Taxes have Georgians looking for action (Tea Party/Tax Revolt)

Rome News-Tribune ^ | March 15, 2009 | Walter C. Jones

[abb]

Polish the pitchfork, fire up the torches, and join the revolt preparing to storm the Bastille.

That's the impression from several corners of the state about the public's mood. Voters already steamed about the recession, rising unem-ployment and corporate bailouts are growing angry about taxes, too.

News that one in 10 Georgia lawmakers is a repeat violator of tax laws has fueled a call for a rewrite of the state's tax code. And it's not just conservatives who feel that way.

When a series of President Obama's appointees to senior posts revealed they hadn't paid their taxes, the anger grew. Then the Georgia Department of Revenue distributed a list of outstanding taxes owed by 19 unnamed legislators, frustration boiled further.

Rep. Al Williams, D-Midway, is the only one of 46 legislators whose districts are near Augusta, Athens, Savannah and Glynn County publicly known. That's because his legislative pay is garnished and the state has a lien on his house.

The rest of the group, when surveyed by Morris News Service, said they were current, including Sen. Lester Jackson, D-Savannah, who has had tax issues in the past that became public.

Jackson's seatmate, Sen. Eric Johnson, R-Savannah, poured gasoline on the issue March 3 when he announced he would seek a change in Senate rules to punish legislators for not filing.

Johnson's proposition was a rush job, though, taking advantage of a provision that requires action within 48 hours of any proposed rule change.

Senators felt trapped. They said on the Senate floor that it was hastily drafted, and privately they said he was pressuring them for the sake of his campaign for lieutenant governor next year.

They defeated his proposal without a recorded vote. But if they intended to teach Johnson a lesson, they got one themselves from voters in the form of emails, blogs, phone calls and editorials.

So, on the next legislative day, last Tuesday, the Senate overwhelmingly passed another resolution by Johnson to create a commission of 18 appointees to offer ideas for tax reform.

But that didn't stop the public's complaining, so Thursday, the Senate took his original idea and tacked it onto another bill to make it a matter of law that any legislator who didn't file tax returns would be subject to investigation by the House or Senate ethics committees.

Also that day, they thumped Johnson again by letting his school-vouchers bill stall in the Senate Rules Committee until next year.

Johnson may have peeved his colleagues – adding to the annoyance from reporters questioning them individually about their taxes, but anyone with an ounce of political awareness has to concede he's scored points with the voting public.

He's not the first one smelling an air of public scorn.

A month earlier, Rep. Bob Smith, R-Watkinsville, introduced legislation calling for nothing less than a constitutional convention to revise the state's tax system, composed of 56 people elected from each senatorial district in the state.

Even the liberal-leaning Atlanta think tank, Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, has agreed the idea has merit.

"It's coming," Smith said. "It's just a matter of time before people are so mad that they have a tea party."

He figures a constitutional convention will prevent a true revolution. But he can't prevent tea parties because one was held at the Capitol Feb. 17, and another rally is planned this Thursday, followed by a third April 15.

Smith said, "People are sick and tired of being sick and tired of unfair taxes."

He complains that attempts to cut taxes are repeatedly blocked by associations of local officials and educators that are all funded with money that originated with taxpayers, to the tune of $24 million in Georgia this year.

"They come up here and lobby against the taxpayer," he said.

Those associations argue they need state funds to comply with state laws. However, instead of lobbying to change those mandates, they push for the funding.

Unlike the Great Depression when the protesters were seeking milk price subsidies, veterans' benefits and other government aid, during this recession the middle-class taxpayers are the ones taking to the streets.

[abb]

http://taxdayteaparty.com/teaparty/2009/03/tea-party-is-now-getting-a-rush-of-support/
Tea Party is now getting a “Rush” of support…

http://davart.net/awg/?p=1399
Tea Party UPDATE - Be the squeaky wheel.

http://fromthepen.com/la-times-tea-party-eye-chart/
L.A. Times Tea Party Eye Chart

[abb]

LA Times Tea Party Eye Chart

[abb]

http://roanokernr.blogspot.com/2009/03/roanoke-tax-day-tea-party.html
Roanoke Tax Day Tea Party

http://richmondteaparty.wordpress.com/2009/03/16/once-more/
Richmond Tea Party: The Blog

[abb]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509445,00.html

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Police in Cincinnati say at least 4,000 people showed up Sunday for a grassroots protest of wasteful government spending in general, and President Obama’s stimulus package and budget in particular.

It was one of many tea party protests around the country — inspired by the Revolutionary War era Boston Tea Party protesting British taxation. Protesters had signs reading “Give us liberty, not debt” and “Where’s my bailout?”

One report states there are more than 150 tea parties scheduled across the nation in the upcoming months. The events so far have been largely ignored by the mainstream media, but several blogs are tracking them.

Noel Sheppard, associate editor for the conservative NewsBusters.org writes on the coverage so far: “Compare that to how these networks practically fell all over themselves to report war protests after the public’s opinion changed concerning Iraq in late 2003.”

[abb]

http://pekinprattles.blogspot.com/2009/03/tampa-tea-party-two.html
Tampa Tea Party Two!

http://jaimeandnoelle.blogspot.com/2009/03/funny-cincinnati-tea-party-pics.html
Funny Cincinnati Tea Party Pics

[abb]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2207874/posts
Story #3: Thousands Turn Out for Tea Party in Cincinnati (Rush Limbaugh chimes in - “Hubba, hubba”)