Tea for 'Tudes
Antitax protesters bring sound and fury to Love Park.
Soggy “teabaggers” braved steady rain and wind to unite Wednesday afternoon in Love Park, to voice their disgust with corporate bailouts, the efforts of the Obama administration to spend its way out of a recession and any other hot topic.
“The pork barrel spending and over-the-top spending is getting ridiculous and if it needs a tea party to stop it, just like they did in 1793 [sic], that’s what we’ll do today,” said Steve Stanton of Willow Grove, who held a homemade sign reading: "CLINGING TO MY GUNS AND RELIGION."
“It’s a general comment,” he said before trailing off into the Pledge of Allegiance that was being led over the loudspeaker system.
The soaked crowd was dense, holding a combination of umbrellas, yellow “DON'T TREAD ON ME” flags and homemade signs containing such slogans as "WASHINGTON: STOP THE INSANITY" and "NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION"—the latter sign, of course, ignoring that elected officials are making federal tax policy.
Emotions were boiling as high-energy speakers criticized the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Reserve.
Many in the crowd say that they heard of the tea party via Fox News. Even local organizer Diane Reimer read an excerpt from the National Tax Day tea party website and asked gatherers to text the word “teaparty” to 69302, so that they could do a head count to see how many people were in attendance.
“That way [national organizers] will know how many patriots came out today,” said Reimer to the crowd.
William Webb, who is helping organize another protest Saturday at Independence Mall, said the protests were rooted in history.
“I’m a libertarian,” he laughed, suggesting the original Boston Tea Party protesters were against tax cut—one that benefited the East India Company. “The original tea party was a protest against corporate bailouts! Same thing here!”
“Centralized economic planning is doomed to fail,” said Webb.
Others agreed.
“It’s this crazy, run-amok Congress we got. They’re out of control!” said Heather Mentz of Penndell. “They’re violating the Constitution, they’re stealing our rights, they’re indebting our grandkids!”
“They’re just totally out of control,” says Mentz. “Every single thing they’ve done since they’ve mentioned the bailout has been a nightmare."
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Letters to the Editor
1. Anonymous said... on Apr 15, 2009 at 07:06PM
“Who do these morons think put the country in this situation?
Tea bagging is an appropriate name for this sort - I'm sure Bush and Cheney did it all the time.”
2. Anonymous said... on Apr 15, 2009 at 07:25PM
“Our grandchildren are already in debt because of the last 8 years of the Bush/Cheney administration! Obama is working to get us all out of the crapper!”
3. Dan said... on Apr 15, 2009 at 08:36PM
“Question: How can a government with no money bail out a banking system with no money.
Answer: "With Change we need!" ....it IS a BAD joke!
When Obama and Congress get done "representing" us we will have nothing left. How can these folks loose BILLIONS for their firms and investors, plunge many into poverty and hardship, and then just walk up to our federal government and get HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS!!!?#@$! .... This is just crony Bologna. These TooBigToFail firms should be dismantled. Too many eggs in one basket, Too much power for the good of our country. We need a new crop of politicians who will stand up and fight for the Constitution.”
4. Dan said... on Apr 15, 2009 at 08:36PM
“Question: How can a government with no money bail out a banking system with no money.
Answer: "With Change we need!" ....it IS a BAD joke!
When Obama and Congress get done "representing" us we will have nothing left. How can these folks loose BILLIONS for their firms and investors, plunge many into poverty and hardship, and then just walk up to our federal government and get HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS!!!?#@$! .... This is just crony Bologna. These TooBigToFail firms should be dismantled. Too many eggs in one basket, Too much power for the good of our country. We need a new crop of politicians who will stand up and fight for the Constitution.”
5. Trisha said... on Apr 16, 2009 at 08:21AM
“Oh yeah Anonymous #2 : Since we got into debt during the Bush years due to a war, we're supposed to continue digging ourselves even further into the hole? You're nuts. You need to open your eyes. This whole Tea Party thing has nothing to do with party lines, it is citizens uniting and speaking out against politics as usual. It is not to say whether the Bush administration was right or wrong in what they did, it is what is happening NOW that we can change, not the past. Why don't you join everyone in the present.”
6. Trisha said... on Apr 16, 2009 at 08:21AM
“Oh yeah Anonymous #2 : Since we got into debt during the Bush years due to a war, we're supposed to continue digging ourselves even further into the hole? You're nuts. You need to open your eyes. This whole Tea Party thing has nothing to do with party lines, it is citizens uniting and speaking out against politics as usual. It is not to say whether the Bush administration was right or wrong in what they did, it is what is happening NOW that we can change, not the past. Why don't you join everyone in the present.”
7. Anonymous said... on Apr 17, 2009 at 10:46AM
“Trish needs to wake up and smell the coffee! I don't mind paying my share of taxes as long as it's not pissed away like it was during the last 8 years! Sometimes you have to spend a little more to get something better. I'll bet you wouldn't feel that way if you were unemployed and didn't have health insurance and a roof over your head! Get your head out of the sand and stop watching Fox News.”