Tea Party Group Organizes BUYcott for Ferguson Businesses

A Missouri Tea Party group is rallying its troops to help embattled small businesses in Ferguson rebound in the wake of the turmoil there by staging a "buycott" and lobbying local government to provide a tax holiday. The move, organized by the St. Louis Tea Party Coalition is designed to encourage residents in the surrounding West County area to make a shopping pilgrimage to the West Florissant shopping districts of Ferguson and Dellwood to pump much-needed revenue into the small businesses of the area.

Many of the businesses of the area have been hard-hit as a result of the rioting and chaos in the aftermath of the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson earlier this month. Many small businesses in the area have closed all together while others hang by a thread. In addition to the property damage and loss of inventory to looters, the aftermath disrupted the local commerce flow for business owners already struggling in an sluggish economy.

"It's been through a tough time in the last couple of weeks," noted Bill Hennessy of the St. Louis Tea Party Coalition. "It's an area that has been going through tough times, actually for a about a decade and the last people need is for businesses to start pulling out."

For Dellena Jones, owner of the 911 Beauty Salon on West Florissant, the timing of the turmoil could not have come at a worse time. She had recently moved all her inventory from her home to the business itself, as she was forced to move from her home due to her landlord having been foreclosed on. Just days after relocating her entire inventory, the riots and looting began. In scenes familiar to those following the incidents in Ferguson, she had the bulk of her inventory stolen by looters.

While the influx of media, out of town observers and political dignitaries and opportunists provided a boom for hotels and restaurants in the surrounding area, this had no positive impact for small business owners such as Jones. Hennessy and fellow Tea Party activists decided to make the journey on a whim, hoping to pump some much needed revenue into the coffers of business owners and hope to take the next step toward more substantial action.

The group plans to lobby lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to call on an emergency sales tax holiday for the Labor Day weekend for businesses in the neighborhood, to provide consumers from the surrounding county to make the drive and pump much needed dollars into the local community. Hennessy acknowledged that the hardships of the local business owners won’t be solved overnight, but was encouraged by the initial impromptu shopping-pilgrimage, and hopes this will bring attention to the plight of small business owners rocked by the turmoil.

"I don’t know, yet, how much money we spent. I don’t even know how many people participated, but it looks like about 40," he added, "It was the hottest day of the year (so far). And it was an area that’s now known for rioting. This wasn’t a big win in breadth, but it was monumental in depth."

While the mainstream media and Democratic Party leaders often deride Tea Party conservatives and Republicans as intolerant and aloof to the concerns of the black community, many Tea Party groups have pressed the GOP to devise strategies to find common cause with African American voters. Many Tea Party activists have expressed frustration at the party's lack of cohesive strategy to build bridges that go beyond mere rhetoric. Conservatives have long asserted that the Democratic Party, which has held nearly uncontested political power in black communities across the country, promoting policies that many believe actually hold down black progress, citing liberal-progressive policies which increase single-parent household rates, discourages economic growth and a social-welfare policy that has turned a safety net into a spider web that few are able to climb out of.

Many Republicans and black Americans alike feel the Democratic Party takes the African American vote for granted, seeing them as "locked in" and have since turned their attention to wooing Latino voters, often at the expense of black interests. Still, many conservatives acknowledge, building trust and overcoming Democratic rhetoric is an uphill climb, as liberals have been largely successful in instilling fear and distrust among African Americans, attacking conservative and Republican motives in hopes of maintaining their nearly 90 percent hold on the black vote.

Hennessy mentioned the awkward initial reception of some in the neighborhood, seeing a convoy of mostly white, conservatives entering some of the black-owned businesses, chuckling that despite his desire to spend some money in the shops wasn't always easy to do. Noting there wasn't much for a middle-aged white man to find in a black-owned beauty shop, there is always a way, "she (Jones) didn’t have much for white guy gray hair," Hennessy chuckled, "but she took the time to pull together some gift bags. Then she didn’t want money, but I made her take it."

