Saturday, March 13, 2010

At the Wasilla Coffee Party Event

Just as Progressive Alaska covered the first Wasilla Tea Party event, on April 15th, 2008, I went to check out and possibly participate in the first Wasilla Coffee Party event, held this morning at the fairly new, and very cozy Metro Cafe, on Lucille Street, just below Spruce.

There were a dozen people there, which was OK for very, very short notice. I filed an internet report on the meeting at the Coffee Party national site.

I'll just make a couple of observations, then I have to go shopping:

1) All three major Wasilla Tea Party events were held at public venues - Wasilla Lake Park and Wasilla Wonderland. Both venues are there only because of tax money and earmarks. Wonderland Park was created on public land, but using volunteer hours and donations from hundreds of, mostly liberal, progressive and moderate Wasilla and Mat-Su residents.

The irony of people so vehemently denouncing government, while enjoying the benefits of what governments create was lost on most attendees, as it was by the people who attended their events around the USA, also mostly held on government-supported or -owned properties.

2) The Wasilla Coffee Party got its start by showing up at a locally-owned, new business. We spent a lot of our money there. Instead of railing against government, we sought to find ways to support non-partisan, community building efforts, and supported a new, Wasilla-based, positive business enterprise.

Anne Kilkenny upbraided me for telling a joke at Sarah Palin's expense. And rightly so, Anne.


Some of the attendees:

Progressive Mat-Su Valley icon, Carolyn Covington, laughing at one of many funny statements made:

Anne Kilkenney, far left, and Bill Hess, far right:

7 comments:

ella said...

Participants smiling! Participants laughing! Participants sharing ideas!
Compare that to the angry, divisive screaming teabaggers - which group encompasses joy and intelligence?
Originally, I thought the "coffee party" was a dumb idea. Now I see how it can bring communities together in a positive way.
BTW, crazy woman SP, when you write "lift American spirits" on your hand and spew hateful rhetoric from your mouth - there is a giant disconnect.
Thanks for the post and the pics of Wasilla's coffe party meeting -
gives me hope/faith, that Palin and her ilk CANNOT TAKE AWAY OUR JOY.

bondwooley said...

You guys are great!

As for tea baggers and their ilk, it's time to exile them to Canada - so that the rest of us can stop threatening to move there:

Video link: The Last Straw

(satire)

AKPetMom said...

All of my progressive heroes in the Valley were there but I can't help but feel that I don't have many solutions to offer, only complaints on the state of our union.

I think I will come next Saturday though just to sit amongst a few likeminded folks and enjoy the vibe.

Thanks for posting about the event.

Eric Dondero said...

Why do you assume that those who denounce government benefits actually accept those benefits?

I know many Libertarians who do not accept their Social Security even though they fully qualify.

Others, including myself, choose to get all of our medical services in Mexico (and Costa Rica), rather than participate in the current, largely Socialist system here in the U.S. You go to Mexico, you pay in cash, and you get excellent service.

(I got 5!! caps on my back teeth for $900, would've costed $10,000 here in the U.S. cause of all the government regulations.)

There's a growing "Refusnik" movement here in the U.S. of Americans (mostly Tea Partiers) who refuse any and all government services, with the possible exception of public roads and highways. (Even those could be privatized.)

Philip Munger said...

Eric,

There are a lot of government regulations in the USA. But the reason decent dentistry costs significantly less in Costa Rica, for instance, than in Santas Monica, is mostly because the dentist in Santa Monica, and the insurance industries usually affiliated with it cost a lot of money in and of themselves.

Anonymous said...

Philip, THANK YOU for your report on the Coffee Party meeting. Wish I could have been there. Out in the bush and totally cut off physically , at least for the winter. (Hoping the new broadband bill goes thru...)

If I can do anything from my outpost with dial-up, let me know. (I'm assuming you can post that on your blog.)

Thanx again.
YBG

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing this Phil, wish I could have been there. I am watching to see what the DC group ends up doing. I hope the whole movement is wildly successful, even tho I'm not sure what I can do to help. You've inspired me to check up on them :)

Susan in MD