‘Revolution is brewing’

More than 50 people gathered on Main Street Wednesday to protest government spending, waving signs that said “Born free, but taxed to death” and “Not yours to give.”

The protest, this time called Tax Day Tea Party, was part of a nationwide grassroots movement that began with a tea party in February spurred by CNBC on- air editor Rick Santelli who set out to expose what he said were flaws in federal spending — specifically the stimulus bill and the country’s unbalanced budget.

Santelli originally called for a “Chicago Tea Party” to protest out-of-control spending, but the effort quickly spread across the nation, according to http://taxdayteaparty.com/about. On Feb. 27, Santelli’s first tea party brought out roughly 30,000 protestors. “Revolution is brewing,” the Web site warns.

Carbondale’s “Tax Day” protestors stood under a unifying theme — the government is breaking taxpayers’ backs and violating constitutional law by acting with individual interest with the economic stimulus package and other spending.

In press release Wednesday, President Obama said the government is renewing its commitment to a simpler tax code. He said taxes have been used to scare voters into supporting policies that increased the burden on workers. He promised change.

“We’ve passed tax cuts that will help our economy grow,” Obama said. “We’ve made a clear promise that families that earn less than $250,000 a year will not see their taxes increase by a single dime.”

Vicki Asher, an independent from Cambria, said state and federal elected officials have lost their minds if they think it is acceptable to ask the public to fund all of their initiatives.

“It’s we the people, not we the government,” Asher said. “They’re so set on passing through this humongous agenda without doing it in a sequential, rational way. They’re leading us toward a world government, not a United States of America government.”

She said she wants United States leaders to defend the Constitution and its people, not degrade it.

“They can’t do this to us,” she said. “They cannot push us down anymore. It’s just gotten out of control. They’re just not thinking rationally.

Although Carbondale’s tea party was sponsored by local members of the Constitution Party, it featured members of various parties and several who claim no political party. One protestor held a sign that said, “Republicans or Democrats? Heads, we lose. Tails, we lose.”

Craig Keller, of Murphysboro, held a flag bearing a coiled snake and the words “Don’t tread on me.” He said the protest was about the future of the people of the country, not party affiliation.

 “This is for America, for my children and grandchildren,” Keller said.
Lisa Marseglia, of Murphysboro, brought her two children who together held a sign that said, “Save my future.”

“We really believe that debt is not good for our country,” Marseglia said. “There is no freedom in debt.”

She said the United States would be owned by whomever it owed money. One protestor agreed, waving a sign that said, “We the people are now owned by the Chinese.”

Christa Tichacek, of Carbondale, held a sign that said, “Can I print my own money too, to pay my tax debt?”

“I’m just plain let down by our government in general,” she said. “It’s a morality and judgment and values issue at this point.”

Keller said the federal government is treading on the rights promised to United States citizens under the Constitution. Shawn O’Neil, a member of the Constitution Party, helped organize the event with those concerns in mind.

O’Neil said the people used to choose between federal government and more control to state governments. He said voters choose between only slightly different versions of big government run by politicians who ignore issues, trample the Constitution and rely on a biased mainstream media to promote their agendas.

“I don’t think our Founding Fathers or our Constitution gives our government the right to bail out private enterprises to take a risk and lose,” O’Neil said.