TEA Parties! The Best Idea the GOP Has Stolen From the LP in a While!

April 15th, is usually a rotten day. But, April 14th and 15th had less fear and loathing than normal this year! On Tuesday, April 14th, we celebrated 'Tax Freedom Day" with a Dinner at Buca di Beppo in Dallas along with our friends with the Dallas County LP. It was conceived and orchestrated by the Texas LP's State Director, Robert Butler.

"Tax Freedom Day"? Isn't that an oxymoron? Not really. You see, "Tax Freedom Day" is the day that the average taxpayer stops working paying Uncle Sam and start working for themselves. This year it falls on April 13th. So, why not celebrate your 'freedom'? With pasta.

We had a fantastic crowd in attendance and yours truly, Robert Butler and John Jay Myers, candidate for Dallas City Council spoke about progress with the Party and Campaigns. Suzette Watkins, Candidate for Fort Worth City Council was also in attendance. Economist, Jarrod Atkinson gave us his take on how taxes distort markets. But the best part was getting to meet so many old and new friends! Forgive my crummy Blackberry photo... but wanted to share some of the excitement... (Also below: Watkins, Butler, Myers)

On the 15th - the Fort Worth TEA Party was awesome! Although listed as a "non-partisan event", the GOP hijacked the idea and ran with it. Yes - hijacked it. It was an idea that the LP of Illinois hatched and they originally got the idea going (http://www.lp.org/news/press-releases/libertarians-cordially-invite-you-to-a-tea-party)

With that said, we were happy to crash the 'party' and set up shop. With 5,000 ticked off tax payers at La Grave Field, we had a pretty fertile field to plant some seeds. I hope we helped many of them realize that the spending has been increasing every year under BOTH parties' administrations and congressional majorities!

Plenty of folks were eager to hear about something different: A party actually committed to cutting spending and taxation DRAMATICALLY - NOT just reduce the rate of increase! Some future former GOPers showed interest in hearing about a party dedicated to actual free markets and free people. See pics below of the big crowds and folks swarming our booth!! (Mike Coyne seems a little panicked)

Over 250,000 people nationwide attended a TEA Party making this one of the most successful ideas the Libertarian Party has come up with. I only with it was the TARRANT COUNTY LP that had gotten it going. Oh well, we're still growing enough that we can start the next nationwide grassroots movement!!! Join us!!! http://www.meetup.com/tarrantlibertarians

Yours in Liberty!

John Spivey

Chair, Tarrant County Libertarian Party

chair@tarrantlp.org