Kansans for Liberty was created as a non profit, non partisan group by and for concerned citizens to have a resource to get involved, be educated, and have access to our politicians or candidates.

This organization has evolved into a multi group conglomerate with representatives from organizations such as 9-12, Independence Caucus, Young Americans for Liberty, John Birch Society, Oathkeepers, Smart Girl Politics, Tea Party Patriots. The membership includes Independents, Republicans, Libertarians and even some Democrats are involved.

Anyway, send us a message through Contact Us and we'll definitely be Contacting You Back.

News Coverage

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009

Posted on Thu, Nov. 05, 2009

Crowd greets Tea Party bus

BY FRED MANN
The Wichita Eagle

WICHITA — They came dressed as Betsy Ross, Patrick Henry and Death.

One rode a horse; another rode a unicycle.

But nearly everybody who attended Wichita's fourth tea party carried signs.

"We Want Our Country Back," "Wake Up America" and "Nobama Death Care," some of them said.

The signs — as well as blue skies, warm weather and a large midday crowd — greeted the national Tea Party Express II bus tour in the parking lot of Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Wednesday.

Titled "Countdown to Judgment Day," the tour is on a 19-day, 7,000-mile journey across America with stops at rallies in 38 cities.

Members of the tour entertained the crowd with songs and speeches calling for change in Washington D.C.: less government spending, less government intrusion, an end to bailouts, an end to Democrat leadership in the House and Senate, and an end to President Obama's health care reform plans.

Organizers estimated the crowd at 1,500 to 1,700. Police at the scene estimated it at 2,000.

Fifteen people showed up to protest the tea party.

Tiffiny Ruegner, field coordinator for the tour from Sacramento, compared the size of the crowd in Wichita to one the tour drew in Denver on Tuesday night.

"Because this is at one o'clock on a Wednesday in the middle of the workweek, this is huge," she said.

When the caravan pulled into the stadium parking lot with a 30-motorcycle escort, Shara McMichael of Wichita was among those who moved forward to get a better look, snap photos and cheer.

She said she attended the event "just because I'm tired of sitting around my living room with my family talking about what changes need to be made and what's going on. We can't sit around and talk about it anymore. We've got to do something,"

"One voice does make a difference, and when you have several hundred or 2,000, it's going to be heard," she said.

Deborah Johns, co-chair of the tour, introduced herself as the angry mom of a Marine who is serving his third term in Iraq. Her anger was aimed at the Obama administration, she told the crowd.

"We have a president who came dressed as Little Red Riding Hood who turned out to be the big bad wolf that is doing nothing but dismantling this country from the inside out," Johns said.

"It's time politicians in Washington get the message. The constitution begins, 'We the people', not 'We the politicians.' "

She also told the people they were making history.

"You've got the politicians in Washington bamboozled. They can't figure you out," she said.

The tour vice chairman, Mark Williams, a freelance radio talk show host from Boston, urged the crowd to work hard for political candidates who "stand up for working people" and want to return America to "the country it was meant to be."

The anti-tea party protesters held signs of their own, such as "Tea Party for Injustice" and "Congressional Health Care for All."

One of the protesters, Janice Bradley of Wichita, said tea parties are large corporate-funded efforts that are trying to turn people against their own interests.

"They're creating fabrications about government-run health care, all kinds of lies about death panels. The death panels are the insurance companies right now," Bradley said.

The event ended with tributes to American soldiers and veterans, chants of U-S-A, and patriotic songs.

Lynda Tyler of Kansans for Liberty, who helped organize the event, said she was thrilled with the turnout on a midweek afternoon.

"For every person out here, there's probably at least 10 or 20 who couldn't get off work and be here," she said.

Reach Fred Mann at 316-268-6310 or fmann@wichitaeagle.com.

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This link is to video posted by the Wichita Eagle.

Here is the link too. They posted video from some of the other parties.

