Declaration of Tea Party Independence

I. As the course of human events winds its way through History, it has found some paths lead to Tyranny and some to Liberty. In seeking a path to Liberty, a great and powerful movement is now rising from every corner of our land. Created by the Will of the American People, it rejects unconstitutional domination by the Government that is supposed to be its servant. This movement has arisen, in large part, because our elected officials have failed us.

For much of its history the United States has been a land of prosperity and liberty, sound policies such as fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government and a belief in the free market have safeguarded this condition. In recent years however, Congress, the President, the Federal Reserve Board and the Courts have replaced those practices with profligate government spending and expansion of the government power beyond what is constitutionally permissible.

This course, if not reversed, can only lead to economic collapse and tyranny.

Therefore, Individuals acting through the Tea Party Movement, seek to restore the policies, which are proven to safeguard liberty and prosperity for all. We will organize, demonstrate and vote until this restoration has been achieved. We will stay focused on this goal and remain INDEPENDENT from any persons or political parties who seek to distract us from this end.

Many seek to define this Movement, to use it, to lead it, to co-opt it, to channel it, to control it, to defeat it.

WE WILL NOT LET THIS HAPPEN.

The Tea Party Movement is in agreement with our Founders that the government that governs least governs best. We believe that Capitalism – NOT GOVERNMENT – is essential to the creation of wealth and a vastly reduced government provides the foundation for a thriving Capitalist system.

The Tea Party Movement of America embraces and serves people of all races, creeds, religions, and political affiliations, and we declare ourselves to be independent of all those forces that seek to manipulate our actions or control our destiny.

II. We Declare ourselves INDEPENDENT of the Democrat Party and its power drunk junta in Washington DC, which is currently seeking to impose a Socialist agenda on our Republic.

We reject arrogant Left-wing politicians who furtively hide from public scrutiny, as they cut corrupt deals loaded with earmarks and pork in order to produce 2000 page pieces of legislation so purposely incomprehensible, they do not even bother to read them before foisting them upon us.

We reject the endless creation of myriad federal government agencies that drown free enterprise and local control in the swarms of education, energy, ecology, and commerce bureaucrats who style themselves “czars” sent to harass us.

We reject the creation of federal government regulations and agencies which demand the States pay for unfunded Federal mandates.

We reject a Democrat Party which refuses to give credence to our demands for just redress of grievances and which insults and seeks to demonize our legal right to peacefully protest the unjust laws it inflicts upon us.

We reject a profligate Government that is spending TRILLIONS of dollars on worthless socialist schemes designed to bankrupt us and put the American people in a position of dependence on the State, as peasants begging for their very sustenance from self-styled “educated classes” and so-called “experts”.

We reject a foreign policy which bows and scrapes and apologizes before the world for America.

We reject an Attorney General of the United States who offers succor and rights to vicious terrorist murderers and seeks to protect them with a mock civilian trial when such enemy combatants, captured on the field of battle, should be tried in secure military courts.

We reject the claims of an un-elected Federal Judiciary to violate the separation of powers by demanding its decisions be enforced by the other coequal branches of government, regardless of how unconstitutional the other branches of government may think those decisions are.

We reject all acts that ignore or diminish the 2nd and 10th Amendments to the US Constitution and we seek to have all powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution to be reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

III. We Declare ourselves INDEPENDENT of the Republican Party, which has in the past manipulated its Conservative Base to win election after election and which then betrays everything that Base fought for and believed.

We reject the idea that the electoral goals of the Republican Party are identical to the goals of the Tea Party Movement or that this Movement is an adjunct to the Republican Party.

We reject the Republican Party professionals who now seek to use the Tea Party Movement for their corrupt and narrow political purposes.

We acknowledge that standing on our principles does not mean throwing out our common sense; we will NOT abandon our principles in the name of a nonexistent bipartisanship or a misguided devotion to an illusion of “pragmatism”, which disguises a desire to betray us in its name.

We reject the scare tactics of the Republican Party, which seeks to herd us into voting for candidates who supposedly represent the “lesser of two evils” in the name of fealty to the principle of small government and then having to suffer such candidates as they betray that principle. We are not well served by parasites whose livelihoods depend on the very State whose power to reward or sanction we elected them to limit and proscribe.

We insist that the Tea Party Movement does NOT consider the election of Republicans in and of itself to be necessarily beneficial to our goals.

We demand the Republican Party understand that we reject its attempts to co-opt us. WE WILL WORK AGAINST THEM when they oppose our views by trying to force Republicans In Name Only (RINO) on us. When Republicans are in accord with their Conservative Base as well as the Independent voters who align with it, IT WINS; when they are NOT in accord with the Conservative Base and the Independent voters who align with it, IT LOSES.

