Tea'd Off Lapeer

Michigan Senate Leadership adopts Pelosi style method of moving bills.

2011-11-23T22:47:00.000-08:00

On November 10th, the Michigan Senate moved SB693 to the floor, suspended rules for the third reading and voted for approval, sending the bill to the House.

This bill establishes a medical insurance exchange in support of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) also known as 'Obamacare' in popular parlance among conservative citizens.

A group of Tea Party leaders had been invited to Lansing on Nov. 8th by Senators Marleau and Meekhof for a briefing on the bill since there had been much resistance to the bill by Tea Party and other conservative activists. At that meeting we were assured that many 'sun-set' provisions had been built in and that a lot of work had been done to make it the best bill possible.

We were told that it was important to get the bill passed and the work started in order to obtain approximately $10 million from the federal government to support the development. We reminded them that $4 million would be borrowed money, to be paid back by our grandchildren and the other $6 million is not free money, but out of our pockets, and comes back after the federal government takes its cut.

We were not told that the bill was to be moved two days later. We left after expressing our misgivings about the bill as we had currently understood it and urged them to not do anything to jeopardize AG Schuette's law suit against the ACA in federal courts and to drag their feet and vote it out only when it absolutely had to move.

We went home and started contacting Tea Party members and our local senators. On the morning of the 10th, one of the area senators responded to a query that the bill was not on the docket for that day; and then found out that it indeed was. The Tea Party cyber space was abuzz that morning and a few Tea Party leaders were in the gallery and witnessed Senator Colbeck withdraw his sponsorship of the bill as what was about to be voted on did not contain any of the items he had promised his constituents and others across the state.

It seems that the bill was being moved at the behest of the Governor through Senator Richardville. Most of our local area senators stood with Senator Patrick Colbeck and voted against the bill.

If you viewed the video that I had sent out earlier, of Speaker Bolger's interview on OTR, you will see that the bill is 'safely' in the House at this time. (Watch here).

At the Alliance meeting this past Saturday it was decided that we would unite to replace the senators who put the Republican Party and the desires of the power structure within Lansing before the desires of the citizens. Those actions are outlined in the following Press Release: 693%20Presser.pdf

A Proud Patriot

2010-07-06T05:14:00.000-07:00

We attended the 4th of July Parade in North Branch. This was the first time we had spent the 4th there and did not know what to expect. Lonnie rode the float and I held a sign and walked alongside. The float went up the hill from the school parking lot and then made the left had turn to start into the parade. There were about 15 Patriots riding the float and a half dozen walking. The float itself was beautiful, covered everywhere with red-white-blue matting on the floor, similar colored but smooth material on the sides, flags all around the edges, banners and signs spouting from everywhere, and a huge Lapeer County Tea Party Patriots sign on the back. There were even cushions on top of the hay in the center for seating. I have to exclaim that the good folks who made this float went far, far beyond any expectations we had. It looked professional, obviously had hours and hours of work into it and was one of the sharpest if not the best in the parade. The sound system was set up playing Patriotic songs by Lee Greenwood, other known artists and simply most of the songs Americans know so well and are so proud to sign at out national holiday.

Did I mention we made the left hand turn to start the parade. With flags flying and songs playing, we turned and headed down North Branch's main street. What then happened was nothing short of amazing. People along the parade route on both sides not only started clapping, they started cheering, giving thumbs up and yelling out encouragements. They shouted 'we are with you', 'good for you', 'right on' and many other sounds of support. But wait, there's more. A high percent of them not standing rose to cheer us on. This parade is many blocks long and as we proceeded, group after group rose in acclamation. There is even more. On several occasions, men in military uniform stopped and saluted us-completely unexpected and totally amazing. All of the Patriots walking and riding were touched, many of us choking back tears. If this is main stream America, they are with us. It raises hope to think that so many many of the crowd felt so strongly of the values and principles we believe in. They were there showing not only agreement but that they too have hope for the future. The crowd many times said wait til November. They were sincere and I think all of us were so uplifted by the wonderful reaction they gave us.

