Tax Day Tea Parties

[sadaist]

Seen a few of the big ones televised. There is one happening in my town that I drove by a bit earlier that had around 50 people. Holding flags & signs, cheering to honking cars & such. Pretty orderly group. From the news it looks like all of them have been. Just wondering if anyone else had any local gatherings today.

The one sign I saw locally was "Will Work For Your Mortgage"...lol.

[Nickdfresh]

I think of lot of it is whiny pseudo-patriots and bullshit fanned by talking head assholes...

What? You have to pay taxes?

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[sadaist]

I think of lot of it is whiny pseudo-patriots and bullshit fanned by talking head assholes...

What? You have to pay taxes?

It might also be people who work really hard, then are unhappy with what's left over when they get their paystub. Seems like the government keeps taking more & more. Or people unhappy with what is being done with those tax dollars. I'm personally more upset with state taxes here in CA than with Federal. But CA is a bit more fucked up than most other states currently.

[sadaist]

Thousands rally with 'tea parties' on tax day

Thousands rally with 'tea parties' on tax day

By JOE BIESK, Associated Press Writer Joe Biesk, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 40 mins ago

ATLANTA – Whipped up by conservative commentators and bloggers, tens of thousands of protesters staged "tea parties" around the country Wednesday to tap into the collective angst stirred up by a bad economy, government spending and bailouts. The rallies were directed at President Barack Obama's new administration on a symbolic day: the deadline to file income taxes. Protesters even threw what appeared to be a box of tea bags toward the White House, causing a brief lockdown at the compound.

Shouts rang out from Kentucky, which just passed tax increases on cigarettes and alcohol, to Salt Lake City, where many in the crowd booed Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman for accepting about $1.5 billion in stimulus money. Even in Alaska, where there is no statewide income tax or sales tax, hundreds of people held signs and chanted "No more spending."

"Frankly, I'm mad as hell," said businessman Doug Burnett at a rally at the Iowa Capitol, where many of the about 1,000 people wore red shirts declaring "revolution is brewing." Burnett added: "This country has been on a spending spree for decades, a spending spree we can't afford."

In Boston, a few hundred protesters gathered on the Boston Common — a short distance from the original Tea Party — some dressed in Revolutionary garb and carrying signs that said "Barney Frank, Bernie Madoff: And the Difference Is?" and "D.C.: District of Communism."

Texas Gov. Rick Perry fired up a tea party at Austin City Hall with his stance against the federal government, as some in his U.S. flag-waving audience shouted, "Secede!"

In Atlanta, thousands of people gathered outside the Capitol, where Fox News Channel conservative pundit Sean Hannity was set to broadcast his show Wednesday night. One protester's sign read: "Hey Obama you can keep the change."

Julie Reeves, of Covington, brought her Chihuahua Arnie, who wore a tiny anti-IRS T-shirt. "I want the government to get its hand the hell out of my wallet," Reeves said.

The tea parties were promoted by FreedomWorks, a conservative nonprofit advocacy group based in Washington and led by former Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas, who is now a lobbyist.

Organizers said the movement developed organically through online social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter and through exposure on Fox News.

While FreedomWorks insisted the rallies were nonpartisan, they have been seized on by many prominent Republicans who view them as a promising way for the party to reclaim its momentum.

"All you have to be is a mildly awake Republican candidate for office to get in front of that parade," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

The movement attracted some Republicans considering 2012 presidential bids.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich planned to address a tea party in a New York City park Wednesday night. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal sent an e-mail to his supporters, letting them know about tea parties throughout the state. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford planned to attend two tea parties.

"There is no such thing as so-called free money and that includes stimulus," Sanford told several thousand people outside the statehouse in Columbia, S.C. "Paying down debt is an old American theme and never a bad thing."

There were several small counter-protests, including one that drew about a dozen people at Fountain Square in Cincinnati. A counter-protester held a sign that read, "Where were you when Bush was spending billions a month 'liberating' Iraq?" The anti-tax demonstration there, meanwhile, drew about 4,000 people.

In Lansing, Mich., outside the state Capitol, another 4,000 people waved signs exclaiming "Stop the Fiscal Madness," "Read My Lipstick! No More Bailouts" and "The Pirates Are in D.C." Children held makeshift signs complaining about the rising debt.

