It's hard to believe but the Waco Tea Party turns five in February! Come celebrate with us, enjoy a cupcake and meet a candidate. We invite citizens, elected officials, and all candidates to attend our 5th birthday party with us. Senator Brian Birdwell will be giving the celebratory message to the audience. Thursday, February 20th 6:00 - 9:00 PM West Waco Library 5301 Bosque Blvd (Behind Cotton Patch, next to Target) Waco, Texas Please consider bringing $5 with you to help us pay for activities and events.
The McLennan County Commissioners are considering which, if any, Justice of the Peace and Constable positions should be redistricted. Two public meetings were held, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, where citizens could comment. The Waco Tea Party, Inc. does not have an opinion on which ones should be kept or consolidated, we are not redistricting experts and keeping in compliance with the Voting Rights Act is more complicated than the average person understands. We simply provide you with the information supplied by the Commissioners Court. Each citizen is then better informed and can make up their own minds and weigh in on the issue. If you missed the notice:
"In accordance with the requirements of Article 5, Section 18(a) of the Texas Constitution, the McLennan County Commissioners Court is charged with the responsibility from time to time, for the convenience of the people, to consider the division of the Justice of the Peace and Constable Offices. The Constitution provides that the County shall be divided into not less than four (4) and not more than eight (8) precincts. There are currently eight (8) Justice of the Peace Offices and seven (7) Constable Offices. The Commissioners Court of McLennan County, Texas is considering reducing the number of its Justice of the Peace/Constable Precincts to more effectively and efficiently serve the public. Public hearings will be held before the Commissioners Court for the purpose of receiving community comment upon the potential redistricting of the Justice of the Peace/Constable Precincts."
If you missed the meeting and would like to contact the County Commissioners to voice you opinion or learn more about why and how they will be redistricting the county their contact information is below.
The Waco Tea Party, Inc., as an organization, has not taken a position on the redistricting. We believe in Constitutionally Limited Government, that does not mean "anti-government" or "no government". We expect elected officials to follow the rule of law, and to act inside their bounds of the United States and Texas Constitutions. The County Commissioners are acting within their responsibility, whether you agree with the outcome or not, the process is within their authority and duty. That being said, we also find the amount of information for citizens to make intelligent and informed decisions is almost non existent. If the Commissioners would like people to understand their positions they must better communicate with the public. Fact sheets which should include costs and projected savings, process description, and other pertinent information should be readily available on their website. In an age of increased social media and technology there is no reason why they cannot be more informative. If they were a business and wanted their customers to understand a change or product they would fail miserably. If they want to shove change down citizens throat they shouldn't be surprised when there is blowback. If they really want their constituents to "buy in" to the change they need to learn how to communicate more effectively. Holding precinct meetings where questions could be asked and answered rather than only holding a public hearing for comments would have been more helpful and caused less fear mongering and misinformation to go around the county. The city of Waco has had many meetings for the public on various topics in the past that have been much better received, perhaps the Commissioners could learn a few lessons from them for the future. We also believe in fiscal responsibility, and the county hasn't been as fiscally responsible as they could have been in years past. Hopefully, they will continue to improve upon their budgeting process and try to correct past practices that have caused spending to go up year after year which in turn, causes our taxes to go up too. Cutting the size and scope of government in the county is going to be necessary if we do not want to see bigger and bigger property tax bills in our mailboxes. We also know that it has to be balanced cuts and means reduced services at times. Commissioners are tasked with making decisions that are most effective an in an unemotional, and sensible manner. It means inconveniencing some citizens at times. It is uncomfortable, especially when it means eliminating positions of elected officials and employees that do work hard for the county and its citizens. There have been numerous complaints about "how" and "why" the Commissioners are addressing this issue. While we appreciate citizens frustrations, we must stress that emailing us or calling us will not accomplish as much as you contacting your elected officials, they represent you in these matters. The Waco Tribune Herald has written a story about the redistricting, and being that one of our officers was quoted, we felt it important to give you her complete testimony. Carol Waddell was there as a citizen of West, and not representing the Waco Tea Party, Inc. at the public hearing. Carol was exercising her right to address the Court, and has every right to do so. We encourage everyone to participate in the political process, whether their position is the same as the organization or any one of our officers personal opinions or not, what matters is that citizens are involved in the process. If you have a differing opinion or supporting letter we invite you to submit it to us by email. (We ask that you send the response as a Word document, limit it to 600 words or less, keep it family friendly, and on topic.)
