Congressman Robert Goodlatte

Congressman Bob Goodlatte, who represents the 6th District of Virginia in the US House Of Representatives, has scheduled a Town Hall meeting for Thursday, September 3 in Roanoke.

It will be held at Hidden Valley High School (5000 Titan Trail) in SW Roanoke County from 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Make plans now to attend – be ready with good questions for our congressman! We need to be sure he hears our voices before the House votes on Health Care Reform in September.

Bring your signs – and wear your Tea Party t-shirts!

He has also scheduled meetings in Bridgewater on 9/4 and Lynchburg on 9/12.

The hall was filled beyond capacity, and Mr. Goodlatte spoke and answered questions for more than two hours. A wide range of opinions were shared, but we were heartened to note that not only was the overwhelming majority of the crowd opposed to the bills currently working through the Congress, but that the Congressman was opposed as well.

He warned about governmental interference in insurance choices and voiced grave concern about the fiscal disaster facing Medicare as the baby boom generation begins to reach retirement age.

Here is a video report from Carson Krislov on WDBJ.

We can’t say whether Ms. Krislov did so with any agenda in mind, but she did go through the audience and hand-pick people who had posed questions to the Congressman for her to interview.

The Roanoke Times has coverage of the meeting online that struck us as very accurate and complete. It included this list of suggestions from Goodlatte:

That prompted Goodlatte to cite some of the “targeted changes in our laws” that he’d like to see:

• Leveling the tax playing field to offer the same incentives for individuals that are now offered to large corporations.
• Tort reform that would reduce operating costs for doctors, as well as “defensive medicine” that results in unneeded tests and procedures.
• More transparency of health care information and costs.
• Expansion of pooled coverage that would allow individuals and small businesses to band together and take advantage of economies of scale, even across state lines.

WSLS also aired a report, which included an interview with Chip Tarbutton, a member of our interim Board – though they did misidentify him as “Tearbutton.”

If anyone has their own photos or video from this event, please contact us.

The dirty little secret is beginning to seep out. Your federal government, ever watchful for new ways to take your money from you in order to (in part) use it to compel you to adopt certain behaviors, is thinking about the socialist European Value Added Tax (VAT). Even Speaker of the House Pelosi admitted, in a recent PBS interview with Charlie Rose, that some form of VAT will need to be considered as part of the mix. This is frightening news, as it would provide an almost limitless source of money to pay for gross overspending on projects that (in part) we don’t want. And, it would be in addition to the income tax!

The VAT taxes the value added to each step of production of every good or service. For example, the addition of a windshield to a work-in-progress new car would require a tax on the increase in value of the car. Providers of goods and services will, of course, pass these taxes along to consumers as costs of production; i.e., as higher prices. In effect, the VAT is a sales tax imposed on all goods and services deemed to be subject to the tax. Further, the complexity of keeping track of all these mini-taxes is such that the VAT is only cost-effective if the tax is high enough. This could result in the tax rate being set at 10-15% and it is further subject to the whims of Congress when it comes to raising the rate.

The VAT, as a flat-rate tax on most of what we buy or consume, is extremely regressive. Unlike the income tax, which has been twisted and contorted in order to give a break to this group or that person, the VAT hits everyone with the same bat. The poor will pay a greater percentage of their expenditures in tax than those of higher income. Only a further set of contortions can relieve this certainty. Bring on thousands more pages of tax regulations!

Fortunately, many of us in the Roanoke Valley are served by a Congressman, Bob Goodlatte, who can be counted upon to vote against a VAT proposal as often as it comes up. Other Congressmen serving our region are not so certain, nor are our two Senators. We need to contact our wavering representatives often and with a simple message: The VAT – Don’t even think about it!

