RE: http://www.jacksonvilleprogress.com/archivesearch/local_story_100125324.html'

These are the types of people we can expect to have move into the old Methodist Church Building, should the pending sale go through.

City officials are concerned, the police have been on TV talking about the potential of this group. WHY nothing in the Daily Progress? (Is it because the realtor involved is a large advertiser? SURELY NOT!)

What can be done to STOP this sale? It is WRONG for any organziation, religious or otherwise, to be SO MONEY HUNGRY that they would do this to a community.

FROM KETK NBC 56 REPORTS: JACKSONVILLE--Jacksonville police arrested a federal fugitive who was on the run Tuesday. Steven Lee Jackson, 49, was arrested outside a Jacksonville church, The House of Israel. Police officials say Jackson told police he is not subject to the laws of the United States, but he's not the first to make such a claim to officials.

Barry Brooks, former owner of The House of Israel, told federal attorneys the laws do not apply to him in 2002 when he was arrested for evading taxes. Brooks had not filed a tax return since 1994. Brooks served two sentences behind bars because he refused to pay taxes.
In 2007, Brooks fell into the hands of Cherokee County District Attorney, Elmer Beckworth. Beckworth prosecuted Brooks for practicing dentistry without a licence out of The House of Israel's building on Main Street.

The building now has a sign that reads, "Please pray for our beloved Barry Brooks, temporarily away standing up for liberty and justice in Texas."

House of Israel support for Brooks dates back to Beckworth's prosecution trial. James Robert Fox testified in Brooks' defense.

Beckworth recalls the testimony saying that through his group they have the right to determine which laws to obey and which they have right to disobey. Fox told KETK over the phone that there's two sides to everything. That's somoething Beckworth says sounds familiar from the Brooks trial.

"I think they believe there are two United States and two constitutions of the United States," says Beckworth.

However, two sides to the law didn't fly in the Cherokee court. Currently Brooks is serving 8 years in prison and now, Fox runs The House of Israel in Jacksonville.

Fox did not appear on camera but told KETK "The House of Israel is a christian organization fighting for innocent people behind bars."



I understand there's already a lawsuit that will take our resources to fight because of this arrest and the group's fondness for dragging things through the (costly) court system. At the very least, their potential for legal actions pose an expensive danger to our municipal resources and local courts. (The higher cost of government/law, the higher the taxes to support those activities...especially since we'll have a whole new group of people in town who REFUSE to pay taxes!)

I'm just wondering if anyone else out there is concerned about this group buying a big building in Jacksonville?

THE local big guys need to find out what financial organization is financing the purchase of the building and to make it clear that this group is not credit worthy based upon their disbelief that they are bound by the US legal system. That could be stopped if the city council men and local bankers...some of whom are also Methodists, I understand...will step up and make this go away for good. These people are merely crazy...but they know how to be obnoxious in an expensive manner.

Just tell everyone you see to make it stop happening....including the local realtor....he may do advertising....but he still has to get realestate LISTINGS....and the community can freeze that over if it needs to get tough.

The actual "deal" is being kept on the quiet (no doubt). All I could get from Methodist leadership is that they "aren't real sure" who's buying it and that they REALLY need to get rid of that building....for the betterment of the church.

The House of Israel/Republic of Texas tied the City's hands by suing.

The realtors lack scruples or this wouldn't be happening in the first place.

EVERYONE in town needs to be talking about all the new neighbors we're about to have. Oh yea, and the new neighbors don't recognize or follow the same laws that we do. It's scary.

What lawsuit are you talking about against the City?

Anyone can file a lawsuit. That does not "tie anyone's hands"....the city can get an injunction against the transaction if they believe that fraud or criminal intent is underway....the Methodist church could be publically chastised by the community if an organized effort to stop the sale were to occur. The city has the ability to refuse any certificate of occupancy of the building to any new purchasor if zoning laws, or building codes are not fully in compliance.

These folks are not powerful. The city just has to go do the right things.

It is a matter for the city to decide if its Mayor, its City Manager, the city attorney, and the councilmen can MANAGE the town against undesirables....if not....forget any 20/20 planning effort....or forget any important new city hall facility....it would just prove that any outside activist group can undo city planning or ordinances anytime they choose.

If they are frozen at the switch...start letters to the editor, and call the Tyler and surrounding area newsletters.

This is not the only city fighting the Texas Republic whackos.....why think they are more powerful than the city leaders? The issue is whether or not the city leaders, including two state legislators, can get with the program and prevent the creation of an illegal halfway house to exist for the purpose of hiding lawbreakers.

BTW, the URL you posted does not reference any information site that is available today...I think it was a JDP site....what was located there as information?

The URL is a link to a Daily Progress story from LAST WEEK about the men captured in J'ville in front of the House of Israel building. Is the story is already "dead" in the archives?

No, Cookie. You just copied it wrong. Look at the post...you put an apostrophe at the end of the URL address...that is a no-no!

http://www.jacksonvilleprogress.com/archivesearch/local_story_100125324.html

Thank you. My Daddy used to say I wasn't as smart as I looked.

I wonder if the Methodist church would consider donating the old building to JISD for a Pre-K or Kindergarten campus. Just an idea.

I am pretty sure that Head Start operated out of that building for a long time.

What a sweet idea, for a big church to do something so wonderful as to donate a building for the betterment of the community.

Don't hold your breath.

Am I the only one that feels threatened by this group? They DO NOT obey the laws of the US, they fail to recognize anything beyond the laws on the books when Texas was a Republic.

If nobody else thinks this is a big deal to have happen in J'ville, I'll shut up and suffer in silence. What can be done? Who can do it? What happens if they're successful in establishing their "mission"?

