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A Bay Area “tea party” activist is saying turnabout is fair play by calling for a boycott of San Francisco after several city officials called for a boycott of Arizona following a new anti-immigration measure that was signed into law in the state last week.

Bridget Melson, founder of the Pleasanton Tea Party group, said she is calling on her members and other like-minded people to boycott San Francisco after Mayor Gavin Newsom and other city officials who condemned the law earlier this week.

On Tuesday, Newsom imposed a moratorium on city employee travel to the state of Arizona for official business and announced the creation of a task force to determine how best to extricate the city from its Arizona-related contracts.

City Attorney Dennis Herrera issued a statement a day earlier, calling the law “draconian.”

The controversial law makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally and requires police officers to question, “when practicable,” those they “reasonably suspect” are illegal immigrants.

Under the new law, even lawful foreign residents would be committing a crime by failing to carry immigration documents, and it would be illegal to stop on a public street to negotiate the hire of day laborers.

Melson said that she was calling for Pleasanton Tea Party members “to not spend a dime” in San Francisco to show “that people are supporting the Arizona law, and that our representatives are not representing us whatsoever.”

She said representatives like Newsom and Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who is calling for a similar boycott in her city, “have gotten power-hungry, and are making these calls for us.”

Melson said politicians should “take a poll first to see how many people agree with it” before moving forward with a boycott.

Members of the Pleasanton Tea Party will be in San Francisco on Saturday as part of a counter-protest to a large march for immigration reform planned in the city on Saturday.

Melson said her group, along with other groups such as the Golden Gate Minutemen, will gather and march near the immigration march, which is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of 24th and Mission streets and end in Civic Center Plaza.

Dan McMenamin, Bay City News

Dan McMenamin, Bay City News

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14 Comments

  1. I am sure that the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce are shaking in their boots because some wingnut from Pleasanton won’t take the BART to the city to have a Starbucks. Once again these nuts bring attention to sleepy hollow.

  3. I am appalled by the “Tea Party” presence in Pleasanton. They are a real wart on what is otherwise a very pleasant town, bringing us a bad name. Hopefully they will all fade away soon, if they don’t like the bay area I suggest they leave for Arizona taking their hate and their papers with them.

  4. San Francisco should be visited by everyone so they can see hypocritical, elitist, white limousine liberals in action. Just go to Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Marina, or other upscale neighborhoods and you will see what I’m talking about. These people think that people who believe in God are dumb, that minorities should get money because of their collective guilt (and to placate them), and that government can solve all problems. I’ve seen these people in action and they want to change the U.S. into a socialist country, where the “poor” are taken care of with income support, health care, education for life, social security etc. No one is poor; no one is rich in their fantasy world of egalitarianism.

    Also, for all of you who think tea party people or sympathizers are stupid and uneducated, you’re wrong. Many of us are libertarian or conservative types with graduate degrees, high incomes, and have actually read Das Kapital (unlike most of you left-wing zealots who have no idea what I’m talking about).

  5. I *love* the Pleasanton TEA Party and what it’s done for our town. We need more people to speak up against this “progressive” agenda.

    THANK YOU PLEASANTON TEA PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  6. I have always wondered….

    Why is it that the “tolerant liberals” seem so angry and have to spew hate-filled insults at anyone who has a different viewpoint than them?

    It doesn’t seem very “tolerant” of them.

    To me, they just seem lost, angry & sad. What a shame.

  10. Hey Melson, thanks for making Pleasanton look like the bigot center of Northern California. I hope there is a special place in hell for redneck trash like Melson.

  11. She is not an idiot, she’s a doctor! and she’s pretty, just like Sarah Palin!

    I wish Doctor Melson would run for office! She has the courage to speak out for the American Race!

  12. Tea Parties are very cool and I enjoy going to them and listening to what people have to say. Makes one wonder why others are against free speech unless of course they are threatened by the truth. The Tea Party movement is just beginning and will grow stronger and stronger as time goes on.

  13. Mexicans have made such an unimaginable mess of that country. We must stand up and stop Mexico’s spill over into this country. We have been coward into polite political correctness while they laugh at us for wanting to be nice. It is not being hateful to want to protect this country from the drugs and violence of Mexico. We can only hope it is not too late but we can not continue to do nothing!

    Thanks to Bridget for her courage.

  15. Pleasanton Tea Party should demonstrate here in Pleasanton against the Home Depot Dayworkers you always see. And Home Depot for sposoring Toyota in Nascar–Be American, Buy American…..oh yeah we have given everything away and there ain’t no American anymore. We pay OPEC, we pay the majority of the UN Bill, and we have shipped everything overseas because the FAT CATS want to get fatter. I spend alot of time at the gun range because folks that is what is going to come to, another revoilution…..read the Mexican penalties for Immigration violations and their President wants us to not enforce ours! Go figure. If you come illegally, you are an illegal and breaking our laws. Both parties do not want to piss off the Hispanics because they are the fastest growing voting block. Political party systems is what Geo Washington feared. All the weenies would and do now follow their respective DEMOCRAP/REPUBE PARTY PLATFORMS and not what was or is best for the country. They are both responsible for our plight today, them and US for voting these bufoons in. And take your Social Justice and shove it!!!

