There was a lot of blame to go around Wednesday at the Augusta Tax Day Tea Party.
The local version of the nationwide effort drew a capacity crowd of small government advocates to the 1,700-seat Jessye Norman Amphitheater on Augusta's Riverwalk.
Some of their anger went to former President George W. Bush, blamed for his spending efforts during eight years in the White House. Some went to congressional Democrats and Republicans, cited for allowing government spending to swell.
But most complaints focused on President Obama.
Congressman Paul Broun called spending in Washington a "steamroller of socialism" that would "destroy America."
"We have a very clear picture of where they're leading us, and all you have to do is look at East Berlin before the wall came down," Mr. Broun said.
Citing Thomas Jefferson, the 10th District congressman said the country sometimes needs a rebellion to put government right.
"It's time for that revolt," he said, encouraging the crowd to press their leaders in Congress for lower spending.
The tea party was described in a news release as a nonpartisan, nationwide event designed to send a message to representatives in Washington that citizens are fed-up with the tax-and-spend politics.
Mike Daniels, of Hephzibah, said it was a message that those in Washington aren't hearing. Wearing a "Don't Tread on Me" T-shirt and holding a sign proclaiming "One Nation Under God," Mr. Daniels, 55, said his last protest was in the 1960s when he was angry about the way politicians were handling the Vietnam War.
He said government is like fire in that it is "a useful tool when kept under control."
Dave Barbee, 10th District chairman for the Georgia Republican Party, said the federal government must either cut spending or raise taxes.
"You can't borrow your way out of debt. You have to stop spending and pay off your debt. It's going to be painful, but it's got to be done," Mr. Barbee said.
Blythe City Councilman Daniel Martin said he considers himself a "paleo-conservative Constitutionalist," and said he voted for Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin for president last year. He said the folks at the amphitheater should have protested back when President Bush was tripling the size of the federal government, but a lot of people are blinded by partisanship.
"There's nothing conservative about going to war," Mr. Martin said. "It's a day late and a dollar short," he said of the Tea Party. We need to do it every year."
Staff Writer Johnny Edwards contributed to this article.
Reach Adam Folk at (706) 823-3339 or adam.folk@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
No organized rally was staged to protest Bush's lack of control over the spending his first 6 years in office. The deficit tripled. In two months, Obama has doubled the total debt of the nation and half of the nation thinks he's doing good. Can anyone say "partisan idiots?" The election is over. Is the economy being twice as bad as what Bush left a "...change you can believe in?" Open you eyes "blind by choice people", you've been scammed.
Just like junk mail, rarely worth the effort to open, read, and discard the message. Assuming that the AC reporters were implying that the seats were "filled" in the 1,700-seat Jessye Norman Amphitheater today, and "rounding" down Augusta's metro area population to about 190,000 souls, the protesters amounted to less than 1% of the area population; t'was hardly a resounding success in my opinion. And further, from another article reported earlier by the AC, the Columbia, SC protest drew approximately 2000 protesters, representing less than 2% of the total population of the Columbia, SC metro area. Again, hardly an impressive number there either. Actually, not any more than businesses hope to garner from junk mail advertising. GGpap
Kind of reminds you of the "million man march" without the coverage, doesn't it GGpap. The big difference is Soros didn't pay for the event. The protesters did.
The crowd seems to be a little older...and lilly white...but hey Fox News says the "Nation" spoke...I thought the Nation spoke last November...
PS...calling them "[filtered word]s"...priceless!
While this was not a huge crowd by any means, every thing starts some where. With or wothout media coverage, I believe this is a ground swell. Yes getting folks out of their comfortable homes regarding any issue is difficult. Just look at voter turn out. But just wait until the tax increases are in place.
"A tea bag dangles from her glasses while Doris Phillips, of Warrenville, listens to U.S. Rep. Paul Broun."
muahahahaha.. this is great
I'm proud to see American's finally speaking out against totalitarianism. I was starting to think that no one cared anymore.
Don't tread on me.
Rex
Rants to patriciathomas about Bush term. Keep in mind that Obama DID NOT inherit these problems. He spent millions of dollars to buy it. Now that it is his, I say handle it, handle it, handle it. Leave Bush out of the equation. You buy a car, house, or whatever and it is broke, it belongs to you as you bought in to it.
Rant to Lehman Brothers. Did we know ? What about the WMD's that Bush was searching for that everyone said did not exist. Hey, 450,000 pounds of yellow cake found in USA owned by Lehman Brothers. No wonder we couldn't find it. What will Wonder Man do now ?
Need to send the following anti patriots and traitors to the somali pirates, pelosi, clinton, napolitano, won't they have fun with em.
