Ruminations - 9jan2010

George Rebane

• Pat Butler’s Nevada City Advocate
• Tea Party Patriots lunch

Local cartoonist Robert Crabb’s iconic Nevada City Hall starship (nearby) gives a hint to the kwai loh as to how the city is viewed locally and with good reason.  My only nit with Crabb’s tag line is that Nevada City has already boldly gone to that nether land which swallows up regular towns without so much as a gurgle.  And continuing to amaze us all, there it operates as if the sun neither sets nor rises.

The city now has its own monthly newspaper, The Nevada City Advocate, published by Pat Butler, formerly editor of The Union.  Coming back from errands this morning, Jo Ann and I stopped at the Northridge for lunch and picked up a free copy at the door.  Perusing its coverage of local issues and broader matters left little doubt that the progressive side of the local political spectrum is well covered.  I think the newspaper reflects well the mood and values of its namesake town.

My only recommendation to Mr. Butler would be to provide more detail on the goings on in that art deco City Hall, along with an occasional peek at what is under the rug.  No matter how that coverage is brought to print, its entertainment value alone would be sure to increase circulation.  I wish him well.

The Nevada County chapter of the Tea Party Patriots held its first monthly(?) lunch at the Nevada County Contractors Association facility yesterday.  It was a very upbeat and well-attended (over 100) affair featuring Mark Meckler, an excellent speaker, talking about his recent trip to Washington on behalf of the TPP.  Mark’s report of his reception on the Hill underlined again the perception of our grassroots organization as being definitely not to the benefit of the leftwing.

TPP has leaned over backwards to make clear its non-partisan stance which is confirmed by the Republicans attempting to co-opt it (google the Tea Party Express affair), and the Democrats dithering between slandering and ignoring it (with remarkable success achieved on both counts).

Mark, with two TPP rightwing extremist colleagues in tow, marched up and down the congressional office buildings meeting with anyone and everyone who would talk to them.  The outcome was a bit lopsided – Republican staffs welcomed the little party of three, while the Democrats showed them the door.  Actually, Joe Lieberman’s chief of staff called the Capitol police to have them arrested for sitting quietly in the senator’s ante room and waiting perchance the busy senator would have a moment to receive them.  You’ll have to have Mark tell you how the situation resolved itself.

The national tea party movement openly espouses 1) fiscally responsible governments, 2) adherence to the Constitution, 3) smaller governments, 4) individual liberty, and 5) free markets.  The Republicans find in all this echoes of what they used to believe in, but the Democrats will have none of it.  What scares hell out of both parties is that across the land today 40% of the voters self-identify themselves as conservatives, and then you add to that those who call themselves independents.  It promises to be an invigorating year.

Finally, it occurred to me that one way to really drive home the TPP philosophy to people like NHS head Napolitano and the MSM is for all TPP members to always hold up a copy of the Constitution when they gather to make their point.  Several organizations like the Cato Institute and Heritage Foundation publish small booklet copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.  Seeing us all waving these radical documents in full public view will cinch it - I can hear Janet now, 'There, I told you they were radicals and extremists!  What more proof do you want?'

BTW, have you signed the ‘Citizen Power’ initiative petition yet?  If this gets on the ballot and passes, unions will not be able to extract funds from their members and contribute them to political causes against the members’ wishes.  For info call Tom Wiederhold 274-2420 or Stan Meckler 272-2808.

Comments

[Mark Meckler]

Thanks George...great article as usual. Appreciate the kudos.

[Steven Frisch]

I will love it if the Tea Party Patriots run candidates for the House and Senate in 2010 and for President in 2012. It would only make sense since they are independent of the Republican Party. Mark, will the Tea Party be seeking to institutionalize their movement by forming a political party, or will they be supporting candidates from the two major parties (or other parties)?

Just excited to see the Tea Party establish their status.

[Ellen Steele]

George,

Thanks for noting the difference between the Tea Party Patriots and the Tea Party Express, several of the local progressive bloggers cannot tell the difference. One blogger who prides himself in being in the know, thinks all tea bags are the same. Clueless dude!

[Steve Enos]

Hello Mr. Meckler and others. I'm letting folks know that Mark and I have exchanged a few emails over the last couple of days.

