We are pleased to announce that Senator Rick Santorum will appear at a Tucson Tea Party event next week on Wednesday February 22, 2012.
Here are the deatils:
Time: Doors Open at 10 am, come early as seating is limited. Event runs until 1:30.
Location: Sabbar Shrine Center 450 S. Tucson Blvd. Tucson, AZ 85716 Map to Sabbar
This event is free, but as always we appreciate any donations you can give in order to offset the cost. To donate, please visit here.
It’s been very interesting to read the dozens of articles in the Media this week proclaiming the “Death of the Tea Party.” In some ways there is a bit of truth to this in that the Tea Party will never again be what it was 3 years ago, simply because it has evolved far past the rally and protest stage and has moved directly into the reality of volunteering and electioneering.
In order to better accommodate this change of direction, the Tucson Tea Party is announcing a change of leadership. Jennifer and I will be stepping down and passing the baton to Ralph Kayser. Nobody has knocked more doors, made more calls, stuffed more envelopes or helped TTP more in the past three years than Ralph. Coming down the home stretch, his skillset and organizational abilities will be valuable for the work that will need to be done. We are very excited for this change and know that Ralph will make the right decisions to move the organization forward.
Over the past three years I have heard from many that they would like an opportunity to do more. Now is the time to step up. We have worked with Ralph in setting up some key events coming up in the next few weeks that should once again establish the Tucson Tea Party as a force to be reckoned with. It has been fun to watch Ralph take up the challenge and excel. Don’t let him do this alone. Contact him (tucsonteaparty@yahoo.com) and get involved. You will be very happy with what he has in the works. He will be contacting everyone soon with the Tucson Tea Party’s immediate plans.
That being said, Jennifer and I sincerely want to express our appreciation and love for each and every one of you. You have changed our lives and given us hope for the future of our children and this country. You have given us encouragement, looked past our mistakes, supported us when others deserted, and made this group one of the best Tea Party organizations in the entire country. We have grown and overcome much, developed leadership, and watched our members stand up individually and make a difference. Just a few short years ago, Pima County conservatives did not have the ability to run more than a handful of campaigns. Now we can run dozens over a variety of offices. We have won elections we had no business winning and have had heart-breakers in others.
We are proving to many who have never been exposed to the ideals of the Tea Party, that things can be done differently.
As for the future for Jennifer and I, we plan to help do whatever we can to push the conservative movement forward in Southern Arizona, spend a little more family time, and build up our personal business which has taken a side track to the Tea Party the last few years. Jennifer is also authoring a childrens book set to come out in March of 2012, she would love it if you go check it out.
Here’s to Nothing Less Than Victory in 2012,
Trent and Jennifer Humphries
In the coming months TTP will need volunteers to keep people informed about local and national news. If you would like to be a contributer to the ttp daily blog, email us at tucsonteaparty@yahoo.com.
Not only is this a great opportunity to help the cause, it is a great tool for growing citizen journalists for 2012 and beyond.
“But you must remember, my fellow-citizens, that eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty, and that you must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing. It behooves you, therefore, to be watchful in your States as well as in the Federal Government.” — Andrew Jackson, Farewell Address, March 4, 1837
- The Tucson Tea Party was instrumental in the successful election of fiscally conservative state senators and state representatives in three of six local legislative districts.
-Tea Party events open to all candidates, from all political parties, provided candidates a particularly important vehicle to communicate their message and recruit campaign volunteers.
-Your efforts as supporters and volunteers for your candidate helped many candidates get elected to state office.
The Finance Advisory Committee projects a surplus of $143 million for FY2013. The “temporary” one-cent-per-dollar increase in the sales tax expires on May 31, 2013, with one month left in the fiscal year. Economists project that the state will be in the red anywhere from $510 million to $900 million in FY2014.
