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Richmond Tea Party

You Didn't Really Think They Were Going To Play Fair Did You?

Outrage!… After Demanding Refund From City, Richmond Tea Party Gets Letter – “You’re Being Audited”

In late October the Richmond Tea Party sent a letter to city officials demanding a refund for the $10,000 the group spent on permits, portable toilets, police presence and emergency personnel for three rallies held at same plaza where the Occupy Richmond squatters set up their camp. Now the tea party is being audited.
Right Side News reported:

"Two weeks after the Richmond Tea Party delivered an invoice to Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones for costs incurred for previous rallies; we received a letter from the City of Richmond formally stating that the city is auditing our Tea Party.

Coincidence? This audit is an obvious attempt to intimidate and harass us for standing up against the unfair treatment and discrimination against our Tea Party.
As reported on the front page of the Richmond Times Dispatch, the Richmond Tea Party delivered an invoice for charges incurred in our previous three Tax Day rallies at Kanawha Plaza because Mayor Jones chose to allow Occupy Richmond protesters to convene in the same park for two weeks.

The Mayor not only allowed the Occupiers to break the law, but he visited them in the city-owned park. “Jones said that as a ‘child of civil rights’ and protests, he had allowed the group to remain in the park but understands his mayoral responsibility to uphold laws of the city,” reported the Richmond Times Dispatch"

Read the rest at Gateway Pundit and if you look at the right side of that image, about half-way up, that would be your humble servant, Moi.

Richmond Tea Party Henrico Town Hall

Update: Link added to Executive Order 13489 which may seal President Obama's records. Possibly, though, it only seals current Presidential records. This order, does add to suspicions as the President refuses to explain his motives.

The Richmond Tea Party Patriots hosted a town hall meeting last night in Henrico at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College on Parham Road.

Approximately 100 people were on hand to ask questions of their representatives. Five Republicans and two Democrats were there to answer those questions and to meet their constituents. Senators Donald McEachin, John Watkins, Walter Stosch, and Delegates Joe Morrissey, Riley Ingram, John O'Bannon, and James Massie responded to the invitation to appear.

The moderator, Joe Guarino, opened the meeting with a prayer and the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. He was gratified that so many people were there and spoke about the value of citizen activism. The recent surge of citizen involvement in politics was beneficial because input from the citizenry pushed the Legislature to pass bills such as the Virginia Health Care Freedom Act. That act, Att. General Cuccinelli told him, gave greater standing to Virginia in the suit to fight ObamaCare.

Each representative was given a few minutes to speak and to answer the question, "Why did you come to the meeting?" Later, they were asked questions from the Tea Party and from members of the audience, which were written down and handed to the moderator before commencement.

Part ONE: (To any of the representatives that read this, if I misrepresent any position, please contact me.)

Senator McEachin: Did not get into detail about future plans. (Or I missed them.)
He debated whether or not to actually come. His invitation was at short notice and his experience with the public image of the Tea Party predisposed him to not attend. He did not think that there would be anyone other than Republicans in attendance. However, he felt it was his duty to attend because, wherever one of his constituents might be, he should be there. It was an opportunity to meet his constituents. (In later comments, he did mention, paraphrased, that the reality of the Tea Party crowd did not meet his preconceptions.)

Senator Watkins: Will concentrate on budget matters to prevent overspending, like other states have done. Virginia is in great shape in relation to other states of the union.
He came to the meeting because citizens made the effort to actually organize, get involved, and set up the meeting. He "doesn't care what you call yourself, if you are a constituent and have an opinion, and make an effort to come, I want to hear it."

Senator Stosch: He agreed with Sen. Watkins. "If you want to have a meeting, I want to hear from those constituents." He identified with the Tea Party motivations, saying that he, too, is dissatisfied with "what is going on in DC."

Delegate Morrissey: Stated that he actually agreed with many of the stands put forth by his fellow representatives, though he was a Democrat. Considered himself a fiscal conservative. He showed up because, "I was invited." He got a good laugh by describing the shape and location of his district, calling it a "truly gerrymandered district" and called for non-partisan designed districts. Stated that he realizes that not all of the Tea Party are Republicans and that he will go anywhere to speak or to listen to constituents. One of his upcoming projects will be to introduce a bill to tax plastic grocery bags to reduce their use. (I remember when those things were introduced as the savior of the forests. It was a "green" idea.)

Delegate Ingram: Spoke about his district reaching from the inner city to the rural farmlands. Every year he sends out a survey to find out his constituents concerns. Stated that illegal immigration and its concurrent problems were one of the top concerns by a large margin.