We are a "top story".

http://www.kansas.com/topstories/story/1033639.HTML

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Posted on Fri, Oct. 30, 2009

Local tea party event to feature national speakers

BY DION LEFLER
The Wichita Eagle
Wichita's Tea Party IV will be a much more national affair than the first three, according to organizers who have released the speaking and music lineup.
Instead of the local political figures who have addressed the gatherings in the past, the event scheduled at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the Lawrence-Dumont Stadium parking lot will feature leaders of national political action committees and a man who claims to have been beaten outside a town hall meeting in Missouri for his opposition to national health care.
The event will center on a visit by the "Tea Party Express II," a bus tour titled "Countdown to Judgment Day."
The tour started in San Diego and is proceeding north to Washington state before cutting a roughly diagonal path across the country and ending up in Orlando, Fla.
The tone will be much different than the last tea party at Sedgwick County Park, which featured food booths, vendors and inflatables for children to jump on, said Lynda Tyler of Kansans for Liberty, which is organizing the event with the 9-12 Group, the Wichita branch of an organization started by Fox News commentator Glenn Beck.
"They (Tea Party Express II) have a two-hour presentation; we get 10 minutes out of the two hours," Tyler said.
The groups are being allowed to use the city-owned lot free of charge because of the political nature of the event, but would have had to pay if they brought in vendors or rented out booths, Tyler said.
She said it's not exactly optimum timing for a tea party. "It's November, it's outside and it's at one o'clock on a Wednesday," she said. "Hopefully, we'll have a decent turnout."
The lineup of speakers starts with Lew Uhler, chairman of the National Tax Limitation PAC.
He'll be followed by Deborah Johns and Mark Williams, vice chairs of the Our Country Deserves Better PAC; and blogger and tea party coordinator Amy Kremer.
One speaker is Kenneth Gladney, who alleges he was the victim in a video-recorded scuffle that took place Aug. 6 outside a town hall meeting in St. Louis held by Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo.
Gladney claims that he was beaten by members of the Service Employees International Union as he tried to pass out "Don't tread on me" flags. The union says it was their minister, the Rev. Elston McCowan, who was pushed to the ground in the flap, and that Gladney faked being injured for the publicity it brought his cause.
The video, grainy and poorly lit, does show a scuffle but is inconclusive as to what exactly happened.
Three musical performances are scheduled: Lloyd Marcus performing the "American Tea Party Anthem"; Linda Nagy performing "Where Freedom Lies"; and the husband-and-wife duo Rivoli Revue performing "A Bailout Song."
Reach Dion Lefler at 316-268-6527 or dlefler@wichitaeagle.com.
© 2009 Wichita Eagle and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.kansas.com

Read more: http://www.kansas.com/topstories/v-print/story/1033639.html#ixzz0VQNW6m4k

Monday, August 31, 2009

Posted on Mon, Aug. 31, 2009

Tea party organizers: We paid for event

BY DION LEFLER
The Wichita Eagle

WICHITA — Organizers of an anti-tax tea party held last week are taking exception to a comment by a state representative who implied that taxes helped pay for their event.

Rep. Dale Swenson, D-Wichita, noted in Sunday's Eagle that the party was held in the publicly owned Sedgwick County Park and said, "We need taxes to support their protests."

That drew an quick response from Lynda Tyler of Kansans for Liberty, the group that organized and sponsored the event.

"I have received a lot of these comments and they are totally ridiculous," she said.

Tyler said the group paid more than $1,800 to use the park for the five-hour event, which drew about 700 to 800 people.

Among the costs: $310 rent, $682 for liability insurance, $580 for trash service and portable toilets and $240 for off-duty sheriff's deputies to provide security, she said.

"I even paid $72 to rent a generator, because there isn't enough power out there to run two hair dryers, and the (inflatable) slide people brought their own generator," she said. "So what exactly did the tea party cost Sedgwick County?"

Of his comment, Swenson said, "I was just being funny. People can have their protest wherever they want to have them."

But he didn't retract the comment.

"I'm curious to what level they (the tea party protesters) would bring the taxes down," Swenson said. "It may not be fair to the people paying taxes to trash the system that built the park.

"The park is maintained by county-funded employees, and the fees they collect (from users) aren't enough to run the park."

Tyler said the tea party cost the public a lot less than a similar-sized street protest would have.

Such demonstrations usually are done without permits, and may trigger a police response and result in arrests and trials for disturbing the peace and blocking traffic — all of which cost the government money, she said.

"They (the county) may not get everything back, but it's a lot different than the traditional protest," Tyler said.

Friday's tea party was the third in Wichita since the movement began early this year with calls to send tea bags to Washington to protest taxes.

The movement draws its name from the Boston Tea Party of 1773, a raid to destroy a tea shipment that stirred opposition to British taxation and helped crystallize support for the American Revolution.

