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Tea party message: Spending ‘not the solution’

Business owners, military parents, students hope they are heard.

Staff photo by Teesha McClam Beavercreek resident Laurie Haughey sports earrings made of tea bags during the Dayton Tea Party.

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Thousands of people protest government overspending during the Dayton Tea Party rally on Courthouse Square in downtown Dayton on Wednesday, April 15.

Staff photo by Teesha McClam Thousands of people protest government overspending during the Dayton Tea Party rally on Courthouse Square in downtown Dayton on Wednesday, April 15.

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By Christa Butts  and Steve Bennish, Staff Writers Updated 6:27 AM Thursday, April 16, 2009

DAYTON — Thousands converged on Dayton’s Courthouse Square on Wednesday, April 15, hoping to convey a message to government officials.

With the Boston Tea Party of 1773 as their inspiration, they protested what they said was unfair taxation and runaway spending.

Signs held aloft included anti-President Barack Obama messages that equated his administration with socialism or Nazis, took aim at anti-abortion and firearm rights and attacked the American Civil Liberties Union as well as the Internal Revenue Service.

“You have to wonder if this is the start of something; especially just three months after he (Obama) took office. I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Doug Minneman, who said he owns a business in Dayton.

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.

Ray and Tammy Isaac of Miamisburg hoped the event inspires change.

They want the government to “quit spending away our kids’ future.” They said their son enlisted in the Navy nearly a year ago.

Concerns about the nation’s financial future were on the minds of many of the Tax Day Tea Party participants.

“It’s insane the amount of money being thrown away. It’s only causing the recession to last longer,” said Christian Steen of Xenia.

He, like others in the crowd, believes the recession will self-correct if government officials stop what he called meddling.

Those who support the current stimulus package and Obama’s spending policies were present, but stayed mum and inconspicuous during the event that lasted roughly two hours.

A group of students from Vandalia Butler High-School, though, took a strong stance at the rally.

They said they believe that a definite presence and stance is necessary for their generation, otherwise a grim future may await them.

“Both sides (Republican and Democrat) need to step up to the plate. They’re not doing what they promised,” said one of the students, Nickolas Post.

“We’re here telling them. Hopefully they’ll listen,” he said.

Contact this reporter at  (937) 225-2047 or cbutts @DaytonDailyNews.com.

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