Hundreds join in Gainesville's own 'tea party'

An estimated 1,000 people showed up at Gainesville City Hall on Wednesday, joining Tax Day Tea Party protesters from coast to coast to express all manner of discontent with the government, largely railing against excessive government control, stimulus spending, taxes and the Obama administration.

Protesters lined University Avenue waving homemade signs reading “Don’t Tax Me Bro” or “Stop the Pork” as passing motorists honked in support while speakers addressed a crowd gathered around the steps of City Hall.

Tens of thousands of protesters staged “tea parties” around the country, whipped up by conservative commentators and bloggers, The Associated Press reported. Organizers said the movement developed organically through online social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter and through exposure on Fox News.

At least 50 such rallies were planned in Florida, according to taxdayteaparty.com, including a noon rally at the Jacksonville Landing at which a dozen youngsters poured jugs of tea into the St. Johns River.

Asked for a show of hands, a majority of the Gainesville crowd responded that they are Republicans, but a smattering of Democrats were also in attendance.

While tax parity was a hot topic on the day federal income tax returns were due, speakers in Gainesville addressed issues from support for term limits to government control impeding working people. A small group said they wanted an investigation into the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Alachua County Republican Party Chairman Stafford Jones, who acted as master of ceremonies, said he is concerned about unconstitutional government control of private companies, from bailouts to the firing of CEOs.

“The federal government is basically saying, ‘We’re going to dictate to you how you do certain things.’ ”

In a recorded message played over the public address system, U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Ocala, said he joined the audience in their stance against excessive government spending. He said the government should allow good businesses to succeed and bad businesses to fail.

Roz Miller, Alachua County coordinator of the fair tax movement, spoke and manned a booth collecting signatures to advocate abolishing the Internal Revenue Service and going to a national sales tax.

“What you’re seeing today is like a boil festering under the surface for a long time,” she said. “The fact that so many people are so dissatisfied with what’s going on in Washington and the new administration giving money to companies without accountability.”

She said the growing movement needs to keep up momentum and stay involved by writing to Congress.

Judy Mikell, 47, of High Springs held a sign that said “Stop All of the Bailouts – Let People Learn to Live Within Their Means.”

“That goes for welfare all the way up to the corporate level,” she said. “I don’t mind paying taxes if it was fair across the board. I’ve seen too many people that have learned how to beat the system and sit back and wait on other people to take care of them.”

Pedro Alfonso, 66, of Newberry stood along University Avenue with his wife, daughter and two granddaughters ages 8 and 5, one who held a sign that said “I Have Little Pockets – Keep Your Big Hands Out of Them.”

“What’s happening to our economy is nonsense and we can’t tax our way out of this,” he said. “We’re so deep in debt, we’re going to have an economic collapse.”

Alfonso said he also takes his grandchildren with him when he votes.

“For them, it’s educational. That way they won’t grow up to be sheep like so many of us.”

Jeremy Cohen, 38, of Gainesville brought his children ages 7 and 5, but had a different viewpoint.

“I’m interested in seeing how the radical right behaves. I’m here to try to understand extremism,” he said. “I’ll try to explain to them the functions of the state, local and federal level and how the people here seem categorically opposed to the nuts and bolts of how government works.”