Topeka — Hundreds of Kansans are staging rallies around the state to protest what they view as excessive taxes, wasteful government spending and federal bailouts of big businesses.
But in Lawrence, there are no parties planned.
The “TEA Party” events were planned Wednesday in at least a dozen cities, including Topeka and Wichita, and smaller communities, such as Lakin in southwest Kansas. TEA stands for “Taxed Enough Already.”
Americans for Prosperity, which opposes tax increases and advocates for restraining government spending, is helping to organize the events but said they’re driven mostly by interest among individual Kansans. Wednesday also was the deadline for filing individual income tax returns.
Derrick Sontag, the group’s state director, said more than 500 people have either registered for or called about a rally Wednesday evening outside a north Topeka post office. He said one goal is to get people involved in politics and government.
“The grass roots must take action,” Sontag said before the Topeka rally. “It’s one thing to come to a TEA Party, but what are you going to do tomorrow morning?”
Much of the protesting is aimed at policies backed by President Barack Obama and fellow Democrats who control Congress, including the recently enacted federal stimulus package.
On Wednesday, Rep. Pete Sessions, of Texas, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, issued a statement endorsing the rallies and decrying high taxes and “out-of-control government spending.” And Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, also a Republican, planned to speak at rallies in Junction City, Wichita and Topeka.
Larry Gates, the Kansas Democratic Party’s chairman, described the protests as “far right” events expressing support for lax regulation of businesses and failed economic policies of the past. The party said hundreds of people put their names on an e-mail petition supporting Obama’s policies this week.
“This is yet another example of how the far right is obstructing the progress this country needs to turn our economy around,” Gates said.
But organizers of the Lakin event said they’re concerned about a burgeoning federal debt and government spending.
“It’s just encouraging to me to think that a grass roots movement like this can take off and show that there still are a lot of people in this world who are not afraid to stand up and say, ’We’re tired of wasteful government spending and this is ridiculous, and it’s got to stop,”’ Alicia Adams, an organizer of the Lakin event, told Garden City radio station KBUF-AM.
Sontag said rally participants also have concerns that Kansas legislators will consider raising taxes to deal with the state’s budget crisis.
Comments
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unclebiff (anonymous) says…
no way, no protest in Lawrence? Don't think were not pissed though....
thelonious (anonymous) says…
"But organizers of the Lakin event said they’re concerned about a burgeoning federal debt and government spending."
If they are so worried about the federal debt, perhaps they can get behind increasing revenues (taxes) by restoring the pre-2001 tax rates on the wealthy.
As I recall, the economy (and the wealthy) did OK before 2001 with these higher rates.
Keeping a close eye on spending shoud always be something that is done, but the real problem is the hole we blew in our revenue due to the large Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, then the Bush war spending (OMG, higher spending on the Republicans' watch), and finally the recession, caused and exacerbated by the failed Republican economic program which, if I understand it correctly, seems to be to give everything to a few at the top, and then they will "trickle" some on me. Right.
Sorry, but when there is a deficit, closing the hole will require work on both the spending and the revenue (tax) side. And how we are going to improve the revenue side with more business and wealthy tax cuts is hard to figure - I know that the pat answer is that those cuts will drive growth and investment and higher revenues, blah, blah, blah, but if you look around, I think it is pretty obvious that that kind of thinking has been discredited.
Summerguuurl007 (anonymous) says…
I think we should have an 85% tax so that the homeless people in Lawrence can each have their own house and all the drugs and alcohol they want! Nothing like taking money from people who have earned it and giving it to those who don't contribute AT ALL to society!
independant1 (anonymous) replies…
Bolt the microwave to the kitchen counter and the TV and cable box.
yellowhouse (anonymous) says…
Lawrence may not have a tea party, but the party at the vermont post office will be a smashing good time!
Practicality (anonymous) says…
We should have one of these in Lawrence.
cubbear (anonymous) says…
If Obama's economic plan of tax, borrowing and spending our way to economic recovery are valid then I'm going to go out and borrow as much as possible, max out every credit card and spend, spend, spend....I wonder how that will work out??