Lonnie and I have been blessed when we have gone to Tea Party events. Our first major one was April 15th 2009 in Lansing. Joe the Plumber was there along with over 5000 Patriots. People were upset but still polite. Last fall we did go to the 9/12 march in Washington DC. Well over a million people, absolutely no incidents and incredibly no trash either. A lot of prayer, Patriotic songs and speeches, people who simply cared for this country. Our next major event was last winter at Glen Beck's Plan for America speech at the Villages in Florida. 50000 people in a town square and again feelings of pride that so many cared and shared their love of country. Let us tell you, the same pride and in many ways even more rose in our hearts at the North Branch Parade as this was what our group, the Lapeer County Tea Party Patriots accomplished. What we are doing is right and we are getting the support of the people. If you were not there, Patriots, draw from these words encouragement and faith that America gets it; they are with us and they will remember in November. We don't know if there is any video of our float in this parade, we hope so as words cannot reflect the feelings the crowd gave to these Patriots who were there. God Bless.

Larry & Lonnie Leidlein

Congress Will Bankrupt States and Local Municpalities

2010-04-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

S3194 / H.R. 413

Our elected leaders are bound and determined to turn our states and municipality into a dependent drug addict and the drug of choice will be continued government bailouts. Read the following excerpts from Red State.org article. Here in Lapeer County as we are looking at cutting over $500,000 from the current budget, and another $1,000,000 in the fall for next years budget this could further impact the nations 11th most stressed county in the nation.

On Tuesday, in another payback to union bosses, Harry Reid re-introduced The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act to mandate collective bargaining for public safety workers in all 50 states.

The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act is a bill that has lingered in Congress for several years and had previously enjoyed bi-partisan support in the House. The bill is written to require states, counties and municipalities to recognize and bargain with unions on behalf of all police, firefighters, as well as EMS workers, irrespective of their current state laws.

As states, cities, and many municipalities go broke, many due to the wage, benefit and pension packages negotiated by public-sector unions, the PSEECA is an intrusion on states’s rights, as well as another unfunded mandate from the federal government which could push several states over the fiscal edge.

As the Heritage Foundation noted last year:

The act would impose a substantial unfunded mandate on state and local governments.

Without providing financing for the mandate, the act will force these governments to either cut services or raise taxes.

S.3194 — without consideration for state or local laws — would:

Grant every police officer, firefighter and emergency medical technician at the state or local level the right to form and join a labor union;
Direct local governments to recognize the employees’ labor union;
Require cities and towns to collectively bargain over hours, wages, and the terms and conditions of employment other than pensions;
Require states and municipal governments to establish an impasse resolution process;
Require that state courts enforce the rights established by this mandatory collective bargaining bill; and
Direct every state – even if it currently recognizes employee collective bargaining rights – to conform to federal regulations around mandatory collective bargaining within two years of the bill’s effective date and without regard to state or local laws.

What can you do? Call you U.S. Congressional representatives and let them know how you feel. Our local governments can not afford more unfunded mandates when we cant pay our bills now. The time for action is now.

Read the entire article below

URGENT: When States Can Least Afford It, Congress Working to Force Unions on States, Cities and Towns

Listen as leaders describe what this bill will do if passed into law.

Tea Party One Year Later

2010-03-01T11:36:00.000-08:00

Dear Patriots,

February 27, 2010 was the one year anniversary of the Tea Party movement. While the Lapeer County Tea Party Patriots didn't get started until April, the very first events took place on this day at a few locations around the country. I don't think those courageous first organizers could have envisioned what would happen about 6 weeks later on "Tax Day", and in turn, I know those early organizers did not think it was possible for the events of the following several months to ensue.Harkening from its roots back to the "original" Tea Party in Boston in 1773, I wonder if those individuals had any idea of what the impact of throwing some tea over board would do either. Perhaps that is part of what makes some events truly powerful--they are not contrived with an agenda. Rather they are born out of true passion, a committment to principle, and dedication of individuals.

When we look back over the past 12 months, we can take encouragement in what can be done, strength for the future, and hope for fulfillment of that which burns deep within each of us patriots--a preserved United States of America that is the likeness of what our forefathers established. By April 15th, an estimated 850 tea parties were held with hundreds of thousands of people attending. These continued over the summer. As healthcare became a prominent issue, townhalls were held around the country. Congress was sent home for the August break bewildered by not having been able to pass their nationalized healthcare bill because the people had spoken. This has continued to be stalled some 6 months later. Cap and Trade was stopped. Outcomes of elections have been changed. The spotlight has been shone on some of Lansing and Washington's unprincipled actions. Budgets and deficits have been analyzed. Politicians have been put on notice that this election cycle will be handled differently. All because people--ordinary, God fearing, USA loving, Americans--stood up and said they would not sit idly by anymore while thier country was pillaged and bankrupted and future generations were left with nothing that resembled the country founded back in 1776.

