Southern Avenger

I did not feel there was any direct Obama Bashing at that Tea Party. People are just fed up with goverment bailouts and wasteful spending of money the tax payers and goverment does not have. I am a ReMax Realtor here in Charleston, SC and I am a small business owner. We pay more taxes and get no benefits as a small business owner. The recession/depression has caused a great majority of taxpayers, small businesses and large corporations incomes and profits to shrink. Therefore the Taxes I pay to IRS were not what I paid 3 years ago. Where will the goverment get the money needed to pay for these Pork Programs they approved, if the tax revenue is down. Did they not think of this when they agreed to the Stimulus Bill? Did anyone even read the Bill? We will vote these politicians out of offic next election. If you don't take care of the people, someone else will.
Pat Broghamer Re/Max Advanced, Charleston, SC.

While I respect the right of like minded people to assemble for their cause, these things tend to make me a bit cautious. I greatly enjoy the exchange of ideas with most any individual, but groups of 3 or more make me wary, as the herd mentality tends to kick in. This makes it far easier to appeal to emotion instead of intellect. Let's be honest, many haven't really given these issues serious thought and are mainly engaging in pack mentality. Rashness often ensues. It happens on all sides. I would encourage individuals to get their information from a spectrum of sources and be suspicious of the motivations of those who appeal to their baser emotions, regardless of political affiliation. I will assume that most here are more right-leaning, so perhaps a good source for a decent representation of the other "side" would be here: http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/0…
I understand the dislike of our current congressional leadership, but I do feel we have a current president who is honestly more pragmatic than any in recent memory. And I understand that is a VERY qualified statement. Perhaps if we can raise the level of debate, we can ALL benefit from this...

Surface_nuisance, I was at the Tea Party last evening and I for one can say that I have done my homework. I am not swayed by the crowd. I am damn tired of other people thinking they the right to part of what I produce each year. This President and this Congress believe this and the people who support these guys believe it also. My fellow statesmen are tired of this crap too. We are taking this country back. Be prepared.

I assume you are of the Limbaugh faction of the Party of No Ideas, Geechee Steve. When you do take the country back, I sincerely hope you and your buddies will do a lot better job of stewardship than was evidenced in eight years under George Bush, and which is why we come to be in such dire straits. Governor and putative presidential candidate Sanford and Senator DeMint both think that Reaganesque "trickle-down economics" will save the day. It didn't work then; it won't work now, especially as there is far less to trickle down to the people who need it after a poorly prosecuted two-front war. No one likes paying taxes, Steve, and I'd be the first to admit that tax dollars could be better spent regardless of which party holds the keys to the treasury. If you really want to make your point, don't pay your taxes. But please spare me your ominous saber-rattling and infantile threats of retribution and taxpayer revolution all wrapped up in the American flag. Real change takes time. At least this president is trying to effect real change, and to his credit, he never said it was going to be easy, particularly in light of the mess he inherited. Now, please excuse me, Rambo; I have to man the barricades in preparation for that great and glorious day you come after me with knife firmly clenched in teeth, brandishing your Second Amendment-sanctioned automatic weapons.

I'm not sure you have been around lately, but Conservatives and Republicans are two different types of people these days. The Charleston Tea Party, and all of the other tea parties across the country are about the real conservatives. Hence 'grassroots'. Real conservatives know that Bush was a terrible president. This movement isn't about advancing republicans, but about taking the country back from the two mobs that have taken over in the past 16 or so years, and however many there are to come with Obama.

Mofred, The gov. is suppose to be "of the people, by the people, and for the people", that is what the revolution is all about. If it is carried out correctly by people that can think for themselves, instead of what they are told to think by the gov. guided TV news, then it will happen peaceably. Just remember, historically, when the 2nd amendment is taken the 1st amendment of free speech is the next to go. Just ask the Europeans and Russians under the Nazi's, Fascists, and Socialists (communists). Hey, but if everyone likes being a sheeple then keep your blinders on and believe everything that comes out of Wash.D.C. and the news networks. So the main point of the constitution is to limit Gov. not the people. The Revolution is to get the elected officials to do what they are sworn to do ....follow and uphold the Constitution. If the Feds actually did this the Gov. would be 1/10 the size it is now.

