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Tea Party protesters criticize government spending
Date published: 4/16/2009
BY CHELYEN DAVIS
A little girl wielding a plastic bat whacked a pink pig piñata as adults cheered her on. But it wasn't a birthday party. "They're spending your college fund, hit it again," urged Brian Hoff. The pig piñata was a prop for Fredericksburg's "Tea Party," a protest against government spending that replicated events held across the nation yesterday. Hoff organized the local protest after hearing about the national tea party movement from the American Family Association. The tea parties are meant to recall the Boston tea party in which Colonists threw tea into Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act, passed by the British Parliament. Participants are now using "TEA" to stand for "Taxed Enough Already." Yesterday's parties attracted people increasingly frustrated by bailouts, stimulus packages, deficits and budget pork projects. "I don't want to become an indentured servant to the government," said Mary Jane King of Spotsylvania. "That's what is going to happen with this bailout." The Fredericksburg protest brought out roughly 200 people, who occupied the grass on both sides of Princess Anne Street in front of the post office during the noon hour. Many brought homemade signs bearing slogans such as, "Keep Your Hands Out of My Kids' Pockets," "My Grandkids Can't Afford Your Pork," "Stop the Obama-Pelosi-Reid Runaway $$$ Train" and "I Am Not an ATM." Passing motorists honked and cheered in support. "I'm very, very upset and very worried about the state of the country," said Judy Steele of Fredericksburg. She had with her two granddaughters, wearing shirts on which they'd drawn piggy banks with the words, "What about my future?" Steele said she is frustrated with Congress, especially the "extremely socialist Pelosi." She said she's a Republican but is frustrated with elected officials in her own party, as well. "They're not standing up," Steele said. While some protesters, like Steele, and a number of protest signs targeted Obama and current congressional leaders like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, many protesters yesterday said their frustration at out-of-control government spending has been growing for some time. "It's not just this administration," Hoff said. People, he added, have "a general sense of frustration that special-interest groups own the politicians." And many said they're worried about how huge budget deficits will affect the next generation. "We don't like the idea of our taxes going sky-high," said Ralph Vick, who came from Lake Anna for the event. "Our kids will be paying it." Vick said he wasn't very satisfied with former President George W. Bush's leadership, but Obama is worse. King George resident Ernie Teaster had similar feelings: His concerns about government spending began under Bush and have become worse now that Democrats are running Washington. "I want to stop the spending. We're broke," Teaster said. Hoff said the tea party yesterday was gratifying because many people thought they were the only ones tired of government spending. "We didn't realize this many people felt the same way we did," he said. "So many of us have felt frustrated but didn't feel we had a voice." Chelyen Davis: 540/368-5028
Are you totally humorless? In the words of the great
Washington philosopher John Riggins to Supreme Court
Justice Sandra Day O'Conner, " Loosen up, Sandy babe."
Enjoy this beautiful day and this weekend my friend.
It's "Hokie" when referring to a current or former student or staff from Virginia Tech. Hokies are quite proud of their moniker.
Have you ever heard the saying, " It's better to be silent and
thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all
doubt."?
you pay taxes on your earing per annum. what hokey math are you using?
32% of all americans pay no taxes at all. 42% of single americans pay no tax at all. The higher we set the taxes on the "wealthy" the less they pay overall.
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