New membership!

[Chairman's Committee]

   In the last ten days we have added 4 new members to the Arapahoe Tea Party membership rolls!  This increases our membership to 302!  We now have over 300 members for the first time ever!  Let's all welcome the new members, and encourage them to become active as we head into the coming election.

   In addition to that let's reach out to those inactive members, and try to get them re-involved.  Our meetings are scheduled for the first Tuesday of each month and we are contemplating adding a few additional meetings this summer going into the election season.  Bookmark this page and check back often for updates, additional meeting dates and other outside associated or recommended events. 

   Going into the election season we need to remember that we are the 21st century version of volunteers that are replacing the 18th century volunteers of the original Tea Party and our founding fathers.  Get informed, remain vigilant, stay active and save our union for the future.  

   I'd like to see some writing and posting to the blog pages and the ATP Forum pages so we can have some discussion and debate going about the issues that we are facing in our communities and our nation.  We may not always agree on the resolutions to issues or even what the issues are, but discussion and debate helps us all become better informed.  And those following the discussions, even those not participating, are also learning and becoming informed.  We are going to have to devote some time and energy to winning the next election with conservative ideas, conservative candidates and positive goals for the direction of our country. 

Thank you, and welcome to our members. 

Steven Haworth

[W. Branstetter]

Thanks for posting, Steven.  Great to see the new interest.

[Fredrick Lindner]

We had a lot of people at the county assembly that were interested.  I hope they made it to the site.

[Cathy Mitchell]

Kudos to this group! While I'm not currently active in the group, I like to follow what you are doing. A special thanks to Wilma for notification of events.

In case anyone is wondering, my job in Gunnison did not work out, which turned out to be a good thing since I am back home in the Metro area. I cured my desire to live in the mountains full time (no volleyball, can you believe that?!!!)

My new focus is on school, and studying to get re-certified as a RHIA (Registered Health Information Administrator). I am 2/3 of the way done with obtaining a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Healthcare Informatics (using computers to manage health information - what a concept!)  Working in this area has been my goal since the 1980s, so it's wonderful to re-connect to a field I thought I had left behind.I felt a slight bit of guilt as my schooling is paid for with a grant from the ARRA (American Restore? and Recovery Act), which I have loudly protested. But I decided that it is better to get some use out of that boondoggle, and Rep. Price (from Georgia), agreed with me at a seminar I attended at CU (the program is offered through another nemesis - University of Colorado). To me, it is a reminder that very few things in life are black and white, but more often shades of gray. CU is not all bad just because of a few bad, Ward Churchill apples.

Similarly, ARRA as well as Obamacare had some positive points, although my guess would be only about 10%. This does not make me a supporter of Obamacare (in case anyone is wondering, the politically correct term is PPACA, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - at the Colorado Legislative hearing on SB 200, the moderators threw off the Tea Party Supporters by insisting they call it by its official name) This also does not make me a supporter of large, government stimulus programs but small, more focused ones may do some good. I am hoping this program enables me to get a job in this field. After trying for about two years to find employment in this area, I realized that more education was needed. But with two daughters in college, I never would have paid the tuition for this program on my own. So hopefully some good will come of it. For my part, I will do my best to ensure the tax-payers get good value for the money spent on me. If the healthcare industry can move to better use of computerization, it's mind boggling the positive changes it could make. I am so excited for the future of this field!

I mention all this as an excuse as to why I am not more involved right now. If I do not focus as much as possible on my classes and studying for the re-certification exam, I may not get a job, and I think that is of paramount importance not only to me, but to the country as it will generate more tax money.

Rather than attending events in person, it may be easier for me to contribute on-line, such as through the forums here. I plan to post an excerpt from an article I just ran across which to me, explains why Health Insurance Exchanges do not necessarily lead to Obamacare. This is a discussion I would like to be involved with in the Tea Party movement in Colorado. While I completely understand the objections, as stated above, things are rarely black and white. There can be compromise (actually, there has to be as this is democracy and not a dictatorship). We have to pick our battles carefully, and I feel that fighting the Insurance Exchanges is not a best use of resources. The person who I think would be important to support in this issue is Josiah Allis, as he is intimately knowledgeable on this subject.

Gotta study . Again, great job all!!!!

[Ken Mihalik]

My name is Ken, I'm a candidate for the RTD board in District H which includes most of Littleton, Greenwood Village, Centennial west of quebec, Cherry Hills, and Highlands Ranch in Douglas county.  I would enjoy the opportunity to let your members know they do have a choice this fall to elect someone that will take a pledge for no new taxes!!  My reason for running was to limit the RTD from accumulating additional debt by spending money on projects that equate to bailouts for developers and special interests.  These projects benefit a very small portion of our population.  The need for higher taxes and fees is not the answer, and not what people agreed to.

Ken
facebook.com/kenmihalik4rtd

[Maripat Sparks]

Thank you for approving my membership.  I'm looking forward to attending my first meeting tonight!  

[Karen Kataline]

Delighted to have found you and to be a member! Regardless of the fact that I live a little further north, after re-districting, the Democrats seem to think that Weld and Douglas ought to be in the same district, so what does it matter?

Please see my new post on Strategic Voting and let me know your opinion. We have until May 29 to mobilize so that it will even be an option for the 2018 primary. With so much riding on this election, we ought to take advantage of every strategy that is available.   Thanks!

Karen