Posts Tagged ‘Tea Party’

This morning I got an invite via facebook in my email. It was from Patricia Sullivan who started the local Tea Party here and is now a candidate running for Florida’s District 8 against Alan Grayson. I read the email and recognized the name of one of the speakers at the “Stand with Arizona Rally” I was being invited to. I recognized the name because this man was in the news throughout his career and especially in the last several of them. Now keep in mind this Rally is being organized and sponsored by Tea Party groups from the region.

North Lake TEA Party, South Lake 912 Tea Party, Tri-County Tea Party, Ocala Tea Party, Volusia 912, Hernando 912, Nature Coast 912, Seminole 912, Central Florida 912, Deltona 912 Patriots, Tea Party Patriots Live

The region includes Orange County FL most if not all of which is in District 8. This man who has been invited to speak is Former Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary. The reason he was in the news so much towards the end of his elected position of Sherrif is due to a controversy that ultimately ended with him admitting guilt to ethics charges. It also resulted in then Sheriff Beary and other republicans being forced to endorse a Democrat that took his place as Sheriff. What was it that the Tea Parties are fighting against? Oh yeah, now I remember. Corrupt Politicians wasting taxpayer money. Here’s some details regarding Kevin Beary’s “ethics codes violation” which would have simply been called fraud or grand theft if it were you or me.

June 13, 2009|By Henry Pierson Curtis, Sentinel Staff Writer

Former Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary admitted he violated the state’s Standards of Conduct for Public Officers by joining a nonprofit venture with several aides to market a Homeland Security survey created with public funds, according to records released Friday by the Florida Commission on Ethics.

In a pending settlement signed Monday by his lawyer, Beary admitted his work for National Domestic Preparedness Coalition Inc. created “a conflict between his private interests and the performance of his public duties or that would impede the full and faithful discharge of his public duties.”

The venture damaged Beary’s credibility with members of his command staff as well as deputies, who learned in 2005 he accepted $43,000 for “off-duty work” despite promising he wouldn’t pay himself from the business.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-06-13/news/kevin_1_beary-ethics-commission-public-duties

And

In 2004 and 2005, Beary was the subject of accusations of corruption by a former subordinate turned political rival in the 2004 sheriff’s race and a local television news station, which resulted in an audit of homeland security spending by his department. Beary was later cleared of any wrongdoing by a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation. On April 20, 2007 the Florida Ethics Commission found probable cause to believe that Beary violated Florida Ethics laws as a result of his involvement in his homeland security business and filed four counts against him. Beary is being prosecuted by the Florida Attorney General’s Office and was to face trial on October 24, 2007 before a State of Florida Division of Administrative Hearings Judge on Case # 07-001820EC where Beary could have faced penalties up to removal from office.

In 2008, Beary decided not to run for a fifth term as Orange County Sheriff and left office on January 5, 2009. During the general election for his successor, Beary endorsed Jerry Demings, a Democrat, who was a former Chief of the Orlando Police Department, a former Orange County Director of Public Safety, and the first African-American to hold those posts in each agency’s respective history. Demings also received endorsements from several other high-profile local Republicans to include former City of Orlando Mayor and Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood. Demings won the election and relieved Beary in a ceremony on January 5, 2009.

In July 2009 Kevin Beary plead guilty to violating Florida ethics laws in the above mentioned case. He was fined a total of $20,000.00, ordered to have no business relationship with the company he started using tax dollars and public employees for three years and given a public reprimand and censure by the Governor of Florida.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Beary#Controversy

And so here it is less than one year after pleading guilty to violating Florida’s ethics laws (aka financially defrauding taxpayers, which evidently is not all that bad of a thing) and he’s going to be speaking at a Tea Part organized Rally. How’s that for ironic idiocy. The man basically committed fraud against not only Orange County taxpayers but against United States taxpayers, since he was using funds from both, he made $43,000 off the fraud and was only required to pay back $20,000 in the form of a fine, he was not removed from office, did not go to jail or even get probation. He was however publicly reprimanded ooh aah. Do the organizers of this rally, one of whom is running for office, really think Mr Beary is a good example of an elected official. Thee highest ranking LEO at that. I’ve been walking around fuming about this all day. I was calming down but then something else crossed my mind. Please don’t tell me he’s being paid to speak. That would just make me lose it. What kind of example are we setting for our children when the man elected Sheriff robs the people, lies to and disgraces his fellow LEOs, doesn’t really get punished (in fact profited) and less than a year later gets a public speaking engagement that he may actually be getting paid for.

