When the White Plains Tea Party first gathered in April 2009 to protest expansion of government at all levels, by both parties, we were dismissed as a deranged rabble, radicals, and rednecks. A recent Gallup poll found only 21% of Americans satisfied with the way things are going in the United States at this time. Now it is clear we are national (over 3,000 groups), rational, and not bashful. We have demonstrated our national power with the last two Washington, DC events showing our character at Glen Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally and showing our political strength at Dick Armeys’ “Remember in November” march. What that tells me is that we are not an aberration, but instead we are Mainstream America. We are the conscience of the nation, loud and proud to proclaim our patriotism, our principles, and our desire to return to our Constitutional roots.
A recent Rassmussen Report survey found that 43% of likely U.S. Voters believes that neither Democrats nor Republicans in Congress are the party of the American people. Let's take a look at what Congress has been doing, against our wishes, that caused the Tea Party to emerge:
First the Bailout was passed, against our wishes, to rescue the financial industry. TARP quickly became a government slush fund first to buy into AIG, Citicorp and several other financial firms; Then it was used to take over GM and Chrysler, and then a Bailout crafted to take over the student loan program.
Next the Stimulus was passed, against our wishes, to rescue the economy. It was quickly revealed as a government slush fund to rescue state governments, unions, and other Democrat pet projects; then, as an afterthought, create “shovel ready jobs” that were neither ready, nor able; and finally degenerated into a make-believe world of “saved or created” numbers that were debunked as fast as they were revealed.
Let us not forget the ObamaCare health reform act passed, against our wishes, to fix the health insurance problem. This government takeover of the health insurance industry and the health care industry was quickly revealed as unconstitutional governmental overreach that failed to fulfill any of its promises and will instead increase costs, increase deficits, increase premiums, and ultimately ration care.
Next the Financial Reform bill was passed, against our wishes, to fix the underlying financial industry problems that caused the collapse. It quickly became another government slush fund for financial firms and never addressed the root causes of the financial collapse or even mentions the CRA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, HUD or the other acronym agencies at the heart of this problem.
Now these industry grabs are job killers but not enough to deliver the fundamental governmental transformation that the President envisions. Therefore why not sue Arizona for enforcing federal immigration laws? Why not crank up a huge “cap and trade” energy tax to pay for an environmental hoax known as global cooling / global warming / climate change / global climate disruption (or whatever name is being used today to described their crisis du jour)?
Meanwhile our duly elected Congress was so busy performing like a trained seal for the President that they neglected to even write, much less, vote on an annual budget or any of the 13 appropriations bills to run our government! We also have a massive tax increase coming at the end of the year, but Congress was too busy to decide whether to extend these Bush tax cuts. Maybe it is time for a change!
So what should we ask our politicians to do?
There are so many things wrong with government today it is hard to know where to begin. I suggest we work off a prioritized list of 10 items voted on by millions of Americans: The Contract From America:
Protect the Constitution (all laws must list what provision authorizes the action)
Reject Cap & Trade (increase energy prices, cost jobs, not address problem)
Demand a Balanced Budget (begin Constitutional Amendment process)
Enact Fundamental Tax Reform (scrap the Internal Rev code, replace with flat tax)
Restore Fiscal Responsibility & Constitutionally Limited Government (audit for duplication, waste, and ineffective execution)
End Runaway Government Spending (limit spending growth)
Defund, Repeal, & Replace Government-run Health Care (defund, repeal, replace)
Pass an ‘All-of-the-Above” Energy Policy (open up free market to explore and exploit)
Stop the Pork (moratorium on park, then onerous process)
Stop the Tax Hikes (make Bush tax cuts permanent)
There are other good ideas out there, but these 10 would be an outstanding first step. Many candidates have publicly endorsed this Contract. The Roadmap for America’s Future by Congressman Paul Ryan has a number of good ideas including entitlement reform. The Pledge to America is a Republican commitment to work on these issues and is based on the Contract With America. Maybe the Republican Party is finally beginning to listen!
So what do we do next?
Take heart because there are a few examples of good news in this wilderness. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has shown America that a principled citizen can reform government if re-election is not their priority, but doing the right thing is! Right here in Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino proved that a good man can get elected and can use common sense in county government. There are good candidates running for Senator, Congressman, Governor, state senator, and assembly. Your job is to vote for the best candidates, so we will once again have a government that works for the We, the People.
Politics is a dirty business and repairing the damage done may take 20 years to undo. The good news is that there are 138 Tea Party candidates running across this country. Most are running on the Republican Party line, but Republicans in Name Only are a big reason we are in the dire straights we are, as some primary candidates found out. The Ruling Elite includes both Democrats and Republicans. Our next step is to vote on November 2nd and let’s send a message by “rewarding” many of the incumbents for their boneheaded votes by throwing these tone deaf politicians out of office to go home and find a real job! The Tea Party movement is finally recognized as a political force that must be reckoned with. The Silent Majority will be Silent No More!
God Bless America!
Dave Coughlin recently retired from IBM after 31 years. He is now a political pundit who manages his web site “Return to Common Sense” and is an active member of the White Plains Tea Party. He was educated at West Point (Bachelor of Science, 1971) and the University of Alabama in Huntsville (Masters, Administrative Science, 1976). He currently resides with his wife in Hawthorne, NY.
