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Thousands are downtown for Tea Party

Photos: Tax Day 'Tea Party' protests

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By Steve Bennish and Joanne Huist Smith, Staff Writers Updated 6:27 PM Wednesday, April 15, 2009

DAYTON — A crowd believed to be a few thousand has gathered downtown on Tax Day 2009 for the Dayton Tea Party on Courthouse Square.

The event going on this evening, Wednesday, April 15, was created in protest of what organizers call “runaway government spending.”

Rob Scott, one of the organizers, said petitions would be circulated in the crowd, calling for the repeal of economic stimulus funding or for governments agencies to refuse to accept stimulus funding.

People in the crowd offered their take on the event and its intended message.

“People are getting the same treatment as the Indian people,” Ricky Slow Elk, an American Indian from Ohio, said in answer to why he came out.

Bill Barga, of Coldwater, said he just sold a business he started and paid about $1 million in taxes.

He carried a sign that read, “Pelosi adopt me” in reference to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.

“I’m upset with our entire system,” Barga said. “It’s becoming more socialist with the federal government running things, and the state has no control.”

Darla Williamson of Piqua brought a sign that read, “Free markets not freeloaders.” She said the sign refers to people who don’t want to work and that the government has to bail out.

“What we’re doing right now is not the solution,” she said referring to the government bailout of businesses.

According to event organizers, about 7,500 people signed up to attend the event that is to run from 6 to 8 p.m., featuring speech making and musical entertainment.

About 2,000 attended a similar event — modeled after the Boston Tea Party tax protest of 1773 — held in Cincinnati’s Fountain Square this afternoon.

Dayton police said if the crowd swells as anticipated, Main Street in front of Courthouse Square would be closed temporarily.

Scott, the event co-organizer, said the petitions will be mailed to city commissions, city councils, township boards of trustees, as well as state and federal legislators.

The movement will continue after this evening’s event, with the Marshall Tea Plan, Scott said. People of like minds are being asked to volunteer to attend local government and school board meetings to monitor spending.

The goal is to draw attention to the need for fiscal restraint, support for the free market and small businesses, and respect for the U.S. Constitution, Scott said.

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How am I supposed to be comfortable when all these white protesters are assembling during the administration of the first black president? Why should these selfish citizens stop at surrendering their equal protection rights under affirmative action when they could also surrender their rights to free speech as well? I for one am not going to protest -- not the nice thing to do. Besides, I have to work at my new job -- I have some barges to tote and some bales to lift.

White Liberal
2:30 PM, 4/20/2009

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Fox News Channel stages these events. A tea party? More like a blind sheep party. Homer Simpson has more brains than modern conservatives.

AWAKE
12:56 PM, 4/20/2009

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This is not a Douchecrat or Repugnuthin protest. This is the taxpayers right. I for one would like to see a National Sales Tax instead of the piece of crap we have now. Maybe Geither will be able to do this one right.

Get Real
4:27 PM, 4/19/2009

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These C minus history students at these Tea Parties need to go back to school. The original Tea Party had nothing to do with Indians. The colonists dressed up like Indians to avoid getting caught. And they were protesting taxation w/o representation. These rallies are a joke and about as effective as wearing a ribbon on your shirt and claiming you support something. Go home and rally around your checkbook and make better financial decisions.

the Strawboss
4:46 PM, 4/17/2009

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Ok Alanzo lets see how you feel about this. Whats your thoughts on Timothy Geithner?

jbuck3
11:35 PM, 4/15/2009

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