David and Micki Hair started attending "tea party" protests in April. The Edgefield couple have racked up quite a few miles since, making their way to Washington, D.C., in September and, most recently, Augusta on Tuesday to protest big-government policies.
"We just think it's important that people stand up right now before the government takes over everything," said Mrs. Hair, who carried a sign emblazoned with "No We Won't."
The Tea Party Express II bus tour made its way into town on a rainy Tuesday, stopping at Augusta Common, where it drew a crowd of several hundred.
The signs dotted throughout the event spoke out against government policies, specifically health-care reform proposals, taxes and government bailouts.
The "tea party" movement began in April, targeting tax policies. On Tuesday, organizers urged participants to mobilize to halt health-care reform efforts in the U.S. Senate and take back Congress from Democratic control in 2010.
After the narrow passage last weekend of a health care bill in the House, organizers said the battle is not over.
"Nancy Pelosi may have gotten it through her House, but folks we still have a chance to stop it dead in the Senate," said Deborah Johns, who travels with the bus and is the vice chairwoman of the political action committee Our Country Deserves Better.
Mark Williams, the vice chairman of Our Country Deserves Better, said the 220 votes for the health-care legislation provided a handy list for opponents trying to take over those House seats.
"Two hundred twenty members of the people's House declared war on the Constitution and the people who swear to protect it," Mr. Williams said.
Many in the crowd said they were cautious of or completely against the government having more control in their lives through either a public option or universal health care.
Debbie Osmundsen, of Aiken, said she could not sit back and watch and wanted to be part of a movement. She said she worries there will not be enough doctors or that good doctors will no longer have an incentive to practice.
"I don't want somebody to tell me what insurance company to use," Ms. Osmundsen said.
Patrick Tolton, 64, a Vietnam veteran, said he thought people were too reliant on the government for support, which would bode ill for future Americans.
"I do not believe in all the government intrusion that's taking place now," said Mr. Tolton, of Aiken.
The Tea Party Express II also made a stop in Atlanta on Monday night and is scheduled to wrap up its two-week tour in Orlando on Thursday.
Reach Erin Zureick at (706) 823-3217 or erin.zureick@augustachronicle.com.
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All of the reasons that conservatives espouse about self reliance and responsibility and not wanting to lose freedoms are the exact opposite of what supporters of the man who wants to be the Marxist fuher espouses. Many of this country have been convinced they wish to be "taken care of" from the cradle to the grave. The rest of the Americans are speaking out against this administration and it's philosophy.
Man I bet it smelled just like a wet dog out there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLux_zt0-dI
yeah....one big old dog that going to rip the throats right out of those sheeple-makers in about 2010...be ready
yea. u r right. darn.
Laff 706Grow up Prof Griff is a quack. Another member of the "The Muslim Program". S1W and this screwed up person still thinks "Jews are responsible for the majority of the wickedness in the world". Bunch of homophobic racists.
These people are partly hypocrites. Most are there to preserve their own interests. They don’t want to loose there Social Security, Medicare and/or Pensions. Where were they when Bush started all this mess? They seem to have selective memory on when this recession began. It’s time a system is put in place where everyone pays for the Medicare/Medicaid system. Now I’m not for everything our president is doing but having a system where everyone pays for healthcare needs to happen. It should not be a burden of the workers in America. Everyone knows if we continue on the current path Social Security will be bankrupt in a matter of years. It’s not fair for the people paying in now not to get the benefit when it’s time for them to retire.
What is hypocritical about wanting to keep what you have earned. Social security, medicare, and pensions are personal programs that are paid into by an individual over a life time and returned at retirement. Of course they want to keep them...they paid for them. Unlike medicaid, and other social welfare programs that the government hands out to some underserving ( some are genuinely unable to produce due to mental or physical challenges) members of society. You did however hit the truth when you stated all should pay into it. Too many free rides cradle to grave. Social security is bankrupt because the "locked box" has been raided too often to fund other welfare programs. No more give aways. How about we put programs in place that reward a productive effort instead of rewarding lying around the house all day.....
who exactly is laying around all day?
dear fed up . i am confused by your post... these people were forced to put in to social secutity just like you. they have a vested interest. look at your pay stub you already are forced to pay for
medicare. these people evidently have the same fears you do about paying in and it not being there. promises by the federal govt. the govt is broke still promising still spending that will lead to higher taxes for all. that is what these people are protesting.
if you are old enough you have experienced down economies its like the weather. it will change. health care is not a right someone has to pay . so giving govt more control will just result in more broken promise. for all these reason people are protesting. it came to head when obams and the dems controlled congress and went on a spending spree and furthering us into debt the likes we as a country have never seen. but these frustrations have been growing its just not obasma.
Irish, the simple fact is: Thanks to the "Baby Boomers" there are more people to support then people to support them. People are living longer and most get payed out way more then they paid into the Social Secrity system.
The same old tired faces you would see at an anti-abortion rally, anti-voting rights rally, pro-segreation rally, pro-war rally, ect. I think the picture of the clown (well, he looked like a clown) on the beginning of this thread says it all.
Hmm, Mr. Tolton is a Vietam vet, that has VA benefits, guess he'd be willing to give up those benefits since he doesn't believe in all the gov't intrusion?