We reject RINO money; we reject RINO “advice”; we reject RINO “professional experience”; we reject RINO “progressivism”; we reject RINO support of Big Government; we reject RINO back room deal making; we reject RINO pork spending; we reject false RINO professions of Conservative views and we reject the RINO’s statist subversion of the principles of small government for which the Republican Party is supposed to stand.

Republican Party attempts to ignore the will of the Base, as it did in 1976, 1992, 1996, 2006 and 2008, resulted in disaster; when it embraces the will of the Base, as it did in 1980, 1984 and 1994, it wins historic victories.

We demand the Republican Party recognize that while the Tea Party Movement cannot guarantee their aid will help them win elections, it is very likely WE CAN MAKE THEM LOSE if they are disdainful of our goals.

IV. We Declare ourselves INDEPENDENT of the Media, which has proved itself to be anything BUT a fair and balanced enterprise and which focuses more on entertainment, fear mongering and shock value than investigation and unbiased fact.

We reject the fiction that an unbiased media still exists; there is friendly media and there is unfriendly ENE-media. The Tea Party Movement refuses to give false credence to the self-aggrandizing, self-deluding lie that ANY PART of the Fourth Estate is free of the self-serving agendas of those who own them.

V. We Declare ourselves INDEPENDENT of self-styled “leaders” who claim to speak for the Tea Party Movement. This movement is not a brand name to be used to sell product; nor is it a logo to be used to justify profiting off its name.

We reject those who seek to personally capitalize on our popularity and momentum by trying to associate with our cause.

We reject the idea that the Tea Party Movement is “led” by anyone other than the millions of average citizens who make it up. The Tea Party Movement understands that as a Free People, we need to SAVE OURSELVES, BY OURSELVES, FOR OURSELVES. The Tea Party Movement is not “led.” The Tea Party Movement LEADS.

VI. We are united in our common belief in Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets. This threefold purpose is the source of our unity in the Tea Party Movement.

We reject the idea that the Tea Party Movement must all be unanimous in our specific policy views in order to win. We recognize that the current situation requires we come together in confederation to achieve the MANY MUTUAL GOALS we all seek to accomplish.

We recognize that the current situation requires that we concentrate on the many things we have in common rather than those few things about which we may disagree.

We are the Tea Party Movement of America and we believe in American Exceptionalism.

We believe that American Exceptionalism is found in its devotion to the cause of Liberty.

We believe that Liberty is based in rational self-interest, in freedom of thought, in free markets, free association, free speech, a free press and the ability granted us under the Constitution TO DIRECT OUR OWN AFFAIRS FREE OF THE DICTATES OF AN EVER EXPANDING FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHICH IS AS VORACIOUS IN ITS DESIRE FOR POWER AS IT IS INCOMPETENT AND DANGEROUS IN ITS EXERCISE.

We believe that either fate or history has chosen this Country to be a beacon of freedom and prosperity to the whole world because of America’s belief in and vigorous defense of political and economic Liberty. The United States has been the instrument of Liberty against the many tyrannies that have threatened the people of this world.

The Tea Party Movement rejects the idea that America has to apologize to a far guiltier world that has been largely unappreciative of the sacrifices made on their behalf by the brave and noble members of our Armed Forces, whose sacrifice and patriotic service in our defense makes all else possible.

The Tea Party Movement rejects the imposition of “transformational change” performed on our Nation by smug elites who call themselves the “educated class”.

The Tea Party Movement understands that our Nation is NOT the same thing as our government and that America is much more than simply a militarily and economically powerful State.

The Tea Party Movement sees America as something exceptional, as something unique, as something that came into existence to fulfill the hope of all previous generations that longed for freedom. It came into existence because it is more than simply a country with land and population and riches and armaments. America came into existence because LIBERTY is an eternal concept in the mind of both God AND Man.
The United States of America came into existence because Mankind needs freedom the same way it needs food and air and property and security and love. And what is freedom other than the RIGHT to be free of the tyranny of Government and the elitist, self-styled aristocrats who seek to run it at our expense and to our detriment?

The Tea Party Movement will fight this danger to our Liberty as long as its members have breath in their bodies. When America didn’t exist men and women were compelled to invent it, BECAUSE MANKIND CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT FREEDOM AND STILL BE FULLY HUMAN.

To this goal we mutually pledge to each other, as our Founding Fathers did over two centuries ago, our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

February 24, 2010

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SC Sen. Jim DeMInt is launching a money bomb for Rubio, requestion you donate $7.80 — $70.80 or $780 as a protest over Obama’s $780 scamulus bill, which was supported by Charlie Crist.