That’s what’s wrong with US.

I caught wind of this on a forum I’m a member of. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. More accurately I couldn’t believe I was reading it for the first time. H.R. 2647 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 is.

“A bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2010 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes.”

Here’s one of the “other purposes”. Pay close attention to the phrase “as determined by the Attorney General”. You know, the one that thinks we’re a Nation of Cowards.

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SEC. 524. PROHIBITION ON RECRUITMENT, ENLISTMENT, OR RETENTION OF PERSONS ASSOCIATED OR AFFILIATED WITH GROUPS ASSOCIATED WITH HATE-RELATED VIOLENCE AGAINST GROUPS OR PERSONS OR THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

Section 504 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

‘(c) Persons Associated or Affiliated With Hate Groups-

‘(1) PROHIBITION- A person associated or affiliated with a group associated with hate-related violence against groups or persons or the United States Government, as determined by the Attorney General, may not be recruited, enlisted, or retained in the armed forces.

‘(2) DEFINITION OF HATE GROUP- In this subsection, the terms ‘group associated with hate-related violence’ or ‘hate group’ mean the following:

‘(A) Groups or organizations that espouse or engage in acts of violence against other groups or minorities based on ideals of hate, ethnic supremacies, white supremacies, racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, or other bigotry ideologies.

‘(B) Groups or organizations engaged in criminal gang activity including drug and weapons trafficking and smuggling.

‘(C) Groups or organizations that espouse an intention or expectation of armed revolutionary activity against the United States Government, or the violent overthrow of the United States Government.

‘(D) Groups or organizations that espouse an intention or expectation of armed activity in a ‘race war’.

‘(E) Groups or organizations that encourage members to join the armed forces in order to obtain military training to be used for acts of violence against minorities, other groups, or the United States Government.

‘(F) Groups or organizations that espouse violence based on race, creed, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

‘(G) Other groups or organizations that are determined by the Attorney General to be of a violent, extremist nature.

‘(3) EVIDENCE OF ASSOCIATION OR AFFILIATION WITH HATE GROUP- The following shall constitute evidence that a person is associated or affiliated with a group associated with hate-related violence:

‘(A) Individuals possessing tattoos or other body markings indicating association or affiliation with a hate group.

‘(B) Individuals known to have attended meetings, rallies, conferences, or other activities sponsored by a hate group.

‘(C) Individuals known to be involved in online activities with a hate group, including being engaged in online discussion groups or blog or other postings that support, encourage, or affirm the group’s extremist or violent views and goals.

‘(D) Individuals who are known to have in their possession photographs, written testimonials (including diaries or journals), propaganda, or other materials indicating involvement or affiliation with a hate group. Such materials can include photographs, written materials relating to or referring to extreme hatred that are clearly not of an academic nature, possession of objects that venerate or glorify hate-inspired violence, and related materials, as determined by the Attorney General.

‘(E) Individuals espousing the intent to acquire military training for the purpose of using such training towards committing acts of violence of a purpose not affiliated with the armed forces.

‘(4) REQUIREMENTS FOR RECRUITERS AND ENLISTMENT PROCESSING STATIONS- A military recruiters may not enlist, or assist in enlisting, a person who is associated or affiliated with a group associated with hate-related violence, as evidenced pursuant to paragraph (3). A person at any military enlistment processing station who, during the screening process, is found to be affiliated or associated with a hate group (including through admitting to any such affiliation or association on any form or document) is automatically prohibited from enlisting.

‘(5) SEPARATION-

‘(A) SEPARATION REQUIRED- A person discovered or determined to be associated or affiliated with a group associated with hate-related violence, as evidenced pursuant to paragraph (3), shall be immediately discharged from the armed forces, in the manner prescribed in regulations regarding discharge from service.