Delegate O'Bannon: He came because we called a town meeting. He finds the Tea Party to be "refreshing. As a doctor, he keeps a close eye on any health care legislation. He spoke also about how the activism of the Tea Party helped him get a bill passed calling for a "Don't Tread On Me" license plate. He feels that the Gadsden Flag is very appropriate today.
"Virginia is in good shape." He will push to keep the state as a competitive state by keeping taxes low, continuing the Right to Work status, and seeking business to re-located to Virginia.

Delegate Massie: "The Tea Party is a group that is not taking freedom for granted." He decried that the citizenry, as a whole, was uninvolved, quoting the low turnout during the last election and that the Tea Party is a positive movement showing that some people are waking up. He will be focused on job creation, education, taxation, and spending.

Part Two - Questions (Answers are summarized.)

1) The Constitution is scheduled to be read at the start of the new House of Representatives session. Is this a good idea and how often should it be read, either in Congress or the Virginia legislature? (No one wanted to jump on this one. Even an audience member called out, "Don't all answer at once, now.")

Sen. Stosch: Reading the Constitution is a good reminder of the rule of law and what the representatives have sworn to uphold. It should be read a sufficient enough times so that all those that swore to uphold it should understand it.
Del. Massie: Good idea to read it 1-2 times per year. But if those listening are not interested in following it, it won't matter. Voters should hold those representatives accountable.
Del. Ingram: Every Delegate has a copy of the State Constitution on his/her desk. He refers to it often in the course of executing his duties.

2) Would you support legislation to oppose federal Commerce Clause authority over-reach?

Del. Massie: We've already done it. See the current lawsuit against HCR.
Del. Ingram: Intra-state commerce should not be a federal matter.
Del. Morrissey: As one who has taught constitutional law, he states that even strict constructionist judges have determined that the Commerce Clause does affect intra-state commerce. It has been interpreted as a broad power.
Del Massie: This interpretation shows how important the Repeal Amendment is. Current interpretation shows that there are few checks on federal power.
Sen McEachin: It is the Commerce Clause that allows all of us to participate in commerce, describing how it was the federal power using that clause to force discriminatory businesses to allow his father to use said services.

3) In 2007, a statute was passed restricting eminent domain powers in Virginia. Would you support the idea of that statute becoming part of the Virginia Constitution?

Del. O'Bannon: Yes. It protects individual rights and provides checks and balances to local power. Adoption would prevent the statute from being repealed.
Sen. McEachin: No. We need more time to experimentation to see how this law continues to affect the state and examine its ramifications.
Sen. Watkins: Agreed with Sen. McEachin. We should always show restraint in putting amendments into the state constitution.

4) Do you support the Repeal Amendment and how do we get Democrats to support it?

Sen. McEachin: No. As written, it has no limitations and any law in our history could be repealed. We could repeal the Civil Rights Act. Also, (naming off states) a majority of legislatures, numbering 2/3 majority could still represent a minority of Americans.
Del. Morrissey: No. There are already systems in place to repeal laws. Vote out the current representatives and repeal laws or challenge them in court.
Sen. Stosch: The Founding Fathers did not anticipate such a non-responsive Congress nor a national effort to put us into such a debt. Its not a perfect solution but a tool is need to restrain the federal government.

5) Immigration Law Enforcement Act - prevents localities from approving "sanctuary laws" for illegal immigrants. Do you support this?

Del. Ingram: Yes. We have to have a legal way to enforce the law. Its wrong that children of illegal immigrants are considered US citizens. (applause from audience)
Sen. Watkins: Has not read it. However, on that concept, something must be done. The feds have the 287 G program that allows localities to operate with federal approval, but goes around state agencies or LEO. We should give the state and the local agencies the same powers.

6) Virginia is #10 on illegal immigration population density. Should Virginia companies be required to use the E-Verify system?

Sen. Watkins: As the representative that pushed for E-Verify for state hiring and by the VEC, he still thinks that the system has too many glitches still for private use. Since the VEC is using it, however, he feels that no illegal immigrants will find work or get benefits, from that agency.
Del. Ingram: As a real estate businessman, he has been seeing A LOT of Social Security number fraud and believes its necessary. He believes that there is organized crime, of a sort, assisting illegal immigrants in getting fake ID.

Part Three - Individual questions

Sen. Watkins: Two part question - A) do you support the bond bill for transportation costs and B) Should Northern Virginia be allowed to retain some sales taxes for transportation or would that cause trouble?
On B) Cause trouble? yes. On A) Issuing the bonds may cause us to raise our debt ceiling by too much. Another committee is actually responsible for putting them on the market.

