In response to Mick McMenamenuto’s (hey, it’s a fake name anyway) claim that Tea Partiers have no answers but just want to complain, you are wrong.
The answer to the gigantic government deficit is to stop wasteful spending in Congress, in state government, and on the city commission. Stop pork barrel projects. (Yes, that includes federal funding for building frog tunnels in Sunriver, too.) Cut Congressional pay and reduce the size of our oversized, bloated, wasteful government. Open up our natural resources to the vast resources of oil, coal and natural gas right here in our country so we can stop depending on the Middle East for our energy.Develop all those alternative energy sources such as wind and solar, and build the safest, most fuel-efficient and most reliable vehicles in the world… and build them in the U.S. Bring all those jobs back to America and away from foreign countries who are getting rich at our expense. Yes, Tea Partiers have answers…If only someone would just bother to listen to the common sense that Tea Partiers represent.
The first tea party occurred in Boston Harbor back in 1773 as a protest over excessive taxation of imported tea to the colonies from Great Britain. In that spirit, the new Tea Party movement is a protest against irresponsible out-of-control government spending and lack of accountability by Congress and it has a following of ordinary concerned Americans
This article appears in Feb 25 – Mar 3, 2010.
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Thank you, Dana
Well written. Thanks.
I’ve been following the Tea Party movement for some time now as a reluctant conservative and Christian to see where they were headed. Local news coverage of a recent TP meeting in Bend stated the TP movement goal is to build a stronger Republican Party… so folks don’t fall for the neo-con influence of the Republicans because it is very difficult to tell the difference between the GOP and the socialist democrates…. both are pushing for a New World Order, destroying our Constitution and the freedom and liberty therein, and our national sovereignty. Wake up and contend for what is right and good in America before it is too late.
Dana you pretty much hit the nail on the head. The so called Tea partiers have some very good common sense answers. It’s just that the progressives don’t want their allowance cut and refuse to listen.
Have you, or are you considering running for office? You will definetly have my vote.
Finnally. One of the tea baggers speaks out. Easy answers to everything. Just drill for more oil and all those jobs we exported will come back. Cut taxes and spending and prosperity will be ours. Cut the pork? Sure. Just don’t mess with mine. (That frog tunnel should only be in MY back yard). Kinda like “No Government healthcare, and by the way, leave my Medicare alone!” as one bagger shouted. (By the way, pork spending is a very small part of the deficit.)
The teabaggers represent mostly republican white guys as was recently discovered in a poll of their members. Wow, was I shocked to hear that! The original tea party was about a complete lack of representation, the teabaggers (they don’t deserve the tea party name) are about “we don’t like those liberal politicans who want to enslave us with socialism”. (It was all those “Obama is a socialist” signs at the TB gatherings that clued me in to that one) Now, that would at least be “truth in adversising” when describing your group.
Those jobs that went overseas? Most are gone for good. Why? Because we wanted cheap stuff and the factories in this country were unable to find anyone to work for a dollar a day (Miserable ingrates). You only have to visit Wallmart where cheap is plentyful to discover that fact. Their slogan should be: “Walmart; tommorows landfill, today”. I can’t fault the TB group or even Wallmart for that, we all share the blame and the fixes are few.
That stuff you mentioned about building up green power and vehicles in this country? I liked that, maybe you and the other guy in the teabag movement who advocates for this approach can get together and try to convince the rest of the group. Good luck.
So go on, enjoy your “bagging”. Tell us all how your group really cares about America and how only they have the answers if we just LISTEN.
I came, I listened, now I’m leaving. Let me know when the “baggers” have something they think is intellegent to say that actually offers solutions and not right-wing platitudes.
Just save me a seat near the exit.
Hey, John; read and re-read your reply: no ideas, just criticism, no facts, just opinions. Maybe you should sit by the exit and just listen until you learn some facts, and, maybe come up with ideas of your own to contribute that might help yourself (and the rest of us who are all Americans) climb out of the mess our country is in…
At least these folks are entering into a dialog where good ideas just might turn up!
Hey —, It’s hard to listen to you TB’s when your always shouting about the big, bad, government and those socalist liberals. Maybe you should re-read my post and then you will understand why most progressives are not interested in the junk you are peddling. I saw no facts in the Johnson post, just a lot of I-wish-this kinda stuff along with the typical Republican talking points. At least own up to it. Have your opinions, but don’t try to claim you represent all Americans. You don’t.
