Tea Party Rally Attracts Small South Bay Crowd

A year ago, more than 500 Tea Party supporters flocked to the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center for the South Bay chapter's inaugural convention. Sunday night's rally at the same location drew hundreds less.  

Since the chapter was founded April 2009, its ranks have swelled to 1,500 members. Local leader Christine Vinquist projected that 500 would attend this year's rally, a tribute to Newt Gingrich's rallying cry: "Don't tell me it can't be done." But in the end, 276 attended.

Gary Aven, chairman of the South Bay Tea Party, attributed this year's lower turnout to its landing on the same weekend as the California Republican Party convention in San Diego. Many other tea party members had told him they would be on vacation, he said.

Though numbers were lower, there was lots of cheering. The audience got to its feet several times in support of exhortations by keynote speakers for limited government, freedom and fiscal responsibility.

Speakers, which included Republican candidates running for state and congressional offices, expanded the message to include the fiscal-minded mission of the tea party.

"Our country's spending is out of control," Rabbi Nachum Shifren, who is running for the state Senate's 26th District seat, said during his address. "We need to shrink the government, balance the budget and read the bill before you pass it. We need work-fare, not welfare."

Star Parker, a candidate for a U.S. House seat, brought the audience to a standing ovation. Parker, who lived on welfare as a single mom until she graduated from college and started her own business, said personal responsibility, not the redistribution of money, is one of the keys to alleviating poverty.

"Our nation needs to liberate its poor," Parker said. "We need to restore prosperity and freedom to our nation."

The speakers also denounced accusations of bigotry and urged audience members to do their part in canvassing voters for the November elections.

Nathan Mintz, who co-founded the chapter and is running as a Republican Republican for the state Assembly's 53rd District seat, said he would not be as involved with the party while he is campaigning.

"I have a laser beam focus for getting the state out of the gutter," Mintz said.

Editor's note: Patch will have more on the convention Monday. 

Earlier coverage:

South Bay Tea Party Gears Up for Convention

Op-Ed: Tea Party Clouds South Bay Political Climate With Noise

South Bay Tea Party Leader Focuses on Spending