Here is the information gathered at the 4/5 meeting. Our position is underlined.
Debt ceiling – On the morning of 4/5, the national debt was $14.274 trillion. There is a debt ceiling vote coming up in Congress. We do NOT support a debt ceiling increase.
Government shutdown – Eric Cantor leads the charge on FY2010 budget cuts. These budget cuts (or lack of cuts) are worth shutting the government down, and we will continue to stand on the principle of cutting spending and shrinking gov’t. The Republicans campaigned hard on $100 billion cuts from FY2010 Budget. They are offering $66 billion (2% of the year’s budget). Obama rejected it on April 4th. The Dem’s will agree to $31 billion (>1%). Michele Bachman found $105 billion in cuts within Obamacare alone. We don’t agree with a compromise down from $100 billion, and we are not happy about only cutting $66 billion (They say it was spent in other ways.) We feel that anything less does not fulfill their campaign promises.
Paul Ryan’s proposal $6.2 Trillion in cuts over 10 years is not enough. $6.2 trillion divided by approx. $40 trillion 10-yr budget equal15.5% of the total 10-yr budget.
Ryan’s proposal includes 10% federal employee reduction through attrition (not layoffs). A provision is included so that Social Security payments still go out. GDP vs. Federal budget will reach 100% 2022 and 200% at 2033-40. This projected spending path is unsustainable and unacceptable.
Federal gun control end run – Obama and NYC Mayor Bloomberg calling for executive action on gun control in the name of public safety. We do not agree with their positions. We agree there is some acceptable, inherent risk in a free society that allows “easy” and legal access to handguns. The Second Amendment simply reads “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Our rights shall not be infringed in the nanny-state’s name of “safety.”
NC easing gun laws – NC lawmakers want to ease the carry restrictions for NC citizens. Currently, the list of where you can carry is shorter than the list where you can’t carry. We fully approve of these changes.
voter ID – NC lawmakers rejected the Mexican Matricula Cards as NC ID. We are grateful. State (not national) picture ID is a common-sense remedy to maintaining election integrity.
Two Americans were executed at the Tijuana, Mexico, border crossing 4/4 . This incident and the thousands of other murders along our borders are seen as acts of war. We are outraged!
“War” in Libya – We should not be there
Obamacare – This issue is still worth fighting against in NC and in DC. Many of our lawmakers are working to thwart this legislation. We support their continued efforts to stop Obamacare.
We are also demand an Audit of the Federal Reserve, and many call for its abolishment.
Congress must pass a Balanced Budget Amendment.
Caldwell TEA Party 
Where does the Caldwell TEA Party stand on democratic elections, on ensuring free choice at the ballot box? Does the Caldwell TEA Party support the state’s current draconian ballot access laws that serve no sufficient justification and are among THE most restrictive in the entire nation (between 2/3 and 3/4 having significantly lower restrictions, i.e. between 75,000 and 80,000 less signatures) and that eliminate free choice on the election ballot and thereby make the purpose of democratically held elections null and void? Does the Caldwell TEA Party support the right of the voter to choose freely among a field of candidates irregardless of political affiliation (freedom of choice) at the ballot box (freedom of speech) and to affiliate with the Party of their choice (freedom of association)? It all comes down to this, does the Caldwell TEA Party support self-government and accurate representation of the people?
Yes, Jordon, Caldwell TEA Party does support free and open elections. I’m sure you and I both agree that protecting the integrity of the voting process is of the utmost importance. The only difference between you and me is that my “hill to die on” isn’t on 3rd party candidates.
I appreciate your zeal for changing the laws to allow more 3rd party candidates on North Carolina ballots. I know it is nearly impossible for a Libertarian to get, and stay, on the ballot here in NC. I have sympathy for your case, but it’s not mine. It’s not the focus of this TEA Party.
Personally, I willing to continue to work hard within the 2-party system until people like you can get the laws changed to allow 3rd parties to easily participate on NC ballots. I’m working on this angle. You work yours.
And… I appreciate it if you would stop trying to pick fights with me over this issue.
You misunderstand my intent. The Caldwell TEA Party has put forth a platform. It did not say anything about this important election law issue so I asked if an official stance was taken.
I’m not simply about third parties in the since that it is all about the, but about freedom of speech and the right to vote in general. I’m not trying to pick any fights, you’ve misunderstood my intent. I simply asked if the Caldwell TEA Party had considered the issue because of its importance as it regards the legitimacy of our representation. If the TEA Party has no position, then they do not have a position, that is fine, I was just asking.
Allow me also to say that I agree with all of the Caldwell TEA Party’s issues except one which you already know, and I applaud you and the Caldwell TEA Party for the stances you have taken.
Jordan,
We have very accurate representation of the people. We are asked frequently by our leader to express our concerns and those of our families. We are very representative of the people. Our people are also FOR making you show your ID to prove who you are BEFORE you vote. It’s our choice and the legislature is behind us 100%. It’s the right thing to do. I respect and support your group 100% and admire your efforts but you can’t win them all. The only people who don’t support having to show your ID at the polls are the Democrats afraid of losing their power base of illegitimate voters. We have had this discussion before and I still have not and will not change my mind on it. I may have digressed but the point is there. The Caldwell TEA party IS the voice of the people in Caldwell county.
If we should not be at war in Libya (I agree!), then what about our wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan which are costing us trillions of dollars and exploding the national debt? Why are we there? Is any of this Constitutional?
