See you at the Tea Party!

[JJJakubowski]

I'm going to be attending the Tea Party here in Grand Rapids, Michigan ... surprise, surprise.

I've made a sign with a message on both sides: one side has the "Don't Tread On Me" flag popularized in our first Revolution. And the other side says, "Taxation With BAD Representation, Is Tyranny!".

I'm curious --- anyone else going to "Parties" in your town?

BTW, a little historical perspective: when our Founding Fathers were forced to pick up their muskets and go to war against a tyrannical, unresponsive government power, their total tax burden represented, on average, only about 3 weeks of their yearly labor.

After WWII, the average worker/tax payer in the 1950's paid only about 5% of their wages/salaries in Federal & State taxes.

TODAY, we're paying something like 40%-50% --- a 1,000% increase from the 50's!!! And our Founding Fathers are spinning in their hallowed graves as that tax burden is going to be jacked up even more to subsidize our politicians' march to Socialism and away from our Constitution. What's wrong with that picture? In a word --- EVERYTHING!!!

Wake Up America.
God Bless America.

JJJ/SSCWN
------------------------------------
The Poster Formerly Known

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Good for you JJ. I was going to try and take the day off work, but they nixed it when someone told them where I was going.

....Facists.....

Post some pics if you get a chance.

 

[Skipper Jack]

tax rates

During the 50s and until 1963, a time many consider to be "the good old days", and the biggest part of the post WWII era JJJ speaks of; the maximum tax rate was 91%. It is now about 35%. It was 39.6% during the Clinton era. If you were among the wealthiest Americans during the post WWII era, your tax rate was very oppressive. There has been a long, steady shift of the tax burden from the wealthiest to the middle and working class. I.e. there has been huge tax relief for the wealthiest, and a growing tax burden among the working and middle classes. Is that what the tea parties want to see more of?

 

[rph9168]

"The difference between death and taxes is death doesn't get worse every time Congress meets." --American humorist Will Rogers (1879-1935)

 

[JJJakubowski]

Yup, Skipper, I guess I was doing a bit of comparing apples to oranges ... to grapes. I believe the bottom tier rate in the 50's was actually something like 15%. That 5% figure came from my Dad, who had told me that was what he (and the "average working man" with a bunch of dependent baby boomer babies and a mortgage) actually bottom line paid to the Fed. (Then again, Dad was convinced professional wrestling was real ... so who knows?)

That 91% rate was somewhat theoretical ... "no one paid it." There was a tax revolt of sorts in the 60's when the media began to rake the muck about "all the millionaires" who would utilize a plethora of loopholes to actually avoid paying ANY tax at all. Tax "reforms" followed, and I think the top rate was whacked down to about 70%.

But any way you cut it, when you add ALL the many different taxes we now pay to the Fed, State, and City --- we do cough up close to half of our income ... or more than we pay for all other life necessities (home, utilities, food, etc.) combined ... or so I've read and heard many, many times.

Regardless, these Tea Parties are not "just" about taxes. Yes, they are a very serious concern. There is simply not enough wealth at the top (even if it were all confiscated) to pay the many trillions of dollars of debt Obama has laid on America. The middle classes will HAVE to get hit ... and our kids and grandkids will REALLY get nailed. Geez, just consider the proposed "Cap & Trade" energy tax which is said will extract $2,000-$3,000 per year from families across the board.

(Continued)

 

[JJJakubowski]

While confiscatory taxes are abhorrent, what so many of us "Tea Partiers" are so terribly outraged by is the ongoing disregard of the Constitution, the erosion of traditional values and rejection of principles that made America great as we are being pushed headlong down a greasy chute into Socialism.

Anyway, the Tea Parties all around Michigan were fantastic! The one here in Grand Rapids (that I just returned from) had, I'd say, about 3,000+ VERY enthusiastic people show up. The Party in Lansing had about 4,000.

If all this energy and commitment can be harnessed and focused, "Change" will come ... again.

JJJ/SSCWN

 

[pitzerwm]

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom bylegislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybodyanything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it." ~~~~~ Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931

 

[MikeV]

I volunteered to work at the Houston Tea Party. The turn out was huge, well over 4000 patriots showed up to express their concern for higher taxes, out of control spending and the slide toward socialism. T-****rs, bumber stickers, pins and on and on sold like hotcakes. Congratulations America (not Amerika) !!!!

 

[MikeV]

That should read t-shirts. sorry

 

[ted mcmeekin]

Mary and I took 6 grandchildren (girls). They were up late the night before making their posters. Lots of energy !!! One of the girls carried;

"Let's make a Deal"

Mr. O:

*Apologize for Apologizing for my country--
the most giving society in history
*REDUCE Taxes
*Offer balanced budget
*STOP PORK

WE WILL:

*File honest tax returns as usual

 

[mac]

The top 1% of wage earners in this country earn about 18% of all income and pay 38% of all federal taxes. The top 5% of wage earners pay about 70% of all federal taxes. You had better hope they get reduced taxes, because it is those people who hire the rest of us. When was the last time you were offered a job from someone on food stamps? The bottom 50% of wage earners pay almost no federal taxes. Don't get me started. The freaking media, and especially the democrat party has done a great job of creating wealth envy through our system of government schools and left wing media. The revolt is coming.