There is an alternative to the income tax with or without the VAT: the FairTax. It provides for the elimination of the income tax and the IRS leading to a whole bunch of changes. Instead of taxing “earned income,” which seems to include money made from any source whatsoever, it taxes only money spent to make a purchase. Since earned income is not taxed there is no need for payroll and withholding taxes and you go home with your full paycheck. There are some workers who, having had their checks reduced in this way for so long, don’t know what their full wage is! Wait, there’s more! Each legal, resident family will receive a monthly refund for the FairTax that will be paid on expenses up to that family’s poverty level meaning that the poorest among us will, unlike the income tax and especially the VAT, pay no tax at all. The rich, on the other hand, will hardly notice the prebate. Between these extremes, every family will have some of its taxes refunded with the most effect felt at the lower incomes.

The income tax is already included in the costs of goods and services by virtue of hidden taxes collected from providers. The VAT would double down on this at every level of production. On the other hand, the FairTax would eliminate all of these taxes! Consequently, as the costs of new goods and services drop – the average amount is 22% – the FairTax is inserted at the level of 23%. Prices would remain essentially at the income-taxed level and well below the plus-VAT level. In fact, had the FairTax been effect a year or so ago, its full-paycheck property would have provided a strong stimulus on its own.

Act now to stop the tax madness! Tell your federal legislators: income tax…NO; VAT…NO; FairTax…YES. Reach them as follows: Perriello – 202-225-4711; Boucher – 202-225-3861; Warner – 202-224-2023; Webb – 202-224-4024. Let them hear from you.

We had a great turnout – including Congressman Goodlate who spent an hour or so at the rally. The response from commuters who passed us at Cave Spring Corner was overwhelmingly positive, with hundreds of honks and waves sent our way.

One unhappy motorist did shout “Move to Mexico if you don’t like Obama” in our direction, which none of us quite understood.

We’ll have photos and video soon.

We were surprised, but very pleased, to find Congressman Bob Goodlatte in our midst. He stayed for some time, answered questions from those in attendance and spoke to anyone who approached him. No one had contacted his office about attending – he just showed up.

The police came out several times, each in response to a complaint from Walgreens. They thought that we would take up all their parking (we didn’t), or that Walgreens would somehow be seen as “endorsing” our position. Not sure what the police told the store manager, but they never asked us to move or disperse.

We hope to have more photos soon.

The slaughter solution has passed. And now the Democrats are bribing and cheating their way to a 216 person vote in the House. So the Democrats are willing to destroy the Constitution to pass this bill. The process is unconstitutional, the bill is unconstitutional. The result:

Your freedoms are in peril.

The specifics of the bill aren’t important now…though we all know that this isn’t going to help anyone but Democrats who are trying to seize power. If the government can subvert the Constitution to create laws without the consent of the people, our Republic is in an unparalleled crisis.

Thanks to Congressman Goodlatte for his support of the Constitution. From a message that Goodlatte sent to the Roanoke Tea Party yesterday.

“I wanted to let you know about a resolution that the Congressman co-sponsored which would prevent the speaker from bringing a rule to the floor unless it allows for an up-or-down vote on the Senate health care bill, and additionally he gave a speech on the house floor yesterday along with 124 other members of the Republican caucus against not only the health care bill itself, but also against the process by which the Democrats are trying to ram this through the House.”

We also appreciate Tom Periello for his courage in crossing over and voting against the Slaughter Solution. Yet he is going to vote for the bill? What sense does that make?

However, Rick Boucher went along with the Slaughter Solution. Congressman Boucher, you voted against the bill the first time around…and now you vote for the unconstitutional procedure to pass the unconstitutional bill you originally opposed? What?!?!?

The root cause of this problem is that we have progressives who are either too incompetent to see the constitutional issues with this bill, or willing accomplices to the greatest constitutional crisis in this nation since the Civil War.

So what do we do?

There is a rally in DC today at noon at the Capitol.  I am watching it now. At some point, I think these rally’s are losing their effectiveness. I prefer hounding your Congressman, Leave Goodlatte alone, or thank him for showing leadership on this…but if you are in Boucher or Periello’s district

Call him

Call him

Call him.

“All politics is local”…make them fear for their jobs.