  16. Name calling is VERY tolerant and it really addresses the real issues. It’s hard to take you people seriously when you stamp your feet and hold your breath and call names. Very mature.

  17. I guess only Argyle knows what’s best for our country. LOL! Are there really that many genius living here in P-Town because all these TEA party folks seem to know what’s best for everyone? Did you even finish high school Argyle? You talk as if you have no clue about America’s dependencies on other countries. You must’ve lived your life in isolation. Stop watching TV and go find out what’s really going on out there.

  18. I used to support the TEA Party when the agenda was really about fighting the outrageous taxes. Heck, I even voted for McCain/Palin and donated generously to their campaign. But lately the TEA Party seems to have gone off on a tangent and is slowly becoming a racist party instead, singling out people based on their skin color. That’s not what I signed up for and I refuse to support that. Nor would I support the borderline socialists on the other extreme. If we continue down this path, we’ll once again divide this country. Remember people, United We Stand. It’s time we all try to see the world through the eyes of others.

  20. I do not know if they outnumber the tea party people because the team party movement happens in many more cities but I can tell you that the immigration protesters certainly outweigh any group of protesters I have ever seen. Those illegals are really pounding down the food up here. Maybe it would be good for their health to go back home for a period of time and thin out a bit.

  21. Hey Tea Party,

    Move to Arizona if you like it so much.

    Once the Tea Baggers realize the cable cars won’t take them to a Wal-Mart they won’t come to San Francisco anyway.

  22. The best way to handle bigoted extremists like Ms. Melson is to simply ignore them. Without the blind followers she has accumulated here in Ptown to date, she will fade back into the woodwork.

    And for every one on these posts, like Linda in the parallel thread, who cancels their dinner engagements in SF, I will make two.

  23. @LMAO! –

    While I might not agree with the original views of the tea party, those which you were in agreement with when you first became interested, I certainly respect your stance considering the negative, uneducated, divisive and closed minded tone that the movement has taken.

    When people apply their viewpoints in a such a manner as you have by sticking to the facts without being racist or closed minded, things like that will bring true progress and awareness of opposing viewpoints (which sometimes have good ideas we might not have previously considered) – i.e. see things through the eyes of others, as you suggested.

    Thank you for sharing your logical viewpoints and being someone I can respectfully agree to disagree with.

  24. It is not racist or hateful to want our borders controlled and our laws enforced.

    Many of you are being very hateful toward Bridget.
    I have watch the pro-illegal immigration rallies and they are scary hateful.

  28. @Pat –

    “It is not racist or hateful to want our borders controlled and our laws enforced.” –> Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, that is beside the point for the minute. Either way, controlling the borders needs to be done AT the border by the appropriate agency.

    I would suggest that there are other implications that such a strong immigration stance might have that many anti-immigration supporters may not have considered.

    For example, consider the many agricultural workers in California. Many of us depend on them and take for granted the role their efforts have in the food we eat daily showing up at our tables. I won’t deny that it is likely that some of them are here illegally. But without them, who would be doing that essential work? You? Me? I won’t lie and say I would do it. At the given wage, there aren’t many people willing to fill jobs like that. Maybe there would be at a higher wage, but those costs would certainly flow through to all people in the US, legal or not.

    The economics of immigration is a complicated thing and the entire picture must be considered. I would be more supportive towards stricter border control if there was a more reasonable, affordable and timely path to legal immigration and citizenship. Those who say that they don’t want anyone else in the US, or anyone of a certain race are selfish and closed minded. What is someone had taken that stance before your family had arrived here, however many tens or hundreds of years ago that happened? To use a (ridiculous) cliche, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

    PS – I am a successful Pleasanton resident, working in the engineering field, earning over $100K per year before I am 30 years old, paying taxes (including money to support schools in Pleasanton though I have no kids) and working hard to do my part. And by the way, I am of Mexican heritage. This is exactly why generalizations and stereo types are so dangerous and offensive.

  30. Ok, so the TEA party is now the anti-immigration party? I wonder how Bridget can call herself Christian when what she advocates is so un-Christian. What would Jesus do? Let all those poor Mexicans starve in Mexico? No, he would invite them into his house, give them food, water, shelter and generally help them.

    I’m not advocating that Mexicans enter the US illegally, but people should understant that the vast majority of illegal immagrants are peaceful and just trying to acheive a better life. The only way Mexicans will stop trying to enter illegally is if the quality of life in Mexico improves for them (or the quality of life in the US goes down to what it’s like in Mexico). I don’t think anyone would want the latter to happen, so we should focus on helping Mexico not on fighting with each other on who should inforce immigration law.

    I can sympothize with the TEA party’s message about fiscal responsibility and excessive taxation, but this is way off their original message.

  32. Fascinating that those of you supporting illegal immigration are actually racists but don’t seem to realize it…or maybe you do but you prefer to use the tactic of calling anyone with an opposing view a racist.