What started as a few "events" has evolved into a "movement". This is a movement that is garnering local and national media attention almost daily. Richard A. Viguerie recently said on Conservative HQ.com

In just one year, the Tea Party has become the fastest-growing political movement perhaps in history. It is getting bigger by the day, and efforts by the political and media establishment to denigrate it merely fuel it.

Joseph Farah summed it up accurately when he wrote for WorldNetDaily on February 22, 2010. He said that the tea party movement is more than defensiveness and rejection as some have characterized it. Instead, it is a recommittment by tens of millions of Americans to the US Constitution and the vision of it's founders.

Admittedly, there are many that do not get the Tea Party movement. The political parties are left trying to figure out how to factor in the "tea party people" as they prepare for this year's elections. Liberal media are baffled by the number of people waking up to the fact that often "news" is more propaganda than factual reporting. And elected officials are not used to having to contend with such large numbers of constituents expressing thier views about so many issues. Just last week Valerie Jarrett, one of President Obama's top advisors, expressed her belief about the tea party movement during a speech. She stated that it is "anti government" and thrives on scare tactics. Perhaps most interesting though were her comments that tea party people were like those that initially rejected computers and technological advancement. They lacked understanding. Her suggestion was that the administration needs to find a "simpler" way to communicate with those of us in the tea party movement that just do not understand.

That is OK. We know who we are. We know what we are fighting for. We have proven in one year what can be done when people unite and act based on integrity, principle, and sincerity. We in the tea party movement seek the truth and it is that truth that has led us to this point. We believe in the truth that our country has a guiding document, The Constitution, which needs to be adhered to. Within that document it is established that we are a country founded on Judeo Christian priciples. Our government is to be limited in its scope. We will operate best within a system of a free market and our elected officials are representatives of the people.

If we stick to those truths, we will not only endure, but we will see change. Change that will bring our country back from the brink of disaster and destruction.

So party on, fellow tea partiers! The party has only just begun!

Danette Starr Lowery

Lapeer County Tea Party Patriots

Lapeer County Tea Party Patriots Whats New?

2010-02-16T10:33:00.000-08:00

Dear New Patriots,

If you are receiving our email for the first time, we apologize for the possible delay you have experienced in receiving communication from us. We value each person that shows an interest in participating with the Lapeer County Tea Party Patriots. Unfortunately, we were experiencing technical difficulties for a period of time at the end of 2009. During that time, some of our new contact information was not able to be handled by our old server. It did not come to our attention until a few days ago that some email contacts had not been added to our list when the new server was set up. These contacts have now been added. We welcome your participation and hope that you still desire to be part of our email distribution list. If this is not the case, you will find an "unsubscribe" button at the bottom of this email.

We welcome you as new members to our organization and hope that you will choose to avail yourself of some of the resources that we have. Our website is www.lapeerteaparty.org. Many resources are available on the site. One of these is the ability to download past meetings. Now if you mess a meeting, you can to to our site, download, and heat what happened and what was discussed. Just go to the links page on our website and hear what is new. On the first Tuesday of each month, we have a regular meeting at 7p.m. at Maple Grove Church at 148 Maple Grove Rd., Lapeer, MI. This is open to the public and we hope that you will join us on March 2nd for our next meeting!

The Tea Party "movement" is not yet a year old and we have already witnessed a ground swell of people all over the county--and indeed the country--that have stood up and said, "Enough is enough. We want this country to return to the principles it was founded on." That message will continue to be heard as we go through this election year. So, raise your voice, hold the banner of truth high and join the company of your fellow Patriots!

Sincerely,

The Lapeer County Tea Party Patriots

New Information

At our last meeting we made an appeal for funds to purchase a printer to help with all of our literature production. We are happy and grateful to announce that we received enough in donations to purchase the needed printer! We are so grateful for your generosity. One of our primary goals is to provide information to the community. this will assist us in meeting this goal. Thank you for helping in this important cause through the sharing of your financial resources.

