Tea Party members rally in LC (7/5)

Posted July 4, 2009 at 11:08 pm
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By JOHN GUIDROZ
AMERICAN PRESS

Southwest Louisiana residents braved the heat at Veterans Memorial Park Saturday for the Rally Around the Flag “tea party” to protest taxation and government spending.

“We feel very frustrated and angry that our taxes are going for programs that we do not approve of,” said Helen Simon, co-founder of the Lake Charles Tea Party.

Heather Johnson, president of the organization, said it is made up of people who oppose government intrusion and who want to return to the “core values” of the Constitution.

The “tea” in tea party stands for “Taxed Enough Already.”

The event focused on U.S. House Bill 2454, known as the cap-and-trade bill, which was passed by the House 219-212 on June 26.

It requires energy companies to buy pollution permits before they can release carbon emissions. Any company that exceeds its carbon emissions cap will be taxed.

State Public Service Commissioner Clyde Holloway, R-Forest Hill, criticized the bill, saying it would have a major financial impact on energy customers statewide.

“We’re going to be one of the top 10 states taxed,” he said. “I believe that you cannot tax yourself into prosperity. That’s what our government is wanting us to do.”

Holloway also criticized how quickly the bill was drafted, saying that about 300 pages were written the night before House members voted on the legislation.

“How many (House) members do you think read those pages?” he asked. “Probably zero.”

Tore Carlberg of American Legion Post 1 said the bill supports “taxation with poor representation.”

“We feel like these taxes are not fair,” he said.

Tech. Sgt. Gerrit Lawrence, a veteran of the first Gulf War, encouraged residents to stand up against issues such as universal health care and abortion.

“We will be heard, and we will not stop until our government acts as the Constitution states, not merely how they interpret it,” he said.

A small business owner, Lawrence spoke about the frustrations of having to pay 65 percent of an employee’s health care for 18 months if that person is laid off or fired.

“It’s very hard for me to make payroll every week and keep my business open,” he said. “That is wrong.”

During the event, Hershel Frazier sang a song he wrote that compared the Boston Tea Party with the local tea party.

The Lake Charles Tea Party hosted a similar event in February to protest the stimulus package and another one on tax day, April 15.

Local radio personality Joe Cironi served as the event’s emcee.

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