CRYSTAL COAST TEA PARTY PATRIOTS
MEEING MINUTES OF
16 OCTOBER 2012
Meeting was held at Roland’s Barbecue Restaurant in Beaufort, NC
Meeting was called to order at 6:00pm by Chairman BOB CAVANAUGH
Pledge of Allegiance was led by WAYNE WILLIS
Invocation by Pastor JAMES ‘Winky” CHADWICK
Attendance – 28
Short discussion on the debate tonight and what the audience thinks/hopes will be the outcome.
BOB passed out lists of the Absentee Ballots that have been requested and mailed out to the recipients, broken down by precincts. It lists all the Democrats, Republicans and Unaffiliated with names and addresses. He said he and SCOTT CARPENTER had volunteered the TEA Party to take this project and go to the individual addresses, knock on their doors and ask them to please make sure they return their absentee ballot. It is very important. SCOTT has printed off copies of the TEA Party Ballot and when you talk to these voters, please also give them a copy of the ballot. As you go down the list, please cross them off the list. DENNIS TOMASO said it appeared to him that some of the ones on his list, Carteret County is their second home. One of his actually lives in New Zealand and this is their summer home. Why are those with Carteret addresses getting absentee ballots? Several told of reasons they knew of ie. Handicapped and problem getting to the polls, going to be out of town, etc.
Discussed the Veteran’s Day Parade. BOB said he assumed we would meet at EULA PARKIN’s, decorate the float…..NANCY said Nope, that will not work. It was fine for the July 4th Parade in Beaufort, but this parade is in Morehead. We should do as we did last year. Pull the trailer to Morehead, park in our designated spot and then decorate the float. Everyone agreed. Pulling a float already decorated all the way to Morehead, we might not have much by the time we get them. The bridge might be decorated better than what we have left on the float. PEGGY reminded BOB that that was what we did last year and the man who played the guitar on our float got up with us while we were decorating. BOB then remembered the situation and agreed. He said the guy played the guitar and sang and those on the float sang patriotic songs along with him (as well as the people watching the parade). HOWARD said if this guy shows up again this year, everyone needs to write his name and telephone number down, since at least half of us have been looking for him all year. NANCY asked ‘didn’t we have someone here recently that sings and teaches music?’ No one remembered that. BOB asked how many people planned on riding on the float and a lot of hands went up. He said those riding the float should all remember they are supposed to bring their own candy to throw to the kids. He asked NANCY if we had the flags and pocket Constitutions to pass out. She said we did have the flags (small and big). They had come in, but the Constitutions had not gotten here yet, but are supposed to be on their way. NANCY said since we only have two more meetings prior to the parade, we need to get the labels run and get them put onto the Constitutions. BOB said VERNE THOMPSON made the labels last time, but he is tied up with taking college courses at Community College again. So we won’t be seeing him that much for a while. BOB said he would get the address labels made up and bring them for us to put on the pocket Constitutions. He said ‘one of these days I am going to stop by the IGA and check on those flags.’ NANCY said she had already gotten them. HOWARD said she knew BOB and that he would continue to forget to check on the flags, so she took matters in her own hands. BOB presented her with the bottle that TOM HARMON had presented to BOB prior to TOM leaving to go to Thailand. NANCY wanted to know if she could really have and keep it. She knew someone she would love to give it to. BOB said he still keeps us with TOM on Facebook and TOM keeps up with us also. LUKE KUKULINSKI said if we don’t win the election on the 6th, we won’t have to worry about the Constitution any more. BOB said that is true. Others said ‘that is not funny‘; or they were ‘going to be exceptionally sad on Veterans’ Day‘.
BOB asked HOWARD if he was still predicting Obama to win. HOWARD said he prays that he was wrong. All said “You are wrong”. PEGGY said if the group (formerly called Acorn), the Union groups, the Black Panthers and that Chicago Mafia get involved, no one knows what can or will happen – and probably none of it good.