Another one of our goals is to impact elected offices from the local through the federal level. At our meeting in February, we shared information about running for school board positions. It is our understanding that no one in the Dryden School District has put their name on the ballot for the open seat on the school board. This is an important place where conservatives can start to have a positive impact on their community. If you live in that district, or know of someone that does, please consider running as a write in candidate and we will work with you to get your name some recognition before election day. This is an important position that needs to be filled if we are serious about changing the way government is being operated at the local level.

Our next monthly meeting will be March 2nd at 7p.m. at Maple Grove Church in Lapeer. Our speaker will be Jim Keena. He will be speaking to us about ACORN and the involvement our government has with this organization. Please be sure to attend this meeting and learn more about this important topic. We think you will be surprised!

Honor the Constitution Rally

If you feel like getting out in the fresh air and letting those in Washington and Lansing know that you are still here, there will be a rally held on Feb 27th. The Southeast Michigan 9.12 Project is hosting this event at 2p.m. at the southeast corner of Big Beaver and Coolidge at the Somerset Mall in Troy. You are encouraged to park in one of the parking structures.

BIG LABOR AND BIG DEALS

2010-01-18T08:48:00.001-08:00

BIG LABOR AND BIG DEALS

By all accounts, this should be a BIG week for our country. The special election in Massachusetts on Tuesday, Jan. 19th, to fill the former Senator Ted Kennedy's seat for US Senate could be a defining moment in our nation's history. What was once considered a solid Democratic seat is now embroiled in a heated contest with the Republican candidate, Scott Brown, within closing distance in this race. Also of importance is the healthcare bill being crafted behind closed doors in our halls of Congress. Both issues become linked as we all watch with baited breath.

The Senate race in Massachusetts has significance for a few key reasons. One could be considered a temperature gauge of where the country is at politically. For a race in this district in Massachusetts to even be this close speaks volumes. That in itself spells victory for those of us trying to raise the country's awareness of the fiscal irresponsibility, lack of accountability and unprecedented growth of our government. It is working. If Congress isn't listening yet, people that elect them are. Score one for the tea party movement! A second reason for it's importance is the looming healthcare legislation that will be rolled out any day. If Scott Brown wins this race, he has said that he will oppose the current healthcare reform legislation. This could end the socialist agenda that is currently being cooked up behind closed doors and will be forced down our throats like very bitter medicine if it is passed. If you know anyone in Massachusetts, please contact them and remind them to vote tomorrow! Every vote is going to matter as it is anticipated that this election will be very close. Watch the returns come in for this very important election on Tuesday night and the possibilities it may hold for out battle against this current out of control congress.

The healthcare bill that is being "reconciled" by the congressional leadership in DC, is growing in its degree of stench each day. Last week started with the labor unions opposing the attempts at "reform" because of a 40% excise tax that was going to be applied to high priced health insurance premiums. This was of significance to them because they would be paying this tax for the types of insurance they provide for their employees. It is also one of the key ways designed to fund the $1 trillion healthcare plan. By the week's end, closed door meetings had been held, more deals had been negotiated and Big Labor's support had been won--with the rest of the 92% of Americans that are not union workers left to subsidize the unions. It is amazing what a little wheeling and dealing can do when you operate with NO integrity.

What this means is that union members will be exempt from paying the 40% excise tax on insurance premiums that are considered "high priced" or "Cadillac". In order to make up the money that was suppose to be gained from these taxes, the "solution" is to apply the Medicare payroll tax to capitol gains and to dividends and other forms of investment income. This will hit the nation's seniors the hardest since dividend and interest income can make up a large part of their income. It will also hit hard on non-unionized businesses, especially small businesses that already provide good healthcare coverage to their employees.

This whole concept runs along the same vein of corruption that came from the crafting of the "Cornhusker Kickback" in order to get Senator Nelson of Nebraska to vote for the passage of the healthcare bill in the Senate. The whole process has become one of paying off one group or one individual in order to win their support for the passage of this monstrosity of a piece of legislation. Support is not "won", it is bought at the expense of others for the good of a few. This is not how our founding fathers envisioned the governing of this county. Votes for legislation should be based on integrity, representation of the people, and foremost, the rule of the constitution. The concept is not that we oppose Big Labor or Nebraskans. We oppose the secrecy, utter disdain for the constitution, and lack of representation of all viewpoints at the table in constructing this bill. We oppose the personal gain of those constructing the final product while they try to tell us that their endeavors are for the moral and humanitarian good of some Americans. It all wreaks of a stench reminiscent of a barnyard. Even that is more genuine because it is the result of a legitimate process.