"Good evening, as everyone in this room knows at every level of government we are buried in a sea of debt and if we plan to continue to function as a country, state, and county then there are tough decisions to be made to rein in spending and have more cost effective government. So to that end, I applaud the commissioner’s court for looking for avenues to make those tough decisions and cut costs of county government that is paid by the tax payers. However, there are necessary services that governments are charged with providing to the taxpayers and that we as taxpayers should receive. The problem with the plan you are proposing is that it cuts services to rural taxpayers appears that once again in McLennan County if you don’t live in Waco you get crapped on. Maybe you have done your homework and done a cost/revenue analysis of the county’s justice of peace courts. If you have, why didn't you preface this plan by providing that information to the taxpayers and the communities that would be affected by this plan?
Are these offices in West and Mart truly losing money in the services that they provide to the respective communities? Are there other JP courts in McLennan County that could be consolidated that would save money but not require the affected citizens to have to drive 45 miles to get the services or serve on jury duty? You seem to forget that you are the employees and the taxpayers of this county are in fact your bosses so the burden is on you to show us what is being done inefficiently, what is costing more than the revenue it generates, and then come up with solutions that still offer the services in a reasonable manner to the citizens but in a more cost effective manner. Believe it or not, there are in fact citizens in the rural areas who do not drive to Waco or across the county and or do not have the means to do so. Our JP offices do much more than just hold court and fine people in our communities, they help citizens young and old with a variety of issues and provide valuable services to the taxpayers. So having people get up in a public hearing and accuse citizens of this county of being unpatriotic, greedy or needy doesn't do anything but cause animosity and contention where none should exist.
Except for our JPs and constables, the rural cities of McLennan County rarely see anyone from the county government unless there is a criminal act to be policed by the sheriff dept., a tragedy like the West explosion to deal with, or the presence of federal or state officials to have a photo op with. So to propose cutting services on the heels of raising our taxes is another slap in our faces. The county continues to spend money on things like Waco Chamber of Commerce dues, the Baylor football stadium, and the Economic Development Board, none of which benefits the outlying cities. According to your own CAFR report from 2012, 15.2% of the general fund is for economic development. This increased from $1.15 million in 2011 to $2.295 million in 2012 and is the highest it has been in 10 years. The main problem with that is that you only partnered with the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce and the City of Waco in this endeavor so once again, the rural cities of the county are not being served with the tax dollars we are paying.
I implore you as elected officials to do your homework, obtain some accurate cost/revenue analysis, and then come up with a common sense solution to our budget woes that doesn't negatively affect tax payers and put unnecessary burdens on them."
FreedomWorks has launched a new program to challenge the efforts of Battleground Texas called "Come & Take It". On Friday we held our first meeting, and to be honest we thought we would only get about a half dozen people, but were pleasantly surprised by the 35-40 who took the time to attend. We know a lot of our supporters work during the day, so we will hold another meeting soon for those that missed it.
Most Texans understand the meaning of the phrase "Come & Take It", it is uniquely Texan and it is more than a phrase, it's an attitude. With so many people moving to our great state we found that a few of our newer supporters were confused by the phrase. Let us explain: No, it does not mean we want someone to take Texas, it means we challenge them to try to take it.
Battleground Texas is a democratic operational plan to turn Texas purple then blue, and they have been fairly active in the Waco area for a few months now. They are registering voters, holding meetings, passing out information about immigration (yes, they seem to want amnesty for all), and keeping the ACA (Obamacare). The Come & Take It initiative is being driven by the grassroots of the conservative movement; tea party, 912, liberty groups, and others. They have enlisted grassroots leaders from around the state to volunteer their time and efforts to the program. We aren't paid, however it is rewarding to see so many people get more involved in the political process and at the same time keep Texas values and ideals!
