Tough times lead to tea time in Malverne

In the year since the Tea Party movement emerged, unrest and dissent have continued to permeate America’s political landscape. Pockets of disgruntled Americans who came together in unified remonstrance have popped up across the country, in the smallest of towns and villages, including the one-square-mile Village of Malverne.

Lifelong Malverne resident John Hassett Jr. founded the Malverne Tea Party in mid-May. He wanted to create an outlet for those feeling bullied by the government, for “normal citizens that have just gotten fed up with the overreaching, over-increasing size of government and want their individual liberties and freedoms back.”

Turns out there are quite a few of those in Malverne and surrounding communities: Between the Malverne Tea Party’s first meeting in June and its second in July, its membership tripled. By its third meeting in mid-August, it was keeping steady at about 70 members. It was at that meeting that three of the four candidates vying for Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy’s seat showed up to participate in a candidates’ forum.

“We’re tired of being pushed around,” Hassett said when asked to explain his group’s appeal. “And it’s good for people to realize that they’re not alone.”

That revelation, along with the birth of his now 10-month-old daughter, is what prompted the 40-year-old critical care physician to start the group. His disillusionment, as he describes it, began two years ago when he joined the Medical Society of the State of New York in Albany for Legislative Day. It was there, standing with 2,000 doctors and others in the medical field, demanding answers from state legislators and commissioners about the state of health care, that it dawned on him.

“There’s just not an outlet because no matter who you talk to, it doesn’t seem like there’s anything to be done,” he said. “I realized I’m not alone. A lot of people feel the same way: they’re tired of the increase in size of government, they’re tired of the increase in ... taxes and all this extra crud, for lack of a better word, in the way of people just trying to live and do the right thing.”

Hassett hopes to make a difference. “We plan on addressing as much as possible and hopefully make positive changes, and I’m not expecting miracles,” he said. “This is an endurance run to say the Malverne Tea Party is here, we’re here to stay and we’re going to continue to work toward those changes on every level of government.”

With federal and state elections coming up this fall, Hassett and his group will continue to host candidates’ forums and focus discussions around national and state matters. Once those elections are over, according to Hassett, the group will begin discussing local matters, particularly the Village of Malverne’s governing body. A number of Malverne’s elected officials, including Mayor Patricia McDonald, are up for re-election in March.

The Malverne Tea Party will hold its next meeting on on Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Public Library. Candidates vying for Assemblyman Bob Barra’s seat will be in attendance. For more information, find the group, under the name Malverne Tea Party, on Facebook or at Meetup.com.

Comments about this story? LLandor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 205.