The Potomac Highlands Dispatch - the online newspaper

Local conservatives warn against raising or creating new taxes - and of the consequences for elected officials if they do
* Message to public officials includes no new or higher taxes, cut spending where necessary and support ban against Shariah law in Maryland
* Local Tea Party asks for five-year freeze on real estate property taxes

By The Potomac Highlands Dispatch
CUMBERLAND, Jan. 7 -- In Allegany County, it's no secret that it is difficult, if not impossible, to get people from different backgrounds to agree on anything.

So the recent impact - and future potential impact - of the Allegany County Conservative Tea Party Caucus is even more admirable whether or not one agrees with the group's mission or individual members.

At least three of the 11 members of the Allegany County Republican Central Committee elected in September are members of the recently formed Allegany County Conservative Tea Party Caucus.

Locally and across the nation, Edward W. Taylor Jr. said Thursday, supporters got their message across to elected officials in the September primary and November general elections. That message? No new taxes - "not one dime," Taylor said. Taylor was one of at least three local tea party members to address the delegation on Thursday.

Even though the 2010 election cycle is history, local party members aren't finished advocating for a conservative, fiscally responsible approach to government.

"There has been a message sent by tea parties all over the United States of America," Taylor told all four members of the District 1 delegation on Thursday during a public forum at Allegany College of Maryland. "We can no longer afford the horrendous federal, state and even local bureaucracies. The people are angry (and) furious, and they are watching. If you don't perform, you're going to be ousted."

Taylor flipped conventional wisdom on its head and told Senator George Edwards and Delegates Kevin Kelly, LeRoy Myers and Wendell Beitzel that they are not, in fact, public officials.

"You are our public servants," Taylor said. "We are the officials."

He said for too long, Americans have knelt "at the alter of government" but tea partiers "are not kneeling to the government. We are telling the government what to do."

The state is facing a projected $1.8 billion deficit for the next fiscal year. Taylor said he feels for some state employees, particularly those on the lower end of the pay scale. Still, it's up to state lawmakers, not residents, to "figure out how you're going to balance the budget," Taylor said.

One man who didn't identify himself with the local tea party certainly conveyed a similar message. Richard Biancone, of LaVale, said the only way to move towards a true balanced budget is to analyze and "perhaps (consider) cutting feel-good social programs that seem to benefit mainly the folks from down state."

He said there are times people genuinely need government's help. Other times, "I think we do need to say, 'sorry. There's only so much that we can do,'" Biancone said.

"When the next program or spending bill comes up, (ask), at whose expense? At the expense of the residents of Western Maryland? Nah. We don't have it."

Bernard Miltenberger, of Frostburg, asked the delegation to introduce a bill to ban any recognition of Shariah (or sharia, or shari'a) law, which uses Islamic law to govern "personal status law," such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and custody. Shariah law is used to supercede U.S. Law and follows the person and is not limited to geographical boundaries.

"It is one of the most important things that you could possibly do," Miltenberger said.

Senator George Edwards seemed to agree with Miltenberger, who had noted recent struggles with the issue in Oklahoma.

"The sad part is, you shouldn't have to pu any bill in" to have U.S. law recognized in the U.S., Edwards said.

"We have to stand up," Miltenberger said.