Governor McDonnell, we need every voice now. Sign the Health Care Freedom Act and join the fight! It has been sitting on your desk for over a week. What are you waiting for? We could have been the first state to approve nullification. But Idaho has beaten us to the punch.

Thanks to AG Ken Cuccinelli for his leadership on nullification and his willingness to fight for the rights the Federal government are trying to steal from us.

All of this is just, in the words of Ken Cuccinell, a rear guard action. If you were uncertain about the direction of progressives in DC, events of the past few days should have removed all doubt. The latest Gallop Poll shows  Congressional approval at 16%. The question remains: what we are going to do about it?

The answer is we have to change the equation. It’s simple.

Step 1:

Get the current crop of progressives out of DC and Richmond.

The GOP is flush with confidence and joy as they feel they will sweep back in to power in November. We want to help that happen. Not to mention in 2011 when every State Senator is up for re-election. With the current environment and our active support, we can make this happen. As a local group we need to focus primarily on local races and get good men and women into office. But here’s the rub…

What are the new politicians going to differently? If it is the same economic policies that the GOP Congress and Bush pursued from 2000 – 2006 when they had a majority, we will end up in the same place we are today…with the people getting frustrated with the GOP and voting Democrats back in…

Is that really what we want? Is that what we are fighting for. Never Again.

Step 2:

Whoever is in power needs to be accountable to:

Support the Constitution

Show Fiscal Responsibility

Defend Individual Liberties

Support the Free Market

The Roanoke Tea Party does not care what your party affiliation is…but we do care deeply if you defend these basic principles. We are looking at Bob McDonnell just as critically as we would look at any Governor. He’s not getting a pass because he has an R behind his name. For those who put party loyalty above our principles, the Roanoke Tea Party is not the place for you.

Lastly, as the Roanoke Tea Party continues to grow, we need to continue to focus most of our energy on issues that are local to us…The Roanoke Valley, The New River Valley and Bedford/Lynchburg. We need to ensure that good candidates are representing us at every level of government: from school boards to Congress. From House of Delegates to the US Senate.

If you really support these basic principles, you can look at a piece of legislation and know that it violates these principles. Never mind that McDonnell’s a Republican. If you look at his original Jobs bill, it is full of tax breaks for “Green Jobs.” By doing this, the government is subverting the free market by targeting tax breaks to the businesses the government deems as good.

That does not support Free Markets. And we should oppose it.

Step 3: Repeat Steps 1 and 2 forever

We all have to get past party issues and look at how well are elected officials are upholding their principles. Forever.

The other advantage of acting locally is that no one knows what will happen to the economy. With the oppressive debt both parties in DC have piled up over the past few years, Moody’s is considering downgrading the USA’s bond rating. Did you hear that? The USA, the greatest economic force in the history of the world, may being downgraded!

Glen Beck picked up on this last night. If the federal government goes bankrupt, we may be faced with a historical shift in this nation. Everyone likes to say “when things get better…we’ll be fine.” But please note that the Moody’s report also predicted unprecedented social upheaval when the US government finally starts to address the fiscal mess. What does that mean? No one knows for sure.

We have a Federal Government that is bound and determined to push us into a socialist society and destroy the basic tenets of our nation. What does that mean long term….No one knows for sure.

All we can really control politically is our local elections. When our local/state /Federal officials are faced with crucial decisions soon that could alter the very direction of this nation…we must have leaders who are up to this challenge.

As a local group, we need to be educated, prepared and ready for any eventuality. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst is always good advise. At some point very soon, our state and local officials are going to have to stand up to the Federal Government and say NO. And unless we are pushing them to do that…it will never happen. Being an effective voice locally has NEVER BEEN MORE CRITICAL THAN AT THIS PIVOTAL MOMENT IN HISTORY.

As a group, we need to stop being slaves to our current system. The system we have in place can be changed if we have the courage to stand on our convictions.

