Candidates Attend AFP's Regulation Reality Tour in Cabot

On Tuesday, Americans for Prosperity stopped in Cabot along their Regulation Reality Tour. AFP is using the tour to educate voters to the danger of President Obama's Environmental Protection Agency's attempt to impose job killing taxes on American citizens through new regulations. Several candidates, for local and federal offices, were present.

Arkansas Director of AFP, Teresa Oelke introduces AFP President Tim Phillips

This new regulatory scheme was developed when Obama's infamous Cap & Trade stalled in the US Senate after scandals revealed the dishonesty and flaws in the arguments of scientists who earned their living researching Global Warming. As the alarmists evidence was shattered, the President's legislation ran out of gas in the US Senate.

Now our Socialist President who just effectively nationalized the US health care industry, and previously nationalized large portions of the US financial and auto industries, seeks to impose the same job-killing, tax-raising components of Cap & Trade through regulation instead of legislation.

The turn out was great for the middle of a work day in Cabot. Approximately 50-75 protesters came out to stand against this latest unconstitutional scam. Several running for office showed up to participate, protest, and promote their candidacies as well.

Two US Senate campaigns were represented. Republican Senate candidate Colonel Conrad Reynolds was there and one of his Republican primary challengers, Curtis Coleman was represented by his Scheduling and Press Contact Alex Reed. Reynolds is following the Regulation Reality Tour and visiting with voters at every stop. The retired US Army Colonel said he's making the rounds with AFP because "this is just another way the people of Arkansas are waking up to a government that is overreaching its bounds." Reed said Coleman wanted his campaign represented at the tour's stops because, as a small businessman, he'd "fought the EPA for seven years and spent $27 million navigating their duplicate bureaucracies and turf wars when all he wanted to do was make the world's food supply safe."

Colonel Conrad Reynolds (left) speaks with John Allison of the Tea Party of Lonoke County	Alex Reed (left) with Curtis Coleman's campaign speaks with Trent Eilts, candidate for Lonoke County JP, District 6

Several local Republican candidates were also present. Jack McNally, candidate for Lonoke County Tax Assessor, brought an American flag and worked the crowd telling voters what he hoped to accomplish when he replaces the incumbent double-dipping Democrat Jerry Adams. Chuck Graham, candidate for Lonoke County Prosecuting Attorney was also there listening to voters' concerns. (We thought we had a better picture of Chuck, but it looks like a rally-goer's arm was in the way when we snapped the picture. Sorry Chuck!)

Jack McNally (left),candidate for Lonoke County Tax Assessor visits with Col. Reynolds and another Lonoke County voter	Chuck Graham (center left), candidate for Lonoke County Prosecuting Attorney listens to voters' concerns

And both Republican candidates for Justice of the Peace District 6 were present. Incumbent District 6 JP Alexis Malham arrived with her sign, ready to protest. She also carried with her The Communist Manifest by Karl Marx, and pointed voters to sections in the book that show Obama and his Democrat henchmen are carrying us down the road mapped by Marx. Her Republican challenger, Trent Eilts was also present and spent his time hearing voters' concerns. http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs458.snc3/26193_379598049658_246614274658_3616714_5574610_n.jpg

JP District 6, Alexis Malham (left) with her protest sign	Trent Eilts (right) speaks with Alex Reed

The Regulation Reality Tour continues tomorrow en route to hit 14 Arkansas cities in two and a half days.

Iraq Veterans for Congress Endorse Crawford and Reynolds

Hat Tip: ARRA News Service

Iraq Veterans for Congress PAC is a political action committee dedicated to increasing the number of veterans in Congress. IVC's mission is to "Recruit, Fund and Elect to Congress conservative Republican Veterans."

The organization is backing two candidates of concern to Lonoke County voters.

Rick Crawford is IVC's choice for Arkansas' 1st Congressional District.

Rick is a US Army veteran who now owns and operates a small business based in Jonesboro. He was the first conservative Republican to throw his hat in the ring to run for the seat now being vacated by Democrat Marion Berry. Some have said Rick "ran Berry out of the race."