Mark, I await your reply to my last email, the email that asked you about campaign signs being distroyed in a past election. I will wait a little longer for your reply and I hope you respond to the quesiton I raised to you.

I think the incident in question I raised to you goes to the issues of honesty, free speech and following the law, qualities you profess to stand for. So I hope you send me a reply and an answer to the question I asked you so I can have your side of the story.

Mark, I hope to hear from you and look forward to your response.

[Steven Frisch]

I am wondering can't tell the difference between the Tea Party Patriots and the Tea Party Express? I think the distinction is clear. Who funds each group at what levels? Can we get copies of their 990's?

[Steven Frisch]

That should read "who can't tell the difference".

[clay barham]

Individual freedom, for 400 years, has proven far better than a few thousand years of tyranny, the rule of the few over the many. We have only to look at the Federal Government as an inept and corrupt center of organized crime to see how bad it will be to return to the Old World way. A new book, SAVE PEBBLE DROPPERS & PROSPERITY describes it, on claysamerica.com.

[Dixon Cruickshank]

Ah the two Steve's, always good entertainment

Frisch I guess it seems to matter to you, since the Unions fund everything else, not much to see there.

Enos - are you accusing Mr Meckler of tearing up a sign in your yard? otherwise how would he be involved -
I do see alot of that honesty and free speech stuff from Congress these days so its probably pertainent

[Steve Enos]

Ah Dixon... it's about a guy that was caught tearing down campaign signs on election day a few elections ago. A person that would do that and violate the law and anothers right of free speach should be careful of what they say they stand for.

I still await Mr. Meckler's response to my last email to him or he could post here about what took place and if he was involved.

Dixon, would you support the actions of a person that tresspassed and tore down election signs?

[Dixon Cruickshank]

Absolutely if they were for my Congress women Kathey Castor - she hasn't missed a stupid vote yet and was one of only 81 of the 535 - Reps and Senators to support continued funding for Acorn. To say she is an Arbuckle on the Ass of Progess is being nice, she is a menace to sociaity. I might even chip in for gas money LOL

[RL Crabb]

George,

Thanks for the plug. Nevada City may have its head in the clouds, but as an observer for more than thirty years I'll have to say the old town hasn't done too badly for itself. The best thing NC has going for it is its proximity to Grass Valley, which allows it to reject all those ugly industries essential to most communities. (Who needs a K-Mart when you can just drive over the hill?)

I can't complain though. I've made a living off Nevada City politics for decades.

[George Rebane]

My pleasure Robert, you are one of our county's living treasures. Keep up the great doodling and noodling, your work speaks to and for all of us.

[Steve Enos]

Still no response from Stan Meckler, the Tea Party leader.

I am providing Mr. Meckler the opportunity to respond to the incident of a guy that was caught tearing down campaign signs on election day a few elections ago. A person that would do that, violate the law, violate anothers right of free speach and violate private property rights to do so should be careful of what they say they stand for.

It would be nice if Mr. Meckler would reply to this and let us all know if he knows anything about this incident.

[George Rebane]

Steve, I'm not sure where you're going with this online investigation, but here's the URL to the NC TPP website page that invites you to email the group's organizer (Stan).

http://teapartypatriots.org/Group/Nevada_County_Tea_Party_Patriots

[Steve Enos]

Thanks George, but very recently I have had email exchanges between Mr. Meckler and myself via that website. Mr. Meckler and I exchanged a few emails about the Tea Party and when I asked him about the campaign sign issue Mr. Meckler stopped emailing and failed to respond. Mr. Meckler did post here, thus my using this as an opportunty to ask him again to respond about this issue.

Mr. Meckler has failed to respond to me about this issue. I await Mr. Mecklers response and will keep you posted.

[George Rebane]

Steve, I share your concern (anger?) about the violation of legally posted election signs. I consider all aspects of voting in a democracy to be sacrosanct, as I suspect you also do. Our property fronts on Cement Hill Rd in an ideal location for such signs. During every election that we have lived here, we have posted signs and have had at least one, sometimes all, removed. The sheriff's response has been 'BFD, we have more important stuff to do.'

[Steve Enos]

This is an issue we share. No one has the right to tresspass and violate anothers protected freespeech, regardless of party or message.

I await Mr. Mecklers response and will keep you posted.