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Signs of the
Times:
T.E.A. PARTY AMERICA
(Taxed Enough
Already)
by
Greg Schmid
Michigan’s middle
class came out in force on Tax Day, shattering the myth of the
“silent majority” and making their voices heard all across America. "Joe
the Plumber", who famously challenged President Obama for his ideas of
redistribution of wealth, addressed the crowd that numbered over 4,000
at the steps of the capitol dome about the need to get big government
off their backs.
 Called the
“Michigan Taxpayer Tea Party”, the protest was sponsored by one of
Michigan’s premier taxpayer advocacy groups, the Michigan Taxpayers
Alliance (www.mitaxpayers.org),
led by former State Representative
Leon Drolet.
As the protestors, described by some liberal media detractors as right
wing extremists, gathered at the State Capitol on Wednesday, complete
with signs that telegraphed their limited government message, the first
order of business was the “Pledge of Allegiance”.
The State capitol was
just one of 25 cities in Michigan, and over 150 cities across America,
to host Tea Parties April 15th. Traverse City taxpayers
filled the Clinch Park Marina. Midland protestors gathered by the
hundreds, and did protestors in Monroe, Jackson, Gross Point, Adrian,
Big Rapids, Sault Ste Marie, Grand Haven, Holland, Coldwater, Farmington
Hills, Troy, Flushing, Muskegon, and Grand Rapids. Activist Ken Braun
spoke to about 1,000 people at a TEA Party in Hudsonville, Mich. He told
the protestors, “This meeting can do nothing more to save the
country." quoting Tea Party originator Sam Adams. About 800 tea
parties were held nationally. Organizers used all the modern Internet
social networking methods, like websites, email, blogs, text messaging,
Twitter, Smart Girl Politics and the new “Don’t Go”
www.dontgomovement.com. These tools helped to galvanize
frustrated taxpayers across the country. Fox News anchors covered the
events live on national television, and the website
www.taxdayteaparty.com helped local organizers coordinate
resources.
There was significant
government pushback to these protests around the country, despite the
constitutional right to freedom of assembly. Several cities denied rally
permits altogether, using various excuses. In Texas, one official,
Ray Gonzales, informed organizers that he was going to prevent the
event from happening. Gonzales explained to one local organizer that the
special events staff had decided this protest was “not in the
public interest.” The tea party protest in Washington, D.C.,
outside the White House was just shut down by police. A Secret Service
agent told Huffington Post's Arthur Delaney that a demonstrator
had thrown a package over the fence onto the White House lawn. According
to reports, the truck filled with teabags pulled up to Lafayette Park,
but didn't have a permit, and so they were loaded back on to the truck
and driven off to an undisclosed location.
 Also, the plan to
have a second rally in front of the Treasury Department was scotched
after the Secret Service objected. One opponent of the rally in DC
stated protests like this should not be allowed on public property
because of the dangers “Like major traffic issues on Route 50 that
could have occurred and taken resources of law enforcement, thus
endangering other parts of the community by leaving them unprotected
because they have to be there to direct traffic and keep the peace. Oh,
and there is EMS, let's don't forget them. What if it got out of hand?
And let's move right along to lawsuits should someone get hurt. And
who's property were you on? But then I suppose you have all the rights
to do these things without thinking. Bottom line, it's reckless! If
you want to do it, try doing it on your own property and let your
homeowners insurance foot the bill, 'just in case', they'll be thrilled
I'm sure, by sending you a cancellation notice!”
Some liberal media
outlets also downplayed the events. As for the Obama administration, the
official line was as dismissive as it was disingenuous; "I don't know
if the President is aware of the events," said White House Press
Secretary Robert Gibbs. Obama highlighted his economic stimulus
bill at his own April 15th event, roundly believed to be a tactic to
distract attention from the TEA parties. Saginaw Democratic Party
Chair Greg Dietrich gave a familiar comment. Instead of listening to
people calling to end redistribution of wealth, cronyism, corrupt
government contracts, he said; "I don't know what folks want," he said.
"Do they not want their roads being paved?"
 The last big taxpayer
protest movement began in the 70’s ushered in the Reagan revolution.
The success of California Proposition 13 launched a new era of
initiative measures (many of which further constrained state and local
taxing and spending, like the “Headlee Tax Limitation Amendment” in
Michigan), and the taxpayer forces rapidly institutionalized themselves
into a permanent and formidable political interest group. The protests
this tax day hold a similar promise of change; lower state income taxes,
eliminate City income taxes, lower state and local property taxes that
are out of control, and reign in government overspending. Many
protestors signed “PRECALL” petitions, and promised to volunteer to
circulate actual recall petitions against any state or local politicians
that didn’t start standing up for lower taxes and less spending.
“Will this T.E.A.
Party signify the resurgence of taxpayer activism?” asked Drolet, “ How
many citizens are paying attention enough to "do something about" their
government's economics of destruction? Will the media and political
class take notice?” In Florida, rally speaker Chip Morris put
the tea parties in perspective, "This is not a culmination or the end,
but a beginning," he said. "Maybe years from now we'll look back at
April 15, 2009, as the day Americans stood up and began to take their
country back." According to participants and organizers, the protest is
expected to continue as annual events on both Tax Day and at July 4th
Independence Day celebrations.
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