The Richmond Tea Party leadership has released the following call to action.

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Want to make a difference in Virginia politics? Itching to do something about the mid-term elections? Here’s your chance!

The Richmond Tea Party wants to answer a call for help from the tea parties in the 9th District (southwest Virginia) and from Americans for Limited Government. But we need your help to do it.

They have asked that we send a busload of volunteers to Christiansburg on Saturday, September 11th to help hand out voter guides in a door-to-door campaign to highlight the differences between the candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives.

The current representative is Rick Boucher (D, currently serving his 14^th term) who needs to be removed. He is a typical tax and spend big government politician and is a supporter of Cap & Trade legislation. His challenger is Morgan Griffith (R, who has been serving on the VA House since 1994). He is committed to constitutionally limited government.

If you have the time, we need your help to make a difference!

Details:

The 47-passenger bus will depart from the Short Pump Target parking lot at 5:30 AM on Saturday, September 11th. We recommend that you arrive by 5:00 AM.

Richmond Tea Party is paying for the bus, so there is no charge for the volunteers. But, we will ask that you sign a waiver of liability statement prior to boarding the bus.

Breakfast will be served in Christiansburg at 8:30 Saturday morning, and we’ll get started around 9:00 and will depart at 5:00 PM.  We will be provided all materials, training, and transportation.

We have to confirm the bus to James River Bus Lines no later than Tuesday, September 7th, so if you can help, please respond as soon as possible to susanl@richmondteaparty.com. Please provide your name and phone number.

Every person will be contacted by phone prior to departure.

We have tons of information on the Virginia Tea Party Patriot Convention and confirmed speakers, the newly formed Small Business Committee meeting next week, the Goochland Tea Party meeting next week, and fun with RTP and the Richmond Squirrels game.

Click on the image and get all the details!

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It gives me a sense of pride, freedom, liberation, and even justice to be a member of the Richmond Tea Party. I do not see myself as a Black American, but an American whose skin happens to be black. My thinking, dreams, and visions are deeply rooted in the American dream—a dream of hope and promise for the future, not only for myself but for my children. My dream and identity are embedded in the American ideal that all men are created equal and are afforded the right to live to the highest level of their potential—a quest my DNA compels me to undertake.

But when that dream and quest are threatened, it is my duty to stand on the side of truth and justice. My dreams turn to powered mist when I see the leaders of this nation carelessly rip the Constitution off its foundation. My identity is being lost in this fruitless quest to make the world a better place for those at the top.

My membership in the Tea Party is my voice of defiance for a just cause. This cause which we take up is not about color, because color cannot feed, clothe, or care for anyone. It’s what’s behind that color that’s important. Being in the Tea Party as a black person makes me feel like I am finally doing my part to make government obey its own laws.

Now I ask: Where are those racist Tea Partiers the media keeps talking about? I can’t find any here. So if you are an African American, I ask you to leave your race on the shelf for one moment and look closely at what’s happening in Washington. And when you see the hidden and destructive agenda of this Obama rule, then join me in standing up for truth. Let us all, Fight on!

The Richmond Tea Party is inviting you to purchase tickets to the Richmond Flying Squirrels Game on Thursday, July 29th.

You are welcome to buy General admission(gold) tickets in this section but the seats are not reserved so you want to get to the game early to make sure you are able to sit in section 214.

Ticketing, section 214:

• Available seats in silver reserved section -$8  
• General admission – $6

The Richmond Tea Party invites you to purchase tickets to the Richmond Flying Squirrels game on Thursday, July 29th at 7:05 p.m. where there will be fireworks! We spend a lot of energy on the serious issues, but we need a break somtimes. This is a great chance for all of us to get together for a simple night of family fun. And if you wear your Richmond Tea Party cap or shirt, you will receive a free U.S. Constitution.

Please purchase your tickets in the *silver reserve section 214*, (if this fills up, choose section 215). You are welcome to buy General admission (gold) tickets in this section, but the seats are not reserved so you should arrive early to make sure you are able to sit in section 214.

Silver reserve seats are $8 and and general adminssion are $6. Click here to purchase tickets to the July 29th game.

We hope to see you there!

