GRAVETTE — This summer Benton County enthusiasts for the TEA Party - it stands for "Taxed Enough Already" - held Fourth of July and other rallies in the county.

In a series of rallies, they protested big government, increased federal spending and deficits, government bailouts and takeovers of private industr y, plans for increased government intervention in health care, a cap-and-trade initiative and other current policies.

In a Benton County TEA Party organizing meeting at the Rogers Activity Center in Rogers on July 23, a chairman and other members of an executive committee to direct the group's business for the next two years were named.

Now the Benton County TEA Party is setting its future direction, county chairman Kirk Hartness said.

That direction won't just be up to him, Hartness emphasized. Group members expect to cooperate with other TEA Party organizers to reach common goals and Benton County group members will have a lot to say about the group's future activities, he said.

Brush Arbor

In a related event, "On Sept. 12, in a cooperative effort, the Bella Vista Patriots, Ambassadors for Christ and the Benton County TEA Party are going to attempt to re-enact the original Brush Arbor meetings," with lots of activities planned, including wagon riding, dancing, singing, guitar picking, eating, speaking and preaching," said Jim Parsons, chairman of the Bella Vista Patriots.

"One day, everybody's going to wake up and realize all of us are working for the state. They're going to tell you what doctors to go visit, what hospitals you can go to, what conditions can be treated. Look at what's happening in Medicare right now. They're already doing it. They're doing that with every area of life," he said.

For more information call 876-2624.

News, Pages 10 on 09/09/2009