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Apr. 16, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Tax day brings tempest at 'tea parties'

Protesters full of 'positive anger' at Nevada rallies

By CARRI GEER THEVENOT and ED VOGEL

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Slideshow


Protesters gather Wednesday at Sunset Park as part of a "tea party" rally. About 2,000 to 2,500 people attended the event. A similar rally was held in Carson City.
Photo by John Gurzinski.



Protesters wave American flags and signs Wednesday at Sunset Park as part of a nationwide "tea party" rally.
Photo by John Gurzinski.

Thousands of people, many waving hand-painted signs and American flags, held tax day "tea parties" Wednesday in Las Vegas and Carson City as part of a nationwide movement to protest what they consider excessive government spending.

At Sunset Park, an estimated 2,000 to 2,500 people gathered to hear speakers and express their views. Demonstrators along Eastern Avenue and Sunset Road attracted a stream of honks from passing traffic throughout the afternoon.

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    • "There's a lot of anger, but there's a lot of positive anger," said Jack Landreth, program director for KXNT-AM, 840 radio. "There are people who want to be heard and make a difference, and this gave them the opportunity to do that."

    The radio station promoted the event, which featured speeches from Herman Cain, a FOX News business commentator and host of a radio talk show in Atlanta, and Wayne Allyn Root, the 2008 Libertarian Party vice presidential nominee and a Las Vegas sports handicapper.

    Although billed as a nonpartisan event, the messages from participants were largely anti-Obama, and Democrats were hard to find. Many protesters carried signs with the "tea party" slogan: Taxed Enough Already.

    Las Vegas resident Jennean Scacco, a 55-year-old Republican, sat in a chair along Eastern Avenue holding a "Stop Spending" sign with a tea bag wrapper attached to it.

    "I learned long ago that when you find yourself in a hole, you should stop digging," said Scacco, who works as a senior account technician for the city of Las Vegas. "Unfortunately, those we elected have not figured that out yet. They just think spending is going to get us out of this problem."

    Scacco said she disagrees with those who say Americans should refuse to file income tax returns.

    "I'm a law-abiding citizen, but I want them to use my tax money wisely," she said.

    Las Vegas resident Ryan Kissling, 26, said he learned about the Sunset Park event through the social-networking Web site Facebook and decided to take the afternoon off from his job as a trade development manager at Monster Energy, a company that makes energy drinks.

    Kissling, a Republican, stood along Eastern holding a sign that read, "Look 2 the Constitution Not Karl Marx."

    "I'm tired of the government getting so big," he said.

    Kissling said he was glad he decided to attend.

    "It makes me have hope again," he said.

    Mary and Tom Meyers, a married couple from Las Vegas, spent three hours demonstrating. They are both Republicans.

    Mary Meyers, a 49-year-old cocktail server, carried a sign that read, "No: Socialism. No: Bailouts. Flat Tax!"

    Her husband, a 45-year-old bartender, held a sign that read, "When is big government too much?"

    "We want our message heard," Mary Meyers said. "We're afraid of the direction our country's going. We fear we're headed toward socialism."

    Although the gathering was mostly peaceful, a heated exchange broke out between protesters and a passer-by who told them to "go home."

    One protester shouted back, "Show us your green card."

    "Green card?" said the man, who was a passenger in a vehicle. "I was born in America."

    Protesters swore at the man as the vehicle drove away.

    Dozens of demonstrators gathered for a smaller evening "tea party" at the main post office on Sunset Road. The post office was open until midnight to accommodate last-minute tax filers.

    Las Vegas resident Elizabeth Broils, 30, was there with her 13-year-old daughter, Kristina, who wore a pilgrim costume, and her 8-year-old son, Joseph, who wore an Indian costume.

    Broils said the costumes symbolize the time of America's forefathers and the revolution they began.

    "If we have to start another revolution, these will be the kids to do it," she said.

    In Carson City, an angry crowd of 2,000 demanded that legislators not increase taxes and condemned President Barack Obama's economic stimulus and spending plans in a protest outside the Legislative Building.

    Legislative police and Carson City sheriff's deputies said the gathering was the largest they had seen in more than 30 years in the state capital.

    "You are doing exactly what needs to be done on tax day," Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev., told the crowd. He said Obama's spending plans have added $250,000 in debt for each of his four children.

    Janine Hansen, a longtime lobbyist for the conservative, pro-family Nevada Eagle Forum, said she believes the sentiment of the protesters reflects current thinking of mainstream Americans.

    While acknowledging that FOX News and local conservative talk show hosts had urged people to attend the protest, Hansen said people had to have strong objections to government to take time off work and drive to Carson City for a rally.

    But few, if any, of the protesters wandered inside the Legislative Building after the three-hour demonstration to watch legislators who were voting on dozens of bills.

    An older Carson City couple, Robert and Dwanna Dempsey, said too many people believe the government should give them cradle-to-grave support.

    They said they were not just blaming Obama, but many politicians who over the years supported deficit spending.

    "We need to clean out all the politicians," Dwanna Dempsey added. "They don't listen."

