Crashing the Tea Party

Any more than the Rite Aid down the street is "my neighborhood drug store." The corporate and political support for these events is a matter of public record. The fact that some people who were NOT actually employed by Fox News or The Republican Party wandered in doesn't change that. If a Methodist goes to Holy Angels Bingo night, that doesn't make it an ecumenical event. It just shows some Methodists feel all right about supporting the fundraising of Holy Angels.

Here, straight off my state GOP website.

http://www.delawaregop.com/Player.aspx?guid=ce2ebf...

I haven't bothered to check all state websites and speaker lists. Check the ones near you.

 http://www.blogher.com/blog/she-who

A grass roots movement is not likely to be super cohesive given the nature of how it's organized.  It will likely take on regional character and unfortunately not everyone will show up for the same reasons.  However, just the fact that that many people are willing to show up, and protest peacefully (no coup here), says so much for our country despite the fact that it might not have been pretty or pleasant.  Certainly no one's view's represented everyone's views. 

I didn't attend largely because I was doing my taxes that day.  I also appreciate the discussion occuring in the comments section.  I find it far more productive than the original post.  Thank you ladies.  You amaze me always with your intelligence and analysis.

Denise, it's a personal mental health sacrifice for me to discuss politics and racial matters.  I do so because I believe silence indicates agreement.  I wish I could write one compendium of all my objections, then head to a mountaintop and be done with human strife.

Nordette ( http://blogher.org/blog/nordette ): BlogHer CE and NOLA Lit Examiner ( http://nola101.com ). Blogs @ WSATA ( http://bigsole.blogspot.com ) & UMBOP ( http://urbanpsalms.blogspot.com ).

If your taxes are worse than NJ taxes, then you guys shouldn't be sending tea bags to your local legislatures. You should be sending recall ballots.

Nordette ( http://blogher.org/blog/nordette ): BlogHer CE and NOLA Lit Examiner ( http://nola101.com ). Blogs @ WSATA ( http://bigsole.blogspot.com ) & UMBOP ( http://urbanpsalms.blogspot.com ).

Since it was a grassroots movement, it's difficult to send one succinct message about the TEA party protests. Depending upon who you listened to, who you read, who you know - the TEA Party could have meant any number of the things. I get that this was confusing to the masses, totally understand that (I don't believe allowing ourselves to be dismissive or getting caught up in jokes was all that helpful to the issue either.)

There are a lot of people who have no idea that TEA stood for Taxed Enough Already. That seems like a pretty big problem to me, you should have some idea of what your fellow Americans are protesting before you join them, shouldn't you rather than just assuming they're protesting what you want them to protest?

Then again, I'm not 100% sure I'd want that particular messaging problem to be resolved - since I'm afraid the only way it could have been resolved was to have had it not be a grassroots movement. And it's the grassrootsy-ness of it that I appreciated. (Besides the fact that I'm sick to death of govt spending, high taxes and misuse of our taxes.)

You're right, there were some ugly protests shown on the news and in blogs. There were also some pretty solid protests around the country that were fouled by the ugliness of a few. And there were some protests that took us where I, personally, think we needed to go.

But, isn't that the way of a lot of protests? Good, bad AND ugly? After all, what we're protesting is often mired in good, bad and ugly.

Blah, ok enough political commentary from me. I think I'm done for another few months or so. This little bit is about all I can take before I start feeling queasy again. :-)

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings ( http://www.flamingohouse.net/ )

I hated the bailout. I have said so. That transcended political party lines. And if the protest was about that and the audacity of continued corporate greed then I think more folks and more people of color would have participated.

That not was how the Tea Party was presented to me or even to some of my conservative friends. In fact, when I asks folks what did the tea party mean to them they had no clue. One because not all conservatives watch FOX or listen to conservative radio and two it seemed to be a rally to support European Americans who feel like they were disenfranchised.

I looks at some of the videos and there was a great deal of anger about "socialism" "the loss of American values" and "taking this country back."

Taking it back where? We damned near flushed it down the toilet with unethical personal & corporate financial irresponsibility and on the books governmental regulations that were not enforced.