If you would like to sign up, visit: http://comeandtakeit.fwsites.org/ for more information. We promise not to spam you or add you to third party lists.
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.
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:
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."
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.
Last February the Tea Party Movement was born after the rant by Rick Santelli on CNBC a group of Americans decided to take action. Eleven months later, some of our politicians and many leaders in the Democrat and Republican parties still just don't "get" it.
Tea Party "Folks" are moms, dads, students, retired citizens, friends, neighbors, doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, home schoolers, soccer moms, business owners, pastors, priests, nuns, celebrities, waitresses, bartenders, cab drivers, construction workers and other regular, every day people. We are "celebrities" and in the media, even though we can't openly admit it. We are white, black, Hispanic, and many other ethnicities. We are young, old, and in between. We are the middle class, the rich and the poor. We are Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians and Independents. We are Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, Jewish and other denominations and we are sitting in church next to you. We are in the Rotary, the Lions Club, the Jr. League, the Masons, the Knights of Columbus, the Boy Scouts, the Girls Scouts, and other civic groups. We are policemen, firemen, and in the military, even though we can't publicly support or participate. We work with you, socialize with you, worship with you, and are friends of yours or family members. We are a cross section of Americans and we just want to be heard.
We are not wing nuts, extremists, racists, terrorists, or any of the other nasty names that we've been called in the media. We are Americans, who are often in exile of our political parties because we won't "go along to get along" with their agendas. We are disenfranchised voters, we are ticked off tax payers, we are angry with the most of the main stream media, we are sick of the "good ol' boy" system, the cronyism that runs amok and the OCB's!
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!
Many Americans are still upset with Republican Politicians and many Republican leaders, mostly due to the lack of real leadership and the lack of action to fight the progressive move towards socialism. Conservative Americans expected the Democrats to do what they have been doing for years, but they sure didn't expect it out of the Republicans. And most of us expected the Republicans to at least show up at the fight! If the Republican leadership, politicians or candidates expect America to just run to them in 2010 they better give us something to run to, or they will feel the backlash.
The Democrats have name called, dismissed, ignored and often times out right lied to Americans about their agendas and plans. Campaign promises broken, lack of respect for their constituents, and a full frontal assault on our Constitution have the "Silent Majority" screaming in the streets. From our President down to local politicians, the lack of understanding and outright disdain for Americans is apparent. Most are still meeting behind closed doors, making back room deals, ignoring the masses, and moving our great nation closer and closer to socialism or corporatism, which is a much more dangerous system. If the Democrats do not return to their roots and throw off the mantle of socialism, a backlash is coming.
As we approach our one year birthday, we've seen small steps being made by some leadership in the political world, but they are small ones. We hope this year a better understanding of the "Tea Party Folks" is sought after by party leadership, from local to national.
In the end, the "Tea Party Folks" are Americans and we vote. If we are not heard on the streets, we'll be heard in the voting booths. One thing is clear, if those in power seats do not "get" it soon, a backlash is coming!
No, not a violent revolution, a peaceful one. Watch the Judge and decide if you are willing to help Texas nullify the laws that Congress is trying to shove down our throats.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Informed * Involved * Active
Weekly Newsletter
Dear Waco Tea Party Member,
We would like to welcome the new subscribers to our email list! The Waco Tea Party is still growing and going strong, thanks to each of you. If you have missed meetings lately you will find this newsletter helpful in catching up on the events of the Waco Tea Party.
We want to encourage all of you to be informed, involved and active in the political realm. If you know of someone who is not "politically" aware, here is a thought you can share with them:
"While most of us do not necessarily enjoy politics, we can agree that being uninformed or involved is dangerous to our country. You don't have to participate in protests, but you can participate in so many other ways! You may not be paying attention to politics or politicians, but make no mistake about it, they ARE paying attention to you."
Informed, Involved & Active is Easy!
INFORMED - Pick an area that interests you, for example the Cap & Trade bill. Educate and arm yourself with the facts so that you can speak intelligently to others about it.
