Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Middletown Township's Tea Party

The tea party mindless automatons were out in force at the Middletown Township Board of Supervisors meeting Monday night to support their hero, Supervisor Chairman Tom Gallagher. I find myself wondering when I attend meetings now whether or not I ended up in some bizarre theater by mistake. It certainly doesn’t resemble what should be the sobering business of discussing what is needed to protect the health, safety and welfare of Middletown Township residents.

Unfortunately, Mr. Gallagher seems unable to carry on a discussion if it doesn’t follow the script given to him by his Tea/Republican Party operatives. Take, for example, when Julie Smith asked Mr. Gallagher why the Board would decide in one of its famous “other business” sessions to appoint, with no discussion, “Divorce Done Right” attorney Tracy Anne Timby as its labor counsel. The faux labor lawyer will be negotiating a new contract with the Policeman’s Benevolent Association this year and the Township needs much more than a divorce lawyer to keep from giving away the keys to the taxpayers’ purse. This is kind of like going to a chiropractor for quadruple bypass surgery. A chiropractor may be great at helping with back pain, but I sure wouldn’t want one carving open my chest.

Did Mr. Gallagher even acknowledge anything Ms. Smith suggested? Of course not. If the questioner isn’t one of his cheering fans, he goes into a catatonic state that is quite scary at times.

Mr. Gallagher should take note. That great movement of government by slogans known as the Tea Party is faltering, as most of these movements with brainless, bullying bigots for leaders inevitably do. According to a Washington Post/ABC News poll released this week, 50 percent of the respondents said they hold an "unfavorable impression" of this conservative, anti-Obama, anti-government movement – an increase from 39 percent in March. Those with a favorable view dropped from 41 to 36 percent, and those folks with no opinion fell from 20 percent to 14 percent. Put this all together, in the words of Columnist David Corn, and it appears that the more Americans see of the Tea Party, the less they like it.

Maybe, Mr. Gallagher, you should start listening to people with reasoned opinions rather than ramming through the dictates of your handlers. You might actually learn something.

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