Del. Ingram: Do you support a bill that would exempt Virginia from cooperating from any changes to building codes resulting from "cap and trade" legislation? Yes. Virginia codes are satisfactory.

Sen. Stosch: Since "green energy policies" have been shown to fail miserably, cost jobs, and lose money, why is Gov. McDonnell providing tax credits to such companies?
He feels that the Governor is on the right track in trying to attract any energy company to Virginia but hopes that legislators would approach any "green" energy policies with care.

Del. O'Bannon: Should Virginia op out of Medicaid under ObamaCare?
Virginia is basically between a rock and a hard place. Staying in Medicaid will raise our costs but so will opting out, and that federal money will just go elsewhere.

Del. Morrissey: $340 million has been borrowed. $600 million may have to be borrowed to meet the unemployment benefits need. How can we pay it back without raising taxes?
The $600 million WILL have to be borrowed. The unemployment fund is broke. We will have to pay it back and raise unemployment taxes, but that should only increase by a few dollars per employee per employer. The best way to do so would be to increase the number of jobs.

Sen. McEachin: Funds were borrowed from the VRS. Should we pay it back this year?
Supports the return of the money, but that cannot be done within one year. He wished that the budget had been funded by other means, though he did vote for the borrowing.

Del. Massie: There is a concern that the federal government is bypassing the Congress and legislation by the using of regulations; over 25000 last year were issued. How can the states fight this?
These regulatory actions, such as the EPA's ruling on CO2 is a tax. We either sue them or get Congress to deny funding to the agencies.

Part Four - More questions from audience

Del. Massie: Do you support vouchers and charter schools? Yes. We have choice in almost everything but schools. Parents should have choices.

Sen. Stosch: Given the GOP record in past legislatures, will our tax money be spent wisely?
24% of thsoe in Virginia pay 85% of the taxes. The problem is that the non-tax payers are driving the demand for more spending programs.

Del. Morrissey: Do you support an increase in the gas tax? Yes. Because we need the funds to fix the roads. 10 cents per gallon will cost only about $60 a year for the average driver. However, ALL the money must be "lock boxed" for transportation uses only.

Sen. Watkins: Are there any assets that Virginia can sell to raise money to meet budget shortfalls?
Probably.

Del. O'Bannon: "Sustainable Use" policies, based upon policies promulgated by the UN, are being enacted across the country and abuses property rights. How can Virginia protect property rights?
Withdraw from the UN. (thunderous applause)
Actually, Virginia's laws do a good job of protecting property rights.

Del. Ingram: What are you doing to make us less dependent upon federal money? That depends upon a group effort between you and your representatives.


All in all, I found it to be an interesting and productive night. However, I learned the best information from Senator McEachin after the meeting. He spoke of the resistance to the Tea Party in the minority community. He said that we had to get away from the "birthers and the Glenn Beck crowd. He felt that Beck contributed to hatred of Obama and that there was a belief that the Tea Party was not welcoming to minorities.

Identifying myself as a Beck fan, I reiterated that he may be falling for the slanted media presentation of the Tea Party and Glenn Beck. Furthermore, I spoke to him of the fact that the Tea Party polices itself and that, actually, the concern over President Obama's secrecy of his past is what drives many "birthers." The good Senator did not know that President Obama had sealed his records and, so I sent him a link.

Like the Senator did, minorities should come visit the Tea Party. They will find that their preconceptions are just that. The reality should show them that we share many ideals. They will find that the Tea Party sees them as fellow Americans, not a minority.






Autographs available. I'm at 46 secs.

Pictures from the Tax Day TEA Party Rally

First of all, I would like to thank Tom White for meeting me to give me my camera. He is a class act. Go read his work at VA Right.

Secondly, I would like to truly thank whomever it was that found my camera and turned it over to Tom. Thank you very much. The Tea Party volunteers are great!

Here are some pictures of some early arrivals at the rally. More pictures are on the way as I resolve some technical difficulties. Now, where the $%#& is that #$% cable......

This applies to BOTH PARTIES!!!!!!

Even politicians will read TWO WORDS.

Every Revolution has beautiful women.........OH NO! They're actually DANGEROUS EXTREMISTS!

Guaranteed to make millions of liberal Virginian heads implode.....

Richmond TEA Party Tax Day Rally II

(To those that I told that their pictures might be here, please be advised that one camera went missing, either lost or picked. On the videos and other pictures, I have to confess that I'm a 20th century kind of guy and that those pictures will be up later. Please check back. VA Right has some pictures up. You might find yourself in them.)


