Tea Party members host lobby organizers

    SCHUYLER COUNTY—The Odessa Tea Party hosted the Constitution Lobby, Friday, July 29, which is a group that wants to make sure all levels of government follow the U.S. and state constitutions.
    There were about 30 members of the public at the meeting. Organizer Robert Schulz said he has spent 32 years trying to make sure the government follows the law. He said that included petitioning the government for redress and helping others sue local governments for breaking the law. Schulz said after years of doing that he wants to start the Constitution Lobby.
    He explained one such lobby has already been started in Connecticut. Schulz said the New York version was incorporated on July 15. He added he is holding meetings all over New York to try and get enough support from people by Sept. 17.
    Schulz said annual dues from members would go to hiring 20 constitutional monitors in each county. He explained they would watch the government, all the way down to the local level, to see if any action is taken that is not covered by the federal and state constitutions, as well as local charters. He added if the monitor sees an infraction, it would be given to an interdisciplinary board of legal professionals for review and action.
    He explained the lobby would have persuasion if it had five percent of the state’s population as members. Schulz added that would be more members than any other lobby in New York.
    Schulz explained as citizens they have various ways to hold the government accountable to the people, including the first amendment and voting. However, he said that is wrong to rely on the electoral process alone. Schulz said they need to be like Gandhi, a non-violent mass movement.
    The goal is to get five percent of New York state’s population to become dues paying members. Schulz said if 50 percent of that goal is not reached by Sept. 17, the money will be returned to the members and the Constitution Lobby would be put on hold.
    Schulz explained the government is doing a lot of things that are not covered by the constitution. For example, he said the government should not give out grants because it is not mentioned in the constitution and because it’s a way for politicians to persuade people to vote for them.
    Schulz said the federal government, under several administrations, has not been fully executing the law when it concerns immigration. He added the Second Amendment requires each state to have a a well regulated militia, which there aren’t. He also pointed to the various corporate bailouts and foreign aid, which are not covered in the constitution.
    For more, visit www.wethepeopleofny.org.