Conrad Reynolds is the organization's pick for Arkansas' 2010 US Senate race.

Colonel Reynolds retired from the US Army in January 2009 and entered this race long before anyone considered Lincoln vulnerable. His army career as an intelligence officer spanned 29 years. He's served in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters. Reynolds is the only US Senate candidate currently endorsed by IVC.

1st District GOP Candidates to Speak in Cabot Monday

The Lonoke County Republican Committee has announced both GOP candidates for Arkansas' 1st Congressional District will speak at the committee's regular monthly meeting on Monday. Rick Crawford and Princella Smith will address the committee and take questions.

Though the Tea Party of Lonoke County is non-partisan, the course charted by the Democrats who now run our country makes this election cycle unique. The first vote new members make will be to elect the Speaker of the House. In 2010, sending any Democrat to Washington to represent the 1st District will be equivalent to voting for Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for Speaker.

We simply cannot afford another two years suffering under this left-wing zealot who has been a rubber stamp for every part of President Obama's Socialist agenda.

For that reason, the 2010 Republican primary is crucial. Conservatives in Arkansas MUST participate in the May elections to decide the GOP nominee so we send the very best candidate to the general election in November. We need a GOP candidate who represents Arkansas' conservative values and understands the concerns of Arkansas' conservative majority.

We need as many as possible to attend these events to get to know the candidates. For years, we have allowed state GOP party loyalists and even the national infrastructure of the Republican party to choose the nominee who would oppose the Democrats who have failed to represent us in DC. In 2004, only 8484 of the 54000 who participated in the GOP Senate primary were 1st District voters.

We MUST motivate more 1st District voters to participate in the Republican primary this year if we hope to deliver a conservative candidate who will be palatable to a majority of those who vote in November. One way to do that is by getting to know these candidates. Meet them, speak with them, listen to them, and then choose who you think will best represent us in Washington. Then tell your friends. Spread the word. Let people know you're excited about this candidate, or that one and tell them why!

If we can accomplish that mission, we can choose a conservative candidate who can win in November. It will be an historic accomplishment because the last time the 1st District was represented by a Republican was in 1875.

But we need an historic election to undo the historic damage to our country inflicted by the Obama administration.

Crawford entered the race and has been campaigning since last April, long before anyone suspected Marion Berry would choose not to run. In fact, many believe Crawford's long-running campaign may have dealt the death blow to Berry's chances to win re-election. The veteran from Jonesboro embraced the Tea Party early in his campaign and promises to support its platform of 1) Limited Government, 2) Fiscal Responsibility, and 3) Accountable Elected Officials. Before Smith announced she would challenge him in the GOP primary, Crawford committed to make himself available to Lonoke County voters at the upcoming Meet & Greet in Cabot later this week.

A Google search for any relationship between Princella Smith and the Tea Party movement turns up empty. In fact, it's difficult to even find an article that mentions both her and the protest movement that swept the nation last year and turned the 2010 election cycle into a boiling cauldron for many Democrats across the country.

Smith touts her knowledge of "how things work" on Capitol Hill as one of her qualifications to represent Arkansas' 1st District, but that may not play well with Tea Party activists who are generally disenchanted with Republicans and Democrats in Washington. On the issues, she and Crawford apparently agree with and support the planks in the national GOP platform.

Her youth may become an issue as well. Most of the four years since she graduated college have been spent in DC working with establishment Republicans like former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and most recently with Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao (R-LA) who was the only GOP House member to vote for Obama's government takeover of health care.

So both candidates espouse conservative ideals. But the most important thing in this election cycle will be to nominate candidates who can capitalize on the energy of the Tea Party movement, a person who will be a friend to the movement even after he or she has an office in DC.

Here's the opportunity to meet your next Congressman Lonoke County!

One of these two will replace Marion Berry next year, if we get involved and work to choose the best one in May.

Rick Crawford Campaign HQ Open House Saturday

The following invitation was distributed by the Crawford for Congress Campaign.