HOWARD said, (and he hoped Reverend Winky would comment on) that only about 50% of Christian conservatives are even registered to vote. He feels that that is a group that sees things our way. It may be too late for this election, but we need to get those people registered and to the polls to vote next time. BOB said ‘the only way we can reach them is through the churches’. RO THOMPSON said they could still vote at one stop, even if they were not registered now….early voting. WINKY said if we could get a hold of the preachers we might be able to do something but the trouble is we’ve got too many preachers in the wrong voting. Like in my church, they might not vote the way I say, but I’ll tell you one thing ‘they know the message’. He said he was blessed in his church. He had RON and BELVA MANNING in his church. RON tells it like it is and everybody in the church knows it. He says he does not understand how a Christian can vote for a Democrat. That is the message that gets around his church. If we had a few more church members like that going around we might get some attention. BOB said we need to have RON serve as a roving Christian minister going from church to church (every Sunday) and spread the word. LUKE said ‘along those same lines, about two Sundays ago I went up to our priest at Annunciation, and said ‘hey, Father, let me ask you a question….how can a Catholic, let alone a Christian vote Democrat.’? He answered ‘I don’t know’. LUKE said well why don’t you get up there in front of everybody and say that? The priest said ‘the Bishop won’t let me’. NANCY said they did have pulpit free Sunday recently. Did anyone see that? RO reminded us about Bishop E.W. Jackson, who is black, and advocating ‘staying true to American National Destiny’. He called for a mass exodus of blacks, all Christians, from the Democrat party…. And if they couldn’t vote for Romney, then don’t vote for anyone. Do not vote for Obama.
BOB said WILLIE MONTEGUE made a pretty profound statement during one of his visits back here, speaking mostly to the black listeners on the radio “What the black people pray for on Sunday isn’t the way they vote on Tuesday”. Blacks are pretty hard core Christians for the most part, and how they can support the Democrat party that is so pro-abortion, and so anti-Christian apparently, going by what happened at the Democrat convention in Charlotte this year…no prayer in school, taking GOD out of the pledge of allegiance, and stuff like that is a mystery to me.
FRED DECKER said after several visits to the Clerk of Court and Election Office, he finally got a list of the deceased (1200) in this county. They are all supposed to have been taken off the voting rolls. FRED said if he could finally get this information, why couldn’t the other counties do the same. He explained what has to be done if you suspect someone is trying to vote for a deceased person. He has the forms, if anyone needs copies to challenge a vote.
ERIC BROYLES said he got something in the mail recently from the Romney campaign about participating in a recount. Did anyone else receive this information or do they know anything about it. BOB said it seemed that would have gone to the party headquarters instead of an individual.
CLAYTON GILLIKIN asked if anyone saw what went on at the Seafood Festival with that crowd that was, he thought, creating a disturbance…talking about children half white and half Mexican or black, were going straight to hell. Several said they had been there last year and there had been an article in the paper about them. CLAYTON was upset because the police protected them and would not allow anyone to challenge them. HOWARD said he understood the Seafood Festival group had gone before the Town Board and discussed the problem. All they came away with was they could set up a place where anyone who wished to speak could do so in that area and that area only. They still had a right to say whatever they wished or believed in. A lot of discussion about not being able to say anything back to this group. They were definitely being protected by the police.
HOWARD said he and PEGGY had attended the NC-20 symposium last Wednesday (cost $35.00 a person) if anyone was interested in what we had heard he would give a report. He said we sat there the whole day, listened to the program, and basically just reinforced what we thought we already knew. He is convinced that it is going to take a change in Insurance Commissioners, and changes in the laws by our Legislature. The Insurance Commissioner, in his opinion, has gotten way too much power and a lot of it needs to be taken away from him. Last night there were five of us at the County Commissioners meeting and watched Robin Comer’s power point presentation on the school budget. It looks like the school had a few million hid last year. He had been told that if the County Commissioners had known last year at budget time what they have found out since, they could have saved the Carteret County tax payers about a penny less. Doug Harris expressed a desire that as soon as he goes out of office and leaves the County Commissioners Board, he would like to come and talk to us at one of our meetings. He feels he will be freer to speak his mind at that time. HOWARD said he told him he felt sure the TEA Party group would love to have him come and talk to us. BOB said then that will be sometime after the first of the year. PEGGY said he only had one more meeting to attend. BOB said he had November and December. FRED said he did not think they had a December meeting. He thought that was when they swear in the newly elected board.
