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12 FOR 12 IN 2012

As I sat down to write this editorial on why we, the Clear Lake Tea Party need financial assistance I stared at the computer trying to figure out how to start this document. I wondered how to put into words that would properly express the situation that we all face in the future of our country. And what part we would play in the days ahead of us in 2012 .....and beyond . And more importantly, why should we play that part. Why should we get involved?

First a recap of the Clear Lake Tea Party. It all started in early 2009 with the first big rally held at Clear Lake Park with Ron Paul as keynote speaker. Every month after that a town hall type rally has been held with speakers covering a wide range of topics from education to taxes to regulations to voter fraud to agenda 21 to constitution classes to watchdog groups, etc. It has been a busy time with 2 large rallies at the Greyhound Park in La Marque, 3 large rallies at Clear Lake Park We have hosted forums with Senatorial Candidates so you could hear personally what the candidates stand for. We have aided the Alvin, Galveston County Tea Party, Pearland Tea Party and now the Lake Jackson Tea Party in getting their groups established. During the last legislative session of the State of Texas each week members of the CLTP Citizen Lobbyist Group visited the offices of all the elected officials of our part of the state to discuss with them what we expected of them in regards to issues their/our constituents deemed important. We have vetted candidates for local and state positions and will be giving recommendations to our members in the rear future. I am sure that I have overlooked some of our efforts but there have been others. The ones listed above are only the highlights.

We have done this through the guidance of a 13 member Executive Board that met weekly in the back rooms of local eateries to whom we are eternally grateful for allowing us to do so. Since July 2011 we have been fortunate to be able to establish a headquarters location where we can meet in private weekly.

All of the above has been accomplished through the donations received at the different rallies and town hall meetings plus revenue from sales of items such as T shirts, bumper stickers, books, etc. Up to now we have never asked our membership for monthly contributions.

The job we must do this year is assure we take control of the US Senate, keep the majority of the House of Representatives and boot the President from the White House and, by the way, do similar in the State of Texas.

The Executive Board has voted to ask you, our members, to consider helping us out by joining the 12 FOR 12 In 2012 campaign. We respectfully ask each of you to consider helping us in the effort we must do this year. $12 dollars per month, $3 per week, 43 cents/day for the next 12 months.

Won’t you please help us to TAKE BACK AMERICA?

Please wake up!!!

Fellow Patriots,

I am writing this column to call your attention to something. This nation of ours, as we know it, is getting close to collapsing on all fronts. I am coming to you on bended knee asking you to take a moment and read what I am saying to you.

We had a good year in 2010 ,by some accounts, in electing some good conservative people into office. But we did not do well enough. To take back our country we must elect many more good constitutional conservative people into all levels of government from the White House, the Senate, the House of Representatives, to State Governors, State Senators, State Representatives, Mayors, Council Members, County Officials, Judges, Law Enforcement, School Board Members....... etc. I suspect that some of you would question me with “Well where are these conservatives?....Why aren’t they running?...How do I know who they are?” I would answer them with the following.

We, the Clear Lake Tea Party, (CLTP) over the past three years have made an concerted effort to bring to our monthly Town Hall Meetings and other special events the people for whom you would be voting for in the upcoming elections....the people that could present to you the facts on various issues on the tax and regulations arena, education reforms plus many other topics. I don’t want to bore you with all the events. We have provided you the opportunity to learn more about the Constitution, how to become a Deputy Voter Registrar, how to become part of the WatchDog Group keeping tabs on what is happening in Austin.

This week ,so far, we have had Republican candidates for Federal and State offices at easily accessible locations to give you, our members, an opportunity to see, hear, question, meet and talk to them. To tell them your concerns...to question them how they would propose to address these concerns...to have them personally tell you why you should vote for them. We invite them. They come because they think it is important to be there and they show up prepared to talk to you. Apparently not too many of our members thought it was that important so we had a meager turnout. Very disappointing.

The CLTP Board members work very hard to help you become educated, well-informed voters so that when you go to the ballot box you will have made an intelligent choice. It is extremely important this year to put the right people into elected offices. To do this you must vote in both the Primaries and the General elections. I have many people tell me that they don’t vote in the Primaries because it doesn’t matter. The Primaries are the place where you elect the BEST people to go against the Liberals. YOU MUST VOTE IN THE PRIMARIES IN ORDER TO TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY!!!!

This week at the Town Hall Forum held at the Kemah Community Center guest speaker Apostle Claver made a passionate speech about getting involved Something he said in that speech reminded me of something that I in turn would remind you of. Throughout the magnificent history of our country hundreds of thousands of brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve your rights and freedom to vote for whom or what you want. Because of that we all have an obligation, indeed a responsibility, to vote at every opportunity we have. If you think it is not important, you don’t have the time, you don’t like the candidate or issue, then SHAME on you! There are absentee ballots, early voting......not a reason in the world that can keep you from voting. Every election or issue, whether it is local, county, state or federal is important.

We, along with the Galveston County Tea Party, Pearland Tea Party, Lake Jackson Tea Party and Alvin Tea Party, will be conducting many more Republican Candidate forums and Debates as we get closer to the Primary Date in Texas with the next one to be at the Nessler Center in Texas City. Details on all of the events can be found on our website and elsewhere in this newsletter.