When the 10th Amendment is always respected, when we always allow for a truly free markets, when we always respect individual liberties and when the government is always thrifty;  we will see this nation flourish economically and are freedoms will be secured.

Keep your powder dry people, whatever happens in DC over the next few days is only the first battle. The real battle will be in November, when we start to replace politicians and hold new ones accountable.The sad part is that the battle will never be over…we will always need to be vigilant because people, being people, are going to disappoint us.

That’s why are founders created this government to ensure our God Given rights are protected.That is our mission and for the sake of our children we cannot fail.

Don’t get down. The fact that the Democrats will have had to commit political suicide to pass this bill is a direct result of your efforts in Roanoke, and from Patriot groups across this nation.

Now what?

As we’ve stated numerous times, it is time to move from protests and transition the Roanoke Tea Party into a political force that can force our 2 parties to uphold the Constitution. Please join us for our business meeting at the Voice Of The Blue Ridge at 6:30 PM on April 1. Here are directions.

We fully expectVA Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to file suit to stop this legislation if it passes. 36 other states are likely to join in this effort. Obviously, we appreciate this support of our Constitutional Rights. Other private groups will likely file as well.

We expect Bob McDonnell to sign the Healthcare Freedom Act, which can be used to nullify the unconstitutional aspects of this bill. If he doesn’t sign the bill Monday, we need to start pressuring the governor to do so. The Roanoke Tea Party and other state groups worked very hard to get bi-partisan support in Richmond for the Health Care Freedom Act in the event Washington passed a bill like this…We need this bill signed ASAP.

We need our leaders in the state of Virginia to stand up to the Federal Government and protect the rights of Virginians. We expect our leaders to draw a line around this state and say HELL NO to this blatant violation of our 10th Amendment Rights.

Lastly, we need to focus on removing from office those responsible for this crime against the nation. Tom Periello must be defeated in November. The Lynchburg/Danville/Charlottesville Tea Parties are already working actively to defeat Periello.

Most of our members have Bob Goodlatte as a Congressman. He has worked hard to defeat the bill and has never waivered in his opposition. His support is greatly appreciated.

There are several Tea Party Groups forming in the NRV area that we will be working with to try and find ways to unseat Rick Boucher.  While he voted against the Health Care bill, his vote for Cap and Trade was already a deal breaker. (Periello voted for Cap and Trade too)

A vote for Cap and Trade is  bad for any Congressman, but particularly for Boucher, who represents areas where Coal Mining is the major industry. Cap and Trade would further gut this industry, kill jobs in his disrict and further our national  shortage of domestic energy sources.

Getting Boucher and Periello out of office becomes job # 1. Job 1A:

Make sure their replacements support

The Constitution

Free Markets

Individual Liberties

Fiscal Responsibility

That starts the long road back to sanity in DC. And don’t think we have forgotten about Webb and Warner. You are complicit in this crime too….and your unelection will come as soon as possible.

We will also be having a raffle for some cool items that night….as we watch the first tentative steps our nation is taking to restore our Republic.

Our normal public meeting will take place as normal on Thursday 11-4. More on that soon…

Federal

The main event for Tuesday of course are the midterm Federal elections. The leadership of the Roanoke Tea Party remains pessimistic that these elections will accomplish little more than gridlock in DC.

Not that that is a bad thing.

We think Congress and the Executive branch accomplishing nothing is a good thing right now as only a handful of our Federal officials seem to have actually read or understand the Constitution.

We did do a voter guide for the 6th District Congressional Race. You can look at the full document here. We are not endorsing a candidate.

Congressman Goodlatte must continue to show that he takes his oath of office seriously. When Goodlatte ran for Congress for the first time in 1994, part of his platform (as well as the rest of the Congressional GOP) was that the Department of Education was unconstitutional.

Yet in 2003, Goodlatte voted to expand the Department of Education through the Head Start program. And he continues to vote to fund a Department he, at one time, felt was unconstitutional.

Our expectation of a Congressional candidate is that they will stand up for the Constitution (as is their oath of office) with EVERY vote.  No matter how difficult or unpopular it might be.

