Houston Tea Party rally draws more than 10,000

Houston Chronicle ^ | 11-03-09 | PEGGY O'HARE

[deport]

More than 10,000 people turned out Monday night for a North Houston Tea Party Patriots gathering to protest proposed health care reform and what they called big government spending and overzealous government leadership, according to preliminary attendance figures.

Under clear skies and a perfect moon, crowds packed the field at the Sam Houston Race Park and cheered loudly as speakers called for the people to take control of the American government. Wearing slogans that said “Don't Tread on Me” and T-shirts stating, “I am a Tea Party Patriot — I will defend our Constitution,” those attending the event enthusiastically showed support for more constraints on the government and more personal freedom.

“This isn't about ‘I can't stand Barack Obama' — this is about ‘I can't stand a government that will tread on me,' ” said Houston radio talk show host and TV anchor Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo to a rousing burst of applause from the audience.

“Taxes are going up because we have to pay for health care for people who are here illegally,” Pagliarulo said. “We have to pay for health care for people who don't want health care ... We've got a government that's run amok — we've got a government that doesn't care about you or me. It cares about power, it cares about control.”

Brett Coomer Chronicle
Gerry Hamilton makes her feelings known
during the North Houston Tea Party rally
at Sam Houston Race Park on Monday night.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Bravo Houston!

[Doogle]

woo hoo....get em Houston

[deport]

It would have been nice if this tea party could have been synchronized with the the Tea Party II tour that is stopping in Houston on Saturday. Hopefully they will attract a large turnout.

This one was on the eve of the election and Houston is having a mayoral race that may have helped publicize the event.

[Eagle Eye]

Some really idiotic comments on the HouChron site. Sheesh.

[deport]

Some really idiotic comments on the HouChron site. Sheesh.

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Yep, not the bastion of conservatism at least within a lot of the city limits. I supsect many/most of these attendees probably aren’t Houston residents but live in the surrounding communities.

[myself6]

Keep it up Texas!

;^)

[Grams A]

What do you expect from the Chronicle? They strongly support Sheila Jackson Lee, Gene Greene and all the other Dimwits. Then you add all those wonderful people from the East and West who are moving here because they didn’t like what was happening to their state but they bring their garbage with them. They don’t like our energy based state, our inexpensive housing because it isn’t green enough for them, our pick-ups with gun racks, our property taxes-although we have no state tax-, our rabid Friday night high school football parents, our fierce pride in our State and America, etc. We are becoming a liberal extension of Mexico which is loudly supported by our lone newspaper which nobody reads anymore!

[ViLaLuz]

“we’ve got a government that doesn’t care about you or me. It cares about power, it cares about control.”

...And enriching the elite world class.

[thecraw]

I'm with the mainstream media, and turnout has been greatly exaggerated. By our expert analysis, the real number of partipants is somewhere between 200 and 300 people.

/sarc