INVOLVED - Use the knowledge you have by sharing it with your friends, family and associates. Educate those around you, knowledge is power.
ACTIVE - Call, write, fax, email and visit your elected representatives about what you have learned and share your concerns and opinions.
If you need assistance in any area, please let us know. If we don't have the answer we can point you in the right direction.
We hope you learn something from each of our emails. If you have an item that you would like to include in our newsletter please send it to us at wacoteaparty@wacoteaparty.com.
Meet & Greets!
MEET & GREET THIS EVENING WITH CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE CHUCK WILSON WILL BEGIN AT 7:00 PM AT THE WACO HILTON. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17th
The Waco Tea Party has begun to schedule Meet & Greets with local candidates running for office. If you know of a candidate, or are a candidate, that would like to schedule a Meet & Greet with the Waco Tea Party please contact Mike at mikehoover.texastea@gmail.com.
Meet & Greets are for members and guests of the Waco Tea Party and the Candidate (and their guests). We are simply providing an opportunity for voters to speak with candidates in a relaxed atmosphere. We encourage voters to be informed and involved before they take action at the polls.
The Guidelines:
Scheduling a Meet & Greet DOES NOT mean the Waco Tea Party is endorsing or supporting the candidate. We DO NOT support, endorse, fundraise or give "Tea Party Candidate" status to anyone running for office.
Meet & Greets may be scheduled with Candidates from all political parties or independents.
Meet & Greets will be scheduled only with Candidates who may be on the ballot in McLennan County for any elected office.
Until after the March Primaries we are only scheduling Meet & Greets with Candidates in contested primaries of either party.
* If you would like to attend a Meet & Greet, we simply ask that you RSVP to wacoteaparty@wacoteaparty.com. We request that the candidates are treated as a guest in your home would be treated.
** The Waco Tea Party website has a new page we will be using for an online voting guide. Click here or copy and past the link into your browser: http://www.wacoteaparty.com/LocalCandidates.html
This is a work in progress, please contribute any information you may have or noticed we have missed. If a candidate does not have a website we can put a link to a Facebook page or include an email and/or phone numbers to contact them.
American Majority Training
Don't forget the American Majority Training this Saturday, Nov. 21st from 10:45-3:00. The training is excellent and is only $20.00 with lunch provided. If you are in need of a sponsor or scholarship please let us know quickly (we have a limited number available). For more information visit http://www.americanmajority.org/news-and-views/news/503-activist-training-in-waco-tx-november-21
A special message from Andrew Kerr of American Majority:
With the filing deadline for school board and city council candidates in Texas rapidly approaching in February 2010, American Majority Texas is challenging traditional grassroots conservatives to run for school board or city council in their local community.
National change truly begins at the local level. Which is why it is extremely important for everyday conservatives to become active at the local and municipal levels of government. There are 40,000 municipalities in the United States and 15,000 school districts. Members of those city councils and school boards oversee and spend millions of the American taxpayers' 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.
Our local government is the level of government we as citizens have the closest contact with and should have the most direct control over. Oftentimes, however, local governments are paid the least amount of attention by voters, are the least transparent, and the least fiscally responsible.Our funding at the local levels and in school districts continues to increase and yet government waste is at an all time high and we continue to see test scores drop.
Evidently, real change is needed. What we need is more people dedicated to seeing the system work, and American Majority is ready to help get those dedicated people elected.
If you are interested to learn how to run for local office in order to bring a common-sense conservative voice to your local government, please contact Andrew at American Majority Texas:akerr@americanmajority.org or by phone at 512-771-2355.
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Perdie Across America!
We recently became aware of a young man who is walking across America to bring awareness to dangers of massive government spending and the alarming growth of the federal government. Matthew Perdie began his trek in New York and will end up in California. If you are not familiar with Matt's story, please visit his website at http://perdie.com/index.html
Matthew will be walking across Texas soon. Keep an eye out for Matt, if you see him, say hi and offer a few dollars to keep the journey going. You may want to say a prayer for Matt, we're sure his family worries about him walking alone. Good Luck Matt!