"Obama...cause everyone deserves some of what you worked hard for!"
preebo (anonymous) says…
The real irony here is that most of the Kansans who are throwing these *TEA*parties are actually paying less in taxes under President Obama, assuming they make under $250,000/year, which I would assume they do. It is as Dr. Paul Krugman stated earlier this week, this is an astro-turf movement, not grassroots. Completely fabricated, not a real movement, but created by a few conservatives who have run out of any real ideas. They don't seem to get it, these type of movements are supposed to be started from the bottom-up, not the top-down.
blue73harley (anonymous) says…
Late Breaking News - Newest Legislation
The Americans With No Abilities Act
Washington, DC - President Barack Obama and the Democrat controlled Congress are considering sweeping legislation that will provide new
benefits for many Americans. The Americans With No Abilities Act
(AWNAA) is being hailed as a major legislative goal by advocates of the millions of Americans who lack any real skills or ambition.
"Roughly 50 percent of Americans do not possess the competence and drive necessary to carve out a meaningful role for themselves in society,"
said California Senator Barbara Boxer. "We can no longer stand by and
allow People of Inability (POI) to be ridiculed and passed over. With
this legislation, employers will no longer be able to grant special favors to a small group of workers,simply because they have some idea of what they are doing."
In a Capitol Hill press conference, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pointed to the success of the U.S.
Postal Service, which has a long-standing policy of providing
opportunity without regard to performance. Approximately 74 percent of
postal employees lack any job skills, making this agency the single largest U.S. employer of Persons of Inability.
Private-sector industries with good records of non-discrimination against the Inept include retail sales (72%), the airline industry
(68%), and home improvement warehouse stores (65%). At the state
government level, the Department of Motor Vehicles also has an excellent record of hiring Persons of Inability (63%).
Under AWNAA, more than 25 million mid-level positions will be created, with important-sounding titles but little real responsibility, thus providing an illusory sense of purpose and performance.
Mandatory non-performance-based raises and promotions will be given so as to guarantee upward mobility for even the most unremarkable
employees. The legislation provides substantial tax breaks to
corporations that promote a significant number of Persons of Inability into middle-management positions, and gives a tax credit to small and medium-sized businesses that agree to hire one clueless worker for every two talented hires.
Finally, the AWNAA contains tough new measures to make it more difficult to discriminate against the non-abled, banning, for example, discriminatory interview questions such as, "Do you have any skills or experience that relate to this job?"
Said Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), "As a Senator with no abilities, I believe the same privileges that elected officials enjoy ought to be
extended to every American with no abilities. It is our duty as
lawmakers to provide each and every American citizen, regardless of his or her inadequacy, with some sort of space to take up in this great nation and a good salary for doing so."
RonBurgandy (anonymous) says…
It's hard to call something a "grassroots" movement when it has been touted and promoted so much by Fox News.
BeeBee3 (anonymous) says…
You hit the nail on the head Ron. Fox's coverage is absurd. They are running promos for it. Its NOT a revolution. They wish it was. Oh the lengths the far right go to to save their dying party..
average (anonymous) says…
Federal income tax rates on high earners, even if the Bush cuts expire, will of course be far below those of most of the 20th century. Not something they teach in high school history, apparently. Nor something that either the Truman Library or Eisenhower Center seem interested in teaching us.
Today's GOP presented us a budget alternative two weeks ago. Their next proposed balanced budget? 2081. Really. Eisenhower wept.
Jersey_Girl (anonymous) says…
Yes, let's all bash Obama and complain about his plans to fix the situation that Bush put us in. Clinton had the budget balanced (as Democrats seem to do) and then along came Dubya and he blew that all to hell. For all you right-winger who are fine with the war but against higher taxes, how exactly do you propose we pay for that delightful trillion dollar item?
countrygirl (anonymous) says…
I'd love just to be able to read the article without the big ad for TAX Act in the middle of it!
salad (anonymous) says…
"You liberals just never get it, study some Economics in your spare time, and learn how all this works!"
