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Placing blame on government
sbeveridge@observer-reporter.com
Bo Corwin wasn't looking for sympathy about losing his Jeep franchise when he spoke to tax protesters Thursday outside Washington County Courthouse.
Corwin said he was there to warn the light crowd of people at the "tea party" about the negative effects of government intervention in business.
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Corwin's loss of his franchise last month under Chrysler's restructuring was among a string of complaints speakers aired at the rally led by Washington County Commissioner Diana L. Irey.
One man wore a cardboard sign around his neck that read, "BRING BUSH BACK!!!" while a petition was being passed around that complained about Gov. Ed Rendell's call to increase the state income tax rate by 16 percent.
It's the second Taxed Enough Already rally Irey organized on the courthouse steps, the first of which took place in conjunction with the April 15 tax deadline. The Republican commissioner said Monday she expected as many as 1,500 people would turn out. Washington police, however, estimated the crowd at fewer than 130 people.
Glen Meakem, a Pittsburgh radio personality whose fans want him to run for Pennsylvania governor, said he blamed misled young adults for their huge turnout in the 2008 election that put President Obama in the White House and Obama's fellow Democrats in control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.
Meakem said parents need to teach their children about what happened the last time Democrats controlled Washington in the 1970s under President Carter when inflation increased and the unemployment rate was more than 10 percent.
"We allowed the left wing to teach our children not to be proud of America," he said.
He then said Obama is a Socialist who "will lead the world to disaster."
Washington Mayor Sonny Spossey, while at the back edge of the crowd, said he would have preferred to hear solutions to the problems rather than complaining.
"Do you think we like raising taxes?" Spossey, a Democrat, said to a reporter. "If we do lower taxes, we have to cut services, police and fire. I'd have to hear concrete solutions to how we replace that money."
Jerry Bowyer, a radio personality and founder of the Pittsburgh Institute for Public Policy think tank, later took the microphone as keynote speaker.
The problem isn't the American form of government, Bowyer said.
"Our quarrel is with the people sitting in the government," he said.
We, the GOVERNMENT : 7/3/2009
When will people realize that the government is not some third party or corporation - if it feels or acts like one it is because we allowed it by not being involved and blindly believing that our officials are as trustworthy as MOST of us. I don't see Monsanto or Haliberton or other large industry leader policing themselves all that well. Too big to fail - ha! Too big to accept responsibility - NO they say (and they have the lawyers to prove it!). We disclaimer our ARSEs due to frivolous law suits clogging our courts, legal addiction via your Pharmaceutical companies-pill for everything with nothing solved, Profits in Health care-how much is your life worth? Our debt saddled, self-medicated society makes us easy pray for those that prefer us that way. THIS American Dream is a nightmare, we will not grow up to be rock stars or sports idols - the media koolaid isn't working anymore, guys. This all ends when we become involved - ask questions - and don't buy into some pre-rolled left/right wing propaganda on the radio. Put down the remote, skip another beer, quit worrying about your rims and think about our lives. And remember people, if you think someone else will do it for you - then you are the reason someone else has done it to you.
Tea Party : 7/3/2009
It is interesting to see how people re-write history. Where does the owner of the dealership think he would be without government intervention in the auto industry? Chrysler would be out of business totally right now and he would not have a dealership at all. The complaints of the ''radio personality'' is just more of the right wing diatribe against anyone with creative ideas for solving the problems.. He seems t forget that it who was in office and in control for 8 years or more that got us into such horrible economic messes. Let's re=write the history and never take responsibility.-
What went wrong ? : 7/3/2009
The Media convinced the American people that change is required to move forward. Our governments ( Federal, State & Local ) are out of control.Our represenatives at all levels of governemnt have forgetten at all levels that they work for us! They only care at election time. I say vote them all out, limit the terms they can serve.They have turned government into lifelong careers ,and write laws to benefit themselves and those that promote them - The Media , and those wealthy people who control the media. We need a Tea Party , no more taxes, live within the dollars avaiable , like us !!
Tea Party #2 : 7/3/2009
Instead of whinning and complaining about who is in government and how the supposedly messed everything up why don't the Republicans offer up solutions. They obviously did not do that for eight years so why do it now. I am so tired of the finger pointing in our local, state and federal governments. Come together as a unit and come up with viable solutions to these problems.
Fed up Citizen : 7/3/2009
If you are so tired and fed up then help start a grassroot effort to make a change let us start by voting everyone in office out who doesn't represent what the people want. At least the Republicans are trying to organize people into some kind of action. Quit being a party hater of either party and get involved. GET INVOLVED!!!!! Can't say it enough.
Tax Decrease : 7/3/2009
Why is it that every politician always refers to fire and police protection. They speak as though the only thing taxes pay for are police and fire protection. There are other areas of local govt to cut Mr. Spossey. So why not take the blinders off and look around at the big picture. Are all the levels of bureacracy neccessary? Are all of the vehicles that city employees take home neccessary? There is so much waste in all levels of govt. There are too many employees sitting around twiddling there thumbs with no work to do. It's time to make cuts and quit whining about the ol' political "we'll have to cut police and fire". Wise up Mr. Spossey or step aside and let someone with some common sense take over.
Spossey : 7/3/2009
It's the duty of government officials to cure our problems. If it were up to the citizens, we wouldn't need your azz to be sitting in the mayor's office.
"BLAME" : 7/3/2009
Yes....WE, (All) have let the goverments become more corrupt and self indulging. Carter was the worst for the economy! Bush was the worst for mankind & second with the economy! Clinton"s are just plain TRASH! So what will WE do to turn this around? VOTE, Smart! !
