From the Journal Star:
A crowd estimated at more than 500 gathered outside the Peoria County Courthouse during the noon hour Wednesday to protest what they believe to be out-of-control government spending during a tax day “TEA (taxed enough already) party,” designed to echo the rebellion of the Boston Tea Party.
I don’t disagree with these wandering fiscal conservatives in principle. And I certainly don’t deny their freedom to assemble and petition the government in this way. But there’s a big difference between the colonists in Boston and the American population today. The colonists couldn’t vote. They were taxed without representation. We, on the other hand, can vote, but most of us don’t. Not only do our representatives raise our taxes, we raise our own taxes when given the ability to decide directly.
Consider this little pie chart I whipped up based on the last election:
It doesn’t look like many people (in Peoria, anyway) are interested in reining in “out-of-control government spending,” does it? And if anyone feels taxed without representation, there’s a greater than 75% chance it’s their own fault.
The TEA Party participants would see greater results if they could just convince more people to participate at the ballot box rather than downtown marches.
It also helps if FoxNews isn’t your sponsor and promotor, as well as the rich lobbyists who work for the banks that got bailouts. The people at these ‘rallies’ are getting a tax break. Unfortunately, they are just puppets for the EXTREMELY wealthy who ARE going to have their taxes raised. Talk about being used and abused! And they all showed up with the sincerest of intentions. It’s really unfortunate. The greatest voter turnout ever happened in November and Obama won by over 9 million votes. It’s time the losers get over it, quit being puppets to the wealthy and realize their guy lost.
I’m not sure it was the “greatest voter turnout ever,” but the November 2008 election only brought out 64.40% of County voters and 68.79% of City voters. The fact that we see those numbers as high is pretty sad.
It doesn’t look like many people (in Peoria, anyway) are interested in reining in “out-of-control government spending,” does it?
CJ – it is you who is defining the museum tax as “out of control spending”. Obviously the people who voted for the tax, otherwise known as “the majority” plus at least part of the 78% people who did NOT vote obviously are not defining it the same way you do.
Better to be elected by over 9 million nationally than by 9 robes.
Diane — Of course they didn’t. People in Alaska don’t call it “the bridge to nowhere” either.
Themis — Oh, good Lord. I’ll bet you’re still bitter about Chicago throwing the 1960 election, too.
No, CJ, I wasn’t even born in 1960. :)~
But I, as well as most of the socialist commie hippie freaks/left, did give Bush & Co. a chance. More than I can say for the Tea Baggers. Most, if not all of the protestors, don’t even understand what they were protesting. Suddenly, they were looking like the hippy protestors from the 60’s though. Oh, except they were all white.
Hey, I was around in 1960 and I don’t remember seeing any hippies. However, I do remember the SDS taking over the Bradley Student Center and tossing bowling balls out the window in 1970 I think. “Hell, No! We won’t go!” I don’t think tea bags would have had the same affect. Maybe all the tea-baggers can move to Texas and secede!! Join up with Mexico and start a new country. Bush could even be President again! Does anyone not remember that he was the first one to hand out bail-out money? Where were the tea-baggers then?
Speaking of rotten elections, has anyone else watched “Recount?”
How is voting for the public facility tax (museum tax) NOT raising our taxes? Did it not raise our taxes?
“The TEA Party participants would see greater results if they could just convince more people to participate at the ballot box rather than downtown marches.”
CJ- Wouldn’t you consider these assemblies a means of promoting awareness among the non-voting public?
Just like in the civil rights movement… that’s why so many were joining The SCLC and SNCC… because the press was “informing” the public about the issues of the protesters.
I think most people see these “movements” as inconveniences and a waste of time and effort… “I have to get to work and get that paycheck”
The public doesn’t want to be aware.
Look up at the pie chart again… 75.24% don’t care.
Scruff — Sure. On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine people weren’t aware that on April 7 there was a referendum to raise their taxes. Lots of money was spent to make them aware. If over 75% of the people don’t care when they have the ability to personally, directly affect the outcome, why would anyone care about the more indirect state and federal spending issues over which they have arguably little control?
Diane, I don’t see how you can have it both ways.
Anyone who is against higher taxes would surely have to be against a tax to build a museum during a recession.