It was made really clear who was invited to this party. That video I saw of the crowd turning on the African American reporter trying to do her job asking questions?

Nope, no thank you this is one party I skipped.

I want to say that I know many that participated just honestly wanted to express their concerns about a multi-trillion dollar budget. But it was multi-trillion before Obama took the oath. The majority of that bloat is military spending, not social programs.

For me was it was the hostile promotion aspects of the Tea Party that has me cautious of reactionary stupidity. I see nothing to easy my mind or soul that I was mistaken.

Gena - Out On The Stoop ( http://outonthestoop.blogspot.com )

with high local taxes, but the tea party protest was about protesting Obama and Federal taxes mainly, not your local taxes.  These pictures from your state of Oregon indicate your fellow citizens saw this as a protest against Obama and the Fed more than a protest against your local taxes.

And from the Wall Street Journal ( http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123982580153222207... ), hardly a liberal media outlet, a report on the national story:
The president's promise came as hundreds of tax protesters gathered across the street from the White House, and thousands more assembled in "tea parties" across the country to object to Mr. Obama's policies, the first widespread protests against the new president since he took office in January. (WSJ ( http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123980697575621155... ))
That's from an actual article written by a reporter and not something drummed up in Karl Rove spin ( http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123984928625323721... ), but even he, after saying that local taxes were one concern, voiced the Republican Party's true message, that "the center of the debate is in Washington, not the states. The fear of future federal tax hikes is fueling the tea-party movement." So the tea party was about "stopping" Obama.

Nordette ( http://blogher.org/blog/nordette ): BlogHer CE and NOLA Lit Examiner ( http://nola101.com ). Blogs @ WSATA ( http://bigsole.blogspot.com ) & UMBOP ( http://urbanpsalms.blogspot.com ).

instead of serious discussion.  I'm not an extremist or racist.  I'm not an ultra-conservative and I barely relate to the Republican party.  And yet...

I found the idea of the tea party intriguing.  I live in Oregon and here my concern has nothing to do with Obama or federal spending.  I am very concerned with the tax policies in my state that drive out solid businesses and lower our tax base, thereby lowering revenue.  

I knew nothing of the term "teabagging" until you were kind enough to point it out and I resent my genuine concern regarding my state's economy as being labeled a "temper tantrum".  I'm not 3.  

Believe it or not, not everything is about Obama.

...is apparently this ( http://postpostracial.wordpress.com/2009/04/16/wor... ) one I posted about the other day. ;-)

~~

This So-Called, Post-Post-Racial Life

http://postpostracial.wordpress.com/

I dont' have time right now for an ACORN debate, Norma. Feel free to read my response on another ACORN post here ( http://www.blogher.com/what-does-acorn-stand#comme... ).  I have personal experience with Fox lying to people and twisting a story.

Nordette ( http://blogher.org/blog/nordette ): BlogHer CE and NOLA Lit Examiner ( http://nola101.com ). Blogs @ WSATA ( http://bigsole.blogspot.com ) & UMBOP ( http://urbanpsalms.blogspot.com ).

I never heard of teabagging until the liberals were kind enough to point it out. Funny how you guys know this kind of stuff.

Nordette--I didn't know Fox was powerful enough to organize the indictments of ACORN in Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Colorado for false registration of voters.

Jeez. I guess I guess I gotta give them more credit than I have. I'll betcha Chis Matthews or even Keith Olbermann can't do that. Wow.

Norma156 I am breaking one of my non-new years resolutions but I beg of you specifically to look at the budget. You will find that most of the money is going to, get ready for this now, Defense, Defense Contractors, The Military and, not to put too fine a point on this, National Security.

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/5927/wallstatsd...

It was passed on to me via Twitter. Click on the map to magnify the area you want to condemn. Green after a number means the funding went up. Red after a number means the funding was cut. And it is hard to see but the little teeny tiny . before a number means it isn't a billion dollars.

Now if you have a way of trimming that military fat I will stand with you and bring the knife sharpener.