One year ago, in the rain, approximately 3500 persons rallied against the current spending policies of the the government. The anger was palpable. "VOTE THEM ALL OUT!" was the favorite chant. Concerned citizens braved the rain, the lack of "facilities," and the unknown. Very few attendees knew anything about this new movement called the TEA Party.

Forward one year.

Yesterday was beautiful. The Richmond TEA Party should be proud of the event that they held at Kanawha Plaza in downtown Richmond, Virginia. The Plaza was packed with approximately 3500-4000 concerned Virginians. Old Virginians. Young Virginians. Male Virginians. Female Virginians. Poor and rich Virginians. Entire families. Some non-Virginians. Veteran Virginians were everywhere.

Don't Tread On Me was the watchword, found on banners, flags, shirts, and hats. Was there anger? Some. Mostly, there was goodwill and determination. The anger, while it has not passed from last year, seems have been banked and to have metamorphosed into a willingness; a willingness to get involved and change how government treats its citizens. The question that plagues the MSM and, apparently Congress, is this, "What exactly are the TEA Parties protesting? Aren't most of them beneficiaries of government programs of one sort or the other?"

The answer, "IT'S THE SPENDING, STUPID!" Current spending endangers us all, including those programs.

"Doc" Thompson did a magic trick. He was Master of Ceremonies at the rally while still hosting his show........perhaps he was CGI. In any case, he did a wonderful job.

Each speaker was inspirational in their own way. Two speakers, primarily because they put the lie to the racism smear by the MSM, Karen Cooper and Gilbert Wilkinson, both black, brought the loudest cheers. Ms. Cooper started off with confession, "Yes. I voted for that.....person." Both have joined the TEA Party because they see the abuse of liberty by the current administration.

However, the key note speaker, Charles Payne, of Fox Business News, would have brought the crowd to their feet if they had not already been standing. Starting off with "This black man from Harlem has never felt more welcome than right here.", Mr. Payne spoke of his childhood, his parents, Harlem, and most importantly, the difference that he sees between those that seek liberty and freedom and those that seek perceived safety and apathy.

He spoke of how the government, in the name of "helping them," enslaves people in an entitlement mindset. He saw this. He spoke of the anger and despair of citizens that worked hard all their lives that saw others on the dole living better than they. But he also spoke of the pride he felt that his family never fell into that trap. That example made him the man he is today.

The final speaker spoke of getting organized and making a decision. Do you want to continue to go to rallies and shout and cheer? Or do you want to make a difference by getting involved in the hard work of politics? If you want to get involved, contact the Richmond TEA Party.

That choice: freedom and self reliance or apathy and enslavement is what is facing America today.

The TEA Party exists to assist in ensuring that Freedom and Liberty does not fade from the American Dream.

Carville, of all people, gets it

I really do not like James Carville, but I have to give credit where its due.
I am going to make a minor correction in the quoted material, though. Just a small one, simce I was there and actully know how many people showed up.

Gene Healy: Talking with the Tea Partiers
By: Gene Healy
Examiner Columnist
October 20, 2009

When tens (hundreds) of thousands of Americans marched on Washington last month to protest President Obama's ongoing power grab, many liberals dismissed them as a horde of partisan, crypto-racist cranks.

But a new study from a prominent Democratic polling firm shows that the Tea Partiers are neither racist nor particularly partisan. What's more, they genuinely support smaller government -- and they're not going away anytime soon.

Last week, Democracy Corps, founded by Clinton vets James Carville and Stanley Greenberg, reported on a recent series of focus groups they held with GOP base voters and conservative-leaning independents.

Hard-core conservatives in the groups expressed an "apocalyptic" view of Obama's agenda not remotely shared by the swing voters. According to Carville/Greenberg, the Republican base stands "a world apart from the rest of America," and that will make it hard for the GOP leadership to appeal to mainstream voters.

Richmond Tea Party Press Release

It is beyond time for elected officials to make a decision regarding their loyalties. They took an oath to obey the Constitution. They swore to uphold the laws of the United States of America.
Republican or Democrat, from this moment on, need to decide if they are politicians or Americans serving the will of the people. From my position, all I see is politicians, and I've had quite enough of the Bravo Sierra from Congress. I will make it my life's mission to replace every single politician with someone who truly understands the Founding Principles.

Richmond Tea Party News Release!
October 13, 2009
They Should Be Ashamed of Themselves
“Senators Warner, Webb, and Congressman Cantor Reject 6,000 Petition Signatures”

Richmond, VA – Six thousand Richmond area residents have signed a petition protesting nationalized health care, but Warner, Webb and Cantor refuse to personally meet to acknowledge the petition despite multiple requests.

