24T16:29:00.000-05:00

Take Action - A Message from the Tea Party Patriots

2010-11-04T19:46:00.000-05:00

From the Tea Party Patriots Email:Influence House Leadership

In the last two years we have learned a lot about how Congress works (or doesn't), and all of this knowledge will help us keep tabs on the new members as well as the old ones.

One of the important lessons we have learned is that leadership matters. This email outlines the crucial leadership positions that the new Republican majority in the House will be filling over the next few days. Below, you will find a list of the major positions, a description of each position, the Representatives running for each position so far, and action items so that you can voice your opinion on who you would like to see lead the new Republican majority. After all, you helped put them there and you deserve a say in who leads the new Congress.

**Remember, Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door caucus. It is our goal to be a part of this process for the first time in history.**

**POSITIONS & CANDIDATES** (Job Descriptions below Take Action Section)

Speaker of the House

Candidates:

John Boehner (Ohio)

House Majority Leader

Candidates:

Eric Cantor (Virginia)

Majority Whip

Candidates:

Kevin McCarthy (California), Pete Sessions* (Texas)

House Republican Conference: Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary

Candidates for Conference Chairman:

Michele Bachmann (Minnesota), Jeb Hensarling (Texas), Marsha Blackburn* (Tennessee)

Candidates for Conference Vice-Chairman:

Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (Washington)

Candidates for Conference Secretary:

Jason Chaffetz* (Utah), Judge John Carter (Texas)

Republican Policy Committee Chairman

Candidates:

Tom Price (Georgia)

**TAKE ACTION** (Job Descriptions Below this Section)

First, read the materials below this take action section and then do some more research if you need to and then decide who you would like to be elected to these major GOP leadership positions. You can find out how Representatives voted on important legislation athttp://www.votesmart.org/voting_category_about.php orhttp://www.opencongress.org/roll_call/all so that you can see if the leadership candidates really have what it will take to stay strong.

Next, if your current Representative is a Republican, call their offices and let them know who you would like to see nominated and elected. If you just elected a Republican as your representative, call their campaign offices or email them and let them know who you want them to support in leadership positions as one of their first decisions in Congress.

Lastly, if you are represented by Democrats now and after the election, help out by calling some of those new, freshman Republicans that just got elected. Just look up their campaign websites and you should be able to find contact information.

The reason this is so important and that the focus is solely on the Republican Party is because they will be in control of the House come January, and these decisions will be made in the next few days. We must have our voices and opinions heard on these crucial leadership positions if we are to increase our chances of repealing Obamacare and passing other important legislation.

**JOB DESCRIPTIONS**

Speaker of the House

Candidates:

John Boehner (Ohio)

Description:

As the highest-ranking member of the House, the Speaker is elected by a vote of the members of the House. While it is not required, the Speaker usually belongs to the majority political party. The Constitution does not require that the Speaker be an elected Member of Congress. No non-member has ever been elected Speaker.

The Speaker rarely presides over regular meetings of the full House, instead delegating the role to another representative. The Speaker does, however, typically presides over special joint sessions of Congress in which the House hosts the Senate. The Speaker exerts power over the legislative process by setting the House legislative calendar determining when bills will be debated and voted on. The Speaker often utilizes this power to help fulfill his or her responsibility of making sure bills supported by the majority party are passed by the House. The Speaker also serves as chair of the majority party's House steering committee, which chooses the chairs of standing committees. The Speaker determines which committees consider bills, appoints most of the members of the Rules Committee, and appoints all members of conference committees. When the Presidency and Senate are controlled by a different party from the one controlling the House, the Speaker can become the de facto "leader of the opposition."

The Speaker of the House of Representatives is elected by his or her fellow Members to preside over the House. The Speaker typically maintains three roles, as the Representative for his or her district, as a leader of his or her party, and as the leader of the House as a whole. The party that holds a majority of the seats in the House will generally elect a Representative of their own party to serve as Speaker.

House Majority Leader

Candidates:

Eric Cantor (Virginia)

Description:

The Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives acts as the leader of the party that has a majority of the seats in the house (currently at least 218 of the 435 seats). They work with the Speaker of the House and the Majority Whip to coordinate ideas and maintain support for legislation. The role of the majority leader has been defined by history and tradition. This officer is charged with scheduling legislation for floor consideration; planning the daily, weekly, and annual legislative agendas; consulting with Members to gauge party sentiment; and, in general, working to advance the goals of the majority party. Unlike Westminster-style legislatures, however, the House Majority Leader is subordinate to the Speaker of the House, who is by tradition the actual head of the majority party in the House of Representatives, although the Speaker usually does not participate in debate and rarely votes on the floor.

The majority party members and the minority party members meet in separate caucuses to select their leader. Third parties rarely have had enough members to elect their own leadership, and independents will generally join one of the larger party organizations to receive committee assignments.

Majority Whip

Candidates:

Kevin McCarthy (California), Pete Sessions* (Texas)

Description:

In addition to the majority and minority party leaders, each party elects assistant floor leaders, or "Whips." The Whips assist the leadership in managing the party's legislative program on the floor of the House and provides information to party members about important legislative-related matters. The Whips keep track of all politically important legislation and ensure that all members of their parties are present when important measures are to be voted upon. When a vote appears to be close, the Whips contact absent members of their party and advise them of the vote. Due to the larger number of members in the House of Representatives, House Whips appoint "deputy whips" to assist them in their activities.

House Republican Conference: Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary

Candidates for Chairman:

Michele Bachmann (Minnesota), Jeb Hensarling (Texas), Marsha Blackburn* (Tennessee)

Candidates for Vice-Chairman:

Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (Washington)

Candidates for Secretary:

Jason Chaffetz* (Utah), Judge John Carter (Texas)

Description of the Conference:

The House Republican Conference is the organizational body for all GOP Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. It is responsible for electing the House Republican leadership, approving GOP Member committee assignments, managing leadership-driven floor debates, and executing a communications strategy that is executed within the party and is conveyed to constituents through the media.

The conference officially elects party floor leaders; the party whips nominate each party's candidates for the Speakership and other offices in the House. The chairs of the party conferences, and other

subordinate party leaders are elected by vote of the caucus or

conference at the beginning of each Congress.

Description of the Chairman's position:

The Conference Chairman is the spokesman for the Republicans in the House, and is responsible for finding ways to drive our message of honesty, ingenuity, responsibility, and reform to Members of Congress, the press, and Americans. The Chairman is in charge of coordinating media strategy, meetings of the caucus of House Republicans, and ensuring Members' staff have the resources needed to provide hard-hitting and effective answers to their constituents.

Republican Policy Committee Chairman

Candidates:

Tom Price (Georgia)

Description:

The Republican Policy Committee allows every Member of the Republican Conference to develop sound legislative ideas into legislation. These bills can then be introduced and considered in the appropriate committee of jurisdiction. The Policy Committee offers an opportunity for participation by Members whose legislative ideas do not in every case coincide with their committee assignments, as well as an especially useful mechanism for addressing important issues that cut across committee jurisdictions.

The Policy Committee is comprised of the elected and appointed Republican Leadership; the ranking members of five key committees (Appropriations, Budget, Commerce, Rules, and Ways and Means); Representatives elected from each of the Nation's regions; three Representatives elected by the two newest classes of Members; and at-large members appointed by the Republican Leader.
Newly-elected Representatives have four opportunities to serve on the Policy Committee: as a Member elected by other newly-elected Members to represent them on the Committee; as a Class representative to the House Leadership; as one of the regional representatives elected to serve on the Committee; or as an at-large Member appointed by the Republican Leader.

NOTE

The current Chairman, Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (MI) has been trying to abolish this committee for a while stating that it is redundant and therefore a waste of money that we can no longer afford. This is an effort we may want to investigate and consider supporting. Do some research and see what you think. If it really looks as though this committee is a waste, then we may want to advocate for shutting it down. http://policy.house.gov/lead-example-abolish-republican-house-policy-committee.

*Candidates marked with a star have not officially announced their candidacy yet, but are said to be thinking about it.

**TAKE ACTION** REPEATED

You've read through the materials, now comes the time for action. What do we need to do?

First, do some more research if you need to and then decide who you would like to be elected to these major GOP leadership positions. You can find out how Representatives voted on important legislation athttp://www.votesmart.org/voting_category_about.php orhttp://www.opencongress.org/roll_call/all so that you can see if the leadership candidates really have what it will take to stay strong.

Where's Chet?!

2010-08-17T22:55:00.000-05:00

Waco Tea Party Watchdogs issue an all points bulletin!

Last summer the Waco Tea Party and area citizens requested town halls on healthcare, they held protests, made thousands of phone calls and wrote hundreds of letters.

This summer we expected Congressman Chet Edwards to hold a town hall (good thing we didn't hold our breath) to explain how the health care legislation would impact citizens and business owners. We expected him to also address the upcoming legislation, and to answer questions from the people he represents.

After voting for a "lame duck" session, we fully expect to hear WHY and WHAT he aims to help the Obama administration, Nancy Pelosi and other liberal, progressive members of Congress shove down our throats in November! You can bet it'll be a doozy!

He has once again forgotten that HE WORKS FOR US, not the other way around.

It is a Congressman's duty to report to citizens (we know, we know, he "reports" through propaganda sent out at tax payer expense disguised as "updates" when it looks more like campaign literature to most constituents).

Has Congressman Chet Edwards forgotten that he serves at the pleasure of the voters?

Congressman Edwards, it's time to come out of hiding and face your constituents! Answer the tough questions and stop hiding from those who elected you to represent them!

Are you Soured On Spending?

2010-07-31T13:11:00.001-05:00

Our friends at Americans For Prosperity - Texas have been on a "Soured On Spending" tour of the Congressional District! The Waco Tea Party is participating in the program and we hope you'll join us in raising awareness on Congressional Overspending by Congressman Chet Edwards. You can volunteer by filling out the form at the bottom of the page or clicking here.