These pictures are offensive, however, their rights are protected and also the speech. These activities however, violate the spirit of our Democracy because their intent is coded. The code is based on history. History is based on events. Events are well-documented and historically accurate. Oh, and the failure to "take back" the Congress in 2010 will demonstare that Americans know their history. We will not repeat it! PS: Where are the public permits to gather?
the fact is that benefits for social security has been far expanded than orginially planned. again unfunded promises by our govt. zardoz35 your mommy should have spanked you when you were younger you got no class and some of these people you belittle sacrificed to give you theses freedoms to be rude, .grow up.. justus you are the one who is offensive. your logic is based solely on hate its a shame you have such a poor opinion of our country. yes we made mistakes but you are just clueless. i assume you are black by your remarks just remember in africa slavery stll exists the orig slave trade was started by arabs and blacks on blacks. yet i never hear critical remarks about africa. slavery is wrong ask the jews young women etc.. in fact no one was immune from this terrible trade.. so please get over it.
Every generation has had is lunatic fringe, and these far right teapartiers and anti-everyone who isn't a WASP are among the worst. These morons are even embarrassing moderate Republicans, who are shying away from them. I've said it before, and I'll repeat it here: I left Augusta 40 years ago and haven't been sorry a single day. A town full of bigotry and ultra-conservative losers, and the Chronicle is among the worst.
former agustan i moved to the area 12 years ago. and i found it a pretty decent area to raise my kids. dont know who the hell you are and dont care. but if we are so bad why do you keep posting to us losers. why is it? you are still so angry at this area and moved away 40 years ago,. and you still hold this hatred. you are right on one thing every generation has its lunatics. glad to know who you are. just trying to find out why you tolerant so called liberals are so intolerant and hateful. you are post to be full of luv and acceptance.
Tuesday is visiting day. You can count on Justnuts posting something well-written on Wednesdays. THINK. Who really wrote that post?
Fed - re your 9:48 "thanks to the 'Baby Boomers'" comment. How about remembering to mention the fact that drug addicts, alcoholics, and children/adults with disabilities who have never worked a day in their lives are receiving SSI and/or SSDI benefits as well as Medicare thanks to our benevolent politicians. Children and adults with disabilities should have their own fund, yet the government has seen fit to save Medicaid dollars by shifting the burden to Social Security and Medicare funds, thereby accelerating the depletion of funds most of us have paid into our entire working lives. You can't blame only the "Boomers" for SS and Medicare woes. Certainly it's time for everyone to be paying their way, but Washington is in the process of making most of us pay even more than we already are for health care for everyone. That's not right no matter how you look at it.
j4: The RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE IS A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT, therefore no laws were violated. By the way, who issued the permit for the "million man march?" Say what!?! You didn't need a permit??? Because it was your RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE?? My what a shallow mind you have when it comes down to dispensing civil rights among the masses. "These pictures are offensive," but you say nothing about how offensive the pictures of the "million man march" may have been to others--after all, it was a congregation of only one particular group. And by the way, did you leave the area you congregated in clean--or did you leave it for the city workers to clean up after you? Your narrowness of mind deprives you of enlightenment as well as Agape (you do know what that means, don't you?).
Many of your posts are offensive, justus4, but you are still being allowed to keep posting, despite all the ones that have had to have been deleted. Count your blessings.
teharper, the benefits you get as a veteran are EARNED. Just like if you have a good job, you get benefits like healthcare. If you work hard in school you get an education to get a good job. And so on. Help people who need help, not those who are too lazy.
Out of the multitudes of people that live and die to denounce and do harm to President Obama from this area,why were there only a few hundred people at the Party? This is the reason that you will lose the next Presidential election. A few big mouths and not enough participants. By the way if there were in fact two hundred people there I would say that it was a lie. The gentleman in the back of the truck will make a good Poster Boy for Rednecks,don't you think?
Fedup, conservatives WERE there to criticize Bush and the Repub spending execesses. Lack of conservative votes bought you the Mad Marxist who ran as a lying centrist. Those same conservatives and now independetns will un-elect the Mad Marxist and his enablers in Congress starting next year. Yes, we want to keep the SS we paid for, same for Medicare and our retirement (we also paid for). As for Medicaid recipients, ask how many of those who get it paid for it in their taxes.
Justass4, I am sure that pictures of Americans exercising their first amenment rights are offensive to the like of you and your ilk. As for who is attending these rallies, well it ain't abortion "rights" activists, anti-war activists (while our men and women are fighting it/them), million man marchers (trying to get black daddies to take responsibility),et al. But then, you leftists are the biggest hypocrites in politics today, sio I understand why you are offended..
Former Augustan, I am sure noone in Augusta and certainly not Augustans as a whole, give a *hit about your leaving 40 years ago. You don't like it, stay out of our paper.
If the profit margins were as high as the democrats have made them out to be, it would be relatively easy for a group of business men and women to create their own insurance company and set up their policies to give better benefits while undercutting the older insurance company, stealing market share from them. This would in affect force all other insurance companies to cut their premiums while also increasing benefits. However, even though the Democrats supporting the health care takeover could have chosen the free market solution instead of socialism … socialism has been their only choice. The reason here is simple … the insurance companies are an easy target and the unjustified rhetoric of the democrats and other liberal is being used as a smoke screen to take control.
One thing I am confident in; is of the American Business men and women to take advantage of the market to make a profit. Even with all the rhetoric about this niche, no one has filled this gap … simply because the gap doesn’t exist.
who exactly is laying around all day?
Posted by ReverseApacheMaster on Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:42 AM....When was the last time you visited the "projects" (public housing)?
Donnymack, those people not attending probably have jobs, not to mention the storm/rain. I was glad to see the hundreds that did come. As for losing the next election, watch the DIMs get their clock cleaned come next November, especially the "moderates" (blue dog-lap dogs) who voted for the Pilosi health care take over. The Mad Marxist will be gone in 2012. Independents who boted for the lying, empty suit are fleeing from the DIMs like rats from a sinking ship. A sleeping giant has indeed been wakened (the average Ameican voter).
I wonder if the republican party paid for the use of the commons? We'll never know because we haven't got a budget system that is open and transparent.