‘(B) EXCEPTION- Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to a member of the armed forces who has renounced the member’s previous affiliation or association with a group associated with hate-related violence, as determined by the commanding officer of the member.

‘(6) REPORTING REQUIREMENT- Not later than April 1, 2010, and annually thereafter, the Secretary concerned shall submit to the Committees on Armed Service of the Senate and House of Representatives a report–

‘(A) on the presence in the armed forces of members who are associated or affiliated with a group associated with hate-related violence and describing the actions of the Secretary to discharge such members; and

‘(B) describing the actions of the Secretary to prevent persons who are associated or affiliated with a hate group from enlisting.’.

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So it will be up to one man to decide who’s on ze hate list. Welcome to 1930′s Germany. Oh maybe they’ll appoint a hate czar.

Here’s a link to the H.R. 2647 0n govtrack.us that will take you directly to this section 524 of the bill. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-2647&version=eh&nid=t0%3Aeh%3A1655 You have to click to get it to load and then wait a minute for it. It’s a big one.

Here’s a link to the US Code 10,504 that will be affected if the HR2647 goes through Congress and is signed by the President. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode10/usc_sec_10_00000504—-000-.html A link to this is also on the govtrack.us site at the 524 section of the HR2647.

Let’s see who voted against HR 2647 in the house. This is weird 389 Ayes and 22 Noes, 20 of which were Democrats including Barney Frank, Henry Waxman, and Jessie Jackson. Well that just makes it all ok doesn’t it. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2009-460

And here’s the Gentleman from my home State who proposed the amendment. June 26, 2009: Hastings’ Amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act Passes House Oddly enough that amendment doesn’t show at Thomas.gov unless you actually download the PDF of it. How’s that for transparency.

Here’s some more info on the upstanding Congressman Hastings

I tried to make a link to thomas.gov of the bill and/or pdf file of it but all their pages are loaded dynamically with cgi scripts so it’s not possible but you can go there and search for the bill number H.R. 2647 and the one appended with EH is the version that passed. Once you have navigated to that you’ll see a link on the left for GPO’s PDF Display. That’s the (Government Print Office) print version. www.thomas.gov

UPDATE: 7/8/09 If you find the [HR 2647 EH] on thomas you can click on section 523 to make 524 show. Must be a bug or glitch. Yeah, I can see Gibbs saying that now. I kind of like the pdf myself for impressing people when I show it to them. It’s got that nice official logo at the top of an eagle representing freedom. “Hey check out this Appropriations Act”  Also, section 524 is on page 152 of the pdf.

I also see that:

7/6/2009:

Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 96.

Strange Days

Rules for Radicals

In 1971, Saul Alinsky wrote an entertaining classic on grassroots organizing titled Rules for Radicals. Those who prefer cooperative tactics describe the book as out-of-date. Nevertheless, it provides some of the best advice on confrontational tactics. Alinsky begins this way:

What follows is for those who want to change the world from what it is to what they believe it should be. The Prince was written by Machiavelli for the Haves on how to hold power. Rules for Radicals is written for the Have-Nots on how to take it away.

His “rules” derive from many successful campaigns where he helped poor people fighting power and privilege

For Alinsky, organizing is the process of highlighting what is wrong and convincing people they can actually do something about it. The two are linked. If people feel they don’t have the power to change a bad situation, they stop thinking about it.

According to Alinsky, the organizer — especially a paid organizer from outside — must first overcome suspicion and establish credibility. Next the organizer must begin the task of agitating: rubbing resentments, fanning hostilities, and searching out controversy. This is necessary to get people to participate. An organizer has to attack apathy and disturb the prevailing patterns of complacent community life where people have simply come to accept a bad situation. Alinsky would say, “The first step in community organization is community disorganization.”

Through a process combining hope and resentment, the organizer tries to create a “mass army” that brings in as many recruits as possible from local organizations, churches, services groups, labor unions, corner gangs, and individuals.

Alinsky provides a collection of rules to guide the process. But he emphasizes these rules must be translated into real-life tactics that are fluid and responsive to the situation at hand.

Rule 1: Power is not only what you have, but what an opponent thinks you have. If your organization is small, hide your numbers in the dark and raise a din that will make everyone think you have many more people than you do.

