1. When did you decide to help organize a Tea Party movement in Schoharie County?
In the past 1 month
2. What is your overall goal-- strictly for Schoharie County?
Local, State and Federal with an emphasis on Schoharie County. Grassroots works best from the ground up.
3. What are your criterions for supporting candidates? Does this include socially-liberally but fiscally-conservative Democrats?
The Tea Party movement is not affiliated with any party. Its purpose, Nationally and the Schoharie County chapter, is to get the Country back on a course in keeping with the vision of our Founding Fathers and the Constitution. It starts with fiscally responsible policies based on personal responsibility and individual freedom. This means significant cuts in spending at all levels, reduction in entitlement programs, leaner and more efficient government and compensation for public sector employees in line with private sector pay and benefits. In conjunction with reductions in spending, tax cuts and simplification are necessary to stimulate economic growth to enable us to get to balanced budgets and to ultimately reduce the National debt.
In addition to fiscally conservative policies, the Tea Party supports a strong National defense, gun rights, property rights, free enterprise capitalism, significant reductions in regulations and energy independence through domestic energy production. Specific examples are repeal of the recently enacted Health Care Reforms, prevention of Cap and Trade legislation and other onerous taxes and regulations. Also, immigration reform that does not include amnesty, health care reform that involves Tort Reform and free-market solutions to reduce cost.
As for social issues, the Tea Party is more in line with a Libertarian point of view in which people should be able to live their lives as long as they take responsibility for their actions and the associated consequences without looking to their neighbors for financial support for their poor decisions.
With all of the above in mind, citizens belonging to any political party (or no party at all) are welcome to participate.
Although this is far too brief an answer to your question, hopefully it gives some perspective as to the goals of the movement.
4. Are you considering running (or supporting running) candidates under a third party?
The Tea Party prefers to first start by supporting candidates that espouse the values as articulated above. This Country is, at its very core, a 2 party system. Any attempt to fight this reality via a 3rd party would likely mean that our efforts would be diluted to the point of failure. With this in mind, the Republican party is the most likely starting place for the changes that we view as necessary. Should they disappoint, then we will move to a 3rd party and never look back.
5. Do you approve of President Obama's job performance so far?
No! His policies CLEARLY do not fit within the values of this Nation as articulated above. His assault on our free market economy must be stopped. His assault on individual liberty and property rights must be stopped. His policies to weaken our National defense must be stopped.
6. Do you consider yourself or the SC Tea Party movement more conservative, anti-statist, or libertarian?
More conservative, especially as it relates to fiscal policy.
7. Anything else you'd like to add?
I would invite you to attend our next meeting as everyone, regardless of party affiliation, is welcome. We ask only that everyone treat each other with respect. It is tentatively scheduled for 6pm on May 11th at a location to be determined. Please check back via our website www.teapartyofsc.com to confirm.
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2 comments:
Great interview and great Tea Party!
KC
The plural of criterion is criteria.
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