THE ISSUE: Nationwide Tax Day protests against excessive government spending and taxes.
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The surprisingly heavy turnout at tea parties across the nation is a wakeup call to all politicians that business-as-usual is over (“That’s Tax, With a Tea,” April 16).
Things are moving now, and it’s either get with the program and do what has to be done to help the taxpayers or get out of the way, because this movement is going to run down anyone who resists it or gets in the way.
Thomas Dilberger
Belmar, NJ
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Hundreds of thousands of people gathered to register their disgust with the federal government over a variety of issues: out-of- control government spending, high taxes, bailouts, illegal immigration and a heavy- handed federal government.
Just prior to the protests, Janet Napolitano released a Department of Homeland Security report claiming that people holding these very views are potentially dangerous extremists. Yet, among the hundreds of dispersed gatherings, with protesters numbering in the hundreds of thousands, not a single instance of violence was reported.
That would never be true of a protest by left-wing interest groups.
Madlyn Nelson
Somerset, NJ
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In my history books, the Boston Tea Party protested taxation without representation.
Guess what? We got the representation. The people have demanded an activist government, and President Obama is obliging.
Where were these demonstrators when President George W. Bush was spilling red ink everywhere? Who was president when TARP was enacted?
Let us remember one other thing from history: The budget-balancing reduction in government expenditure between 1929 and 1933 exacerbated the already unsteady economy.
Is that what The Post wants now?
Steven Chinn
Manhattan
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Let’s be honest. The liberal media are not interested in the tea- party stories because the movement is anti-Obama and his very liberal and big-government policies.
If these were “Let’s badmouth Bush” rallies, every liberal media group in America would be on top of it.
Joseph O’Keefe
Manhattan
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The media virtually ignored the tea parties. So, while many in our country were aware of the president’s new dog, they were not aware of the protests.
The power of the media to control perception and thought must be brought to bear. Otherwise, we are in great danger of losing our freedoms and American traditions.
Arnold Dickerman
Wantaugh
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Both Republicans and Democrats attended the tea parties to protest high taxes, irresponsible spending, bailouts and a federal government grown larger than our constitution intended.
Apparently the media are not concerned with a Congress that hastily devised a $1 trillion-spending bill by borrowing foreign money. They ignored its thousands of earmarks and the lack of bi-partisan support.
And where was the outrage that this unprecedented bill was not debated, discussed or even read by those who voted it into law?
The tea parties will continue as long as government continues to act irresponsibly and ignores our concerns.
Bonnie O’Neil
Newport Beach, Calif.