I have to say I've been kicked out of better places. Lots of them. As a Georgetown undergrad, my roommate and I were once tossed from a popular and swanky Irish bar. His repeated propositions to our sixty year-old server were finally beginning to work when they were overheard by the owner, who happened to be her husband. As we were tossed out, I decided to do a jig, but it was atop everyone's tables, where I kicked over drink after drink. Now, in addition to the owner, numerous patrons were after us, too. I can't remember how we actually got away without getting clobbered, but remember running my ass off.
We may have been drunk, but we were kids and could outrun the suits easily.
What's sad about this is that Murphy, my roommate, really loved that place. So we kept going back, even to the point of wearing disguises, but were caught every time.
Little did I know that this was only the beginning of me being kicked out of prominent places. In 1985, it culminated with me being kicked out of the lawyering profession. Drinking had something to do with that, too. Murphy went on to join the Foreign Service, where drinking is a prerequisite.
Last year, Northampton County Dems mounted an expulsion effort, too, trying to reverse the Will of the People. Even though I was duly elected as a committeeman in Nazareth with one write-in vote, party bosses were outraged and demanded that something be done about me before they elect their next Chair. Nothing came of it, but the party hierarchy decided to just stop sending me notices of their meetings. One of these days, I'm going to crash one.
Now, it's the Lehigh Valley Tea Party's turn. I didn't even know I was a member! Yesterday, I received a certified letter from them, informing me that I've been removed by a vote of 2/3 of their Executive Committee, for a violation of article 2.05 of their by-laws, "acts that could harm the reputation of the Organization."
These supposed defenders of our Bill of Rights love free speech, and hurl invective after invective at local, state and federal officials. Good for them. But it turns out they hate it when somebody holds them to their own standards. This is what they say in their Fatwa.
"Your blogs on March 9, 2010 'LV Tea Party Advocates Return to Old-Time Book Burnin'', March 23, 2010 'LV's Tea Party: Democracy Too Dangerous To Be Left to the People', April 6, 2010 'Joe Hilliard: Specter Slayer, Topples County Gov't with a Slice of Pizza' and finally February 26, 2011 piece 'Benol Forced Out as Chair of LV tea Party' are all examples of your unrelenting attacks on the Organization and it's [sic] leadership. The Board considers these blogs an attempt to smear, mock and divide the members of the Group in order to render our Organization ineffective, if not an attempt to destroy it."
Instead of worrying about a little criticism from a bottom-feeding blogger like moi, you'd think that Tea Party Queen Kim Schmidtner might be a little more concerned about the lack of dark faces at their monthly meetings. Or young faces. Or the occasional yamaka. This unwillingness to reach out might explain why the public is increasingly becoming disenchanted with the tea party.
In February, I told you that tea party chair Mat Benol was forced out by a cabal who could never come to grips with his endorsement of LV Congressman Charlie Dent last year. At the same time, Executive Board member Joe Hilliard is routinely huddling with GOP Bossman Wayne Woodman and elected official wannabe Scott Ott. Benol mentioned that himself in his resignation letter, which I have. My anonymous source, "Tipster," revealed here that Kim Schmidtner and Joe Hilliard were suspicious of everything Benol did, even to the point of refusing to share contact lists with him.
After my post about Benol, I received 8 emails from the Tea Party Mullah Joe Hilliard. Hilliard was blowing smoke well over a year ago about an "audit" he was doing of Lehigh County's 2009 budget. Although the budget is online, he insisted on filing Right-to-Know requests, and claimed his report would be out in a few weeks. Of course, he's still working on it. Hilliard explains, "[M]y ideas are usually a year or two ahead of the curve."
He also asked me to continue the criticism.
"I would encourage the coverage if you keep making fun of the effort. Make bold pronouncements that it won't get done. Ridicule the effort. Get it out there that such an effort will fizzle. Tell the public that only politicians have the answers. We would like the buzz..."
Last night, Northampton County Bulldog Ron Angle ran into Exec Board member Ronnie DelBacco, who was invisible when I tried to track him down as a witness in the Gracedale litigation.