More than 1,000 protesters gathered outside a downtown federal building in Salt Lake City despite the rain and snow. Kate Maloney held a cardboard sign that read "Pin the tail on the jacka$$" with a picture of Obama on a Democratic donkey.

Other protesters also took direct aim at Obama. One sign in the crowd in Madison, Wis., compared him to the anti-Christ. At a rally in Montgomery, Ala., where Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" blared from loudspeakers, Jim Adams of Selma carried a sign that showed the president with Hitler-style hair and mustache and said, "Sieg Heil Herr Obama."

Still others talked of their children's futures. In Washington, D.C., Joe Hollinger said he took the day off to attend the protest with his 11-year-old daughter.

"I'm concerned about the incredible amount of debt Congress is going to put on our children," Hollinger said, pointing to his daughter's sign, which read, "Congress get your hand off my piggy bank."

[swage33]

Run, Newt, Run!

[FORD]

What the fuck are these idiots protesting?

There's no way that Samuel Weaselfucker the unemployed unlicensed "plumber" or any of these other Freeper retards are in the top 1&#37; that is about to lose the Chimpy tax "cuts" (on taxes they never fucking paid in the first place)

This is nothing but corporate astroturfing from FAUX Noize, and other right wing propaganda shills. But then, I guess you need a DICK Armey to lead a bunch of teabaggers

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I honestly can't attribute it more to hypocrisy or plain ignorance....

Or both...

[BITEYOASS]

What the fuck are these idiots protesting?

There's no way that Samuel Weaselfucker the unemployed unlicensed "plumber" or any of these other Freeper retards are in the top 1&#37; that is about to lose the Chimpy tax "cuts" (on taxes they never fucking paid in the first place)

This is nothing but corporate astroturfing from FAUX Noize, and other right wing propaganda shills. But then, I guess you need a DICK Armey to lead a bunch of teabaggers

If it makes you feel better, only 3-4,000 showed up for the tea party in Lansing, MI featuring Joe the Dumbass. A crowd big enough to fill less than 5% of Spartan Stadium. MSU has protests that are way larger than that.

[FORD]

Is this ELVIS?

[FORD]

Oh shit.... Santa Claus is a Repuke?

[sadaist]

What the fuck are these idiots protesting?

Don't need to be in the top 1% to be mad at increasing taxes. A pack of cigarettes, which was already very heavily taxed, had it's tax rate increased by 158% on April 1st to pay for childrens health care. Since I work to pay for my own childs' health care costs, why should I also have to pay for someone elses? I don't expect anyone else to pay for mine.

[FORD]

"God only requires 10&#37;"??

Well, perhaps, but God's son also said that it was easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to walk through the gates of Heaven. And he also said something about "render unto Caesar what is Caesars" when asked about paying taxes.

[FORD]

Don't need to be in the top 1% to be mad at increasing taxes. A pack of cigarettes, which was already very heavily taxed, had it's tax rate increased by 158% on April 1st to pay for childrens health care. Since I work to pay for my own childs' health care costs, why should I also have to pay for someone elses? I don't expect anyone else to pay for mine.

Tobacco addicts create a big share of the healthcare burden, so they should probably pay accordingly. But that's a seperate issue from what the teabaggers are whining about. Actually, it looks as though most of them didn't even know WHAT they were there to whine about.

[Redballjets88]

Tobacco addicts create a big share of the healthcare burden, so they should probably pay accordingly. But that's a seperate issue from what the teabaggers are whining about. Actually, it looks as though most of them didn't even know WHAT they were there to whine about.

That is why smokers pay higher insurance premiums...

Cigarette tax hikes are there because no one will argue with them because if someone says raising cigarette taxes shouldn't be done they will be labeled as being in favor of smoking.

Raising taxes on smokers is an easy way to bring in more money without the majority of the population being upset.

OR they could add mere pennies onto anything that uses corn syrup or on fast food and it would bring in much more money.

I would gladly pay 1.15 for a 99 cent burger than 6.75 for a pack of smokes that should be about 2.75

[FORD]

What's funny is that these stupid ass BecKKKbots don't even know what the word "teabagging" means.

Either that or they're hoping to run into Larry Craig in the men's room after the rally.