Hey PJ,
What happened? I leave for vacation and the place goes to hell?? Lol
So, Al gets another letter in TRN? Saw it today. Maybe next week we will have Mary Walker’s response to Al’s response to Mary’s response to Al’s letter.
I may have to quit buying TRN again. My dogs have already been paper trained.
W.T.F.
Partisan politics and Fourth of July festivities
Friday, August 3, 2012
The Ridgewood News
Partisan politics and Fourth of July festivities
To the Editor:
In answer to the responses I’ve seen on the Tea Party and the Fourth of July parade, let me say that it’s not my place to judge the ideas of the Tea Party or to question the patriotism of its members. But it does not represent everyone, and, despite its rhetoric, it does not have the market cornered on patriotism.
Across this state and this country, this self-described grassroots movement is very active in the political process, including campaigns and elections, and in some places it is embedded in the inner workings of the Republican Party. Anyone who doubts that the Tea Party is a political action movement with a specific political agenda need only look at its literature or go online to one of its websites and read its manifesto. It’s all there in plain sight.
As for the parade, most Ridgewood residents I’ve heard from prefer a non-partisan, patriotic celebration of the Fourth that highlights community service.
A few residents I’ve talked with think it should be open to political movements such as the Tea Party. But I believe that demeans the parade and reduces it to a demonstration platform for any political movement or party.
Ridgewood’s parade has been special because it consisted of those residents and people from neighboring towns who make our community and our country better through their service and sacrifice, and they do so without regard to anyone’s politics or views on taxes or immigration, or how publicly we choose to wear our appreciation of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
The Tea Party is unlike any other participant in this event, and I believe that many of us don’t want it or any other partisan political group in our parade.
Al Ortiz
Ridgewood
The following is our “Manifesto” or as we call it our core principals: Note #13 – “We do not endorse any specific political party” I don’t see any political agenda here – please read it.
Mission Statement:
The New Jersey Tea Party Coalition exists to protect our liberties by restoring and defending the principles within our Nation’s foundational documents, and by promoting unity with other Patriots throughout New Jersey and the United States.
Core Principles:
We the New Jersey Tea Party Coalition, an association of public citizens from the State of New Jersey, are dedicated to supporting the principles within our Nation’s foundational documents and public policy that adheres to those principles, including but not limited to the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that are expressed in the forms of personal responsibility, individual liberty, limited government, free markets and property rights.
Insofar as all Americans must live within their financial means, so must our government and we further believe that those means must not exceed the bounds enumerated within our Constitution. Furthermore, through our outreach and rallies, it is our objective to empower our fellow citizens by showing them they are not alone in their frustrations about the bad policies coming from Washington and Trenton. Our goal is to unite Patriots throughout New Jersey in order to speak with a single and powerful voice that will enable us to preserve and restore our Constitutional government which was designed of and for the People. We the people of New Jersey and these United States call for Real, Honest and Ethical government in order to protect and preserve the liberties and prosperity of our children, our families, our community and our country.
1. We reaffirm the principles within our Nation’s foundational documents that are self-evident and state that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed
2. We support the New Jersey State Constitution, the Constitution of the United States of America, and The Declaration of Independence.
3. We believe in the sovereignty of the State of New Jersey and in a limited Federal government, as set forth in the tenth Amendment, which states, “the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
4. We believe in the sovereignty of the United States, and reject any move toward global governance that surrenders our autonomy to powers outside of these United and Sovereign States. Furthermore, we condemn any and all acts by elected officials that abrogate their oaths to protect and preserve our Constitution and believe such acts to be treasonous assaults against the very government they have sworn to uphold. We further believe that such crimes against the Constitution warrant a review before an ethics committee, which if found guilty of these crimes, can result in possible recall of their office and/or criminal charges.
5. We believe that the writings of the founding fathers and the sources referenced by them are the only true foundational basis for the interpretation of the Constitution of the United States of America, and furthermore, that these writings are the only precedents that should be considered in judicial matters regarding “constitutionality.”
