DAVE HELLING and JASON NOBLE
April 15, 2009
You're invited to an afternoon tea party - and not the raised-pinkie, one-lump-or-two variety, either.
Try a Boston Harbor, sneak over the bow, throw-stuff-in-the water populist protest against the federal government.
Today in Kansas City, and 2,000 other communities large and small across America, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to gather to mimic the Boston Tea Party, arguing for an end to deficit spending, lower taxes and a reduced government role in the economy.
"You can't spend all this money, most of which we do not have," said Carl Bearden, a former state lawmaker helping organize Missouri tea parties. Among those at a protest Tuesday outside the Missouri Capitol were Jim Kitchens (left) and Mary and Harold Ezell. Handing out tea bags because "no representatives will listen," Leonard Steinman of Jefferson City (right) made his point at Tuesday's tea party event on the south lawn of the Missouri Capitol. The rally was held a day before today's tax deadline.
They're marching. They're sending tea bags to Congress, creating something of a mess in post offices. And on the day millions of taxpayers drop their returns into the mailbox, they intend to be heard.
"There's concern among the American people about this debt, about our deficit," said Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, a Missouri Republican. "I lose sleep every night worrying about what I'm laying on my children and grandchildren. Unfortunately, we're in a bad state right now."
Although tea parties also are scheduled for Lee's Summit, Overland Park, Topeka, and dozens of other cities in the region today, protesters in Jefferson City hoisted their signs a day early on the steps of the state Capitol.
Peggy Falk of Jefferson City held a sign reading, "Stop stealing money I haven't made yet." She's upset by the federal government's actions in the wake of the recession.
Dan Dey, of New Bloomfield, Mo., carried a reproduction of the Continental flag, which he said was flown by American revolutionaries at Bunker Hill. "We're losing sight of the fact that we should be self-reliant and self-accountable," Dey said.
Such sentiments are common at tea party protests, which have grown dramatically in recent weeks.
They began as ad hoc, grassroots weekend gatherings in February after CNBC business reporter Rick Santelli - discussing a federal mortgage bailout proposal - called for a Chicago tea party in protest.
Santelli's cable TV challenge swirled through the blogosphere, prompting a loose-knit coalition of conservative Republicans, libertarians, Ron Paul supporters and H. Ross Perot acolytes to hold their own tea parties.
Now there's a full-blown tea party movement, boosted in part by such conservative organizations as Americans for Prosperity (whose foundation is connected with billionaire oilman David Koch), the American Family Association, and FreedomWorks, whose chairman is former U.S. Rep. Dick Armey.
The effort also has received a publicity push from conservative media outlets on the radio and on the Web, as well as support from other groups.
Still, tea party supporters insist the movement remains a grassroots phenomenon.
"It's a people's movement," said KCMO radio talk show host Chris Stigall, who will speak at today's Kansas City rally. "The thousands of people who show up for this thing on their own two feet - credit should not be taken from them."
At a tea party this evening in Overland Park, KMBZ radio host Darla Jaye will broadcast from Johnson County Community College.
Democrats contend that the tea party message simply reflects political frustration over Barack Obama's victory.
"It's conservatives who lost badly, who just can't accept Obama as president of the United States," said Steve Glorioso, a local political consultant. "It's the same far right, fringe characters driven in large part by talk radio."
But Democratic U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, whose Kansas office was the site of an earlier tea party protest, said, "We have a responsibility, I think, to listen to our constituents, whether we agree or not." Then he added: "I hope they'll listen, too."
Many of today's speeches will focus on taxes, even though for virtually all who have a job the federal tax burden is actually lower today than it was six months ago - except perhaps for those who buy tobacco - because of tax cuts and credits built into the stimulus package.
A new Gallup poll shows 48 percent of surveyed Americans believe the federal tax burden is just right, only the second time that number has been that high in more than half a century.
"Maybe everyone going to these things is a Wall Street mogul," said Bob McIntyre of Citizens for Tax Justice, a liberal tax study group. "They should be out there having a tea party for Obama, not against him."
As part of his budget, Obama has proposed raising taxes beginning in 2011 on joint filers earning more than $250,000 a year, as well as increasing some Medicare drug premiums, a phase-out of some deductions, and higher business taxes.
But tea party speakers are expected to focus more on federal spending and the deficit, which could reach $1.75 trillion or more by next year, by far the biggest in history.
Organizers want to make sure people who can't attend the event hear that message.
"There will be a lot of people watching this movement that would love to demonize and make us look like a bunch of crazy people," said a pre-tea party message posted on kcmogop.blogspot.com. "We will not engage in candidate or party-bashing or vulgarity The media will be present. They might even approach you to interview you. For this reason, our volunteers will be distributing talking points."
No one knows how many people will show up this afternoon on the north lawn of the Liberty Memorial, but organizers expect that good weather will make their jobs easier.
"There are a lot of people freaked out that government is getting awfully big, and meddling in ways it's never meddled before," Stigall said. "Gorgeous day - the Liberty Memorial. That's why we're there."
Two of the "tea parties" today: Liberty Memorial, Kansas City, 4 p.m. Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, 6 p.m. Go to KansasCity.com for video and photos from the tax protest in Jefferson City.
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To reach Dave Helling, call 816-234-4656 or send e-mail to dhelling@kcstar.com To reach Jason Noble, call 1-573-634-3565 or send e-mail jnoble@kcstar.com