Conservative Tea Parties

[neo11]

Like going around NY and destroying shipments of non-diet sodas.

Didn't the proposed NYS soda tax get dropped?  I know there's now a similar proposal in NYC (what a surprise), but as of now it's just a proposal and nothing more.

[essen]

I'm not sure of the status of it at this point, but that was just an example.

[TRX]

http://www.flickr.com/groups/teaparties/

I am glad for a number who have shared pix.


http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2009/04/tp_rt_--_city_h.php

Interesting coverage to me. * Note link might not be safe for all readers.
I imagine one was joking in estimating a NY crowd of 20 000. 2k seems closer to reality.
As is often the case, the police were out in force.
It did make me happy to see more families, mothers, fathers, kids than I expected.


http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0418/p25s03-usgn.html

on democracy


And a commentary.  http://rossdouthat.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/04/the_tea_parties.php
Caution, take projections with heaps of salt.

[FZ]

I have heard rumors that Conservatives are sending Tea bags to President Obama and joining teabag parties.

Before any Conservative here does ....Please Google teabagging. And learn what it actually means. I just want you to be saved from being embarrassed.

I think alot of people, not just conservatives, are grossed  out at the 'teabagging' the rallies got  from the  democrat party media, which pretty much is the entire  media except for FOX and five guys on radio.

[TRX]

Not sure how helpful this is, but good to know that if Congress is careless with debt, at least a few wish to pay it down.
 / a drink of the ocean ///


http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/11/news/economy/national_debt/

There are two ways to give. One is to send a check directly to the Bureau of Public Debt, an agency within the Treasury Department. The address:

Attn: Dept G, Bureau of the Public Debt,
P.O. Box 2188, Parkersburg, WV 26106-2188.

The other is to include a check -- separate from any tax payment you make - with your federal income tax return.

Hate writing checks? You soon may be able to donate online. "We are going to make it very easy in the future to make gifts to reduce the public debt through PayPal on a regular basis," Braden said.

[TRX]

http://www.concordcoalition.org/issue-briefs/2010/0125/debt-limit-increase-offers-opportunity-enact-positive-reforms

Before leaving town in December, Congress raised the statutory debt limit by $290 billion to $12.39 trillion. This was a short-term patch that will only provide enough borrowing authority to last until mid-February. Congress must, therefore, address the issue again as one of its first actions in 2010.

Debt limit votes are normally an exercise in political theater. They provide an opportunity to exchange predictable partisan sound bites on fiscal policy differences but the outcome is inevitable -- the limit must be increased to avoid a default on the nation’s debt. 

<>

Three such measures will likely be voted on in the Senate this week. An amendment, offered by Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Ranking Member Judd Gregg (R-NH), would establish a task force to make recommendations for fiscal sustainability. Another amendment, offered by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), would enact statutory pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) rules for entitlement expansions and tax cuts. A third measure offered by Senators Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO), would establish statutory caps on discretionary spending (appropriations).

The Concord Coalition has long supported spending caps, statutory PAYGO and a deficit reduction task force or commission. This combination provides the best chance of improving our unsustainable fiscal outlook. Comprehensive budget reform requires all three measures because they address separate problems.

:mrgreen:


The Nov elections will have choices for Senate and House.
Currently Congress must raise the US debt limits and it appears it will have increases of at least a TRILLION each year going from 12 to a limit near 17 T in the coming years.

The whole national gdp is currently showing 14 Trillion. At what point might we see the national debt greater than our whole annual output?
How longer still until any real cuts? Few of either party appear to take the economics seriously.

 :x    

At some point, the US should bring spending down to less than 20% of gdp.

[Sweeper]

What the hell are they thinking?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/us/politics/02budget.html?hp

[TRX]

What the hell are they thinking?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/us/politics/02budget.html?

Says a good deal about increased and projected federal spending.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-01/obama-keeps-fannie-freddie-off-u-s-budget-counts-dividends.html

And another shoe:

White House budget director Peter Orszag delayed a decision on whether to bring the companies’
$1.6 trillion in corporate debt and $4.7 trillion mortgage obligations onto the federal budget. As the director of the Congressional Budget Office, Orszag criticized the Bush administration for keeping Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s 2008 rescue off budget.

