FAQ

Who is the Fredericksburg Tea Party?
We are a group of concerned citizens who believe government is growing too large and distant from the citizens. For years the government has enacted policies which stifle prosperity. We are Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, and Independents united for a common philosophy for personal and economic liberty.

How did the FTP start?
On CNBC, Rick Santelli gave his famed rant against the Obama administration’s mortgage plan and called for a new Tea Party in Lake Michigan. This message resonated with citizens already sore from the trillion-dollar pork filled stimulus package, and who were further outraged by the acceleration of spending and the growth of the National Debt. Within days, activists got to work and organized Tea Party rallies. The first Fredericksburg Tea Party was hosted on Tax Day, April 15, 2009 with attendance near 1,000 in our town of a 10,000.

What does the FTP hope to accomplish?
To promote policies that work, instead of the policies pushed by the Obama administration that history has shown are doomed to failure. We hope to give citizens an outlet to show their frustration and hold our politicians accountable. We also hope to invoke government to cut their increase and spending, especially on pork projects, and to enact policies that encourage growth and prosperity. We seek to do this through education and peaceful activism. 

Is the FTP connected to a political party?
We’re a non-partisan group attempting to create the largest possible coalition to defeat the greatest number of threats to liberty. We do not endorse any candidate or political party.
Many of us have historically been involved in the Republican, Democrat and Libertarian Parties. However, we recognize that many party affiiliated politicians have contributed to the current political situation. Our membership is demonstrably very tired of both parties and want to be heard, not listen to more empty promises from politicians.

Is this an Obama-Hate rally
We do understand that many have been seeing President Obama as the symbol of the problem, and express our dissapointment that he seems to be accelerating it. We do believe that this problem is the result of decades of political malfeasance from our leaders pushing the boundaries of the prudent use of their power. He is also not alone in the ranks of all levels of government and all branches currently in power. Some speakers and attendees at our rallies may want to vent their frustrations on the President. They are free to do so, and we ask that they stay respectful, but try to look on the bigger picture of what got us here and the solutions.

Will there be elected officials and Candidates at FTP gatherings?
Fredericksburg Tea Party does not endorse any candidate or political party.  We are in the business of educating voters.  In the event a candidate is not given another forum, the Fredericksburg Tea Party will often host a candidate forum, without bias, for all candidates in that race.  Any candidate or elected official is invited to attend our meetings and forums.  If they are present, they may introduce themselves for 3 minutes and allow for 3 questions. 

However, at our rallies and protests, we do not allow elected officials or candidates to take the stage. We invite candidates and elected officials to attend our rallies in order to hear from the people, but not to use our gatherings as a campaign stop or stump speech.

Are you now, or planning to become a 3rd party?

No.  The Tea Party movement here and across the nation does not desire to become a 3rd party. 

If you do not endorse candidates, why did you support Scott Brown for Massachusetts Senate?

Recall where our nation was at that moment in time.  The US House of Representatives had the votes it needed to pass the unconstitutional Healthcare Bill. The Senate was poised to pass the Healthcare bill and simply needed Brown’s Democrat challenger, Martha Coakley, to win the Senate seat in order to make a filibuster proof majority (60). Our best hope of stopping the Healthcare bill was obtain a 41st Republican Senate seat to enable a filibuster.  The Fredericksburg Tea Party was not endorsing Brown, but rather was endorsing the shift the power of the Senate and enable a filibuster. And it worked, as we now see Healthcare proponents scrambling for plan B. Across the nation, the Tea Party movement was endorsing a block to the 6oth Democrat seat in the US Senate that was sure to pass the Healthcare bill. This was not just a Senate seat in a single state – the liberty of every American was at stake.

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