Tax Day 2009 - on Tea Parties

In the 1976 movie, Network, character Howard Beale noted that, "I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" Tax protesters on April 15 showed a similar mindset (although in a markedly different setting). And while President Obama remarked (Washington Post, April 10, Michael Fletcher) that we are, "starting to see...glimmers of hope across the economy," the events of April 15 strongly suggest that there is far more than a glimmer of resurgence of conservative beliefs in America.

Tea Parties

Across the nation, disgruntled taxpayers from all walks of life, old and young, Democrats and Republicans came together in mostly locally orchestrated events to show the Nation and the world that enough is enough. They did this using canned and creative signage, costumes, and even just honking car horns. While mainstream TV media seemed determined to downplay and denigrate the historic events of Tax Day 2009, Fox TV and talk radio FM were even more determined to take the opposite tack.

I attended the Naples, FL tea party between noon and 2pm at the corner of Highway 41 and Pine Ridge Road. I had never attended such an event before. My only other "protest" was in support of Washington, DC teachers during salary contract negotiations back in 2003 or 2004. At the time, my wife was a DC elementary school teacher. Although I am old enough to have protested during the protest hay day period of the late 1960's and early 1970's, I missed that "opportunity."

What I saw at the Naples event (and I suspect from media reports that I am not alone in my assessments) is that people, concerned people, finally had enough of tax and spend politics; bailouts; federal government intrusion into our lives and corporate America; accelerating Socialistic trends; loss of sovereignty; and other shenanigans coming forth from Washington, DC. So, they joined in as community tea parties were organized. In Naples, FL (a relatively small city) in Collier County (a relatively sparsely populated county) thousands came out, not once but twice, to voice their discontent. There was a second tea party here spanning the dinner hour, organized by another tea party group.

Strangers spoke with strangers; people talked with their tea party neighbors about real political, social and economic concerns; and attendees talked about questioning government, caring about the fiscal baggage that awaits their children's children and about where to go from here. With apologies to NBC News and the Homeland Security Administration, I saw no right wing extremists, only populist outrage.

Signage was spectacular. Some addressed the "Commander and THIEF," "reading grades for Congress = F," double entendres keying on "removing the pirates (from Congress)," and even one raising the specter of a political transition come November 2010. Other signs talked about "Partying Like It Was 1773," "Bring Back Thomas Payne" and "The Only Tax Should Be A Fair Tax!" My sign keyed on the fact that "Orwellian 1984 is closer than you think." Although I am concerned about tax and spend, I am even more concerned about the tendency toward loss of our Constitutional liberties.

But it wasn't just the demonstrators, their signs, their flags, their tea bag ornaments and their enthusiasm that made the event. It was the passer-bys, too. Thousands of cars honked horns, gave thumbs up to the people on the sides of the road, and even managed to hold up signs or bumper stickers in support of the event.

Next Steps

Now that the immediate euphoria of the event has passed, it is time to address the issue posed by Greta van Susteren on air and at her web site (i.e. is this just a one-time event or the start of more?) Based on poll results through 5:00am EDT (April 16), it seems that her viewers believe that this is the beginning of the beginning (99%).

So do I. And I have already raised the issue with some of the people who helped frame the noontime Naples, FL tea party. Neal Boortz has suggested that we need state-driven Constitutional Conventions to push for the repeal of the 16th Amendment, enactment of a Fair Tax and the establishment of term limits for Congress (beyond the potential for election-based term limits which don't seem to happen). I couldn't agree more. And I will be exploring just how to make that happen in Florida. Look for updates in future AC articles.

I will also be writing letters to my elected officials voicing my concerns. I learned long ago that those outside my congressional district and Florida's Governor Crist could care less about my viewpoint and those of others.

Hopefully many of you who read this article either attended a tea party or waved and honked in support of one. Hopefully others will use this event as an opportunity to question authority and question what is being done to our country in the guise of saving it from itself.

While I was busy protesting, my wife was educating her 6th graders about tax form 1040EZ. Coordinating with her social studies colleague (who taught about the Boston Tea Party), she addressed the tax structure, percentages, how to complete tax forms and more. The kids even protested, carrying signs that demanded "No Taxation Without Representation." According to my wife, the kids got more out of the real life setting than the normal curriculum lesson (but that's another story).

Having worked for the Feds once, I can state that most Federal workers do their job, just as those outside the government do. But, elected or appointed politicos are a different breed. As a colleague at the demonstration noted, "elected officials are more into their power than providing service their constituents."

So, a line has been drawn in the sand and the more conservative amongst us are finally making their voices heard. Once a liberal, but now a realist, I can only hope that collectively today's voices will grow in size and volume. But, it would be easy for the effort to languish, given how the mainstream media has already treated it.

I would defer to Mahatma Gandhi to guide the effort. He noted, "First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win."

The 2009 tea parties have already pushed the effort to Gandhi's second level. The fight stage is imminent given remarks from House Minority Leader John Boehner (R., Ohio), Texas Governor Rick Perry and South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford.

I eagerly look forward to the fight and the victory that must occur. The future of our great Nation depends on it!