Our state legislature this past year, balanced the state budget, albeit on the back of an increased state sales tax, with borrowed money, stripping the state’s rainy day fund, and with the use of funds swept from other agency budgets, without RAISING YOUR STATE INCOME TAXES. The 2012 state budget was 20% smaller than the state budget in 2008. Was it a perfect budget? No. Did they make difficult cuts to balance the budget? Yes. Is our state out of trouble yet? NO. Period. Exclamation point!
Our news is saturated with the trials and travails of national politics. It’s very easy to get caught up in these important battles. And, it is necessary. However, your sphere of influence is greatest in your local community. Tucson Tea Party members must at all times, remain equally focused on the actions of our local state legislators.
Your elected representatives, right now, are actively engaged in drafting their personal, and party, legislative agenda’s for the upcoming legislative session. Have you recently communicated to them? Have you asked them what their priorities are? More importantly, have they told you what their priorities are in the next session? Will they restore the state’s “rainy day fund” with our surplus revenues? Will they pay off debt with surplus revenues? Will they budget in such a way as to eliminate the “temporary” sales tax increase? Or, will the prospects of a short lived budget surplus tempt them to spend more?
Do not take anything for granted. Communicate directly with your elected representatives and make sure your Tucson Tea Party values are reflected in their actions. You have more influence here, than you do in the arena of national politics. Keep your eyes on local media for news of your elected representatives strongly supporting “initiatives”, “important projects”, and “vital needs”. Are these code words for new spending? Your common sense, and involvement, is their check and balance.
Here is a link to the State of Arizona’s legislature’s website http://www.azleg.gov/ . There is an easy registration form. No fee is required. You may use this link to query pending bills. You can also query based on an individual legislator. We urge you to learn to use this. Some terms to remember, HB (House bill) HCR (House continuing resolution) HR (House resolution)Note: Resolutions are not binding. Similar terms apply for the state senate. Important note: Many of the bills are introduced last minute. Don’t think that they are not now actively drafting legislation.
“If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.” – James Madison Federalist no. 51
Your Tucson Tea Party is looking forward to an exciting year ahead. Enjoy your holidays! We all have important work to do in 2012.
On this Wednesday December 28th, Take Care of Tucson will be holding a community food drive that will take place from 4-7 PM at two parks near downtown.
They will be collecting food for the Community Food Bank, Cold Wet Noses, Hermitage Cat Shelter and the Humane Society. Volunteers from Trinity of Angels, a non-profit for abused spouses and children will be on hand to help accept donations.
Please help our community in its greatest time of need by dropping off canned and packaged goods at one of the two following locations on December 28 between 4-7 PM.
LET’S HELP THEM FILL THOSE TRUCKS!!
Veinte de Agosto Park
Broadway Blvd and Church Avenue
Tucson, AZ
De Anza Park
Speedway Blvd and Stone Avenue
Tucson, AZ
Thanks for the pic Shaun.
It does lead one to wonder who is footing the bill for this service?
In the past, TTP has rented these units for $200 a day each.
The good news is that at least when clean-up does take place, hopefully no hazmat suits will be needed.
If Tucson City Council Member Regina Romero’s motion is passed tonight, The Tucson Tea Party will sue to recover all direct and indirect costs for coming into compliance with the city for gathering over the past three years which total to at least $15,500 in receipts. We would also want to have our time spent in making sure we were in compliance reimbursed, plus legal fees.
Additionally, a number of us will bring the sleeping bags and smores and occupy Regina’s office for a few nights as well. There is little difference between a public park and Regina’s office as far as the first amendment is concerned.
When our government, whether federal or local, picks and chooses which laws to enforce and on whom, it is violating both the letter and the spirit of the Constitution of the United States.
The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution forbids state, county or city governments from refusing any person within their jurisdiction the equal protection of the law. When one of these governments grants a particular class of people the right to engage in an activity but denies another class of people the same right, we, the people, have little choice but to suspect that said government has violated the equal protection clause.
