Last night, I attended the Tea Party in Atlanta. It was astounding. There were a minimum of 10,000 people within my sight – and there were people wrapped around a different city block that I couldn’t even see. The roar of the crowd was deafening and exhilarating as my wife and I walked up to the event.
Clearly, I have an opinion about Tea Parties as they relate to real estate investors. But for now I’ll allow you the floor, so to speak.
What do you think about the Tea Parties that happened all over the United States yesterday? And what role do we as real estate investors need to play in the growing movement that opposes foolish government spending and taxation policies?
Your comments are welcomed below… thank you for reading RealEstate.BryanEllis.com!
The Tea Party movement is truly fascinating. The original Tea Parties were revolts against taxation without representation. These Tea Parties aren’t so much a reaction to present-day taxation issues since changes to the tax increases won’t materialize for another two years. Instead, these Tea Parties are reactions to the disturbing and historically unjustifiable strategy the present administration is using to fight a natural economic downturn. This seems quite a sophisticated response on the part of the American public.
I feel that The tea party is one of the ways that change can be made in this country. The newspapers and TV are controled by big corporations, by ownership and by the billons they spend on ads that allow them to dictate what is put on TV or newspapers.
It is not really about us as Real Estate Investors but us as citizens. All of us and all ages, races and wealth were involved in yesterday’s rallies.
We are all people that stand to lose a great country if the runaway government spending and theft of freedom is not stopped now. For idiots like Pelosi to come out today and say it was funded by the ultra wealthy and was not important, is just one really good example of how disconnected the power brokers are in this country.
If we cannot be heard then we are in real trouble! When the Vietnam War protest started, there were fewer people involved, they were often violent, and the government tried hard to crush what was happening. As far as Investors are concerned, the lack of attention by the government should be a real warning of how they plan to treat investors as a group also.
We are being lead by a group of dismissive, overbearing people just like 40 years ago. If we want to even, have the right to make money we need to speak out strongly and now!
If the overspending continues and the greed of our politicians is allowed to continue, we will not have people able to buy our investment properties! If we do not have buyers, we cannot generate wealth; if we are taxed to death, we cannot generate wealth. Wealth is not a bad word and the government taking it away and giving it to themselves and those they choose is the way to anarchy and a banana republic like the ones we have to the south of us.
We are in real trouble in this country and it is not from a recession it is from a few power hungry individuals wanting to take our rights and opportunities away so they can control us without listening to anything we have to say. We need more protests and we need to be heard before it is too late for all of us.
Chris B
Chris made a lot of good points, all of them valid, but nothing is going to change no matter what Obama says because the core problem remains; the country is controlled by global bankers who manage the Federal Reserve Bank. It’s a private corporation as more and more Americans are learning. Those who control the money, control the country along with all the politicians and judges. We the people lost our freedom back in 1913 when the Fed stole from Congress the power to regulate our coin and currency. Economic downturns, recessions, depressions aren’t accidental, but calculated to control the sheeple. I think America is finally waking up; I hope it’s not too late.
We have to get our officials to listen one way or another. Over 5,000 at OKC Tea Party.
It is refreshing to know that the Citizens of the USA are getting tired of the government BS. In numbers we can move that mountain of BS and make the politicians accountable. Let’s bombard the government and politicians with letters, emails and protests. If everyone and I mean everyone would take responsibility for their actions just think how much more wonderful this country would be.
I was at the Indianapolis tea Party. By some counts there may have been as many as 12,000 attending.
RE Investors are citizens and tax payers like everyone else. If you believe that the elected representatives are leading our country down the wrong path, it is your duty to those who before you who paid for your freedom in blood to do everything our constitution allows to put the country on the right path. If you don’t spend your time and money now, your children may have to pay in blood.
If it wasn’t for the Millions of dollars in free advertising they got from FOX, the GOP backed tea baggers could have held their meeting in a phone booth. Across the country there were maybe 30,000 people total. Out of a population of over 280,000,000 that’s a drop in the bucket.
What was interesting about the few interviews I saw was the fact that none of them could form a reasonable statement. They quoted Glen Beck and Rush to judgment and called the President names that had no connection to reality.(They should try reading a few history books before quoting radical nut jobs) I wonder where all the rage was over the past 8 years when George drove the national debt over the moon and the market under his watch dropped 6500 points and unemployment went up 60%, and we saw the largest growth in government and the greatest increase in government invasion into our personal lives in the history of the country.