Have any of the conservative posters noticed that your tax withholding has actually gone down since Obama implemented his tax cuts?
Stingray, that would be cruel and unusual punishment to have those somali pirates raped by those 3!
yeah WHarpine, that fifteen extra dollars i get will help cover the cap and trade policy that will trickle down and boost the cost of anything i buy.. not to mention the extra buck a pack i gotta shell out for my little smoking vice.
WHarpine, there's a phrase you will be surprised by. Hidden taxes. Look it up and learn how it works. All of those taxes the mean rich are being hammered with are just the cost of doing business to them. The consumer is paying the taxes and these don't wind up being listed on the payroll check.
Once again, the majority of Obama lovers are CLUELESS - the majority of them are the 45% that don't pay income taxes - everyone at these protest around the nation are ALL TAX PAYERS. TO ALL OF THE WORTHLESS, LAZY OBAMA SUPPORTERS- WE HARD WORKING AMERICANS DON'T MIND HELPING THE HELPLESS, WE JUST DON'T WANT TO HELP THE "CLUELESS"-YOU IGNORANT @###@ CHEW ON THAT!
Yeah, I hear you Boston. So when the next President come into office, he will not be able to blame Obama. " You buy a car, house, or whatever and it is broke, it belongs to you as you bought in to it". WOW!!!!!
So 45% of Americans do not pay any taxes? FOX NEWS at it's finest.
When the Constitution was written it was proposed that only those who owned land or had a certain level of wealth should be given the right to vote. Those who advocated that concept understood what would happen eventually with the have nots voting to take from those who own property.
When the Constitution was written, woman could not vote. So what is your point?
I want to see what Justus has to say.
Most of the people that attended the Tea party yesterday (myself included) are not satisfied with our current tax system and the out of control spending that is occuring from our government. Those of you that are "whining" about the whole thing need to keep something in mind. YOU NEED US!!! Because of our tax dollars, you can get on here and be insulting. WE OBVIOUSLY DO NOT NEED YOU!!! You are a burden on the tax payers. If you are satisfied it is because YOU ARE NOT CONTRIBUTING!!
I do not need you. I earn my own money. Who are you? Billy Morris?
"The crowd seems to be a little older...and lilly white". That's probably because they are the ones paying most of the taxes. They are also probably the ones who are smart enough to see the heavy hand this administration is using to put us in a downward spiral toward socialism and soical engineering through use of income, consumer, and "environmental" taxes. They are also smart enough to recognize an administration who is prosecuting class warfare and apparently they have been deemed and enemy of the state.
GGpap says the amount of people attending the rally was not significant. The number that attended the rally is roughly the equivalent of every employee EZ Go and John Deere showing up. That's the largest private employer in Richmond County and the second largest employer in Columbia County combined. That is a significant number.
Did you see the crowds in California...Chicago?...Washington? Texas? (Augusta means nothing)...I was in Washington and it was great to see and talk with the people who are the backbone of this Country showing the moron in the White House how they feel...they had to lock down the White House at one time because someone threw a box of tea over the fence!! It was great.. old barry thought the folks were gonna "..steep him to death"....LOL priceless!!...rainy but great.....there should be a permanent protest in front of the White House for the duration. POWER TO THE PEOPLE !!!!
oh mans augusta mall owner files for bankruptcy and home foreclosures back on the rise after a government nudged delay on foreclosues...looks like those billions infused into the economy are working wonders and government interference in freemarket just prevents the inevitable. Hurray for devalued dollars! You go Federal Reserve!
Although there wasn't what some call a significant turnout in Augusta, you have to look at the whole picture. There were thousands of these rallies all over the US and some with highly significant turnout so overall it appears there are a lot of dissatisfied Americans....tired of the high taxes, tired of the wasteful spending, and tired of all the bailouts.
Daniel Martin is correct. This so-called Tea Party is a day late and a dollar short. None of these people were complaining when Bush was spending and spending but now all of a sudden, it's a problem. It's been a problem for some time now but partisanship blinds people. shaqlorious - i definately don't need you. I don't know you, you don't know me and you haven't done anything for me or my family in all my years on this earth. I don't remember you putting food on my table, clothes on my children's backs or paying any of my bills. I had to pay the IRS yesterday, not complaining, and I don't remember any of that money for my debt coming out of your wallet. Get a clue!! Some of you are quick to want to put the past behind us but if Bush hadn't left us in such a bad condition, Obama wouldn't have had to roll out such radical spending plans to try and right the ship. None of us have crystal balls and we don't know if what the Obama administration is trying to do will work. One thing is for certain though, sitting back and doing nothing won't work either. I hear a lot of criticism but no solutions.
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