And lastly, a couple of "house keeping items" and announcements:
The Waco Tea Party Logo Contest is still underway!
We didn't forget about it, we just didn't realize we needed to have all submissions sent to us in jpeg format (and that the image needs to be a graphic for printing needs). We will be sending out more specific details soon. If you or someone you know is a graphic designer who would like to donate their time and talents, please contact us at wacoteaparty@wacoteaparty.com.
The Waco Tea Party Name Contest is closed.
We will be posting the nominations via a survey soon, once posted you will each be allowed one vote. Voting will last 30 days.
The Waco Tea Party Phone Tree list is growing.
We had a lot of response to be included, so please bear with us. If you would like to be on our phone tree, or know of someone who does, please send us an email with your details. The Waco Tea Party will never sell or share your information with another organization. We will treat your information with the highest regard to privacy and will only give your phone number to very carefully selected Phone Tree Captains. The only people with a "full" list are the Waco Tea Party President, Secretary and Treasurer. Phone Tree Captains will only have 10-15 names each. Please report any abuse of the system to the Waco Tea Party Board Members immediately.
Volunteers Needed for the Primary Fair in February! We need a few good men & women to volunteer for a variety of duties at the Primary Fair. We'll send out more information soon, in the mean time, please review the needs list to help out.
Hosts & Hostesses - Greet visitors at the door, show candidates to their tables, sign up visitors for email, etc...
Refreshment Stations - Snacks and Beverages
T-Shirt & Merchandise Stations - Take donations for items
Voter Registration Station - We have a few people who can register citizens to vote, but not enough. If you can assist, and are willing to become certified let us know.
Decorations - Set Up & Clean Up- Muscle and those with a decorating flair are needed.
Misc. - We'll probably have other areas we will need help in, such as handing out programs, fliers, etc...
As always, THANK YOU for your support and participation.
Sincerely,
The Waco Tea Party Team
Toby Marie, Michael, Carol, Becky, Greg, Mike, Randy, Lisa & David
"We want the Waco City Council to kno
w that the citizens are paying attention. Come to the meeting to show we are watching. It is held at the Bosque Theater in the Waco Convention Center. The agenda for the meeting has already been posted here.
The best parking is available is the lot on the corner of Washington and 3rd at the back of the convention center. The Bosque Theater is just inside the entrance beside City Hall."
Health Care Opinion
Congress recently passed a massive health care bill in the House. Now, we have to rely upon the Senate to reign in this out of control spending and taxation in the guise of health care reform. Below is a message from one of our own, Carol, who is a board member and also works in the health care industry.
"As healthcare providers, we are expected to do diagnostic testing with the newest, state of the art technology, in the quickest manner possible, with highly qualified and trained personnel, all for increasingly lower reimbursements from Medicare and private insurance companies. The costs of operating these businesses continue to soar (ie: rent, taxes, utilities, supplies, equipment, liability insurance, etc) but the dollars we are paid for doing procedures continues to decrease. Many independent, free-standing outpatient facilities are going out of business and others are hanging on by a thread. With the uncertain state of what the future holds for the entire industry, almost all personnel hiring, ordering of new equipment, and expansion of existing practices has come to a screeching halt."
Racism In America
A recent article in the Waco Tribune has many of the tea party members and leaders infuriated. Here is a blurb of the rebuttal. Click hereto read the entire message.
It appears that racism is still strong in America. I say that with a heavy heart. My father, his father and generations past saw America repent for her racial transgressions of past decades and centuries. Thank God those times are far behind us. We can move on now, right?
Just this past Sunday, in reaction to criticisms of President Obama, Alice Pollard characterized the "Tea Party crowd" as "leftover losers from the election who cannot accept that a black man is president of the United States."
Her racially charged message asserted that tea partiers "might have shed the white sheets, but we know what they mean." Her message not only offends the memory of those who worked hard to overcome racial barriers, but it clearly shows a lack of regard for bringing down those very walls within the heart of her own community.
