Every government degenerates when
trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people
themselves are its only safe depositories. Thomas Jefferson
I predict future happiness for
Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting
the labors of the people under the pretense of taking
care of them. Thomas Jefferson
The Second Annual East Orange
Tea Party was held on 4/15/10 at 12:00 Noon in Watsessing Park by the
banks of the Second River in East Orange. Last year, I
stood alone; a party of one. This year I was again all
alone but spoke with a few passers-by and again did the
job the Essex County Parks Commission is SUPPOSED to do
with our tax money; I cleaned up the East Orange entrance
section to the park.
Three Bags Full: It was hard to believe there was
that much litter in the entrance to the park, but as you
can see, I filled 3 plastic shopping bags to the brim
with litter from that one section alone. How about using
some stimulus money to outfit some retired citizens with
"grabby sticks" like mine and putting them to work?
I was just finishing up my
"demonstration" of citizenship (I
maintain that each citizen is personally
responsible for his or her own environment and
government), when up rolled the CBS mobile TV
truck looking for the East Orange Tea Party.
I informed the reporter, Kathryn Brown, that
I was all alone and that she had missed the
"Tea Party Demonstration" of me doing
the clean-up job that our taxes pay the Essex
County Parks to do.
Upon learning that there was no angry mob
inciting violence or spouting racist remarks at
my peaceful Tea Party, the reporter and driver
hopped back in their truck and scurried off to
the Hackensack Tea Party in hopes of a jucier
story for the evening news.
I am thankful that having only 1 Tea Party
Member makes it difficult to infiltrate our party
to make it newsworthy.
When the excitement over the arrival and
immediate departure of the TV truck had settled
down, I broke out my hot tea thermos and some
Lorna Doones (cookies) and used up my tea bag
twice while awaiting any more visitors or
potential members.
Last year I made the mistake of pouring out
an unused tea bag into the river. This year, I
made sure the tea was well used. Waste not, want
not; a lesson I fervantly wish the governments -
local, state and federal - would learn.
On concluding that once again I was the sole
East Orange Representative of the Tea Party
Movement, I started the video camera (see video
below if you can stand it!), made my annual
speech and dumped my used tea into the river.
I wish it were possible for me to clean
up the Second River, but that's not something
possible for an ordinary citizen to do without
getting arrested or at least shooed away. The
river is home to a variety of wildlife, including
ducks, geese, frogs and fish, but they have to
put up with trash that inconsiderate humans throw
in just for fun. There are plenty of trash
barrels around the park, easily accessed by the
public, but until each person decides to take
responsibility for his or her environment,
nothing will change.
After I dumped my well-used tea into the
Second River (see video below) and cleaned up
after myself, I went over to Cicely Tyson School
and picked up my Fried Fish Dinner that the Band
Parents Association was selling for the benefit
of East Orange's Unified Marching Band. This is
one of the most worthy benefit causes in the
city; they send a group of high school students
to Southern University in Louisana for a week of
training in drilling, marching and playing band
music. The students then return to East Orange
and pass on that training to a larger number of
East Orange students in a month long summer band
camp. You can see what it's all about HERE. If you missed the Fried
Fish Dinner, you can still help out by attending
the Benefit Concert "Music
Under the Stars" on Saturday evening, May
1st, 2010.
This is a necessary first step. We, the People
of the United States, have allowed politicians to do our thinking
and our jobs for so long that they have begun to believe they are
in charge, and not us. This will show them who is really in
charge and why the Constitution of the United States begins with
the words: "We the People of the United States." Vote
for someone who has not yet become corrupted by public office
perks, a cushy public salary, and access to our tax money. Don't
think you can let someone else have a free ride by not voting.
Your job is to VOTE, not to avoid personal responsibility. Find
the most sincere, honest candidate of any party and vote for the
person, not the party.
Join a political party; do not register as an
"independent" or some third party. Become a Democrat or
a Republican. Choose the party that needs the most reform so you
can vote in that party's Primary Election. In East Orange, you
should become a Democrat because the Republican Party has no real
presence here and you can only make your vote count in the
Primary Elections by being a registered Democrat. In the final
elections, you can vote your conscience without regard for any
political party.
Vote for Tax REFORM on all levels, local, state
and federal. Vote NO to ALL bond requests, even if they make you
feel good. Vote down ANY and ALL tax increases. Make them use the
tax money they already have and are wasting. Don't give them any
new money to play with until they get control of government
spending, fraud and waste.
Begin this year on your Tax Return by letting
them know what is coming and check "NO" (or leave
unchecked) the box for Contributing money to the Presidential
Election Campaign (Federal) AND Gubernatorial Elections Fund
(State). If this makes you feel guilty, contribute that money
directly to the candidate of your choice, or to your favorite
charity. Tax Reform BEGINS with Fiscal Responsibility. Don't
expect your governments to give you a free ride at someone else's
expense. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Politicians
don't yet know that. Teach them.
This is a long term goal; one that will take
time to get fixed. The IRS makes you sign your tax return
"under penalties of perjury." Make politicians take an
oath of office with the same wording at the end: "Under
penalties of perjury, I do so swear."
For now: demand that politicians running for
public office at ANY level end all of their advertising with the
same clause: "I swear under penalties of perjury that
everything in this political advertisement is the truth."
Make them state this publicly at any and all public meetings,
especially those which are recorded or televised.
This is also a long term goal and will take time
to get the laws changed and the Constitution amended. If the
Office of the President of the United States is LIMITED to two
terms of four years each, so should every elective public office
be similarly limited. If a person can't carry out every one of
his or her campaign promises within that time, they were not
competent to do so from the beginning. Eight years is enough. Let
someone else have a turn. If they were good at their jobs and
carried out all their promises, they can always run for some
other office, or go home and tend the garden.
For now: Vote ALL incumbents out of office. For
the near future, use your vote to limit terms of ALL public
offices.
Do none harm, speak none harm, think none harm.
Demand the same of yourself as you demand of others.
Take personal responsibility for your environment and
your government.
Leave the Earth a better place than it was when you
first arrived.
