What if 250 Tea Partiers just went ahead and set up camp in a public park somewhere? We need to see what would happen.
RICHMOND, VA (WTVR) – The Richmond Tea Party is asking the city of Richmond for its money back. They say they’re not happy to hear that Occupy Richmond protesters get to stay in Kanawha Plaza – for free.
In April, the Richmond Tea Party held a Tax Day Rally in Kanawha Plaza. They say before they could use the city venue they were charged nearly $10,000 and had to comply with a series of usage forms and procedures.
Colleen Owens, a spokesperson for the Tea Party, says it’s obvious the Occupy demonstrators are not being held to the same standard. “We followed the rules, we followed the law, we got all the permits, we paid all the fees, we had to jump through all the hoops that they asked us to.”
Owens notes that the Tea Party “didn’t complain about it,” but that now they’re “sitting back and watching these Occupiers in Richmond and they’re basically camped out at Kanawha plaza.”
“And they’re not having to pay for the park, they’re not getting permits, they’re not paying for police, they’re not paying for port-o-potties, they’re not paying for emergency personnel,” Owens says.
“Everything that we were required to do,” she adds.
Real Debate Wisconsin has more of the story.
Give ‘em their money back, says Trog! They’re right: it’s not fair. It’s not right. Richmond – and every other government in the nation – should treat everybody as equally as possible. But they’re not.
The problem, though, is: we don’t have a control group. We don’t know for sure that the Tea Partiers are being treated differently, because the Tea Partiers acted differently. We need a Tea Party group to “Occupy,” and see if they’re given the same leeway that the Occupiers are getting.
But, y’know, it’s not just that the two groups acted differently: it’s that they are different. Completely different.
For example, the Tea Partiers asked about using the park. The Occupiers didn’t. The Tea Partiers found out what all the applicable laws were. The Occupiers didn’t, or if they did, they ignored them.
More importantly, if told they were in violation and asked to leave, the Tea Partiers would comply, and then, if they thought it was warranted, they would demand changes to the laws which they were accused of violating.
The Occupiers simply refuse to comply. Whichever rules they don’t like, they just break. No matter who else is inconvenienced or harmed.
So, there, even my control group idea is a non-starter…unless we can find a large group of Tea Partiers willing to disobey lawful police orders. Which, unfortunately, is not part of the definition of “Tea Partier.”
At least, so far.
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Based on this: http://www.verumserum.com/?p=31677 it would appear that at least three Gummints will have to cut checks–assuming that they’re honest brokers.
I’m not holding my breath.
Hense the word “protest”.
By the way, the Libertarian bunch thinks that the First Amendment precludes “fees” for any political demonstrations, period.
So the TEA Party folks were just suckers. They should have told the usual Gummint suspects to shove their ‘fee’ demands where the Sun doesn’t shine.
I personally don’t think they should get there money back. To me it is kind of saying if they don’t have to follow the rules, then neither do I. Real justice would be that the occupiers pay the same fees as the Tea Party.