Reach Dion Lefler at 316-268-6527.

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Voice For Liberty in Wichita

Individual liberty, limited government, and free markets in Wichita and Kansas

Wichita tea party paid its expenses

by Bob Weeks on August 30, 2009

in Politics

After Friday’s American Tea Party in Wichita, complaints rolled in. The Wichita Eagle article reporting on the event drew over 200 comments, many complaining about one or another aspect of over 700 people gathering for a peaceful event.

In particular, the squawking of one member of the Kansas House of Representatives only revealed the ignorance of the speaker in his attempt at finding irony. As reported on the Wichita Eagle’s editorial blog: “‘We need taxes to support their protests.’ — Rep. Dale Swenson, D-Wichita, about how Friday’s anti-tax tea party was held at the county-owned and taxpayer-supported Sedgwick County Park.”

As reported in the following submission by event organizer Lynda Tyler, the tea party paid quite a sum in order to use the park.

Those who came to the TEA party had an enjoyable evening. The compliments were 10 to 1 over complaints and frankly those were all valid complaints that could only have been fixed with more resources.

What gets me are those who like to hide behind their computer and nip at the ankles of those who are actually getting off their buttocks and doing something. Even if that something is waving a flag and socializing with like minded individuals. But there are two reoccurring comments that are really getting to me and I would like to address them.

One is the criticisms is the “irony” of holding the event at a public park. They claim that the “taxpayers paid for our protest.” Taxpayers paid for our protest about as much as they pay for any other event held out there. We were charged a large event rental of the property of $310. Since we were following the laws and contracts we had to pay for our own $500,000 liability insurance policy to protect the public lands against damage. That policy cost $682. Then instead of depending on tax paid facilities our contract with the county required we supply our own portable restrooms, trash bins and trash pickup of $580. The county sheriff’s department required that we hire two off duty officers for $240. During setup we discovered that there is barely enough power there to run a hair dryer so we had to rent a generator to run the food vendors for another $72. So all in all our “public park” cost us $1,884 to use. Did any of you pay that for your kids’ birthday party or to walk your dog out there?

Now had we done this the way most liberal protests we have seen over the years, we would have gone downtown (without permits), walked down the middle of the street during rush hour (blocking traffic), assaulted those in opposition (like the police), turned over and set fire to any cars that got in the way (destroyed property), thrown rocks through business windows (destroying property without insurance), and the county (tax payer) would not only have to pay for the clean up but for the police who had to use riot gear to stop the protest and then the expenses of arresting some protesters, pay for their public defender attorney and possibly pay for their room and board while the protester was in jail.

None of that happened at our TEA Party. All were welcome and nobody got hurt, arrested, or assaulted. There was very little trash to pick up after it was over and the vendors and groups were all very happy. We had people of opposing views there and they were treated with respect and welcomed to participate.

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Saturday, August 29, 2009

Third tea party draws hundreds

By Dion Lefler
The Wichita Eagle

Tea Party III was part politics, part street theater, part socializing against socialism.

About 700 to 800 people came to Sedgwick County Park on Friday for an evening of speeches and rallying.

The crowd ranged from button-down Reagan Republicans to costumed demonstrators advocating for a second American Revolution.

Men in black T-shirts reading "911 was an inside job," circulated through the crowd passing out leaflets.

Among the most visible presences was "Paula Revere," actually Cheryl Green of eastern Butler County, who observed the proceedings from astride her horse and was dressed in Revolutionary War garb.

She said she was there mainly to protest federal bailouts of industries and the economic stimulus bill, which she thinks are steps toward socialism.

"I don't think our government's listening, really," she said. "I think it's taking our people for granted.

She carried a yellow "Don't tread on me" flag, a popular banner that significantly outnumbered the stars and stripes in the crowd.

Four Republican congressional candidates addressed the group.

State Sen. Dick Kelsey, R-Goddard, drew cheers when he told the crowd that he had been working against abortion in Kansas for 22 years.

Republican National Committeeman Mike Pompeo got about the same reaction when he said the government should stop investigating CIA agents for potentially abusing prisoners in the war on terrorism. And candidate Jim Anderson's applause line was that he is neither a politician nor lobbyist, but an ordinary businessman.

The clapping in the heavily conservative crowd was polite, but restrained, for Sen. Jean Schodorf, the most moderate of the candidates. She spoke about fighting for Kansas business and economic recovery.

