CRYSTAL COAST TEA PARTY PATRIOTS
APRIL 19, 2011

Meeting held at Golden Corral, Morehead City, NC
Meeting called to order at 6:05 PM by President BOB CAVANAUGH
Pledge of Allegiance led by BOB CAVANAUGH
Invocation by Catherine McCabe
No. of Attendees – 26

RALLY DISCUSSION
HOWARD GARNER congratulated everyone on the outstanding teamwork at rally.  He said the cooperation and pulling together could not have been more memorable if it had been practiced in advance.
BOB said he thought the speakers we had this year were the best yet.
SCOTT CARPENTER said the only thing he could find fault with was not enough advertising.
We needed more signs out.  There was nothing on Hwy 24 and only 2 on Hwy 70 and they only went up the weekend before the rally.
FRED DECKER said he knew of about 20 good available property sites for our use and could have used them if we had more signs.  NANCY BOCK said the signs we had cost $95.00 each and that was really all we could afford right now.  SCOTT said he thought we could use smaller signs, sort of like candidates use during the election period, maybe a 2 or 3 foot size.  NANCY said that size would bring the cost more in line.  We could really use a big sign, sort of like at the flea mall (those owned by Jim Ferrell.  However, understand they run about $160.00 and we didn’t have that kind of money.)  TOM HARMON said we need to have a good fund raiser.
NANCY said she went to the New Bern Rally and the attendance was off there also.  HOWARD said the public needs to get riled up about something that gets their attention before they will get involved.   SCOTT asked if the yellow sign was the TEA party sign; the one that says ‘Don’t Tread on Me’.  Explained that the TEA Party did not have a sign especially for us, that this sign was just used because it fit our cause and all the TEA Parties used it.  SCOTT said it would be nice if we could line the side of the road with flags.  BOB said we did that last year.  He had put up small flags by the side of the road to attract attention.  This year we had put them around the fence.
BOB was curious as to what we all thought had kept the crowd away this year other than what we had already discussed.  Was Saturday a good day?  Was it the time of day?  Maybe we should have it later in the day after work?  Maybe all the above had influence over the attendance.
PEGGY GARNER said she had been thinking about the rally and the upcoming 4th of July, and did not think we should hold a 4th rally this year.  There is nothing special to get the people excited about; maybe next year.  She understood that Morehead had a 4th of July parade and thought we should expend our energy with the TEA Party developing a float and entering the parade.  Maybe Beaufort and Havelock may also have parades and we might try to hit all of them.  This would give us more exposure and attention; especially if we had a really neat and eye catching idea for a float.  She said she had mentioned it to Catie, Ruth, and Tom, and a couple of others and had suggested making the float look like a ship with Indians throwing tea overboard as in the Boston Tea Party.  Wayne Willis said that would not work.  The only reason they had dressed as Indians for the Boston Tea Party was to have the Indians blamed for destroying the tea.  It would not be politically correct now.  Peggy said it was just a suggestion  and subject to change for better idea.  Catie had suggested we buy some candy, attach a paper containing information on the CCTPP to the candy with string so it looks like a tea bag and throw it out to the children.  Peggy said we could get a big group of TEA Party members to wear their shirts and walk alongside the float and pass out Constitutions to the adults along the way.  ROMA WADE said he had set up a table at the Beaufort parade last year and passed out information.  They had set up donation jars and collected a goodly amount.  We might want to look into something like that.  BOB appointed PEGGY GARNER, NANCY BOCK, CATIE MCCABE, TOM HARMON AND BELVA MANNING as a committee to come up with ideas and information and report back our findings.  Like what days of the parade, can we have tables set up to pass out information, sell our shirts, etc.

NANCY said graduation was coming up and it would be nice if we could give each graduate a copy of the Constitution along with a voter registration.  We need to find out if this would be approved.

BOB asked what we thought about Frank Palombo’s speech.  TOM HARMON said he didn’t like his comment on the Air Force and had told him so.  He felt that he was pandering to the Marine Corps.  BOB said if we are planning to support Frank we need to start cranking up our group to push him not only in Carteret but surrounding counties as well.  TOM H. thinks we should wait until the candidates announce.  He would hate to promise our support to one candidate and have someone that we think might have a better chance of beating Walter B. Jones pop up later.  FRED said if we decide to hold a fundraiser, he thought he could talk to Holt Faircloth about holding it at his home like he did last election year.  BOB said the DNC will be pumping a lot of money into the next campaign trying to make sure democrats get elected.  Even if Frank can beat Jones, it is questionable if he will be able to raise enough money to win against all that democratic money and candidate.  Also many counties are waiting to determine who to support until they find out how the redistricting will go.  Some, now in Jones’ district, may not be afterward.  Redistricting will not be announced until after the June State Convention.  FRED had heard around the first of July, however it is probably going to be challenged and go before the court, which will mean probably the late fall.  TOM H.  said he thought Palombo should contact all the surrounding county TEA Parties and ask them for their help.  KEN LANG said he didn’t think Frank could do this at the current time since he had not formally announced and couldn’t until later.  Right now he is working with his friends on raising money.

