Articles

Republicans and the Tea Parties

April 15, 2009

Yesterday was Tax Day, and it was marked by large numbers of Americans turning out for an estimated 2,000 tea parties across the country. This movement is significant.

In 1978, California voters enacted Prop. 13 in reaction to steep property taxes. That marked the start of a tax-cutting movement that culminated in Ronald Reagan slashing high national income taxes in the 1980s. Now Americans are reacting to runaway government spending that they were not told about before last year's election, and which Americans are growing to resent.

Derided by elitists as phony, the tea-party movement is spontaneous, decentralized, frequently amateurish and sometimes shrill. If it has a father it is CNBC's Rick Santelli, who called for holding a tea party in Chicago on July 4. Yesterday's gatherings were made up of people who may never meet again (there's no central collection point for email addresses). But the concerns driving people to tea parties are real, growing and powerful. Politicians ignore them at their peril.

FULL ARTICLE: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123984928625323721.html

Related Article

32150dddc932cb986b0b43ce77117ad8
July 10, 2025 |
Article
Congressional Republicans are likely relieved. Passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act required President Trump to manhandle dozens of GOP lawmakers. ...
9cc06061ff3997966f30f984663bbd69
July 03, 2025 |
Article
The countdown to next year’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence starts on Friday.    ...
803a47b6c3ab41630f9d5d9310207f87
June 26, 2025 |
Article
Operation Midnight Hammer demonstrated the U.S. military’s awesome power and dealt Iran’s nuclear ambitions a severe setback. ...
Bb5ddd889895013f92d5c5274d246570
June 19, 2025 |
Article
Any doubts as to where President Trump stood on Iran’s acquiring nuclear weapons should have been erased at 7:19 a.m. Central Time Tuesday.   ...
Button karlsbooks
Button readinglist
Button nextapperance