Signs Of The Times
posted at 12:07 am on April 14, 2009 by Laura
[ Tea Party ] printer-friendly
Tomorrow is Tax Day, or as it’s becoming known in conservative circles, Tea Party Day. Nobody’s in charge, in spite of what some people desperately want to believe. I organized a protest on a local issue that grew in the space of a week to a website and mailing list of thousands of people. We were organizing bus service from all over the state to help people get to the protest, conducting TV, radio and print interviews daily, maintaining the site and organizing teams of people to do various tasks. It was a huge undertaking, and I took all the help I could get. The fact that some well-known conservative groups have jumped on the tea party bandwagon, helped guide, promote and publicize the efforts of people at the local level, and made a few bucks doing so doesn’t mean this movement isn’t genuine.
As outrageous as Bush’s $700 billion bank bailout was, as infuriating as Obama’s $3.27 trillion nonstimulus is, consider that the public debt has been growing for over 50 years. The Tea Party movement isn’t really about Republicans vs. Democrats. It’s about out of control government. It’s about promoting understanding of the fact that the government doesn’t spend a dime that it didn’t first take from a citizen who earned it, and a demand that they quit blowing it on stupid things.
One easy way to know that this is a real grassroots movement will be to look at the signs used in protests so far, and at the ones tomorrow. No one on the right is paying protesters to show up, and we’re unlikely to see groups carrying a lot of professionally printed signs like those distributed by ANSWER at anti-war rallies. Instead, we’ll have homemade classics like these and this.
If you going to a tea party, what are you going to put on your sign? Here’s some suggestions I’ve seen on various websites – post yours in the comments!
Liberty: All the stimulus we need
Legalize capitalism.
Stimulus: the audacity of dopes
Give me liberty, not debt
Don’t stimulate… liberate
Born free, taxed to death
Cut taxes, not deals
Taxed Enough Already
Free Markets, Not Free Loaders
I am not your ATM
You Can’t Borrow Prosperity
Washington: You have run out of our money
Note: Michelle, Ed, and Allahpundit, thanks for the opportunity to post here!
Cross-posted here.
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“FREEDOM!!!”
Seven Percent Solution on April 14, 2009 at 12:40 AM
“Will Work for Stimulus Money…….
………. then what?”
Seven Percent Solution on April 14, 2009 at 1:01 AM
Governments don’t stimulate-free people do.
katy on April 14, 2009 at 1:19 AM
Practice your tea party ideals by doing something that would actually matter, boycott payment of your taxes until they dump the fascists, marxists, socialists, and any other negative ist or ism you can come up with, out of our government.
Too big for a sign though, unless you get one of those fancy scrolling electronic signs.
Spiritk9 on April 14, 2009 at 1:51 AM
Spiritk9, no, I’m not going to break the law; I’ll give to Caesar exactly what Caesar demands. However, I am going Galt – closing down my business, reducing my income and my consumption in order to lessen my tax burden, so I am practicing my “tea party ideals.” I’ll make my sacrifices out of jail, not in it, thanks.
Laura on April 14, 2009 at 1:59 AM
Stop Out of Control Government Spending
That’s ours! We plan to take plenty pic and youtube vids to document the event. I only hope I can get off work early to do it. There is hope, Yes I Can.
OK, really. We really plan to be there.
Glad to see you here Laura! You are already one of my favorite stops to read.
Kini on April 14, 2009 at 2:07 AM
Bailouts have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous, but let’s not lump them all together by rote.
`
The subprime mortgage “crisis” was an inevitable consequence of the real estate bubble and the CFRA and the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae mandates which fed it, extraordinary in scope in some regions. It became a threat to banking system only because of the mark-to-market rules. Once it became apparent that most of the non-performing subprime loans had been tucked into the traditionally solid mortgage bundles, without full transparency, no one would buy these assets which had become a mainstay of mortgage banking and the financial system at large.
`
Because the market value of these securities was now ZERO or close to it for lack of buyers (although most of the instruments retained most of their actual value, the lack of disclosure meant no one would touch them), financial institutions no longer met their capitalization requirements. And in the sudden crisis, WHO was going to invest in or loan money to them?
`
Bush’s TARP was too big by far, but it wasn’t possible to be certain of the exact need at the time. But the first installment of the TARP, $350 billion, plus the AIG bailout(s), did the trick. The LIBOR, the overnight rate at which banks loan to each other, had reached an impossible 5% because no bank could be sure how “toxic” the mortgage instruments the other held were, exactly. Would you loan money “overnight” to someone you couldn’t be sure would open tomorrow morning?
`
Bush’s TARP cut the overnight rate back to its traditional 1%. Mission accomplished! The SEC only a few days ago amended the mark-to-market rules; had they done this a year ago, nine months ago, six months ago . . . well, much of this nonsense could have been avoided.
`
$500 bil and a rule change, and we would be much better off than we are right now. The rest ($$TRILLIONS) is being thrown into the air in the general direction of Democratic interest groups, with the mere hope it stimulates something where it lands. That’s what we should protest, with fervor.
`
The first bailouts were a wise investment to avoid a collapse. The rest are legalized theft.
`
Adjoran on April 14, 2009 at 2:14 AM
Kini on April 14, 2009 at 2:07 AM
Thanks.
Laura on April 14, 2009 at 2:23 AM
Hey, welcome to the Green Room. Now, if only I could stop procrastinating on doing my 1040.
The Other McCain on April 14, 2009 at 2:32 AM
Legalized Extortion more like it, cause you have to pay.