Greetings! You Are Invited! The Crawford for Congress Campaign would like to cordially invite you to attend the grand opening of the Crawford for Congress Campaign Headquarters this Saturday starting at 10am! This grand opening is yet another chapter in the Crawford for Congress Campaign to take traditional American values back to Washington in a candidate that has the experience, insight, and ability to make a difference in Washington! Rick Crawford is the Statesman that we need to make a difference for the people of the First District! WHEN: Saturday, February 13th WHERE: 1920 South Church Street, Jonesboro WHAT TIME: Begins at 10am, Press Conference by Rick at 1030am, and will go until Noon. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Parking will be available in the adjacent parking lot in front of Gracy's Cafe & Wells-Fargo Mortgage. Parking will also be available next door at NAPA Auto Parts. DIRECTIONS: The Crawford for Congress H.Q. is located directly across Church Street from Walgreens on Highland and Union and is also across Highland Avenue from McDonalds in Jonesboro. We look forward to you coming out on Saturday to visit with Rick about his campaign! We will also have free campaign materials that you can take with you including new Crawford for Congress bumper stickers. This will be a great opportunity for you to visit with other campaign supporters as together we work to send an experienced leader to Washington who will be a trusted voice for his constituents! For more information or directions please call the campaign headquarters at 870-203-0540.

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*The Lonoke County Tea Party has not endorsed any candidate for the 2010 election cycle. This is posted by the editor for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an endorsement of any candidate.

January Quorum Court Meeting Report

The Quorum Court meeting on Thursday, 1/21/2010, proved to be quite the show. All of the contentious issues on the agenda were discussed and debated in front of a large crowd of Lonoke County voters. None of these issues--the alleged "sweetheart land deal", the missing money in the Sheriff's office, and the "double-dipping" of two county elected officials--were actually resolved, but voters were at least allowed to hear from those involved.

The most heated discussion centered around the issue of the proposed ordinance to allow Lonoke County Judge Charlie Troutman to purchase a small tract of land from District 3 Justice of the Peace Larry Odom. As previously reported, Judge Troutman and JP Odom had agreed upon a price and the judge was seeking the required permission of the Court to purchase the property for Lonoke County.

Before any motion to bring the ordinance to the floor, Judge Troutman gave an impassioned defense of his, and Odom's, actions in the matter at hand. Expressing disbelief that the issue had drawn such bad publicity, Troutman explained the land purchase was nothing more than an improvement project that would benefit citizens of the county and make the intersection of Highways 67/167 and 5 much safer. He referred to Arkansas Highway Department documents and county records of sales of similar property to refute any claims that his offer to Odom was out of line. Wrapping up his remarks on the issue, he addressed District 13 JP Mark Edwards who sent the email that drew the public's attention to the proposed deal. Troutman asked, "Where the Hell do you get the right to call me corrupt?"

Odom offered to abstain when Troutman asked for a motion to bring the ordinance to the floor. The Judge requested Odom not abstain and Edwards made the motion. It was seconded and the fireworks started again when Odom opened the debate with a long statement defending his actions in the deal.

Odom informed the Court he'd served this county for 20 years, and had never been called corrupt. He stated that he'd purchased the property involved for his stepchildren and didn't want to sell. Odom said his wife didn't want to sell the property either, but that he'd talked her into it for the good of the county. After the deal became public and the uproar ensued, he said he and his wife were angered. Stating he would no longer consider Troutman's offer of $60,000 for the property, but would take the appraised value--if it came in more or less, he would sell the land for the appraised value. Odom said he was offended because he had "tried to help, and got kicked in the damn mouth."

After Odom's address, Edwards acknowledged that something does need to be done at the intersection and that things may have been better handled had he confronted Troutman and Odom with his concerns before sending the email. Edwards then turned to a line of questioning regarding his concerns that Amendment 55, Act 742 of 1977 had not been properly followed in this instance.