Also, the original tea party was about the fact that the English Parliament passed a law exempting the British East India Company (Many MP’s ant the King were stock holders) from the tea tax allowing them to undercut local importers.
Good to see so much agreement. The “personal” income tax is unconstitutional just as is the “Federal Reserve” and I agree that it is the duty of a citizen to stand up for what used to be a Republic.
How we earn our money is not the point. If we don’t “unite” and stand together we will soon lose all rights to protest and tell our representatives how we want to be represented. Thank God there are others who feel the same…it is hopeful!
What will matter is if the movement grows. If the tea parties yesterday are it, then they were all a waste of time and will accomplish nothing.
Let us hope it is the start of a true movement. If people are serious they need to organize and work politically to vote people out of office.
I attended the tea party in my small town and I was inspired by the passion of many of the speakers. I sincerely hope this is the begining of a massive movement to educate the citizens of this country as to how far the federal government has strayed from adherance to our constitution and founding documents. What ever happened to the idea of federalism and states rights?
I have seen Gov. Rick Perry of Texas lampooned and chided by the so called “MEDIA” for even suggesting that if states rights continue to be eroded, that states may consider seccession. I must be a nut too, because those comments make me feel like moving to Texas. I pray for the day when the federal government decides to be guided by our constitution and limit what it spends money on to only those things authorized there in. I encourage everyone who reads this post to get a copy of the constitution and read it as soon as possible. I challenge anyone to find any portion of that document that would authorize what we see going on today.
The tax code is oppressive and manipulative, it should be totally scraped and rewritten. Do yourself a favor and look into the fair tax proposal. If you think it’s a good idea, tell your freinds and co-workers. It’s time to stop sitting on the sidelines complaining and get in the game. “All that is required for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing!”
P.S. Because of my post to this web page you are all now being monitored by the Department of Homeland Security!!!!!
Oh please! Bush and his crazy GOP crowd have caused nearly all of the financial damage. While they did it they skied on America, broke many laws, signed more Executive orders to hide their actions than all the presidents before Bush put together, commited treason for among other things exposing a CIA operative, manufactured false evidence to start a war, poorly equiped the original troops in the war, ignored multiple GAO and other reports exposing massive tax payer ripoffs by companies such as the one Chaney was formerly the DEO of, destroyed America’s prestige throughout the world, subjected Americans to repeated constitutional violations, provided at least a dozen top GOP leaders as shinning examples of how a Congressman can operate a scandelous life, failed in nearly every possible way to properly run the country, and it goes on and on.
All one has to do is be able to read, dozens of books (many by former Bush and GOP people) have many it abundantly clear to even the most simple minded among us of the tremendous wrong doing. Sure the population is going to have to pay the bill, but only the dumbest in the population could possibly not understand how the bill has come about. None of us wants to provide money for taxes beyond our benefits, but what is the choice?
On top of all of that, the tea parties are merely a bunch of closet bigots who in their red necked splendor wish to make noise rather than make sense. These people are an embarrassment to the country. Gun nuts that know they are little or nothing without a gun, and haven’t figured out they are still little or nothing with a gun. Religious nuts that live a life of lies an deceit. Red necks who don’t pay any taxes anyway. Most of those participants probably couldn’t pass a sophmore test in high school relating to the Boston Tea Party.
Please, don’t be brain washed by Fox broadcasting propaganda. Those little get together’s were principally manufactured by their personnel. America needs real leaders, that’s all of us, in order to dig out of the huge hole that greedy morons on wall street and in Congress put us into. But you need to know up from down in order to get out of a hole.
On behalf of the bigoted rednecks who who don’t pay taxes (all of this according to you), I invite you to continue to make such comments and expose the nature of folks who are unable to respond to opposition. — Bryan Ellis
My family and I attended the Cincinnati Tea Partys. There were over 5000 at both. This week we marched to City Hall with a petion asking our local gov’t not to accept the stimulas money. I was very cool to hear 5000 people chanting “We want the Mayor”. The two things that I feel very strongly about are the Fair Tax and Term Limits on Congress. Our gov’t has become so corrupt. I can’t wait for the 2010 election.
Bryan, thanks for posting this. Our system is no longer a system. It is so broken that we are truly a country run by untrustworthy scoundrels. Placing power back in the hands of the people will need to happen. It appears that the walls of “I’m an Republican and I vote that way regardless of the candidate” and “I’m a Democrat and I always vote Democrat” are breaking down. I am hearing a new voice. “I voted for this guy or that gal but I did not vote for what is happening.”
