The Death of the Tea Party & The Republican Establishment?

A Warning to the Ego-Agenda Hypocrites

August 3, 2010 – Colorado Springs, CO - Tonight I had the chance to visit a Coalition for a Conservative Majority (CCM) meeting in Colorado Springs.  I went with a non-partisan organization that represents liberty – traveling across the country to educate people with materials that include the Constitution of the United States and I, Pencil by Leonard E. Read.  Prior to the meeting we sat down for a conversation with the leader of this group, Bradford Collins.  While he continually plugged a local newspaper called “The Constitutionalist Today”, I figured it was my duty, as a citizen, to ask if this paper had any political affiliation (in theory, the media should be non-partisan, in my opinion).  When I asked Mr. Collins this, he promptly replied that “No” they are not non-partisan – they are “partisan” – I guess meaning that they are conservative.  Since all of the public figures (candidates) on the front page were Republican, I was guessing that conservative in this instance probably meant “Republican”.

My fellow organizer and myself had arranged with Mr. Collins to speak briefly about our endeavors – her travels across the country, and my publication and media-model called The Good American Post.  He said we could both have a couple of minutes at the beginning to speak to this group of around 60 people.  Introductions were made, and when it came time for me to have a moment to stand up and speak to these people about our company, dedication to liberty, and love of free markets – I was ignored.  I had raised my hand at the beginning of the meeting – indicating that I was from “press” other than The Constitutionalist Today – so I am sure he knew that I was still in the room and still wanted a chance to address the crowd, since I was the one who coordinated for this organization to be there.  But I was forgotten.  I stood there – silenced.

Prior to this, while sitting at this table with Mr. Collins, I went to the restroom and was told that while I was gone that he took my purse and notebook away from my seat, sat it on a distant stand for food-trays, and gave my seat away to someone else.  Being a fairly humble and forgiving human being, I wrote it off for a simple mistake from an oblivious individual.  A mistake that I, too, although a young female, am also a human and a citizen that deserves a seat at a meeting (and that my personal property (e.g. purse) should not be infringed upon.

I had my Good American Posts in hand, ready to quickly address the crowd, excited to tell them about what I had started July 4^th of 2009 as an effort to create a medium to educate our readership about capitalism and community – an effort that has been successful because we reach audiences of every demographic and every political affiliation.  We appeal to “the people” because we are non-partisan and focus on solutions instead of the problems. People across the country love us – and we are a vehicle to help educate our communities about how to make a positive difference.  I guess that I must have been a threat to these people who stood before me – the “leaders” of this organization and this movement – that included Mr. Collins, Michelle Morin (Mom4Freedom), and the publisher of The Constitutionalist Today, Lana Fore-Warkocz.  They were before me, they saw me, they knew I was there – I was ignored.

I am 28 years old.  I represent the next generation of leaders.  These people should be thrilled to see a young entrepreneur who is embracing and fighting for liberty.  Instead, I was shunned.  Because I have this publication, because I am unaffiliated with any political party, I guess I am some type of threat to their (apparently) Republican establishment.  A threat to this group.  A threat to this partisan paper that was the only press promoted at this event.

Tears weld up in my eyes.  These are our leaders?  Are these people standing at the front of the room the people that will save our country?  Why won’t they let me speak about media that has proven its success – The Good American Post – that brings people together from all political spectrums because we appeal to Americans – not Republicans, or Democrats, or Libertarians – but to We The People?  Why won’t they let a young female have a moment to speak?

I’ve heard that the publisher of The Constitutionalist Today calls her paper the “paper of the Tea Party”.  The authors and board members of this publication, who stood before me at the CCM meeting this evening do a very good job of telling people how much they love liberty.  However, their purposeful ignorance of my presence and desire to speak, in addition to taking away my “place at the table” (literally), proves to me one thing.  If these are the “leaders” of the Tea Party movement – we are doomed.  All they care about is their own pocketbooks, their own media, and their own agenda.  Another part of the machine.  They scream liberty, but it is an act – they are lying to us and they have lied to me.

These people who call themselves leaders and patriots that use the tree of liberty to try and squash the voice of a young patriot because she is supposedly a threat to their revenue streams are appalling and a detrimental component to the liberty movement.  It started a long time ago – the people who smile politely, clap quietly, and scoot away the independent voices that hold in their hand what could save a country.  Now I know what Sarah Palin meant when she said “Many of us are not going to sit down and shut up, we’re going to say ‘No we do not like it…”.

What we fight for is liberty.  What we fight against is an establishment – the establishment is our tyranny – the establishment is the false-God, saying that they know best while silencing the voice of independence and freedom.