While the stench of the backroom deals in DC is sickening, the spirit of the people fighting against this has only been strengthened. We have not given up and we will not give up. If this legislation makes its way back to the House, there are a few weak links. That is where the focus is going to be in order to defeat the legislation. If three House votes are turned, the bill could go down in defeat. The two issues that provide the most disagreement are abortion funding and the public option. As you are probably aware, the senate version of healthcare reform did not include the same language to protect against federal funding of abortion that the House bill did under the "Stupak Amendment". Here in Michigan, we have the chance to address that issue.

Both Representatives Kildee (5th District) and Stupak (1st District) have struggled with the federal funding of abortion under healthcare reform. We need to let them hear from us. Even though you may not be a member of their district, you are a resident of their state and their vote will impact you and all Americans. If you do not want your tax dollars being spent to pay for abortion, let them hear from you now and encourage them to vote against this type of healthcare reform. If they stay true to their word, their vote against the legislation could spell victory. Contact them and keep contacting them to let them know you are expecting them to stay true to their word. Information on how to reach them can be found below.

Big Labor and big deals might have been the focus of last week in the crafting of the healthcare legislation, but our members of Congress are just starting to recognize the Big Spirit and Big Determination of Americans. That is going to become a very big deal to them as constituents head to the polls all over America in November. We are sick and tired of stinking deals coming out of Washington and we have our shovels ready.

Danette Starr Lowery

Lapeer County Tea Party Patriots

Where We've Been and Where We're Going

2010-01-03T19:51:00.000-08:00

Dear Patriots,

At the beginning of 2009, I wonder how many people would have given a definition of "tea party" other than"a group of people getting together to sip tea and eat crumpets". You might have had a few that threw in something about a historical event in Boston, but that probably would have been the extent of it. What a difference twelve months makes. Now you have entire organizations with that name, can find news stories on the topic, and have politicians wondering what to do with people calling themselves "tea partiers".

It is remarkable to look back and see the impact the tea party movement has had on our country since its inception just 11 months ago. Here in Lapeer County, the idea didn't catch on until April when I decided to plan an April 15th Tax Day Tea Party. Never in a million years could I have imagined that 650 people would turn out in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday to express their growing frustration with our government. Also, little could I have imagined that what I was planning as a one hour event would turn into an organization and become part of a national movement.

In May a group of people came together that expressed a desire to me to do something beyond having a one day event. From that a group of about 20 faithful patriots began meeting and forming what came to be known as the Lapeer County Tea Party Patriots. Four dedicated people stepped out on a limb and signed their names to paperwork so that we could form an LLC to make us a legally recognized organization. Those individuals are Bill Gavette, Bill Gupton, Joyce Korson, and Bob Murphy. They have devoted countless hours to getting this organization up and running. Their dedication is nothing short of amazing. Without them, this group could never have gone forward. ALL of the individuals that worked so hard to get this group off the ground are worthy of thanks for their commitment to their country.

Following is a list of just some of the things we were able to accomplish in 2009.

July 4th Tea Party Rally with over 300 people

Marched in the North Branch Days Parade and the Blueberry Festival Parade

Had information booths at the Eastern Michigan Fair, Lapeer Days and Woods N Water Events

Held a Healthcare Town Hall Forum with over 400 people

Added almost 500 people to our email contact list

Set up a website with over 4,000 hits so far

Established monthly meetings the first Tuesday of the month at Maple Grove Church in Lapeer

In addition to these things, countless phone calls have been made, emails have been sent, letters have been mailed and visits have taken place at elected official's offices. The national movement has taken the country by storm and has gained local and national media attention.

Indeed, I think that we are making our mark in the history books. WE HAVE accomplished a lot in 2009. The exciting thing is that we have EVEN MORE to do in 2010.

These are just a few of the things that we have planned for 2010:

April 15th Tax Day Tea Party Rally

May 4th Veteran's Recognition Event

Participation with other state Liberty groups in a gubernatorial candidate town hall

Education on candidates for office for 2010

Working to ensure fiscally responsible, constitutionally minded candidates are elected in November

Continuation of monthly meetings

The past year has shown what can be accomplished when people are silent no more. There is much work to be done as we reclaim this country from the tentacles of the liberals that wish to destroy it's very foundation. By working together, we can affect change. The old saying, "united we stand, divided we fall" is so very true. We are excited to embark on this new year and all that we have to do. Thank you for participating in this historic movement and we welcome your continued involvement in the months to come. 2010--Our Chance for Change.