    The Mexicans (primarily Mexican…face it, there aren’t nearly as many Europeans coming here illegally due to geography) are taking millions of jobs that poorer Americans (dare I say that many are black?) would otherwise be doing. Not only are the actual jobs taken from them but there is tremendous downward pressure on pay and benefits for those here legally. Illegal immigrants are also being exploited but you support this so you can benefit from less expensive goods and services? That’s racist!

    Stopping the flow of illegal immigrants will stop the exploitation of these “undocumented” workers and lead to fair wages and benefits in low-skill service sector jobs.

  33. J.G.
    Besides geography, the other reason you don’t see many Europeans here illegally is because it’s actually better to be in Europe if you are poor or unemployed. They actually have a fairly decent wellfare system and, in most cases, the poor or unemployed can even afford to go to the doctor if they get sick.

    You similarly don’t see many Canadians here illegally for similar reasons and it is substantially easier to enter the US illegally from Canada than it is from Mexico.

    The reason I don’t like the AZ law is because it will put a huge barrier between peaceful illegal immagrants and local/state law enforcement. Not only will this lead to more victimization of the illegal immigrants and more illegal immigrants taking the law into their own hand, it may even lead to more unsolved crime because the police, who often need to help of the public including peaceful illegal immigrants to solve crimes, can now rule out the help of peaceful illegal immigrants. So, don’t expect an illegal alien to help catch your murderer/robber/rapist in AZ even if he or she could easily ID person and would otherwise want to help put the criminal behind bars.

  34. Brian writes: “the other reason you don’t see many Europeans here illegally is because it’s actually better to be in Europe if you are poor or unemployed. They actually have a fairly decent wellfare system”

    Yeah, it’s called a cradle to the grave system. It’s really cool and it’s working beautifully there! Unemployment is way down. Productivity and innovation is way up. Taxes are low. Healthcare quality is great. Wait times are short. Life is just peachy.

    That’s why Obama, Pelosi, Reid are taking us in that direction. Everyone else should just be quiet and keep skipping down the yellow brick road. It’s gonna lead to all kinds of goodies. Free stuff for everyone. Yippie!

  35. PleasantonMom said that Dr. Melson is standing up for the “American race”.

    “American” is a race? I thought it was a nationality.

    Little Freudian slip there, revealing the racism of the Tea Baggers.

  36. Yes I’m sure that’s exactly what she meant. Brilliant, Watson! Give yourself a pat on the back! She’ll probably say she misspoke but then she would want you to think the sounds of hooves would be horses not zebras; don’t fall for it!

    Yes and keep saying Tea Baggers instead of Tea Party that’ll show them and make you sound really interesting, original and intelligent!

  37. To Let’s get Real,
    You are the one full of hatred , bigotry etc.. My Families have lived here in Pleasanton for 40 years. We helped to make Pleasanton the Great City it is. It was nice until you lost your brains. Get your head out of the sand! People like you are so blinded by hatred that you can’t think clearly. You are the one trying to destroy not only Pleasanton but also America! May God forgive your ignorance.

  39. Who’s payin’: the taxpayers pay for everything, friend. It’s the responsibility of the federal government to secure the borders and if they were doing their job, Arizona would not have had to pass their anti-illegal immigration law. Nice try.

  41. “Yes and keep saying Tea Baggers…”

    Tea baggers are people who send tea bags to senators and congress to protest high taxes. I’m a conservative, and I don’t have a problem with that.

  42. In a bad economy people point fingers. I heard the Pleasanton Tea Party contingent say on the news that they do not believe Obama was born in the USA because he did not show his birth certificate immediately! He did not drop from outer space, he was a duly elected official. See his mother, etc. It is kind of how Nazism creeped into Germany. Blame game. Yeah, it’s not the bankers it’s not the system it’s those Mexican and black people we had it good! Yes after World War 2 when the rest of the world was recovering everyone could do what they wanted here. The Beatles came about because no one in England could relate to having cars. They actually had their country destroyed completely not just one attack. If we ever get attacked I pray that we will handle it as well as the Europeans, the Iraqis and the rest of the world. They are too in their own worlds. They don’t not get it. We could lose our whole status if the country becomes racist. Face it we can’t just hide here. there is the internet. Spreading false info and calling it news is abhorrent. I know it’s hard that things are not going well but don’t blame the Black peoople and the Mexicans. Why was there no oversight on the FCC? It was not Obama, he has had to tackle the mistakes of others. People are just spreading lies becuase they can’t stand seeing a black President, An Indian woman on the cover of Sports Illustrated and a Lebanese Miss USA. It’s American, we always hate new people but people ELECTED THE PRESIDENT. Tea Party is trying to say it’s not a real election because he is not American. Cut me a break! Grasping at straws and they wonder why only racists are joining their ranks? Complaining about taxes…why did you let the previous administration do what they did with letting the rich get richer and widen the gap. How many want to work as laborers? Not too many! It’s not us against them, we are all trying to solve the problems but getting rid of Mexicans is not going to solve the real problems in the USA.Other countries like Brazil, China and India have more power and the Bush administration used China like a credit card to finance the Iraq war. They sold us out.

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