That's true, liberals don't remember that the neo-cons changed the rules so that they can cut taxes, give BS "stimulus" checks back to taxpayers (twice!), spend like there's no tomorrow, start two wars with no end or stratagey required, create the largest expansion of the federal govt. ever (homeland security), run budget from a huge surplus to a huge deficit and still call it all "good". *
* good (neo-con style) = ruin the country, cause we got ours so screw the rest of you! suckers!!!
Akreed (anonymous) says…
What a shocker. Liberals talking smack on groups opposing more taxation. Why would they care about taxes when most of their leadership doesn't even pay them until they want a new job that requires it?
lounger (anonymous) says…
Brainwashing is more like it. Whilst G.W. Bush was in office he ran this economy into the ground in a BIG way and now his supporters are slamming the efforts made By Obama.
A Tea party in Lakin? Have you been to Lakin? S-C-A-R-Y!!
Akreed (anonymous) says…
FOX news advertising what is going on does not take away the fact that it's a grass roots movement. Try again.
Jersey_Girl (anonymous) says…
Akreed - we liberals should be opposing taxation that is going to fix the hole that Dubya put us in. But we're not. We're sucking it up and paying the damn taxes. You think we're happy about it? Guess again. No one wants to pay more taxes. You can't have your cake and eat it too. If you didn't want more taxes, then you should have had your TEAparties 8 years ago.
Jersey_Girl (anonymous) says…
Akreed - we liberals should be opposing taxation that is going to fix the hole that Dubya put us in. But we're not. We're sucking it up and paying the damn taxes. You think we're happy about it? Guess again. No one wants to pay more taxes. You can't have your cake and eat it too. If you didn't want more taxes, then you should have had your TEAparties 8 years ago, before the Rupublicans spent us into the poorhouse.
Akreed (anonymous) says…
So what you're saying is you don't like it either but you are complacent because...oh because it's a conservative movement? Or because Obama tells you it's going to solve everything? You can't get rid of a hole by digging it deeper.
landon_alger (anonymous) says…
Akreed represents the typical reading comprehension problem demonstrated by ODS. Let me try and break it down for him.
The administration of the last eight years created a serious economic problem that has made it impossible to balance the budget. The so-called "TAX" events sponsored by the Kochs (who fund American's for Prosperity in order to reduce taxes for themselves) present no meaningful solution to these problems.
I believe that Jersey_Girl is trying to say that she does not want higher taxes, but realizes that there is no other meaningful solution to the problem. And ignoring the problem is only making it worse.
By the way, you can dig a hole deeper to get rid of the hole. You dig a little deeper and instead of throwing the dirt out of the hole, you put it to one side so that you can get out of the hole. Once out of the hole, you can fill in the hole. If you need for me to explain how this analogy applies to the economy, let me know.
Have a super day.
Jersey_Girl (anonymous) says…
Akreed - okay, fine. Paying more taxes is going to dig us deeper into the hole the Republicans put us in. I don't get your logic but I'll play along. In your infinite wisdom, how do you suggest we fix the deficit?
Logan72 (Alia Ahmed) says…
Maybe if the beverage was produced in the US instead of overseas, the tea parties would have stimulated our economy. Maybe keg parties would have been a better idea to keep the money at home. Per Wikipedia,
Production
In 2003, world tea production was 3.15 million tons annually. The largest producer was India, followed by China (the order has since reversed), followed by Kenya and Sri Lanka. China is the only country today to produce in industrial quantities all different kinds of tea (white tea, yellow tea, green tea, blue-green tea, red tea and black tea).[citation needed]
Production in ton. Figures for 2004-2005
Data from de faostat (fao) fao database, accessed June 11, 2008
China 855,422 25 % 953,660 27 %
India 857,000 25 % 830,750 23 %
Kenya 324,600 9 % 328,500 9 %
Sri Lanka 308,090 9 % 317,200 9 %
Turkey 201,663 6 % 217,520 6 %
Indonesia 171,200 5 % 177,700 5 %
Vietnam 119,500 3 % 132,525 3 %
Japan 100,700 3 % 100,000 3 %
Argentina 70,389 2 % 67,871 2 %
Bangladesh 57,580 2 % 57,580 2 %
Iran 40,250 2 % 59,180 2 %
Malawi 50,090 1 % 38,000 1 %
Uganda 35,706 1 % 37,734 1 %
Other countries 208,949 6 % 215,940 6 %
Total 3,401,088 100 % 3,550,194 100 %
toe (anonymous) says…
Since most of Lawrence benefits from those who pay taxes, it would be foolish to complain about the tax burden. But, Lawrence has become a welfare community that only has the transfer of tax payments to look forward too. If there were strong tax paying businesses here, you would see the tea being tossed here, too.