Congressman Chet Edwards has voted FOR every spending increase, every bailout, every subsidy and YOU are footing the bill! We have been tracking his votes on the You Cut program, and our Congressman has not voted once to reduce government spending.

Week One: Americans voted to cut spending on the New Non-Reformed Welfare Program - Congressman Chet Edwards voted NO to cut this spending! - The program currently costs approximately $2.5 billion a year.

Week Two: Americans voted to cut spending by Eliminating the Federal Employee Pay Raise - Congressman Chet Edwards voted NO to cut this spending! Freezing federal civilian pay at the current level for one year would save approximately $2 billion next year and $30 billion over ten years.

Week Three: Americans voted to Reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - Congressman Chet Edwards voted NO! - Savings estimated at $30 billion.

Week Four: Americans voted to sell excess federal property! - Congressman Chet Edwards voted NO! - Potential savings of up to $15 billion

Week Five - Americans voted to prohibit hiring new IRS agents to enforce the health care law! - Congressman Chet Edwards voted NO! - Savings of $5 billion to $10 billion over 10 years

Week Six - Americans voted to cut tax payer subsidized Union activities - Congressman Chet Edwards voted NO! - Saves potentially $120 million a year and $1.2 billion over ten years

Week Seven - Americans voted to prohibit stimulus funding for promotional signage and recoup previously spent funds! - Congressman Chet Edwards voting NO! - Saves: Tens of millions

Week Eight - Americans voted to prohibit "First Class" subsidies on Amtrak! -Congressman Chet Edwards voted NO! - Potential savings of $1.2 billion over ten years

Week Nine - Vote Now! Click here to choose which programs YOU would like to see cut from the budget. Then ask Congressman Chet Edwards to vote YES to the cut! http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/

(You can submit your ideas to Congress on what spending YOU would like to be cut by clicking here: http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/YourIdea.htm)

Do we see a pattern here? Yes, we sure do!

That is why we are asking you to join Americans for Prosperity's Soured on Spending program. If you would like to sign up, please fill out the form below, someone will contact you to give you instructions and more details!

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Ready to Rally?

2010-07-20T01:57:00.003-05:00

Are You Ready to Rally?!

Greetings!

The Waco Tea Party invites you to join us at the Heart of Texas Conservative Coalition's Unity Rally on Friday night at the Waco Convention Center!

For directions to the event click here.

For public parking directions click here.

The Cafe inside the Waco Convention Center will be open until 8:00 PM.
Please do not bring outside for or beverages into the venue.

Come early and visit the Exhibit tables!

FREE ADMISSION TO THE EXHIBITOR HALL & RALLIES!

Heart of Texas Conservative Coalition's Unity Rally!

Agenda:
5:00 - Doors Open to Exhibit Hall

6:00 - Pep Rally!

7:00 - Unity Rally!

Unity Rally - A November to Remember!
Calling all Conservatives!

Keynote Speaker:
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott

Masters of Ceremonies:
Michael Quinn Sullivan
Jason Moore

(Click here for the full agenda)

With only 100 days to Election Day - AKA Judgment Day - We want to kick off the "season" with a great rally. Whether you are working on issues, campaigns, get out the vote efforts or working the polls we need to work together in Unity for conservative values to take our Government back!

Please tell your friends, family and neighbors about this fun and exciting event!

Freedom is Color Blind and so is the Waco Tea Party!

2010-07-17T21:15:00.000-05:00

Freedom is color blind and so is the Waco Tea Party!

Let's talk about Constitutionally Limited Government, Free Markets and Fiscal Responsibility. As Americans, we are all affected by high taxes, out of control government spending and the over-reaching arm of government at all levels. Those issues impact every American, regardless of their skin color. The Tea Party Movement is based on these principles; not race, nationality or ethnicity.

Charges of racism, where it has not occurred, by certain groups and the media against the tea party movement have derailed the conversation away from our principles. As a movement we have denounced racism and bigotry, we have shown that we are peacefully gathering to make our voices heard. We have pledged to drive out anyone who makes racial or bigoted statements. When an unfounded charge of racism occurs it diminishes the true acts of racism, and we refuse to take part in that game. It's time to move on to the issues that brought us together from the beginning and ignore the unwarranted attempts to change the conversation.

Let's work together as conservatives, bring unity to the movement and to conservative politics. We invite all nationalities, races, genders, ages, socio-economic backgrounds and ethnicities to our events, as long as a person comes in peacefully and respectfully. We do not define ourselves by anything but Conservative Americans who love their country in the Tea Party Movement.

Join the tea party craze, be color blind and join us in Unity!

Calling All Conservatives! Unity Rally in Waco, Texas!

2010-07-15T08:04:00.000-05:00

The Heart of Texas Conservative Coalition is throwing a Unity Rally on Friday, July 23rd in Waco, Texas. The event will include an exhibit area for the attendees, conservative groups, clubs and organizations are educating the conservative public on how they can be empowered as citizens and voters.

The Waco Tea Party will be participating in the event along with other area tea parties. The doors open at 5:00 PM to the exhibit area and the "Pep Rally" begins at 6:00 PM, the Unity Rally begins at 7:00.

Waco Tail Party - A dog gone good time!

2010-07-06T11:03:00.000-05:00

On Saturday the Waco Tail Party held their first "Pet Protest" in Waco, Texas

Jeanie Davis created a video covering the event, good job Jeanie!

Tea Party has gone to the "dogs"... and cats in Waco, Texas!

2010-06-30T14:38:00.000-05:00

Members of the Centex Kennel Club who are fighting the City of Waco's efforts at passing a "intact" pet fee (ie. TAX) have formed the Nation's first "Pet" tea party!

The controversy revolves around the implementation of a fee/permit/TAX for animals who are not spayed or neutered. Waco, like other cities and municipalities around the country has a serious problem with strays and unwanted cats and dogs. In their "infinite" wisdom the Waco City Council thinks that they "must do something" to alleviate the problem. Leave it to a government body to "do something, anything" even if evidence shows that "something" won't work. What they have failed to do is research this type of ordinance, if they had they would have known that other cities, San Antonio for example, have rescinded these policies because they didn't work. The number of animals "put down" and strays increased, costing the city more money.

The questions that have arisen by area residents, such as "Who will enforce this ordinance and how much will that cost?", "Will taxing Fido's "delicate" parts result in lower kill rates at the pounds or just increase the coffers of the City and area organizations?" and "Where does this end, are they going to come on to my property to inspect my dog?" (Can you imagine that job description & title?! And isn't this discrimination on male dogs, it's obvious if they have been fixed, but females not so much!)

Area vets will also be impacted. Some animal owners will not take their pets to Waco Veterinarians, instead they can go outside the city or county, which will hurt local sales tax and business. And what vet wants to be the "tattle tail" on their clients?

Furthermore, what about the other 10 counties that do not have this type of ordinance, yet bring strays to Waco facilities? Does a Waco Pet Tax really solve the problem? Or does the City only want to penalize Wacoans for all the area problems?

The City of Waco needs to WAKE UP to reality and try to find a solution that doesn't penalize our pets and pet owners who are responsible.

The Waco Tail Party will hold their first "protest" this Saturday, July 3rd, at 9:00 AM at the County Courthouse. For more information visit their Facebook fan page by clicking here.

If you would like to comment to the Waco City Council you can attend the meeting on Tuesday, July 6th at 6:00 PM. The Waco Tail Party also asks citizens to email and/or call the City Council and Mayor Jim Bush.

City Hall Information Desk (254) 750-5600
City Hall Fax Number (254) 750-5724

Mayor Jim Bush
Councilman Wilbert Austin
Councilwoman Alice Rodriguez
Councilman Randy Riggs
Councilwoman Toni Herbert (Mayor Pro Tem)
(Councilman Malcolm Duncan does not have a contact page yet)

Citizens Must Lead McLennan County Commissioners Court in Pledge

2010-06-30T10:51:00.006-05:00

And the story continues...

The McLennan County Commissioners Court has not implemented saying the Pledge of Allegiance before court. Area media has confused the public with mis-information about the decisions (or lack thereof) about the Pledge. They have to create a "policy" for saying the pledge.... Uhhhhhh okay. We suggest you call County Commissioner Mashek and get the story straight from the source.

Here is this week's episode!

Judge Lewis along with Commissioners Kelly Snell, Joe Mashek, and Ray Meadows all stood up for the Pledge of Allegiance in Commissioners Court on Tuesday, June 29th 2010. Commissioner Lester Gibson did not stand up, citing that he had to have a prayer first (we don't know why he can't pray in his seat like the rest of us, but hey, it's his beliefs and we're just glad he prays). Although, the local paper shows him drinking a cup of coffee as everyone else says the Pledge..... not very respectful if you ask us.

http://media.wacotrib.com/images/250*186/0630-courthouse-pledge-ra4.jpg

Until the "policy" is in place and the Court is saying the pledge I guess it's up to the citizens of McLennan County to go to the meetings and help them out. No wonder government is so messed up on so many levels, they bind their hands with red tape and bureaucracy!

Joe the Plumber to speak at AFP's TX Defending the American Dream!

2010-06-20T15:39:00.000-05:00

Waco, Texas - Americans for Prosperity announced Friday that "Joe the Plumber" will be a featured speaker at the Texas Defending the American Dream Summit in Austin on July 2nd & 3rd. Joe, whose real name is Samual Joseph Wurzelbacher, became a household name when he asked then candidate Obama about his tax policies.

Joe surprised the Waco Tea Party back in February at our "Hob Nob" event to promote the Get Out The Vote efforts and educate citizens on the perils of apathy. The audience was energized and appreciative of his "pit stop" in Waco, we look forward to hearing him again during the General Session on Saturday at the summit. Joe is a great defender of the "American Dream"!

Steven Crowder, who will be a guest on the Waco Tea Party Watchdog's radio show Sunday evening and Governor Rick Perry will be the featured speakers at the Friday Night Lone Star Strong dinner (included in the ticket price). The General Session speakers on Saturday include Janine Turner, Herman Cain, The Singing Marine (see video below), and many more nationally recognized names.

