Tea-Party Activists Stage Tax-Day Rallies

While some taxpayers were rushing to get their returns filed last Thursday, others attended tea-party rallies across the country to show their dissatisfaction with the American tax system. According to the Wall Street Journal, the organizers chose the tax deadline to hold rallies in order to highlight “onerous taxes and a bloated federal government.”

The activists protested Democratic policies and displayed varying attitudes toward prominent Republicans. Some groups invited marquee conservatives, such as former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who addressed around 500 people in Austin, Texas.

Other organizers refused to invite politicians of any stripe, reflecting the deep distrust many in the movement feel toward elected officials.

In Wisconsin, several tea-party groups protested a decision to let former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson address a rally in Madison. Saying it was "time for new voices and new faces," Mr. Thompson used his speech to announce that he would not challenge Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold in his bid for re-election.

The rallies in town squares and hotel ballrooms from Philadelphia to San Diego came a year after a similar spate of April 15 protests put the small-government, anti-tax movement on the national map.

Continue reading at WJS.com…

What's Coming Up For Future 'Tea Party' Protests?

From the LA Times.com:

Last month's "tea party" protests have come and gone but are not forgotten. New protests are already brewing, some maybe this holiday weekend, others probably for July 4, with text messages and tweets flying back and forth.

The phenomenon in many ways is familiar in American political history -- a kind of eruption, an incoherent lashing out by people angry over taxes and spending and big government and bigger spending. And the uncertainty of their current lives.

Contrary to some cable news channels, we found "tea party" protesters often to be just as angry at Republicans in general and George W. Bush in particular as at the awe-inspiring size of the Obama Democratic administration's spending plans.

Historically, these protests have fizzled without some political personality to coalesce around -- a Gene McCarthy, a John Anderson, a George Wallace. A Ron Paul even.

Our Times colleague Richard Fausset spent a good deal of time recently with "tea party" participants. And we asked him to go through his notes and thoughts and share the experiences with us. Here's what he told us:

The people I talked with had a variety of targets. This doesn’t mean they went easy on Obama, however. One fake campaign sign showed a picture of the president and a certain hirsute German philosopher: It said: “Obama Marx ’08 – BFF.”

Another sign featured a picture of Obama in a Soviet officers’ uniform and the words: “JUST SAY NYET.”

“Hey, is that available as a T-shirt?” a guy asked the sign holder. “It will be soon,” came the reply.

It was somewhat surprising to hear from numerous folks that their beef wasn’t just with Obama’s economic policies. Time and again, people said they'd been just as upset with what they saw as profligate spending under Bush.

Tim Lee was typical. A councilman from suburban Atlanta's Cobb County. “The Republicans,” he said, “were doing just as bad for eight years.”

Lee’s home county, like many municipalities around the country, has been facing its own economic crisis, forced to cut millions from budgets to match anemic tax revenue. As for the national economy, he said the federal government should have “let it crash” instead of offering bailouts to troubled industries and a big stimulus package.

We would have picked ourselves up and moved on,” Lee added. “The pain would have been short-term. Now we’re taking the long- term pain of having to pay all that money back.”

John Pettit, a 48-year-old contractor, hoisted a sign that read “Chains – we can count on.” Pettit said the nation was “headed for bondage” with its reliance on government borrowing. Pettit’s concerns about government policy didn’t start with Obama or the current Congress, he said.

It went all the way back to the New Deal. Although he said the new guys were part of that long, sorry history by spending money that they simply didn’t have. “Hey," Pettit said, "good habits are learned in bad times. And bad habits are learned in good times. Right now, Congress isn’t learning.”

The rallies typically have a temporary stage, a parade of local officials speaking, radio DJs and minor celebrities rallying the crowd.

What emerges in thought later is the lack of a unifying figure around whom the "tea party" folks can rally.

It will be interesting to see if someone emerges as organizers roll out plans for the next round of protests. If it is to be effective in the long term, it seems the movement will need a decider: not just a public figurehead, but someone who can focus and modulate the multifarious blob of themes and emotions that seem to drive this fascinating middle-class revolt.