As we left the meeting, a police officer who had just finished pulling over a car and writing them some type of ticket (“feeding” as we like to call it), sped past a man on the side of the road with a vehicle that was obviously broken down.  It concluded the day.  Where are the people extending their hand to good Americans?  Where are the people that hold out their hand in the name of love and liberty?  Where are the people that are for We The People?

- Tisha T. Casida

Casida is the founder of The Good American Post and currently resides in Southern Colorado.  Her company is dedicated to free markets, new media, and liberty. You can find out more at http://www.goodamericanpost.com

INJURED MILITARY VETERANS TO RIDE 325 MILES FROM WYOMING TO FORT CARSON

Colorado Springs, CO  (July 27, 2010) – More than 100 injured veterans will complete the Ride 2 Recovery Rocky Mountain Challenge, a six-day, 325-mile ride which begins at the Wyoming state capitol, Cheyenne and ending at Fort Carson on August 5^th.  The ride will cross some of the best cycling roads in the United States, including the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs culminating at Fort Carson’s Manhart Field.

The Ride 2 Recovery Rocky Mountain Challenge, sponsored by UnitedHealthcare, raises funds for R2R indoor Spinning® Recovery Labs and outdoor cycling programs at military and Veterans Affairs locations around the United States, aiding injured veterans’ rehabilitation and recovery efforts.

“We are proud to be the presenting sponsor of the Ride 2 Recovery Rocky Mountain Challenge, which helps to make a difference in the lives of the men and women in our military,” said Beth Soberg, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of Colorado.  “Supporting the Ride 2 Recovery helps ensure our injured and disabled veterans have access to the care and services they need.”

The United Service Organizations (USO) will support the daily rest stops with the USO West Mobile Canteen and will host a BBQ on August 5^th at Manhart Field at Fort Carson to welcome the 100 injured veterans as they complete their 325 mile journey.  “We are honored to partner with Ride 2 Recovery and continue our support to wounded warriors as we continue to meet the many needs of our men and women in our military,” said Joe Aldaz, Director, Rocky Mountain USO.

Notable participants and speakers include: Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter; Molson Coors Brewing Co. Chairman Peter Coors who will ride from Boulder to Denver ; Lt. Col. Patricia Collins; retired Sgt. 1^st Class Georg-Andreas Pogany of Denver; Ride 2 Recovery spokesman Nathan Hunt and actor Mike Vogel (“Miami Medical,” “Cloverfield”).

Schools, community groups and the public are encouraged to gather along the daily routes to recognize the sacrifices of all our veterans and to support those who are riding.  The event ride guide is posted at http://www.ride2recovery.com/images/stories/RMC%20Ride%20Guide%202010.pdf

To find out more or to sign up for an upcoming ride, please visit www.ride2recovery.com or learn more about the USO, visit www.uso.org

About the USO

The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases around the world, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services tailored to meet troop needs. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward deployed troops and their families, wounded warriors and their families, and the families of the fallen.

The USO is a private, nonprofit organization, not a government agency; we rely on the generosity of our donors. In addition to individual donors and other corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca Cola Company, Gallery Furniture, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation and TriWest Healthcare Alliance, as well as other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC11381). We strive to deliver maximum benefit for troops and their families from every donor dollar.

Why It Would Be Easy to Give Up

I believe myself to be a fairly intelligent, responsible, and caring individual.  What is disheartening is the amount of rejection one can face when standing up for what is right and what entails liberty and freedom.

In working with various political parties, I have been appalled at the lethargic nature of the political machine.  I am also disgusted with how I am treated incompetent because I am a young female.  Albeit not all of the time, unfortunately these attitudes persist in our society and are detrimental to progress as a nation.  I AM the Next Generation of Leaders.

I believe that most political parties are doomed to ever making something truly happen for the people.  The reason is because they in themselves are political machines with predetermined motives and agendas.  Even the Libertarian Party, of which I am a huge fan, is so wrapped up in its own incredulous image of itself that they miss opportunities, and do not embrace people who would make excellent mouth-pieces for them.

It would be easy to quit.  But saving a country and an economy is not for the faint of heart.  I promise to you, whoever reads this, that there are enough of us fighting to get our country back – without the power of any political party or machine.  It is up to the people – period.

- Tisha Casida

The Good American Post Joins the Liberty Bus

HELP CHIP IN TO FUEL THE LIBERTY BUS!!!  SIGN UP HERE!

After meeting at FreedomFest in Las Vegas, The Good American Post will join up with the Liberty Bus in the great state of Colorado.  We are looking for sponsors and venues that are interested in having this great organization share information about their mission – which is parallel to what The Good American Post stands for.