For more information about speakers, training sessions, and details of the event, visit http://txdream.org/index.php. You can still reserve a room at the host hotel's discounted rate until Monday, June 21 (rates double after Monday).

We encourage activists to attend the many training sessions, many geared towards tea party activists, to learn how to be more effective in activism. On Saturday AFP will hold a "Patriot Academy" for young patriots (middle and high school age) giving everyone in the family an opportunity to learn more about the American Dream and how to defend it.

The Waco Tea Party is a "Partnering Organization" at the summit and will have a booth at the event. Make sure to stop by and say hello if you attend!

Waco Tea Party June Newsletter

2010-06-18T11:07:00.002-05:00

Constitutionally Limited Government, Free Markets and Fiscal Responsibility

June Newsletter

Greetings!

We would like to first say "Happy Father's Day" to all the fathers!

Today is the last day to early vote, if you have not gone to the polls you can still vote on Tuesday, June 22. Please encourage your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and others to vote in the Special Election for State Senate District 22! Brian Birdwell and David Sibley are the two candidates running for this important position (listed in ABC order, no preference should be inferred).

The Waco Tea Party Team

Steven Crowder on WTP Radio Show!

Steven Crowder

The Waco Tea Party Watchdogs Radio Show will feature a special guest this week.... Steven Crowder! Steven is a comedian and special contributor for Fox News, he will be performing at the Texas Defending the American Dream Summit in Austin!

Join us Sunday Night at 8:00 PM (Central) by phone or on the web.

The Call in number is (646) 200-0248.

For more information click here: Waco T.E.A. Party or to listen in click here: Waco Tea Party Radio Show.

You can also use the chat room to talk with the hosts and other guests.

Get Informed!
Texas Defending the American Dream Summit!

The Waco Tea Party is proud to be a partnering organization with Texas Americans for Prosperity to promote and defend the American Dream!

Will you be a part of Defending the American Dream?

If you haven't registered yet to attend the 2010 Texas Defending the American Dream Summit this July 4 weekend, then now is the perfect time to do so!

The preferred hotel rate of $129 per night at the Renaissance Austin Hotel will expire THIS FRIDAY, June 18. After that, rates will double, so you need to register right away!

Register now to take advantage of the discounted rate!

Tweet #TXDAD

Fireworks are guaranteed as Americans for Prosperity Foundation's premier grassroots event happens this July 2-3. This is a state-wide gathering of grassroots activists and conservative leaders for a weekend of training, motivation and networking to Take Back America and to keep our Lone Star Strong!

Joining us for the weekend are Wall Street Journal columnists Stephen Moore and John Fund, Gov. Rick Perry, Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, Comedian and PJTV Personality Steven Crowder, Conservative Radio Host Herman Cain, ESPN CommentatorCraig James, the Honorable Ted Cruz, and many more conservative leaders at the 2010 Texas Defending the American Dream Summit.

We even have a special program for Young Patriots, aimed at those in middle school and high school!

When: Friday July 2 - Saturday July 3, 2010

Where: Renaissance Austin Hotel, 9721 Arboretum Blvd, Austin, TX 78759

Registration starts as low as $29 for students, $59 for general admission and $125 for families.

For more info, including a schedule of events, go to www.TXDream.org.

Be Involved!
America Speaking Out & You Cut!

Republicans in Congress are reaching out and creating innovative ways for Americans to engage with their Representatives. House Republicans have heard our frustrations, it is a shame the Democrats are still deaf to our voices!

Each week YOU can vote on the program YOU want to be "cut" from the Federal Budget. You can vote via text or via the internet by visiting the website. After the votes are in, Republicans will take the measure to the floor of the house for a vote, following the vote you will receive an email telling you how the vote went and how your Congressman voted (no luck getting our Congressman on board with this program, he may need a few phone calls to hold his "fiscal hawk" feathers to the fire).

This week's choices are:

Prohibit Hiring New IRS Agents to Enforce the Health Care Law
Savings of $5 billion to $10 billion over 10 years

Terminate Exchanges with Historic Whaling and Trading Partners Program - Savings of $87.5 million over ten years

Terminate Taxpayer-Subsidized Political Party Conventions
Savings of approximately $33.6 million every four years ($67.2 million over ten years)

Require Collection of Unpaid Taxes From Federal Employees
Savings of potentially $1 billion +

Terminate Funding For The Duplicative National Drug Intelligence Center - Savings of $440 million over ten years

To vote visit http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/

House Republicans began the "America Speaking Out" program a few weeks ago to engage the American people with Congress. We like this program because it keeps citizens involved in the process of creating and shaping policy. Toby Marie spoke with Congressman Ted Poe about the process, you can read more about that interview on our blog.

The process is easy, you sign up athttp://www.americaspeakingout.com/ to submit, vote and comment on ideas. We've watched this site for a couple of weeks and find it quite interesting and impressive. Americans DO want to be involved in politics, however they also want to be "heard" by Congress. It's a shame that Democrats do not attempt to engage Americans in a free flowing forum such as this one.

If you submit an idea to America Speaking Out let us know, we would like to track our members and supporters progress.

Stay Active!
Commissioners: Say the Pledge!

The McLennan County Commissioners Court continues to defer and delay a decision on whether they should say the Pledge of Allegiance before the Court begins their meetings.

We are asking all citizens who believe that the Court should be saying the Pledge to attend the next County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, June 22 at 9:00 AM and to contact them today and Monday and make your voices heard!

For more information about this story, please visit our blog.

Contact the County Judge and Commissioners (click on name for emails):

County Judge, Jim Lewis -254-757-5065
Commissioner Ray Meadows - 254-757-5064
Commissioner Lester Gibson - 254-757-5062
Commissioner Kelly Snell - 254-757-5061
Commissioner Joe Mashek - 254-757-5063

Tea Party Patriots Issue Action Alert!

DISCLOSE ACT - WE MUST DEFEAT THIS BILL

Dear Fellow Tea Party Patriots,

We have received information from Capitol Hill regarding the "Disclose Act" and we must work to defeat this bill. The vote is expected to take place tonight or tomorrow.

On April 29, 2010, Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced H.R. 5175, the Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections (DISCLOSE) Act. The bill is a direct response to Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (McCain- Feingold) - a First Amendment victory in which the Supreme Court overturned the prohibition on corporations and unions using treasury funds for independent expenditures supporting or opposing political candidates at any time of the year. Simply put, the DISCLOSE Act will limit the political speech that was protected and encouraged by Citizens United.

Speaker Pelosi and the House Majority Leadership are making it a priority to pass this bill. This bill is designed to take away the influence of Tea Party and other conservative groups in the upcoming November election. We feel like this bill will be successfully challenged in the courts, but the ruling will not come before the November election.

An exemption has been carved out for the Labor Unions and other leftist advocacy groups. The NRA was also exempted so they would not oppose it.

Roll Call Magazine reports today that they have carved out even deeper exemptions in order to assure passage and we believe it clearly shows the intent of the bill is to diminish the effectiveness of Tea Party groups and other newer conservative advocacy groups.

"Facing wide-ranging blowback from an exemption tailored for the National Rifle Association, House Democratic leaders have decided to expand the carve-out from disclosure requirements in a campaign finance measure they are trying to pass this week.
The new standard lowers the membership requirement for outside groups from 1 million members to 500,000. Those groups would still need to have members in 50 states, have existed for 10 years and can accept no more than 15 percent of their funding from corporate or union sources. The broader bill, called the DISCLOSE Act, comes in response to the controversial Supreme Court decision in January that struck down limits on corporate and union spending in elections. The bill would force groups participating in elections to name their top donors, among other changes."

We need you to make phone calls, send emails and faxes and urge the Congressmen listed below to vote no on this bill. If you are a NRA member, we urge that you email the NRA and ask them to oppose this bill.

Together, we can make a difference!

NRA - CCox@NRAHQ.org and KeeneD@CarmenGroup.com

Congressman Chet Edwards: http://edwards.house.gov/

Waco Office: (254) 752-9600
D.C. Office: (202) 225-6105

Reminders

Tuesday June 22 - Election Day!

Tuesday June 22 - WTP Watchdog Mtg
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Main Library - Downstairs
1717 Austin Ave.
Waco, Texas

Please vote first then join us at the meeting. This meeting's agenda will include a few guests from area businesses to discuss a project they would like assistance in promoting. They will be speaking to our group at 6:00.

If you have any questions or comments please contact us at:
info@wacoteaparty.org

Don't forget to "Call, Write & Share" our message with others and your elected officials!

We thank you for your activism and support!

Sincerely,

The Waco Tea Party Team

In This Issue

Quick Links

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WTP Twitter

WTP YouTube

WTP Facebook

WTP Fan Page

WTP Flickr

WTP Radio Show

City Council Watch

Waco Tea Party, Inc. operates as a social welfare organization organized under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code (status pending). Contributions to Waco Tea Party, Inc. are not deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes.

About Us

Mission Statement:

The Waco Tea Party is a grassroots, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating citizens and assisting them to become more informed, involved and active in the political process.

Values Statement:

The Waco Tea Party believes in Constitutionally Limited Government, Fiscal Responsibility and Free Markets. We support the Constitution of the United States, the Texas Constitution.

Vision Statement:

The Waco Tea Party envisions a country where the citizenry is educated, empowered and engaged in our political process.

Philosophy:

The Waco Tea Party has a dual purpose; to be a citizen watchdog organization which holds elected and appointed government officials accountable to the citizens and to be an advocacy organization for issues relating to our core values.

The Waco Tea Party does not support or endorse political candidates or political parties.

The Waco Tea Party does not engage in social issues and only chooses to address topics that are related to our mission, vision and values.

Waco Tea Party's Fiscal Responsibility Policy

The Waco Tea Party has an "open book" and transparent policy on our budget. Anyone at any time can request our latest balance sheet (we are not permitted to give out names or information about donors) we do release the total amount donated and the expenses.

