A Sign of Things to Come

While the turnout at a recent anti-tax rally in California, detailed by the Fullerton Community Examiner in "Over 15,000 Descend on Fullerton to Protest Higher Taxes," represents an infinitesimally small fraction of the state's 37 million population, I expect it won't be long before the trickle of angry protestors turns into a flood -- in California and elsewhere.

        

The crowd of over 15,000 at the rally hosted by John and Ken of KFI 640AM

 

 

When John and Ken call, the masses answer.

 

Shouting “Off with their heads!” and “Heads on a stick!” over 15,000 people from all over California descended on downtown Fullerton for the Revolt, Recall, Repeal rally to protest over $50 billion in tax increases in the state of California and to begin a recall effort against the governor and many state legislators. Freeway off ramps heading into Fullerton had to be shut down because so many people were heading to the event and police services were stretched thin, according to a sergeant handling traffic duty at the event.

 

The crowd came as far away as San Diego, where 50 people chartered a bus to come and a caravan also came down from Palmdale.

 

Russell Beare of San Dimas was among many who traveled a distance to attend the rally.

 

“I don’t care how far I had to come, I’d be here,” he said, “Truthfully, I hope this wakes up everybody in the United States. This has got to stop!”

 

John and Ken, radio hosts on KFI 640AM and hosts of the rally, came up on the platform where they hosted their show for the day with a sword and a mask of Gov. Schwarzenegger stuck through it. A chant of “Heads on a stick!” began then and was heard many more times during the three hour rally/radio show.

 

John and Ken had rally participants bring DVDs and VHS tapes of Schwarzenegger’s movies which were enthusiastically pummeled by various members of the crowd. They also had a shredder, which they dubbed “The Shredinator,” which shredded other Schwarzenegger memorabilia.

 

The radio hosts also reminded the crowd that Gov. Schwarzenegger promised when running for governor that he would never raise taxes. They played tapes of him repeating this, which got a loud boo from the crowd.

 

“This has been a complete disaster and it’s time to do something about it,” they said. “He should be apologizing to you and he should be resigning!”

 

Many in the crowd were business owners who spoke of how the increased business taxes would harm their business. Bill Franklin of Huntington Beach said he is moving his engineering consulting business to Texas because the increased taxes are too much for him. A woman who came to the rally from Rancho Cucamonga co-owns a construction business with her husband said that the new taxes will probably be a huge burden with simply registering the business vehicles alone. The business has 35 employees.

 

Linda P. of Costa Mesa wore a sticker that showed her increased taxes would be $1,076. In addition to her $4,000 a month house payment, she has an RV that she specifically uses to take her handicapped son places and will not be able to pay the $1,600 registration fees for it once that goes into effect.

 

John and Ken also reminded the crowd to start organizing to defeat Proposition 1A to be voted on during the next election. They reminded the crowd that the proposition includes many new taxes and an extension of old taxes.

 

To learn more about the recall effort, visit: www.totalrecall2009.com.

Comments

[Steve]

Typical short sighted American people. As Kustler says, people expect something for nothing. The irony is the people attending the rally depend heavily on government funded items to get there! The roads, police, regulations to keep them safe and reasonably healthy. They don't want to pay taxes, but sure want education, health care, roads, protection, etc.

[zarkov]

California is a high tax state, yet has the worst credit rating. Clearly the problem is over spending, not under taxing. As taxes go up, people and business will keep moving out. The surrounding states-- Nevada, Arizona, Oregon all have lower taxes and lower costs for doing business. Eventually California will have to become a financial ward of the federal government and live off printed money.

California could save at least $7 billion in expenditures by deporting illegal aliens, but it won't do that. Of course that alone won't close the budget gap, but it would help. It would send a message that California politicians can make the hard unpopular decisions they must.

To be fair Schwarzenegger did offer the voters a chance to cut expenditures and they turned him down. They also told him they didn't want higher taxes-- they said "do what we do-- charge it." He did, and now the bills are coming due.

[the_economist]

One day our people and government will have to live within their means. That day is very close. Fat ass Americans will get thin again. It will be painful. I cant wait.

[garberpog]

Yes, I'd be MUCH more impressed with these courageous, vhs-bashing crowds if they carried banners listing the benefits and services they want eliminated, so they don't have to pay taxes.

[Tom]

Michael

I listened to your WOR interview with Joey Reynolds.

I met "Joey" and listened to him briefly when he was on the air as a young man in Cleveland and Detroit.

It appeared to me that, during the interview, Mr. Reynolds - like so many others - was not listening.

Mr. Reynolds stated: "Michael hasn't heard my Show, and I don't read, so we're even".

I don't think so.

[Doug Poretz]

I have chronicled a global movement of the working/middle class in virtually every reason of the world -- it is shocking -- it is a mistake to compare the current economic crisis to the Depression -- it is more appropriate to compare to the conditions that gave rise to the French Revolution -- this is very scary -- please see this post and then help others see the major event the news media, espeically in the US, is missing -- http://tinyurl.com/ccsga4

[Tom U]

California, once the great state of wealth, innovation, sense and intelligence, has truly gone ideologically stupid. This is the result of a population who refuse to face reality. Californians have gone 'something for nothing' for so long, exploit everything for the good life. Suck the land completely dry. Burn fuel like mad. Even treat the state government as some kind of infinite gold mine to be milked for endless personal gains. Money grows on tree is the religion.

Utterly infantile. Why not go all the way? Why not just eliminate the entire government, then nobody pays no tax and everybody is suddenly wealthy?