Thousands vent anger at Tax Day Tea Party
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Voices from a tea party
Several thousand people rallied in downtown Richmond protesting the federal government's handling of the economy and their tax dollars.
JOE MAHONEY/TIMES-DISPATCH
The rain did not dampen the spirits of the Richmond gathering of the Tax Day Tea Party.
Published: April 16, 2009
Updated: April 17, 2009
It rained on the Richmond Tax Day Tea Party, but that didn't dampen the enthusiasm of several thousand chanting, sign-waving Virginians.
They crowded into the Kanawha Plaza tonight to vent their anger at what they consider a big-spending government that they fear is taking away their freedoms.
The signs told the story:
"The Real Pirates are in Congress."
"Stop Toxic Spending!"
"Tea Party Today. Tar and Feathers Tomorrow!"
"Unrepentant Capitalist!"
"Obamanomics. Trickle Up Poverty."
"Obama Wants Your Dollars. Do You Want His Change?"
"Who Will Bail Out the Bailout?"
Across the nation today, tens of thousands of protesters staged hundreds of "tea parties," from Boston to Salt Lake City, from Kentucky to Alaska to rail against the nation's mounting debt and spending they think is out of control.
Protesters even threw what appeared to be a box of tea bags toward the White House, causing a brief lockdown at the compound.
At the Richmond tea party, some wore tea bags as earrings.
A series of speakers, many from radio station WRVA, railed against the government and the growing federal debt. But the loudspeakers weren't strong enough to carry the speeches to the rear of the crowd. Many shouted their disapproval with the sound system.
A Patrick Henry impersonator drew the biggest applause with a recitation of his famous "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech, made just a few blocks away in 1775.
Robert Bruce came up from Aylett to hold an American flag upside down, a symbol of distress.
"America is going in the wrong direction," he said.
Nessa Park of Richmond, attending her first political rally, checked a reporter's identity before talking to him.
"I don't want socialism," she said.
The speakers sounded an anti-government theme. Matt Whitworth, a student at Virginia Commonwealth University, said, "The best way to fix the economy is to cut taxes . . . and get the government out of our lives."
Jamie Radtke, a member of the group Restoring the Founders' Vision, brought her young children with her to emphasize her point that the growing debt is "embezzling and pillaging our children's future."
Sarah Halsey wore red, white and blue ribbons in her hair and a sandwich board that proclaimed, "I am only 8 years old and I'm already $36,000 in debt." On the back, it read "Keep your Marxist hands out of my piggy bank."
Her father, Stephen Halsey, 40, of Henrico County held a sign that said, "Government is not the solution to our problems. Government is the problem."
On the outskirts of the crowd, Charles Jones, 46, of Henrico County held a giant wooden pitchfork that impaled large dollar bills labeled "earmarks" and "waste."
Ashley Farley, 14, and Ivy Williamson, 13, both of Mechanicsville, stood atop a wall leading into the park and waved to passing vehicles. They held homemade signs that read "Stop spending our future" and "Party like it's 1773."
Hari Sevugan, press secretary for the Democratic National Committee, issued a statement in response to the tea party rallies:
"While we support the right of Americans to petition their government, what's clear is that the overwhelming majority of folks support President [Barack] Obama's plan to get the economy back on track and provide 95 percent of working families with tax relief, because they are no longer going to accept 'more of the same' as an answer."
Contact Tyler Whitley at (804) 649-6780 or .
Contact Melodie N. Martin at (000) 649-6290 or .
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Reader Reactions
Greta, nor I your vocabulary or imagination!
So Henry’s Ghost, remove all barriers to home-schooling. So a parent that didn’t even graduate High School should be able to teach their child at home?
What do you have against Unions? The only rights that matter are big businesses?
12step-Nor I your humanity!
What do you propose to do in regards to the American Auto Industry?
It’s called Chapter 11. With NO, count ‘em ZIP, ZERO, NADA concessions to the UAW.
Should the gov. let AIG fail?
If they can’t operate without government help, YEP!
What do you propose we do to cut our dependency on fossil fuels from the Middle East?
Remove restrictions to development of domestic resources, with one caveat, that >= 80% be used for domestic consumption.
What about education since I believe currently we rank roughly 19th in the world on K-12 and even lower in regards to Math and Science?