We received the following information from the City of Richmond about a unique opportunity this Saturday, June 26^th to voice your opinion about the fiscal mess our nation finds itself in:

As part of the national discussion around the federal budget and economy, national and local foundations and organizations are putting together non-partisan town hall meetings in 20 cities on June 26 to facilitate dialog among a diverse group of Americans about their budget priorities. The results from these local dialogs will be reported to the President’s fiscal commission, making this the first time there’s a real attempt to involve the public in these types of federal budget discussions. More information about the dialogue can be found at http://usabudgetdiscussion.org/.

Richmond is one of the 20 cities that will host a town hall meeting. This is an opportunity for community members to have their voices heard in a national conversation that will have long-term consequences. The Richmond dialog will be at the Virginia State Capitol from 11:30am-6pm on June 26 (lunch will be provided).

Registration is required (http://bit.ly/RichmondAmericaSpeaks), but the event is free. More information is also available by calling 804-643-2474 x111.

Please attend if you are able. The Richmond Tea Party speaks for many concerned Americans, and it would great for us to have a large presence at this event.

The tea party movement continues to grow a year and a half after the movement began.  The last few months Richmond Tea Party has received requests to start local tea party groups. The interest to hold local government accountable is very high, as people realize that we must solve the problems in our own backyard before wrestling the larger giants.

RTP Board Member, Susan Lascolette, decided to take the initiative and start a Goochland Tea Party Committee last night that will be fostered by RTP. This approach will allow Goochland Tea Party to avoid all the legal and accounting headaches that new tea parties usually have during the start up phase. We want local tea parties to hit the ground running and not get sidetracked with all the legal and organizational setup and hassle, realizing that at some point they may grow into their own independent group.

Susan sent the word out through the RTP email and put a notice in the local paper. The meeting was set for the Goochland Library, which holds 50 people theater style. We had received RSVPs from about 47 people, so we thought we would be fine with our location. But what I saw when I pulled into the parking lot blew my socks off!

The parking lot was slap full. There was not one space left. People were parked in the grass and in the lots across the street. When I approached the library, people were overflowing out the library doors and down the sidewalk. It was a sight to behold. It looked like one of the town hall meetings you saw on TV last year where people were packed like sardines all around the room, gushing out the door, and then out the building!

It became quickly apparent that we couldn’t stay where we were for our meeting. Outside the library was a large grassy field on a slight hillside. We moved the meeting outside.  Young people and seniors alike took their seats on the grass. People who had lawn chairs in their cars got them out and provided them to the elderly. We brought the American flag outside and stood it up on the grass lawn, said our pledge, and away we went with our meeting. It was a sight to behold. Nobody can deny this is a TRULY grassroots movement with the first meeting of the Goochland Tea Party taking place on the grassy hillside outside the library.

We had expectations of about 50 people and had 175 turnout last night! We went over our mission, charter and core planks and updated everyone on the plans for 2010. We talked about the next steps for the Goochland Tea Party. We took questions for over 45 minutes from people interested in all sorts of things from organizational structure, public policy, legislation, and campaigns. At the end of the meeting we had 15-20 individuals who came forward and indicated their interest in forming an executive committee to move the Goochland Tea Party along towards the next steps. A meeting will be scheduled for sometime next month.

All I can say is that Goochland knocked my socks off! It is so thrilling for me to be a part of a truly grassroots movement…in every sense of the word!

The Richmond Tea Party will be kicking off the new Goochland Tea Party in a couple of weeks – details below. Our goal is to foster political activism at the local and district levels through smaller, community based groups. In order to give these local groups the support they need, the plan is for them to be a part of the RTP. As an associate of the RTP, the local organizations will have full access to the RTP, the Virginia Tea Party Federation, and the National Federation for state and national research, support, education, rallies, conventions, etc. We think it is the perfect match of local involvement and strong state and national support.

Next we want to invite Louisa, and are talking to New Kent and three others that are in the beginning stages of organization.

GOOCHLAND TEA PARTY FORMING!

Are you tired of watching our
elected officials destroy
our economy…our security…
our future?

Come learn how you can make
a difference and stop reckless spending
and massive taxes.

Stand With Us!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010 @ 7:00 PM
Goochland Library
3075 River Road West

For more details, see the event calendar on the right side of this page for June 8th.

www.richmondteaparty.com
(888)-440-6990

The following article is by Richmond Tea Party supporter Jill Finnie, who attended Thursday’s rally.

