Special Interests and Modern Tyranny!

Special Interests and Modern Tyranny!

Greetings All,

I watched Glenn Beck last night (Wednesday, August 11) and listened to him talk about the new stimulus bill that has “no name.” This bill is essentially a multi-billion dollar bailout for public sector unions. I was struck by the memory of Barack Obama campaigning on how he was going to, “stand up to the special interests.”

Yes, stand up and embrace them.

Folks, I can’t name a president who has ever been more involved in promoting the agendas of special interests in our nation’s history than Barack Obama.

Further, he and his progressive cronies in Congress, continue to aggressively promote special interest agendas without a single concern for the damage they do to our republic or our liberty.

It is a travesty to behold.

Someone recently loaned me a book entitled, The Case Against Barack Obama (2008 David Freddoso, National Review Online). It was released during the 2008 presidential campaign and, in part, it covers the narrative of Obama in Illinois and his rise to political prominence there.

In Chapter 5 of the book, there is a story that about knocked me out of my chair! It relates to, then Senator Obama’s, visit in 2005 to Thorton Township High School in south Chicago. In Obama’s book, The Audacity of Hope, he also makes a reference to this “youth town hall visit.”

As the story goes, the school did not have enough money for many basic necessities. Additionally, the school district – so starved by low funding – could not afford to keep teachers working through full school days. In fact, the school was letting out every day at 1:30 in the afternoon. Not enough computers, not enough time to teach, no foreign language classes, no science lab – all due to a lack of funding.

A sad story, right? How could anyone justify leaving kids in a poor school district in such dire straits?

But, wait…

Turns out, there’s more to the story. The average teacher in the “poor” Thorton district at the time was making over $83,000 a year. Not to mention benefits, a future pension, summers off, paid holidays and now – getting to go home at 1:30 in the afternoon!

What’s more – over 25% of the teachers in that very district were making in excess of $100,000 a year in 2005! All while, Chicago public schools were spending roughly $10,550 per year, per student on education.

Could Obama come out and criticize the teachers union for its excesses that were leading to the detriment of the students and the taxpayers?

Not a chance.

Later, Barack Obama would instead be endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union for president.

According to Freddoso, the union, “is his ally, his endorser, his donor, his supporter. He is committed to the union, not necessarily to the issue of education.” (pp. 82, The Case Against Barack Obama).

Accountability for a Change

I can’t tell you how tired I am of hearing emotionally charged arguments about “crumbling schools” and how it’s my fault for not contributing enough. These people have taken advantage of us all for far too long. It really is time for a change.

It is going to take principled, liberty-rooted statesmen and women to steer our course away from inevitable disaster. We must all do our part to help develop a coalition of voters that is strong enough to support such representatives.

As such, we are working on our plan to “get out the vote” this November. This key initiative requires reaching out to like-minded voters in our neighborhoods and seeing that they vote this Fall.

As we have mentioned – turnout is key. We need enough votes in the southern half of Ohio to counterweigh the more “progressive leaning” northern half of our state.

Four Things You Can Do Right Now to Help Protect Your Liberty!

(1). If you haven’t done so yet, go to the Board of Elections website (http://www.clermontelections.org/), or call them at 513-732-7275, and find out what voter precinct you live in. We will be formulating “precinct teams” and “precinct lists” so we can connect with like minded voters in as many precincts as possible before November 2. You’ll need to know what precinct you are in so you can help reach out to your neighbors!

(2). Get in touch with your liberty minded friends and encourage them to sign up for our email list at: http://www.clermontteaparty.org Forward them this email! We need to keep growing our group even beyond this election if we are to establish a substantial enough voting coalition.

(3). Plan to attend the 5000 Year Leap Class next Wednesday, August 18 from 6-9pm in the Union Township Civic Center on Aicholtz Rd. Learn as much as you can about the principles of your liberty so you can better protect it from being threatened.

(4). Mark your calendar for our next countywide Clermont Tea Party meeting: 7pm, Tuesday – September 7 at the Holiday Inn Eastgate. Make it a goal to bring a friend or two along with you!

Other Important Upcoming Events!

Saturday, August 21, 2010 – John Kasich Rally. Learn more about John Kasich, candidate for Governor of Ohio. Sharonville Convention Center, 11355 Chester Rd. – Doors open at 11:30am. Be an informed voter – come and hear what this candidate has to say.

Saturday, September 4, 2010 – Friends of Liberty Day at Kings Island. You all work so hard year round, that we think it’s time we did something fun with our families for a change. So….how about a day at Kings Island Amusement Park for all the Friends of Liberty! For details, check the　website: http://www.visitkingsisland.com/liberty

September 10 – 12. The Clermont County Tea Party will have a booth at the Taste of Clermont at Eastgate Mall.　The booth will be open Friday, Sept.10 from 5 pm-9pm, Saturday, Sept. 11 from 11am-9 pm and Sunday, Sept 12 from noon-7 pm.　Anyone interested in volunteering for the booth should contact Karen Pointer at: karen-pointer@hotmail.com or 752-8754. We need volunteers to work in 2 hour shifts, if possible.

Clermont Tea Party

“Fiscal Responsibility, Limited Government and Free Markets.”

“But where say some is the King of America? I’ll tell you Friend, he reigns above, and doth not make havoc of mankind…Let it be brought forth placed on the divine law, the word of God; let a crown be placed thereon, by which the world may know…that in America THE LAW IS KING.” Thomas Paine

“The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time… Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep forever.” Thomas Jefferson