Arizona Tea Party Groups Reject Tea Party License Plates

Standing strong on principle and unwilling to compromise their demands for less government, many Tea Party groups in AZ have come out against the State-Sponsored Tea Party license plates in Arizona.

The below piece is from Annette McHugh, our Arizona State Coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots...

Today, a large group of Arizona tea party organizations, including Tea Party Patriots affiliates, jointly rejected a recently passed  bill, SB1402, authorizing the state to issue “Tea Party” license plates and distribute sale proceeds to “Tea Party organizations” by a government appointed and supervised board.  The very foundation of the Tea Party Movement stresses the importance of less government, not more, and we will not compromise this principle to justify requests and acceptance of monies generated by a state governmental agency.

For centuries, our elected leaders have compromised their own principles of law inherent in our U.S. Constitution, and have justified this by rationalizing the greater good is served in the long term. As a result of these compromises, we find ourselves today in economic, social, and national security crises which are the direct result of our governments compromising the very foundational principles of our U.S. Constitution. These very same Constitutional laws and principles are the basis and source of the Tea Party Movement’s very existence. Without committed adherence to these principles, the Tea Party Movement becomes vulnerable to divisiveness, instead of unity, at a time in our nation and state’s history when remaining united and committed to these principles is extremely crucial.

“Arizona’s tea partiers understand, recognize, and fully appreciate that the bill was well-intentioned, but its unintentional consequences has created unneccesary divisiveness among Arizona Tea Parties, and have subjected Arizona Tea Parties to unfounded scrutiny questioning our committment and adherence to the foundational principles of the Tea Party Movement,” said Annette McHugh, Arizona State Coordinator for Tea Party Patriots, an umbrella group to which the majority of the states Tea Party groups belong.  “We want less government, not more, and feel it necessary at this time to distinguish and assert the Arizona Tea Party Patriots Associations’ position is to remain committed to adherence of Tea Party foundational principles, without government involvement.

The Arizona Tea Party Patriots Association with the support of the Tea Party Patriots, asserts opposition, in principle, to government involvement in fundraising for, and oversight of, local tea party organizations or other private entities.  These actions put Tea Parties at great risk of becoming dependent upon government generated funds to promote and educate others of U.S. Constitutional laws and principles, as opposed to being self-reliant upon ourselves to generate money to promote and grow our memberships. Self-reliancy is the basis for Free Markets, another foundational principle of the Tea Party Movement. We remain committed to reigning in government—and oppose its’ expansion in creating another agency, or voluntary Tea Party committee overseen by, and accountable to, the government.

“Tea party organizations across the state were not all consulted about the plates when the initial idea was presented to only a few Tea Party groups. Our local group and members are not behind it. We like the plate but oppose government involvement.” said Vera Anderson, founder and leader of the Daisy Mountain Tea Party Patriots in Anthem.

Tea party members who stand steadfast to the movement’s core principles, do not support the idea that government should be involved in doling out money to local tea party organizations.

“The structure of disbursement of funds raised by this government sponsored venture is vulnerable to self-serving individuals who may be appointed to the state-established Tea Party Committee, in addition to the potential misappropriation of funds to be used for purposes other than what SB1402 designates. These Tea Party license plates have resulted in more government, not less,” said Valerie Roller, representing the Tea Party Patriots of Glendale, AZ.

Tea Party Patriots is a national grassroots coalition with more than 3,300 locally organized chapters and more than 15 million supporters nationwide.  Tea Party Patriots is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting the principles of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government, and free markets.  Visit Tea Party Patriots online at www.TeaPartyPatriots.org.

Way to go Annette! We salute and support the Tea Party Patriots and their affiliates in Arizona!