Political Class Dismissed

Thanks Rus.

Thomas Paine could have written these words about Rus Thompson:

The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it Now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict the more glorius the triumph.”

It appears that rumors of the death of the tax revolt were greatly exaggerated. Every month since the WNY tax revolt started in 2005, our opponents in the political class assured us that it was dead, that their gravy train ride would continue forever.

Wrong! We had nine people in the rain on short notice a few weeks ago now we have hundreds and on April 18 we will do it again.

And we need to point to July 4th when we need to have a nationwide series of rallies this country has never seen.

We have learned from the events of recent years. We have learned that politics is rigged and the local politicians themselves, with few exceptions, are hopeless.

It’s time for new strategies and tactics and we will be rolling out a bold plan in a few weeks to do just that. Let me give you a preview.

We have made the mistake of fighting the political class on their turf. There’s an old saying, never play poker with a man named Doc. We’ve been playing politics with a man named Doc. Dumb. Another old poker saying: if you can’t spot the sucker in a half an hour, you’re the sucker.

I hate to say this, but we’ve been suckers thinking we could beat the machine at the own game: elections. They rig elections in New York State. That’s why no incumbent state legislator in has been defeated in this area in fifty years except for one district that became African American.

I have an idea. Let’s make the political class fight on our turf.

Let’s let the politicians wonder if they are the suckers at our card table. Direct citizen action worked for Gandhi and Martin Luther King and it worked for the Sons of Liberty at the first tea party. At the Boston Tea Party, the Patriots took the gloves off and took matters into their own hands. We need to do the same.

The first step in direct action is education. How can you take action if you don’t know the facts, your country’s history, and market economics? You can’t. Free NY published a study guide to economic called Economics in Five Lessons (PDF). Nobody read it. People, when a once world class city has been in the midst of a fifty year decline, don’t you think there is something wrong with the basic thinking in the community? Don’t you think we need to go back to the drawing board?

I wanted to deliver a copy of that study to every household in Erie County but Free NY doesn’t have the money to pay a single worker minimum wage for a week.

That would cost $20,000. I know there is someone in this crowd who could organize a campaign to get those studies printed and delivered by volunteers. Who will step up? And not a single penny goes to Free Buffalo, just to the printers.
It’s time to step up to the plate. Time is short. We warned about big government in 2005 and few listened. We warned that big government would spread nationally and it did. When is it time to act? Now, while we still can or later, when there’s rioting in the streets due to food shortages caused by price controls slapped down after hyperinflation. Don’t wait till it’s too late.

[Before I could continue, people started approaching with cash donations. Totally unexpected and not my intention. $2050 was collected in ten minutes. The pamphlets will go out next week!]

If some brave hero comes forward, this done can be done in 30 days. Then, every citizen in Erie County will be immune to the lies of politician about economics. A small price to pay.

I was on the radio the other day and perhaps it was lack of sleep coming from Dutchess County where the Republican machine threw my client off the ballot, but I was ornery.

I called people out. Chris Collins. How can you tell Paterson to cut the budget when you increased yours? Byron Brown, stop the overtime pension scam. Jack Quinn. Get some guts, please!

Well, it worked. Show paper. And Jack Quinn was on Bauerle the next day defending himself.
We need to call people out. Get in people’s faces.

We need to know who the power brokers are and call them out, get in their faces.

Bob Wilmers (MT Bank), when are you going to stop bankrolling the local politicians and then complaining about them in your annual speech?

Anthony Gioia. When do you claim responsibility for our decline because you help the incumbents pay for their TV ads whenever we try to knock the bums out of office?

Are there any lawyers here? No surprise there. Lawyers have been AWOL in the battle to save our community, too busy sucking up to the political class and earning big fees from government agencies I guess.
Ladies and gentlemen, this nation was invented by lawyers! Ever hear of Jefferson, Adams, and Hamilton. These men risked their necks by supporting revolution. Most of the local bar is afraid to risk a legal fee by getting involved.

I’m calling them out! You men and women have the skills, the standing and the resources to help this cause. Please don’t cower in fear while others like Rus Thompson do the dirty work of saving your community and the community where your grandchildren will live.

Any MDs here? Dam few. Where the hell are the doctors in all this? You people not only don’t help us, but your lobby has given millions to the Albany politicians. I am calling you out, Drs! We are calling you out. Wake up and take a courage pill if you have to and stop supporting the slimy political class.

Restaurants. We have some great ones like Mark Supples who has spoken out recently. Mother’s, downtown, great food. But where are the rest of you and the tavern owners. Nobody works harder and suffers more form big government that restaurant owners. Join us. We need you. We cannot win without you. Don’t be afraid of losing business. We will give you more business that you ever dreamed of. And we will win this fight. You want to be with the winners early I assure you.

Dave DiPietro, Sparkle Cleaners. He took the machine on and took its malicious abuse to rid of Dale Volker who had sat there too long for any good he done. Where are the other small businesses who are choking on the dying economy the politicians have give us for fifty years?

It’s time to step up. Where are the business leaders? Doesn’t Carl Paladino make you ashamed of yourselves? We need 25 more Carl Paladinos to give up their time and treasury to help us win this fight. Instead, many of you guys and gals have been feeding at the trough of corporate welfare and kicking back political donations to the politicians who picked out pockets. Paul Snyder, what say you Sir? Will you ever stop?

And Margaret Suillivan of the News. We are about the same age, from similar schools, and the same neighborhood. When is your editorial board going to wake up and stop endorsing the very policies and politicians that have destroyed your own customer base. It’s time to wake up. Time to step up.

I am calling people out and it’s going to continue.

And the politicians. Domagalski, Lenihan, Volker, Higgins and the rest. At long last Sirs, have you no shame! Have you no sense of decency? You fight like lions behind the scenes to preserve this rotten system that has destroyed our great city, county and region for fifty years.

Wake up. I am calling you out! We are calling you out.

And let me say this to the African American community. No group has suffered more from big government in America than your people from the time they got off the boats to this very moment where their great, great grandchildren live in squalor in the inner city of Buffalo among the wreckage of the New Deal and not so Great Society. We need you in this struggle. No group has more to gain from freedom that those have had the least of it for the longest time. Join us!
Ladies and gentlemen, this is just the beginning. After our brothers and sisters at Lexington and Concord kicked the Red Coats out of their towns, the war continued for many years. But we have made a good start today and will continue this fight on April 18th.

We will win this fight! America has no choice but victory because its very survival is at take as it has been at no time since 1776.

As George Washington said, “Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages.”