"I hear you expelled O'Hare and he's not allowed within 300' of any tea party member."
DelBacco responded that the Executive Board is not allowed to discuss this matter. It's amazing that a group founded to protect individual liberties has no problem muzzling dissent.
What's funny about this is that, as a group, I actually like the LV Tea Party and have defended them. True, I've been highly critical of Schmidtner and Hilliard. But they are thin-skinned blowhards. I never had a problem with the rank-and-file.
Under the reasons given for my excommunication, shouldn't I be asking the group to expel Schmidtner and Hilliard? Haven't they committed "acts that could harm the reputation of the Organization." I do have a right to make an appeal to the general membership, and will exercise that right.
I suspect they'll pull out article 2.06 of their bylaws, which states, "Some animals are more equal than others."
That should be as much fun as dancing on the tables.
54 comments:
Your days of Georgetown and lawyering are distant memories. You are now a worthless POS, who gets off attacking decent people who actually do good things.
You deserve to be on the bottom feeding, it is your natural environment.
Oh Bernie,
Your selectivity is astounding.
Why don't you consider posting the following information from my emails when I corrected your (itentional) misstatements?
Feb 28, 2011: "My RTK was for a listing of each individual position in Lehigh County. There is nothing like that "on-line"."
March 5, 2011: "Wow, no clarification that Mat Benol stood in front of the group and stated rather clearly that he was not "forced out" and that there were no requests to ask him to resign and that it was completely voluntary? That he was NOT forced out?"
As for the "audit" - which it will not be - I will make sure to ask you for the schedule you prefer. I mean, we should meet your timeline for our work and presentation of ideas to reform the budget. Right?
Bernie,
I would be happy to supply you with a pdf copy of the RTK request. I can also supply the responses from the County which also specifies what I requested. You can then post this information with a clarification.
Or do you intentionally distort facts?
I have saved these comments and archived this page because I am sure that you seek the truth and would not make these go 'poof'.
Joe, last year, you stated your audit of the '09 budget would be done in a few weeks. Now, just when the hell are you going to get off your ass and actually do something instead of playing these goofy Machiavellian games? At the rate you're going, you'll be done with '09 in another 10 years or so. This is not the way to look at government finance.
As for your 3/5 email, I responded to you then and told you I have his resignation letter. I know exactly what happened and what jkind of bullies you are. You are thin-skinned, too.
Joe,
I am accurately reporting that you are lazy. You always claim to be doing this and doing that, and in the end, you do nothing. Years ago, I asked you to supply me with a list of the 30-odd Allentown employees that were put on the payroll by Pawlowski. That never happened. A year ago, your big audit of both counties was going to be released very soon. We're still waiting. But now that you've excommunicated me, you have no one who will hold your feet to the fire and make you be accountable, or at least honest.
But now your executive board (which is really you and Schmidtner) have shown yourselves as thin-skinned blowhards who can make all kinds of criticisms, but can't take any.
The First Amendment is wonderful, until somebody else exercises it.
I am serving notice on you now that I demand a hearing with your general membership, and at your earliest convenience.
I want your rank-and-file to know all about you.
"I have saved these comments and archived this page because I am sure that you seek the truth and would not make these go 'poof'."
Read my comments policy. So long as you can refrain from personal attacks, I don't delete. If it's directed at me, I don't delete unless it is vulgar. I have been fairly liberal in allowing comments here over my years as a blogger, and am much more interested in the truth than people like you, who excommunicate your critics.
Bernie,
Again, there is no "audit". Those are already done. What has been discussed is an "alternate budget" which will be a host of suggestions to save money for Lehigh County.
Second, you directly stated that I filed a RTK request for budget information that was available online. That is false. I have emailed you the pdf. Please clarify that your statement in totally incorrect.
Third, what "exactly happened" with Mat? He endorsed Dent LONG BEFORE he was elected to the board and the chair. I voted FOR Mat months AFTER he endorsed Dent.