Great job Dana, great job Source. Nice to have dialogue about issues. The polarization in this country is incredibly harmful to our survival as a country. We need to stop saying liberal or conservative and finding some common ground and solutions. Congrats to the Source for this kind of dialogue.
Here’s a fact: I run a small business and all of our employees pay a portion of their health care. Why shouldn’t government employees pay part of their health care? Just that alone would be a tremendous savings, and decrease government spending. I am worried about our children’s future if this government spending continues. If the teaparty wants to start this kind of dialogue let’s all join in, and try and find common ground and solutions.
john all I ever hear out of the left when you do bring up the facts is bush spent more. Bush did it. That’s the only facts I hear out of obama. They did it first. I’m tired of hearing one side say it’s ok to spend some huge amount of money because the other guy did it first. I think the heart of the appeal of the tea party is two wrongs don’t make a right.
Stephanie federal employeess do pay for their health care. About $325 a month for a family. It’s low because it’s a huge group plan.
It’s back to you John. As a matter of fact I am an “Independent”
not a TB or anything else, and I agree with Stephanie, it IS about the dialog. My husband WAS a contractor, I’ve lost my medical benefits at work and our home is worth 1/2 what it was
3 or so years ago. Yep, I am an American, and we need some solutions!
A good article from the source????? I never thought I would see the day.
Using the Boston Tea Party as an example of how government can be made more efficient only highlights the ignorance, and total lack of actual ideas and policies put forth by the tea baggers. The original Boston Tea Party was a publicity stunt designed to call attention to a tea tax that wasn’t stopping anyone in Boston from drinking as much tea as they wanted. At the time, you could count on two hands the numbers of British subjects living on the American continent who were seriously thinking about splitting from the Crown. As an act of serious rebellion threatening the British Empire it was irrelevant. As a meaningful act of creating the basis for what became the USA, it was never intended to be such. What the Boston Tea Party did do – and it worked very well – was make Parliament mad enough to over react by sending ten thousand troops to occupy the city of Boston. That over bearing act of oppression did get people’s attention, and helped to foment a strong desire for rebellion on the parts many British subjects living in the city of Boston, which in time culminated in the confrontation at the Concord bridge – the famous shot heard around the world. But, calling yourselves a tea party and paying big money to hold a convention attended by a homogeneous group of a few hundred people does not equal, or even come close to the original Boston Tea Party in intent, or content. Nor does it set forth a range of ideas, and truly innovative policies capable of administering a nation as diverse, physically and demographically as the US is today with a national economy of some 12 trillion dollars. The tea baggers have done little in the last two years other than make a lot of noise, while saying next to nothing of substance. That a movement as childish and naive as the tea baggers has gained the notice of the press that it has, and the loud, if embarrassingly simple minded support of the numbers of people that it has is testament to the almost total lack of comprehension on the parts of many of us as to how our government actually works, and the nature of the challenges that currently face us. If Sarah Palin is the best the tea baggers have to offer of an informed mind, and a truly progressive thinker with ideas capable of moving the American economy into the 21st Century as the world leader it was in the 20th Century then the tea baggers need a lot more tea. We already have plenty of hot water. And we already have plenty of shrill loud mouthed pundits whining about the problems, who also have nothing to say of any real content. What we can use is people of integrity, true ability, actual qualifications, experience and expertise who are willing to work at designing and implementing actual plans to solve problems. That will mean stepping on the toes of powerful special interests whose greed is exceeded only by their grasp, but whose grasp has managed, thanks to the almost total lack of understanding and personal involvement of the part of the American people, to take hold of virtually every branch of our government. Those who don’t know their history are condemned to repeat it. If we can’t raise the bar of public debate above the level of shouting playground obscenities at each other we are finished as a culture, and as a leader of the free world. Let’s get serious, get real, get informed, and get involved with better thought out ideas than a few notes scribbled on the palm of the hand.
Jim, let’s not forget that Congress (the opposite of progess) will not be required to be on Obammercare. They will be able to keep their top-tier plan paid for by us taxpayers.
If it’s good enough for us, why is it not good enough for them? Talk about elitism!
The Tea-Baggers are just getting started. A more appropriate name for them would be Constitutionalists. Progressives delude themselves by calling the constitution a “living document”. The constitution might as well have been written in stone. It is the rule of law that made this country great. Liberal want to ‘get back to the garden’. Clear thinking Americans want to get back to basics and put the power back in the hands of the people. Those of you who do not agree are cordally welcome to find another country to screw up.
