“We want to let our government know we want the excessive spending stopped,” said Cheryl Brooks, the organizer of the Wasilla event. “We are not in favor of the bailouts, and we don’t want any further taxation.”
With signs reading “For Sale: U.S. Government — $3.6 trillion O.B.O.” and “Get Rid of the Federal Reserve — Abolish the IRS,” it was apparent the crowd was financially motivated. Even 8-year-olds dressed in pink had signs saying “Keep your hands off my piggy bank.”
  
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Brooks said she collected more than 800 signatures of support on Wednesday, and the Wasilla protest was just one of more than 2,000 tea parties held across the country.
In the hometown of an ex-vice presidential candidate, the party took on a more partisan tone. The crowd erupted when Eddie Burke, talk show host for KBYR, said he was proud to be a radical right-winger. Many signs were written on the back of McCain/Palin posters, and the Obama administration drew the ire of most demonstrators.
After the national anthem and Pledge of Allegiance, Frank Bettine gave some history about the Boston tea party of 1773. He compared what he called the present tax-and-spend policies to the tea tax imposed by Britain on the colonies.
“Congress passed this bailout bill in the middle of the night without giving us a chance to respond. Our grandkids and kids will be paying taxes on this forever. In to the harbor!” shouted Bettine as he threw a burlap bag marked “Bailout Bill” onto the parking lot pavement.
Next came a bag marked “Stimulus Bill.”
“Poll after poll showed the Americans did not want this bill,” Bettine said. “Congress would not listen and continued to pass the bill. That’s taxation without representation.”
He followed that with bags marked “Budget,” “Cap and Trade,” “Health Care” and “State & Local.”
“If we keep going down this road of tax and spend, we will become at best indentured servants and at worst out-and-out slaves,” Bettine said.
Politicians were not left out of the fray either. State Rep. Carl Gatto sent a letter of support that was read out loud, and Congressman Don Young stopped by to give his blessing.
“I don’t know if you realize this, but in 240 days, there has been $3 trillion spent,” Young said. “We’re not producers as we should be producing, and the government’s solution is to take your money and redistribute it. That’s not a freedom, and that’s not a democracy.”
This was a common theme among speakers, and many saw the recent government actions as violating the Constitution.
Bruce Walden, a veteran of many wars as member of the Army’s Special Forces, said he took an oath to defend the Constitution against all threats, foreign and domestic.
“It makes me sick that the enemy I fought against for so long is now in office,” Walden said.
Instead of sitting by and watching his country being thrown away, he is taking action. Before resorting to bloodshed — a method he does not discount — Walden is running for borough mayor.
“You’ve got a borough manager that I didn’t get to vote for or against, and he runs everything. You’ve got a state police force that runs this borough, but they don’t answer to local authority. That’s called a police state. That’s what they do in third-world countries, not in mine,” Walden said. “It’s time things change, and it’s time we did it.”
“Slowly but surely our rights are being taken away,” Brooks said. “When we don’t feel that something is right, we should be heard. We elected these people, but they change once they get to Washington. They do this and that, but they don’t ask us.”
Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.
Comments
68 comment(s)Sylvia Randy wrote on Dec 3, 2009 9:17 AM:
MAXKATT from NY wrote on Apr 24, 2009 6:56 AM:
jp wrote on Apr 22, 2009 1:59 PM:
by the way, i had moose roast for lunch today, with carrots taters, and onions and parsnips. mmmmmmmmm! "
MAXKATT from NY wrote on Apr 22, 2009 11:24 AM:
Plus...that Moose thread is red hot! You gotta get on it. "
DJ wrote on Apr 21, 2009 6:17 PM:
jp to maxx katt wrote on Apr 21, 2009 4:06 PM:
it didn't work then either, the thing that ultimately turned it around was a little thing called WW2. Do your homework!
only thing Obumma has done is:
1. demonstrated cowardice toward the thugs of the world.
2. taken our tax money, and gave it away to wasteful spending corps.
3. called our people arrogant, and stupid.
4.called our veterans, and working class americans terrorists.
5. put our great great grandchildren deeply in debt.
6.gave out military tactics to our enemies.