My goodness, drdale, how many of our elected officials are complicit in this grand conspiracy theory of yours? All of them? Each with the express purpose and concerted goal of subverting the Constitution? Come now. I can't quite figure out if you're defending the Constitution, as remarkable a document as has ever been written, or asking for a total rewrite, particularly when you seem to be advocating jettisoning the representative form of government upon which our Republic is based. When The People leading that Grand Army of the Revolution toss every one of our senators, governors, representatives, mayors and dogcatchers out, who, pray tell, out of all The People, will lead and make the rules, or does everyone have a say? Hardly a streamlined model of efficient governance. While it is occasionally cathartic for Us (The People) to grumble about Them (The Government), the irony is that to effect the orderly and peaceful change you espouse means that some of Us must join the ranks of Them, which almost certainly guarantees that you will piss some of Us off in your well-intentioned plans to make things better for All of Us and not just Some of Us. As to the media being the running-dog lackey of the bourgeoisie and the willing mouthpiece of of the ruling elite, the argument can also be made that the "fourth estate" (with the possible exception of Fox News during the Bush Administration) works to keep the government in check. Given these two entities' patent distrust of one other, the possibility of their combining in some unholy alliance to screw The People is pretty remote, but, hey, I'm just a sheep with blinders firmly in place racing hell-bent toward the brink of the abyss. Finally, you need a history lesson. The Bolsheviks ended the rule of the Russian tsars, who were neither paragons of forward thinking nor promoters of individual freedoms and other warm and fuzzy notions. The National Socialist Party in Germany and Mussolini's Fascists were both born out of populist movements that came to power in an era of unprecedented economic and social upheaval. (Sound familiar?) These factions preyed upon a disaffected populace who, as many of yesterday's Tea Partiers bleated, were "mad as hell and not going to take it any more." Whipped into a frenzy, these heretofore kind and rational folk proceeded to take out their anger and frustration on those whom they perceived to be the root cause of their misery, namely, those that didn't think like them, act like them or look like them. (See "Gypsys", "Jews" and "Homosexuals".) It's a slippery slope we trod when we aim to take matters into our own hands. Therein lies the real cautionary tale. The Constitution, like The People it was, and still is, designed to serve, protect and defend, will never be perfect, but the provisions it makes to curb egregious acts of hubris within the government -- and ill-advised assaults upon legitimate and duly constituted institutions waged from without -- are about as finely crafted as anything penned by the hand mankind can be, even taking the oft-debated Second Amendment into consideration. Bottom line: If you think The Government no longer represents The People, run for public office yourself and vow to serve your constituents fairly and honestly. That's a revolution I can get behind. The rest is anarchy.

The problem is that the senate and house feel no compulsion to make sure their laws are authorized by the constitution since that is supposedly what the supreme court is for but these laws almost never get challenged to the point the court hears them. Not to forget to mention the myriad of regulations from the ever growing regulatory agencies that also have no constitutional basis for even existing. Then what do you do if the courts don't hold to the constitution but "reinterpret" it as a living document. What resource do the people have to ensure their contract and chains upon the government is enforced?

Are the people sovereign in America or the federal government. Does the government belong to you or do you your life, liberty, and property belong to the government to use and abuse as it wishes. Is it how much of your income are you allowed to keep or is it this is the portion i voluntarily give to support the government. If you cant say no then I think we know who owns who and who has usurped the sovereignty.