The goal of the Liberty Bus is to enhance the understanding of:

• WHY government spending must be significantly reduced
• WHY private enterprise is a more effective alternative for services
• WHY individual choice, risk and reward are imperative for liberty to survive in America
• HOW YOU can change the direction away from government dependency and toward liberty

Want to join in?  Contact us if you are interested in sponsoring the Liberty Bus & Liberty in America at your venue, or find out more about their organization HERE.

We can be reached at: goodamericanpost (at) gmail.com

NAIS, Codex Alimentarius, Bill S510 and Other Bedtime Stories to Guarantee Nightmares

By Tamrah Jo Ortiz

Thanks to my good friends on Facebook, I was alerted that the ugly head of the government is once again poking its’ large and obnoxious nose into places it doesn’t belong.   Yes, I realize this is a inflammatory statement, hence, my writing here, instead of posting this as a comment at the www.opencongress.org website.  (which, if you’d like, you can visit and look at the hoopla going on over various bills.)

So, let’s take a look at each of these and try to make sense of them.

NAIS – The National Animal Identification System.   In brief, this idea is supposedly born of the desire to quickly identify and destroy animals that pose a threat to both food supply and our existence. (mad cow disease, avian bird flu, anyone?)

What is not so clear is how anyone thinks any of this will really work.   Number 1, the folks that want to implement this currently employ thousands to audit tax returns and apparently have not been successful in creating a database or secure electronic means of verifying taxes or conducting a paperless census (which, by the way, we filled out, returned and apparently was ‘lost’ as a census person showed up at my house saying they didn’t get ours.   On the flip side, my mom got 2 censuses to fill out and a friend never received any….)

Now, if these folks have not centralized, streamlined and made efficient the operations they have been in charge of for decades, how in the world are we to believe they can implement this kind of system and let us know about diseased food within 20 years of our consumption of it?

Number 2 – current figures show that given the ‘requirements’ of the system, most of the costs will fall on the small farmers and ranchers – courtesy of Wikipedia is the following:

“The costs of becoming NAIS compliant for a U.S. beef producer were found to be a minimum of $2.08 a head for large producers and as much as $17.56 a head for smaller operations, with an estimated average cost to cow/calf producers of $6.26 per animal, according to research by Christopher Raphael Crosby of Kansan State University’s Department of Agricultural Economics published in 2008.”

Does anyone hear “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer”?

Number 3 – Historically, outbreaks of disease occur in close population, improperly nourished animals.   Farmer John who has 15 head of cattle and 160 acres of pasture does not face the same challenges as Mr. Beef, who has crammed 5,000 cows into a feedlot the size of a Wal-mart parking lot, where calves play on hills of cow patties and drink milk produced from the ingestion of soybean and corn meal (when cows have evolved to do just fine, thank you very much, on grass.)

Plus, Farmer John really depends on his herd for his food, to feed his family and perhaps a neighbor or two and to bring in some extra cash to pay the ever-increasing cost of living expenses.  So he has a HUGE investment in making sure his herd is healthy and well-nourished.  The loss of even one cow can make or break him.

Mr. Beef can depend on tax breaks, an adjustment of market prices, government bailouts, etc, if he somehow manages to lose his herd to disease.   So who do you think takes better care of their herd?

On to the next – Codex Alimentarius – Proponents will tell you it’s an international effort to ensure the safety of food for all – as well as to keep me from accidently killing myself from taking too much Vitamin C.

Again, these efforts are brought to you by folks who can’t even balance their own budgets and settle disputes among themselves in a peaceful manner.  Do you really think they know how much Vitamin C I can handle and furthermore, if I were receiving nutritious food, would I even need a supplement?   If they are so invested in “Nutritious, Safe Food to further the health and well-being of the populace” then why did they ignore the published findings of biochemist Dr. Mary Enig in the 70’s, who warned of the dangers of trans-fats and hydrogenated fats to the human body?  Um, no, took about 40 years before they figured that one out (if they even have yet……………)

I also find it interesting that many countries within the World Effort of this measure are ARDENTLY opposed to GMO foods and have been very insistent on pushing for foods containing those types of ingredients to be Labeled.   Those who have a vested interest in controlling both seed and food supplies, by getting ‘patents’ on their genetically modified seeds and plants have kept up the pressure and keep taking a run at getting that ‘pesky little nuisance’ of required labeling for GMO foods buried under the rug.

