Recently your North Lake TEA Party (NLTP) organizers and volunteers got together and the four events on the home page are the result!  We hope you will take the opportunity to come pray with us on the National Day of Prayer, and come out again on Flag Day to protest tax and spend politicians who are taking our country down the path to socialism.  On July 4th, we feel it is time to turn from protesting to celebrating our veterans and informing our citizens.  "There is nothing more dangerous to a politician than an informed voter."  We at NLTP feel we have a responsibility to take this platform and arm you with knowledge.  Could you brush up on the Constitution?  Do our youth know the difference between Capitalism and Socialism?  If you want to contact your Legislators, do you know how?  These are some of the workshops we're putting together for you.  We'd love your suggestions for the day's workshops and events.  So, bring them on!

We're going to give it to you!  Another TEA Party for July 4th is in the works.  We'll be holding the event at the Lake County Fairgrounds and have exciting plans in store for the day.  Included in the festivities will be workshops to help educate citizens on the Constitution, How to Communicate with your Legislators, What is Pork?, Our Founding Fathers, etc.  We hope you will make plans to join us and if you have any suggestions for the day, please feel free to leave a comment and I'll take your suggestions to the volunteer meeting.
In service,
Patricia

North Lake TEA Party

North Lake County Florida

 

 

To: US President Barack Obama

US Senator Mel Martinez

US Senator Bill Nelson

US Congressman Alan Grayson

Florida State Governor Charlie Crist

Florida State Senator Carey Baker

Florida State Representative Alan Hayes

Florida State Representative H. Marlene O’Toole

 

April 16, 2009

Yesterday, The North Lake TEA Party met in Ferran Park in downtown Eustis Florida.  North Lake County is made up of several smaller communities including: Eustis, Tavares, Altoona, Umatilla, Mt. Dora, Howie in the Hills, Leesburg, Astor, Fruitland Park, Grand Island, Lady Lake, Lisbon, Mt. Plymouth, Paisley, Sorrento, and the Villages.  On the attached copies of the petition we distributed, you will find approximately 952 signatures.  We estimate our attendance at nearly 1,000.

The organizers believe you should find it remarkable that 1,000 people from sleepy Central Florida came together on a Wednesday afternoon to let you know we don’t want deficit spending that will impact the financial futures of our children and grandchildren.  The effect of interest on deficit spending alone will bankrupt America.  Let’s take the bitter pill now and learn to live within our means.

We want America back: STRONG, SOVEREIGN and UNASHAMED, not beholden to foreign countries who are buying our debt.

Thank you for hearing our plea.

David R. VonGunten                                                 Patricia Sullivan

 

Co-organizers, North Lake TEA Party, Central Florida

Again, I am overwhelmed by the show of support today.  Well over 1,000 of you signed the petition and let your voice be heard.  The children and youth were incredibly well spoken and in their voices I find hope for the future of America.  If our legislators didn't hear us, then they may as well consider today's event their going away party!  

Message from Tea Party Sponsor
Founder of the DontGo MovementIs the Tea Party tied to the GOP? Of course not.

In fact, that couldn't be further from the truth. The reality is, the RNC has been about as effective as a lead balloon in actually engaging the free-market minded grassroots with regards to political action. The RNC, as well as all but two Republican members of Congress, have been eerily silent over the past few weeks.

RNC Chairman Steele's office did reach out to me on Tuesday (although rumor has it that he is now denying such a conversation took place) morning and the person I spoke with asked if we would be interested in having him speak at the Chicago Tea Party. This request was, of course, at the last minute and only after national media eyes became involved.

But that was the first time the RNC had really injected itself at the national level into any part of the Tea Party Movement.

Why do we use "Silent Majority" as our national brand?

Because the vast majority of those involved in the Tea Party effort are people who have sat at home yelling at their TV's for the past few years. This is a group of folks who have gone on with their lives in attempt at the American dream, only to be shell shocked by a sudden and bold surge towards full scale socialism... and we've had enough!

Most of those involved in the Tea Party Movement do not wish to see something with RNC or DNC involvement. We do not want the failed two party structure injecting itself into this movement for political gain.

That's not to say that there aren't Republicans or Democrats involved, because we have people identify themselves as both involved all across the country.

But there is certainly no evidence whatsoever that the Tea Party Movement is some kind of orchestrated GOP effort disguising itself as non-partisan. In fact, the evidence suggests quite the opposite.

Take Chicago, for example. A hand full of local young Republicans have been trolling and following me all over the web in an attempt to attack me at every opportunity. They hunt me down on Twitter and Facebook, lashing out at me because I refused to promote their REPUBLICAN sponsored event happening later in the day on April 15th.

Indeed, the FUNDED organizations and media outlets of the left are swinging at this movement from all angles, attempting to paint this as a GOP backed effort. But the reality is that thousands of free-market minded Americans don't see it that way.

The DontGo Movement was attacked last year by these same groups who claimed that we were taking oil money (still waiting on those magical checks, BTW), and now they claim we're under the spell of the Republican Party.

What part of "we're just Americans and we're mad as hell" do they not understand?

-Eric Odom

For more information, please go to www.taxdayteaparty.com.