When one gentleman was informed the group was with the St. Louis Tea Party, the initial shock was met with playful teasing, “Tea party?” he said. “You bad boys,” and chuckled." This soon gave way to reflection and the beginnings of mutual respect. Hennessy noted, "He looked at me, very serious. and said, The tea party came up here to do this?"

This is how strangers become friends and neighbors, and the two spent much time discussing the events, baseball and came away with a bond of those in common cause, as the man showed his appreciation for the sincere efforts of his new Tea Party allies, "Oh yeah! We don't want to see Ferguson go south."

They plan to take this even further. In showing their sincerity and sense of purpose, the Tea Party has reached across the aisle and enlisted Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill who has joined the conservative group in its calls to the St. Louis Tea Party Coalition’s BUYcott of Ferguson. The next buycott event scheduled for Labor Day weekend will get a huge push if they are successful in getting lawmakers to pass the emergency sales tax holiday. Regardless if they are able to get this pushed through, the BUYcott will take place as they work tirelessly to spread the message.

New beginnings often start with the smallest of gestures and the simple desire to make friends and find common cause. The troubles in Ferguson will not evaporate with any one speech, rally or shopping trip. That said, the worlds greatest waterfalls all begin with one single raindrop. More importantly, true change comes with action, not rhetoric. This is less about politics than it is about neighbor helping neighbor. While many forces in America have used the tragic events in Ferguson, Missouri to advance their own popularity and egos, the initial Tea Party organized "buycott" and plans for a larger such event on Labor Day weekend can go a long way toward mending fences and providing local small business owners with a much-needed shot in the arm. "The greatest statement an organization or person can make is to say with actions, not words," Tea Party activist Bill Hennessy, “what unites us is stronger than what divides us.”

A special thanks to Rudolph Ultreya of the Arizona Latino Republican Association for his assistance on this story.

What business in Ferguson need the most is luggage, packing supplies and a sturdy U-haul.

I’m guessing Ferguson isn’t exactly a tea party shopping hotspot.

3 posted on 08/26/2014 10:13:55 AM PDT by cripplecreek ("Moderates" are lying manipulative bottom feeding scum.)

Generally speaking, no. But they are organizing shopper caravans and lobbying for a labor day weekend sales tax holiday to help boost commerce for the business owners hard hit by the riots and looting.

I would rather see them leave and the residents of Furgeson have to travel an hour to get groceries.

I imagine a fair number are just going to close and not reopen anywhere.

Any insurance agents here on FR? Are “civil disturbances” considered acts of God & thus receive no coverage?

Even with insurance, these business people have to be getting creamed.

7 posted on 08/26/2014 10:32:35 AM PDT by ChildOfThe60s ((If you can remember the 60s.....you weren't really there)

I would agree, except nearly all of the looters that were arrested had criminal records and were from outside of Ferguson.

Sort of like holding a TEA party rally in Edina and having thugs from South Minneapolis start trashing Southdale

...” nearly all of the looters that were arrested had criminal records and were from outside of Ferguson”....

Just for perspective...St.Louis is five minutes from Ferguson I understand.....so not at all uncommon for the community to have “visitors/outsiders” any day of the week..protest or not.

Not that there is anything to buy.

I mean scratch-off lottery tickets can be bought anywhere.

For Dellena Jones, owner of the 911 Beauty Salon on West Florissant, the timing of the turmoil could not have come at a worse time.

Maybe business will pick up when everyone goes to get their court nails.

-PJ

11 posted on 08/26/2014 10:46:30 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too (If you are the Posterity of We the People, then you are a Natural Born Citizen.)

Well here comes the handouts as expected and counted on by the protesters. They play their game very well after years of practicing. Although helping the store owners will keep the people out of "other" areas to shop.

Any crazy azzed cracka who ventures too far into Ferguson in the next 5-10 years is crazy indeed.

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