Well have more coverage tomorrow morning — but this afternoon, taxpayers from all around Southern California swarmed to a rally hosted by KFI Radio talk show hosts John & Ken in downtown Fullerton, in Orange County.
The crowds were massive, with the Fullerton Police Department saying that there were over 15,000 people on hand. Streets were closed, and freeway offramps to get to the location were clogged, stopping traffic on the 91 freeway. Crowds near the stage where John & Ken broadcast live were fired up to the point where at times the police had to move in to calm people.
The outrage? Higher taxes! Specifically, the target of the tax revolt rally where Republicans who were elected to office pledging to oppose tax increases, who either then came out and voted for the taxes (Senators Dave Cogdill, Abel Maldonado, and Roy Ashburn, and Assemblymen Mike Villines, Anthony Adams and Roger Niello in the Assembly), signed them into law (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and a great deal of ire was focused on all of the Assembly Republicans. Last week, Assemblyman Anthony Adams appearing on a public radio program asserted that all of his colleagues were complicit in the tax increases, heralding that after his tax vote (for the largest tax increase in the history of this state, or any state) all of his colleagues in turn endorsed him for reelection.
Supporting the rally were the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, with their Executive Director Kris Vosburg on hand, and the Americans for Tax Reform with their Statewide Chairman Peter Foy taking the microphone during the rally.
From the stage, John & Ken said that all Republican legislators were invited to come to the rally and explain themselves… None showed.
More tomorrow…
(If you are an FR reader who sees this blog post tonight or Sunday, send me an e-mail so I can get info on the event from you!)
March 8th, 2009 at 12:00 am
The Republican party is at a crossroads. It can fight this revolt, spending its resources and political capital protecting legislators who explicitly or implicitly broke their pledges not to raise taxes, and become even more irrelevant and reviled for ultimately standing for nothing. Or, it can ride this public awakening, by doing a mea culpa and getting behind the revolt. What will it be, the party or the people?
March 8th, 2009 at 12:00 am
I concur, we have been at a crossroads for many years now. It is not enough to offer only protectionism. The solution to grow the economy is Massive Tax Cuts, Reduced Spending and Deregulate Government.
March 8th, 2009 at 12:00 am
I am quite sorry I didn’t see any more of my fellow Republican Party “leaders” at the rally. I don’t see the problem with calling out our elected officials on breaking their anti-tax pledges and making a mockery of our most basic political tenet. Nor do I see the problem with holding them accountable for such misdeeds.
March 8th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Not to excuse it, but I believe Assemblyman Roger Niello in fact was the only Republican NOT to take the ATR pledge. That caused lots of questions up here in northern CA. Point being, Niello is a little different from the rest of the Republicans whom lack integrity and backbone. Niello never promised not to raise taxes and he never campaigned on that issue.
However, Niello sure is helping to destroy the Republican brand and hopefully voters remember this when his campaign begins to succeed Senator Dave Cox…maybe voters will send him off just like they did to earmarker and spender Congressman John Doolittle.
The time to be nice is over… we should be finished with taking prisoners… and not only go after the tax and spend Republicans, but even more importantly the tax and spend Democrats— both here and in Washington!! Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty need to awaken!!
March 9th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Our political system is so corrupt that party lines are worthless and meaningless. Back door deals, bribes of trips, tickets, meals and travel, self serving legislation for special interests…
We need to rework the system, eliminate the ability for career politicians with true term limits (one job, two terms, no taking other jobs in gov’t) and put those taking bribes in jail.
They all need to go, Dems and Rebublicans.