I see this as treason, and espionage.
and he should be tried! and hanged. "
HA HA HA wrote on Apr 21, 2009 3:27 PM:
MAXKATT from NY wrote on Apr 21, 2009 3:17 PM:
jp wrote on Apr 19, 2009 4:29 PM:
the new one is: " America, land of the FREE, and home of the BRAVE !"
hahahaha, not anymore ! "
to Red Head wrote on Apr 19, 2009 11:18 AM:
And the campaign propoganda that it was Bush policies that destroyed the economy is known to be false to everyone but the thick-headed. Congress (Democrat controlled at the time it began to spiral) has more control over the budget than the administration. And Wall St, the consumers, etc also weigh in more heavily than just the previous President. That idea is just smoke-and-mirrors. "
Red Heads wrote on Apr 18, 2009 10:39 PM:
Your Questions are too late. Our country is in dire straights and it is Obama’s job to get us out of the Bush’s.
It was ok spend money to blow up another nation…. Now it’s not ok to spend money to build up our Country. Where’s the logic, red heads? "
Cookies for your party wrote on Apr 18, 2009 10:38 PM:
Personal acts only imply that you have no facts of your own. "
Wheres Sarah wrote on Apr 18, 2009 4:32 PM:
Self Sufficient wrote on Apr 18, 2009 4:30 PM:
Count Me In wrote on Apr 18, 2009 12:41 PM:
david@bluefiremedia.biz "
Divide and Conquer wrote on Apr 18, 2009 9:55 AM:
so-called-extremist wrote on Apr 18, 2009 9:26 AM:
jp to maxx katt wrote on Apr 17, 2009 9:32 PM:
Obama continues to suck!
really, who's the real terrorist? a veteran, or a president who is giving all of our lives away, and tell the world that we are arrogant? "
Cheryl Brooks wrote on Apr 17, 2009 9:27 PM:
" Dear Cheryl Brooks
----------------------------------------------------
1st - GUARANTEES YOUR RIGHTS TO SPEAK FREELY, JOIN WITH OTHER PEOPLE FREELY, To WORSHIP- Labeling us as extremist
2nd - BEAR ARMS - Back door legislation to ban/punish us with sky high prices
10th - Limits the power of the Federal government - excessive spending, bailouts and taxation without representation.
11th - Immunity of states from suits from out-of-state citizens and foreigners not living within the state borders. - suing a Texas rancher when they were trespassing on his property. "
jp wrote on Apr 17, 2009 9:25 PM:
time to take back what is ours, exercise your write to vote, protest, recall, impeach!
what do we have to do to start the ball rolling??? "
alaskan10 wrote on Apr 17, 2009 8:40 PM:
It's amazing that people will cut off their noses to spike their faces. Say what they will....it's more about the President's ethic heritage, disguised as a concern about taxes. "
-----------------------------------------------------
The noses that are being cut off is ours. And as far as that goes "using the racist card" is so passe. Try again with something new. "
Observer wrote on Apr 17, 2009 5:00 PM:
Our Founding Fathers didn't see our Constitution as "living document" subject to various interpretation as does Hussein Obama. Our Founding Fathers meant to lay a foundation for the well being of future generations. They did not enslave them with crushing debt or entangle them in foreign alliances producing endless war and wasted lives. Through the 2000 rallies attended by 1,000,000 people it is clear America has not lost its soul.Time is short.Storm clouds are on the horizon. "
Bruce Walden wrote on Apr 17, 2009 1:40 PM:
I have not fought in "many" wars. I fought in two. Grenada in 1983 and in Iraq three different tours. Just wanted to clear those issues up. Am I down for this struggle. You bet your sweet bippies.
Read my book "There's No Such Thing as Can't" if you want to know what makes me tick. "
Bruce Walden wrote on Apr 17, 2009 1:37 PM:
As I told him, I"ve been to combat four times and I abhore it. I do not take it lightly. But when a fight is to be had, then a fight is to be had. I don't think we're there yet. "
wasillaite01 wrote on Apr 17, 2009 1:34 PM:
“Slowly but surely our rights are being taken away,” Brooks said. “When we don’t feel that something is right, we should be heard. We elected these people, but they change once they get to Washington. They do this and that, but they don’t ask us.”
Please list/enumerate the "...rights which are being taken away...". "
MAXKATT from NY wrote on Apr 17, 2009 1:08 PM:
MAXKATT from NY wrote on Apr 17, 2009 1:05 PM:
Piney wrote on Apr 17, 2009 9:09 AM:
Rusty wrote on Apr 17, 2009 12:26 AM:
jp wrote on Apr 16, 2009 9:25 PM:
And they're not? ...........OMG!
