Charlotte Tea Party Headquarters

We need to get the media to cover this. Anyone with connections in the media, please make them aware of this event. Think local and regional news outlets: TV News, Radio News, Papers, Internet, etc.

Share your ideas and progerss here.

Thanks.

OK. So far I have sent general emails regarding this event to WBT, WBTV, WSOC, WAXN, WCNC, News14, FoxNews Charlotte, etc.  I also psoted a mention on the912project.

Great job!  Did you see on Michelle Malkins site that there was over 5,000 in Cincinatti's Tea Party!  That is awesome!  We need to make Charlotte's even bigger!  Funny how the only place I've seen any coverage on these tea parties is on MM's website. 

That's great, Turbo!  I'm sending out a press release today...

Do we have a media contact list available for local outlets?  Can we post that somewhere?

You can get a list of all charlotte new outlets here http://www.abyznewslinks.com/unitencch.htm.

And for all of NC you can use this link http://www.usnpl.com/ncnews.php

An update to my last post.  You can get all NC news media outlets, statewide and local at this link http://www.abyznewslinks.com/unitenc.htm

Here is a fairly powerful resource guide published by Roll Call:

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media/

Every little bit helps, so I've contributed an item to the Observer that I hope will have broad appeal, and maybe further stir up The Hornet's Nest. Here's the gist of it:

Subject: It's OUR money
To: opinion@charlotteobserver.com
Date: Monday, March 16, 2009, 11:38 AM

What kind of a legacy do we want to leave our children? Burdening our young people with decades of high taxes is certainly not my idea of fiscal restraint.    As every family knows, excessive spending has serious consequences. We must differentiate between our "needs" and our "wants", on the family budget level, as well as on the federal level.   It is time for me as a diligent taxpayer to take the initiative. On Wednesday, April 15th, I will be joining other taxpayers at the Charlotte Tea Party, to express my concern about what I consider to be debt slavery. I urge everyone who shares this sentiment to speak loudly and be heard, and not simply remain passive. Remember, tax revenue is OUR money.

I emailed the following to all the media addresses that were sent to the CTDTP members.  I have had two positive responses stating they will be covering both events and asking where they could get more information.

To Whom It May Concern:

Please be advised that on April 4th and 15th and various other dates and in various places, We the People intend to send a message to our non-representative government to protest their flagrant disregard of our constitution.  They have far overstepped their bounds, they are engaging in unlawful conduct in order to further their own agenda and are enacting legislation that violates the very tenets that this country was founded upon.  From the bogus stimulus package to the blatant attempt to use fear to take more and more control of the private sector, the government is out of control and it is time for the people to be heard and to restore the principles that built this great country and brought us the very success the government is trying to destroy.

We the people will no longer sit back and allow the government to remain out of control, to continue to ignore us, to refuse to embrace the common sense and values that would restore this country.  We the people see that we will have to do this ourselves as our government insists on serving only itself, seeking to remain in power by repressing the silent majority and yielding to small, non-representative but powerful special interest groups that contribute to their re-election campaigns and approving ridiculous legislation that anyone with any common sense can see is wasteful, imprudent and morally unconscionable.  This effort has been helped by the media’s refusal to cover such events as this exposing your complicity in and approval of their agenda.

We the people have had enough and these tea parties are only the beginning.  Choose to ignore them if you like, but eventually, our voices will resound throughout the nation, with or without you.  We the people built this country, we believe in this country and we are willing to fight to take this country back from those who seek to change it into the country our forefathers risked their lives to escape. 

We the people will be heard.

Beth Durrance

Charlotte, NC

dsquared70 at 08:58PM on Mar 17, 2009

Great job!  Did you see on Michelle Malkins site that there was over 5,000 in Cincinatti's Tea Party!  That is awesome!  We need to make Charlotte's even bigger!  Funny how the only place I've seen any coverage on these tea parties is on MM's website. 

Glen Beck has been covereing these tea parties and is planning on attending one on April 15.  He has sent out requests for people to send him information on their parties and he will select one to attend so send him our link and request that he come here!

Nice letter Beth! 

Beth D. at 09:15PM on Mar 31, 2009

I emailed the following to all the media addresses that were sent to the CTDTP members.  I have had two positive responses stating they will be covering both events and asking where they could get more information.