BAD PEOPLE...BAD FOR JACKSONVILLE:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/1350236/posts


"Republic of Texas" Again Pushes for Independence
WOAI.Com (San Antonio) ^ | LAST UPDATE: 2/24/2005 11:04:56 AM | Posted By: Jim Forsyth

Posted on Thursday, February 24, 2005 11:44:03 AM by .cnI redruM

The separatist Republic of Texas group, which largely dissolved after an abortive uprising in the Davis Mountains left several of its leaders dead or in prison in 1997, has reformed, and is again pushing its message that Texas should be a free and independent nation, 1200 WOAI news reported today.

From a newly established 'capitol' in the east Texas town of Overton, Daniel Miller, President of the Republic of Texas Interim Government, says a desire to be free, combined with ballooning concerns over rising taxes and property rights, will convince more Texans to support a 'referendum' on whether Texas should become an independent nation.

"We're seeking a referendum to allow the people of Texas to vote on independence," Miller said. "We're looking forward to the benefits of Texas independence, where Texas stands as a nation among other nations."

Texas was a republic from 1836 until joining the United States in December of 1845, in a move that helped spark the Mexican War. Texas joined the Confederate States of America in 1861, and talk of independence has surfaced off and on since the end of the Civil War, although no reputable historian or political scientists expects the event will ever occur.

"There are many reasons why Texas would be better off as a republic," Miller said. "One of our biggest problems right now is school finance, and we don't have enough money to keep our schools solvent. Yet we send $129 billion to Washington D.C. annually for them to spend on projects that don't really affect Texas. We feel that if we could keep that money here at home we could solve all of our problems."

He says Texas is currently the eighth largest economy in the world, and second largest on a per capita basis..

"An independent Texas would be an economic powerhouse worldwide."

Led by self proclaimed "Ambassador" Richard McLaren, several people claiming to represent the Republic of Texas Organization took two hostages in remote Fort Davis. The resulting standoff left two Republic of Texas sympathizers dead and McLaren and several followers are serving lengthy prison terms for their roles in the incident.

In the weeks leading up to the standoff, McLaren had been attaching frivolous write and liens to the property of opponents, sympathizing with the 'militia' and 'freemen' movements which sprung up following the Branch Davidian siege in Waco in 1993, and even issuing $1.8 billion in phony financial documents. The new Republic of Texas movement condemns these actions and says its movement is purely peaceful and political.

"Texas independence is not some fringe movement, nor is it reactionary," Miller says. "We are simply living out trends that are happening around the world. If you look at the past twenty years there have been in excess of thirty nations which have been formed. There is a trend worldwide toward independence and decontrol, and we think it's high time that the trend came to Texas."

Ch. 56, Tyler:

By Charlotte Huffman
KETK News

Story Created: Apr 11, 2008 at 5:23 PM CDT



JACKSONVILLE--Jacksonville Police say two men arrested this past week are connected to the House of Israel. The church's plans to relocate have raised red flags.

A sign outside the First Methodist Church in Jacksonville shows they've relocated. A spokesperson at the church told us they've entered into a contract to sell the building to a missionary called "Matthew 25 Mission."

KETK contacted the House of Israel for comment but no one returned the calls. However, a stack of paper arrived at KETK Thursday and in them, James Fox says Matthew 25 Mission is a national outreach ministry which is to educate americans in scripture, history and law so they can effectively assert their rights.

Jacksonville Police say the group, also known as The House Israel is known for disobeying laws.

"They don't recognize the laws of the government, the state of Texas, and possibly the United States, being that they have different views of the constitution," says Detective Jason Price of the Jacksonville Criminal Investigation Department.

Sources tell KETK they have reason to believe the new church could serve as a halfway house preaching to previously convicted criminals or fugitives.That's something Jacksonville police say raises a red flag for them.

"It could pose quite a bit of problems, especially this outreach ministry if it gets to the point where it's importing individuals from out of state. Mr. Jackson is a good example of that," says Price.

Police say the fugitive Steven Jackson was arrested alongside David Baugh. In one of the letters given to KETK, Baugh writes, "I was considering relocating here to work with Robert James Fox in building his ministry."

"Either previously convicted or wanted fugitives, if that's the kind of people that it's going to be importing into the community, anybody would be concerned about that," says Price.

Since the Tuesday arrest, Stephen Jackson is in federal custody and has been transferred to a TDC facility. David Baugh was charged with a Class C misdemeanor and has since been released.

Property sold by First Choice Realty, Woody Wood broker.


Spokesperson at the church told us they've entered into a contract to sell the building to a missionary called "Matthew 25 Mission."

KETK contacted the House of Israel for comment but no one returned the calls. However, a stack of paper arrived at KETK Thursday and in them, James Robert Fox says Matthew 25 Mission is a national outreach ministry which is to educate americans in scripture, history and law so they can effectively assert their rights.

FROM THE HOUSE OF ISREAL WEB SITE:

ENDORSEMENTS:

John Nelson

Alfred Adask

Richard Cornforth

Ken Evans

Barry Brooks

Mark Coker

Brady Byrum

Dennis Whipple

Michael Brown

quote:

Cookie:
Am I the only one that feels threatened by this group?

That would be a resounding YES!

P.S. BOO!

quote:

Originally posted by Waldetto:

quote:

Cookie:
Am I the only one that feels threatened by this group?

That would be a resounding YES!

P.S. BOO!

no you are not alone. this group disturbs me as well and we don't need these kinds of people here in Jville. sounds like these folks would probably support ron paul as well.