May God bless America.

Danette Starr Lowery

Lapeer County Tea Party Patriots

DC House Call

2009-11-06T19:27:00.001-08:00

On Thursday, November 5th, tens of thousands of citizens of this great country went to Washington D.C. to lobby our Congressional members in the U.S. House. They went to send a clear message to all those serving. Danette Lowery was one of the folks who made the trip. On behalf of all the members of the Lapeer County Tea Party Patriots, we thank her and salute her for making the trip and speaking with our Michigan delegation. The following is some of what she experienced while in D.C. Thanks Danette!!

Fellow Patriots,

Many of you know that I was able to travel to Washington DC for yesterday's House Call Rally. I wanted to give you an update on the trip. First of all two nights on a bus trying to sleep is quite the experience! That aside, the trip was AWESOME! I have heard people report that about 50,000 people were there, although police that we talked to estimated it was around 100,000. All that I know is that it was A LOT of people. The most moving moment was standing in front of the Capitol singing the National Anthem with tons and tons of people! How inspiring!

Candice Miller did a great job of holding a meeting with us at the Library of Congress. The rally was great--a special highlight was hearing/seeing Mark Levin. But perhaps the most interesting was my meetings at Senators Levin and Stabenow's offices.

When we arrived at Sen. Levin's office and asked if he could meet with us we were told that he was "not available". We did, however, have a chance encounter with one of his top legislative assistants. It was an amazing experience! She started by saying she couldn't believe what she was hearing--how could we protest a healthcare reform bill that provided medical coverage because people that don't have health insurance are dying because of it. She said we have been told lies about what is in the bill and obviously we had believed the lies. She tried to "educate us on the legislative process because we obviously don't understand how it works" (her words, not mine) I explained how I had requested meetings with the Senator and invited him to our healthcare forum and asked her to please tell me how to get a meeting with Mr. Levin. Her response was that he doesn't need to meet with us! He "knows" how we feel because he reads the newspapers and listens to the radio!

However, the absolute shocker from the conversation was after I stated that I felt it was unconstitutional for universal health care to be provided for all Americans. There is not a place in the constitution that requires healthcare to be provided. I said that furthermore, there was no place in the Constitution that allowed for the government to require Americans to buy healthcare insurance-- or anything else. She looked at me, waved her hand back and forth, and said: "I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION. I care that people are dying because they don't have healthcare." It was absolutely unbelievable. This is someone that is a legislative advisor for the Senator and she doesn't care about the Constitution! It makes you wonder, would he say the same thing?

After that meeting I was able to go to Senator Stabenow's office. To her credit, her office staff was very pleasant. The group I was with was able to sit down and talk with the Senator's top aide. While I do not think we were able to effect any change, at least the person we spoke with was very pleasant and at least appeared to listen to what we were saying. Then when we were leaving the office, Debbie Stabenow came out another door and we were able to see her! The way we have difficulty getting meetings with her, I was glad to know she actually exists! I was then able to walk down the hallway and have a conversation with her.

It was an amazing trip! We feel like we were able to take part in some incredible experiences. Today I was able to call into the Frank Beckman show and get on the air with the statement from Sen. Levin's office that she didn't care about the Constitution. We need to get that ideology out there.

I hope that you all have the opportunity to go to the Capitol at some point. Know that we are not alone. Americans from all over the country traveled to the nation's Capitol to let their voices be heard yesterday. We must stand together and fight for what we believe in and for the nation we love.

May God bless America.

Danette Starr Lowery

Lapeer County Tea Party Patriots

Hypocrisy Runs Deep these days.