dandelion (anonymous) says…
TrooGrit (Anonymous) says…
preebo, what you seem to fail to grasp is, with the spending levels that are being embraced by this administration and the libs in congress is that our taxes MUST go up!
They should never have gone down!!!! If they had saved up the extra money that we had in good times, then we would be ok now. And all you conservatives who wanted to have a war, but not pay for it should just shut your mouths now, or start coughing up the money to pay for it. Oh by the way, I think those people who don't want to pay taxes should be allowed not to, but they can't drive on any road, they can't call the fire department, if their house catches on fire, and they can't call the police if they are being robbed or harmed. And if they lose their job, since they have to walk to work, then they can't receive any money to help. If they become disabled they have to jump in the river, because no one is going to help them. So they can just so live in the desert away from society, so they are not burdened by being a part of a community.
ksfbcoach (anonymous) says…
Alright Liberals, enough already. Go to the National Obama Network, your very own propaganda machine and read this item under CNN Money.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/15/pf/ta...
The top 1% pay 39% of the taxes.
The top 20% pay 69.3 % of the taxes
The middle class pay 29.7%
The lower 20% pay .8%.
That's right... .8%. Quit your bitchin' about the rich not paying any taxes. It's THEIR taxes that send you your welfare check.
dandelion (anonymous) says…
Maybe keg parties would have been a better idea to keep the money at home.
Well, that would leave out Budwieser, since they are no longer a U.S. company.
KLATTU (anonymous) says…
The top 1% pay 39% of the taxes.
And make 98% of the wealth mostly due to corporate welfare which gets called something else like "too big to fail". We could pay for several decade of the welfare mothers that Hannity is bitching about with what we spent in Iraq last month.
I'd be happy if the ultra rich just had to pay the same percentage of their yearly income as I do.
Logan72 (Alia Ahmed) says…
There are many brands of beer still made in the USA. Boulevard is made in Kansas City. Coors is made in Golden Colorado. Budweiser is still produced in St. Louis, correct?
BigAl (anonymous) says…
I wonder why Fox News and the far-right didn't have a tea party when Bush ran up huge deficits after Clinton gave him a balanced budget? Or, when Bush started the stimulus packages?
The corrupt far-right has very selective memory.
dlkrm (anonymous) says…
"We could pay for several decade of the welfare mothers that Hannity is bitching about with what we spent in Iraq last month."
Hey Moron! If you watched tv or read the newspaper, you would know Obama spent the equivalent of 44 years of Iraq war in his first budget! Obama's first year deficit is greater than the cumulative budget deficits of the past 10 years, and it is almost all new spending!!!!
BigAl (anonymous) says…
All I know is that Clinton, a democrat, handed Bush, a republican, a balanced budget and a strong economy.
Bush, the republican, handed Obama, a democrat, an economy in the tank, huge deficits, two wars and we are basically disliked all over the world.
These are facts.
And now, the corrupt right wing media and others have decided to take action. Where have you been for 8 long years....?
independant1 (anonymous) replies…
Clinton had a republican congress and reached over the aisle.
Duya ended with a Dem controlled congress and reached over the aisle.
Obama didn't get a single vote from across the aisle.
All spending bills begin in the house.
Right wing media? (oxymoron) One cable network,Fox News, just ain't like the others so appears way right wing. Are they way right? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,
snap_pop_no_crackle (anonymous) says…
And the O'dude has been spending money like a drunken sailor since the dust settled on Jan 20.