Obama, Pelosi, and the rest have no grasp on reality.
oh yeah, Obama, your dog is ugly!
did you name it Nancy? "
To David Cheezem wrote on Apr 16, 2009 8:23 PM:
Dave Jenkins wrote on Apr 16, 2009 8:01 PM:
Its time wrote on Apr 16, 2009 7:42 PM:
Freedomsvoice wrote on Apr 16, 2009 7:28 PM:
To Greg Gusse wrote on Apr 16, 2009 7:11 PM:
Hitler Brownshirt wrote on Apr 16, 2009 6:33 PM:
so-called-extremist wrote on Apr 16, 2009 6:25 PM:
alaskan10 wrote on Apr 16, 2009 6:04 PM:
To David Cheezem Dave Jenkins wrote on Apr 16, 2009 4:58 PM:
Aleister Crowley wrote on Apr 16, 2009 4:27 PM:
First of all--the "grassroots" operation that ginned this thing up was headed by none other than Richard Armey who, along with Phil "Americans are Whiners" Gramm and Newt Gingrich helped create this problem. They collaborated with Republican Operative Roger Ailes Propoganda Minister for Rupert Murdock at Fox.
Army helped cut taxes during economic expansion in the 90s & no, that expansion was NOT because of those inflationary tax cuts. Had they left taxes alone and Bush had not cut taxes for the rich, there would be no deficits or deficit spending today. "
Greg Gusse wrote on Apr 16, 2009 4:22 PM:
I'm preturbed too, but I'd rather not be a dupe to a puppet head on TV with a traitorous agenda. Like we hear, "Texas will secede"; the Union did take away their slaves and without their ridiculous arms contracts maybe we could increase social welfare. Or Alaska, without the military here, what a savings! "
Jack Large wrote on Apr 16, 2009 4:14 PM:
Whats Next wrote on Apr 16, 2009 3:19 PM:
OK.. wrote on Apr 16, 2009 3:05 PM:
BigLake13 wrote on Apr 16, 2009 3:03 PM:
BigLake13 wrote on Apr 16, 2009 2:44 PM:
Dave Jenkins wrote on Apr 16, 2009 2:06 PM:
Frank Bettine wrote on Apr 16, 2009 1:08 PM:
David Cheezem wrote on Apr 16, 2009 12:46 PM:
1) support the Farmland Trust so that we can assure that there will be farmland to till;
2) develop storage and distribution facilities for locally grown food; and
3) encourage local government entities, including the School District to buy locally. "
Ben C wrote on Apr 16, 2009 12:36 PM:
So-called-extremist. wrote on Apr 16, 2009 12:14 PM:
God Bless "
David Cheezem wrote on Apr 16, 2009 12:13 PM:
Mara wrote on Apr 16, 2009 10:47 AM:
David Cheezem wrote on Apr 16, 2009 10:35 AM:
With all that help, all that hype, all they could get was a couple of hundred people?
The majority of people in the Valley are concerned about meat and potatoes issues. Health care. Jobs. Decent wages. Public transportation. This is just a silly sideshow. "
littleguy wrote on Apr 16, 2009 8:09 AM:
Wonderful wrote on Apr 16, 2009 7:18 AM:
jp wrote on Apr 16, 2009 7:17 AM:
Wow, now if you care about your country, you are deemed a terrorist!
land of the free......................HA! "
To keith Mosiak wrote on Apr 16, 2009 5:18 AM:
GRIZCTY wrote on Apr 15, 2009 11:06 PM:
Have the power, to change the Government.
It is time to make ALL politicians accountable.
Let them serve US, for one term. While in office, make them pay for there OWN health care, housing, food, then send them home. No retirement, no bonuses!
"If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under." -- Ronald Reagan
A man WITH a gun is a CITIZEN
A man WITHOUT a gun is a SUBJECT
Take care, be safe.
God Bless.
Chris - Alaska "
Fred Agree wrote on Apr 15, 2009 10:07 PM:
Jerry Neives wrote on Apr 15, 2009 9:16 PM:
Life After BP wrote on Apr 15, 2009 9:15 PM:
Jeff L. wrote on Apr 15, 2009 9:12 PM:
jp wrote on Apr 15, 2009 8:46 PM:
IMO wrote on Apr 15, 2009 8:12 PM:
Observer wrote on Apr 15, 2009 8:03 PM:
Say what wrote on Apr 15, 2009 7:02 PM:
Keith Moslak wrote on Apr 15, 2009 5:00 PM: