20,000 Washingtonians Tell Lawmakers “Hands Off Our Wallets”
Posted by Amber Gunn - January 28, 2010More than 20,000 citizens signed a petition to legislators asking them to balance the budget within existing revenues. Today, 20 concerned taxpayers and representatives of EFF, including CEO Lynn Harsh and myself, presented the signatures in person to Speaker Frank Chopp and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown. Or rather, we would have if they had made time to meet us. Unfortunately Speaker Chopp was “in a meeting” and Senator Brown was M.I.A. entirely. We called and emailed her office but received no responses from her staff.
So we did the best we could, and left the signatures with their legislative aides.
We collected the 20,000+ signatures in a 15-day petition drive. The idea came after more than 80 organizations and labor unions turned in 14,000 names of people who support what they call a “progressive” approach to balancing the budget, which includes increased taxes and fees. Leaders of this coalition were eagerly greeted by Governor Gregoire, Speaker Chopp and Senate Majority Leader Brown on the first day of session.
It sends a pretty clear message when the governor, senate majority leader and speaker go out of their way to meet with tax hikers on the first day of session, but won’t give concerned taxpayers the same courtesy. If they really wanted to, they could have made time. Obviously it wasn’t a priority.
The mantra of the left-wing coalition is “Cuts Not Kids,” but the reality is that truly protecting our kids, our jobs, our health and our environment means we must stop borrowing against the next generation and hobbling the productivity of the private sector. Why should our kids be bogged down under inherited debt from spending that lawmakers refused to get under control?
We’re never going to get out of this mess if government, which has none of its own money, continues to take more from the people who need it to create jobs, build solutions and meet pressing human needs.
So it’s time for us to Push Back—for our kids.We’ll be rallying on the Capitol Campus at 10 a.m. on Monday Feb 15. The left-wing coalition will be rallying with all their supporters on the same day. We hope you can join us for the opportunity to hear some great speakers, including Dori Monson and Kirby Wilbur, and to meet with your legislators.
Americans for Prosperity, the Farm Bureau, the National Federation of Independent Businesses and various other groups are co-sponsoring the event. For more information, visit www.pushbacknotax.com. See you there!
Thoughts? Add Comment -
Jeremy M. said on Jan 29 2010 at 11:25am
If just 20% of these people show up on the 15th, I'm guessing they'll listen; listen to our roar.
We need some kind of symbol to replace the iconic pitchfork. Cattleprods? Tar/Feathers? Any ideas?
Megan Smith said on Feb 03 2010 at 8:09am
Dori Monson is no friend of the Tea Party movement, although he is representing himself as such now that the opportunity for him to walk his talk is gone.
I heard him mention something in passing about Ron Paul recently on his show. To my shock and astonishment, he added "if only he had run (for president)". Is he really pretending now that Ron Paul didn't even run in order to cover his own cowardly failure to support the only real hope we had of getting out of the mess we're in? I practically begged him during the RP campaign to get on board. On one occasion I told him when RP would be in town so that he could invite him on his show. He replied to my email, but refused to interview RP. The reason is that Dori was backing the pro-immigration, pro-big government, pro-war, go-easy-on-criminals Neocon Huckabee.
Dori may have the power of the microphone but, EFF, the cost is too high. Find somebody who embodies Tea Party principles to lead your rally. The Tea Party movement is not about taxes! It is about abolishing the Fed, stopping foreign wars, repealing the Patriot Act, instituting sound money policies, mandating constitutional limitations on Congress, etc. !! You know, the hard stuff.
Don Johansen said on Feb 10 2010 at 8:59pm
My kids, yes my kids! say why even vote. With our state government being so corrupt, it's not even worth the effort. I am fighting that apathy but this is what they grew up with, a vote that won't count because our lawmakers say anything to get into office, and have nothing to serve but there own self-interest thereafter.