Jersey_Girl (anonymous) says…
dandelion - don't forget, they can't send their kids to public schools, either.
KLATTU - don't forget the bonuses they award themselves with the bailout money.
RedwoodCoast (anonymous) says…
Again, I'll just remind everyone to go back and look at the national budget over the past 20 years just to see if there is any correlation between the state of the budget and the party in the White House. Looks pretty clear to me.
independant1 (anonymous) replies…
all spending bills begin in the house
The_Voice_of_Reason (anonymous) says…
Anyone ever wonder why both parties are against government debt yet we still have government debt? Or why both parties are against deficits yet we still have those too. How about why both parties are against MANY of the same things yet there still a problem??? Maybe, just maybe it's not a right or left issue...
Jersey_Girl (anonymous) says…
I agree, Redwood.
BABBOY (anonymous) says…
Tea Party?
That was what my stupid little republican friend was babbling about -- of course he was drinking a star bucks and getting out of his brand new S class Mercedes (One Sweet Car by the way) and is a member at a country club in KC (also very nice) not that far from the plaza so I am not so sure what his little beef was because I usually ignore him when he rants but now I know what he was talking about....
Today is the day I type run on sentences.......
dlkrm (anonymous) says…
Only congress can spend money, with the president's approval. Clinton submitted a budget proposal with huge deficits as far as the eye could see, and the Republican congress said no. They balanced the budget, not the legendary Bill. Now, a drunken and out of control Democratic congress is doing the bidding of their messiah, and the projected budget deficits for the next four years surpass the first 220 years of the republic.
jkilgore (anonymous) says…
Ok. Watch Bush run up 5,000,000,000,000 in additional deficits, and then cry like little girls when a president tries to come in and fix things. I'm not a fan of the big fix, but isn't it humorous how hypocritical it is of the right to complain now? The cows have been out of the barn for years. Moo. I mean, Oink.
snap_pop_no_crackle (anonymous) says…
"...when a president tries to come in and fix things."
I beg to differ, fixing things ain't what Barry's doing.
MyName (anonymous) says…
snap:
>I beg to differ, fixing things ain't what *I think* [the President] is doing (but I dunno because I'm a clueless hack who can't read an article that explains WTH is going on with the economy).
There, fixt it!
dweezil222 (anonymous) says…
I have no problems paying taxes to support government programs that are actually worthwhile. But stop sending my money for crap that does not matter, like weed control in China and all the other nonsensical BS the government wastes money on. I understand I have a duty to pay my share of what the government does. But the government ought to have a duty to ensure that money is spent efficiently.
Summerguuurl007 (anonymous) says…
"I wonder why Fox News and the far-right didn't have a tea party when Bush ran up huge deficits after Clinton gave him a balanced budget? Or, when Bush started the stimulus packages?
The corrupt far-right has very selective memory."
Maybe the budget problems had something to do with a little event that occurred in September 2001? Oh, no, my bad, that was an inside job.
Practicality (anonymous) says…
logrithmic,
I really think you should check yourself into a mental hospital. I think you might have left the reservation for good. Come back to reality and try and make some sense in your posts, not just idiotic ramblings.
bearded_gnome (anonymous) says…
dlkrm is correct. it wasn't Clinton who balanced the budgets, it was Newt and the boys and girls in the house of representatives, you know, the liberal media said the republicans "took over."
***
and, antiwar sentiments here ...yawn.
the scale of what has been spent on Iraq, which we are winning btw, is a drop in the budget compared to Obama's Multi-Trillion dollar Roulette.
and sure keep thinking these protests aren't grass roots, sure keep thinking that.
we are protesting the idea that: you spend your way out of debt; borrow your way out of the red; and mortgage children and grandchildren's future. if it were such a crisis as the language would describe [obama] "the worst economy since the great depression," then responsible leaders wouldn't pork up the budget and the so-called stimulus bill. most of the stimulus bill is not stimulative and not spending in the first year of the bill when it is necessary! it included, for example, an $8-billion high speed "gamblers special" train from L.A. to Las Vegas. TARP under Bush, bad idea. TARP's under Obama, badder ideas! bailing out John Kerry's AIG.