At the time, Orszag said “the degree of federal control over Fannie and Freddie is so strong, we are incorporating them into the federal budget.”

Obama’s budget plan classifies the GSEs as “non-budgetary” items and excludes from being counted as federal liabilities because “they are privately owned and controlled.” The administration counts $110.6 billion in taxpayer support already paid to the companies and $225 billion in GSE mortgage bonds purchased by the Treasury.

 :-o

[TRX]

It would be more funny, if the issues and consequences were not so very serious.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/04/nyregion/04bonus.html?ref=nyregion

The banks are “paying in stock, and they’re deferring income,” said Kathryn S. Wylde, chief executive of the Partnership for New York City, whose members include the biggest banks. “They’re making up all sorts of ways to keep talent, none of which are as good for the city and state. The pressure to hold back cash payments to New York taxpayers just means other taxpayers are going to end up paying the bill.”

..

By April, the state should collect about half the taxes on Wall Street pay that did not materialize in January, Mr. Megna said. The rest may not arrive for another year or two, if ever, he said.

:roll:

Ok, take a breath, and see where the state is in a month or two. Business is making adjustments. Govt may not be so nimble, but will need to make critical adjustments as well.

[TRX]

Via the Fix, a curious poll:

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100207/NEWS/100206011

I wonder if the majority should give consideration to the number of TEA sympathizers in their party and who voted for some of their candidates.



45% of responders do not support TEA
22% Dont know



49% Indie
34% GOP
17% Dem

And the response as a whole appears more concerned with federal spending than local spending.
The electorate as a whole seems to want a coin toss whether to keep incumbents.
 :|

[TRX]

I love tea parties, especially when there is earl grey.
I think Tea Party efforts are only an aspect of independents.

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2010/02/assemblys-independents-day.html

I would think special attention would go to Congressional districts that changed party recently.


Then in more liberal interests:

http://www.rebootny.org/content/about-reboot-ny

[If successful with the Senate, try the Assembly next]

Why we need to RebootNY

Years ago, the Brennan Center for Justice tagged the NYS legislature as the nation's most dysfunctional. They cited many reasons but mainly the cause was due to decades of one party rule in the Senate and the Assembly. But this dysfunction had gone ignored by the public because of insider power plays, apathy on the part of the media, and the fact that every ten years, each body would redistrict itself to insure they stayed in power. In short, the Senators picked their voters instead of the other way around.

How effective were they in keeping their power?
 Statistically, more Senators have left office through criminal indictment or death than being voted out.

[Cant really fault officials for dying while in office. Happy to see when one returns to private life in reasonable time.]

[kempsternyc]

Hey TRX. A question.

Do you think teabaggers, as a rule, are conservative or libertarian?

Thanks

[TRX]

Hey TRX. A question.

Yogi Berra should be able to answer this question. Yes?

I prefer to say TEApartiers. Personally, I enjoy the phrase Teapauliers.
But I understand how why others refer to the efforts.
Honestly, mine is only an opinion and I dont know the 'rules'. I am biased by my views and known activists.

On occasion, I have been asked if I am Right libertarian or Left libertarian, and for many years, I did not understand the question as I do now.

Seriously, I think many or most TEA activists are conservative, libertarian or both.
I think it is a bit like asking if Dems are liberal or moderate or like govt spending.

I wonder if Tea party activists are more concerned with border and immigration issues than I would hope. I understand many are religious and protestant, but I dont know their views on church & state.
I find it interesting that a good number would have adopted Senator Brown of MA.

There are tensions I think in most political groupings. I realize there are many republicans, some quite conservative, who wish to rally Tea activists. If I guess who is supported I would include Dr Paul, Sarah Palin, Dick Armey, and a number of others. I would hope better candidates could also be found.
If you may want to know more, I would PM to you.

Interstingly to me, Huckabee said he would skip CPAC (Conservative group) because it was leaning too libertarian. Their top 2 preferences this year were Dr Paul and Mitt Romney. I think many of them still wish for a rallying candidate. Though, I think pure ideology would make it difficult to find a rallying candidate.