The Waco Tea Party operates as a non-partisan, grassroots, bottom up organization. We do not take funds from other organizations or groups.

The Waco Tea Party does not have any paid staff. Our Board of Directors nor anyone on the Executive Committee, Leadership Council or Volunteers are paid a salary. Everyone associated with the Waco Tea Party is a volunteer.

If you have any questions or comments please contact our Treasurer.

Thank you,
The Waco Tea Party
Board of Directors

Tea Party Groups

National Tea Party Federation

Tea Party Nation

Tea Party Express

Tea Party Patriots

State Groups of Interest - Other places to be active!

Americans for Prosperity - Texas

American Majority - Texas

Empower Texans

True the Vote

Liberty Institute

TCCRI

Texas Conservative Coalition

National Groups of Interest - Other places to be active!

Unite in Action - March on DC

American Majority

Americans for Prosperity

Sam Adams Alliance

Hancock Committee

American Grassroots Coalition

The Heritage Foundation

Citizens Against Government Waste

Get Liberty

FreedomWorks

Liberty Central Inc.

912 Project

A memo to the McLennan County Commissioners: SAY THE PLEDGE!

2010-06-16T09:42:00.003-05:00

McLennan County, Texas - The McLennan County Commissioners Court does not currently say the Pledge of allegiance before the Commissioners Court meetings. The Waco City Council says the Pledge, our state legislators say the Pledge each morning they are in session, and our school children say it in the mornings before classes. The Waco Tea Party and other civic organizations say the Pledge before their meetings. Yet the Commissioners Court is silent on the Pledge!

County Commissioner Joe Mashek introduced an agenda item several sessions ago to compel the Commissioners Court into saying the Pledge and "God Bless Texas" at the beginning of each Court session. We commend Commissioner Mashek for his initiative and patriotism, we wish the other Commissioners and the County Judge would show the same intestinal fortitude!

Each week the measure is taken into Executive Session to discuss the matter with an attorney. This costs taxpayers every week this is done because we have to pay the attorney his hourly fee while he is there. The Court keeps "deferring" the issue, leaving the citizens in the dark and frustrated with the lack of courage to act on this matter. We demand action! Why can't this matter be brought up for a vote in Court? How much do they have to pay the consulting attorney before they make a decision? What changes from week to week? Who or what is the hold up? What's the problem? We hear crickets chirping.....

If the Pledge or the United States flag offends an American citizen they do not have to participate, they have that right. It is wrong to prevent the vast majority from saying the Pledge because a few are offended.

If the actions, or lack thereof, of the Commissioners Court offends you, please consider giving them a call with your opinions. We're sure they appreciate citizen involvement and input.

Commissioner Court meets each Tuesday at 9:00 AM at the McLennan County Courthouse (when you enter the Courthouse turn left on the first floor). Let your voice be heard and your presence felt, it is an election year!

View Larger Map

If you care about this issue, please give the Commissioners a call or send them an email (or both).

County Judge, Jim Lewis (jim.lewis@co.mclennan.tx.us) 254-757-5065
Commissioner Ray Meadows (ray.meadows@co.mclennan.tx.us) 254-757-5064
Commissioner Lester Gibson (lester.gibson@co.mclennan.tx.us) 254-757-5062
Commissioner Kelly Snell (kelly.snell@co.mclennan.tx.us) 254-757-5061

Thank Commissioner Mashek for taking the initiative!
Commissioner Joe Mashek (joe.mashek@co.mclennan.tx.us) 254-757-5063

Americans For Prosperity "Defending the American Dream Summit" Austin!

2010-06-05T16:04:00.000-05:00

Americans For Prosperity is holding a "Defending the American Dream" summit in Austin on July 2nd & 3rd. The Waco Tea Party will be participating and encourages others to attend this important summit. We'll be sending out further information in our newsletter and posting it on our website as the details are announced.

Toby Marie attended the 2009 DAD summit in D.C. and learned a lot at the trainings and breakout sessions that has benefited the Waco Tea Party as an organization. We hope that you will consider attending the Austin summit this summer.

For more information please visit:http://txdream.org/index.php

Repost! Tips on Contacting Your Congressman!

2010-05-11T16:37:00.000-05:00

Contact your Congressman first and foremost, they weigh their constituents opinion more heavily than those living outside their districts. If you have friends or family living in someone else's district, encourage them to contact them directly.
Email your entire contact list, encourage them to contact their Congressman, even if they have never done it before, NOW is the time! Make sure you ask your friends and family to do the same.
If you are not big on emailing your friends and family, CALL them and encourage them to contact Congress and ask them to contact their friends to do the same.
Visit your Congressional office in person!
Write letters to the editor of newspapers using your Congressman's name, and do this often. Apparently most all Congressmen had "news clippings" services; and while some do not read their emails they DO read those clippings from the press.
Congressmen have staffers who monitor blogs and comment sections on blogs (and news outlets). Those comments also wind up in Google Alerts... so, if you blog, make sure you use your Congressman's name and if you don't blog, go and comment about your opinions and again, use your Congressman's name.
Congressional staffers also keep "cheat sheets" on the number of phone calls, faxes and emails that the Congressmen receive on different issues. Pence also reminded us that even when staffers are rude or act like your opinion doesn't matter, it's an act. Your opinion DOES matter, matter of fact, he believes it is the only thing that DOES matter!
Call local talk radio programs, and again, use your Congressman's name.
Post on message boards, Facebook and Twitter about your Congressman, their opinions and yours. Many of the Twitter posts show up in Google Alerts. If your Congressman has a fan page on Facebook, join it and comment on it often (politely, don't get in "wars of words" with those you disagree with politically).
Traditional mail takes 2-4 weeks to reach your Congressman's office desk. If you hand write letters FAX them when possible when a vote is going to the floor.

Uncle Ted tells it like it is... The Tea Party Americans ROCK!

2010-05-08T19:23:00.000-05:00

Over the past year we have seen many "pundits", politicos, celebrities, and news types talk about the tea parties, and most of them just don't "get it". Well here is one person who does, Uncle Ted!

We recently asked Ted Nugent to write something for our newsletter (we haven't heard back yet, and this may be why).... so we're reposting the article here on our blog. Please share it with others and leave your comments and opinions about the article on our blog, maybe Uncle Ted will even chime in!

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=36856

What the Tea Parties Stand For

by Ted Nugent

05/07/2010

I constantly hang out with great Americans from every walk of life. We understand that the American Dream is about being the best that you can be, to work as hard as possible and be accountable in order to be an asset to our families, communities and country.
We expect our government to secure our borders, keep us safe from our enemies, and play by the rules as laid out in the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Golden Rule and Ten Commandments, and otherwise pretty much stay the heck out of our way. We the people know that the government is supposed to work for us, not run amok and abandon all accountability as the out-of-control, gluttonous, criminal Fedzilla is currently overtly guilty of.
The Tea Party is so simple, it’s stupid. Named after the uprising of Americans sick and tired of tyrants usurping the new American freedom lifestyle and dream, taxation without representation was merely the tip of that 1773 culture war spear, and now accurately represents the spirit of the 2010 Tea Party movement.
This glorious experiment in self-government is not supposed to be a spectator sport as it has been reduced to for so long. As the boss of government, we the people were supposed to stay in touch with politics and politicians, making sure our will was the force behind policies and law making.
Remember that? The Tea Party Americans do, and we are demanding its return immediately. The New Deal was a raw deal and the Great Society was for losers. A hand out creates the curse of dependency. A hand up is nationalism at its finest.
It is no surprise that the Glenn Beck's and Sarah Palin's of the world are so inspiring and in direct accord with the Tea Party. To listen to these great leaders is to hear the pulse of the best that America has to offer. Faith, hope, charity, honesty, a Herculean work ethic and a vapor trail of positive energy is all the Tea Party stands for.
We don't believe in bail outs, we demand accountability.
We don't want an exit strategy, we want a victory strategy.
We can't believe that Navy SEAL warriors are being indicted for roughing up a murderous terrorist leader in their heroic professional military action to bring in evil criminals.
We are deeply offended by the speaker of the House telling us that we can find out what's in the healthcare bill after they sign it and it becomes law. This is outrageous and it must stop now.
We refuse to accept any longer the rampant corruption, cronyism, and outright abuse of power by willfully disconnected, arrogant bureaucrats.
Who can believe that Fedzilla is taking Goldman Sachs to task while denying that government waste and idiotic policies are behind the economic ruin?
How can such a rookie with zero experience call the shots when it comes to Iran developing nuclear arms?
We are shocked that the President of the United States surrounds himself with self avowed communists, Marxists, Socialists, tax cheats, law breakers, far-left animal right's goons, Mao and Che fans, and czars whose records are so far out of whack with American values as to make the head spin.
We are mad as hell that Fedzilla continues to spend and waste our hard earned tax dollars on laughable programs, bail outs, ridiculous so-called stimulus packages and other boondoggles that have failed miserably in the past, and are failing miserably again. It is sheer lunacy to repeat actions and expect a different outcome. It is time to reign in Fedzilla, and the Tea Party is just that force to reckon with, and clearly the logical voice and action to get it done.
A prime motivator for the Tea Party is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who so eloquently stated, "Those who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We are merely bringing to the surface a tension that is already there".
Dedicated to standing up for our rights and the American Way through nonviolent direct action, just like the glorious and pivotal American upgrade of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, the Tea Party represents a long overdue wake up call for America, and more importantly, American politicians and its lapdog media megaphone.
All that being said, anyone with a working brain knows that Fedzilla is behind every problem America faces today. But the real culprit in the current American tragedy is apathy—a nation with citizens who abandoned our prime responsibility to stay on top of things, to monitor our government, to research candidates, to vote intelligently. The burden falls square on the shoulders of we the people who bent over and let these rotten bureaucrats trample the American Dream.
Better late than never, the Tea Party is a return to paying attention, remaining engaged, and good old American activism, the very soul of America.
I salute the Tea Party and pray to God that it builds steam, galvanizes energy and focus, and enlightens enough Americans to begin the take back in November and beyond.