 

[Greg Pack]

I attended, we also had a great turnout, several thousand people.

While this discussion has drifted towards tax rates, I did not attend to oppose or support any particular tax rate. I think that is a distraction. I attended because I was concerned for our massive collective national debt, and all branches of government (both parties) that seem intent on doing what they wish because in their mind "it's what best for us." The federal government was the offspring of the people. It's become the overbearing, overprotective parent that is not going to let us do what we want and won't let us grow up. I think just about all members of congress in both parties should be tossed out-mine included.

I just hope this is the beginning of this movement, and not the end. If this movement doesn't generate some traction , I'm afraid we may be living in the last generation truly considered "free" in this country.

 

[JJJakubowski]

Here's one of the photos I took of the event here in Grand Rapids. It was fairly early on in the event and many more continued to pour in as it progressed.

Hmmmm ... Local media, however, reported that only 1,000 people attended. I think my pic of a growing number of Partiers puts the lie to that reportage.

JJJ/SSCWN

 

[Eric H]

Hmmmm ... Local media, however, reported that only 1,000 people attended. I think my pic of a growing number of Partiers puts the lie to that reportage.

Well, thats better than the Boston papers reporting. The Boston Globe ran no article about the event. They did have an AP article on page 16 about the tea party held in Frankfort , KY.
all the details are here:
http://www.michaelgraham.com/post/2...led-The-Boston-Globe-Democrat-Part-XXXVI.aspx

 

[intsupply]

A government that robs Peter to pay Paul, can always count on Paul's vote. So many levies pass or fail 51-49% margins. We are at a point where private sector voting will not soon be able to over ride the public sector's vote. This, in my humble opinion, is the true definition of socialism. Our president, on a late night TV show, encouaged young people to become teachers...nurses...and doctors (soon to become socialized government run jobs). He never mentioned that young people should get into private sector jobs! Creating government jobs is NOT creating jobs. Like it or not get ready for government mandated medicine voted in by our politicians. When the private sector runs out of money, who will government turn to next? Examples. Kim Jund Il of North Korea, who is broke, rattles the nuclear sabre and extorts money from other countries. Pirates extort money from shipping companies as their governments sit idly by. Third world countries have come to expect hand outs for decades now. Quit passing out money...entitlements, welfare, bailouts, and foreign aide. When people have to work for something, they learn to appreciate the fruits of their labor. I have hundreds of applications on file and it's amazing how nice everyone is when they're out of work trying to get a job. This nanny state perpetuates a culture of little caring and the good ol' you owe me smug attitude. Sorry for being long winded, but I despise the soft direction this country is headed.

 

[MikeV]

These numbers were just confirmed mt the Houston Tea Party Society. 8500 signed in, plua another 2000+ that could not get into the venue.
My favorite sign... Apologize TO America, not FOR America

 

[JJJakubowski]

It's almost funny ---

Yesterday, the day after the Party, our local newspaper reported on the event, and in one part of the article said that only 1,000 people showed up ... as had some TV reports. But then elsewhere in the article, it admitted 4,000 were there!

But what was especially disturbing was that the "journalist" referenced a Gallup poll from a couple days ago. The poll "revealed" that most Americans are as happy as pigs in poop about taxes: "(the majority) 48% say that their taxes are 'just right', while (only) 46% say taxes are 'too high'". And that this was the "most positive attitude the public has had about paying their taxes since 1956".

What the painfully uninformed "journalist" did not note was the "coincidence" that about 48% of wage earners pay no Fed income tax at all!!! Yes, I imagine not paying ANY tax feels "just right" to those in the category.

But again, this is not "just" about taxes ... which are a painful symptom of the problem. This movement is very much about an unresponsive, irresponsible Big Government that ignores the Constitution and is complicit in corrupting traditional values as its profligate spending shoves us down the disastrous, greasy chute of Socialism.

JJJ/SSCWN

 

[mac]

We don't need to get most of the country behind this movement to have an impact. When this country went for seccession from the crown, only about 1/3 of the population was for it, 1/3 was against it, and the other third didn't care. Yet look what that 1/3 accomplished! Both parties better get the wake up call.

 

[Jim L.]

Fort Walton Beach, Fl. is planning a follow up rally on May 17. Is this nation wide or just regional?

The organizers here were surprised at the larger than expected turnout.

 

[Greg Pack]

Uh-oh. The jig is up-MSNBC has figured us all out..........



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h54v...r/akcs-www?post=91821&feature=player_embedded