All in all, I cannot see the reasoning for extending all this effort on the Codex other than for countries who take their food and health seriously to put up a ‘fence’ to keep those exports out from countries that do not.  (meaning, US)

So with the history of these two long-running dramas, I now come to the most recent – Senate Bill S510.

Innocuously titled, “FDA Food Safety Modernization Act”, it lists high-sounding ideals and includes some of the following:

food facility re-inspection (um…I worked as a waitress for 12 years, I can tell you, restaurants get inspected every year……)
food recalls (aren’t they already allowed to do that?)
a voluntary qualified importer program (have these people never heard of eating locally?)
So those violently opposed to this bill read it and see how easily seed and food control could be placed in the hands of those who have no business telling us what we can grow or eat, share with our neighbors or sell at the local farmer’s market.   And I agree with them to a point; while the bill does not specifically state any of these intents, the large generalized points of it are open to all kinds of interpretations.

History tells me the interpreters will translate it for the benefit of themselves, their agency budget and their large campaign contributors (corporations) before they will for my health and well being.

Again, if you look to history, deaths and illness related to the consumption of contaminated, diseased foods, has been linked to large corporate mono-culture farms, not the small local producers.  Why?  Well, because the small local producer not only feeds you, but their own family.  They don’t have the time or the energy (or the insanity) to grow one garden with ‘good stuff’ for their family and another with ‘questionable stuff’ to sell at the local market.

In addition, if I get ‘bad food’ at the local farmer’s market, I know exactly who to go to with my accusations.   When large farms put out questionable produce, it has also traveled through one or more broker warehouses, a packaging plant or two, the transportation gamut….on and on and its’ so easy to pass the buck on who exactly is to blame.

I’m also curious as to why Homeland Security is one of the committees listed on the bill’s information page.  What, are they afraid terrorists are going to send us toxic bananas?   Newsflash, if everyone ate organic and locally, this fear would be laughable.  And I can tell you, any terrorist shows up at our local farmers market with evil intent on his mind, I can guarantee there are enough ‘rednecks’ around here that are just waiting for an opportunity to show the world what real Homeland Security looks like.

I also wonder just where they are going to get the money to implement all this when they are already crying about ‘deficits’ and ‘budget cuts’.   To my mind, this has less to do with feeding the nation safely and more to do with feeding the oversized monster we call our government, as well as nudging out any competition to the large centralized food companies.

Implementation, testing and compliance enforcement take money – and that money will come from those who want to ‘buy into the market’ (meaning smaller operations won’t be able to afford to be in the market) –  but most of the money will come from you and me, the consumer.   What?  You don’t think so?  Just who do you think is paying for the Tobacco Company Settlements?   It isn’t the companies or the government, its’ the consumers.  But I’ll leave that debate for another time.

The legislation listed above can only make sense in a climate of fear.   They can only pass when we blindly believe the government is really trying to protect us.  When we believe that death is more heinous than liberty. (Oh where is Patrick Henry when you need him?)

Quit looking to the government to save you from harm.   Know those who grow your food.   Have a relationship.  Trust me, they are much more invested in your health and well being than the FDA is.  Because without you, they don’t have a livelihood.  The FDA and government don’t either, but they have forgotten.

Remind them.

Dissent is Not Terrorism

The United States of America is a system of representation and individual liberty that is open to criticism and dissent.

This is an inherent part of freedom and our liberties, not to mention our right to free speech, the First Amendment and our Bill of Rights.

Tea Party activists have gotten a very negative wrap from some representatives in the current administration and public at-large, and it appears that this is moving towards a whole new level.

A very good resource, The Patriot Post (PatriotPost.US), had a story on training activities taking place with our own American soldiers to “deal with” terrorist threats including the “Local Militia Groups / Anti-Government Protesters / TEA Party” (Alexander, 2010).

Political dissent, when expressed without any type of violence towards others, is a legal activity that is an important part of being an individual in the United States of America.  The fact that these people – the TEA Partiers – could be targeted by our own military, is scary and preposterous.

Please take the time to read the whole essay here.

- Joseph Poder

References:

Alexander, M. (2010). The Patriot Post (PatriotPost.US). Retrieved on May 6, 2010 from http://patriotpost.us/alexander/2010/04/29/army-preps-for-tea-party-terrorists/

P-O-L-I-T-I-C-S

We hope you have been paying attention to what bills and issues are looked at in the House and Senate, because there is a positive correlation with when politicians are up for election – if there are contentious issues that may cost them seats, these bills are sent to the back-burner.  If there is an issue that will win them votes, then it is time for a marketing campaign!

Unfortunately, we have a whole lot of politicking and very little representation.  We like to remain optimistic, but it is easy to see that bad things happen when there are not checks and balances (hence our constitution and the separation of powers which are so important to protect).