It has been my observation of late that the ‘teabaggers’ are for the most part made up of those who weren’t quite old enough, or didn’t have the intestinal fortitude, to have protested in the sixties and early seventies.
Hi —. Thanks for your comments. It seems that you are against the Obama plan. Maybe I am wrong, If not, then why are you opposed to health care that would help you the most? Cost? The CBO has already reviewed it and had indicated it will reduce the Federal defict by enarly $100 Billion. (Ok, those of you who claim the CBO is lying or stupid or both, what would you say if they showed it would add $100 billion to the deficit? Would they become really smart at that point?). I understand the concerns you may have, both of my kids are without insurance as well. Are you concerned about loss of care? Nothing in this bill would reduce anyone’s care. There is no “Government” run plan in this bill. I know because I wish there was, and that would actually save more in the long run.
Our current system, if allowed to remain as is, will bring a doubling of premiums in 7 to 10 years. That will be passed along to employers, who may choose to pass along the cost, or drop coverage. Those who buy their own coverage will face even higher rate hikes. Nothing the Repubs(‘Baggers) have suggested will address either. Their solutions is really, do nothing. Critize Obama as much as possible, and put out false information on the bill. Period.
If you truly are an independent, then wake up a take a long look at the ‘baggers. They complain, disrupt townhalls, and offer simplistic rightwing solutions to every problem. My first blog was critisized for offering no solutions, have you read any real solutions in their blogs either?
Thank you, Dana, for what you said. I don’t care if you are a Dem., a Rep., or whatever. This is what I care about:
1. That we let farmers farm their own land and provide the food Americans need. What we don’t need feel free to ship it overseas.
2. That we stop outsourcing our manufacturing jobs, technology jobs etc. and let Americans get back to work! We have so many very talented Americans let us use our own talent pool! Then feel free to work overseas.
3. That we manuafacture whatever we need to build or own homes, businesses and autos. with our own resources. Whatever is left over feel free to ship overseas.
4. Provide our own energy! Drill on land and sea, build refineries on the East Coast, on the West Coast and in the Gulf! Use our coal, natural gas, and also use “green” technologies too; wind etc.! Oh, if I didn’t mention it then after we have what we need feel free to ship these overseas.
5. Simplify government, stop the ridiculous spending, and 1 Billion dollar Embassy projects, like the one in London they way to build, need to be taken back to the drawing table and those plans need to be put through the shredder! What the heck are these people thinking!?!
6. Lastly, learn to spend LESS than what you have coming in and pay off this debt! Isn’t that what we everyday Americans are having to do within our own homes? So, why can’t government?
I have to ask: who is going to pay for the ‘solutions’ proposed by the tea-bag advocates?
Business–as my four year old granddaughter would say, “I don’t think so!” Business is in it for profits and every ‘return to America’ policy I see above would reduce those profits or raise product prices to a non-competitive level. Protectionist tariffs–never worked and never will–and isn’t that an expansion of the role of the demon government anyway? We get what we pay for–and we don’t want to pay for America-first wages to produce those goods. Reduce USA wages to be competitive with Mexico, the Phillipines and China? Who will be able to afford to buy anything at those wages?
“Farmers farm their own land?” The day of the family farm is gone and the myth just won’t die. We eat cheap fruit and veggies from Mexico, Central American and South America every day. Are we ready for the price hikes? Will ADM become a supermarket to the USA first?
Drill. baby, drill! As those natural resources we consume get scarcer and more expensive to exploit, are we willing to pay the higher prices? The myth of ‘clean coal?’ Increased demand is the problem and that demand is world-wide. Make it illegal to sell overseas? Who enforces it?
Because, after all, smaller government means less involvement and oversight. Hey, every one! How’s that ‘less regulaty less over-sighty’ thing working out for us, any way.
Talking points are ideas–not solutions. If anyone thinks details can be replaced by ‘common sense’ then they have no sense at all–common or otherwise.
The Tea Party gives a voice to anger and frustration–but it is a tool the Republican Party is using to electrify its traditional base and then give the Tea Bagger’s a Hobson’s Choice, of sorts. The Democrats don’t pretend to be Tea Baggers. The Republicans are willing to do anything it takes to get back in power. TBINO (Tea Baggers In Name Only), they now claim to have seen the light and learned their lesson. Just give them one more chance!
Way to Chris Greco. The source prints another side, and a monkey like you makes them look bad with the ultimate stupid comment like ‘tea baggers’. Get original no one wants to hear your one dementional stolen catch phrase. Or better yet raise the american gene pool level and keep your yap shut, and let the darn paper do a little jounalisam.