Please...Please....Please....Please! read our News Letters, come to our Town Halls, please email us with your questions. Please volunteer! We are asking you not only to help us, we are asking you to help yourselves. Please wake up!!!

Thank You
Bud Caldwell

Shouldn’t voters have a say on this?

By Geri Bentley

Special to The Daily News

Published February 1, 2012

As a resident and taxpayer residing in League City, I attended the council meeting Jan. 24 and watched astounded as our constitutional freedoms were eroded one more time right before my eyes!

The city council passed in a vote of 5-to-2 to move the League City elections from May to November, councilmen Dan Becker and Dennis OKeeffe being the only two no votes.

Moving the election to November is an issue to discuss and address. Not giving the residents an opportunity to voice their opinion via referendum is a travesty of justice. The voters elected our council members to a three-year term, which now has been extended to 3½ years, this equates to our elected officials voting themselves a 17 percent raise.

This action was taken into consideration by the Charter Review Advisory Committee, and as reported by one if its members, committee members recommended the change to November without a referendum by the voters. Keeping in mind this is an advisory committee, this action clearly should have gone on the ballot.

Even our city attorney suggested this process could be accomplished by resolution or submittal of the entire process to the voters. His warnings of the possibility of a constitutional challenge if done by council resolution were brushed aside.

No well-publicized public meetings, no due process!

It is true that a loophole in Senate Bill 100 allowed a short window to do this “legally” but that was far away from the real intent of this legislation. I have to conclude that this advisory committee and city council believe they know what’s best for us and we poor voters deserve no seat at the table. If that is not an arrogant, elitist attitude, I can’t say what is.

Some of the council’s decisions in the recent past are more than questionable when we have to pay our former city manager (after he decided to resign when the last elections did not turn out to his liking) for weeks while he sat at home.

Our former police chief was paid a contract termination of $278,000, this amount at his specific request.

Four members of the council refused to even consider making a counter offer. They spend tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars on Christmas parties, still under consideration is spending a million dollars-plus or minus on moving or saving an oak tree, $400,000 spent on an underutilized playground and $4,000 for marketing ventures previously turned down by Destination League City.

Entering into a five-year contract with a red-light camera company that defines no early termination provisions, how ridiculous is that?

Our interim city manager is required to reside in League City yet that’s never happened?

Their mantra bandied about is “world class” and is simply ludicrous. Thanks, Mick Phalen, for leading the charge to pick our pockets and drive us deeper into debt. When will the signing of sloppy contracts end and who is watching the check book?

Geri Bentley is a candidate for League City Council and a founding member of the Clear Lake Tea Party.

End 2011 Strong!

...with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor... - The Declaration of Independence

Remember that our Founders committed so much more than we've ever been asked to, so we can't complain about clicking the computer a few times and donating a few bucks to the Tea-Party backed true conservatives. We should strive to do MORE. It's the only way we'll get inside our government - because where our TP candidates go, SO DO WE! They will bring us in with them! They will give us a transparent view into the inner workings of Austin and Washington. We will know ahead of time how, when, and where to fight for Conservative legislation and against Progressive assaults on our liberties. We need this advantage.

The Leftists have been infiltrating our governments - in BOTH parties - for decades. We Conservatives can't lose this opportunity to place our own operatives inside government, who answer to US. It's YOUR DOLLARS that will help get them there.

Join us in the fray - because we can't do it without you - and neither can our Constitutionally-pledged candidates. If you don't join us, who will? If we don't fight together, no one else will.

And if we don't win...there will be no one left to fight at all.

We've got 6 folks in primaries, so not one Tea Partier can skate by without chipping in:

Robert Gonzalez for US Congress, CD-14

Heidi Thiess for Texas House, HD-24

Mary Huls for Texas House, HD-129

Rachel Delgado for Texas House, HD-23

John Bentley for Galveston County Republican Chairman

Geri Bentley for League City City Council

This will take just a few minutes, folks, and you will greatly help the cause.

Go to all of the following FB pages, and click LIKE:

HD-24: http://www.facebook.com/ElectHeidiThiess

HD-129: http://www.facebook.com/ElectMaryHuls

CD-14: http://www.facebook.com/GonzalezforAmerica

Now, go get your wallet and commit to a small monthly donation (or a large one-time contribution) at these links:

CLTP: http://clearlaketeaparty.com/stay-engaged/contribute

CD-14: http://www.gonzalez2012.com/donate

HD-24: https://secure.piryx.com/donate/CrWNuOSk/Heidi-For-Texas/the_300 (monthly)

HD:24: https://secure.piryx.com/donate/CrWNuOSk/Heidi-For-Texas/ (one-time)

HD-129: http://www.electmaryhuls.com/donate

HD-129: http://racheldelgado.com/donate.html

The amount doesn't matter - the monthly commitment does. It allows our candidates to budget their expenses for campaigning.

Pick one or pick all of them - they are ALL warriors, willing to do whatever it takes to restore Constitutional principles of government in both Austin and Washington.

Don't be an armchair patriot, content to rant from the sidelines to friends and family. Put your money where your mouth is. ENTER THE BATTLE - and provide support to those on the front LINES. If you - the Tea Partiers - don't fill their war chests, who will? They need your vocal and monetary support.

It's so much less than what was required of our Founders, there should be NO hesitation. Just do it, and end 2011 STRONG.

Because if we don't win this in 2012, we won't be getting any more chances.