Tune in tomorrow morning for all the details and photos. The answer is, YES!
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
39 comments:
I wasn't able to attend but I have my own method of revolting, I need to quit smoking and the taxes are a good reason to quit. I just have to keep telling myself that, mores tax, more taxes.
It's kind of sad how NBC and the White House are spinning the Tea Parties to be Republican inspired and sponsored events. People, all people, are simply tired of rich, old, white, career politicians taking care of themselves and their lobbyist buddies and forgetting about why they're in D.C. and who they are supposed to be representing.
But voters carry a large amount of responsibility for the mess. They continue voting in the likes of Pelosi, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, and 93 year old Robert Byrd (does he even know what planet he's on?).
It starts locally, folks. Your councilwoman Debbie Campbell was standign out there in the rain with the city budget books in tow. They were released today. If you wnat to do something meaningful, keep an eye (and pressure) on Comegys and Smith - maybe Shields depending on the outcome on Friday - and give Cohen and Campbell soem support in cutting that budget this year instead of sitting at home throwing shoes at your TVs.
Funny how no one protested all the years Bush was running up record deficits. Suddenly now people want to protest. Too bad they chose a Tea Party - the Colonists were revolting against taxation without representation - we have representation. You all got to vote - you are given that opportunity on a regular basis. You aren't guaranteed to like the outcome, but you do get to vote. If you didn't protest the path to our situation in the last 8 years then it seems a bit like crying after the cow is out of the barn now.
Bunch of old white guys who don't want to pay their taxes. Bet they have bumper stickers that say love America or leave it. With social security the biggest part of the tax burden, they are actually protesting against a check they get every month.
Joe were you there smoking a cigar?
Joe
I attended the Tea Party in Georgetown and given the bad weather it was very well attended.
It was somewhat unorganized and the speakers could not be heard from where I was standing. But none the less it was a success as there had to be several hundred people in attendance.
Looking forward to the continuation of similiar get togeathers by those of us who are so dissatisfied with BIG government.
retired cop and proud NRA member
That's right. Raising taxes on those that make over $250,000 a year is just "rich, old, white, career politicians taking care of themselves". I believe that that might be them taking care of you.... unless you make more that $250,000 a year.
I learned today that you single-handedly planned, organized and financed this event. Thank you Joe.
The msm reports the events as a washout pretty much all along the East Coast. Attendance was at about 25% of expected.
Obama also chose this day to push for his big middle class tax cuts to be permanent. That really undercuts the stated protest message...
I'd say that the protests failed, due to small turnout and a generally confused message. Protest signs covered all sorts of topics. Exactly what was being protested?? What are we supposed to do?? What additional specific policy changes is the Obama administration supposed to be making??? Unclear.
Right on, Jane of 8:06 p.m.!
So I guess you define success as...it happened, some people showed up, people got to speak into a microphone instead of just rant on a blog, and folks where able to meet and hangout with others of similiar mindset. Ok, then it was a success, I guess it has to start somewhere. It is just that nothing got changed, and nothing will. Big government (liberal or conservative) just does what ever it wants, and we as individuals are better off if we act locally as far as politics goes, and focus on being good neighbors and family members.
Jane,
you're an idiot!! People are expressing their dislike of all the spending that is not necessay. There will be no larger debt than what the "all mightly" is proposing.
Get a grip, pay your share and get ready for the poverty.
Commenter 2007hrs has no idea what he is talking about.
Us old guys have paid into Social Security for many years and have earned every check we get. I would have been better off it I could have opted out of Social Security and put my money in a private plan. But, no the government made me particapate in Social Security. Then the government started giving Social Security monies to people who had not eaned it. Does Social Security Insurance ring a bell.
Do not rag on us old people if you are ignorant of what you speak
8:06 Your comment, like the mainstream liberal media did today, makes the Tea Parties seem like they were a partisan deal. Although some of the people did direct their comments towards Obama (he is, after all, the president and is pushing for even more entitlement programs and even larger budget deficits), the majority expressed concern about the quality of representation, or lack thereof, from the representatives, Democratic and Republican, in Washington, as well as the direction the president and Congress are taking this country - away from capitalism and towards a big brother government and an even more entitlement addicted society.
I recall American citizens gathering to protest the war in Iraq and the likes of CNN, NBC, and MSNBC giving those protesting full coverage and courtesy. Not so today because these liberal stations touted the rallies were all a Republican ploy to energize their base, and that the Fox Network was giving the events coverage. Because these networks now think these fed up Americans are only right-wingers out to attack Obama, they've opted not to cover these rallies or ridicule those participating in them. However, when the crowds gathered to ridicule Bush or his policies, those networks couldn't cover those events quickly enough.
This tempest in a teapot has been brewing for years. It hasn't just started with Obama. Bush and a majority of Republicans in Congress had also lost their way by letting government grow larger and allowing the budget, and the deficit, to get larger.