Exactly how did we bully him? Thumbscrews before he stood in front of the group and stated that he was NOT forced out? Did we have electrodes on his genitalia with a finger on a button somewhere? Did we threaten his family or his personal safety? Your charge is ludicrous and unsubstantiated.
Any hearing would be about your false claims and shoddy "reporting". A posted comment on a blog site would not be considered proper notice. I suggest that a letter to the Executive Board might be a bit more professional and responsible.
1) The claim of an audit was your claim. It was made over a year ago, and was supposed to include both counties.
2) Much of the information you requested under the RTKL is available online.
3) You and Schmidtner propped Mat u to use him, but when he had his own ideas, you smacked him down. I have his resignation letter and know exactly what happened. Wht did you propose a rule banning the exec board from meeting elected officials? Why is it that you enforced it against Mat but not yourself or Ronnie DalBacco, who met with a slew of them last night?
4) Here's a small example of how you bullied him, courtesy of Tipster. "Joe somehow convinced Kim that Mat was trying to use the tea party to further his political carrer. Kim began to micro manage everything that Mat tried to do. Joe tried to keep telling Mat that he was in violation of the bylaws with every desicion that he made. For example with the media campaign was supposed to roll out after the new congress took office. We could not meet the deadline because Joe and Kim insisted that the board be involved in every step of the campaign. Mat originally asked the designer to come up 3-4 designs (he came back with 6) and it was supposed to be an up or down vote. However, Kim and Joe insisted that he was outside the bylaws. The board was innondated with emails, discussing what 'eyes' to use, what colors should be in the background, what font to use for the lettering, all to satisfy Joe's need to make sure we were in compliance with the bylaws. The board actually had to discuss whether or not blue eyes would be considered racist or not (look at the eyes that we have now). Joe and Kim pushed to make sure that every single element of the media campaign was voted on."
5. I will be asking for a hearing before the full membership. In writing. You are a member of the Exec Board. Actual notice trumps all other forms. Consider yourself notified. I look forward to discussing what you and Schmidtner did with the full membership, although I understand attendance is declining at every meeting.
You claim Joe says he will do something then doesn't. You call him lazy.
So far that has been the record of your buddy County Executive John Stoffa. He talks a good game but has accomplished nothing in over five years. Is he lazy as well?
Ahhhhhhhh......another organization that is finally realizing that Bernie O'hare distorts facts!!!!! Most things are distorted on this blog, especially when it comes to "Gracedale Goons", "Union Thugs" and what is going on with Gracedale. Now only if the Tea Party members would start seeing beyond what they are being told by Bernie O'hare, Ron Angle and Mr. Stoffa about Gracedale and try to understand the other side and analyze the real facts that would be a great thing and they may change their opinions about the sale!
dj
Your ancestors were kicked out of Ireland, as well. I'm sure you make them very proud.
hilliard/ohare= enough hot air to create a wind farm
I'll bet you defend the right of free association most days; not so much when a group chooses to associate with those who don't include you.
I've been kicked out of worse places by better people, too. But I'll vigorously defend their right to eject me, and you.
I don't want you in Girl Scouts, either. Perhaps you should type a similar screed about those little ...
Glad to see these people are wasting time writing purge letters to influential media and wasting money on militia-themed billboards instead of actually organizing. Figures that these wingnut Get Off My Lawn types are too paranoid to hold an organization together. The only surprise is that it took this long for the bunker mentality to creep in.
On 2/6/10, over a year ago, at the LVTP site, Hilliard stated, "I have the recent financial information for Lehigh County from my Right to Know request. I could use some help to sort through the data so we can complete our Lehigh County Financial Report. Once complete, we will release it to the public. Members of the committee will get a separate email,
but if you want to help, please contact me. I need help with the following:
1) Sorting through and categorizing the data.
2) Entering the data into a spreadsheet.
3) Graphing the data.
4) Analyzing the date for a detailed report.
5) Assembling the report per the state handbook guidelines.
6) TRIPLE check everything.
This will be the first comprehensive 'shot across the bow' for elected officials of both parties. They need to be held accountable before the next budget cycle.
