The BTP caravan to Austin for the Support Arizona rally has been canceled due to the Republican State convention being held in Dallas that same weekend and several of our members are delegates to that convention. But for those of you who can attend the Arizona rally please do so as we will be there in spirit with you. Continue reading »

More info here.

View video Continue reading »

Hey Burleson!

If you want to stay informed of what is happening with your local government, not just your state and federal government, there is no better way than to be in attendance, at your local city council meetings. Plus, this way, we can send a message straight to Mayor Ken Shetter and City Council Members, that we are watching them and that we are concerned enough about our local government, as well as, state and federal governments, to be in attendance. This is American citizens of Burleson, keeping a watchful eye out for possible, local, detrimental legislation, ordinances, taxes, etc., that we feel, do not have our best interests at heart. Continue reading »

Read the full lawsuit here.

Two videos for your viewing.

Your voice can be heard by voting. Be ready for November 2, 2010. Below is a link to a page on the BTP site that will be available going forward. (See the links right under the logo?)

Registration Information

The Burleson Tea Party would like to dedicate, in loving memory, The Burleson “Real Change is Coming” Tea Party, to BTP team member, Mr. Larry D. Rodgers. October 28, 1947-December 12, 2009. Larry will be missed and the memory of him is a treasure, to us all!

Come join fellow Americans as we stand together in defense of our freedoms and liberties! Participate in making the “elite” in Washington know, that “We The People” are coming! Enough is enough! Stand shoulder to shoulder as we tell them, “PackYour Bags!” America is counting on us. Let’s not disapoint her!

February 6, 2010
Noon – 4pm
(1 week before early voting for primary elections)

Forrest GMC/Chrysler Autoplex
2400 N. Main St., Cleburne, TX 76133

- MC: Rex Russell
- Prayer: Linda Robinson
- National Anthem sung by Ms. Kylie Malone
- Guest Speaker(s):

• Rep. Rob Orr , 58th Dist
• Adrian Murray
• Pastor Stephan Broden, Fair Park Bible Fellowship, Dallas
• Michael Williams, Commissioner, Tx. Railroad Commission, Candidate for US Senate-TX (Kay Bailey Hutchison’s seat)
• Debra Medina, Campaign for Liberty, Candidate for Gov. of Texas
• U.S. Congressman Joe Barton, CD-6

- Confirmed CD17 Candidates attending -Dave McIntyre, Chuck Wilson, Timothy Delasandro and Rob Curnock; Darren Yancy (Candidate, Tx. State Senate D-22)
- Scott Barber with Educators of Liberty
- Tribute to our Veterans
- Live Music
- Joey Green with Band (Opened for Cross Canadian Ragweed)
- Voter Registration
- Jack Edmondson (John Wayne Impersonater)
- Polatik / David Saucedo (Hispanic Political Rapper)

(and much more!)

**Bring your voice, protest signs, patriotism, Gadsden, Texas and American flags!**
**Bring lawn chairs for seating**
**Free parking**
**Security Staff will be on site**

Special thanks to Mr. Michael Forrest, for providing Forrest GMC/Chrysler Autoplex, for our “Real Change is Coming” Tea Party location!

Congressman Chet Edwards, We See Beyond Your Words!

I would like to take this opportunity to publicly say, “Thanks, but no thanks” to Congressman Edwards for his recent, less than genuine vote of “NO” on healthcare bill (HR 3962), that passed the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Edwards told us, “I will make my decision, only after speaking with my Constituents from all walks of life, during the August recess.” Congressman Edwards waited until the last day in Washington, DC, to make his decision.

We, Constituents of D17, see that we need to contact Nancy Pelosi, to address our concerns. By Congressman Edwards own actions, it is Nancy Pelosi, that has the final say, where his decision making process is concerned.

In reference to HR 3962, Congressman Edwards voted against recommitting this bill. Meaning, he voted in favor to clear the hurdles for this bill to receive its final vote. He voted for the bill, before he voted against it.
Congressman Edwards also voted against the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which would basically ban tax payer dollar funding for abortions. I’m glad to see that despite Congressman Edwards, this vital amendment passed!
I would like to challenge Congressman Edwards to publicly supply a list of his colleagues that he worked so hard with, to help persuade them to a “NO” vote, seeing as how Congressman Edwards has issued such an outright disapproval of HR 3962. I know it would be a great show of “Transparency”. On the other hand, this may be a challenge that Congressman Edwards is unwilling or unable to take me up on.
Congressman Edwards represents District 17 (Tx), but Congressman Edwards does and has not represented the Constituents of District 17.