So please, don't make this into a Democrat vs. Republican issue. Americans of all parties participated in today's activities, and it's only the beginning.
Have seen and heard the same response like Jane condeming people for not protesting Bush--have you forgotten that the Congress has been under Democrat control since 2006? So Bush was wrong--we get that, we were sold the idea that Obama was going to be different, and he has proven to be more of the same. Are you suggesting that we remain silent now? Wasn't it validation enough for Bush haters that A Democrat won, and now the entire governemtn is Democrat controlled? Concerned citizens must just shut up now? Is that what you want Jane?
I was on the front row in Salisbury, I want to say I was very impressed with the speeches by the Salisbury University students, I guess I judged the entire student body by the protesters I would see on weekends carrying signs along Rt. 13 last year. These folks proved me wrong.
This was a great event, Not the end, Just the Beginning. Ken
807 If all the "old white guys" that pay taxes leave what will all the welfare reipients do? Maybe they will actually have to get a job and pay their own way? Might be the best idea yet !!
anonymous 8:27,
I don't know who told you that but they were completely wrong.
I don't want them to shut up - but for most people protesting about taxes it is pretty silly. I doubt most of the protesters make over $250,000 so their taxes are going down. If you didn't protest Bush's spending then your motives now seem a bit suspect. I do pay my taxes, and I work full time. Frankly, the right wing just seems a bit rabid and unorganized lately.
"The only organization in Boston re-enacting the original tea party — a gay rights group...."
"Its protest was that in Massachusetts, where same-sex marriage is legal, married same-sex couples cannot file joint federal tax returns."
Hey. Maybe these tea parties will spur changes in our tax code after all...
"I guess I judged the entire student body by the protesters I would see on weekends carrying signs along Rt. 13 last year."Yeah, God forbid they should protest American soldiers dying. We wouldn't want that now, would we, Ken?
not 1 democratic bill passed in congress during the bush administration became law unless it was signed by president bush,so quit putting all of the blame on the democrats,he was responsible as well for running up the deficit.
Jane - My taxes went down, less than $8.00 per week and my company's tax accountant say's that I will owe it back at the end of the year. This "tax cut" is not going to cover the inflation that will be caused by this ridiculous "Let's print trillions and give it to our buddies" stimulus plan. Heck, it's not even covering the price increases we're incurring now because of the democrat anti-capitalist policies.
How can your "taxes go down" if you don't pay any to start with? Its not just income tax, its taxes or fees or whatever disguised name they conjure up. Don't be so dense. Alot of the citizens angry about this are not right wingers, many voated for Obama.
If by success you mean the "tea parties" happened, then yes they were a success.
But shouldn't success be measured by the change they bring about? What change has occurred?
What was supposed to be accomplished? Yes, we are able to use our right to protest, but a protest that does not effect change is empty. So far, it's too early to tell if anything was accomplished, and unfortunately I suspect nothing will be.
If the "rich old white guy" I work for gets his taxes raised, my yearly raises go down.
So much for this being "nonpartisan," just look at the commennts here! Just admit it, this was a Republican protest! there is nothing wrong with that, so I don't know why you all are running away from it. I saw speeches and signs that made it clear that these parties were totally partisan. So just admit it! What's the big deal?
The rally attendance yesterday was comprised of people from all backgrounds and ages. Some that chose to speak were as young as 12 or 13.
A common theme seemed to present itself, and that is many citizens are feeling disenfranchised as they observe what they believe to be a non-responsive out of control federal government.
Passing of bills involving billions of dollars without reading them or holding recipients acountable, or requiring transparency. Gov't nominees and appointees failing to pay their taxes; issuing a DHS report that in the footnotes on page 2 lables citizens as rightwing extremists if they are pro-life, are just a few examples for citizens feeling the way they are.
I believe the rally was successful. Over 500 people stood for the most part 2 hrs in the rain to peacefully protest.
My thanks to all that helped bring this rally to fruition. We can try to do more in the future,rallys could be scheduled for Memorial Day, 4th of July for example, or even more frequent.
If there is deep concern by the people this movement will grow accordingly....I BELIEVE THERE IS!!