Rule 2: Never go outside the experience of your people.
The result is confusion, fear, and retreat.

Rule 3: Whenever possible, go outside the experience of an opponent. Here you want to cause confusion, fear, and retreat.

Rule 4: Make opponents live up to their own book of rules. “You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity.”

Rule 5: Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. It’s hard to counterattack ridicule, and it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage.

Rule 6: A good tactic is one your people enjoy. “If your people aren’t having a ball doing it, there is something very wrong with the tactic.”

Rule 7: A tactic that drags on for too long becomes a drag. Commitment may become ritualistic as people turn to other issues.

Rule 8: Keep the pressure on. Use different tactics and actions and use all events of the period for your purpose. “The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition. It is this that will cause the opposition to react to your advantage.”

Rule 9: The threat is more terrifying than the thing itself. When Alinsky leaked word that large numbers of poor people were going to tie up the washrooms of O’Hare Airport, Chicago city authorities quickly agreed to act on a longstanding commitment to a ghetto organization. They imagined the mayhem as thousands of passengers poured off airplanes to discover every washroom occupied. Then they imagined the international embarrassment and the damage to the city’s reputation.

Rule 10: The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative. Avoid being trapped by an opponent or an interviewer who says, “Okay, what would you do?”

Rule 11: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, polarize it. Don’t try to attack abstract corporations or bureaucracies. Identify a responsible individual. Ignore attempts to shift or spread the blame.

According to Alinsky, the main job of the organizer is to bait an opponent into reacting. “The enemy properly goaded and guided in his reaction will be your major strength.”

These are the tactics of Obama’s mentor, but remember, these are for community organizers not someone in power. People in power have a lot more tools at their disposal. Like controlling what people see and hear.

Most people in this country have no clue what’s going on. A friend of mine who does not get FoxNews on cable said to me the other day that all he sees on the news is some local stuff and the other half of it is basically a commercial for American Idol. He did hear about the Holocaust shooting but not the recruiter shooting.

There have been many complaints and much protest from people simply wanting our representatives to simply Read The Bill before they sign it. The stimulus Bill was rushed through without it being read and that was one of the big reasons for the Tea Party. Then on a Friday before a Holiday recess the House voted on the Cap & Trade Bill. It was about 1000 pages and had a last minute amendment added of 300 pages. Well look how seriously our Government takes us.

A Complete Mockery.

Speaking of JustPlainFedUp. I’m about fed up with people going overboard with trying to capitalize on the Tea Party efforts. It’s one thing to have some small well placed ads as long as it’s obvious that they are ads. It does help offset the cost of running a site but some people tend to get carried away and I beleive some Tea Party sites are completely fake. I’m not saying that about Atlanta but here we have a big city (imagine that) like Atlanta canceling their Tea Party 2 weeks before the event. How long have we had to prepare people? 2 months isn’t enough to make sure the location is secured? Nice. Oh and the Atlanta Tea Party site has almost every possible form of “fund raising” too. Google ads, Zazzle, PayPal Button, ChipIn button and selling a video of the April 15th Atlanta Tea Party.

Tea party Shirts $16.95-$33.95
April 15th Video $12.95
And they’ve raised $3,815 in donations.

Oh and their running on blogger.com too so the site hosting is free. Such a deal. Now they will be piggy backing on the Cobb County Tea Party. Atlanta was going to be  Sat. the 4th 7:00pm at “the old Macy’s Parking Lot. Guess what they found out? Someone owns that private property. Naa, ya don’t say. Its’ not Simon Malls as they thought and the actual owner doesn’t want to have anything political on the property. (Here’s a hint, even if it was Simon Malls it’s still private property. Unless the Government owns them too now.) Nor did the real owner like the term “protest”. Everyone else is getting permits to have the Tea Parties in a public place and paying for the permits. Not in the parking lot of a vacant store. Well hopefully Atlanta Tea Party people will give some of those thousands of dollars to the Cobb County folks because they don’t sell anything on their site. They do have a donation link and so far they’ve got $5.00. So here again the prepared, rural folks are bailing out the not so prepared, city people. We’re friggin doomed.