protests today are in opposition to those actions and ideas. the scale dwarfs all the money spent on Iraq, in fact dwarfs all the deficit spending since the founding of the American republic!
finally, Tea parties because of that event in the American revolution. I know some of you are probably ignorant, so look it up: the Boston Tea Party. that's the model for today's protests. Sam Adams participated, by the way.
bearded_gnome (anonymous) says…
uh, Prac,
Logie needs to be pulled over and sited for BUI, blogging under the influence. from previous posts it seems likely that he/she/it is multisubstance impaired.
it is funny to note he is supporting the liberals here. that's quite an endorsement!
justfornow (anonymous) says…
Today's news
Many Kansans throw ‘TEA parties,’ but Lawrencians not among them
Of course not.
Practicality (anonymous) says…
this is your brain.
dweezil222 (Anonymous) says…
"I have no problems paying taxes to support government programs that are actually worthwhile. But stop sending my money for crap that does not matter, like weed control in China and all the other nonsensical BS the government wastes money on."
this is your brain on drugs.
logrithmic (Anonymous) says…
"Yep - so send your boys off to die in the desert cuz Bush lied about the real reason for war - oil.
But you leftists better not protest cuz:
“Freedom isn't free.”
Now they're crying about their taxes - unchanged from Bushbutt's years.
Maybe someone should tell them to shaddup.
Maybe someone should tell them (ironically and sarcastically):
Freedom isn't free.
God bless!"
any questions?
independant1 (anonymous) replies…
bush lied?
All politicians are liars, it's in the job description, a question on the application.
Practicality (anonymous) says…
Hmmmmmm,
I click on the website and it says "Page not found."
Um, logrithmic, "Just say No!"
fletch (anonymous) says…
I like how none of these people were chanting in the streets when Bush was giving away rebate checks, taking the budget from running a surplus to running a record breaking defecit.
I get it. You're mad. You lost the election. Obama's actually implemented policies you don't like. That's what happens when you lose. That's how all us liberals felt the last 8 years of having the country bumpkin in charge. I feel for you. I really do. But you lost. Don't be the guy who takes it badly and keeps asking for a do-over. Nobody likes that guy.
If you've got a real policy gripe, explain it. Don't hold signs up that say "no taxation without representation" and complain about fascism. You look like an idiot when you do that. Your gripe is taxation WITH representation. And it's not fascism. It's democracy. Welcome to being in the ruling minority. It's supposed to fell like this.
Sigh.
dweezil222 (anonymous) says…
Hey, there'd be a reasonably quick way to generate revenue -- end the "War on Drugs," save $20 billion a year just for starters. More when you add in sales tax from their legal sale.
davidmcg (anonymous) says…
Ted Nugent said it pretty good about the government -- "stranglehold". Taxes are unfortunately a necessary evil. What is not necessary is an over taxing, over spending and over reaching government.
The United States of America is a Republic not a Democracy. If you do not understand the difference watch this video. It is on very simple terms -- junior high level. Very easy to understand, not boring and very important.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DioQoo...
slowplay (anonymous) says…
I love the first sentence, "Hundreds of Kansans are staging rallies". Oh no, not hundreds LOL. These tea parties are so ridiculous they do not justify further comment.
Sparko (anonymous) says…
Who says America doesn't manufacture anything any more? Fox news manufactured outrage. And exported it too. I am proud of Lawrence. These were rallies in the sense that they were dominated by low information, easily manipulated hypocrites.
We fought and won a war over such drivel once before. Secession? Tax outrage? After George W. Bush bankrupted the country? Tea Baggers all right.
slowplay (anonymous) says…
" Fox news manufactured outrage."....
Actually this is part of a very calculated marketing campaign by FOX to attract the extreme right viewers. They have no choice. They lost all credibility with the Bush a$$ kissing during the past few years. The far right is a market niche that might keep them viable for little while longer, but their extremism will eventually be their downfall as fewer and fewer companies advertise with them.
true_patriot (anonymous) says…
Carnival barker and Fox News talking head Glenn Beck picked the Alamo as the flagship event location to launch the teabagging party today. Stupendously brilliant.