Even Sweden will be reading about the Tea Party.

Journalist Mikael Tornwall, the U.S. correspondent for the Swedish business publication Dagens Industri, traveled to Wichita to work on a story about opposition to Obama and Democrats who control Congress.

He said Wichita's event showed a side of the opposition that's a lot more orderly than the shouters who have dominated recent cable TV coverage.

"You don't get the angry mob if you go to something like this," he said.

There were comedic moments, such as when Wendy Aylworth, dressed as the Grim Reaper, addressed the crowd on behalf of Morticians for Healthcare Reform, a tongue-in-cheek anti-Obama group that set up a miniature graveyard in its exhibit space.

"We will soon be the only growth industry left in the United States," she said from the stage.

"That and government," interjected audience member Floyd Jaggers.

Scott Auchterlonie of Wichita spent the evening carrying a sign bearing Thomas Jefferson quotes about liberty.

When the party was over, he said he liked the socializing but thought the message sent should be stronger.

"It's important that people who feel this way get together and support each other," he said. "But I heard very few calls to action."

Turnout fell between the huge group that gathered for the first Wichita tea party on April 15 and the far smaller group that attended the follow-up event July 4.

Lynda Tyler of Kansans for Liberty, the group sponsoring Friday's event, said she thought it succeeded.

"It was fun and there were enough people to make it worthwhile," she said. "I'm pleased."

Reach Dion Lefler at 316-268-6527.

Video of first tea party at this link.

Posted on Mon, Aug. 17, 2009

This time: more partying, less tea

BY DION LEFLER
The Wichita Eagle
Wichita political activists are looking to put a little more party into the "tea party" movement.

The next Wichita tea party, scheduled for Aug. 28, will feature more family fun and entertainment than the first two events, which were heavy on the anti-tax protests that gave birth to the movement, said organizer Lynda Tyler.

"The whole idea is to make it more of a fair or festival type of event," said Tyler, vice president of the Republican Wichita Pachyderm Club.

Organizers are planning children's activities and trying to arrange to bring in inflatable bouncers for kids to jump on while their parents practice politics nearby.

The gathering was originally planned for Sept. 11, but announcements on conservative-oriented Web sites drew comments from people who felt it would be inappropriate on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

Tyler said the group had been planning to include an observance of the anniversary during the tea party, but decided to move it to another day because of the complaints and scheduling conflicts.

"My fear was it (the 9/11 observance) would get lost in translation," she said.
While it is a political event and Republicans are the main organizing force, Tyler said people of all political stripes are welcome to attend or rent a booth.

"People can come out and support or oppose anything they want to," Tyler said. "They can bring their petitions, they can bring their banners, bring their materials... they can get acquainted with people who are like-minded."

The tea party movement — which draws its name from the Boston Tea Party that helped launch the American Revolution — began early this year with calls to mail teabags to Washington politicians to protest President Obama's economic stimulus plan.

Heavy promotion by conservative talk radio hosts, Fox News Channel commentators and political action committees brought out tens of thousands of people nationwide to protest on April 15, the due date for federal tax returns.

Wichita's first tea party, sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, drew more than 1,000 people to a vacant lot near Mid-Continent Airport.

There, they vented their taxation frustration and listened to political speakers including Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.

A July 4 follow-up event, which was less heavily promoted, drew a much smaller crowd to the steps of the Sedgwick County Courthouse.

Tea party three is being designed to go beyond protest, to celebrate and give people an opportunity to get together and influence government, organizers said.

"There's so much going on in the country, you've got to get involved," said Diane Jones, vice president of Sedgwick County Republican Women United. "If you don't get involved, you're just on the sidelines and you're going to get what you're going to get."

Tyler said at least two 4th District congressional candidates — GOP National Committeeman Mike Pompeo and businessman Jim Anderson — have confirmed they will speak at the event. State Sen. Dick Kelsey, also running for the seat, said he plans to participate.

The tea party is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 28 at Sedgwick County Park, west of the I-235 bypass at Zoo Boulevard.

Reach Dion Lefler at 316-268-6527.
© 2009 Wichita Eagle and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.kansas.com

Kansans for Liberty

One organization supporting many groups.

Local tea party event to feature national speakers

Tea party organizers: We paid for event

Wichita tea party paid its expenses

This time: more partying, less tea