Kevin Smith, a key volunteer, announced that he and others had decided to quit donating their time and services. They're upset because the $549 ticket price is "designed to make a profit off the popularity of the grass-roots campaign."
Smith said the Tea Party began as a grass-roots campaign favoring small government and responsible spending and was being overrun by the national Republican Party looking to use the fervor of Tea Party supporters to its advantage.
He claims the founder, Judson Phillips, and his "for-profit Tea Party Nation Corporation are at the forefront of the GOP's process of hijacking the Tea Party movement."
What began as cries for true liberty and a public showing of frustration with the big government policies of both Democrats and Republicans has now been co-opted by mainstream Republican demagogues determined to use this as their 2010 election platform.
Phillips, an attorney, filed for bankruptcy in 1999 "and faced three federal tax liens since 2004 totaling more than $22,000." He said in an interview with The Tennessean that Tea Party Nation "had been set up for a for-profit company but denied allegations of profiteering."
In response to Smith's blog, "one of Tea Party's top sponsors, the American Liberty Association, pulled out of the convention."
The Alliance said in a news release it was concerned with how Tea Party Nation was organized. Those who signed up for the convention paid for their tickets through a PayPal account set up through Phillips' wife's e-mail address.
To be clear, the for-profit model has its place in the movement. Many, many groups in the movement operate this way," American Liberty Alliance's executive director Eric Odom wrote in a statement.
"But these groups should always have boards and oversight, and should never, ever process donations through personal PayPal accounts."
Inside the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center
Room prices start at $189 per night, and as I've quipped more than once, food is $10 a bite and drinks are $20 a sip - and that's for well drinks. The convention tickets are $549 - or $560, depending on who you're talking to. That woman - you know who - is allegedly getting paid $120,000 but she's already trying to do her usual back step by denying she's getting any money. After all, this is a grass-roots organization for the people.
A couple of good links:
The Nashville Scene: If You're Going to the Tea Party Convention, We'd Like to Send You an Email From Nigeria
The New York Times Op-ed Columnist Frank Rich: The Great Tea Pary Rip-Off
A couple of good links:
The Nashville Scene: If You're Going to the Tea Party Convention, We'd Like to Send You an Email From Nigeria
The New York Times Op-ed Columnist Frank Rich: The Great Tea Pary Rip-Off
Leslie the tea party movement sounds like it's losing it's way. Donations through personal PayPal accounts??
ReplyDelete"What began as cries for true liberty and a public showing of frustration with the big government policies of both Democrats and Republicans has now been co-opted by mainstream Republican demagogues determined to use this as their 2010 election platform."
Could we ask for anything more?? LOL
Dare we hope that such flagrant fleecing of the fervent flocks will eventually prove too much for even the easily-duped and easily-led denizens of teabaggerdom? A rift between the devout and those "mainstream Republican demagogues" would be most welcome between now and November.
ReplyDeleteSue, let's just hope they do lose their way - if they ever had one to lose.
ReplyDeleteInfidel, "flagrant fleecing of the fervent flocks?" That's about the longest run of alliteration I've ever seen! Don't know about the easily duped and easily led . . . When I read Lisa and Linda, I figure those two are so dumb and so indoctrinated they'll never get the point.
A rift would be great and it wouldn't be unusual for such control-oriented organizations.
It does usually happen.. It happened in Jonestown... Remember there were lots of them who escaped and lived to tell the tale of how James Jones tried to poison them all... They are like a cult, and have many cult like qualities.... that's what I have thought for a long time. The secrecy, the manipulation and the way they control the message. Everything is just such a matter of rote with them, it's like they memorize what they want said and then pass it to the entire membership to repeat constantly. If that is not a cult what is it?
ReplyDeleteI am sure they will fall apart sooner if not later... and it sounds like it is starting now. Let's hope so anyway...
Annette: I think we're going to see a lot of in-fighting as well as rivalry between the organizations. I think all of us hope they fall on their posteriors.
ReplyDeleteThe Teabagger organizers have got greedy early, they could have milked $10 a month from 10s of thousands of them for years, just like Pat Robertson and his evangelical friends have been doing for a long time. Greedy, greedy, greedy.
ReplyDeleteThe republicans have been fleecing their flocks for years. This is just another example of them convincing the poor to give up their hard earned money for nothing in return.
ReplyDeleteI have to be fair here...I heard "That Woman" on an interview say she was donating her fee. So, if "That Woman" follows through, I'll give her kudos.
ReplyDeletePam: I have tons of affection and respect for you but I just don't have a lot of belief in what "that woman" says or in what she says she's going to do. Her track record just isn't real strong in those areas. I call her that because I said on my last post about her that I wouldn't write about her again.
ReplyDeleteHolte and Jerry. I don't think I can add to that other than I think we're in total agreement.
Did "That Woman" say where she was donating her fee?
ReplyDeleteLeslie: I know what you said about "her", that's why I called "her", "That Woman". I wanted to follow your rules. :)
ReplyDeleteJerry: She told O'Reilly she will donate it to "political campaigns".
I thought it was going to a charity. Does that mean Republicans are now non-profits? ; )
ReplyDeleteThis was totally under my radar - thanks for posting, Leslie, great info :)
ReplyDeleteReally, though, I loved this one part:
Kevin Smith, a key volunteer, announced that he and others had decided to quit donating their time and services. They're upset because the $549 ticket price is "designed to make a profit off the popularity of the grass-roots campaign."
Kevin is an idiot. When you get a "political party" created for the sole purpose of killing healthcare reform, and you get big insurance companies (United Health, for one) footing most of the tab for said "political party", what did this guy think he was gonna get? Of course the ticket prices are ginormous, United Health et. al. need to recoup their funding, after all.
Godzilla from Wasilla's speaking fee is just a drop in the bucket for what this has cost the health insurance industry this past years...LOL!
Is Godzilla from Wasilla acceptable? I can use "that woman" too, if you want :)
Bee: Oh, I think we could call her all kinds of names and everyone would know exactly who's being talked about. A non-profit could never afford to meet at Opryland. I just like seeing some dissension in the ranks.
ReplyDelete