Thanks,
Joe H."
Looks like Joe missed his deadline.
"Your ancestors were kicked out of Ireland, as well. I'm sure you make them very proud."
That's true.
You don't need these clown, they don't even know what they stand for to begin with, and when you point it out, YOU become the problem instead of them looking in and correcting whats wrong
good riddance to the fools that pose as dems by stealing the boston tea parties thunder
(and I know it stands for Taxed Enough Already)
I know I signed up to get on their web page and follow discussions, but had no idea I was a member. I wonder if I'm in the Communist party, too.
anyone who gets in a "who the hell cares" argument with Bernie O'hare proves beyond any doubt that they are a TRUE NUT CASE. The National Tea Party is a National embarrassment so why souldn't the local tea party be an embarrassment? Let's see what happens at the next election. Oh, and by the way Bernie, what did you mean by the phrase "not a dark face in the audience".
politics is a contact sport. Gotta love it.
"Oh, and by the way Bernie, what did you mean by the phrase 'not a dark face in the audience'."
You are quoting me as saying something I did not say. I mentioned there was a lack of dark faces in the audience, but never said that they were minority-free. There are some minorities in these audiences, but it is a very small amount, and I've seen no effort made to reach out and involve them. It's an observation I made the first time I attended a meeting.
I think it is kind of odd that a group whose appeal should be to the disenfranchised among us could attract so few members, although I have seen no evidence of racism.
this sounds more like a totalitarian regime intent on preserving its power and purity than an organization trying to protect individual rights and freedoms. Laughable. They won't be a force in the 2011 or 2012 elections.
I have saved these comments and archived this page because I am sure that you seek the truth and would not make these go 'poof'.
Blah blah blah. Who gives a shit?
I am serving notice on you now that I demand a hearing with your general membership, and at your earliest convenience.
I want your rank-and-file to know all about you.
I'll sign up with these maroons just to see this!
This will be the first comprehensive 'shot across the bow' for elected officials of both parties. They need to be held accountable before the next budget cycle.
These clowns have no clue about running a local government. They probably got overwhelmed once they realized it's a bit more complicated that running a neighborhood diner.
Get off my lawn!
Here is the problem I have with the local Tea Party organization: this movement was allegedly about fiscal responsibility. Now, if you go to their blog, they have had a weekly "sermon" every Sunday for the month of March (http://lvtp912.blogspot.com/2011/03/its-sunday-morning.html). Clearly, this is not what I might here in temple on Friday evening, or in the Mosque, but what I would hear on a Sunday morning in church.
So I would like Joe and Kim and everyone else involved in the Tea Party to just tell us the truth and admit that this is really just a far-right-wing organization that, like others, really has no interest in really fixing the problems we face, but instead are simply pushing a Rick Santorum-like agenda. And to be clear, to me this represents wanting to take away my rights to meet their moral agenda.
I mean,seriously, if these people were so against government spending, wouldn't we of heard about some of them - maybe just one - giving up their Medicare or Social Security? Oh that's right, they only want the part of government spending that they take advantage of.
David Flintlock
Wow. A weekly sermon? WTF.
I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members.
Groucho Marx
Seriously, I like and support what the core message of the Tea Party, but I can't stand the Tea Party. And the problem with the Tea Party is they fundamentally do not understand that they are insufferable. Hence, no young faces in the crowd.
The local Tea Party will collapse because of the likes of Joe and Kim. They have failed to move to the next level where they or members of the group actually get involved in the political process. They have not provided information on how to run a campaign nor have they encourage members to run.
If you do not like the political process and you do not want to support those who are doing what you want politicans to do, cut taxes and limit the power of government, I would suggest that you form a kniitting club.
Way to go, Bernie -- you're an equal opportunity offender! How many others can claim that title;)
PS. The skullcap worn by Jewish males at prayer is spelled "yarmulka" (or yarmulke)
Wow! Looks like Geeting and the others have been reading the Democrat talking points about attacking the Tea Party.