Rock legend Ted Nugent is noted for his conservative political views and his vocal pro-hunting and Second Amendment activism. His smash bestseller Ted, White & Blue: The Nugent Manifesto, is now available at www.amazon.com. Nugent also maintains the Official Ted Nugent Site at www.TedNugent.com.

Channel 10 in Waco features Tea Party Movement

2010-05-04T07:16:00.002-05:00

The Waco Tea Party would like to thank Channel 10 and Gordon Collier for the fair and balanced story!

Waco Tea Party Thanks YOU!

2010-04-20T12:28:00.000-05:00

The Waco Tea Party would like to thank the many volunteers and participants for attending the Tax Day Tea Party on April 15th! This year's event brought out many new participants and was a reunion for many area citizens. We want to encourage each of you to keep standing up and speaking up, attending a tea party is only the first step in being politically aware and involved.

Young Matthew thanks the crowd, and all the tea party participants.

A backlash is coming, a backlash is coming!

2010-04-05T12:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter! Now help get the lib trib on track.

2010-04-04T20:38:00.001-05:00

If Obama can "Opt Out" we should too!

2010-03-31T13:11:00.001-05:00

The healthcare takeover battle is long from over. We are encouraging each of you to contact your city, county, state and federal representatives with your concerns and opinions. Why the city and county?! We all know that what happens locally matters nationally, doesn't it make sense to know how your City Councilman or your Mayor feel about the federal government's overreaching powers into the health care industry? Why the state?! The battles will continue in the states and the courts, so we encourage you to find out where the candidates stand on the issue of the healthcare and if they support Attorney General, Greg Abbott's lawsuit in federal court. We also encourage you to ask your State Representatives (and candidates running for the position) and your State Senators (candidates too) if they support the lawsuit and if they will sign on as co-authors to Representative Paxton's proposed legislation "Texas Health Care Freedom Act".

One final call to action, you can sign Gov. Perry's petition encouraging him to keep fighting and supporting Atty. Gen. Abbott in the lawsuit.

Our email this week included contact information for local and state officials, if you are not on our list, please join!

Contact: City of Waco - You can click on the Mayor or any of the Council Members and fill out the webform or call them at City Hall Information Desk (254) 750-5600

Contact: McLennan County - You can email each of these officials by clicking on the link at the site or call them at:

Jim Lewis (County Judge) 254-757-5049

Kelly Snell (Pct.1) 254-757-5061

Lester Gibson (Pct.2) 254-757-5062

Joe Mashek (Pct.3) 254-757-5063

Ray Meadows (Pct.4) 254-757-5064

Contact State Representatives: You can find your State Representative on the Texas website. If you live in McLennan County your representatives are either Charles "Doc" Anderson or Jim Dunnam. Their contact information is on our website athttp://www.wacoteaparty.com/ContactReps.html

Contact the Lt. Governor on the web or call him at 512-463-0001

Contact the Governor on the web or call him at (800) 252-9600

Contact the Attorney General by email (yep a real email address!) or by phone at (800) 252-8011

As always, we suggest that you are respectful and courteous when contacting elected officials at all levels.

We also suggest that you utilize the media, contact your local newspapers, television and radio outlets. You can also blog or twitter your opinions on the web. Many news outlets and politicians are on Facebook and Twitter, so if you are a social media bug, don't forget to friend or tweet the media!

Lastly... Empower Texans had a great summation on their website...

Paxton: Response to passage of HR 3590

Submitted by mjsamuelson on Wed, 03/24/2010 - 11:30am.

From State Representative Ken Paxton (R-McKinney), in a special edition of his weekly newsletter:

"Following the passage of H.R. 3590, "The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," by the U.S. House of Representatives, I am drafting legislation to reject this overreaching bill due to its impact and costs to our State and to Texas taxpayers. I will file this legislation at the first opportunity for consideration next legislative session, which will begin in January 2011. We must be ready to reject federal takeover of our healthcare system.

The legislation I am currently drafting will be titled, "The Texas Health Freedom Act." This Act will declare that the public policy of the State of Texas is to exercise sovereign power providing for the rights of Texas residents to choose their own health insurance plan freely without imposition or threat of penalties from the federal or state government. Additionally, this Act gives the Attorney General the express duty to protect the rights and property of the residents of Texans with respect to federal mandates. This bill is modeled after the constitutional amendment that passed in Arizona (HCR 2014) in 2009 and the bill that was signed into law in Idaho (HR 391) on March 17, 2010.

I have also joined with my colleagues in the Texas Conservative Coalition to support Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's efforts to scrutinize the federal health care bill for constitutional problems, such as reviewing the mandate that requires all individuals to purchase health insurance coverage to determine if it violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Additionally, the special treatment given to certain states in the legislation violates the "fundamental principles of nondiscrimination that are at the heart of the U.S. Constitution."

As a general policy matter, the health care reform legislation is wrong for Texas because it will result in health care rationing, higher taxes, massive increases in federal and state spending and increased health care bureaucracy. The most insidious features of the legislation include the following:

· A personal health insurance mandate;

· A requirement for businesses with 50 or more employees to offer health insurance to all of their employees or pay penalties;

· A significant expansion of the Medicaid program;

· An excise tax on health insurance plans with relatively high premiums; and

· Penalties on individuals and businesses that do not purchase or provide health coverage.

These changes would place the federal government at the center of our nation’s health care system at the expense of individual choice and liberty, free enterprise and competition. Texans deserve better, and I will continue to fight to protect our State's sovereignty and the freedoms of our citizenry."

Texas Challenges Federal Health Care Takeover!

2010-03-25T11:22:00.002-05:00

Attorney General Abbott Challenges the Constitutionality of Federal Health Care Takeover

Bipartisan Group of 13 Attorneys General from Across the Country Challenge Newly Enacted Law
AUSTIN--Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and 12 state attorneys general today filed a legal action challenging the constitutionality of the recently enacted federal health care law. The bipartisan legal challenge explains that the new law infringes upon Americans' constitutionally protected individual liberties; encroaches upon the states' constitutionally guaranteed sovereignty; forces states to spend billions of additional dollars on entitlement programs; imposes an unconstitutional tax; and violates the Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Under the new law, for the first time in the nation's history, the federal government is attempting to force individual Americans to enter into contracts and purchase services from private companies-in this case, insurance companies-or face a penalty. The state attorneys general are challenging this so-called individual mandate requirement, explaining that such an imposition on the American people exceeds Congress' authority and violates Americans' constitutional rights. Additionally, the states are challenging provisions of the new law that will impose dramatic Medicaid spending increases on the states-including more than $24 billion in mandatory spending increases in the State of Texas.

Media links

Lawsuit filed by 13 Attorneys General

"The federal health care legislation signed today violates the United States Constitution and unconstitutionally infringes upon Texans' individual liberties," Attorney General Abbott said. "No public policy goal--no matter how important or well-intentioned--can be allowed to trample the protections and rights guaranteed by our Constitution. To protect all Texans' constitutional rights, preserve the constitutional framework intended by our nation's founders, and defend our state from further infringement by the federal government, the State of Texas and other states have filed a legal challenge seeking judgment from the courts that the federal health care take over is unconstitutional."

The thirteen-state coalition, which includes Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Washington, Colorado, Michigan, Utah, Alabama, South Dakota, and Idaho, filed its legal challenge in the Federal District Court in the Northern District of Florida. It was filed shortly after President Barack Obama signed the bill into law. The legal action specifically challenges the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and names the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury and Labor as defendants because those federal agencies are charged with implementing the Act's constitutionally impermissible provisions.

Encroachment on Individual Liberties
According to the states' legal action, the federal health care bill violates both Article I and the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: "The Act represents an unprecedented encroachment on the liberty of individuals living in the Plaintiffs' respective states, by mandating that all citizens and legal residents of the United States have qualifying healthcare coverage or pay a tax penalty. The Constitution nowhere authorizes the United States to mandate, either directly or under threat of penalty, that all citizens and legal residents have qualifying healthcare coverage. By imposing such a mandate, the Act exceeds the powers of the United States under Article I of the Constitution and violates the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution."

Explaining why the individual mandate is unconstitutional, Attorney General Abbott said: "Our nation's founding fathers had the wisdom to limit the federal government's authority by specifically enumerating the powers given to Congress. Today, the federal government is attempting an unconstitutional power-grab-and relying upon Congress' authority to regulate Commerce to justify their unprecedented overreach. If there are to be any limitations on the federal government then 'Commerce' cannot be twisted to cover every possible human activity under the sun-including mere human existence. The act of doing absolutely nothing does not constitute an act of commerce, and today's legal challenge reflects the states' attempt to preserve the individual liberties that were intended by our founders and guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution."

Removes States' Discretion
The states also charge that the Act "converts what had been a voluntary federal-state partnership into a compulsory top-down federal program." As a result, the Act effectively removes the states' discretion and constitutes a "derogation of the core constitutional principle of federalism upon which this Nation was founded...[and] exceeds the powers of the United States and violates the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution."

Unprecedented Encroachment on State Sovereignty
Further, the multi-state lawsuit explains that the federal health care law "represents an unprecedented encroachment on the sovereignty of the states" by imposing new federal Medicaid enrollment standards. According to the Texas Health & Human Services Commission, the Act will double the number of Medicaid recipients and therefore force the Texas taxpayers to spend an additional $24.3 billion on Medicaid over the next 10 years. In addition to dramatic spending increases, the new law will shift substantial administrative costs to the states and therefore requires that state employees and agencies devote considerable time and resources to implementing the Act. The lawsuit also cites "several unfunded mandates that will cost state governments significantly."

Unconstitutional Tax
Finally, the states allege that the Act imposes an unconstitutional tax on the American people. According to the states' legal action, "the tax penalty required under the Act, which must be paid by uninsured citizens and residents, constitutes an unlawful capitation or direct tax, in violation of Article I, sections 2 and 9 of the Constitution of the United States."