Remember, Crist would have been one of 3 progressive GOP senators (traitors) to have voted for the scamulus bill.

It’s time for all fiscal conservative to put their money where there mouth is and support Marco Rubio.

It’s time to send another message to Washington!!

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Looks like even the Democratic led Senate in Virginia is rejecting health care (insurance) mandates.

RICHMOND — Virginia’s Democratic-controlled state Senate passed measures Monday that would make it illegal to require individuals to purchase health insurance, a direct challenge to the party’s efforts in Washington to reform health care.

The bills, a top priority of Virginia’s “tea party” movement, were approved 23 to 17 as five Democrats who represent swing areas of the state joined all 18 Republicans in the chamber in backing the legislation.

The bills were also expected to be approved by the GOP-controlled House of Delegates. Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) said he will review the bills but supports their intent.

As I’ve previously pointed out, health insurance mandates is one of the main points of contention inside the Tea Party movement. This mandate is seen as anti-liberty and it’s clearly unconstitutional on its face.

35 other states have similar bills in the works.

Lawmakers in 35 states have filed or proposed amendments to their state constitutions or statutes rejecting health insurance mandates, according to the American Legislative Exchange Council, a nonprofit group that promotes limited government that is helping coordinate the efforts. Many of those proposals are targeted for the November ballot, assuring that health care remains a hot topic as hundreds of federal and state lawmakers face re-election.

Let’s hope this effort puts a dagger in the heart of unconstitutional health insurance mandates

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What is your next target Mr. President?

Obama has failed to create an environment that leads to the creation of jobs, in fact every effort he has put forth to create jobs has had the opposite effect.

Obama failed to “reform” Health Care as he saw it, total lack of leadership and the ability to negotiate bipartisan support. Clearly the lack of experience is on display with this failure.

Once again he makes a major policy announcement and the stock market takes a dive.

At what point does he get the hint, he needs to CHANGE…The American people do not want his socialistic/liberal policies. We see evidence of this in the fact that the Senate Seat of the most liberal member of Congress has gone to someone who ran as a Conservative. Liberal policies are being rejected left and right.

What will be your next victim Mr President?

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S.424 – TO AFFIRM THE RIGHTS OF SOUTH CAROLINA BASED ON THE PROVISIONS OF THE NINTH AND TENTH AMENDMENTS TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION

South Carolina became the latest state to pass a resolution affirming their state rights over Federal Government intrusions. It included among other things, South Carolina 2nd amendment rights. Most importantly, however, was the provision disallowing the enforcement of compulsory health insurance upon the citizens of South Carolina by the Federal Government.

No law shall interfere with the right of a person to be treated by or receive services from a health care provider of that person’s choice;

No law shall restrict a person’s freedom of choice of private health care systems or private health care plans of any type;

No law shall interfere with a person’s or an entity’s right to pay directly for lawful medical services; and

No law shall impose a tax, penalty, or fine, of any type, for choosing a health care provider, to obtain or decline health care coverage or for participation in any particular health care system or plan.

Be it further resolved that it is the policy of the State of South Carolina that the Attorney General will challenge the constitutionality of any provision enacted by the United States Congress that would violate any of the policies established by this resolution and join with other states that are like-minded to make such a challenge.

Full Text of S.424

AS ADOPTED BY THE SENATE

January 19, 2010

S. 424

Introduced by Senators Bright, S. Martin, Alexander, Campbell, Fair, Knotts, Cromer, Mulvaney, Verdin, L. Martin, Shoopman, Rose, McConnell, Thomas, Cleary, Courson, Coleman, Davis, Reese, Campsen, Grooms, Ryberg, Peeler, O’Dell, Bryant and Massey

S. Printed 1/19/10–S.    [SEC 1/20/10 12:09 PM]

Read the first time February 12, 2009.

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONTO AFFIRM THE RIGHTS OF SOUTH CAROLINA BASED ON THE PROVISIONS OF THE NINTH AND TENTH AMENDMENTS TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION.