Of course "Baghdad Bob" Geeting and the others are correct, the Tea Party won't be a force in 2012 - just like they weren't in 2010 when so many big-government politicians got their clocks cleaned.
I'm sure no one in the Tea Party expected the battle to be over in one election. While there might be minor disagreements among members from time-to-time, I'm certain no one has lost sight of what the real problem is - big government and those who support it.
"While there might be minor disagreements among members from time-to-time, I'm certain no one has lost sight of what the real problem is - big government and those who support it."
Are you for real? Minor disagreements? I'm reading excommunication statements and what ammounts to a loyalty oath from a group that loves democracy so much that they will do all necessary to protect it: including squash the first amendment and burn the Declaration of Independance. Good grief, it sounds more like a parody of the Bush years. "You're either with us or you're against us." What next? What's legal is what we say is legal?
Seriously... "Baghdad Bob" Geeting? Are you going to call him a terrorist sympathizer too?
And nobody underestimated the Tea Party in 2010. What was under-estimated was the apathey of Democrats who turned out to vote in 2006 and 2008 but were too lazy to be bothered in 2010. Watch... the GOP candidate in 2012 will get fewer votes that McCain did in 2008. Why? B/c the GOP will either put forward a limp noodle (Romney/Pawlenty) or a fringe candidate that would make Goldwater look liberal and Reagan look like a commie.
The Tea Party is behaving as poorly as hard lefties were behaving in 2003/4. The result: Big Bush wins in 2004. If the Tea Party can figure out how to morph, it has a future, but I'm not putting my lunch on it.
I thought the tea party didn't really exist. They certainly are under the skin of lots of posters; yet the movement continues to grow.
Battle Cry of Freedom,
I think you are partially correct. To be effective a political movement needs to both move into the political system and then act to change government as they say they they will. Reality is most everyone who enters the system changes once elected. Just look at the new members of Congress who ran on getting rid of the new health care legislation and then complained that their health care benefits didn't start immediately. How quick some get to feel entitled!!!
The bigger problem with this group is that it is not, nor has it ever been a grassroots movement. The neo-cons have been a part of this from the beginning and have used big money to shape their message. And locally, you have Joe Hilliard involved in the leadership? Yeah,, he hasn't been involved in politics in the past.
I think it would be interesting to take a poll of the "active" local Tea Party members and ask the following questions:
1. Do you receive Social Security and/or Medicare benefits?
1a. If "yes," would you be willing to have these benefits reduced or not- increased in the future in order to reduce current government spending and the Federal Deficit?
1b. If "no," would you be willing to reduce or give up your future benefits in order to reduce the Federal Deficit?
3. Do you collect a pension from any government (Federal, State or local) or will you be eligible for future pension benefits? If "yes" would you be willing to have your benefits reduced to what they would be based on only your personal contributions to eliminate the burden on taxpayers?
2. Over the past 25 years, how many elections (including primaries)have you voted in that were not Presidential election years?
I have a strong feeling that most of the people involved, if answering honestly, would not give up any of their benefits.
And given that local elections typically have poor turnouts, many in the 10-20% range, I find it hard to believe that many of these now engaged Tea Party members have been paying attention for more than the last year or so.
To summarize, the problem is the Tea Party, on all levels, is not a grassroots organization, it has seasoned politicians sending a message that sounds good but doesn't work to people who have rarely paid attention.
Publius
"PS. The skullcap worn by Jewish males at prayer is spelled "yarmulka" (or yarmulke)"
'Slicha. I'm a stupid Gentile.
Hit the nail on the head anonymous 2:30pm!!!!
They're coming to get you Martha!
And by that I mean Kimmy S. and Joey H. with their arms out in front zombie-style!
The teabaggers are just a harmless bunch of conspiracy theory old coots.
They long for the 1950's, as long as they can collect their pensions, Social Security,Disability and Medicare.
Everyone else, stay off the grass.
Tommy C.