Yes, I can have it both ways. Just like the museum opponents tried to have it both ways when they said “We are for a museum, just not this museum….”
I am against massive, uncontrolled federal government spending and bail-outs. I did, however, support a local tax, controlled by local government, for the benefit of the local economy and quality of life issues for local families.
CJ- I guess I just don’t understand why you have an issue with this. They are promoting awareness of an issue… just like you do with your blog.
Are you saying that because 75% of people didn’t care on April 7, the remaining 25% should stop caring as well? You should be applauding these people for caring enough to assemble for a cause.
Good point, Diane.
However, it sounds like you think the “We are for a museum but not this one” argument is somehow not factual.
I would have been in favor of taxing for the Children’s Musuem. A project that has somehow been forgotten in all of this hoopla. And it would have been a lot less money.
Would I be in favor of it now, when the city is already talking about raising property taxes and we have a sewer system that is going to need a complete overhaul, etc., etc., NOOOOO!!!!
You want a real “quality of life” issue that will spur people to live and play in Peoria? How about the debacle that is 150? 10 new musuems will never change that fact.
“Yes, I can have it both ways. Just like the museum opponents tried to have it both ways when they said “We are for a museum, just not this museum….”
– Diane, that is the same ‘all-or-nothing’ bull the PRM had been shovelling from the beginning. Expand Lakeview, utilize an already existing building, more [actual] public involvement………. So. If we decided against the proposed PRM museum plan, us poor slobs were just NEVER going to get a museum?!? FEAR MONGERING!
“I am against massive, uncontrolled federal government spending and bail-outs. I did, however, support a local tax, controlled by local government, for the benefit of the local economy and quality of life issues for local families.”
– The local economy? Do you mean Peoria City? There was a 400 vote difference between YES & NO tax vote, the majority of the YES votes coming from Peoria City. Why? Because the rest of the people living in Peoria County, the small towns outside of the city, knew they had NOTHING to gain from a new museum downtown. I have spoken with enough people living outside Peo City-Limits who feel like they are being punished…. The only thing the people living in: Bartonville, Bellevue, Brimfield, Chillicothe, Dunlap, Elmwood, Glasford, Hanna City, Kingston Mines, Mapleton, Norwood, Princeville, Rome, etc, are going to get is TAXED to the hilt!
Then more of them should have voted.
I agree 100%.
Lets make it fair. Anyone not living within Peoria city-limits, who can prove they voted, should not have to pay the tax, or….. these small towns can keep the sales tax revenue, but use it in a way that will DIRECTLY benefit their OWN communities.
Sounds fair….
Diane sez: “I am against massive, uncontrolled federal government spending and bail-outs. ”
I’ll bet those who think like her about the museum won’t mind refusing those Federal Funds like for the parking deck under it and to make up the $11 million they are still short right? I mean, that is taxpayer money too.
I am for the museum as long as taxpayers don’t have to pay for it but that is moot now. Or are those type of funds different in this case. Of course they are. LMAO.
I am sure there are viewers of this blog would would react unfavorably from some cases decided by the “9 Robes”, some might support the decisions such as
Brown v Board of Education
Roe v. Wade 410 u.s. 113 (1973)
Bowers v. Hardwick 478 u.s. 186 (1986)
Griswold v. Connecticut 381 u.s. 479 (1965)
Apples and oranges, PC, but nice try.
When the USSC makes a decision it has the effect of law. How does one case differ from another? The only variable is the make up at the time of the decision, which is a result of Presidential appointment and Senate confirmation.
How about we amend the referendum to be just a Peoria CITY tax? Let’s raise the money by fining j walkers and smokers in parking decks, people who spit on the sidewalk, and double park or park with their flashers on in no parking areas?
The city wants a museum, let the city pay for it.
I think that you have missed the point of the tea party rally. Some of us went to protest the banker bailout and are trying to tell Obama, his cronies, and the big business groups that ,we the american people, are tired of our tax money going to bail out big corperate banks and insurence companies which in turn send that bailout money overseas. And that the Federal Reserve has been selling america up the river since its conception in 1913. And even though you say we can change it at the polls some of us feel that its not enough just to vote but to show that were fed up with the out of control spending of our government. The tea party rallies showed that there are americans that do care about where our country is going and we shouldn’t knock there efforts to try to change the course of our country.