Some tea party groups apparently do not believe the old adage, ``We're from the government and we're here to help you.''
In a statement issued Friday, representatives of several of the organizations said a new law creating a ``tea party'' license plate is ``well-intentioned.'' Those who want the plate would pay an extra $25 a year, with $17 of that going to organizations that promote tea party principles of fiscal responsibility, limited governments and free markets.
But what really seems to provide the most heartburn is that the cash collected will be doled out by a committee whose members are appointed by politicians.
``Basically, we do not want to take money and divvy it out through the government,'' Vera Anderson, leader of the Daisy Mountain Tea Party Patriots told Capitol Media Services. ``That's not what we're all about.''
Valerie Roller, representing Tea Party Patriots of Glendale, was more direct in her own prepared statement about the pitfalls of the law, calling its structure ``vulnerable to self-serving individuals who may be appointed.'' And she said there is a ``potential (for) misappropriation of funds'' to be used for purposes beyond the legislation.
``These tea party license plates have result in more government, not less,'' she said.
The objections both surprised and annoyed Senate President Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, one of the chief proponents of the legislation.
Pearce said the tea party groups he has heard from have been supportive of the fundraising idea. And he blasted the individuals and groups who decided to take a public position urging followers not to buy the plates.
``If they don't want it, don't participate,'' he said, allowing other tea party groups to share in the funds.
``I want to give my $17 to promote tea party principles,'' he continued. ``Why would they take away my choice because they're concerned?''
Anderson, however, said the legislation has been marketed as a goal of all the Arizona the tea parties.
``We just wanted to set the record straight,'' she said.
Not everyone shares the concerns. Courtney Snell, chairman of the Mountain View Tea Party, said he has no problem with the government helping to raise money for the cause.
``The people that are participating that are generating that money are doing it on their own,'' he said. ``The government is not making them buy those plates.''
But Snell said he shares some of the concerns about having the funds allocated by a committee appointed by politicians. He said there may come a time when those who get to name the committee members -- the governor, the Senate president and the speaker of the House of Representatives -- could be Democrats or others ``who have no interest in furthering the ideals of the tea party.''
Snell wants the law amended next year to transition the funding decisions directly to those appointed by tea party groups.
State lawmakers routinely approve creating special license plates to help organizations raise money. Just this session they approved close to a dozen new ones, including one Phoenix PBS affiliate KAET, one to help food banks and one to help fund research on childhood cancers. Pearce said this one is no different.
Legislative foes, however, argued that this will be the only state-issued license plate where the funds raised would be used to promote what they see as a political agenda.
That did not bother Gov. Jan Brewer who signed the bill into law. Gubernatorial press aide Matthew Benson said his boss does not believe the bill is overtly political.
``We're talking about an effort that supports limited government and the Constitution,'' he said. ``And that's a cause that Governor Brewer believes most Arizonans can get behind.''
Leon Ceniceros posted at 11:37 pm on Fri, May 13, 2011.
Folks, here we go again with the.... Left-wing Liberal agenda...taking over a story.
Tell me...how do you make the journalism ..."JUMP" ...from what Howie Fischer wrote..."Some tea party groups..."
to the article's heading ....."TEA PARTY GROUPS SHUN ARIZONA-ISSUED LICENSE PLATES FOR THEIR CAUSE"..........talk about ...."journalistic license"....folks....this is completely..."TWISTING"....the reporter's article to ....push an ..."editorial anti-SB 1070 bias".
Howie Fischer never discloses..........HOW MANY OF THE ARIZONA TEA PARTY GROUPS DON'T SUPPORT THE LICENSE PLATES = 10%...30%...70%..or ....100%........just a vague....."SEVERAL"...now, Folks...what numerical percentage does the world "serveral" denote ???
If the Arizona Legislature can approve... and Governor Jan Brewer sign into Law....A LICENSE PLATE FOR SB 1070-HATING .......ASU-PBS TV STATION.....K.A.E.T.
Then what is all this fuss about a "TEA PARTY" license plate that honors a group of........100% FLAG-LOVING, US CONSTITUTION-LOVING and GOD-LOVING ....A.M.E.R.I.C.A.N.S.
soricobob posted at 6:48 am on Sat, May 14, 2011.
Take that, Governor Brewer and State Senator Pearce.
NothingButTheTruth posted at 9:14 am on Sat, May 14, 2011.
Yes Howie, you wrote a long story about nothing. You must be running out of ideas to show your leftest, tea party hating agenda. All it proves is that there is no real leadership to the grassroots movement represented by the Boston Tea Party. What we all can agree on is that we need to reduce government spending. This plate neither increases taxes or government spending. That a few tea party groups don't like it, much like the article you wrote, is pathetically irrelevant. Of course it did make at least one fool happy. Hi bob.
CSalafia posted at 4:25 pm on Sat, May 14, 2011.
I just find it ironic that the anti-Government TPers are using that same government to give legitimacy to, and fund, their activities.
Then again, they are led by a bunch of ethically bankrupt hypocrites...
Dale Whiting posted at 7:01 pm on Sat, May 14, 2011.
Bravo, Tea Party. You are being consistent. Ron Paul and I are proud of you folks!
AmericanPatriot posted at 6:55 am on Sun, May 15, 2011.
This place is full of tards smoking their own crappe and getting high on fluff. Bunch of patriot hating libertards that seek the downfall of a great nation as an act of pride. Probably welfare mothers afraid the government teats will run dry and force them into working for a living. Pathetic at best. Yes, bravo tea party. We will weather these so called ethically superior hypocrites that feed off the great nation of John Galt and others who continue to support their audacity, but for how long? One day the floor will fall out from under the scum, and I will be there to laugh at their foolish cries for help.
Cerulean posted at 12:04 pm on Sun, May 15, 2011.
This is ingenious! Tea Partiers (republicans) using government subsidies to promote the ideals of ‘less government’. republicans must have had a lot of laughs pushing this legislation (paid for by the good citizens of Arizona).
NothingButTheTruth posted at 5:06 pm on Sun, May 15, 2011.
Blue Boy, explain to us how vanity plates are a government subsidy. Don't the people who purchase vanity plates pay extra for them? Since when do Arizona taxpayers foot the bill for these plates? This article doesn't say that a special committee is being created and PAID especially to oversee who gets the 17 dollars per plate. As near as I can ascertain, there wont be an extra governmental cost associated with the doling out of this money. It simply will not cost taxpayers a dime. Anally retentive tea party groups may not be totally happy with politicians being in control of appointing individuals who will oversee the doling out of this money, but there is no government growth that I can see here. As I stated earlier, this article is much to do about nothing, and you look like a fool trying to distort the reality of this debate.