I will keep saying this until my voice gives out. It is not a liberal thing. It is not a conservative thing. I support the right to protest and free speech. I gotta look up what tea bagging means but if y'all want to do it on the street more power to you.

Until this nation is ready to realistically deal with the balance of national safety and security with military spending all the teabags in the world ain't gonna help that bloat.
Gena - Out On The Stoop ( http://outonthestoop.blogspot.com )

The problem is, we don't set the conditions. The voters did that, they approved a budget, by referendum. Then they elected people to set the taxes. Everything's fine, up to that point. It's COLLECTING the taxes that causes everyone to break out in a rash.

For example, we have a three year contract for trash pick-up. In my opinion, it's a lousy contract, but it's a contract. I don't set that, either. We're in the second year, now. In order to save money when the contract was set, we went from 2 pick-ups a week to one. That means they send heavier trucks around, also, that people have their garbage pile up a little more than previously. It would be my observation (personal, not political) that this has increased a raccoon and dog problem, and that the heavier trucks are doing road damage that means we need to resurface more often, because no one likes potholes.

But you really CANNOT explain to people why the other trash hauler was better, until you screw up with a 3 year contract, and THEN someone needs to make it their mission to fix it. They can't be distracted by the roof of the community center, or traffic calming on the state road, or upkeep for the memorial garden. In the mean time, half the people who were voted in to set taxes have quit, moved, or died, and you need to educate a new pack of them.

This is a good town. Just about everyone working on it gives far more to it than they could ever hope to reap in house values or whatever. Their intentions are sterling. But there aren't any 'professional politicians' around here...hardly are any at the State level. Everyone has to make a living. And the problem with that is, by the time somebody knows what needs to be fixed, they realize they're in the wrong job to fix it, or it's illegal to fix it, or they're years out from a consensus to fix it. And in the meantime, we just try to keep the lights on.

If the majority of people were honest with themselves, they'd admit that they borrowed against their house value increases  to buy stuff when they should have been putting money by. And the awful thing about our current situation is that those who DID live frugally, put their money by, etc. are facing reduced hours, benefits, etc. to pay for a party they didn't really attend. We have a government reserve fund. I'll work like hell to see some of it spent this year to cushion the blow against ordinary taxpayers. But if the economy as a whole doesn't turn around, and pretty darn fast, people will want to know why I didn't save that fund for the REAL emergency...5 years down the road.

There are days when I'd run every service straight like a tollroad. If you use it, you pay for it. But I don't believe, in the long run, that's better than taxation, although there sure are a lot of ways we might improve that.

Sorry, folks, if I'm taking us off topic.

http://www.blogher.com/blog/she-who

That they knew about the "teabagging" thing and stuck with it for the press it would get? I mean, that has to be it, right?

I mean, we're laughing about it, but it is getting it some pretty, uh, widespread, coverage it might not have gotten. It certainly wouldn't have been on my blog today if it wasn't so damn funny.

Liz Rizzo ( http://blogher.org/blog/liz-rizzo )

I blog at Everyday Goddess ( http://everydaygoddess.typepad.com/ ).

First off, thanks for your public service.  It takes a hearty soul to put yourself in the public eye day after day and it is appreciated.

Well, it is certainly not an easy situation!  Let me make a comparison to business...

We all know the saying that "Necessity is the mother of invention".  Well, applied to business, it's "Necessity is the mother of efficiency".  Businesses don't have the luxury of going out and creating more sales when they have expenses.  Instead, they are forced to look internally at how they can become more efficient...do more with less and still be productive.  This reality, while harsh, makes for companies that are leaner and much stronger when they come out of the downturn.  Don't get me wrong, it's not easy.  My company cut my salary by 5% and took away 401k match.  But, at least I still have a job and the company isn't going under.

Government, on the other hand, has the ability to increase its "sales" (i.e. tax revenue).  I think this is a bad thing as it means that there isn't ever a "necessity" to look inward, reinvent, and become more efficient.  In addition, once government spending starts, it seems like it's impossible to ratchet back.  No elected official wants to utter the dreaded "l" word (layoffs).  But considering temporary paycuts, benefit rollbacks, and (gulp) layoffs is certainly reasonable.  It's painful at first, but once things turnaround and tax revenues start to go back up, government will be more efficient and able to spend increased revenue on new programs.