NANCY wanted to know if anyone had noticed how many Mitt Romney signs are missing that had been put up. She has had five of hers removed, but the causeway has almost been stripped…but a whole lot of Obama signs have been added. She wanted to know if the GOP headquarters were getting any more Romney signs, but was told they are few and far between.
We haven’t been able to get any Newby signs either. BOB said he got a phone call from Lisa Marley from Dare County and she said a fellow from Halifax County came through (Dare County was doing the same thing we are doing here….allow you to take one Romney sign but ask for a donation because it takes about 4 or 5 dollars apiece to buy the things. Halifax County got fined $25,000.00 for violating campaign finance laws. BOB called Bob Pruett, the District Chair and also Steve Mallay, who is on top of the laws and stuff like that, and they said if you buy the signs from a private company, you can buy up to $5,000.00 worth before you fall under the campaign finance laws. If you buy them from the Romney campaign, then the thresh-hold is
$1,000.00. If you purchase over that amount of Romney literature, signs, bumper stickers, etc, then you fall under the finance campaign law and if you don’t fill it our on your monthly report, boom, they come back and hit you. It seems as though this is the first time he has heard of having to buy signs. Normally the candidate’s campaign furnishes them. FRED said the GOP had voted to spend $20,000.00 on signs but at the last meeting they had only spent $7500.00.
Maybe that $5,000.00 had put a stop to buying anymore signs. Do not want to get into any trouble. Discussed spending money for campaign materials and problems therewith.
LUKE asked if anyone had heard the Walter B. Jones radio ad. Everyone agreed that it was a great ad.
ERIC brought up other subjects discussed at the County Commissioners’ meeting last night…windmills, (supported the military position – no windmills, they interfere with their missions/practicing, etc.) and the Insurance increase, requesting additional studies be made. HOWARD said for the rest of the state it is based on loses, and for the coast it is based on projections.
WAYNE complained that he had gone to the GOP headquarters to get some road signs and had been interrogated about why he needed so many signs. He said he told them ‘how much good do you think they are going to do leaning against that wall?’ She continued with her complaint of his wanting so many signs, so he went over and took what he needed and left with them. He was upset with the way he was treated by the workers at GOP headquarters. Several in attendance also complained about the availability of signs this year and the attitude of those supposed to be helping with the campaigns.
BOB asked how we liked having our meetings here at Roland’s. All said it was nice and were happy (especially with the food). He said we could use this back room every Tuesday night except the second week of the month when it is used by the Methodist Men’s Club and on that night we will have to be out there in the hallway like we were last week. LUKE went to Atlantic Station and there is a place there called the Monkey Bar and they have a big conference room, good comparable reasonable food. Discussion about holding our meeting on the second Tuesday there. Discussion – no decision made. Apparently we will continue to meet here at Roland’s.
Discussed early voting which begins Thursday, (day after tomorrow). Asked how many people were planning to work early voting. Appears all four places will be covered at least part of the time. Time of polls opened – Beaufort Board of Election – Thursday and Friday this week – and then Monday through Friday until November 2 – Hours 8-5. Last Saturday, November 3, hours 8-1. Other three polls – Down East, Cape Carteret, and Fort Benjamin – weekdays 12-7 and Saturday, November 3, hour 8-1. BOB passed out the TEA Party signs to be used at the polls. BOB told all those planning to work early voting to have plenty of ballots. PEGGY passed out 800 more ballots to be used. She kept the 300 she had left tonight to use when she and HOWARD worked Fort Benjamin. She told everyone working the polls if they needed more ballots to let her know and she would run what they needed and get them to the worker. Election day hours are 6:30 until 7:30. RUTH PARKER said don’t forget to tell all voters you talk to, to turn their ballots over and be sure and vote for the judges. You have to also vote separately for the President.