HOWARD said he had heard that Gary  Dean was now working at WalMart and that Dean had told a friend of his that Jones had told him that he was really a democrat.  He had only run as a republican so he could get elected.  We might consider having Dean come and speak with us.

Rumor is that Obama plans to have a headquarters in each and every county in North Carolina this election.  (Someone said they hoped Ken Humphrey would be in charge of the one in Carteret.)

WAYNE said he would check with a couple of friends he knows in Raleigh to find out what he can on redistricting.

MARLIN BALL PARK DISCUSSION
BOB said he understood the Marlins want a 10 year contract.  A group in Morehead is working to make sure they come here, since the Kinston Indians will be leaving Kinston.  This is their last year and Kinston will be looking for a replacement team.  A lady is contacting as many organizations as she possibly can to inform them of the raw deal she thinks the tax payers of Morehead will be getting.  The town will only collect $500.00 per game while the Marlins will have the opportunity to sell the fencing banners (55 approximately), concession stand profits, etc.  The town will also have to pick up park maintenance, police protection, safety, etc.  She is upset because the people of Morehead will not have the opportunity to vote on this project.  She is hoping to get enough local people informed and create enough interest to put a halt to this effort.  TOM said maybe we should collect enough information and contact Carolina Journal and see if we can get them involved.  Maybe they will send a reporter here to look into the matter.   We might even try writing letters to the editor to get Morehead residents attention.

ROY MUSSER came in late but said he wanted to thank everyone for the great help provided not just him with parking but from all he saw, the group really had it all together.

TOM AUSTIN said he attended the County Commissioners meeting last night.  One of the subjects discussed was windmills.  Since the windmills were over 500 feet high, we had no one in the county trained to inspect and we would need a consultant.  Much discussion on paying a consultant.  Everyone in the TEA Party meeting said they thought wind mills were a dead issue in Carteret County.  From what went on at the Commissioners meeting, apparently not.
Also discussed was a Scenic By Way through Dare, Hyde and Carteret County.  Discussed paying $2,600.00 to a professional to develop signs along the route; size, color, wording, etc.  Thinking of something to rival the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Both issues passed.
Does no one realize that grants are not free money, it is still our money out of our pockets.
Other items discussed were: a website to determine if you might have any monies due you, enabling their finding you…. and the collection of latex paint.  This paint will be dumped all together, regardless of color, mixed up, and given to the handicapped and poor to use to paint their homes.  Both of these also passed.

TREASURER REPORT
NANCY reported that we currently have $524.72.  We had a beginning balance prior to the rally of $1997.82.  We received an income of $2,912.50 from donations, hats/tees, Insurance, and rally.  Expenses were $4,385.60 for ads, banners/flags, business cards, hats/tees, bumper stickers, pocket Constitutions, and rally expenses.  We still owe $294.00 for our Wounded Warrior obligation and for the 6 Underdogma books we sold.

NANCY asked if anyone had watched the O’Reilly show about the ‘anti-TEA party Rally’.  It was a disgrace with the ugly comments and profanity.  She also told us about a paper she receives called the Tea Party Review.  She said an article on the Wisconsin and Ohio union disruption, told about the Tea Party getting to the capitol early and were met by what the TEA Party thought were security police.  They were told that they were not allowed in, the building was already full.  Did not find out until after everything was over that the guards were not legal police, they were union members using intimidation.
BOB said he understood that is some places, the ANTI-Tea Party groups were selling ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ signs and other official Tea Party paraphernalia, and using the income to support their effort.
TOM H wanted to know if the TEA Party of North Carolina couldn’t get together and hold a state wide convention.  BOB said they can’t get everyone on the same page.  He went to one in Charlotte and almost everyone there was from Charlotte and the surrounding area.  TOM said maybe if we got a more central location like Asheboro or Raleigh.  BOB said once again we are going to need a rallying cry to get participation.  Last fall Goldsboro tried to put together a meeting of eastern TEA parties and were expecting 15 groups.  Only those who tried to put the meeting together and BOB and his group were there.  In fact, many of the TEA Party groups are losing ground.  The kitchen table groups have just about all failed.  He thinks the fact that we meet every week; it has become a habit; is the reason we are still active.

LOU KUKULINSKI was thanked for providing the tent for registration.

Meeting adjourned.
Minutes submitted by PEGGY GARNER, Secretary