As the Healthcare debate rages on in Washington DC and across the country, I think Americans need to know the strain this is already putting on the industry and the potential problems it could lead to for patients. I have worked as a nuclear medicine technologist for 27 years and have been a regional director at hospitals and out patient imaging centers in central Texas and the Metroplex for the past 7 years. I have never seen this entire industry in such a state of turmoil and uncertainty as it is right now.
As healthcare providers, we are expected to do diagnostic testing with the newest, state of the art technology, in the quickest manner possible, with highly qualified and trained personnel, all for increasingly lower reimbursements from Medicare and private insurance companies. The costs of operating these businesses continue to soar (ie: rent, taxes, utilities, supplies, equipment, liability insurance, etc) but the dollars we are paid for doing procedures continues to decrease. Many independent, free-standing outpatient facilities are going out of business and others are hanging on by a thread. With the uncertain state of what the future holds for the entire industry, almost all personnel hiring, ordering of new equipment, and expansion of existing practices has come to a screeching halt.
This has started a domino effect that is reaching into other support industries. For instance, equipment salesmen are being laid off because no one is buying new equipment. Technologists positions are being cut or openings left unfilled because no one knows what the future holds. The insurance industry operates on a 3-4% profit margin and the changes that Congress is proposing to force on them will put many of them out of business as well, leading to unemployment for their employees too.
President Obama and the leaders of Congress can argue all they want that their plans won’t lead to rationing of care but common sense should tell anyone that if current providers of healthcare go out of business or if they have to curtail their services then it will lead to delays in patients getting services. This is all coming about at the time the baby boomers are reaching an age of needing more healthcare services and the number of young people becoming doctors is decreasing.
The American healthcare system is the most innovative, life saving, and life changing of in the entire world. Unfortunately we have all the ingredients in place for a “perfect storm” to descend upon our healthcare industry and wreak havoc upon what has been the envy of the world. Government takeover or increased involvement in our healthcare system is not the solution and will most likely make a bad situation irreversibly worst.
In response to a recent article in the Waco Tribune by guest columnist, Ms. Alice Pollard, the following article was submitted by our webmaster, Michael Simon:
The Waco Tea Party and tea parties across this country seek freedom and prosperity for all Americans. The best way to secure freedom and prosperity is to remove the barriers of big government regulations and controls, escalated government spending and onerous taxation. The human race, as a whole, yearns for freedom and prosperity. It is a universal principle that our forefathers understood as being “endowed by our Creator.” It is sad that some find it necessary to interject ghosts of America’s past in an effort to dilute the vital debates regarding America’s future. It appears that racism is still strong in America. I say that with a heavy heart. My father, his father and generations past saw America repent for her racial transgressions of past decades and centuries. Thank God those times are far behind us. We can move on now, right? Just this past Sunday, in reaction to criticisms of President Obama, Alice Pollard characterized the “Tea Party crowd” as “leftover losers from the election who cannot accept that a black man is president of the United States.” Her racially charged message asserted that tea partiers “might have shed the white sheets, but we know what they mean.” Her message not only offends the memory of those who worked hard to overcome racial barriers, but it clearly shows a lack of regard for bringing down those very walls within the heart of her own community. Ms. Pollard expressed sadness that U.S. Representative Chet Edwards was “shown disrespect” at his town hall events. But how could that be? Congressman Edwards is not a minority. How could a white man bear the brunt of a racial attack? Could it be that this is not a racial issue at all? Could it be that we are in the midst of an ideological struggle between the conservative ideals of a constitutionally limited government and the forces of government harboring power by enabling an entitlement society and spending the nation’s wealth into massive debt? Thomas Sowell was right when he wrote, “Almost never do these reactions include factual or logical arguments against the administration's critics. Instead, there is indignation, accusations of bad faith and even charges of racism.”