WOW, Stephen, I didn’t know that I had to have all the solutions. Nor did I say I was a “tea bagger”. I just voiced my opinion in this opinion section. As for “family farms” I am very well aware of the millions of farms that went out of business during the last century and now there are big industrialized ones. However, I know that there are still farmers that do farm their land. Don’t you buy your vegetables at Farmer’s Markets here when they are available? If not, you are missing a great treat. I also have my own vegetable garden each year too…again being as self-reliant as possible. We have friends in North Dakota that grow wheat and have bought wheat from them then stored it. We also buy our beef from local ranchers, get it cut and wrapped, and in the freezer it goes. I buy hay that is grown here in Central Oregon too.
As for energy, I think that just continue doing what has been done in the past is not the answer. Drilling and refining are important. I do not see this nation stopping using fossil fuel for a long time. Obviously not when we just went through a federal program of “Cash for Clunkers”. As I said, I also would like to see “green” energy too. Wind, solar, hydro. etc. all need to be worked on at the same time. Just imagine how many jobs that would produce. Not just temporary jobs but jobs that will be around for years. If we would have done this during the ’70’s when there was those long gas lines we would not be in this position today. My point was that we provide what we need to instead of being dependent on other countries to supply this for us. I do believe in being as self-sufficient as much as possible.
I did not say our government was a “demon government”. I said that I think that it needs to use less money than it is bringing in to bring down the budget deficit instead of increasing it. Also, I brought up the fact, as an example, the 1 billion dollars in putting up an Embassy in London. That is absolutely ridiculous! I really do not like the idea that China (and other countries) owns so much of our economy. It makes us puppets to their will; and that is not in our best national interest. I do believe that the American people does know the answers on what is needed to make this country work and that they are the ones that will make us strong again. I also believe that government has its place; such keeping us safe and providing a strong military in man power and with the equipment they need to be successful in their mission.
Also, Stephen, from what I understand, “tea baggers” are not just Republicans. They are Democrats, Independents, and Libertarians too. They are just people that want to pull in how this government is running things. Yes, the Republicans did cause this financial mess to begin with but that doesn’t mean that the Democrats need to continue down that path of destruction. It means that the people in Washington need to stop spending the money that is not there and become fiscally responsible. Just as we have to be in running our own family budgets. You cannot continue to spend money using only credit cards. As many people know that will lead to finanical disaster. It is the same for the government; they just add many, many zeros behind the numbers.
Thanks Dana How refreshing your article. And from the source, why can’t we just all get along with each other as human beings. What we are all concerned about is our country and where it is headed not just for us but our little ones. In the 70’s the libs I was one of them we were so open to other people’s ideas. And now the liberals have this militant approach if you don’t agree with us you are the bad guy.Why are they so angry? all the time?John is a perfect example if we don’t agree with him and his ideals we are the enemy?All we want is freedom, is that too much to ask for and to not be controlled by big brother.Socialism brought the soviet union down And by the way our country was founded on capitalist ideals.
Mary
Your ideas are short on the details that make them solutions.
The farming industry is so heavily subsidized, the only reason it exists at all is government subsidies–most of which are sucked up by the big ag conglomerates. I grew up on a small family farm in the Mid-west and their demise was the result of a ‘bubble’ in the 60’s and 70’s that was almost identical to the real estate bubble of the last few years. The government spending that we so loathe is the reason almost every family farm makes it from one season to the next. A government program to be cut?
Boutique farming cannot fill the needs of this country–let alone every other. I applaud your ‘buy local’ efforts but they cannot fill the demand and most shoppers are price sensitive–coupon clippers trying to make ends meet, and for them the Farmer’s Markets don’t meet their needs.
Energy will continue to rely on fossil fuels for the long term–price sensitivity is the only thing that reduces demand. The perfect storm of 2008–high demand followed by a crashing world-wide economy gives us a peek at the future. When the economy starts to revive, prices will escalate and everyone will cry out in outrage once again. Big Oil–in spite of its advertizing claims to the contrary–has almost totally ceased its market driven exploration and diversification strategies. Green energy only pencils out if the government subsidizes it through tax breaks or actual payments. The largest hydroelectric projects in this country were the result of government spending. Cam we expect not to have to do the same in the future? Expecting Big Energy to do something different flies in the face of the real picture. They are doing what they have always done and we cannot expect different results.