Apparently it fizzled, with events falling through due to lack of permits and the secret service getting involved when someone threw a box over into the White House lawn.
dweezil222 (anonymous) says…
slowplay (Anonymous) says…
” Fox news manufactured outrage.”….
Actually this is part of a very calculated marketing campaign by FOX to attract the extreme right viewers. They have no choice. They lost all credibility with the Bush a$$ kissing during the past few years. The far right is a market niche that might keep them viable for little while longer, but their extremism will eventually be their downfall as fewer and fewer companies advertise with them.
==========================================
I'm not going to defend Fox News and their obvious right-wing bias. But if you think CNN or MSNBC are impartial, you need a reality check.
JHOK32 (anonymous) says…
I don't remember hearing about any "Tea Parties" last year when Bush got on national TV and begged the taxpayers for $Billions of dollars to save the same greedy bankers & wall street fatcats that got us into this insane mess.
straightforward (anonymous) says…
The claim that Bush and the Republicans are solely responsible for us being this mess doesn't hold water. Democrats like to think that Bush inherited a booming economy and then ran it into the ground. Bush inherited a recession. Yes, there was a surplus because we had high income and capital gains taxes during a time when the stock market grew rapidly, but that dot com bubble burst. Add 9-11 on top of that and Bush had his hands full. Guess what? His tax cuts worked. Our economy got back on track. We had very low unemployment and high prosperity for five years. Enter, democratic congress. Barney and friends felt it was their job to make sure everyone could own a house, driving a housing bubble, which has obviously burst. The idea that government is going to create prosperity by taxing us didn't work during the great depression and it won't work now. But what do I know? I'm just a right-wing extremist. Homeland Security has probably tapped into my internet connection and is watching me as I type this.
daylisa (anonymous) says…
Many of us are unemployed right now, our government is giving billions to private corporations that should be allowed to fail if they can't stand on their own two feet (they're going bankrupt even with the bailouts), then our wonderful congress gave themselves a pay raise at the end of March...courtesy of us...as if they deserve it! We may not have had a tea party in Lawrence, but a group is organizing for future activities. By the way, remember last year's stimulus checks? And how the tv news stations reported (and www.irs.gov) that the stimulus refund would be integrated into our tax filing this year? Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! It wasn't there. Obummer's tax relief?! He's a liar. And I'm sick of ALL our lying, lame duck, lazy, good-for-nothing congressional and senatorial leaders. i say vote ALL of them out and put in people with morals!!!!
cletus26 (anonymous) says…
no justice, no peace
Stain (anonymous) says…
I got the most nauseating email from Senator Sam Brownback, who never bothered to write me during the Bush years except to defend Bush to the death every time.
Brownback is suddenly all fiscally responsible. Brownback, who never uttered a peep while Bush was plunging our country into the largest national debt in history and not by creating jobs, either. Brownback, who was claiming Saddam had WMD months after the White House officially admitted he had none. Brownback, who never met a Bush spending bill he didn't like.
Kansas deserves better than Sam Brownback.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
"Oops. Now second largest. Barry Joe is now #1! Aren't you proud?"
No, the debts were run up on Bush's watch. They just got stuck on Obama's tab, when BushCo did the dine-and-dash routine.
TopJayhawk (anonymous) says…
Jersey Girl...."Clinton balanced the budget as Democrats seem to do?
How absurd and stupid. When were you born? 1980? Later?
You need to look at history, and see the massive debts run up by the Dems when they had complete control of both houses for over fifty yrs. Balanced budget? Hardly.
TopJayhawk (anonymous) says…
I think what this is really all about is that people are sick of all politicians. Republican and Democrat. All are incompetent.
All are liars theives, or just down right incompetent.
It is time for the LIbertarian party to flex some muscle and come to the fore.
I think Obama, and Bush will be a watershed event, and finally people are starting to wake up.
How many elections have we had where, regardless of party or ideology, you have to hold your nose to pull the lever? Too many.,