Revolt is a strong word to use but we are seeing a significant change in the American experience. Many “main stream media” outlets a being exposed for the frauds they have become. The CNN report on the Tea Parties the other night was an embarrassment for the network. There no longer seems to be a “free press”. It to is now controlled by a political point of view so obsessed with presenting their point of view that they can’t report the news, they have to shape it.
As real estate investors we have a chance to help support change. Get educated on the Fair Tax proposal that is already a bill in the House. If we repeal the 16th Amendment we dump things like he income tax, imputed tax and the ridiculous burden of tax related accounting. We would have more “disposable revenue” to spend on real estate investment. In a nut shell the Fair Tax rewards investors by letting them control how much they spend.
According to the latest report by DHS, participating in these rallies could almost be labled an act of terrorism. “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment.” (google it.) We must take actions like these to protect our Constitution and our rights as citizens. I participated because I could participate. Not taking such an action, leads to the conclusion that we don’t care. We should care deeply.
Mr. Jeffords’ remarks are well-thought-out and concisely stated.
I would add this, which is of political interest:
Despite what Pelosi and company say, these tea parties were not funded by deep pockets, unlike the rallies set up by the Democrats during the election.
Also, they were not centrally organized and orchestrated, again unlike those of the Obamacrats.
They were, as far as such things can be, entirely spontaneous.
Attendees represented a broad spectrum of Americans, again, despite what CNN and others claimed, and also unlike Obama’s rallies.
That’s got to scare the Left, provided they are paying attention.
All real estate investors should be for free enterprise and free flow of private capital. The tea party movement is up-holding t this concept and American heritage.
It is my belief that we have the opportunity as RE Investors to:
• Help people get out of houses that they cannot afford;
• Help revalue properties overvalued in this market; and
• Help people that have bad credit get back into properties that they can afford.
Without getting to idealistic, in doing so, I can do a small part in getting the economy moving again. I would much rather see this as a grass roots movement than a government driven movement.
I am an active Real Estate Investor with several rental properties and about thirty flips under my belt. I am conservative. The Tea Party movement is not about stopping frivolous spending as it is about stopping the Democrats at any cost…bring up ending the Bush Tax Cuts or other government programs like Social Security and the crowd goes silent. Bring up any spending programs Obama or the Dems started and the crowd goes crazy. Much of the “stimulus” money already spent was originally pushed by the Republican machine before Bush left office. So why is that not brought up at the rallies.
I am not Republican and I am not a Democrat. Congress, both Republican and Democrat are more concerned about getting re-elected. If the Tea Party movement would cut it’s ties with the Karl Rove Lobby Group machine maybe I could play along…I hope that can happen. Until then I imagine all the fervor will die down after the Republicans take Congress back in November and we will have somebody else to point the finger at as to why the economy sucks…
1 Term limits
2) work locally also city and state… they do not understand
3) We must get rid of the lobbists and bueacracy surronding our gov’t.
Do you know that with pay and benifites the average AVERAGE
federal gov’t employee makes $163,000.00 a year… no wonder it is kept a secret. Those are the people that must go.. they are the ones who write the laws.. Congress pass something general and the committees and depts heap the sh*** on to the laws.. We do not elect the czars or dept Energy, EPA but they are killing us with regs
zip
I can speak with some authority as a past president of a local tea party. We began as a group of 30 or so individuals who were concerned that the politicians in Washington and to some degree locally were more concerned with enhancing their power and status at the expense of our individual liberties. Our current generation is a result of 40+ years of dumbing down the population to accept handouts rather than hand-ups. Our goal was to get the elected representatives back on track with what the founding fathers and our Constitution were designed to do. When our current “Ruling Class” refused to listen we had no alternative but to vote them out of office.
The Tea party is the new political manipulation tool to get republican votes, with republican congress they can re-enter troops in the middle east, invade Iran ,etc.. They are playing into people’s honor and duty to get the United Suckers of America to give Israel the military control of the middle east at our expense of course. They are the true money wasters and not the other way around. Remember the surge, how they complained that Obama did not thank Bush. Cnn was responsible for the surge. CNN started an impeach Bush/Channey campaign, then Bush took Franks out and said GEN. Betreaus recommended more troops and CNN did not say another word about impeachment. All of this economy mess is an unregulated banking system who wants the democrats to look as if they have done nothing so Israel can get their republicans in and continued the middle east wars for their control. Wake Up America. AIPAC controls congress!
I’ll bet you liberals are proud to have this person on your team, huh? — Bryan Ellis