 

To Whom It May Concern:

 

Please be advised that on April 4th and 15th and various other dates and in various places, We the People intend to send a message to our non-representative government to protest their flagrant disregard of our constitution.  They have far overstepped their bounds, they are engaging in unlawful conduct in order to further their own agenda and are enacting legislation that violates the very tenets that this country was founded upon.  From the bogus stimulus package to the blatant attempt to use fear to take more and more control of the private sector, the government is out of control and it is time for the people to be heard and to restore the principles that built this great country and brought us the very success the government is trying to destroy.

 

We the people will no longer sit back and allow the government to remain out of control, to continue to ignore us, to refuse to embrace the common sense and values that would restore this country.  We the people see that we will have to do this ourselves as our government insists on serving only itself, seeking to remain in power by repressing the silent majority and yielding to small, non-representative but powerful special interest groups that contribute to their re-election campaigns and approving ridiculous legislation that anyone with any common sense can see is wasteful, imprudent and morally unconscionable.  This effort has been helped by the media’s refusal to cover such events as this exposing your complicity in and approval of their agenda.

 

We the people have had enough and these tea parties are only the beginning.  Choose to ignore them if you like, but eventually, our voices will resound throughout the nation, with or without you.  We the people built this country, we believe in this country and we are willing to fight to take this country back from those who seek to change it into the country our forefathers risked their lives to escape. 

 

We the people will be heard.

 

Beth Durrance

Charlotte, NC

 

It would be great to show up at The Observer around 1PM on the 15th for a little protest

before the Tea Party. What do you think?  

Hi everyone!  Three updates:

1.  I have sent out a press release.  Another will go out next week, another the week of the event, and then a press advisory the morning of the tea party.

2.  There is a group that is going to meet at 1pm outside of The Observer building, and then march down to City Hall by 2pm.  More details to follow.

3.  Glenn Beck has been invited.  Let's cross our fingers that he accepts!

Thanks for all of your dedication!

Here's the letter I sent to Glenn:

Dear Glenn,

I know you are very familiar with the tea party movement, so please allow me a moment to tell you about our tea party, and why I think it would be a great place for you to spend April 15th.

The history of rebellion and protests against government in Charlotte reaches back to May 20th, 1775, when the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence was signed.  We take great pride knowing that we were the first to put pen to paper, and rise against tyranny and oppression.  During the Revolutionary War, General Cornwallis wrote that Charlotte was "an agreeable village, but in a damned rebellious country", and our efforts and success at stymieing his forces prompted him to declare Charlotte "a hornet's nest of rebellion". 

We in Charlotte have not lost that love of freedom and independence, and we feel that once again it is threatened.  While we are not taking to the streets with pitchforks and torches, we are taking the first of many steps towards regaining our lost constitutional rights of both the citizens and the great state of North Carolina.  Our goal at the Charlotte Tax Day Tea Party is to fire up, educate and inspire the citizens of Charlotte.

We want to fire people up, so they know they are not alone; there are many others who feel the same.  There is strength in numbers, and with one voice we can accomplish much.

We want to educate the citizens.  For too long we've been ignorant and complacent as government has taken our liberties and bankrupted our grandchildren.  We need to raise awareness, and put it in layman's terms so the message is clear.

We want to inspire people, because education without action is useless.  After people are fired up and educated, we want them to harness that energy and go.  Do something.  Get involved.  We plan on providing many options for people to get involved in the community and politics, so that they can take their knowledge and passion and use it for something productive.

Glenn, we plan on showing the government that these hornets still sting.  We are excited about the plans we have; not just for April 15th, but beyond.  Well beyond.  It would be a great honor if you would attend our tea party.  We are not sponsored by any organization, so we have no real funds for speaker fees and travel, but we could offer you some great sweet tea and southern home cookin'! 

Thank you for your voice of reason; you are an inspiration to us all.

Sincerely,

Matthew Ridenhour
http://charlotteteaparty.webs.com
404-805-6401

Many of the local news sites have community calendars too. I checked News14.com and they list some of the NC tea parties but not ours. Looks like they only take requests from the organizer; I'd be willing to go to the local sites and fill them out for you if this hasnt' been done yet.