The ‘other countries’ that are supplying us with the products we need on a daily basis are doing so through multi-national corporations, many of which started in the USA, operate freely and without regulation in the USA, and bribe our politicians of all parties with ‘campaign donations,’ something the Supreme Court now claims is legal free speech. The American People may know what they need to do, but they have given no indication that they are capable or willing to take action. Cheap clothes, cheap food, cheap electronics, and cheap energy are what they want–and that is how they are really voting–with their dollars going elsewhere while they wait for someone else to pay the price. If this country becomes great again it will be because there is an awakening that extends beyond our borders and avoids simplistic, common sense solutions to incredibly complex problems. Big Business will not lead the way because they are quite content to reap benefits where ever the occur. Retributive tariffs or taxes on foreign made goods have never worked. Relying on business to do the right thing in light of what has been revealed about the behavior of business over the last few years is farcical! Bonuses and profits are bigger than ever and ‘the American people’ suffer. Yes, we can count on unbridled, unregulated Capitalism to do the right thing, can’t we?
Lastly, the Tea Party IS comprised of people from all of the political parties. It is a party of anger and frustration and I think all of us feel that way to one degree or another. (Sorry if you felt I assumed you were a Bagger.) The Republican Party’s Dick Armey and the FreedomWorks organization are deeply involved in the funding and organization of the Tea Bag Party and as the election cycle approaches it won’t be Tea Bag candidates that are fielded and elected, but the same old politicians, all most all of whom will be Republicans mouthing the words that the angry want to hear while acting the way they always have–in their own self interest and in the interest of the powerful companies and organizations that fund their ‘lifetime elected official’ status. There is no Democrat or GOP any more, only the PIP (Party In Power).
The second law of thermodynamics is entropy. Pretending that the USA is a perpetual motion machine, that revitalizing the nation’s economy will be cost free, that government is not needed to provide impetus to maintain or stimulate the economic system–all of these fly in the face of reality. The real ‘Inconvenient Truth’ that we need to come to grips with is that the rich and powerful in Business and Government are only concerned with themselves and are enjoying the circus that we ‘little people’ are performing. We see the circus rings and we have clowns and acrobats and we really think our performance amounts to something. But tomorrow the tent will come down and we will move on. No one will notice we were really there and nothing will have changed permanently.
A bit negative–pretending that the real issue is ‘socialism’ or a president’s birth certificate or a secret homeland army to overthrow the Constitution is the real negative.
To those in support of this so-called tea party movement I have one question. Where were all you folks when the previous administration of modern day robber barons were running this country over the cliff and dooming the future of your children?
Dear Eugene,
Thank you for your interesting comments.
I’m not quite sure what you meant by the remark that everyone who disagrees with me is my enemy. Previously you indicated that we should all try to “get along”, then you added that comment. Not sure what that was all about.
Further, you continue your remarks with the Republican/conservative talking points about those angry libs and how you don’t want to be controlled by big brother socialism ect. You say you only want freedom, but which freedom has been denied to you? Speach, worship, association, unreasonable search, ect? It seems to me we’re both doing quite well with at least two of those ideals. As for those angry libs, are you any less angry? Isn’t that why you agree with, or became part of the TB movement?
Baggers claim they’re angry because govenment doesn’t listen to them, and their hositility has been made evident countless times at townhalls, espically when it is with a Democrat representative.
Did you ever think that libs were angry because govenment wasn’t listening to them when Repubs were in power? It’s all about perspective, isn’t it?
The thing you did very well in you blog was to confirm the conservative philosophy of the TB movement. Your comments represent their political philosophy quite well.
But john why the twisting and turning ,Your president is and has been in charge for over a year? he wants more troops in the wars who is to blame?I am with ron paul fiscal responsability?Where is the change? that your president promised? I am not a repub I am not a tb why are you so assuming? Why are you so angry ? have you ever thought of moving to cuba or to russia? Sounds to me that you are living in wrong country.
What does the Tea Party stand for besides “no government?” What is its plan? Where can I read its platform? How does it plan to fund things with little or no taxes? How does it plan to educate children, repair roads, run fire departments, etc.? Where does it stand on social issues? Is it as against religious interference in our personal lives as it is against government interference? I’m looking for specific concrete plans, not broad, general statements with no substance. Perhaps if I saw something that looked like it would work, I might take a more serious look at the Tea Party. What I see now is people ranting and voting blindly against the status quo without voting for someone who actually has a plan to fix it. I understand being frustrated with the current situation. What I don’t understand is voting against something without determining what it is you’re voting for at the same time.