Jane, please try to stay focused. Again, these rallies had nothing to do with the Republican party, and they weren't specifically for taxes. At the heart of the frustration is the representation by the political representatives (Congress). American citizens are feeling disenfranchised in their own country. Citizens attending those rallies yesterday were upset about government bailouts of private companies (Bush did it, too); illegal aliens circumventing the laws of the land and collecting billions in entitlement programs while American families find themselves now living in homeless shelters and tent cities; major states like California and New York on the brink of going bankrupt because the state politicians want to keep spending and taxing instead of practicing fiscal responsibility; politicians getting their palms greased by the same companies they are bailing out and refusing to hold accountable. Not that I want to single out members of one political party (they're enough crooked ones in both parties), but browse the names of Barney Frank and Chris Dodd and then read about their activities in the financial sector in Wikipedia. Here is only a portion of what you'll read:
"Conservative groups criticized Frank for campaign contributions totaling $42,350 between 1989 and 2008. They claim the donations from Fannie and Freddie influenced his support of their lending programs, and they blame Frank for not playing a stronger role in reforming the institutions in the years leading up to the Economic crisis of 2008. Frank's former partner, Herb Moses, was an executive at Fannie from 1991 to 1998, where Moses helped develop many of Fannie’s affordable housing and home improvement lending programs. In 1991, Frank pushed for reduced restrictions on two- and three-family home mortgages. During the time that Frank was in a relationship with Moses, he blocked tougher regulations on the banking companies while voting for the Government Sponsored Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1991 and the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992."
This is what Americans of all parties are getting fed up with. Politicians that are sleeping with, getting paid by, and then watching the backs of their chums n business instead of protecting the American citizens they are paid to represent.
It's more like people are protesting irresponsable representation. The more money we have to borrow and print, the less it is worth in the world market and everything goes up.
We were promised bills with no earmarks and pork but that's all we are seeing.
8:49,
Jane is absolutely correct. Of COURSE this was a partisan event, or you would have held them every year for the past 7 years while Bush was spending more money than any President in U.S. history.
And then you bring up Barney Frank, Fannie Mae, and Chris Dodd? The ultimate right-wing talking points out there right now. I'm surprised you didn't throw ACORN in there for good measure. This economic mess wasn't caused by Barney Frank or Chris Dodd. It wasn't even caused by the housing market, or the CRA. This is a credit issue that started in the Investment banking industry. It showed up in the subprime market first due to the volatility of that market. The fact that you are STILL talking about FNMA shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the economic mess on your part.
Look, this event wasn't attended by a single Obama voter, and you know that. This was a disingenuous attempt to capture populist anger right now. Unfortunately, it's STRICTLY PARTISAN, and it reeks of sour grapes.
The original Boston Tea Party was about being taxed with being represented. You have representation now... you just don't like that you're in the minority. I understand that. I was in your shoes from 2001 to 2009.
Let's start being honest with each other. This was Republican (or Conservative, if you will) event. It's simple to determine... if it was truly non-partisan, then you would have had these events before now. The truth of the matter is: You didn't mind Bush spending money because he had an (R) next to his name.
Chuck when you get home to Jane tonight I hope you two hoist a toast to you hero Obama.
Chuck, Jane, and other noncombatants...
a decrease of $8/10 federal w/h a week is not a tax cut, it is a decrease in withholding-that's it. You'll find out next year when you file your taxes if you got a tax cut, more than likely it will be a check you will send in with your return, because these Trillion-TRILLION dollar bailouts will have to be repaid...once you understand that, we can say WELCOME to the TEAPARTY...ANYmouse
9:48, I don't know Jane, and my hero is my father. Barack Obama is a politician for whom I voted, and nowhere did I mention him in my comment.
I want to truly thank you for your non sequitur attack that added nothing to this discussion.
10:15,
I agree with you that the debt has to be repaid. No entity can simply spend without accounting for it down the road. Here is where the argument is for me: Do we spend now, in a recession, to get us out... or do we tax cut (which is also a form of spending) our way out of this? Either way, increased spending during a recession is of paramount importance.
I've paid into SS since I was 15 and I'll never see a dime of that.
You're welcome old timers, enjoy the checks and the days off where you get to complain and moan because you don't have your way.
9:31 While I said it wasn't partisan affair, you insist in saying it was. Who has the narrow vision? Because California is one of the states bordering on bankrptucy, the tea parties in California were more an issue of state politics, and how that state's politicians are taxing and spending right down the road to ruin, not federal. Do you suggest those California rallies were only attended by California Republicans? To write not a single Obama supporter attended any of these parties is a nonsensical assertion and calls into question your own credibility. There are many Republicans, me included, that will unabashedly admit that in many areas and in many ways Bush, as well as the entire Republican Party, was a big disappointment. Any Republican that can honestly say they're completely happy with how Bush managed the country is being disingenuous. You suggesting that Obama has done everything right for this country since becoming president puts in the same category as the Republicans that say everything was done correctly because it was done by a Republican. Try opening your mind a bit to some ojective thinking. Stop dancing to your party's drumbeat.
10:57 Prudent spending during a recession is paramount. That's certainly not what this country has been doing. And the president knows it isn't prudent. Why else would a president that loves exposure privately sign the Omnibus bill into law away from any cameras? During this time of recession, the bill was laiden with almost $20 billion in pork barrel spending, something Obama campaigned against. I don't necessarily blame Obama for that, but it is the Democrats that control Congress. And yes, I am well aware Republicans loaded their earmarks into that bill, too. Which takes us back to the entire reason for these Tea Parties. People are finally getting tired of business as usual in D.C.
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