Thousands of Caucasian Houstonians gathered today to protest government spending...in a taxpayer-funded public space:
Protesters turned out by the thousands Wednesday in Houston and other cities across the nation to voice their displeasure with big government spending and what they called the erosion of people's constitutional rights.
Among those taking part in the Tax Day Tea Parties was Tim Volzer, who took an hour away from work to attend a rally of 450 people in Pearland pushing for less government spending. The roofing company salesman wore a sign on his back that summed his feelings: "No taxation without representation, Bro."
At Jones Plaza in downtown Houston -- where several thousand people filled the venue to capacity, forcing police to close it off with barricades to prevent more protesters from entering -- Monte Evans, 51, of Houston, wore a T-shirt proclaiming, "I love my Bible and my gun."
Finally, Americans have found their backbone and are standing up to the disastrous effect of massive deregulation, the funding of illegal wars, and the reckless and irresponsible spending policies of the previous admini...wait, what?
The Houston and Pearland rallies were among a dozen locally organized to protest the federal government's billion-dollar economic stimulus packages and bailouts for the banking and auto industries.
Funded by tax dollars...MY tax dollars. You know, the taxes Obama are lowering for most Americans. Those not making over $250K a year, that is.
I'll admit, I'm...curious about how the bailout is going to play out, and I'm not pleased with the lack of oversight for some of the money already distributed, but can we please stop pretending this is some sort of non-partisan, "grassroots" movement. Hmm?
"We're standing up -- Republicans, conservatives, Democrats and Libertarians," said Felicia Cravens of Katy, who organized Houston's Tea Party protest.
"Throw out your labels -- we're Americans!" she yelled to a cheering, raucous crowd standing shoulder to shoulder in Jones Plaza.
Outside the plaza, Rick Tolliver, 55, of Waller, discussed his unhappiness with the national government without singling out any particular political party.
"I don't think either party has represented the American people for the last 35 years," Tolliver said. "Our government has sold us out to larger corporations and to other countries.
"Finally people are starting to get tired of it, and they're starting to do something about it. I don't think the American majority has been represented for a very long time."
I must have missed all those protests - funded and organized by FreedomWorks and Americans for Propserity and endlessly promoted by Fox News - that were taking place during the last eight years. Or does representation somehow end when the guy you voted for lost?
And for the cherry on this nut-covered sundae, I give you Governor Perry:
In Austin, Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he had never before seen a grass-roots efforts so animated, focused and coordinated as he did Wednesday.
"My hope is that America and Washington in particular pays attention," Perry said. "We've got a great union. There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, who knows what may come of that."
Because it worked out so well in 1861. In the meantime, I guess Texas will be giving back that FEMA money and sening those border troops back, right?
Those people are what I don’t miss about Texas.
I swung by the protest for a little bit yesterday before hitting the gym. Here is what I learned:
1. B.O. stinks.
2. If we wanted to be communist we should move to Russia (apparently someone did not get the memo)
The best costume of the night has to go to the dude who dressed up as V from “V for Vendetta.” Sadly I could not read his sign, which I am certain was more of a polemic as it spanned three posterboards in writing too small for me to discern from across the street, however I am certain he was encouraging us to overcome the fascist yoke under which we toil by being radical conformists.
The best part of my evening was the train ride home after the gym, which happened right around the same time as the protest ended. The train was FULL of protesters carrying signs about taxation. All of them blissfully unaware that they were making use of a service provided by their tax dollars.
I love the smell of irony in the evening; it masks the smell of the bums.
Well, I don’t know about all the specifics of what’s going on in this country, but who doesn’t love their bible and their guns? I think I’ll head up a grassroots movement for everyone who wants to celebrate their bibles and their guns… oh, wait…that might have already been done by the KKK…
I wonder if V-dude was Same Old Bill. The M.O. (not necessarily the B.O.) was the same…
My favorite quote from old Ricky-boy the other day:
“Millions of Texans are tired of Washington, DC trying to come down here to tell us how to run Texas.”
That’s right, Rick, millions of Texans were - when your predecessor was in Washington.
Isn’t it great to know that Americans will eventually get keyed into all the horrible spending that goes on under a horrible administration just in time for a new president to get screamed at for trying to solve a financial crises concocted by his predecessors. I mean, everyone knows about how no one knows where most of GWB’s spending went, which is why now, with a transparent administration with honest intentions, we’re so ang…never mind.
It’s nice to have all the crackpots in the open where we can see them. I’m actually somewhat relieved … there aren’t as many of them as I might have thought.
These divisive barely-veiled partisan bullshit tactics are evil, but should I really have expected anything productive out of these people? Sick sick sick.