The Leon County Tea Party serves up some interesting brew

The Leon County Tea Party came into existence, not as an organized group but as a few friends in Hilltop Lakes watching Glenn Beck tapes. Bill Lyle, Leon County Tea Party president, was one of those citizens who decided to take action after viewing the tapes.

Lyle agreed to call a meeting of local residents who were concerned about the way the country was being led. Specific concerns were the general trend toward “big government”, excessive spending and the Health Care bill. Additionally there was a fear that the nation’s leadership had gotten completely away from the Christian principals upon which this country was founded.

The group decided to create a Tea Party group known as the Hilltop Lakes Tea Party Patriots.

The first meeting was publicized and people came from all over the county. At that point the name was changed to Leon County Tea Party (LCTP). The group currently has 230 members throughout the county and has held meetings in Jewett and Centerville as well as Hilltop Lakes. Lyle explained that members felt that Jewett and Buffalo were close enough that those in Buffalo who were interested could attend the Jewett meeting.

A portion of the LCTP “Principals” states “The LCTP is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization of individuals united by our love of God, respect for the Constitution of the United States of America, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence.”

The organization’s Declaration reads: “We the people of the LCTP will pursue legal political actions and associations to secure a constitutionally bound government, and will actively either support or oppose government officials, elected or appointed, in order to influence political results which reflect our stated principles and core values.”

The group’s mission statement is: “The mission of the Leon County Tea Party is to organize, inform, and inspire our fellow patriots to unite with a goal of impacting public policy and elected government officials in ways consistent with the core values upon which this nation was founded. We will exercise, through all legal means available to us, actions to influence state and federal candidates and government officials to effect legislation consistent with our core values.”