More than 100 people turned out for a “Tea Party” in Thomaston Tuesday night. The event featured gubernatorial candidate Ray McBerry, along with State Representative Billy Maddox, Thomaston Times columnist Spencer Price, MD, and Robert Heiney. It was held at the Senior Center.

“Tea Parties” began in 2009 as a way for citizens to protest “big government, President Barak Obama, the federal budget, the stimulus package, and the healthcare reform plan.

Ray McBerry is a McDonough businessman and the only states’ rights and constitutionalist candidate in the Republican field for governor. He said voters can choose between the other “middle-of-the-road” Republican candidates, or they can choose him, the strongest fiscal and constitutional conservative on the ballot.

McBerry stressed several points in his campaign. His major point is state sovereignty and that the Tenth Amendment is the final solution to reining in the federal government. He noted that Washington needs to remember that the original 13 states came together to form and control the federal government, rather than the federal government controlling the states.

He said he is the only candidate supporting the abolishment of both income and property taxes in Georgia and replacing them with a simple sales tax.

McBerry also opposes any effort to infringe upon the Second Amendment and the right of people to keep and bear firearms. He stated that federal laws restricting gun ownership are unconstitutional and that, if elected governor, he would put Washington on notice that any federal agent who comes to Georgia and tries to take the guns of the people will be thrown in jail.

McBerry said he will protect the rights of all children, including the unborn, by using existing state laws to shut down abortion clinics, and will work to pass legislation which reflects the belief that life begins at the moment of conception.

Finally, McBerry stated that if elected, he will defend the right of Georgia to have control over its natural re-sources, including its water supply, and will not tolerate federal interference.

Rep. Billy Maddox took the night off from his duties with the General Assembly in Atlanta to drive home to speak to his constituents. Maddox said while spending is out of control at the federal level, the state is required to have a balanced budget, and that means this year it will need to reduce up to $1.2 billion in state spending, which will lead to state services being reduced.

Maddox said he has been chosen to serve on the Republican Study Committee, which will score bills coming before the General Assembly based on the conservative principles of less taxation, less government involvement, personal liberty, and is the bill part of the proper role of the government.

Maddox added that one bill he is supporting is House Resolution 1086 which, if passed, will give Georgia citizens the right to accept or reject the federal healthcare plan without fear of penalty. If it passes the General Assembly, the resolution will be on the ballot for the public to vote on in November.

Spencer Price is an Upson County native who is a doctor and a combat surgeon, completing tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is currently Director of the Dodge County EMS, and writes a weekly column for several newspapers, including The Thomaston Times.

Price noted that one version of the healthcare plan has passed the House and Senate, but said he believes the Democrats will water the bill down to make it easier to accept, then tack on amendments later to get what they want. Price stated that, in his opinion, the current plan is more about money and control and less about healthcare. He said it will be three to four years before anyone sees any benefit from the plan, but that taxation to support the plan would begin immediately.

Price added that those who stand to lose the most are seniors and young people, with the seniors being told by their doctors what they qualify for. He said young people will lose because they will either have to join the plan or be financially penalized.

Robert Heiney is a native New Yorker who now lives in the South and is a newspaper columnist. He said the administration’s “Cap and Trade” plan, which would provide economic incentives to companies who reduce the emission of pollutants, is designed to raise money, and will hurt manufacturers more than it helps. He forecast that manufacturing companies will leave the U.S. and take their jobs with them to avoid Cap and Trade. He added that the resulting loss in jobs and benefits will mean people will start relying more on the government to keep them afloat.

He said people need to scrutinize and question every candidate running for office, need to demand the federal government shut down all “unconstitutional” agencies, need to recruit more people to stand against the government, and need to help get states’ rights and constitutionalist candidates elected.

McBerry stayed for more than an hour after the meeting, talking with people and answering more questions. For more information on McBerry’s gubernatorial campaign, visit his website at www.GeorgiaFirst.org.