Obviously, gb, reading comprehension is a daunting task for you. My point, though I think it hardly needs reiterating, was that the Tsars (pre-communist rule) were no more tolerant of basic human freedoms than those who supplanted them. The previous post, to which I was responding, suggested that the Russians, Germans and Italians forfeited their claims to free speech by allowing the Bolsheviks, Nazis and Fascists to take away their right to bear arms. If you take such a quantum leap and interpret my response to mean that I advocate the mass slaughter of innocents, I suggest you reread what I wrote, and if you still don't get it, get someone to explain it to you. While for the life of me I can't figure out why I'm bothering to respond to your idiotic comment, I should point out that I'm neither a Gypsy, a Jew, a homosexual, nor a commie, though I have been known to associate with such people. (Okay, I admit I really don't know any Gypsies and Communists officially have been out of vogue for close to two decades, unless you want to bring up the Chinese who have become quite adept at blurring the line between free-market capitalism and state-sponsored socialism, kind of like us and Europe and a few other places in this brave new world.) I always enjoys a healthy exchange of views and an honest difference of opinion, gb, but if you really want to debate, dude, come prepared and stay on topic.

Interesting column. :)

testy test 1.....2....3...4...5

Bricka bracka, sis boom bah!

I find it disingenuous at best that at a period of time when Americans are paying the least in Federal and State income Taxes since the great depression - there would be any legitimacy for "Tax Day" as brought to you by same people who rolled out "Drill Here, Drill Now" brand of Republican retardation. I don't think its all "race motivated" rather "class warfare" which is great as a political wedge issue that will shore up the GOP Base - or Newt Gingrich's Action Army.


Since the Regan tax cuts of the 80's - when the man whose previous jobs were playing straight man to a chimp and huckstering Borax, recognized Ketsup for the vegetable it could be - the poorest states (the South) were forced to make up the cutbacks of Federal funding with State and local taxes. How does a state with a 40% poverty rate do this?


In those days Sales tax was 4%. It's now 7 1/2%. Part of this was to make up for cuts in state property taxes. Try this - add up your sales taxes for a month and check the difference between 7.5% and 4%. This difference is shouldered unfaily by the poorest people. Since the Regan cuts South Carolina has never been able to recover. Keep in mind that only 10-15 years prior they had to segreate their schools - so small towns with two schools were then, often forced to build a third new school that could accommodate a mixed constituency. And of course, when Segregation ended - the white flight to private schools snowballed - further draining resources and making public education the least desirable alternative.

Regan's income tax cuts - were rivaled only by his beefed up Military Budgets (the only area of the US budget that has grown in double digits year after year for two decades. Anyone running for Office knows you can't be soft on the Military and get elected.

Look at your phone and cable bill and look at how much is added for "FCC Charges" For what? The FCC rolls over to every big media conglomerate that wants to buy more, charge more, consolidate more - and leave us with the worst news reporting in the Western World.

Media is "Left Wing Biased?" Let's see - who own ABC, CBS, NBC - Marxist Freedom Fighters - or Fortune 500 Companies diversified into areas including Military Contractors, Banks, and, Rupert Murdock? Does anyone believe that the Post and Courrier wouldn't kill a critical story on Walmart - if Walmart threated to cut off paying for Sunday Sales Circulars?



So, I'm glad people had time to show up and exhibit outrage that people such as for Paris Hilton, Leona Helmsley, and AIG Executives shouldn't have their taxes raised. After all, American Exceptionalism will be neutered by taxation!

Given all the tax credits you can get if you have serious money - does anyone believe that anyone making over 500,000 pays half as much in Federal or State Taxes as those of us making 30-50K?

I honestly considered going to my local tea party up here in frozen, liberal Madison, WI because I'm tired of bailing out half-assed banks and General Motors (I'm on medical leave for a seizure, so I had the time) but then I realised that Republicans spending money like drunken sailors in an Amsterdam whorehouse would be overlooked, as well as that patry's lackadaisical attitude towards civil rights. What, so you're going to assert your rights under the 10th Amendment yet convince us that the PATRIOT act is for our own good?

It's one thing to bitch and moan about Obama but it's another thing to forget about the shortcomings of your own party while you're "teabagging.-" I mean, shouldn't that term have been run past a PR guy?