I would also like to strongly urge Mayor Ken Shetter, of Burleson, to reconsider any future public commendations for Congressman Edwards, on the support he has for Veterans. Not only did Congressman Edwards remain silent when Janet Napolitano, DHS, name our veterans as possible terroristic threats to the US and when the VA Death Books were sent to our Veterans. As far as the new VA Hospital, it is the Veterans themselves and fellow Constituents of District 17, that will be paying for this Hospital, with tax payer dollars.

Mayor Shetter should come to realize, that by his own actions and words of commending Congressman Edwards, he has only condemned himself in the eyes of many citizens of Burleson and surrounding areas. I should know, the BTP email roster base consists of 60%-65% Veterans, they number into the thousands!
To quote, Mayor Ted Reynolds of Cleburne, who is now running as a Republican, against Rep. Rob Orr, for the 58th District. Mayor Reynolds has stated to me, “I think Chet has already done too much damage, even if he votes conservative from here on out, it’s too late. I don’t think he’s gonna get re-elected.”

If Congressman Edwards wants to support and honor our Veterans, he should first and foremost do the same as them. Simply, hold the US Constitution that he swore to protect and defend, just like our Veterans, above all else, especially over the Obama socialistic agenda and his party. Veterans and fellow Constituents of District 17 are no longer fooled, by the double talk, of a liberal lying, Obama supporting, Pelosi petting, US Congressman, such as Chet Edwards. Both Congressman Edwards and Mayor Shetter, should try to enjoy the days they have left in public office, for it is limited and “We the People” are coming.

Angela Cox
BTP Chairman/Founder

Last week, liberal Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) introduced her “new and improved” plan to facilitate a government takeover of the best health care system in the world, which just so happens to make up one-sixth of the U.S. economy. After months of witnessing an American uprising to oppose Congress’ first health care proposal, famously remembered as H.R. 3200, liberals in Congress are now pushing a twice as long, yet almost identical bill under the guise that it is a new compromise that won’t push America further into bankruptcy. But, Americans will not be fooled.

Pelosi’s “new” bill, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), has been scheduled to go to the House floor for only a few hours of debate this week! Debate could begin as early as Thursday, November 5th, and a vote could occur shortly thereafter. Pelosi’s goal is for this bill to receive as little attention and scrutiny as possible before the vote, so please be aware that once this bill goes to the floor, it will move fast. We need you to continue sounding the alarm and urging opposition to this 2,000-page monstrosity of massive new bureaucracy, redistribution of wealth, and rationed medical care.

NANCY PELOSI’S H. R. 3962 CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONS:

· Permits federal taxpayer funding of abortion services, above and beyond the status quo of current law.

· Provides for a “health care czar” called the Health Choices Commissioner, who could forcibly enroll individuals in government-run insurance and whose tasks include requiring random compliance audits on Americans’ health benefits plans.

· Allows for “community organizations” like ACORN and Planned Parenthood to assist the Health Choices Commissioner in enrolling individuals in the Health Insurance Exchange.

· Encourages identity fraud for illegal immigrants seeking to gain taxpayer-subsidized health benefits through inadequate citizenship and legal status verification standards. Page 255, Section 345 of H.R. 3962 includes language requiring verification of income for individuals wishing to receive federal health care subsidies, and while the bill currently does include a requirement for applicants to verify their citizenship, it does not include a similar requirement to verify that person’s identity, a key component of effective verification.

· Provides for 13 new and different tax increases, including an employer mandate excise tax.

· “Grandfathers” out of existence individual health insurance coverage..

· Retains the “death panels” by providing for bureaucrats working for a new comparative effectiveness institute funded by a tax on health benefits. The institute could publish the protocols needed to deny patients access to life-saving treatments on cost grounds.

· Contains NO ban on federal promotion of assisted suicide and/or health care rationing of treatments.

· Facilitates leftist, social engineering policies such as rewriting current tax law to allow domestic partners to be treated as “spouses.”

· Retains both the individual and employer mandates to purchase health insurance or else face a financial penalty, and compliance to this mandate will be enforced by the IRS.

· Imposes a 2.5% tax on an individual’s modified adjusted gross income if they fail to purchase “acceptable” health care coverage.

· Imposes a surtax, starting in 2011, on “high”-income people – that is, couples with adjusted gross income over $1 million and individuals over $500,000.

· Fails to hold Members of Congress to the same health care system requirements that Americans will have to live by under the public health insurance option.

· Prohibits states from using tort reform to reduce health care costs.

· Mandates that all health insurance companies accept all applicants, that they cannot deny anyone for pre-existing conditions, and that they cannot increase the monthly premiums for less healthy, more costly consumers.

· Accommodates “whistleblower” provisions for trial lawyers to bring suit against employers.

· Slashes Medicare payments to providers by more than $400 billion.