Yes, racism still exists in America, but only in the minds of those still willing to play the victim. Its accusations only serve to deflect from the discussion of real ideas that focus on the future of freedom and prosperity in America. Ms. Pollard suggests that there is “no excuse for rudeness and disrespect, especially toward the revered office of the president.” Where were those ideals when President Bush was being burned in effigy and depicted as Hitler by many who opposed him? It’s shameful that any president is depicted that way, but no president is above the fray of criticism. This country is in a sore spot economically. The unemployment line is growing longer by the day, the dollar continues to drop, the debt continues to mount, and we’re faced head on with continuous bouts against a government ever pursuant of growing its bounds of governing while costing this nation dozens of trillions of dollars. This happened under President Bush, and it has continued to get worse under President Obama so far. These are real issues facing real Americans every single day. President Obama is the president, and the buck stops at his desk. It is time to focus on real, affordable solutions for America can that will lead to the greatest freedom and prosperity that this nation has ever seen for all Americans. The American forefathers understood that “all men are created equal.” Freedom means all things for all people. To the founders of America it meant opening up America to be a melting pot of cultures from across this globe. It meant being a beacon of hope for the world’s oppressed and downtrodden. It was intended to be a place were anyone -- regardless of race, creed, sex, or whatever special people group you can imagine -- could achieve the goals that would enrich their lives and the lives of the people around them. It meant creating an American government limited in scope to allow absolute freedom for the people the government served. The United States Constitution did just that. The original intent of the Constitution was to limit the federal government within the bounds of its timeless words penned in ink and sealed with the blood, sweat and toil of a generation that rose from the ashes of tyranny and gave us freedom.
Today’s generation is witness to an American government that has vastly outgrown its just bounds. We are witness to unrestrained debt in the dozens of trillions. The American people and American businesses are being forced into regulations and limitations placed down upon us by the hand of big government. This is not freedom. Alexander Hamilton, in Federalist 33, gave future Americans this charge, “If the federal government should overpass the just bounds of its authority and make a tyrannical use of its powers, the people, whose creature it is, must appeal to the standard they have formed, and take such measures to redress the injury done to the Constitution as the exigency may suggest and prudence justify.” That is exactly what Tea Parties are doing. We are using our Constitutional freedoms to stand up and say “Stop!” Enough is enough. American cannot sustain her debt. It’s time we scale back, and do it quickly, or the America we love will enslave us all to a mountain of debt that will restrain us all from prospering.
Like it or not, this is Barack Obama’s economy. This is his presidency, and the buck stops at his desk. President Obama strongly pushed for the stimulus package claiming it would stop unemployment from rising past 8%. We are now at 10.2% and that number shows no immediate signs of dwindling. Post stimulus, his promise to the American people has been broken. This current recession is not racist. It does not discriminate. It is affecting all Americans. We are desperate to find jobs as they continue to disappear. We are worried about our economic future as congress and the president continue to advocate erratic spending and even more government programs. We are weary of a Federal Reserve that, according to the Federal Reserve in St. Louis, has increased America’s dollar supply by nearly 120%. Our money is quickly become worth less than the paper it’s printed on. While the American people are on the ground struggling, the president and congress continue to seek new federal programs that will further tap our struggling businesses and citizens for even more of their hard-earned money. American freedom cannot survive at this pace. The uprising of American citizens is not about a president, much less his skin color. Those that make that ridiculous claim are just as blinded by race as the bigots that adorned white sheets Ms. Pollard referred to. This is about his policies and the warped direction they seem to be taking this country. For generations, Americans have sat silent. They have complied with the onerous regulations in hope of trying to overcome and succeed. Today, the hope for personal success has been squashed as we have created an entire country that has become enslaved to debt. People continue to lose their jobs. Over 120 banks have closed their doors. Lenders are hoarding cash instead of issuing loans. The American dollar continues its downward slide against the Euro and the Yen. President Obama has presided over a record $1.4 Trillion deficit since taking office. That’s more than George W. Bush amassed in his 8 years. The promised improvements to America’s foundation have yet to come to fruition. In many ways, Our economic situation is more bleak today than it was in February when the stimulus package passed.
How is any of this good for America? How is any of this good for future generations of Americans?Silence is consent. We cannot afford to remain silent in the face of unrestrained government spending. We must stand up together, and keep standing, in order to preserve freedom and return this country to its constitutional roots.