6. We believe that excessive taxation is tantamount to a form of slavery and a violation of our Creator God given rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. We further believe that our current tax system is unconstitutional and should be repealed, and we vehemently object to our tax dollars being spent on items other than what is enumerated within our Constitution.
7. We reject all forms of Marxism, Fascism, and Socialism. We support Capitalism and its free market as being the only financial system viable under our Constitution.
8. We reject all forms of tyranny by those who were empowered by the people to serve the people.
9. We reject the violation of the separation of powers set forth in the Constitution of the United States of America where the judicial branch acts in a manner designated to the legislative branch.
10. We believe that those who are elected to any position of government or are employed by the government are servants of the people rather than the people being servants of those in positions of power.
11. We believe that it is our legal right and duty as citizens of the State of New Jersey and the United States of America to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
12. We claim the legal right to remove our consent to be governed by any individuals who violate the principles set forth in the New Jersey State Constitution or the Constitution of the United States of America, and that those who violate any of those principles are to be removed from their position by whatever legal means available.
13. We do not endorse any specific political party nor do we hold to any specific religious creed. We will support those who agree with our core principles. We accept all those of like mind, and we expect each individual to be an informed citizen and to act upon his or her convictions.
The following is our “Manifesto” or what we call our Core Principals. Please note #13 – “We do not endorse any specific political party” I don’t see a political agenda here. Please read:
Mission Statement:
The New Jersey Tea Party Coalition exists to protect our liberties by restoring and defending the principles within our Nation’s foundational documents, and by promoting unity with other Patriots throughout New Jersey and the United States.
Core Principles:
We the New Jersey Tea Party Coalition, an association of public citizens from the State of New Jersey, are dedicated to supporting the principles within our Nation’s foundational documents and public policy that adheres to those principles, including but not limited to the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that are expressed in the forms of personal responsibility, individual liberty, limited government, free markets and property rights.
Insofar as all Americans must live within their financial means, so must our government and we further believe that those means must not exceed the bounds enumerated within our Constitution. Furthermore, through our outreach and rallies, it is our objective to empower our fellow citizens by showing them they are not alone in their frustrations about the bad policies coming from Washington and Trenton. Our goal is to unite Patriots throughout New Jersey in order to speak with a single and powerful voice that will enable us to preserve and restore our Constitutional government which was designed of and for the People. We the people of New Jersey and these United States call for Real, Honest and Ethical government in order to protect and preserve the liberties and prosperity of our children, our families, our community and our country.
1. We reaffirm the principles within our Nation’s foundational documents that are self-evident and state that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed
2. We support the New Jersey State Constitution, the Constitution of the United States of America, and The Declaration of Independence.
3. We believe in the sovereignty of the State of New Jersey and in a limited Federal government, as set forth in the tenth Amendment, which states, “the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
4. We believe in the sovereignty of the United States, and reject any move toward global governance that surrenders our autonomy to powers outside of these United and Sovereign States. Furthermore, we condemn any and all acts by elected officials that abrogate their oaths to protect and preserve our Constitution and believe such acts to be treasonous assaults against the very government they have sworn to uphold. We further believe that such crimes against the Constitution warrant a review before an ethics committee, which if found guilty of these crimes, can result in possible recall of their office and/or criminal charges.
5. We believe that the writings of the founding fathers and the sources referenced by them are the only true foundational basis for the interpretation of the Constitution of the United States of America, and furthermore, that these writings are the only precedents that should be considered in judicial matters regarding “constitutionality.”
6. We believe that excessive taxation is tantamount to a form of slavery and a violation of our Creator God given rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. We further believe that our current tax system is unconstitutional and should be repealed, and we vehemently object to our tax dollars being spent on items other than what is enumerated within our Constitution.
7. We reject all forms of Marxism, Fascism, and Socialism. We support Capitalism and its free market as being the only financial system viable under our Constitution.
8. We reject all forms of tyranny by those who were empowered by the people to serve the people.
9. We reject the violation of the separation of powers set forth in the Constitution of the United States of America where the judicial branch acts in a manner designated to the legislative branch.