· Creates dozens of new bureaucracies (111 to be exact) including the Health Benefits Advisory Committee and the Health Choices Administration.

· Encourages people to drop their insurance in favor of the public option as it provides for underpaying medical providers, who will in turn jack up their rates for those patients who have private insurance, driving more people to the cheaper, government plan.

· Authorizes Medicare to pay doctors for providing advice to patients on end-of-life care.

· Grants the authority to negotiate drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

· Considers individuals to be treated as “children” up to the age of 26 for the purpose of remaining on their parents’ insurance plan.

· Imposes an excise tax on medical devices.

· Cuts $170 billion from the Medicare Advantage program.

· Institutes $729.5 billion in job-killing tax increases on all Americans, fines those who can’t afford to purchase government-forced insurance, and cripples businesses by taxing health benefits.

If all of this weren’t enough, the Congressional
BudgetOffice (CBO) even predicts that the public option’s premiums will end up being quite high because it will attract less healthy people, who are more costly to the insurer. But, with a government-run plan, the government is the insurer, so higher cost projections for the government really means higher costs to American taxpayers.

In addition to all of this bureaucracy, taxation, and theft of individual liberty, the very same CBO has estimated the 10-year cost of H.R. 3962 to be a whopping $1.1 trillion, and that doesn’t even include the “Doc Fix” legislation, which seeks to lump $245 billion of Medicare reimbursement payments into the national debt.

The exclusion of the healthcare-related “Doc Fix” legislation into the overall pricetag of H.R. 3962 is nothing more than a Washington numbers gimmick, intended to deceive the American people about the true cost of the liberals’ plan. So, now is the time to pick up the phone and demand the defeat of a government takeover of health care!

TAKE ACTION!

The clock is ticking. The vote WILL occur at the end of this week. We will keep you updated everyday with the latest details, but there are only a few short days to do all you can to contact your Representatives and to make your voice heard in opposition to this bill. Phone calls are best, so please try to phone both your Representative’s Capitol Hill office and his/her district office at least once a day, everyday this week.

If your own Representative is solidly opposed to this bill, please phone one of your friends or family members who lives in a district who has a Representative on the fence or who may be leaning toward supporting it, and encourage them to get involved in this fight!

You stopped Congress from steamrolling forward on this legislation last summer, so it’s time to do it again this week!

Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

–
Angela Cox
BTP Chairman/Founder

Congressman Edwards has two remaining town halls.

We suggest you arrive early.

There are “rules” to attending… you can find those here on his website.

Format: Questions for the town hall will be selected at random by an independent third party in a lottery system. District 17 Constituents who want to ask questions will fill out cards as they come in, and they will be called on randomly to ask their question. No printed signs, electronic or recording devices will be permitted.

Details below:

Waco Convention Center – McLennan County
Saturday, August 29th from 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon (doors open at 9:00 AM)
Click here for directions.
http://www.wacocvb.com/
Waco Convention Center
100 Washington Ave
Waco, TX 76701

Cleburne High School – Johnson County
Friday, September 4th from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (doors open at 5 PM)
Click here for directions
http://www.cleburnehighschool.com/
Cleburne High School
1501 Harlin Dr
Cleburne, TX 76033-7099

For More information, or if you can not attend and would like to make your opinions known, we have provided Congressman Edwards office contact information below:

Washington Office
2369 Rayburn Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-4311
Phone: 202-225-6105
Fax: 202-225-0350
VIEW GOOGLE MAP

Waco Office
St. Charles Place
600 Austin Ave, Suite 29
Waco, TX 76701
Phone: 254-752-9600
Fax: 254-752-7769
VIEW GOOGLE MAP Brazos Valley Office
4001 East 29th St., Suite 116
Bryan, Texas 77802
Phone: (979) 691-8797
Fax: (979) 691-8939

Cleburne Office
115 south Main Street
Suite 202
Cleburne, Texas 76033
Phone: (817) 645-4743
Fax: (817) 645-4796

The Burleson Tea Party would like to commend fellow Americans on their stand against an out of control government. You are true Patriots taking a stand for freedom, liberty and prosperity of this great country! With that said, we must maintain a peaceful but firm interaction with our elected officials. We must be willing to exercise dignity, especially, when speaking with our elected officials. The Burleson Tea Party condemns any acts of violence and will not engage in any such behavior. We have made progress without violence and this is how we should continue this fight. I hope all understand and come to realize, the peaceful but firm approach is hard for those to combat who chose violence as their only alternative for the result they are seeking. Stand strong together. Do not sway from your determination or beliefs, but portray yourselves with the true American spirit that thrives on right, not might.

Best Always,
Angela Cox
BTP Chairman/Founder