"Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one; for when we suffer or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer." --Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776

April 5, 2011

In this Issue:
Volunteer Meeting This Week
State Legislation Alert: ACTION ITEMS
Movie Showing: AGENDA: Grinding America Down
GTPI Treasurer Position Open

Hello Patriot Friends,
 

This weeks meeting Volunteer Meeting will be held:

Date: April 7, 2011
Time: 6:45pm
Location: 900 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA
(Old Chevy car dealership building to the east of Roswell St. Baptist Church)

This week's speaker will be Ian Thigpen, Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserves. He will be giving a presentation called "Winning Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan." Ian recently served for a year in Afghanistan, and it was not his first tour.

We'll also discuss our strategy for the final days of the Georgia Legislative Session.  We have a lot of work to do and can use your help.  As always, our meetings are open to all and newcomers are welcome to attend.  Please forward this email to your friends and family even if they don't live in Atlanta.  We can use their help with our Georgia Legislative Agenda.

State Legislation Alert: ACTION ITEMS

HB 87, Immigration, is no longer stuck. SB 40 is an overlay of HB 87 except that Section 12 removes the requirements to use E-verify in order to receive or renew a business license and the accompanying enforcement.  Please call the Senate Rules committee and ask that they pass the original HB 87, not SB 40.  Click each name for link to the Senators website and contact information.

Senate Rules Committee Members

SB 223, Government accountability (Sunset) is ready to go to House Rules Committee. Unfortunately the House Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight committee added, “so as to authorize the creation of the Joint Legislative Budget Office as a successor to the Senate Budget Office and the House Budget Office” , which is viewed as a “poison pill” by the Senate. Please call Speaker David Ralston and Committee Chairman Chuck Martin as well as members of the House Rules Committee and ask that the “poison pill” be removed before it is passed out of Rules for a vote.  Click the names below for link to website and contact info.

HB 387, Tax Bill – Please hold off on this bill as we are not sure what the final language will be. Last week, we were working with the Senate leadership on making the bill more palatable for Georgia taxpayers in taking out carve-outs for more businesses, adding deductions, and reducing or removing funds earmarked for telecoms. The problems in the Senate have put that process on hold. The House Speaker is threatening to put up the original bill, with all the tax increases.

If you can come to the Capitol next week, the days we will going there are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Thursday is the last day of the session. Bills that are not passed at the end of Thursday will carry over until next year.

For your reference, you can download a list of bills GTPI is watching and a complete contact list for Georgia State Representatives and Senators:

GTPI Position on major state legislative bills
Georgia State Representatives
George State Senators

Movie Showing:  AGENDA: Grinding America Down

Join us for one of two showings of AGENDA: Grinding America Down.  Overview:

"When Idaho legislator Curtis Bowers wrote a "letter to the editor" about the drastic changes in America's culture, it became the feature story on the evening news, people protested at the capitol, and for weeks the local newspapers were filled with responses. He realized then... he'd hit on something.   Ask almost anyone and you'll hear, "Communism is dead! The Berlin Wall came down." And though the word communism isn't used anymore, this film will show the ideas behind it are alive and well.  Join Bowers for a fascinating look at the people and groups that have successfully targeted America's morality and freedom in their effort to grind America down. It's not just another conspiracy theory. It's a well documented agenda."

"AGENDA is the most powerful expose of the communist, socialist, progressive attempt to take over America produced so far." - Ted Baehr, Movieguide

Date: Saturday, April 9, 2011
Time: 1:00 and 3:00 pm
Location: Marietta Central Library, Roswell Street, Marietta, GA
Cost:  $5.00 per person paid in advance (no money can be paid at the library for admission).  Pay any board member or go online at www.thegeorgiateaparty.org  .  No tickets will be issued, your name will be recorded and checked off upon entry.  Thanks for supporting GTPI.

GTPI Treasurer Position Open
The Georgia Tea Party Board has an opening for a Treasurer position.  All parties interested should submit a letter of interest and qualifications.

Yours in liberty,

The Georgia Tea Party

UPCOMING EVENTS

Volunteer Meeting are held at 900 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA
(Old Chevy car dealership building to the east of Roswell St. Baptist Church)

Mark your calendar for these upcoming events and check our Event Calendar for updates. 

Georgia Tea Party^TM Board of Directors

Michelle Bouchelle
Patti Gettinger
Bill Hudson
Jim Jess
Tom Maloy
Field Searcy
Sue Stanton
JD Van Brink
Michael Williams