 

Dear Patriots,
You continue to keep us spinning with the overwhelming responses and encouragement!  Some emails have asked, "what group are you with?"  We are with the American people!  We aren't affiliated with any group.  We are two organizers, one a retired grandfather and myself, a stay at home mother of four, who became friends through their common desire to hold a tea party. Very grassroots.  However, we have been supported by so many!  Striking Effects Promotions has offered to make t-shirts, Rolling Thunder Productions has offered stage and sound equipment, The Dam Smoker will be out with "Pull the Pork and Cut the Tax" sandwiches and tea, Strawberry's is helping with water stations, and many more volunteers.  Now that I've answered the question of who we are, I'd like to present what we're about.  This is the petition that the North Lake TEA Party will be making available for you to sign.  We believe it is something everyone can be on board with, and short enough that anyone who signs it can read it beforehand.  You may feel their are many more issues that could be addressed.  Yet, if we made the petition much longer, many citizens would sign without reading it.  Isn't that like voting on a bill without reading it first?  We desire the citizens participating in the North Lake TEA Party to be an example of good conduct, not irresponsible behavior. Once the petition is signed, we will make copies and send them to each of the elected officials listed below.  With that said, we present the "We the People" petition:

We the People, the undersigned citizens of the Great State of Florida, supporters of the Constitution of the United States of America, and participants in the North Lake Tea Party of Central Florida, respectfully call upon:

U.S. President Barack Obama

U. S. Senator Mel Martinez

U.S. Senator Bill Nelson

U.S. Congressman Alan Grayson

Florida State Governor Charlie Crist

Florida State Senator Carey Baker

Florida State Representative Alan Hays

Florida State Representative H. Marlene O’toole

 

To repeal the United States Stimulus Spending Bill that was approved by our legislators without so much as reading the bill prior to signing it into effect.

 

We further ask that you cease and desist from all deficit spending to keep from placing future generations of Americas under undo tax burden.

 

We further ask our State government to return Federal Stimulus funds that you agreed to accept before determining ALL conditions associated with receiving these funds.


ACTION: By copy of this signed document each of the above named representatives will be made aware of our desires.

 

April, 15, 2009

Signed

Yes, I have noticed there has been no blog for 2 days.  It's only because we have been swamped with the planning of this empowering event and fielding emails and news updates.  The energy surrounding the tea parties nationwide is palpable.  Over 600 people have hit our web site in just 5 days.  We're working on an "after the program, program" which would include a workshop on the Constitution and information on how to contact your legislators.  If you're reading this, you probably already know, but educating those who are standing up for the first time is one of our goals.  We'll keep you posted as we get them confirmed.  Please note we have a facebook group and event page.  The link is on the home page so please join in and RSVP for the event.

Now for some more exciting news:

The Nationwide Tea Party Coalition, the grassroots organization sponsoring the April 15 Tax Day Tea Parties across the country, announced this morning that it will broadcast the group’s regular Monday conference call LIVE at 4 pm pacific, 7 pm est, on Pajamas TV.  Please visit www.taxdayteaparty.com for the link to Pajamas TV and much more information.

Keep sharing the event with your neighbors and friends!  Go Patriots!

Today, we are neither Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Idependants but we are Americans.  Americans who have put their trust in a government that needs to know, "We are watching you!"  Although I don't agree with all the solutions in this video, I agree with enough to post it.  Fifteen years from now I don't want to tell my grandchildren that I did nothing when America lost its way.  How about you?  Will you join us on April 15th? Stand side by side with other Americans who agree to hold our government accountable.   

We are in the process of refining our platform to focus on 3 issues.  At a time when we could easily be divided over the multitude of problems, we need to narrow our focus in order to make our voices louder.

There is a great discussion thread that took place yesterday at http://wcollier.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-is-tea-party-manifesto.html regarding just this.  I encourage everyone to give thought to the specific point in time YOU said, "I've had enough."  For me, a mother of four who takes care of our home and children, it was the stimulus bill full of pork.  I didn't like the idea of a big spending bill to start, and passing it without reading it was irresponsible.  Those two things really bothered me.  Then I began to learn what was in the bill.  Here I am, watching my thermostat and lights to lower our electric bill.  Printing out coupons for the first time since my early days of marriage, watching what I buy at the grocery store and trying to save a dollar at every turn.  I'm getting preached at by our President that we need to cut back and save at home, and yet our Congress passes the most irresponsible bill full of wasteful spending.  Our government hasn't cut back, they have been no example to follow.  That was my turning point.  From that day, it has only gotten worse and my passion and anger has only gotten stronger.

We are in this together.  This isn't my crusade or the crusade of a few.  THIS is for the local town's people of North Lake County, FL to stand together and be heard.  I may not be heard alone.  You may not be heard alone, but together, we are not alone and great things can be accomplished . 

What would you like to see as one of our three platform issues?  What was it that drove you to the edge?  I want the non-stimulas pork repealed from the Stimulus Bill.  What do you want?

Have you ever just sat down and googled quotes from our Founding Fathers?  It's a lot to sift through.  Three years ago I printed this one and put it on a magnet on my refrigerator:  "One Man with Courage Makes a Majority"  by Andrew Jackson 

I would love to hear your favorite quotes.