Let Freedom Ring, just not a tele-conference call!

2010-03-24T13:45:00.001-05:00

As we were sifting through the thousands of emails today, we were alerted by our conference call provider that Congress wants to put a stop to those pesky, free conference call providers by taxing it... and who is behind it? Big, commercial business and others who are making outlandish claims. Free tele-conference services have been used by facilitators (leaders, organizers, and volunteers) of many grassroots groups, conservative and liberal. Ending our means of communication is one way to shut us all up and make us pay for a service they may not want us to have at all. Of course, we took immediate action and will be contacting everyone in Congress with our opinions and we ask that you join us!

If you would like to keep the lines of communication going, please send Congress a message via this website:

(WARNING! READING THIS MAY MAKE BLOOD SHOOT OUT OF YOUR EYES!)

SAVE FREE CONFERENCING!

Please Write Your Members of Congress Now!

We need you and your colleagues that use FreeConference and InstantConference to contact your Member of Congress right away to voice your opposition to this potential change that, if enacted, will increase your costs of conducting conference calls.

Your Congressman needs to understand that eliminating your ability to communicate with your business and non-profit colleagues through free teleconferencing services is unfair, unacceptable and anti-competitive. Additionally, large telephone companies are alleging that customers of free teleconferencing services are using these services for pornographic and controversial activities. We need you to tell Congress that this is simply not true.

Simply fill out the form to the right and click on the “Act Now!” button to let your Member of Congress know how free conference call services are a cost effective way to help you connect with your colleagues, and conduct vital business for your organization. Thank you in advance for your quick response to this important issue.

http://www.capitolconnect.com/SaveFreeConferencing/

Health Care Count Down!

2010-03-18T13:20:00.000-05:00

A good explanation of what is going on on the healthcare vote... you may have to watch more than once~!

The Code Red Target List

Here is a view of how each representative voted last November and their current status. Make sure they hear from you.

Click to call or write the Democrats below and tell them to vote ‘NO!

Congressional Targets	11/7/09 Vote	YES	NO	UNDECIDED
Adler (NJ-03)	No
Altmire (PA-04)	No
Arcuri (NY-24)	Yes
Baird (WA-03)	No
Barrow (GA-12)	No
Berry (AR-01)	Yes
Bishop (NY-01)	Yes
Boccieri (OH-16)	No
Boswell (IA-03)	Yes
Boren (OK-02)	No
Boucher (VA-09)	No
Boyd (FL-02)	No
Bright (AL-02)	No
Cardoza (CA-18)	Yes
Carney (PA-10)	Yes
Chandler (KY-06)	No
Childers (MS-01)	No
Connolly (VA-11)	Yes
Costa (CA-20)	Yes
Costello (IL-12)	Yes
Dahlkemper (PA-03)	Yes
A. Davis (AL-07)	No
Davis (TN-04)	No
Donnelly (IN-02)	Yes
Driehaus (OH-01)	Yes
Edwards (TX-17)	No
Ellsworth (IN-08)	Yes
Giffords (AZ-08)	Yes
Gordon (TN-06)	No
Guiterrez (IL-04)	Yes
Heinrich (NM-01)	Yes
Herseth Sandlin (SD-AL)	No
Hill (IN-09)	Yes
Holden (PA-17)	No
Kanjorski (PA-11)	Yes
Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)	Yes
Kissell (NC-08)	No
Kosmas (FL-24)	No
Kratovil (MD-01)	No
Kucinich (OH-10)	No
Lipinski (IL-03)	Yes
Lynch (MA-09)	Yes
Markey (CO-04)	No
Marshall (GA-08)	No
Matheson (UT-02)	No
McIntyre (NC-07)	No
McMahon (NY-13)	No
Melancon (LA-03)	No
Minnick (ID-01)	No
Mitchell (AZ-05)	Yes
Mollohan (WV-01)	Yes
Murphy (NY-20)	No
Nye (VA-02)	No
Obey (WI-07)	Yes
Owens (NY-23)	Yes
Perriello (VA-05)	Yes
Peterson (MN-07)	No
Pomeroy (ND-AL)	Yes
Rahall (WV-03)	Yes
Ross (AR-04)	No
Schauer (MI-07)	Yes
Schrader (OR-05)	Yes
Shuler (NC-11)	No
Skelton (MO-04)	No
Space (OH-18)	Yes
Spratt (SC-05)	Yes
Stupak (MI-01)	Yes
Sutton (OH-13)	Yes
Taylor (MS-04)	No
Tanner (TN-08)	No
Teague (NM-02)	No
Titus (NV-03)	Yes
Wilson (OH-06)	Yes

It's Unconstitutional! End of Story!

2010-03-16T18:30:00.000-05:00

Nancy Pelosi wants to slaughter the Constitution! Call your elected officials and give them a piece of your mind about this legislation and what you think of them using the "slaughter solution"!

"We the People" - An open letter to President Obama

2010-03-15T11:37:00.002-05:00

April 15th Tax Day Tea Party - Waco Event

2010-03-15T11:09:00.000-05:00

It's about that time again.... Tax Day Tea Party Time! If you would like to volunteer this year, please fill out this short form by March 31st. Let's make this year bigger and better than last year!

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What is to be is up to me... Health Care is up to You America!

2010-03-10T20:45:00.000-06:00

Tim Phillips was at an event in Houston, Texas today and saw a young man with a T-shirt that stated "What is to be, is up to me." It inspired him, and has inspired me to blog about the call I was on this evening.

I was on a tele-town hall (provided by Americans for Prosperity, Tim Phillips hosted) with Congressman Mike Pence and over 14,000 other activists in the country. The topic was health care, the hot topic in politics today in America. First let me say, I've been on hundreds of these calls over the past year, and this call was the most inspiring that I've ever participated in on any level. Just when I was ready to give up, thought I couldn't make a difference and that my opinion didn't matter, Mike Pence gave me the boost I needed. One comment that the Congressman made really lifted my spirits, it is up to us, the American people what will happen on health care. Pence does not believe that Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats have enough votes to pass the current legislation or they would already be voting on it. We still have time to make our voices heard, so don't give up and get discouraged!

Congressman Pence explained to the callers what was happening on health care legislation and how to be effective in contacting your Congressman. The "tips" were interesting and I hope you will implement them, I sure will be using them to convey my opinions to my Congressman, Chet Edwards (even though I don't think he really cares what I think, if I can encourage others to join me I believe we'll make a difference together).

I've captured most of Pence's and Phillips recommendations (and expanded on a few with advice I received from Congressional staffers who wish to remain anonymous):

Contact your Congressman first and foremost, they weigh their constituents opinion more heavily than those living outside their districts. If you have friends or family living in someone else's district, encourage them to contact them directly.
Email your entire contact list, encourage them to contact their Congressman, even if they have never done it before, NOW is the time! Make sure you ask your friends and family to do the same.
If you are not big on emailing your friends and family, CALL them and encourage them to contact Congress and ask them to contact their friends to do the same.
Visit your Congressional office in person!
Write letters to the editor of newspapers using your Congressman's name, and do this often. Apparently most all Congressmen had "news clippings" services; and while some do not read their emails they DO read those clippings from the press.
Congressmen have staffers who monitor blogs and comment sections on blogs (and news outlets). Those comments also wind up in Google Alerts... so, if you blog, make sure you use your Congressman's name and if you don't blog, go and comment about your opinions and again, use your Congressman's name.
Congressional staffers also keep "cheat sheets" on the number of phone calls, faxes and emails that the Congressmen receive on different issues. Pence also reminded us that even when staffers are rude or act like your opinion doesn't matter, it's an act. Your opinion DOES matter, matter of fact, he believes it is the only thing that DOES matter!
Call local talk radio programs, and again, use your Congressman's name.
Post on message boards, Facebook and Twitter about your Congressman, their opinions and yours. Many of the Twitter posts show up in Google Alerts. If your Congressman has a fan page on Facebook, join it and comment on it often (politely, don't get in "wars of words" with those you disagree with politically).
Traditional mail takes 2-4 weeks to reach your Congressman's office desk. If you hand write letters FAX them when possible when a vote is going to the floor.

Matthew Perdie Update!

2010-03-08T16:35:00.001-06:00

Matthew will be at Starbucks in Lacy Lakeview at 7:00 this evening. We will then be going to Crickets on Franklin in Waco to feed him dinner. Come on out and visit with Matthew and encourage him to keep walking across America!

The mission is simple:

Watch Matthew's first episode below...

Are you a common-sense conservative? Then run for a local office!

2010-02-25T12:04:00.000-06:00

American Majority is challenging common-sense conservatives to run for local offices in their communities.

If all politics is local, as the saying goes, then we must win locally. This is why it is extremely important for everyday conservatives to become active at their local and municipal levels of government. I can't emphasize enough that in addition to promoting good-government, we help establish it as well.

City Councils and School Boards oversee and spend millions of American taxpayer dollars. School Board and City Council members play a critical role in local governments, and it’s time we start treating them that way by ensuring there are viable conservative voices at the tables of local government.

As citizens, our local government is the level of government we have the closest contact with and over which we should have the most direct control.

Oftentimes, however, local governments are paid the least amount of attention by voters, are the least transparent, and therefore are the least fiscally responsible. Sadly, this trend is not an exception, it has become the norm: funding at the local levels and in school districts continues to increase and yet government waste is at an all time high as we continue to see test scores drop.

Evidently, real change is needed. We need more people dedicated to seeing the system work, and American Majority is ready to help get those dedicated people elected.

With the local office filing deadline (in most Texas cities and towns) close upon us, American Majority seeks to identify and offer professional-grade candidate training to good, commonsense conservatives interested in running (and winning) elections for local/municipal office.

If you have considered running for School Board or City Council to bring some common-sense to your local government, or know someone who would make a great candidate, please click the link below and fill out the form so American Majority can make contact and help you in this important endeavor!