I would also like to see a fund created by government that can only be used when tax revenues are going to fall far short of projections.  This would be created by contributing a certain amount of the total budget (a percent or two) into a fund that cannot be touched unless they face a significant shortfall.  Of course, this would take years to accumulate, but I think in the long run it would be worth it.

 Obviously, I'm not familiar with your situation and the ins and outs of what you're facing.  These are just some general thoughts I have on the subject.  Best of luck.

As soon as Fox starts on ACORN it loses the kernel of credibility it has left. ACORN is more a threat to itself than anyone else.

Your whole post is a hoot. I just visited the urban dictionary, ROFLMAO.

And then the right wing complains that they're associated with racism as in "right wing extremist." ( http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/14/extremism.r... ) Let' see, they see Fox as a conservative mouthpiece and Fox paints ACORN as a group of black liberal radicals trying to throw an election and beats us over the head with how much they loathe them. Fox claims it's fair when it covers the tea parties, but then tries to support the claim by saying it covered "the million man march," a black man's event and one that Fox actually was not around to cover.  In essence, Fox tends to pit conservatives against groups that are perceived to be black groups. Mainstream consevatives eat it with a spoon and then still try to sell us that they aren't racially divisive.  

I know taxes aren't about race, but I couln't help notice who Fox conservative news heads like to imply is the American boogie man.

Nordette ( http://blogher.org/blog/nordette ): BlogHer CE and NOLA Lit Examiner ( http://nola101.com ). Blogs @ WSATA ( http://bigsole.blogspot.com ) & UMBOP ( http://urbanpsalms.blogspot.com ).

That MSNBC clip was the best deadpan comedy video ever. I can't believe I just heard so many "nuts" jokes delivered in serious news anchor style.    Ridiculously funny!

-----------------
Liz Henry ( http://www.blogher.com/haystackprofile/viewprofile... )
lizzard@bookmaniac.net ( http://liz-henry.blogspot.com/ )
Contributing Editor, World and Latin America
( http://www.blogher.com/blog/liz-henry )

As a recent transplant to Cook County, Illinois can I just say the taxation makes it incredibly difficult to enjoy living here. Forget the weather, that's bad enough - but the taxes are truly going to kill me and my family.

Thanks for leaving this comment. Always makes me feel better to hear another Chicagolander struggling the way I am.

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings ( http://www.flamingohouse.net/ )

I will be having (again this year) 1/7th of the responsibility for setting property taxes in my area, so I'm really curious. Those taxes will be paying for schools, roads, trash pick-up, snow removal, and the maintenance of public lands. Most of the costs associated with those are fairly fixed. We cannot depend on investment income, because returns on that are way down. We can't necessarily depend on state aid (which ordinarily helps with roads, etc.) because they're looking at an enormous shortfall.

So, there's no question that we're postponing all capital expenditures that we can, by law, avoid. That's done. We might issue bonds, but without infusion of capital from the stimulus we have NO shot at borrowing money (from the Chinese or anyone else) because little towns aren't a sexy investment, and really, you have to pay that back.

So, what is my option to taxation?

I have a family I'm working to support too, so if you have a magic answer, tell me what it is. 

http://www.blogher.com/blog/she-who

.. by working with activist groups and lawmakers who have the same concrete ideas and proposals as you do. Do you have ideas? Suggestions? How to replace money from one tax source or another?

You won't do it by complaining in general about "too many taxes" or "our deficit" (thank Bush for a whopper deficit that got us ... ummm... not much; at least Obama's will get us green jobs, better schools, alternative energy, and jobs -- it's true INVESTMENT), and you won't do it by joining a bunch of clowns with signs like, "I'll KEEP MY GUNS / LIBERTY / MONEY, You Can TAKE [Obabma photo]!"  (as seen on the news today)

Guns? Liberty? what's today about again?