Stuart Bain did as well as any candidate could do without a voting record.  We hope Conservative voters will at least consider Bain before just blindly voting for Goodlatte.
Constitutional issues aren’t the only issues voters must consider when selecting a candidate, but they certainly should be a primary driver in our decision making. So look at both candidates and their positions before you cast your ballot Tuesday.

We did not do a formal vetting for the 5th District Race (Periello vs. Hurt) or 9th District Race (Boucher vs. Griffith). We have in both cases,  corrupt Democratic incumbents facing off against state level Republicans with a voting record of some concern to the RTP…(Hurt more so than Griffith)

We are not endorsing any of these candidates either. While an early retirement for Periello and Boucher would not hurt any of our feelings at all, (they would have been rated Epic Failures in our vetting process) we are not going to tie ourselves to candidates unless we are confident they will act differently than normal politicians.

Otherwise why have a Tea Party movement? Conservatives have been marginalized by the GOP forever…because we won’t stand up to the GOP and hold them to account when they go wrong. We will support candidates from any party if they consistently support our principles.

We believe in the Constitution, Fiscal Responsibility and limited government based on the 10th Amendment. We don’t care what the letter behind their name is if they support these principles. When politicians start understanding we can’t be easily bought off, they may actually start listening and changing their ways.

State:

There are 3 Constitutional Amendments on the ballot that have gotten very little attention. They were passed unanimously by the state legislators…(that should be the first warning that this is a bad idea)Here is an opposing view written by Rob Schilling. I am voting no and I urge you to vote no too…

“Virginia Ballot Questions 2010: Vote NO on 1, 2, and 3
by Rob Schilling on Tuesday, October 26, 2010 at 9:15am

On November 2, 2010 Virginians will be faced with several seemingly innocuous but fatally flawed ballot questions, primarily dealing with various facets of taxation in the Commonwealth.

At hand are three constitutional amendments, which appear on the ballot following a multi-stage approval by the Virginia General Assembly, as follows:

A constitutional amendment, as established in Section 1 of Article XII, can be proposed in either house of the Virginia General Assembly. If a proposed amendment is approved by a simple majority vote in one session of the state legislature, it is automatically referred to the next session of the state legislature that occurs after the next general election of members of the Virginia House of Delegates. If in that second session the proposed amendment is “agreed to by a majority of all the members elected to each house” it is then placed before the state’s voters. If approved by a simple majority vote, it becomes part of the state’s constitution.

Question 1 reads:

Shall Section 6 of Article X of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to authorize legislation that will permit localities to establish their own income or financial worth limitations for purposes of granting property tax relief for homeowners not less than 65 years of age or permanently and totally disabled?

Question 2 reads:

Shall the Constitution be amended to require the General Assembly to provide a real property tax exemption for the principal residence of a veteran, or his or her surviving spouse, if the veteran has a 100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability?

Questions 1 and 2 deal with real estate taxation. Helping veterans, disabled, and elderly people is a noble goal, as is tax reduction; the means by which the assistance will be granted, however, is insidious.

America’s founders recognized inherent peril in progressive taxation: a citizen exempt from paying taxes that his neighbor must pay, has no incentive in keeping the tax low because he, himself, does not pay the tax.

Alexander Hamilton warned against multi-tiered real estate taxation schemes in Federalist 35:

“No tax can be laid on land which will not affect the proprietor of millions of acres as well as the proprietor of a single acre. Every land-holder will therefore have a common interest to keep the taxes on land as low as possible; and common interest may always be reckoned upon as the surest bond of sympathy.”

The disastrous results of nearly a century of progressive income taxation can be seen in present day America where 47% of U.S. households paid no federal income tax in 2009. Those paying no tax actually have a vested interest in seeing rates raised for federal income-taxpayers, in order to maintain their own tax-free status.

Virginians would be unwise to allow their system of property taxation to emulate the federal model of progressive income taxation with its designated “winners and losers” and special “protected” classes.