In particular, section 14-14-1202 "Ethics for county government officers and employees" states:

(3) The officer or employee may not use his or her office, the influence created by his or her official position, or information gained by virtue of his or her position to advance his or her individual personal economic interest or that of an immediate member of his or her family or an associate, other than advancing strictly incidental benefits as may accrue to any of them from the enactment or administration of law affecting the public generally.

In this same section of the amendment, county officers are defined to include "all elected county and township officers." And a few paragraphs following this definition we see the following paragraph:

(c)(1) Rules of Conduct. No officer or employee of county government shall: (A)(i) Be interested, either directly or indirectly, in any contract or transaction made, authorized, or entered into on behalf of the county or an entity created by the county, or accept or receive any property, money, or other valuable thing for his or her use or benefit on account of, connected with, or growing out of any contract or transaction of a county.

Though the preceding paragraphs seem to imply such a deal as that previously reached by Troutman and Odom violate Amendment 55, an exception can be made as we see a little further into section 14-14-1202:

(2)(A)(i) If the quorum court determines that it is in the best interest of the county, the quorum court may by ordinance permit the county to purchase goods or services directly or indirectly from quorum court members, county officers, or county employees due to unusual circumstances.
(ii) The ordinance permitting the purchases must specifically define the unusual circumstances under which the purchases are allowed and the limitations of the authority.

And this appears to be where the difference of opinion originated that led to the fireworks involving this deal. This deal had been in the works for months, and Edwards believed the Quorum Court should have been made aware of it, and had the opportunity to deliberate the pros and cons long before. Troutman and Odom believed placing the ordinance on the agenda a month in advance was sufficient notice.

The second most contentious item on the agenda was the "double dipping" of two county elected officials that recently made the news. Lonoke County Treasurer Karol Depreist and Assessor Jerry Adams are now drawing their full salary along with their retirement. Though a recent Attorney General's opinion indicates the practice may violate state law, the two county officials continued to perform their duties without drawing pay for a period of 90 days.

An attorney general’s opinion on drawing retirement while in office raises the possibility of charges of abuse of office, abuse of public trust, theft of public benefits, falsifying a business record, and tampering with a public record. --Cabot Star Herald

Edwards and District 6 Justice of the Peace Alexis Malham grilled Depriest's and Adams' attorney on the matter. The attorney, Denise Hoggard, also represents other "double-dippers" across the state. Hoggard insisted the two had complied with the letter of the law. But Edwards and Malham referenced the APERS application for retirement benefits and Amendment 55 to insist vacancies had existed in the Treasurer's and Assessor's offices. If true, state law requires the Quorum Court be notified, declare a vacancy, and appoint an interim official to fill the vacancy.

Section 14-14-1308 "Vacancy in Office"

A county, county quorum court district, or township office shall be considered vacant if any one (1) of the following conditions exists:
...
(4) The incumbent resigns;
...

Though Hoggard disagreed, the APERS application and the AG opinion seem to indicate resignation is a precondition of retirement. Therefore, the Court should have been notified, a vacancy declared, and replacements appointed for the two retiring officials.

14-14-1309 "Declaration of Vacancy"

The quorum court of each county shall declare a county, county quorum court district, or township office vacant where conditions of vacancy exist as demonstrated in the following manner:
...
(2) Upon determination by a quorum court that a condition of vacancy exists in all other causes not governed by failure to be commissioned or finding of judicial
proceedings. Such determination by a quorum court shall be conducted through the process of resolution as prescribed by law if the resolution shall have been published prior to the meeting date in which the resolution is to be considered by the court.
...

14-14-1310 "Filling vacancies in elective offices"

(a)(1)
COUNTY ELECTIVE OFFICES. Vacancies in all county elective offices shall be filled by the county quorum court through the process of resolution as prescribed by law.

Though Edwards and Malham continued to press the issue, District 7 JP Adam Sims suggested the Court await an investigation by the Legislative Audit Division to make a determination on the matter. Edwards made a motion to declare a vacancy for the Treasurer's office and Malham seconded. However, no vote was taken and the Court moved on to other business.

Action Alert: Lonoke County Quorum Court--1/21/2010

One premise of the Tea Party is that accountability of elected officials must exist at all levels--federal, state, and local.

