C’mon, Commissioner Rodriguez. You should know better than to disparage a group of concerned county taxpayers.

At Monday’s Commissioners Court meeting, Precinct 3 Commissioner Eloy Rodriguez objected to the Tea Party Patriots’ request to use an electrical outlet to power their sound system and microphones for a Jan. 23 rally on the courthouse grounds.

“I have concerns with that, not so much with the Tea Party using the courthouse square, but the people who voted me in would not like for this to happen,” he said. “This Tea Party is a divisive group that I believe has separated our voters, our town’s people. They have one agenda and I don’t think this county should spend one penny of its resources to support this divisive group.”

Rodriguez added, “We’ll only be opening ourselves up to the Ku Klux Klan or anybody else who wants to use our electricity.”

Comparing the Tea Party Patriots to the KKK? Wow. Talk about a stretch.

Didn’t Democrats proclaim any and all opposition to George Bush as patriotic little more than a year ago?

The Tea Party folks claim to be made up of Democrats, Republicans and independents, young, old and middle-aged, different ethnicities – all wanting this president and Congress to slow down with their out-of-control spending, new taxes and government takeover of the auto, financial and now the health care industry.

We respect Commissioner Rodriguez as a Vietnam War veteran. He served our country admirably during a difficult, turbulent time in our nation’s history.

However, we would like to remind Rodriguez that he fought to allow all Americans the opportunity to practice their First Amendment rights of free speech and to assemble – yes, even to demonstrate and protest excessive government.

Rodriguez, it would seem, is the one being divisive, comparing local concerned citizens to a racial hate group.

In other words, if you’re opposed to Obama’s policies, you’re a racist.

Got it, Commissioner. Subtle.

It’s easier to smear others than remember the lessons of civics or economics classes and applying judicious thought to the issues of the day. Or being able to read a budget either, eh, Commissioner?