>>I have a strong feeling that most of the people involved, if answering honestly, would not give up any of their benefits.<<
Actually, there has been an poll and it was found that most T-party members would reject cuts to social security, medicare or education to cure the deficit:
http://theafricanamericanclarioncall.com/?p=3112
The T-Party is nothing but a group that has been funded to run a change message for the republican party. It's just that simple. We've seen this same phenomenon previously with the "religious right" on social issues. The T-Party is just the latest iteration of this sort of thing.
Most, if you question closely, can not support anything that they're supposedly complaining about with anything other than slogans and now that the mid-terms are over, I look for the republican establishment to ditch them pretty quickly just as they've done Sarah Palin.
Greg, I have something specific to the LV Tea Party that blows my mind. It will knock your socks off.
Am watching their standard bearer Rand Paul go down in flames for lying on fox news.
.
Mr. Geeting,
We are organizing in every neighborhood. In fact, we are not organizing fast enough as unions and leftist "community activists" are retreating faster.
Why does a leader in the SEIU admit that "unions are dead" and "community organizations are dead"? Why did ACORN have to disband? Why are Freddie and Fannie being disbanded? Where is Organizing for America? Why is George Soros scrambling back into the shadows?
Hmm. Perhaps because they are being killed by facts?
Good luck Mr. Geeting, and I look forward to battling with you in the public forum on issue after issue. When can we debate?
We are developing the EXACT same structure that the Left has used. And when we use facts, the Left loses time and time again.
Why? Because the Left loses on two basic premises. They ignore common sense and they rely on anger/envy. That is why the Left is rapidly dying.
Bernie,
You claim the we complained the Mat violated the bylaws.
Huh? Should we ignore our bylaws? Sorry, we are not a bunch of politicians who ignore rules for convenience.
By the way, you have been FULLY informed of the process per our bylaws of the appeal process due to your remove. Sorry, a post on a comment page does not qualify. As of today, you have about 3 weeks to mail a simple letter.
But, many of us are betting you won't. Because you are full of bluster and BS.
So again, follow our bylaws as we indicated to you and you will have a full appeal process. Set your own rules and standards and you won't have such an appeal.
Facts are facts. Bernieisms are Bernieisms.
Come on.... it's a simple letter...
>>Greg, I have something specific to the LV Tea Party that blows my mind. It will knock your socks off.<<
Bernie, that ought to be interesting to read and I look forward to it, but I must say that I'll probably not be overly shocked. Nothing shocks me anymore about the things that folks do.
From my perspective, the T-party is as I suggested--a movement that has been funded to run a change message for elements within the republican party and as such it has served to obfuscate the very real issues that face the nation. It's hard to have a reasoned discussion when charges of socialism rend the air.
The vast majority of the comments here reveal that people have seen through them and I think the fate of the T-party has been sealed. A year from now, they'll be in the same sort of status that Sarah Palin is in---not seen and not heard. They, like Palin, were created media entities whose continued usefulness is questionable now that the mid-terms are over. Again, mark my words--a year from now people will be saying "T-party who?".
This is what happens.
In 2012, the electorate will look back and see the effects of the drastic cuts to education and public services. They will see their children have even less opportunity in their schools and things their families counted on in the past will be gone. To top it off, taxes will be the same. A backlash is already brewing. The Tea Party becomes a detriment and Obama gets elected by an even wider margin than in 2008.
Reality is most everyone who enters the system changes once elected.
In most cases, reality strikes them hard in the face. Goofy teabagger talking points don't exist in the real world of 2011.
The T-Party is nothing but a group that has been funded to run a change message for the republican party. It's just that simple. We've seen this same phenomenon previously with the "religious right" on social issues. The T-Party is just the latest iteration of this sort of thing.
Right. They don't want to cut THEIR entitlements, just others whom they feel have not earned them. Namely, public workers, welfare recipients, single mothers programs like WIC, etc. All of these people are lazy and need to get jobs making widgets.
They don't want to cut defense either. So that leaves NPR and PBS and national parks and other niceties that have very little effect on the tax burden of normal Americans.
They are being used as a tool by corporate America to lower their tax rates, to lower expectation of worker compensation, and to reduce the tax burden of the wealthiest 1% to all time lows.