Whereas, the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights established a federal government limited in scope and guarantee of personal liberty so that our citizens will be free to pursue their inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as recognized in the Declaration of Independence; and

Whereas, the Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people”; and

Whereas, pursuant to the Ninth Amendment, the people are guaranteed the right to privacy as a basic human right; and

Whereas, the delivery, administration, and receipt of medical care affects personal privacy and involves the most intimate and personal of choices; and

Whereas, the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people”; and

Whereas, the Tenth Amendment defines the limited scope of federal power as being that specifically granted by the United States Constitution; and

Whereas, pursuant to the Tenth Amendment, by limiting the scope of federal power to only those specifically enumerated in the United States Constitution, the states retain plenary power to govern; and

Whereas, despite the clear limitations placed upon it by the United States Constitution, the federal government has steadily expanded its reach into the lives of our citizens and, in so doing, violates the very principles upon which this nation was founded; and

Whereas, the United States Supreme Court has said that states have great latitude in regulating medical care and standards, which have historically and constitutionally been primary state responsibilities and affect areas of core state responsibility, yet Congress and the President are reaching agreement over legislation that will result in the federal government absorbing the regulation of medical care, stripping the states of most responsibility, and taking away the free choice of the citizens of the states; and

Whereas, the federal government has spent trillions of dollars of borrowed money to run deficits, to bail out financial institutions, to prop-up auto makers, and to keep afloat other private enterprises that were mismanaged, took unnecessary risks, or were unresponsive to market demands, thus amassing a debt that will loom over and burden our country for generations to come; and

Whereas, the federal government habitually responds to its annual budget shortfalls by burdening the states with unfunded mandates, shifting costs for programs to the states, limiting state flexibility, and interfering with state revenue systems, undermining the constitutionally created balance between federal and state government; and

Whereas, the United States Supreme Court has ruled that Congress may not simply commandeer the legislative and regulatory processes of the states, and that states may provide their citizens with protections that exceed the protections by the federal government; and

Whereas, the United States Supreme Court has ruled that the United States Constitution allows states to grant rights to their citizens in their state constitutions, beyond rights granted in the federal Constitution; and

Whereas, the United States Supreme Court has recognized that federal law restricting certain rights may be ineffective in denying those rights protected in state Constitutions; and

Whereas, the State recognizes that as an independent sovereign, the State along with the other states of the union took part in an extensive bargaining process through the adoption of the Constitution and the various amendments thereto, and like any other party to any other agreement, the State is bound to uphold the terms and conditions of that agreement. Through this agreement, the states have collectively created the federal government, limiting the scope of its power and authority, as well as ensuring that certain fundamental rights are guaranteed. Also, through this process the federal judiciary has interpreted the Fourteenth Amendment to limit states’ governmental authority by providing that important rights and protections afforded by the United States Constitution to the people as citizens of the United States are also extended to each person as a citizen of an individual state. Pursuant to that interpretation, this State is bound to uphold the principles and protections afforded by the Fourteenth Amendment which guarantees the privileges and immunities of the United States, due process of law, and equal protection under the law; and

Whereas, the federal government is considering legislation that may, among other things, obligate residents in South Carolina and other states to purchase health insurance; and

Whereas, the federal government is considering legislation that may, among other things, mandate that this State and other states increase its spending for Medicaid; and

Whereas, the General Assembly of this State reaffirms that the people of this State, have collectively, through the exercise of their authority as citizens of a sovereign state determined the constitutional balance of power in this State; and

Whereas, the citizens of this State have exercised their sovereign authority both directly through the passage of this state’s constitution and the amendments thereto and representatively through their duly elected representatives in the General Assembly, and the General Assembly exercises the power of the people without limitation except as provided by the State Constitution; and

Whereas, one of the most fundamental powers of any state in the exercise of its sovereignty is through the power of appropriation and under our state’s constitutional balance of power, the power of appropriation is firmly placed within the province of the General Assembly; and

Whereas, the General Assembly rejects any attempt by the federal government, either through the actions of the Congress or the federal courts, to limit, alter, or otherwise affect in any manner whatsoever the General Assembly’s sovereign exercise of the power of appropriation; and

Whereas, there is concern that the federal government will also overstep its authority and violate the Tenth and the Second Amendments of the United States Constitution by enacting far-reaching restrictions or even a ban on gun purchases and ownership; and

Whereas, the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution provides: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”; and

Whereas, intervention by an armed South Carolina militia may prove to be the sole means for this State to protect the Liberties guaranteed it and all other states under the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; and

Whereas, due to the potential need for intervention by an armed South Carolina militia, the protections afforded under the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution are of upmost importance to the Citizens of South Carolina and the State of South Carolina; and

Whereas, it is vitally important for the future of our nation that the states stand against the relentless expansion of the federal government and restore the proper balance to our federal system. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

That the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, claims for the State of South Carolina sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the United States Constitution.