Run for Office!: http://snipr.com/run4office

Additionally, if you have any questions about American Majority or running for office, please feel free to contact Andrew Kerr atakerr@americanmajority.org or 512-771-2355.

I am a tea party leader!

2010-02-23T15:28:00.000-06:00

As reported on BigGovernment.com:

http://biggovernment.com/capitolconfidential/2010/02/17/clinton-plotting-tea-party-counterattack/

Bill Clinton and James Carville have decided to "attack" the tea party leaders. Someone should have clued them in to the fact that there are thousands of us. We are a grassroots movement, one that is led from the bottom up, not the top down. If they want to attack us, they will have millions to choose from.

The Tea Party Patriots have developed a website http://www.iamtheteapartyleader.com/ for all tea party people to submit their video. Go to the link for more details.

February Updates and Newsletters

2010-02-15T14:58:00.000-06:00

Informed * Involved * Active

Important Updates!

Greetings,

Are you ready to Hob Nob?! Don't forget, this Saturday is the Waco Tea Party "Hob Nob" event at the Palladium in Waco. Visit the website for more details.

The Waco Tea Party Team!

Waco Tea Party "Hob Nob" Feb. 20th!

Due to last week's global warming storm of ice and snow, we had to reschedule the volunteer meeting for tomorrow night.

"Hob Nob" Volunteer Meeting

Tuesday, Feb. 16th
4-6 PM
Hoover Library on Wooded Acres

"Hob Nob" Set Up and Decoration Meeting

Friday, Feb. 19th
4-6 PM (or when we are done)
Palladium on Austin Ave.
(across from the Hippodrome on Austin Ave.)

If you are going to volunteer for the "Hob Nob" and can not make it on Tuesday or Friday, please fill out this form or send us an email and let us know what time you can volunteer.
Volunteer Here
The event flier for the "Hob Nob" can be found on our website, please feel free to download it and pass the fliers around to friends and family or email it to your contacts.

If you are running for office and would like to attend as a candidate (any party or as an independent), please contact us as soon as possible at wacoteaparty@wacoteaparty.com.

Thus far, only Republican candidates have accepted our invitation to attend, which we fine sad.

If you have a group and would like a table, please send us an email and request one! Space is limited, so send an email to us today!

Waco Tea Party "Hob Nob"
Saturday, Feb. 20th

The Palladium on Austin Ave.
(Across from the Hippodrome)
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Followed by a showing of the
"Tea Party Documentary" movie.

The "Hob Nob" event is free and open to the public, there is no cost to attend or to have a table at the event. Donations are appreciated to help us pay for the venue and other costs.

Congress is Back... Take Action!

We all know that health care in America is the best in the world, it also already has way too much government control! The Government all too often is the problem and not the solution, however we do need some reform to get government OUT of the way. We need REAL reform, not a take over of the industry like the auto and banking industry (look how well THAT has worked!)

The American Grassroots Coalition has put together a non-partisan petition for the grassroots to tell the Democrats in Congress to start over on health care and the Republicans to stand firm in their efforts to start with a clean slate.

If you would like to sign the petition click here or copy this URL into your browser http://www.americangrassrootscoalition.org/petition

Stop the EPA!

Americans for Prosperity is asking all Americans to contact their Congressmen to stop the EPA's Global Warming Power Grab!

From the AFP Website:

The Obama administration intends to bypass Congress and implement outrageous global warming regulation of the entire U.S. economy through the EPA. Many of you have helped us put tens of thousands of comments into the EPA, but it they aren't listening. We need Congress to step in and stop the EPA power-grab, by sending a clear message to our elected officials: if you don't stop the EPA, we will hold you responsible for what they do.

If you would like to tell YOUR elected officials that you do not want this administration to bypass Congress, please visit AFP and fill out the form.

http://capwiz.com/americansforprosperity/issues/alert/?alertid=14670271

The Tea Party is NOT over!

The Waco Tea Party received an email about groups who are attempting to "target" the Tea Party Movement. We wanted to pass this on to you so that you can share it with others.

Some groups of progressive, liberal democrats (not the good conservative ones) are trying to stop us at the grassroots level. Why? Because we ARE effective!

Targeting the Tea Parties

Liberals created another "astroturf" group to kill the Tea Party Movement. A new website appeared recently called "The Tea Party Is Over." Their mission is: "To prevent the Tea Party's dangerous ideas from gaining legislative traction."

The website is paid for by the "American Public Policy Committee," which is nothing more than a domain name registered to Craig Varoga. Varoga, along with his partner, George Rakis, in a consulting firm called Independent Strategies, are listed on IRS documents as the people responsible for several other astroturf organizations, which include:

-The American Public Policy Committee        Donations | IRS forms
-Patriot Majority                                            Donations | IRS forms
-Citizens for Progress                                     Donations | IRS forms
-Oklahoma Freedom Fund                             Donations | IRS forms
-Mid Atlantic Leadership Fund                       Donations | IRS forms
-Public Security Now                                     Donations | IRS forms
-Pioneer Majority                                           Donations | IRS forms
-Bluegrass Freedom Fund                               Donations | IRS forms

Each of these so-called organizations list their address at 300 M Street SE, Suite 1102, Washington DC. Neither Varoga nor Rakis occupy this office. It is, however, occupied by Joseph Sandler who is an attorney for the Democratic National Committee.

These two people launder millions and millions of dollars from labor unions through these astroturf organizations, and now they have put the Tea Party Movement in their crosshairs. It is essential to expose this attack on the Tea Party Movement.

Please copy and paste this into a new email and send it to those on your contact lists! We must alert our friends and family to the tactics the far left is stopping to, just to stop Americans from speaking up against taxes and spending!

Early Voting Starts Tuesday!

Early voting begins tomorrow, February 16th for the Republican and Democrat primaries. If you are registered to vote and wish to vote in a party primary you can find your polling locations by clicking herehttp://www.co.mclennan.tx.us/elections/polling_locations.aspx or here for early voting informationhttp://www.co.mclennan.tx.us/elections/030210evinfo.pdf.

You can even vote on Saturday or Sunday!

If you would like to see who is on the ballot in your precinct, click herehttp://www.co.mclennan.tx.us/elections/ballots0310/sampleballots.aspx

Section 52.008 of the Texas Election Code requires that sample ballots be printed on yellow paper. If you print copies of the sample ballot images for other than personal use, please use yellow paper.

**The Waco Tea Party does not support or endorse any political party or candidate. We DO encourage voters to VOTE at every given opportunity, whether you are a Republican, Democrat, Independent, Libertarian or other political affiliation.

Opinions Needed!

Two new groups have popped up on our radar and we would like YOUR opinions on whether to add them to our list of groups we like and support. Please let us know your opinions!

The first new group is the National Precinct Alliance:

http://www.nationalprecinctalliance.org/main/getting_started

From their website:

In response to the current threats being inflicted on our Constitution, the National Precinct Alliance was formed to assist all Constitutional-conservative patriots in the American political process. This process has existed since the founding of our nation, yet most Americans are unaware of its existence or power. We see this as a very effective formula for reversing the Socialistic agenda now threatening our nation.

It is our goal to get as many patriots into their precincts as possible, as quickly as possible. The precinct formula is a simple one, requiring minimal time and effort from each individual. The process of providing each individual with the information they need to participate, is underway at the National Precinct Alliance. As you may imagine, the challenge of covering 50 states, over 3000 counties, and tens of thousands of precincts is sizable. But the will to counter the threat in Washington is growing daily, as is the discovery and interest in this process.

We at NPA believe strongly that this is the most effective solution. This is a volunteer effort, and there is no monetary obligation.

Whether you are interested in running for your precinct chair, or simply hope to assist in the coordination of this effort, we need and greatly appreciate your help

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Second group is the Defund and Disobey website.

http://www.defundanddisobey.com/

The idea to ask candidates and voters to pledge their support is an interesting concept. From the website:

Whether you are a sitting politician, a candidate running for office, or an American citizen...it's time to sign. Show America that you're ready to Defund everything that has no Constitutional mandate.

POLITICIAN'S DEFUND PLEDGE

The Defund Pledge is very simple and very straightforward. Candidates running for office must sign the pledge to earn our votes. Sitting politicians must sign the pledge or be removed from office.
If any sitting politician says he or she is not willing to be bound by the constraints of the Constitution, then we can begin impeachment proceedings.

Demand that your politicians sign the Defund Pledge!
"I solemnly pledge to my constituents that I will consistently vote to defund, or vote against appropriating any money for, any federal department, program, or activity not specifically authorized by an enumerated power of the United States Constitution."
"For any federal department, program, or activity that I do vote to fund, I will provide the specific enumerated power constitutionally permitting it."

CITIZEN'S DEFUND PLEDGE
Whereas, the Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land and as such, all three branches of the Federal Government are subject to its authority; and
Whereas, the Federal Government is acknowledged by all to be one of enumerated powers, and those powers are granted to it by the Constitution, limited by the Bill of Rights, and the other protections found in the Constitutional text; and
Whereas, the proposed Enumerated Powers Act requires each Act of Congress to contain a concise and definite statement of the Constitutional authority relied upon for the enactment of each portion of that Act, and declares that failure to comply with this requirement shall give rise to a point of order in either chamber of Congress.
Therefore, I, the undersigned American citizen, pledge to vote against any candidate for the House or the Senate who refuses to sign the Defund Pledge or who fails to support the Enumerated Powers Act.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We would like each of you to provide feedback on these two sites! The Waco Tea Party is a bottom up, grassroots group, so your input is valuable to us. You can either submit your opinion via email to wacoteaparty@wacoteaparty.com or at our March Volunteer meeting (we will add this to the topics of discussion).

Thank you for supporting the Waco Tea Party!

Sincerely,
The Waco Tea Party TeamToby Marie, Michael, Carol, Becky & Greg

In This Issue

Hob Nob Update!

Take Action!

Stop the EPA!

Attack on Tea Parties!

Early Voting!