Auwe, so any rooms to post in!
Kini on April 14, 2009 at 2:32 AM
The Other McCain on April 14, 2009 at 2:32 AM
Thanks. And don’t sweat the tax form, just file yourself a 1040DEM and you’ll be all set!
Laura on April 14, 2009 at 2:38 AM
Laura,
I have always enjoyed your comments at Hot Air. And I have been to your site a couple of times in the past.
Cool to see you get a Green Room slot!!
ColtsFan on April 14, 2009 at 4:15 AM
Thanks, Coltsfan! I was pretty surprised to open the email and find the gold ticket inside.
Laura on April 14, 2009 at 4:53 AM
“Will entitle for Stimulus Money.”
the_nile on April 14, 2009 at 7:33 AM
Leave the stimulation to me. If the women of America want stimulus, well, I’m easily contacted.
blatantblue on April 14, 2009 at 7:40 AM
On a more serious note here is a sign
“stop taxing and spending or chuck Norris will kill you. No. Really.”
blatantblue on April 14, 2009 at 7:45 AM
Another good slogan: “Stop Intergenerational Theft!”
ksm on April 14, 2009 at 7:45 AM
Signs: “It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged.- G.K. Chesterton”
“Congress: No greater hive of scum and villainy.”
“Dear Congress: Restore America’s faith. Go hang yourselves.”
“We are America! We do not consent!!”
“Congress: The Movie. Tickets $787 billion.”
Broadsword on April 14, 2009 at 7:58 AM
From the Wonka brothers, AP & Ed.
jgapinoy on April 14, 2009 at 8:11 AM
it might rain in Richmond tomorrow during the tea party (6-7 pm) any suggestions for streak free signage?
kelley in virginia on April 14, 2009 at 8:32 AM
Here’s a rather impressive list of 223 sign slogans: http://lukeamerica2020.wordpress.com/2009/04/03/101-tea-party-sign-slogans/
Daft Punk on April 14, 2009 at 8:32 AM
On one side of mine it says;
“Economic Justice” = THEFT
and the other side says;
How do you know when honest citizens are being laughed at? They appoint a Tax Cheat as Treas Sec!
John D on April 14, 2009 at 8:34 AM
I don’t think teapartiers are being paid, but I do think “movement conservatives” has seized the message and scrambled it.
The teaparties started as libertarian paulite grassroots…..now they are just GOP astroturf….no bipartisanship, and not even any involvement with the libertarian wing of the republican party.
strangelet on April 14, 2009 at 8:37 AM
“EPA regulations prevent the dumping of actual tea”
“This sign made of 100% post-consumer cardboard” (add to any sign(s) made from old cardboard boxes)
The classics still work, “Live free or die” or “Don’t Tread On Me”, or even “No taxation without representation”.
Mew
acat on April 14, 2009 at 8:44 AM
Congress is a Toxic Asset
petefrt on April 14, 2009 at 8:45 AM
“Trickle-up Poverty” is a little harsh … but accurate.
If you’re bringing kids, then “My tax dollars will pay for your stimulus” or “Mortgaging my future” …
Mew
acat on April 14, 2009 at 8:47 AM
+
Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you. Ive been trying to make this point all week and the only rebuttal begins with “well your messiah Obama…”
thanks again.
ernesto on April 14, 2009 at 8:50 AM
Laura,
Thanks for the story about how your Tea Party grew. And thanks for your hard work.
keebs on April 14, 2009 at 8:52 AM
“Am I paying your mortgage?”
petefrt on April 14, 2009 at 8:52 AM
I prefer “Redistribute your stuff first.”
Patrick S on April 14, 2009 at 8:56 AM
“Washington: Stop acting like an irresponsible teenager with a Visa card.”
radjah shelduck on April 14, 2009 at 8:56 AM
benny & Shipley say “yes, thank you”.
: P
jgapinoy on April 14, 2009 at 8:58 AM
I was thinking:
“This is distracting us from 0bama’s puppy”
or something…
p0s3r on April 14, 2009 at 9:07 AM
If I wanted Government Stimulus,
I would have taken Government out to a nice restaurant first!
Scribbler on April 14, 2009 at 9:19 AM
In my case, it was Michelle. I can’t imagine receiving an email from the exalted Allahpundit.
keebs on April 14, 2009 at 8:52 AM
The protest I organized was on a local issue last year, not a tea party. And honestly, that was the reason I’m not organizing a tea party; normally I’d have leaped at the chance. You’re right, it is a huge amount of work. I’m still working on going Galt and closing my business. Organizing a tea party would have cost at least two weeks and rolled me into another billing cycle on my server.
Laura on April 14, 2009 at 9:26 AM
“TANSTAAFL”
The Monster on April 14, 2009 at 9:36 AM
All your taxes are belong to us.
gregbert on April 14, 2009 at 11:26 AM
“The Founding Fathers Would Be Right Wing Extremists Today”
aero on April 14, 2009 at 11:27 AM
Body paint. But then you’ll need large people for the space to get your message across.
Badger40 on April 14, 2009 at 11:31 AM
“I can’t afford your mortgage” – sign for tea party.
Entelechy on April 14, 2009 at 11:33 AM
Exodus 20:17
“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.”
Sackett on April 14, 2009 at 11:36 AM
45% appear too small,
Be thankful I don’t take it all.
Cause Im the taxman,
Yeah, Im Obama the taxman.
Badbrucskie on April 14, 2009 at 2:11 PM