Be it further resolved that it is the policy of the State of South Carolina that:

No law shall interfere with the right of a person to be treated by or receive services from a health care provider of that person’s choice;

No law shall restrict a person’s freedom of choice of private health care systems or private health care plans of any type;

No law shall interfere with a person’s or an entity’s right to pay directly for lawful medical services; and

No law shall impose a tax, penalty, or fine, of any type, for choosing a health care provider, to obtain or decline health care coverage or for participation in any particular health care system or plan.

Be it further resolved that it is the policy of the State of South Carolina that the Attorney General will challenge the constitutionality of any provision enacted by the United States Congress that would violate any of the policies established by this resolution and join with other states that are like-minded to make such a challenge.

Be it further resolved that no state agency, agent, department, instrumentality, or subdivision shall cooperate or participate in any way with any mandate passed by Congress upon notification by the Attorney General that the mandate has been successfully challenged in a court of competent jurisdiction, and further provided that there is not an order to the contrary by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Be it further resolved that the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, claims for the citizens of South Carolina and the State of South Carolina freedom from all laws and mandates that violate the rights granted under the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Be it further resolved that this resolution serves as notice and demand to the federal government, as South Carolina’s agent, to cease and desist immediately all mandates that are beyond the scope of the federal government’s constitutionally delegated powers.

Be it further resolved that the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, affirms its support of the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.

Be it further resolved that copies of this resolution be forwarded to the President of the United States, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, and each member of South Carolina’s Congressional Delegation, all at Washington, D.C., and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate of the legislatures of the other forty-nine states.

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The current proposals to reform health insurance will include massive new tax burdens placed on the American people, a tax burden to the tune of $500 billion dollars over the next 10 years.

Let’s breakdown some of the proposed tax increases..

1. 40% excise tax on health coverage in excess of $8,500/$23,000 ($149.1 billion)
2. Employer W-2 reporting of value of health (negligible revenue effect)
3. Conform definition of medical expenses ($5.0 billion)
4. Increase penalty for nonqualified health savings account distributions to 20% ($1.3 billion)
5. Limit health flexible spending arrangements in cafeteria plans to $2,500 ($14.6 billion)
6. Require information reporting on payments to corporations ($17.1 billion)
7. Additional requirements for section 501(c)(3) hospitals (negligible revenue effects)
8. Impose annual fee on manufacturers & importers of branded drugs ($22.2 billion)
9. Impose annual fee on manufacturers & importers of medical devices ($19.3 billion)
10. Impose annual fee on health insurance providers ($60.4 billion)
11. Study and report of effect on veterans health care (no revenue effect)
12. Eliminate deduction for expenses allocable to Medicare Part D subsidy ($5.4 billion)
13. Raise 7.5% AGI floor on medical expenses deduction to 10% ($15.2 billion)
14. $500,000 deduction limitation on taxable year remuneration to health insurance officials ($0.6 billion)
15. Additional 0.5% hospital insurance tax on wages > $200,000 ($250,000 joint) ($53.8 billion)
16. Modification of section 833 treatment of certain health organizations ($0.4 billion)
17. Impose 5% excise tax on cosmetic surgery ($5.8 billion) link

Many of these tax increases will simply be passed directly to the policy holder in the form of higher premiums. This debunks the  assertion that only the rich will be soaked to pay for this severely flawed reform.

These new taxes are only the beginning, as the push for more sin taxes will be the next on the agenda. In addition to the “tan tax” and “tobacco tax”, we are seeing a push for new taxes on soda, beer, wine and liquor, as well as taxes on candy and other sugary food products.  Where does it all end? How about the fat tax? Or, perhaps we need a cholesterol tax? Haven’t  we had enough of this nonsense?

The only way the Obama administration can meet it’s commitment of making this reform deficit neutral is to increase taxes to the tune of $1.25 trillion dollars over the next 10 years. The idea that we can save $700 billion dollars by eliminating waste and fraud, in addition to cutting Medicare/Medicaid, is truly laughable and clearly a scam.

The Joint Committee on Taxation has released several informative PDFs regarding these new taxes. Estimated Revenue Effects Of The Manager’s Amendment To The Revenue Provisions Contained In The “Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act”. link

We must stand up now and say no to these unreasonable taxes, especially to fund this flawed and dangerous piece of legislation.

Haven’t we all been Taxed Enough Already?

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Merry Christmas

and a

Happy New Year

A

A

or

A

A

So what lovely ornaments will shine on this years White House Christmas tree? How about these three: one displays a picture of Chinese Communist leader/murderer, Mao Tse-tung, one displays a Christian-friendly drag queen, and one displays an Obama head shot on Mount Rushmore.  If you had any questions about it, these infiltrators will turn America into a full-blown communist nation unless you say

“NO TO THUGS”

Mao The Murderer

Drag Queen

Mount Obamamore