By adding more exceptions to the rule, Virginia Ballot Questions 1 and 2 continue the erosion of “flat” (i.e., equitable) real estate taxation in the Commonwealth, ultimately to the detriment of maintaining Hamilton’s referenced common interests in private property rights and ownership.

Ballot Question 3 fundamentally enlarges state government at the expense of ordinary citizens and the overall state economy.

Question 3 reads:

Shall Section 8 of Article X of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to increase the permissible size of the Revenue Stabilization Fund (also known as the “rainy day fund”) from 10 percent to 15 percent of the Commonwealth’s average annual tax revenues derived from income and retail sales taxes for the preceding three fiscal years?

Increasing the allowable size of Virginia’s “rainy day fund” by 50% is a colossally bad idea. The state is not a bank, an investment, or a savings account; it should hold as little of the people’s money as is practical.

Funds retained by government are unavailable to the state’s economy and thus stifle economic activity both of businesses and individuals.

In addition, fattening the state’s “slush” fund encourages growth in the size and scope of state government, and it is a disincentive to vital cost cutting and budget reform/reduction measures.

Disappointingly, many known “conservatives” publicly are supporting some or all of these constitutional amendments— each of which was passed unanimously in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly. In reality, legislators will reap political gain and political power from the passage of the measures: this is another opportunity to buy votes and to curry favor from large constituencies, all in the name of providing assistance.

As an entire class, property owners are deserving of relief from crushing real estate taxation in Virginia, but such reprieve granted piecemeal is detrimental to property rights and to America’s common interest in limited government. There are better and more American-centric ways to assist veterans, disabled, and elderly people. And, growing the ability of the state to confiscate—and ultimately spend—greater sums will further saddle taxpaying Virginians and encumber Virginia’s struggling economy.

Don’t be fooled by seemingly sympathetic subjects. Progressive taxation and government largesse have not benefited America in the preceding century. The 2010 ballot questions are bad news for liberty loving Virginians, and if passed, they will result in greater state control over our everyday lives.

Virginia Ballot Questions 2010: Vote NO on 1, 2, and 3.”

Local

There are a few local races of note. There is a Sheriff’s race in Roanoke County between Independent Mike Stovall and Incumbent Democrat Mike Winston. The Sheriff’s department in Roanoke County has been stripped of any meaningful power by the County and that power now resides in the Police Department.

One of the most important roles of any County Sheriff is his willingness to uphold his oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. Sheriff’s should serve the citizens of their county (when necessary)by defending them against unconstitutional Federal laws. Since all the Sheriff’s Department does in Roanoke County is run the prisons and other similar duties, we don’t see that this role has a critical role. So we don’t have a strong opinion about this race.

It should be noted that Winston is an incumbent Democrat that is endorsed by the Roanoke Times Editorial Board and Democratic State Senator John Edwards.  My first instinct in dealing with those entities is to do the opposite of whatever they support.

In Botetourt County, the Fincastle District Supervisor position has:

Larry Celola (R) Gwen Ickenberry (I) and Steve Vaughn (D) running. We don’t have a position on this race either.  A Q and A is here….

Larry is a good man and is solid on principles (other than not pledging unconditionally to not raise taxes) but none of the candidates have a strong enough grasp on local issues to garner an endorsement.  We wish GOP candidates would stop being wishy washy and just say they aren’t raising taxes….you can’t get an endorsement from us….if you don’t pledge to not raise taxes….period!

We hope that helps you sort out the myriad of issues on the ballot. We wish we could be more supportive of candidates but frankly, the lack of endoresments really speaks to the state of politics today. Until we get elected officials who understand and actually support our Constitution, we will never get our country out of the mess it is in today.

See you at the polls and at the party Tuesday night.

Chip Tarbutton

President

Roanoke Tea Party

Boy was it cold out there. Thanks for the folks who braved the elements. Like I always,  say our members rock!

