From Deseret News archives:

Anti-tax-and-spend group throws "tea party" at Capitol

Published: Saturday, March 7, 2009 12:00 a.m. MST
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Conjuring the fighting spirit of the country's founders, a large group of defiant protesters gathered on the west steps of the Capitol rotunda Friday for a "tea party" modeled after the Boston Tea Party of more than 200 years ago.

Instead of tossing bales of tea overboard, however, this crowd seemed more interested in tossing President Obama and members of Congress out of power.

The event was part of what has become known as the Tea Party Movement, a series of rallies and demonstrations taking place in cities around the country to protest increased taxes, budget deficits, the recently passed federal stimulus package and trillion-dollar bailouts of the financial and auto industries.

Event organizer David Kirkham said he decided to put together one of the events locally because he viewed rampant deficit spending by the federal government as no different from the "intolerable acts" that led to the original Boston Tea Party.

"We are not spending our own money," Kirkham said after the rally. "We are taxing our children. Our children have no representation and we are taxing their dreams."

During the rally, he urged the president to not get the country in more economic trouble.

"Common sense tells us that if you find yourself in a hole you stop digging," Kirkham told protesters. "We are here to say to Mr. Obama, 'Put down that shovel!' "

Salt Lake County resident Greg Zenger said he was there because he was tired of federal, state and local taxes going up.

"Everybody is digging into our pockets deeper and deeper," Zenger said. "We are rushing headlong into socialism and it's just wrong. It's not what this country was founded on."

Recent federal bailouts of the failing financial and automobile industries are what brought South Jordan resident Janalee Tobias to the Capitol to protest.

"We're sick and tired of rewarding bad behavior," Tobias said.

Dozens of rally participants carried handmade signs reading, "Debt is killing our country" and "Put an end to borrow and spend." Several had small children in tow who were also carrying signs that read, "Stop stealing money from my piggy bank!"

Spanish Fork resident Keryn Ross had her four children with her.

"I want them to understand they can be part of the political process," Ross said. "I'm worried about my kids. I'm worried that this recklessness is all going to come down on them in 20 or 30 years."

Many in the crowd were there to prompt state lawmakers to pass HJR17, a joint resolution urging Congress to reject any future bailout legislation and stop spending money the federal government does not have.

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