End the practice of promoting failing students, remove ALL barriers to home-schooling, including tax incentives for home-schooling families.
What about the rising cost of Health Care?
It’s called Tort Reform. The prevalence of astronomic jury awards, and frivolous lawsuits have played a big part in the increasing cost of health care.
Just saying “NO” doesn’t work. Let’s hear your ideas.
Out of my twelve points the only thing 12 step can comment on is the joke….. Now thats would be funny if it was not so sad…..
“12) Quit ruining my life”
Gee, what happened to accountability? Take responsibility for the ruination of your own life (though we all know it’s soooo much easier to blame the etherial “libs”).
Needed solutions
1) Drill for oil in Alaska, and stop sending it to Russia 2) Use wind energy to draw natural gas out of the ground 3) One and Two will eliminate the need for foreign oil 4) Hold the teacher accountable for failure of the students. If you did your job half way and something failed to work properly would you keep your job? I doubt it
5) Stop the government from helping any privately owned company. Why would you loan or give money to someone who has proven they can not properly use it? 6) Quite rewarding failure.
7) Stop all……………. yes ALL pork barrel spending I don’t care what cause it is for. If the populous want it they will support it. 8) Get rid of all of the professional politicians who think that we the stupid masses can not possible survive without their “”helping us”” find our way through the mire. 9) Stop the “you need to be more tolerant to my rights” while I trample the crap out of your because you’re a right wing bully.
10) Stop the tree hugging liberal stuff you want a socialist country move to Russia, no wait they found it did not work OK try China. Go there and act out like you do here and see what happens. 11) Lastly remember freedom is never free…Sorry to confuse most of you with the truth, I know how the liberals refuse to face the truth. 12) Quit ruining my life
<<rvaman is out snipe hunting, so let me answer for him>>
Actually, I was goose hunting, but certain people weren’t appreciative :)
<<What do you propose to do in regrds to the American Auto Industry?>>
Simple…if it can’t sustain itself, let it fail.
For 30 years, they’ve made inferior products while paying high-school educated union members $30/hour to squeeze a trigger on fancy screwdrivers.
Where’s the mystery?
And how are those bailouts they received working out?
<<Should the gov. let AIG fail?>>
Yup.
<<What do you propose we do to cut our dependency on fossil fuels from the Middle East?>>
Nothing…since we get less than 25% of our oil from the Middle East.
<<What about education since I believe currently we rank roughly 19th in the world on K-12 and even lower in regards to Math and Science?>>
Look for the reason why ever-increasing spending—now at $10K per student, per year—isn’t doing the job.
A good place to start might be the 40% out-of-wedlock birth rate.
<<What about the rising cost of Health Care?>>
Ask the govt.
In the 1970s, for every $1 spent on health care, $.70 went to actual patient care. Today, for every $1 spent, $.70 goes to bureaucratic paper-shuffling, insurance against lawsuits, and other generalized butt-covering.
<<Just saying “NO” doesn’t work.>>
And just saying “MORE” has?
<<Minamalist government. You want more money get a better paying job. You want a hand out go to a church, civic group, or your own family not the government.>>
Absolutely pitch perfect, btrimble.
My only addition, if I may:
- If you screw your life up when you’re young by dropping out of school, having babies, goofing off with your buddies, or drinking and drugging, too bad. When you should have been preparing for your future, you chose not to…now deal with the consequences like an adult. That means not expecting “society” to subsidize your life in order to mitigate your mistakes.
rvaman is out snipe hunting, so let me answer for him:
1. Let the auto industry go bankrupt. They’ll be better for it and we would have saved billions of dollars.
2. We don’t depend on the Middle East for most of our oil. We make most of our own and our biggest importer is Venezuela. Invade Venezuela, overthrow Chavez, and do them all a favor. While we’re at it we could seize Mexico’s oil monopoly (Pemex). They’re not doing anything with it except mismanaging it.
3. We are No. 19 even though we spend more per capita than any country in the world. What makes anyone think more will be better?
4. Move to Britain or Canada.
I said ‘no’ to nicotine addiction and it worked. Saying ‘no’ works very well when coupled with self-discipline and a willingness to take responsibility for oneself instead of expecting someone else to do it for you.
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