That is why the Left is rapidly dying.
You do know who the President of the United States is, right? The Senate is controlled by whom again.
You are downright delusional.
>>They are being used as a tool by corporate America to lower their tax rates, to lower expectation of worker compensation, and to reduce the tax burden of the wealthiest 1% to all time lows.<<
Exactly. An excellent series of points.
To David Flintlock,
I'm sorry to hear that the little sermonettes that I posted on my blog are upsetting you. That's too bad but quite frankly I'll post whatever I see fit to post on MY personal blog.
If you bothered to look around it a little you'll notice it's called the "UNofficial official blog" with a page explaining that title and the evolution of the blog:
http://lvtp912.blogspot.com/p/what-is-this.html
Obviously you fact check as well as Bernie does.
And just what exactly in those posts make them extreme right wing? Or is any mention of God, Christ, & the Bible automatically scary right wing to you? Why the prejudice?
And in regards to morality... really what isn't tied to morality? Not wanting to *significantly* reduce Social Security is a moral issue. And if a poll said we wanted it to be yanked away from the elderly you and Greg and whoever wouldn't be up in arms over that? Come on - whatever a poll might say could be used against us either way, that's obvious. Oh, unless we like the status quo...
We're against the status quo that refuses to do anything about the demographic crunch that SS is in. Go and stick your head in the sand with them and imagine you're on some high moral ground.
It's amazing to watch this twisted logic here, where the so called tools, fools, and creation of the R party are simultaneously accused of refusing to support anyone who contacts R leadership or personally endorses Republicans.
It's really pitiful to see people who simply want a better future for their children and grandchildren and not have it spent away by this generation being attacked like this. End of sermon.
Again Wayne, your group points out for the eleventh million time there is a fire in the kitchen and you don't like the way the firemen are handling it. Yet you never offer an alternative other than stop the fire.
So you are angry that politicians of both party screwed over the social security fund with their sticky fingers. Now what?
You scream piss and moan. You folks play holier than thou. When questioned on whether you would give up your social security, pensions or disability you scream you payed into it, and are entitled. No shit, that's what everyone says.
So how about less verbiage on the obvious and a little more substance on the how.
Maybe people would take your movement more seriously than just a place that goes from wacky(Palin) to just plain nutty(Bachmann).
Sister, Please!!
To the above poster... you're unsubstantiated claims are noted and please refrain from sticking your words in my mouth, I don't know where you had them last.
The administration won't even accept the modest proposals of it's own commission.
I'm not collecting SS.
I'm not saying take it away from people who are dependent on it now.
All we (I think most most Tea Party sort will agree) are asking is that something must be done to transition to a system that will work and remain solvent. But no matter what ANYBODY proposes there's a frantic scream and we're back to the deer in the spotlight response from politicians. Don't touch that!
So when I or anyone else suggests that a transition to personal accounts or some other idea should be considered we're called nuts. And if we don't point out alternative ideas you say there's no substance. Once again, thinking you can have it both ways because the main goal is to demonize.
So where is you're idea to fix Social Security?
Wayne,
A few points about "fact" checking.
1) My recitation concerning Carl Edwards is accurate and is confirmed by his own comments here.
2) Your principle #8 is what it is, and encourages the free expression of personal opinion, especially opinion that questions authority.
3) It would seem that your principle #8 should take priority over your bylaws.
4) You have unevenly applied your bylaws. My actions, which really are designed to improve the group, warrant excommunication. But Mr. Edwards can make bigoted comments on your site and nobody even notices, to say nothing of taking him to task. Moreover, I have learned that in prior instances, there were warnings. Another annoying little fact.
5) Do you really think that it is Joe Hilliard who exposed the kids for cash scheme in Luzerne? Isn't that just a tad nutty?
6) Don't you feel just a little ashamed that your group will try to slap down a critic, but do nothing about a bigot?
If you want to return to the Constitution, you might want to start with the Bill of Rights. And chief among these is the First Amendment.
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