RICHMOND – I was one of the thousands of concerned citizens who made my way to Kanawha Plaza for the April 15 Richmond Tea Party Tax Day rally, not sure what to expect. You might call me mildly political, a committed Independent voter, not particularly interested in drama or dissent. Voting is the majority of my civic activity, although I campaigned for McCain and McDonnell. I had never been to a Tea Party rally before, and of course I had heard Tea Party people described negatively, dismissively or ignored by most of the media. I read stories about spitting, racial slurs and angry mob mentality and I hoped they were not true, or at least exaggerated.

Sometimes in the heat of the moment people say things they regret. And there are plenty of reasons for people to heat up over the way our country is going. We have federal health care legislation that steps way over the boundaries of good sense and into the realm of the unbelievable. We have a nearly $13 trillion national debt. And don’t get me started on the Stimulus Bill or the government-owned boondoggle car companies!

So I was a bit wary as I parked my car and walked to the rally. Thankfully, the wariness lasted about two seconds. The first thing I noticed is that I had lots of company, and that everyone seemed to be in a calm, pleasant mood. There were parents with their kids, older couples, young adults, a nice mix of people. And faces were friendly but determined. I could hear the crowd in the plaza before I got there. The place was packed! A few police officers were standing watch, but they didn’t look too busy, or too concerned. So far, so good.

Once I started to mix with the crowd, I could feel the positive energy. The creativity of the signs was fantastic! My nephew made one that said, “Keep your hands off my piggy bank,” which my sister-in-law told me he thought up himself. Very cool! Other signs got right to the point. “Solution? Cut Spending,” “Clean House 2010,” and “End Slavery: Abolish the Income Tax.” Works for me! I was surprised by the lack of negativity, even for a group of people who oppose just about everything their federal government is doing right now.

The event was well-organized, with a good mix of speakers, each who had their own way with words. WRVA host and Master of Ceremonies Doc Thompson talked about his attendance at the first Richmond Tea Party rally last year and called it “the most profound experience of my life.” The emotion and passion that he and many of the other speakers expressed was incredible.

I got a kick out of hearing Karen Cooper, a Chesterfield mail carrier who voted for Obama in 2008 and immediately regretted it. “I didn’t know what I was doing!” She went on to say, “when this man took office, I didn’t like anything that he did!” She talked about the stimulus bill “slush fund” and some of the other legislative and executive actions many of us have come to know and dislike. And then she explained why she knew she needed to act to turn things around. “I have children and I want them to have a good life….” This is why she said she became a Tea Party activist, and the crowd nodded and shouted agreement.

Fox Business News Analyst Charles Payne, the keynote speaker, hit a more somber note. He talked about the “two Americas” he experienced growing up in Harlem, the one of his mother and neighbors who worked hard to put food on the table and pay the bills, poor but proud. Then there was the America on welfare, living in the apartment next door, where families received food, shelter and clothing for no charge but at a great social cost. Payne noted that it was ironic that while welfare recipients should be angry, instead, the Tea party activists are the ones who are angry. “When I look into the crowd, I see fear, I see anger, I see anxiety, I see longing. Do you know what all of these feelings emanate from? One single emotion – love,” he said.    

Last night I joined with an amazing group of people who have the most important things in common: love of family, love of country, and love of liberty.  I am proud to stand with you and look forward to working with you to bring common sense, accountability and restrained spending back to the federal government. In answer to Doc Thompson’s question, yes, this is our time. This is our moment!

Below is a summary of some of the stories about the Tax Day Rally fundraiser on April 14th, followed by the rally event on April 15th.

Fundraiser coverage: VA Right Blog
Fundraiser/pre-rally coverage: Richmond Republican Examiner
Tax Day Rally coverage: Richmond Republican Examiner – Part I
Tax Day Rally coverage: Richmond Republican Examiner – Part II
Tax Day Rally photos: VA Right Blog
Tax Day Rally coverage: Richmond Times Dispatch
Tax Day Rally coverage: Richmond Times Dispatch
Tax Day Rally coverage: WTVR – Channel 6
Tax Day Rally video: WTVR – Channel 6
Tax Day Rally coverage (w/video): NBC12
Sunday Coverage, “Tea Party Influence Could Cut Two Ways”: Richmond Times Dispatch