KeegsMom

KIDSFLIX

http://kidsflix.blogspot.com

Right on, emarintz, you said it better than I.

I mean come on, it really doesn't have a point.  There is absolutely no substance in this story.  It's easy to joke, but apparently it's hard to come up with concrete arguments as to why these tax parties are a bad idea.

I live in Illinois where they are considering a 50% increase in the income tax rate.  This is going to cost my wife and I almost $1,800 per year.  On top of that, Chicago (where I live) has the highest sales tax in the nation (10.25%).

I am trying hard to provide for my family, pay my mortgage responsibly, and insure my retirment, and it makes me sick that the government is getting in the way of that.  It is wrong.  The government works for me.  It does not have the right to arbitrarily reach into my pocket and take my hard earned money.

So what about my kids?  How much of the federal budget is going to go to simply paying off interest on Obama huge debt that he's creating?  And do we really want China to own such a large stake in the U.S.?

 I'm not saying that I don't think I should pay any taxes.  I'm saying that the government has to excercise fiscal responsibility, just like the American people are.  I suggest you really study this situation before blogging again.

Come on ladies, surely you can be more original than THAT. "white supremacists"?

Do you really want to play that game? Shall we start fixating on the lack of diversity at ACORN foreclosure mob protests?  ( http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/09ke2sO5EX39Q/... )

Of course everyone that attends a tea party must be an extremist or even conservative or republican. Sorry, that's just not so! 

Maybe over your tea party with your daughter you can discuss how she is already tens of thousands of dollars in debt, but not to worry because mommy thinks people who are concerned about it are all absurd and should be mocked. 

And you're right, a 70% approval rating of how Obama is handling the economic situation means it's right and that it will all turn out okay. I mean, there were also high approval ratings of the Iraq war and that turned out okay. Oh, wait... 

It's disappointing to me that I apparently don't seem strident enough...more people used to be scared to approach me with idiocy. I blame the internet. :D

Your party looks nice, though. :) 

http://www.blogher.com/blog/she-who

Giggle, shriek. Look at all the nut jobs worried about the trillions of dollars of unaccounted for taxpayer money being shoveled out by the Obama administration.

Hah. Hah. Right wing nuts who know that Keynesian economics don't work.

Laugh out loud at the wack jobs who worry about ten years of trillion dollar deficits and what it will mean to their children.

Wink. Wink. We don't need to worry because Homeland Security is watching them...and our returning veterans.

Belittle the fanatics, but follow the pied piper off the cliff.

Have fun at your own tea party, lady, and be sure to teach your daughter the respect you show differing opinions.

In fact, with 70 some odd percent approval for Obama's Economic handling I'm not even sure this would be a story if it weren't for the innuendo hilarity.

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain ( http://queenofspainblog.com/ )

human[BEING]because I just can't get the visual of all of these grassroots peeps on their knees doing their teabagging thing. I try to be mature about it. I try and try. But I just can't. 

because it's just too hilarious. I'm still giggling over Jon Stewart's graphics the day after this broke, with the White House and all.

Just goes to the point that the people in charge of this "movement" are particularly clueless.

 Lynn

You are so funny and like you, I think I'll settle for a tea party with my little girl, it's much much safer that way.  :-) 

Spin DivaMind.Body.Soul

I think LucindaA sounds like many individuals I know who are concerned about our taxes and our economy. We aren't all in agreement about what the concerns are or how to handle them or who to be upset with. Many Taxed Enough Party participants have said that.

Just because the Taxed Enough Party in her area didn't focus on her particular issues doesn't mean that the two are not related. Or that everyone attending Taxed Enough Parties specifically blames President Obama. Or that she shouldn't express dissatisfaction with the way an issue was covered - here, by Fox News, by CNN - wherever the poor coverage occurred.

Also, taxes in Jersey - nothing compared to living here. Been there done that, would much rather do it again than do Cook County, Il. Frightening, and I really never believed I'd see anything worse than NJ. I was wrong. Very wrong. Blah.

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings ( http://www.flamingohouse.net/ )