Someone, in short, who can tap both the thoughtfulness and anger behind the movement, the patriotism and Americans’ natural skepticism of government power … plus the anti-Obamaism, the call for a fair tax, the fear of new controls on carbon emissions. All that and more.

The Tax Lady Talks Tea Parties

Over the last few weeks there has been a lot of discussion of the tax day protests, termed “Tea Parties.” Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, I think we can all be proud that our fellow citizens are taking an interest in government, and how their taxes are spent. The fastest route to government corruption is a disinterested constituency. By taking an interest and making our needs known, we are demanding accountability from our elected officials.

While the overall goal of these tea parties, and whether there will be any long reaching effects, is up for debate, we can all use this as a message to keep a close eye on government. These tea parties were held by libertarians and conservatives, yet most admitted that the problems did not start with President Obama, and that our fiscal policy has been on the wrong track for quite some time. This kind of rallying, with some hint of historical perspective, is a good sign.

And while the Boston Tea Party protested taxation without representation (American colonists having to pay British taxes, yet not having say in British government), this year’s protests focused on our democratically elected officials’ policies. What that says about our bicameral government is interesting to say the least. Under the eight years of Bush’s presidency, Democrats and liberals commented “not my president”. While we can argue all day that both Bush and Obama were elected, it illustrates that whoever is in charge, the other party feels disenfranchised.

Another interesting note was the tea parties’ distinction from the Republican Party. Leader of the GOP, Michael Steele, asked to speak at one of the protests and was told he could attend, but would not be allowed to speak. This political snub speaks to the fact that there is a marked division within the party. Again, how this affects future GOP candidates and platforms remains to be seen.

And one more note, there was a separate tea party protest on tax day. Join the Impact MA threw IRS form 1040s into Boston Harbor, protesting unequal treatment by the IRS of legally married same-sex couples. Several states, including Massachusetts and Iowa, have legalized same-sex marriage, which entitles those couples to file joint tax returns (which can be financially beneficial) in their state. However, the federal government has not recognized those marriages and the IRS does not allow those married couples to file jointly.

I think these protests signal a higher consciousness of government spending and taxation policy. And as you all know, I am a big proponent of people getting involved and informed on their taxes.

What’s Brewing Next for the Tea Party Movement?

From Pajamasmedia.com:

The American tea party movement bears more resemblance to a rolling block party than a unified organized movement or cause. And that’s precisely why I love it. These people are nice. They’re smart. They come from all walks of life. And they’re sincere. I’ve met hard-hat wearing construction managers, accountants, schoolteachers, the unemployed, retirees, and even the nicest anarchist couple who are worried about their kids’ futures.

And the numbers of protests and protesters continue to stagger, from the consistent low hundreds to the thousands — in all types of political and meteorological climates.

But I’m wondering what’s next for this two-month-old movement, born of outrage and concern at what is arguably a very sudden and very abrupt left turn in America’s moral and economic direction.

Before discussing the future of the movement, we have to make an attempt to understand and demystify it.

Contrary to more than a few conspiracy theories being floated in the left-wing blogosphere, and counter to modern media mythmaking, the American tea party movement is a very un-A.C.O.R.N.-like, decentralized, non-Rick Santelli endorsed outpouring of conservative values and libertarian ideals. I’ve witnessed no one in Indian or Revolutionary War costumes. No Rush Limbaugh grabbing the bullhorn to utter the F-word (failure). I’ve seen very little in the way of actual tea.

In fact, all the tea partyers I’ve met think astroturfing is some sort of Arena League football penalty, rather than a term for grassroots political organizing conducted by some committee of dirty tricks. It’s ridiculous to think the GOP could Astroturf these events, because that would require a coherent message, credible leadership, and a nimble organizational and technological infrastructure.

No, the tea parties reflect the greatest characteristics of Americana: passion, resourcefulness, respect, pitching-in, and commitment to our founding principles. They could just as easily turn into barn raisings or quilting bees.