2009-09-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

With all the discussion and uneasy times that we are going through, most people still feel that they can believe in the news and information they get from their local newspapers. In some it seems, hypocrisy seems to be the order of the day.
In the September 9th issue of the Tri City Times, there was a follow up article regarding the health care forum put on last month the the Lapeer County Tea Party Patriots. In her article, Catherine Minolli shares her reluctance to get involved in a story with a group that "unsettled" her. As a group we certainly can understand this. But the not getting involved is not what is so troubling. In her article she tells of how for her interview, she "boned" up on Tea Party organizers. Then she describes her surprise when a couple of friends showed her the "truth" about Tea Party groups. The only problem is that she started out doing a story about the Lapeer Tea Party Patriots but she winds up doing a review of the Tea Party movement . We are a group who is totally self funded, do not support any particular party either locally or nationally, and believe in fiscal responsibility and adhering to the Constitution. All of the information that we put out both printed and electronic versions, we make available to you, the people of Lapeer county. We do this to help you make an informed decision. Ms. Minolli either has a problem with this or has NEVER done the research for a story that she is representing as fact.
First, Ms. Minolli has had conversations with the founder of the Lapeer County Tea Party Patriots, Mrs. Danette Starr Lowery. She says that in her article and comments as to how sincere Mrs. Lowery is. If she had been at the health care forum which she was reporting on, she might have not had such apprehension about the Lapeer group. Our understanding is that when you claim to report a story, you are supposed to do research. Any of the many people who were at the Health Care Forum in Imlay City can testify to the civility of the event. It was designed that way. We understand that if everyone is yelling, no one is listening. In order to move forward, ideas at least must be shared, but Ms. Minolli did not report that. Also escaping her coverage of this event was the fact that with over 40 phone calls to our U.S. Senators, BOTH refused to send out a representative to help explain the current Democratic sponsored bills to the citizens of Lapeer County.
Instead, she launches into her ugly vision of what she has heard about the Tea Party movement from NPR. That in itself would not be so alarming except for the fact that she criticizes people in the Tea Party movement who might get their news from FOX News. Way to stay on task Ms. Minolli. In the next breath she actually criticizes Tea Party groups and other groups who might have differing opinions because they might actually get together and share information. I wonder how many people heard sites like Twitter and Facebook before our President used them so successfully in last years campaign. To his credit his team was exceptional at using technology to communicate to his supporters. It was a great success. But in the view of the Tri City Times, sharing ideas must only be for real "Newspapers" and not available to people who might care about their country and are trying to educate the fine people of Lapeer and St. Clair county. Maybe Ms. Minolli doesnt understand that the people who attend these rallies ARE people who care about their country. As we post information about pending legislation on our site, we ALWAYS put it out for people make their OWN decisions. Maybe she should do a better job reporting the facts and less personal opinion. As always we are posting the link to the article below so you can read and judge for yourself. If you agree or disagree with Ms. Minolli's personal opinion regarding the people of Lapeer County who voice are the voice of opposition to the policies currently being imposed, let her and the editor know how you feel. At the top of the story page there are links to contact the reporter and the editor. Please voice your opinion of their article. If we can't count on honest reporting from the Tri City Times, maybe we should re-think whether or not it is news we want to buy. Its getting so you cant trust anybody these days.

Here is the link to the story from the Tri City Times from 9-09-09

http://www.tricitytimes-online.com/Articles-i-2009-09-09-199496.112113_Grass_roots_run_wide_and_deep_these_days.html

Note the wild brawl of our Health Care Forum

Beyond Belief

2009-08-06T00:59:00.000-07:00

First it was save the economy. Then it was save the car companies. Then we had to save the planet with Cap and Trade. Now as we are talking about health care, we are encouraged to turn in your neighbor if you get a e-mail or see a website that looks"fishy". Did I hear it right? No, I must have been mistaken. I heard right. As of Tuesday, our president had on the White House website the following text:
"There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.
This is certainly not the America that my grandfather fought to protect in World War II. Our president who is so sure and confident now believes that he can disregard the first amendment if the free speech we are using is questioning in any way his authority or that of his administration. This is why we MUST continue and make our voices even louder. It is time to take back our nation from those who would deny our freedoms from us.
The President himself campaigned and asked his supporters to get in their faces,

But now, there must be no talk. Not if its against his policies. How far we have slid in just a little over half a year.

Time to remember.

2009-07-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

As we go into the dog days of summer, its time for all of to enjoy the summer festivals, fairs and carnivals. While we are in very tough economic times, take a look at the crowd at your next summer event. While we all have our own political views, when you look at the crowd, remember that first and foremost, we are all Americans. We are able to celebrate these rights of summer with our families and friends because others have made the ultimate sacrifice. People who fought and died for our right to squabble, argue, and challenge one anther's beliefs. While our work must be ongoing, we must try to remember that even in the midst of conflict and intense disagreement, we are all brothers and sisters bound together in the great unending tale that is America. Lets celebrate together in the spirit that is this great nation.