The question of whether the equal protection clause is being violated has recently arisen in Richmond, Virginia where the city forced the Richmond Tea Party to follow every applicable law and requirement, including the payment of thousands of dollars of fees to use Kanawha Plaza, but required no such compliance from the Occupy Richmond group to use the very same venue.
The City of Richmond has turned a blind eye while Occupy Richmond has been illegally camping in Kanawha Plaza for two weeks without having acquired any permits or having paid any fees to the city. According to the Richmond Tea Party, the City of Richmond is permitting and in some instances even encouraging the illegal encampment by the Occupy Richmond group. This clearly unequal application of the law has prompted the Richmond Tea Party to present the City of Richmond and Mayor Jones’s office with a bill for approximately $8,500, an amount which represents the total cost the Richmond Tea Party has paid for complying with all the rules and regulations stipulated by the City of Richmond.
Unfortunately the Richmond Tea Party is not alone in being the victim of this type of violation of the Equal Protection Clause. We have that situation happening right here in the Old Pueblo. Occupy Tucson has been illegally camping in Armory Park for over two weeks without paying any fees or acquiring any licenses while the Tucson Tea Party has complied with every regulation specified by the City of Tucson at every event it has held since its inception three years ago.
If the City of Tucson wants to remain a legitimate source of local authority, it must apply the law equally, and to do that the city has only two choices. Either refund all the fees the Tucson Tea Party has heretofore paid to demonstrate in city parks, or charge Occupy Tucson members and put them in jail until they pay the legal fees due the city. By allowing Occupy Tucson to remain in Armory Park without any real consequences the city is leaving the Tucson Tea party no choice but to conclude that it is not, in fact, a requirement to pay to demonstrate in any Tucson city park . Thus as our country’s foundations rest on the bedrock principle of equal and just application of the law for all citizens, the Tucson Tea Party will need to present the City of Tucson with a bill totaling all the past fees paid to the city and the city must comply with the law by refunding said fees!
There are a lot of misconceptions out there about who TEA Partiers are and just what goes on at one of their gatherings. I was at a recent Tucson TEA Party gathering held at El Presidio Plaza on a beautiful Saturday morning.
What I saw was a group of ordinary American people, men, women, children, grandparents, parents, small groups of friends and solitary folks. Some wore the red t-shirts of the Tucson TEA Party and others the yellow Gadsden t-shirts with the coiled snake and the words “Don’t Tread on Me”. Some busily snapped photos and others watched as speakers spoke and the event progressed.
There were no slogans, chants or signs (although I have been to other Tucson TEA Party events where signs were present), just American and Gadsden flags flying on a gentle breeze. There were no tents and no furniture, not even so much as a camp chair was in sight to help ease the discomfort of standing on concrete for the aged. There was a table set up on one side of the plaza holding Tucson TEA Party t-shirts and buttons available in exchange for a modest donation. The table was staffed by two women smiling pleasantly and giving out information when someone asked for it. There was a small amount of sound equipment set up on the opposite side of the plaza from the table to help amplify what the speakers said. There was not a scarp of trash visible anywhere.
Local candidates from the Republican and Green parties spoke on the Tucson issues that are important to them and how they plan to approach those issues. Their subject matter centered on how they plan to support business and thus encourage job growth which our community needs badly. There was polite applause and also some mild heckling at the green Party mayoral candidate and that was as animated as things ever became. The only other excitement was when power to an outlet that the organizers had secured for use by permit was cut, leaving the speakers having to shout to be heard part of the time. A self-contained PA system was used the rest of the time.
Pretty sedate event, wouldn’t you say? Sounds like a gathering you wouldn’t mind attending with your kids in tow? Yes, that was pretty much it. No racism, no disparaging remarks against people of different economic classes, nothing of any sort like you’ve probably heard in the media, just the calm reality of ordinary citizens gathering to address their concerns about the future of their city, county, state and country.