BOB read off a list of TEA Party volunteers who will be working the various precincts election day. Atlantic Beach – DAVID COX, Broad Creek – BOB CAVANAUGH and ROY MUSSER, Beaufort I – EULA PARKINS and MADELLINE SCHAW, Beaufort II – GLADYS and ED SUESSLE, Bogue – VERN THOMPSON and LIBBY BROWN, Cedar Point/Cape Carteret – JIM and PAT NALITZ, Emerald Isle – ? MOORE, Harkers Island – WAYNE WILLIS, Indian Beach/Salter Path – RO THOMPSON, Mill Creek – RON and BELVA MANNING, Merriman – (no one yet), Morehead I – RICK and MARY ANN GOFF, Morehead City II – ERIC BROYLES, Morehead III – LUKE KUKULINSKI, GARRISON SWIGART, and SUSAN RYNAS, Morehead IV – FRED DECKER, Newport I – STEVE BEST, Newport II – HOWARD and PEGGY GARNER and RON and BELVA MANNING, North River – no one yet, might be switching LIBBY BROWN from Bogue to Peleteer, He, BOB, will cover Bogue until VERNE can get there after 2:30, Pine Knoll Shores – no one yet, Stella – KEN and DIANE LANG, Wildwood – JERE GEURIN, RUTH PARKER, SCOTT CARPENTER, Wiregrass and Harlow – NANCY BOCK (as much as she can), Atlantic, Sea Level, Cedar Island, Smyrna, Marshallberg, Stacy, Davis, Williston, Otway and Bettie – WAYNE WILLIS said he would get someone from there to help out, (BOB asked if he could give him the names of whoever he got to help).
For early voting, those who have volunteered to help – do whatever you can. Others, if you have any spare time during the day, come out and help share the load as much as possible.
BOB announced that STEVE BEST had a new movie called “The Determinators”, which he plans to show tomorrow night at 7:00. Sub title: Whoever Pays holds the Title to Decide. It is put out by the TEA Party Patriots. It is about the Health Care Plan of Obama. Tells you all about it. Discussion on the movie 2016 which we understand is now out on DVD and can also be downloaded.
BOB said the Jacksonville TEA Party group had their meeting last night and had a big turnout of 30 people. Things are starting to really look up. They have decided to support a Democrat for County Commissioner there. BOB said he was surprised to learn that Onslow had 3 NC House Districts. None are being challenged. We only have one – Pat McElraft.
JERE GEURIN said Tomorrow night at 7:00 Open Door Baptist Church will show the movie ‘Monumental’, which is Kirk Cameron’s research into the Christian origin….Number 2, There is a group of ministers who have gotten together and decided that they are going to preach politics from the pulpit, (and they hope that the IRS files a law suit so they can take this thing to court), and 3, Tomorrow morning I’ll be at the Morehead City Post Office with over 80 Care Boxes. If you come by please stop in and pick up a box, take it to the counter and mail it for us. BOB asked if these were the same boxes that the lady in Havelock would not let them mail. JERE said they were. They had been in Havelock last week and had 100 boxes in the truck. They had already put about 10 or 12 through the mail and some clerk/trainee looked at the customs form and decided it was not filled out right. So she came out and complained to them and they told her they had been doing it this way for three years now, and had mailed 2500 boxes using this. She went and got her supervisor and he supported her, so they had no choice but to pack up and come home. So what we have are those left that we could not get mailed in Havelock. (Comment – These boxes are for our military fighting overseas – Havelock is the home of a military base – where is their loyalty?) Several in attendance donated money to help mail these boxes.
Meeting adjourned 7:10pm.
Minutes submitted by PEGGY GARNER, Secretary.