10. We believe that those who are elected to any position of government or are employed by the government are servants of the people rather than the people being servants of those in positions of power.
11. We believe that it is our legal right and duty as citizens of the State of New Jersey and the United States of America to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
12. We claim the legal right to remove our consent to be governed by any individuals who violate the principles set forth in the New Jersey State Constitution or the Constitution of the United States of America, and that those who violate any of those principles are to be removed from their position by whatever legal means available.
13. We do not endorse any specific political party nor do we hold to any specific religious creed. We will support those who agree with our core principles. We accept all those of like mind, and we expect each individual to be an informed citizen and to act upon his or her convictions.
It is his opinion, not an “agenda”.
If he didn’t read and understand the Mission Statement and the Core Principles to be non-partisan, he has an agenda.
I was referring to the tea party not having a political agenda. Nevertheless, I like Missy’s comment.
On an additional issue: Mr. Ortiz states in his next to last paragraph that the residents of Ridgewood and the surrounding towns don’t have to show “how publicly we choose to wear our appreciation of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution” If we don’t show our appreciation of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution on July 4th in a July 4th parade that celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, then when do we celebrate these founding documents?
Of course he has a political agenda. Al is a member of the 4th estate, working as a producer for CBS News.
What rankles those in the Democrat party is that the Tea Party’s mission is the opposite of theirs. They want government control and think the people are too stupid to govern themselves. Of course the Republican party has more in common with the Tea Party simply because it believes in limited government, free enterprise and the rights of individuals over the collective. But as numerous Republicans can attest, the Tea Party is not adverse to going after them either. Just ask a few sitting Senators who have lost their re-election bids in the primaries.
The Democrat Party is a lost cause when it comes to supporting the principles of the Tea Party. For all intent and purposes, they have become socialists.
Is it any wonder they fear the Tea Party and smear them with partisan attacks. The current Democrats are not the party of JFK or Harry Truman let alone FDR.
Thank you Anonymous, well said.
Admit it Al–what bothers you is hearing all of the spontaneous applause given to those who marched in the New Jersey Tea Party Coalition procession in the Ridgewood 4th of July parade this year.
Each of the two major political parties in this country should openly and actively treasure our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. The fact that one such party (together with its obsequeous friends in the media and in academia) openly and actively disdains our founding documents does not convert annually honoring and revering the same, in accordance with well-worn American traditions, into a partisan political act.
Is that the manifesto of the “national” tea party or just the Bogota branch?
Have you considered taking over a small southern state and seceeding from the union? I think that you would be much happier. You could even elect your own president!
I think we have 2 different people posting as “Anonymous.” It’s the core principals of the NJ Tea Party Coalition. Seceding from the union because we believe in the Constitution??
Al Ortiz is a charter member of the “anti-establishment” 60’s “newsmen” who once enjoyed being the only source of “information” available. We the sheeple had no other choice but to tune in and politely swallow the leftist garbage they threw our way and try to sort it all out. SPOILER ALERT AL!!!…. NBC, ABC, CBS and the abysmal CNN are what the kids call DINOSAUR MEDIA. The Tea Party Platform calls for Americans of all political, socioeconomic and religious stripes to stand in defiance of the statist, big government elitists that are impinging upon our freedoms every single day. If Mr. Ortiz enjoys the feeling of crushing taxes sucking the life out of the 49% of Americans who work to support the freeloaders bleeding us dry, I suggest he move to San Bernadino… the most recent county in the People’s Republic of California (formerly The Golden State) to declare bankruptcy.
Funny how liberals cry INTOLERENCE when you don’t agree with them (yet they mailign and discredit anyone who opposes them)
Lower taxes, smaller government and less regulatory intrusion in our lives..how absolutely shocking. I do believe those who gave their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to the cause of freedom would spit in the collective eye of Al Ortiz and his ilk. Remember, we were given “a republic, if we could keep it”
Queen Ester – Ignore that #9 Anonymous – he doesn’t even know that for all intents and purposes there is no “Bogota” branch. Maybe he meant Bogota as in Columba, South America.