For fun:
http://www.lp.org/poll/


Feb 23, 2010
Which expensive government project do you support the most?

The trillion-dollar wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

9% (73 votes)

The War on Drugs

2% (18 votes)

Building border fences

22% (192 votes)

Social Security and Medicare

21% (177 votes)

None of the above. Cut spending on all of them.

46% (396 votes)


http://www.lp.org/news/press-releases/libertarians-criticize-cpac-conservatives

It's interesting that conservatives only notice "big government" when it's something their political enemies want. When conservatives want it, apparently it doesn't count.


If a conservative wants a trillion-dollar foreign war, that doesn't count.
If a conservative wants a 700-billion-dollar bank bailout, that doesn't count.
If a conservative wants to spend billions fighting a needless and destructive War on Drugs, that doesn't count.
If a conservative wants to spend billions building border fences, that doesn't count.
If a conservative wants to "protect" the huge, unjust, and terribly inefficient Social Security and Medicare programs, that doesn't count.
If a conservative wants billions in farm subsidies, that doesn't count.
It's truly amazing how many things "don't count."

...

Ronald Reagan, often praised as an icon of conservatism, signed massive spending bills that made his the biggest-spending administration (as a percentage of GDP) since World War II.

I applaud that release and wonder how it would play with a number of big donors to the LP.

[FZ]

Well, if you can believe it, I've just lost a 20-year friendship over this.  For one thing, she's damned sure the country and Obama is swept up in some secretive Socialist agenda.  The Tea party crap was the last straw;  I wasn't going to tolerate Republican talking points that make Barack out to be the second coming of Ming the Merciless.

Wow, Do you have her number? :-) Seriously, if I stopped  my aquaintances  or even freindships over politics, I'd have left NYC 20 years  ago since my views are to the right of former Mayor Guiliani.  There  is  no question that President Obama was  raised  up around far left views, although, I don't think he is one, he does allow  way too much influence. The Tea party... 'Cr@p' .. is really  mainstream 'cr@p' and it's really quite tame compared  to what was said about former President Bush or the late, great Reagan. We must be tolerant of dissent, after all, it's patriotic, right?

[TRX]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/11/AR2010041103323.html

Income taxes in the United States date back to 1861 as a way to help pay for the Civil War. Many Americans didn't like it though, and it was later repealed, or taken back.

 In 1913 Congress ratified the 16th Amendment, which is why your parents pay income tax today. April 15 has been tax day since 1955.

It is April and Caesar calls. A reminder to ask are you taxed enough? On one hand, there are reports than nearly half of the population has no income taxes to pay. Though I imagine they may have paid quite a few taxes still. For some others, 4 months out of the year is needed to satisfy govt. takings. I wish tax freedom for all were very early in the year.

“ Palin urges less government, lower taxes at Boston Common Tea Party rally “

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/right-now/


The link writer is covering small govt efforts. His is a voice that I like to check occasionally. He voted for Dr. Paul when on the ballot. In Nov 2008, he did not have a better ballot choice than Obama-Biden.

Interestingly, he sees much member overlap from the religious right and some TEA party efforts. I want to be careful when handed a cup of tea. My preference is for the elimination of govt. that is involuntary and maximize more what is voluntary, meaning usually the private sector or not-for-profits. Leave the social admonishments for the churches.

I appreciate a few GOP who are candid in saying they were part of the problem. Bush came to office with the public debt around 6 Trillion. He left with it nearly 10. If you are not voting for reduced spending, higher taxes down the line can be expected. Each generation should settle debts.   
My hope for a change to balanced budgets and reduced spending remains, and EVERY part of the budget should be examined.


http://stossel.blogs.foxbusiness.com/2010/04/09/what-am-i/

http://www.creators.com/opinion/john-stossel/what-am-i.html

What am I?

By contrast, libertarians want government to leave people alone — in both the economic and personal spheres. Leave us free to pursue our hopes and dreams, as long as we don't hurt anybody else.
Ironically, that used to be called "liberal," which has the same root as "liberty." Several hundred years ago, liberalism was a reaction against the stifling rules imposed by aristocracy and established religion.