So here are some take aways from the meeting. First the positives. We appreciate the staff from Goodlatte’s being patient at having such a large crowd in their office.  They patiently took down most of our questions and they were very gracious.

Goodlatte pledged to vote against the bill and had a statement ready for us right after we arrived to the office. And he got a chance to follow through on that promise as a vote came up this evening.

Now the negatives…

We have been calling Congressman Goodlatte for days to get his take on this…no one from his staff could give us a position.

While we appreciate the fact Goodlatte voted against the food safety bill and the equally terrible DREAM act, they were passed anyway by Nancy Pelosi’s lame duck Congress.

Not that specific efforts by Goodlatte would have necessarily stopped this,  but we expect our representative to be out front on these issues and working to drum up support and public sentiment about this issue.

As of today, Goodlatte’s website has not been updated since November 24. I know the Congressman has been busy with his duties and an impeachment trial. Still he has a staff that can communicate on issues like this.

While the media focused on the drama around the tax cuts and unemployment benefits, Pelosi and her minions jammed this through. Congressman Goodlatte told me not to worry about the lame duck Congress immediately after the election. If GOP leadership had done more to drum up opposition, we might have been able to fend these off….very disappointing.

While the tax cuts are still there….the Democrats have grabbed even more of our freedom.

This is why we need our state to start nullification procedures on these unconstitutional mandates. One of the questions we asked Goodlatte today is this…

Q. Where in the Constitution does the Federal have the right to create the FDA?

Here’s a spoiler alert…..

It doesn’t.

We need to nullify bills now. We can do this by getting our legislators to support the Freedom For Virginians Act.In Goodlatte’s statement he discusses many of the issues with the bill…except for the constitutional ones.

Expecting the Feds to support state rights isn’t sane. But according to the founders, each state has the right to nullify unconstitutional laws.

This is the legislation that can save us from this…

We had some coverage on some local political blogs.

One in particular had this quote…which I absolutely loved.

“Of course, my first reaction was to wonder what old Bob had done to arouse the ire of the most engaged – and strident – political group in the Commonwealth.”

http://beforeitsnews.com/story/299/396/Protest_is_On_Against_the_Food_Police_Actand_just_in_time._Plus_the_Top_10_Lies_about_this_bill1_more_time..html

http://blogfromonhigh.blogspot.com/2010/12/these-people-are-serious.html

http://www.roanokefreepress.com/?p=11357

Chip Tarbutton

Roanoke Tea Party

Congressman Goodlatte is leading a well intentioned effort to at least get the Constitution in the conversation for this next Congress by sponsoring a public reading of the document in Congress. I was interviewed as part of the story…our take on it.

“If it was up to me, they could spend the whole congressional session reading the Constitution and nothing else, and they wouldn’t do as much damage as the last Congress did,” said Chip Tarbutton, president of the Roanoke Tea Party in Roanoke, Va., which is in Mr. Goodlatte‘s district.

He said the key test for lawmakers such as Mr. Goodlatte is whether they treat the constitutional reading as “window dressing” or whether it sparks the kinds of discussions that could lead to a major re-evaluation of the role of the federal government.

“If they follow through on it, it’ll create some very difficult conversations, because what they’ll end up doing is finding a lot of things already in place are unconstitutional,” Mr. Tarbutton said.

So much of what is done in DC is outside the bounds of the actual Constitutional framework that I feel this effort to be more “Constitutional” will fail quickly. But in the mean time, I would think there will be some fantastic quotes from politicians in DC who will display their ignorance of the Constitution and their disregard for the rule of law.

It may not be effective in fixing the government, but it may be very effective at showing why the Federal Government can’t fix itself. Which is why the Commonwealth of Virginia needs to take the lead and nullify unconstitutional laws. That is the only effective path back to the Constitution.

God bless you and your family this Christmas. Praying for a  new year that brings our members happiness and prosperity and us all a lot more freedom.

Merry Christmas

Chip Tarbutton

President

Roanoke Tea Party