Have you heard anything about the “Boss Tweed Era”?  It is a classic example of politicking and bullying – something that we must be cognizant of at all levels of politics.  We need representatives that protect liberty and protect our constitution – period.

There are many great events and organizations rising to the occasion, and we commend them!  Be sure to check out these people and groups that are making strides to protect our liberties, and be wary of the politics in play (find many of them in our blogroll).

Let’s find people who represent WE THE PEOPLE versus worry about covering their own tails.  See Get Out Of Our House (GOOOH) for more information.

Rocky Mountain Gun Owners

We have heard it said, perhaps best, by Rush Limbaugh, “You know why there’s a Second Amendment?  In case the government fails to follow the first one.”

Gun ownership, gun rights, the right to carry, and the importance of being able to protect oneself are at the heart of our Country and constitution.

At a convention over the weekend, part of our staff found information on the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners – we hope you visit their site, and become educated on the politics and policies that affect your second amendment rights.

VISIT ROCKY MOUNTAIN GUN OWNERS HERE.

Going to a Caucus – Where are WE THE PEOPLE?

By: Tisha Casida

I am the youngest person here by at least 20 years, and I am 28 years old.  Out of 264 people in my precinct 83 – only 6 people are sitting at the table (only 5 technically count because when I registered to vote when I was 18 I decided that I was Independent).  That is a 1.9% turnout.  If this were a test – WE THE PEOPLE – failed miserably.

I am a citizen of the United States living in the great state of Colorado.  I convinced my parents to go with me to the republican caucus taking place this evening – Tuesday March 16, 2010.  In addition to the three of us, there were three others at our table – Bill, Ken, and Steve.  Our chairman for our precinct was not present.  Ken and Steve were diplomatic enough to take over and explain the processes as we went along.  Reading material on most all of the candidates was available for everyone to look at as well as pick up – I saw every candidate there represented in one form or another except for Scott McInnis – I guess the Southern part of the state may not mean too much to him, at least that is what I came away with.

The purpose of a caucus, as I have gathered so far, is that this is where WE THE PEOPLE start to select candidates for governor, the U.S. senate, the U.S. house of representatives, state treasurer, state senate and house districts.  On the docket tonight (at least for the straw pole) was to decide upon who the registered republican precinct members wanted for governor (Dan Maes vs. Scott McInnis) and the U.S. senate (Ken Buck vs. Jane Norton vs. Cleve Tidwell vs. Tom Wiens).

Several of the tables for other precincts meeting here were EMPTY – meaning that NO ONE from these precincts of around 200 people came to represent a candidate or represent a value or ideal they would like to see upheld.  Tragic.

The process was simple, efficient, and ended in just ONE HOUR.  We talked about all of the candidates, everyone voiced an opinion as to what they thought, the votes were made for the straw pole (at our table), and everyone was given the opportunity to present resolutions (of which we had none, however there were several for us to look at on one of the tables when we walked in).

It was overwhelming at first, but now an understandable process.  Which really irritates me, because more people should have been there, more people should know what is going on (republican OR democrat OR anything else).  This is a fatal flaw of the public education system – fifth graders should be able to rattle off their precinct number and the process of a caucus, a county convention, a state convention, and a primary.  This is also a dangerous flaw with our society – the reason we are in the mess that we are in is because we have sat on our keisters and not taken an hour out of an evening to go to things like this.

Know your enemy folks – it is ignorance and arrogance.  Learn about our political system, get involved, and fight for liberty – we are all we have.

Crusaders for Real Food

Okay, so perhaps the picture is a little dramatic, but hey, it caught your attention, didn’t it?

Today I was forwarded a wonderful article on a teacher speaking out against the drab food that is a part of our public education’s lunch system.  The variables are complex (subsidized lunches, funding from both state and national governments, purchasing/volume requirements, marketing, mark-ups, profits, and federal requirements), but the problem is not.

The problem is that our kids (in general) are not engaging in a healthy diet.  Now, that is NOT just education’s fault, as a matter of fact our “social structure” is very much a culprit.  However, I myself have recently been in an elementary classroom, and our youth are eating a lot of foods that are not good for them (processed foods to wrap it into one category).

One teacher in Colorado, is speaking up and speaking out.  An naturally, she is getting resistance from others because of her actions.  However, it takes people – from our community – to make a difference and to stand up for nutrition, produce, and supporting local agriculture whenever and wherever we can.

Read the whole story HERE, and if you have more stories and links about other people speaking up and DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, please let us know, we would love to feature them online and in-print.

- Tisha Casida