Opinions Needed

Waco Tea Party Quick Links

Email Sign Up

Donate

Facebook Fan Page

Facebook Group

Twitter

Waco Tea Party

Waco Tea Party Blog

Organizations We Like and Promote

American Majority

Americans for Prosperity

Empower Texans

The John Hancock Committee

Sam Adams Alliance

Free Market Foundation

I Know Jack!

Informed * Involved * Active

February News!

Dear Toby Marie,

The February Newsletter is packed with lots of information about the Tea Party Movement and our local tea party updates.

If you haven't visited the Waco Tea Party website lately you may have not noticed the updates that our Webmaster Michael puts up on a daily basis. Sometimes the commentary is better than the article, even if it is only one line. We have also "fixed" themessage board, so if you have interesting news or want to start a conversation, please utilize it.

The Waco Tea Party Team!

Waco Tea Party "Hob Nob" Feb. 20th!

We are still busy planning the Waco Tea Party "Hob Nob" event that will be held at the Palladium on Saturday, February 20th. We'll kick off at 10:00 AM and will wind up the day with a showing of the "Tea Party Documentary" at 4:30. You can come and go or come and stay!

The event flier for the "Hob Nob" can be found on our website, please feel free to download it and pass the fliers around to friends and family or email it to your contacts.

If you are a candidate or campaign manager and have not received an email with the candidate registration form, please contact Carol or Toby ASAP (just hit reply to this email). Table space is limited, we are reserving them on a first come, first serve basis.

The Waco Tea Party Volunteers are meeting again on Feb. 11th for our final planning meeting (we hope). If the weather causes roads to be icy we will cancel the meeting, so please check theWaco Tea Party blog or Facebook group before you get out on the roads (we'll post any changes as soon as possible).

If you would like to volunteer please fill out the volunteer form (if you can not attend the planning meetings you can still volunteer). Click Here to fill out the form or contact Becky for assistance (reply to this email and address your request to Becky).

On Wednesday, February 10th we are going to have a walk through at the Palladium. If you can join us to help with the floor plan, decoration ideas, etc... meet us at the Palladium at 2:30.

The Backlash is Coming!

Are you tired of the people who say "Oh, he/she is a tea party person!" in a disrespectful way? Are you tired of explaining that we are Americans, and we vote? Are you ready to wrap your head in duct tape so it doesn't explode every time you read the newspaper? Check out this week's blog post!

Here's an excerpt:

We have stood up to say "STOP"! We don't like our government tinkering with the Constitution of the United States! We are upset with those who manipulate the election process! We are furious over the blatent voter fraud that occurs during elections! We understand that we need to budget and wish our governments understood "living within your means" as well as we do! We want our children to inherit a country that is not indebted up to its eyeballs! We are paying attention to what is going on in the local County Courthouse, City Hall, State Capitols and in Washington, D.C., we are sharing what we know! We are calling all of the crooked and corrupt politicians out on the carpet!

Sign Wars - A Shame!

A sign war is brewing! We're sure most of you are aware of the miscreants who steal yard signs or deface them during elections, it's shameful and just plain wrong! This year the Waco Tea Party has had numerous complaints about signs being placed on property without the owner(s)' permission or stolen from their yards or property.

One candidate told me about his sign being removed from his wife's grandmother's yard (no, it was not in the right of way, and yes he had permission).

Another candidate had his large campaign signs removed from his own property, only to be replaced by a competitor's the next day! The candidate took pictures of the signs and plans to put them on his website (that ought to be interesting!)

Another candidate told me he is filing police reports when his large signs are stolen.

Property owners have complained about candidates who place signs on their property without permission. Now, why would a candidate do that? Seems to me that's the surest way to lose a vote, not gain one.

Now, we are not talking about signs that were placed in right of ways or without permission, we're talking about signs that were legitimately and legally placed with owner permission.

Here is where YOU come in.... We have held a number of activist training sessions and have encouraged you all to be citizen watch dogs and citizen journalists. If you witness others tampering, stealing or defacing a sign we encourage you to video the culprits and alert the authorities (without a video, they can't really do anything about it).

While speaking with Waco Police, Officer Anderson offered some sage advice "Before you steal a sign, ask yourself if it's worth the risk of giving the opposition ammunition to use against the candidate I support." He also suggests candidates and their volunteers familiarize themselves with the City of Waco's sign ordinance.

We would like to offer the following suggestions to candidates and campaign supporters, volunteers staff and property owners:

Get Permission to Place Signs on Property! Make sure you have the property owner's permission. Even if you have placed signs on that property in previous elections, make sure to contact them again (they may have moved or changed their mind).
Follow Local Sign Rules. Ordinances and Laws!
Don't Block or Obstruct Other Candidate's Signs!
If a candidate or volunteer places a sign on your property and you do not want it there, please contact the candidate's campaign and tell them to come remove it.

Stealing a campaign sign could result in a ticket for trespassing and/or theft. They are also a form of free speech, protected under the first amendment. Please do not infringe on others freedom of speech.

Setting the Record Straight!

Despite our best efforts of informing the media, politicians and the general public, we still get asked about who we are endorsing or supporting in the primary. We've heard the rumors and want to set the record straight:

"The Waco Tea Party, as an organization, does not support or endorse any candidate or political party. We are a principled movement, not a political party, so there are no 'Tea Party Candidates' in Texas.

Anyone claiming to be a 'Tea Party Candidate' must not be affiliated with a political party and/or are quite confused as to what the Tea Party Movement is all about. Anyone accusing someone of being a 'Tea Party Candidate' is misinformed or also quite confused. Claiming that a candidate is a 'Tea Party Candidate' is akin to claiming they are a PTA or NRA Candidate. Candidates who claim that title or our support or endorsement should be challenged on it!

We encourage voters and members to individually support, endorse or volunteer for a candidate or campaign. We also encourage people to be more active in their chosen political party, if they have one.

The Waco Tea Party does not believe we, as an organization, need to endorse or support candidates. Voters who align with our principles are perfectly capable of forming their own opinions and voting accordingly."

We have considered "grading" or giving candidates "tea party approved" status to any candidate who would meet a "tea party standard" but have not made a final decision at this time. We would need to consult with our election attorney and our volunteers before we make any plans or decisions.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask, we hope this clears the air.

"Polatik" Goes National with Tea Party Express!

David "Polatik" Saucedo is creating a storm across the country and will be going to Washinton, D.C. to perform at the Tea Party Express event from Feb. 17th - 21st!

The Waco Tea Party team is very proud of David and would like to ask all of you to pray for him and his young family, that they are continually blessed.

Michael, our webmaster wrote an excellent story about David (the Waco Trib was suppose to run it, but haven't so we gave up and published it ourselves). Read more about David here...

Thank you for supporting the Waco Tea Party!

Sincerely,
The Waco Tea Party TeamToby Marie, Michael, Carol, Becky & Greg

In This Issue

Hob Nob Update!

The Backlash is Coming!

Sign Wars!

The Backlash is Coming!

The political old guard, will they ever "get it" or even understand the tea party movement?

David "Polatik" Saucedo goes National!

David is an inspiration, not just locally, but nationally. He is more than just a "rap song" to many...

Waco Tea Party Quick Links

Email Sign Up

Donate

Facebook Fan Page

Facebook Group
Twitter

Organizations We Like and Promote

American Majority

Americans for Prosperity

Empower Texans

The John Hancock Committee

Sam Adams Alliance

Free Market Foundation

Volunteering for the Waco Tea Party Hob Nob

2010-02-08T19:50:00.002-06:00

Well, we are getting closer to the Hob Nob event and need volunteers! Since the weatherman is calling for snow on Thursday (ahhh global warming)... we thought we'd ask everyone to fill out a volunteer form in case the roads get bad.

So, if you would like to volunteer, please click on the link and fill out the form. Please have this completed by Feb. 15th, we will be making name tags and need to have your information.

Thank you!

To volunteer please fill out this form (you may have to scroll down to hit the submit button). If you can not fill out the form, email us a request for a link at wacoteaparty@wacoteaparty.com. Loading...

Waco Tea Party Blog

School House Rock - Great American Melting Pot (America Rock)

Take Action - A Message from the Tea Party Patriots

Where's Chet?!

Are you Soured On Spending?

Ready to Rally?

Freedom is Color Blind and so is the Waco Tea Party!

Calling All Conservatives! Unity Rally in Waco, Texas!

Waco Tail Party - A dog gone good time!

Tea Party has gone to the "dogs"... and cats in Waco, Texas!

City Hall Information Desk (254) 750-5600City Hall Fax Number (254) 750-5724

Citizens Must Lead McLennan County Commissioners Court in Pledge

Joe the Plumber to speak at AFP's TX Defending the American Dream!

Waco Tea Party June Newsletter

A memo to the McLennan County Commissioners: SAY THE PLEDGE!

Americans For Prosperity "Defending the American Dream Summit" Austin!

Repost! Tips on Contacting Your Congressman!

Uncle Ted tells it like it is... The Tea Party Americans ROCK!

Channel 10 in Waco features Tea Party Movement

Waco Tea Party Thanks YOU!

A backlash is coming, a backlash is coming!

Happy Easter! Now help get the lib trib on track.

If Obama can "Opt Out" we should too!

Paxton: Response to passage of HR 3590

Texas Challenges Federal Health Care Takeover!

Attorney General Abbott Challenges the Constitutionality of Federal Health Care Takeover

Let Freedom Ring, just not a tele-conference call!

SAVE FREE CONFERENCING!

Health Care Count Down!

It's Unconstitutional! End of Story!

"We the People" - An open letter to President Obama

April 15th Tax Day Tea Party - Waco Event

What is to be is up to me... Health Care is up to You America!

Matthew Perdie Update!

Are you a common-sense conservative? Then run for a local office!

I am a tea party leader!

February Updates and Newsletters

Volunteering for the Waco Tea Party Hob Nob

City Hall Information Desk (254) 750-5600
City Hall Fax Number (254) 750-5724