The nation’s founders opposed maintaining a large standing military. So what about cutting military spending? What purpose does our imperial military serve, other than to run up the deficit and bankrupt the taxpayer? Should we not also be urging dramatic cuts in military spending?
If we are serious about paying down the debt and stopping deficit spending then why rely only on spending cuts. What’s wrong with increasing tax revenue by cutting out corporate welfare and making global corporations who operate in the US pay their fair share of taxes? And what’s wrong with making the truly wealthy pay their fair share of taxes. Don’t big corporations and the rich profit from the infrastructure that taxpayers provide? Why should they not have to pay to support our roads, schools, legitimate defense spending and other vital government services? I say we cut spending while increasing tax revenue to get the debt under control much quicker. We cannot solve the debt problem if we do nothing but cut taxes on the wealthy and powerful.
Gordon Ipock
Morganton, NC
Corporate taxes and taxes on the wealthy are some of the HIGHEST in the world in the United States. I am tired of this beating of the drum to persecute the rich for making money and living the capitalist’s dream. I don’t hate the poor nor do I envy the rich. You have the opportunity to be whatever you want to be when you grow up, and if you make bad choices or pursue a field of work that doesn’t make you wealthy… oh well. Those were YOUR choices. The top 1% of income earners in America pay the LARGEST portion of of our federal taxes, period. You people are starting to sound like the communists in pre-Russia… “Make ’em pay! Take their lands! Kill the rich!” …I would be willing to bet that you got MORE money back in a tax refund last year then you paid in…. but you didn’t give it back did you? You talk about raising taxes…uh NO..STOP SPENDING!
One thing that is never talked about when discussing cutting the military…The positive part that is bigger than war. The amazing education many young men and woman gain when somewhat lost in their early teens. Sometimes many do not know where to turn except the military. I am confident my military family members along with my spouce’s family members were lost straight out of High School to only flourish upon leaving the miltary. As a matter of fact all went to college and presently are law abiding, tax paying members of society.
Yes, officially the corporate tax rate in the US is 35 percent, a fairly high rate. But big corporations are able to buy off politicians and get all kinds of tax loopholes added to the system so they effectively pay no income tax. General Electric paid zero income tax last year. Bank of America paid zero income tax. In fact, two-thirds of the largest 100 corporations in America paid no income tax last year. And many of these same corporations received actual corporate welfare from the government. What about all the TARP money and other bailout cash that was handed out by the truckloads to the Wall Street investment banks? What about all the free leases and other corporate welfare the Bush administration gave to the oil companies over the past decade. They earned scores of billions of dollars. Why do they need government welfare? What about all the subsidies the big corporate farms get from the government? This isn’t free enterprise. It’s corporate welfare that working people have to pay for.
While filling out my federal taxes I noticed the little pie charts in the back of the instructions booklet that shows where the tax money comes from and where it goes. Only four percent of government revenue came from corporate taxes in 2009 while 51 percent came from personal income taxes and payroll taxes to pay for social security and medicare. Maybe you see the real picture now. Perhaps there are some small corporations that actually pay the 35 percent, but the big boys pay nothing.
Which brings us to another issue: Why should the wealthy pay higher taxes? For the same reason the owner of an 18-wheeler pays a much higher price for tags than he does for his personal vehicle. The truck causes a lot more damage to the roads, and without the roads the truck would be useless for business. Without the government-provided infrastructure of the highway system trucking could not exist. So since trucking benefits the most from good highways, they should pay a higher usage fee.
It’s the same for the super rich. Nobody creates enough wealth just from their own work to become a millionaire — much less a billionaire. Harlin Sanders is a good example. If he had only operated his one original restaurant he might have made a middle-class living, but nothing more. But he franchised, advertised and expanded. He used other people to produce and sell his chicken and to buy it. This requires an advanced society with advanced infrastructure. This means educated people, which requires public schools; peace and security, which means a criminal justice system and a civil justice system and a military; and on and on we could go. In fact, the larger and more advanced a society becomes, the more potential there is for wealth creation and accumulation. Look how much wealth the internet has created by enabling small businesses to reach a global market and become huge. Much of the technology that makes the internet possible is because of initial research in government and state university research labs. This is especially true for medical research that leads to advances in medicine. Most comes from state-sponsored research labs at state universities.
Without the benefits that organized society create we would all live short and harsh lives with no wealth or comforts at all. So yes, rich people and corporations have a responsibility to pay higher taxes because they receive the most from government and from the organized society government makes possible. The problem we face today is that Republicans are working with the rich and the powerful to skim all the cream off the top of society and don’t want to put anything back into the society. That’s precisely why we are facing huge government debts today. Taxes on the rich and on large corporations have been cut too low. There are too many loopholes. The working classes get the least but do all the actual work to make wealth possible. Mr. Biltmore may have rolled a wheel barrow filled with gold into the North Carolina mountains over a hundred years ago, but it was the local tradesmen and workers who built his great mansion and estate. All true wealth comes from productive labor. Beat labor down to low, and you will have a revolution on your hands.
Gordon Ipock
Morganton
Paul Ryan will be lucky to hold onto his US House seat. National Republicans are fleeing from his budget plan — and from him! Republicans made a big boo boo showing seniors how they really feel about Medicare.
Republicans can forget about winning Florida in the next presidential election. Too many seniors, and too many of them are Jews who care nothing about the Evangelical Culture wars that Republicans seem to champion.