    In response to the "tea party" gatherings, Democratic National Committee spokesman Hari Sevugan released the following statement Wednesday:

    "While we support the right of Americans to petition their government, what's clear is that the overwhelming majority of folks support President Obama's plan to get the economy back on track and provide 95 percent of working families with tax relief, because they are no longer going to accept 'more of the same' as an answer."

    Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Contact reporter Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.

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    Cherie Plante wrote on April 18, 2009 08:30 AM: It is really too bad that these protesters didn't take history classes. The tea parties were not about big government but about the right to representation. Let me remind everyone that Obama is president because you were represented and whatever changes happen are a direct result of who we as American voters voted to represent us. God bless America!


    patrick wrote on April 17, 2009 08:56 AM: God Steve is dumb.

    I mean, can this guy read or does he only use two of the orifices in his body? I mean, I just wrote that I hope the IRS was in the "crowd" taking pictures of all these tax protesters to make sure they were all being law abiding citizens.

    I never said, or suggested that anyone go to jail. Is that so hard to understand Steve?

    You have a problem with wanting to make sure people abide by the law?

    God Steve you really are dumb, and say hello to your sister for me, and tell her I got a shiny nickel for her If she does that thing she does so well for me.


    Hey Fred wrote on April 16, 2009 10:41 PM: Why was Obama's brother denied entry into the U.K.? Don't want to talk about it? How about his illegal alian aunt?

    Here is why Democrats want to get rid of the charitable gifts tax deduction: http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2009/04/obama-and-biden-release-tax-returns.html

    They sure are generous with everyone else's money though.


    Joe C wrote on April 16, 2009 10:26 PM: Fair and Balanced Fred,
    So tell me that all the liberal protests are the only true grass root protest.
    That well funded moveon.org wasn’t involved or some of the super wealthy in the Democratic Party are not the true organizers.
    The list of super wealthy in the Democratic Party is also rather huge and a big influence starting so called grass root causes.

    The fact you claim most are white, geriatric, and angry proves how intolerant and generalizing you are.

    So you don’t think these older white people should have a say or speak out because you disagree with them, so you are rather bigoted.
    Plus if you are not angry at what government has done in both parties you are also blind.
    Many a liberal democrat are also angry and disagree with Obama’s spending and are still loyal to him, they just disagree.
    Why is it you must cling to a side like religious fanatic’s cling to their faith and guns?
    Not only are you wrong about who is upset with our government and are protesting you are not fair or balanced.
    Don’t forget, as you get older you become wiser, when someone promises you the sky, they most likely won’t deliver it.
    Hypocrite.


    Fair and Balanced Fred wrote on April 16, 2009 09:46 PM: Remember: the Tea Parties weren't grass-roots. They were astroturf organized by Republican billionaire lobbyists and advertised by billionaire, non-American Murdoch on his Fox "News" Channel as well as by Republicon alph-male, Oxycontin-addicted, fathead Flush.

    That's okay. The parties were well attended by very white, geriatric, angry Americans.

    Anybody see a problem with these demographics and want to predict the long-term viability of the Republicon party?

    No wonder the Republicons are getting desperate. Flush is their alpha-male, and wingnut Glen Beck is their vision.


    SamT wrote on April 16, 2009 09:28 PM: @Fair and Balanced Fred: Cretinous and clueless, as usual.

    Sad Little Man


    Fair and Balanced Fred wrote on April 16, 2009 09:22 PM: It's pretty funny how poorly educated, and zero-educated AM radio heads still confuse ultra-right fascists like Hitler with left-wing socialists.

    It's just a laugh!

    Just goes to show how they bought into Hitler"s ruse of using "Socialist" as part of his fascist party's label.

    Yep, followers of Hitler.

    This is exactly analogous to how the Fox "News" Channel labels itself as "Fair and Balanced" while it is nothing other than Republican propaganda. Fox "News" billionaire owner, non-American, Rupert Murdoch learned a lot from Hitler.


    K G B wrote on April 16, 2009 08:26 PM: Time for bed, Latent feelings? Wow, and then some.


    SamT wrote on April 16, 2009 08:00 PM: @just another citizen: Feel free to add Hitler and any other radical socialist.




    Joe C wrote on April 16, 2009 07:44 PM: To Paul,
    I disagree with your opinion of the American voter. Many working people put in longer hours, and both family heads working, throw in kids and their interests.
    Time and the ability for the average voter to be truly informed is limited.
    Plus media is absolutely no help, as media has become biased and hardly investigative journalism.
    We truly only have a nation wide vote for one office and that’s the president.
    While we have state and local elections, on a national level much is out of our control. We vote for senators and representatives to represent your state on a federal level.
    This has become perverse as they represent parties and funding interest over citizens.

    Since all our politicians come out of the same factory, no matter what party they belong to, real change nationally is difficult. Our elected leaders pick their own interest or ideologies over citizens every time.
    We don’t believe their lies and end up voting for what we feel is the lesser of two evils.
    Fools thought Obama would be different because of our history and the color of his skin. Forgetting he’s just another factory worker. Tyranny is tough to change.


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