Now is the time for all concerned citizens of Lonoke County to stand up and hold their elected officials accountable! District 13 Justice of the Peace Mark Edwards has informed the Lonoke County Republican Committee of a troublesome item on the agenda for this month's Quorum Court meeting.

It appears the County Judge and JP Larry Odom may have held private meetings to negotiate a deal for Lonoke County to purchase land owned by Odom. The Court plans to vote on an ordinance to allow this at this week's meeting!

Apparently, the ordinance will authorize the county to pay ~$40,000 per acre for land adjacent to a tract that recently sold for $25,000 per acre. Also, the Arkansas Highway Department may have plans to build a cloverleaf at the exit in the future. If so, AHD will be required to purchase the land at that time. If this deal goes through, the taxpayers of Lonoke County may be throwing their money away to line the pockets of a local politician.

Two other important issues on the agenda are $67,000 of money missing from the Sheriff's office and the recently reported "double-dipping" by elected officials in Lonoke County. Edwards says, "There are sweetheart deals being made in the county and what appears to be outright corruption going on by both Democrats in large part from our County Judge down as well as Larry Odom in our own party."

Ladies and gentlemen, the Tea Party exists to stop exactly this sort of thing! Please join us at the Quorum Court meeting to let your voice be heard.

Date:	1/21/2010
Time:	6:30 pm
Place:	Courthouse Annex

Let's get this ball rolling!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Whether you participated in the Tea Parties that shook the political landscape up last year, or whether you're just now becoming so fed up that you feel the need to get involved, I'm glad you've showed an interest in the Tea Party of Lonoke County!

Early on the Tea Party organizers decided not to create a centralized national organization, but chose instead to let small, local organizations lead at the grassroots level. Mainstream media reports that protests you've seen were organized and orchestrated by caviar eating elites in distant penthouses are completely false. However, from time-to-time a local Tea Party organizer will come up with an idea for a protest that will become popular across the country.

Such was the case last August with the protest we organized in Cabot outside Rep. Marion Berry's office. Eric Odom of Chicago threw out the idea for a Recess Rally, named so because it was intended to take place during Congress' annual August recess. Without any advertising, or reports in local media, we managed to get about 100 protesters on the street to let our elected officials know we're tired of them representing Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid instead of Arkansas voters.

Since then, we have participated in other events across the state with other local Tea Parties, but haven't moved forward to organize the Tea Party of Lonoke County.

Now that the election year has arrived, our time has come. I and others believe this year's election is a pivotal point in our nation's history. WIll we vote to turn back to the constitutional principles that made the United States the greatest country in the world? Or will we vote to continue down the path to ruin via Socialism that we're currently traveling?

Our mission is simple. We intend to seek, support, promote, and endorse candidates who will fight for a return of

1. Limited Government
2. Fiscal Responsibility
3. Accountable Elected Officials

We believe our current representatives in Washington have taken us in the wrong direction. From the takeover of private industry, to the infamous bailouts, to our own elected officials calling us un-American for practicing our constitutional rights, they have proven they have little understanding of the Constitution or the people of Arkansas.

It's up to us to change that. We can (must) find candidates who will go to Washington and represent us!

I hope you'll join us and get involved. Until now, the extent of my political activism has been to vote in November, and sometimes in the May primary. Since these Socialists gained power in 2008, that has changed dramatically. I realized that I could no longer stand on the sidelines and let others determine the course of our nation.

It's up to each one of us to make sure our elected officials never forget who they represent, and that they work for us. So please join us and help make that happen!

Join Us!

If you are fed up with politics as usual, if you are looking for a place where you can make a difference, if you want to help stop the mad dash to becoming the United Socialist States of America, then sign up to join the Tea Party of Lonoke County.

Complete the form below and you'll receive email updates on events, candidates, and threats to our values by politicians at the local, state, and federal level. You can also let us know to what level you'll be able to assist in our efforts.

We appreciate your interest and participation and look forward to working with you!