“The petition signatures represent genuine concern of taxpayers about government take-over of our health care system. The signatures were gathered through face-to-face meet-ups at festivals, neighborhood walks and in our workplaces. We expect our elected representatives to at least feign interest in the will of the people, but when we requested meetings to personally deliver the petitions, we were rebuffed at every turn,” said Sara James of Midlothian.

“These politicians have repeatedly demonstrated no interest in the opinions of thousands of voters in their districts. Warner, Webb and Cantor should be ashamed of themselves.”

Corky Mann of Henrico, a relative newcomer to the political process, expressed dismay about the lack of response by his representatives. “These politicians seem to forget that we hired them, and we expect them to be responsive and considerate of our opinions, not to mention the fact we expect, at a minimum, a reverence for the Constitution, which these health care bills clearly ignore.”

Mechanicsville resident Kevin Dumville agreed. “The absurdity of their refusal to receive 6,000 petition signatures can be easily demonstrated by the fact that when these petitions are laid down end-to-end, they stretch longer than a football field. How does an elected representative ignore that level of opposition?”

The petition states: “We the People of Virginia demand that the Federal Government remain within its Constitutional boundaries on health care. We reject any of the following: Government-run health insurance; One-size government-dictated package of health benefits; New job-killing mandates on employers; Federal medical mandates that violate State Sovereignty; Requirement on individuals to buy medical insurance coverage; Federal institution that controls private health insurance; Government intrusion into our medical privacy; Taxpayer dollars for euthanasia, or life ending services; Medical coverage for illegal immigrants at taxpayer expense.”

The Richmond Tea Party is a grassroots organization giving voice to the Silent Majority. Its mission is to work to reign in a Government that Has Grown Too Big, Spends Too Much and No Longer Listens to the Will of the People.

Richmond Tax Day Tea Party - Success!

UPDATE #2: I've moved this post to the top because the Great Americans who make up the WST-Richmond/Chester teams have stepped up and are doing the heavy-lifting.

Bravo Zulu!!!!!!!!

UPDATE: WELCOME to all of Theo's friends! Sit and stay a while. Click the UCV banner and have a look around.


The Richmond Tea Party coordinators and all of their hardworking help deserve a round of applause! The Party was a FANTASTIC success! Don't forget to hit their site and see what's next. Sign the Petition!

Expecting "several hundred" people, the attendance has been estimated at OVER 3000 persons! IN THE RAIN AND COLD! Kanawha Plaza was Filled! One Party coordinator was told by security that the police had to actually turn some away due to overcrowding, though this is unconfirmed.

Kudos to local channel 6, WTVR, for sticking with the Party throughout the day.
Video here and here.

NBC12, has video at the article. Click on the video next to the article. Wait for the 7 second commercial to finish.

Channel 8, WRIC, took video, but it does not seem to be working.

Arriving just before 5pm, I found hundreds of people braving the rain. I took advantage of the early arrival to snap a few shots.



Whole families braved the foul weather to stand up for their rights. Radical extremists were everywhere!





Dangerous radicals arrived every second! They were everywhere! EVERYWHERE I TELL YOU!

This DHS defined possible terrorist was standing tall in defense of his rights. God love ya! (I'm channeling Joe Biden.....get it?)


Even this young lady gets it:










And again, because she's just so darn cute.....

Signs were everywhere! I've never seen such radical, extreme messages! I don't think such messages have EVER BEFORE been presented to a government before.....oh, wait....








Do these messages seem radical and dangerous to you?


Well, this one might make a few of our supposed representatives go review the Founding documents...

Especially when found in conjunction with THOSE flags.....

Some messages are dangerous.....


Most reports from across the nation are reporting crowds of several hundred to several thousand. The national media have not covered these events except in minor or derogatory ways. One target of the protests is saying that this is "astroturf", that this movement is run by "corporate interests." Judge for yourself.

These next photos are a crowd shot in sequence looking from my left to my right. I am positioned to the front along the stage right edge of the crowd.




The speakers roused the crowd to cheers and shouts. "USA! USA! USA!" was a common cry. Obama was not really mentioned in either speeches, comments, or signs. The crowd emphasized the actions of Congress. Both parties were condemned for their actions for the past few years, not since the last election.

But the chant that had the most energy and feeling?

"VOTE THEM OUT! VOTE THEM OUT! VOTE THEM OUT!"

Are you listening Congress?