By Linda Golz
Beacon Journal staff writer

Published on Thursday, Aug 20, 2009

CUYAHOGA FALLS:

About 7,000 people crowded into Falls River Square Wednesday night for the first Akron Tea Party.

Organizers said it was the largest Ohio Tea Party so far.

Many in the crowd wore patriotic hats and shirts, waved American and ”Don’t Tread On Me” flags and carried homemade signs protesting policies in Washington, D.C., and the direction the country is headed in general.

”I was not born in a socialist country, and I will not die in a socialist country,” Republican state Sen. Tim Grendell of Geauga County said. ”And neither will my children.”

The crowd roared its approval.

He said it is ”all American” to get involved in government and let politicians know what policy changes voters would like to see.

”It’s called the First Amendment,” Grendell said.

Instead, he charged, the government is trying to keep the people ignorant and apathetic.

Grendell also urged the crowd to support strong states’ rights and to protect their freedoms.

”I want my country back,” he said.

Other speakers included Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Robart; American Policy Roundtable Vice President Rob Walgate; Republican candidate for Ohio’s 27th Senate District Frank LaRose; and businessmen Greg Knox of Dayton and Jason Wise of Stark County.

Robart said that former President George W. Bush’s bailout ”has been a total failure” and that President Barack Obama’s stimulus bill
”has been worse.”

He promised the crowd that ”cap-and-trade will be the largest tax increase in our history.” Robart said it should be renamed ”the China-India stimulus bill” and accused it of being ”based solely on a myth called global warming.”

”We’re not drinking the Kool-Aid no more,” attendee Barry Bugh of Akron said.

Cristina Shreve of Strongsville came to the Tea Party because, she said, she moved to the United States from Brazil with her parents and siblings as a child in 1965 ”to get away from socialized health care and everything.”

”I just don’t want government in everything we do. I don’t like the illegal immigrants. They should have to do what we did [to enter the country legally]. It took a long time,” Shreve said. ”I get so ticked off at these politicians that think they’re so special.”

Democrat joins ranks

Eileen Crilley, a Democrat from North Canton, said she came because her friend Phil Green of Minerva had urged her.

”I am here to see what it’s all about,” she said.

She said Green persuaded her to really check out President Obama’s health-care plan.

”Some people just hear the bits and parts they want to hear,” Crilley said. ”If you really dig deep, you’ll see what they’re really saying.”

Crilley said she was being swayed by her Republican friend and becoming more conservative.

”I’m just not happy with the way the government has been doing things,” said Aaron Kopp of Ravenna. He said he was not happy about taxes, the health-care plan and Obama’s policies in general, a feeling expressed by many.

Signs could be seen all around the huge gathering, including ”Pucker up D.C. Kiss Our Grass Roots,” ”The Opposite of Progress is Congress” and ”There’s nothing unpatriotic about caring for your grandma.”

Naomi Storob of Akron and friend John Welfley of Munroe Falls said government officials pay no attention to the people, and that Congress won’t have to be on the same health insurance as other U.S. citizens.

”I shudder to think what’s happening to our country,” Storob said.

Phil Bennett of Canton came wearing a costume hat like the crown on the Statue of Liberty.

”I just want to get my voice heard. I don’t agree with what’s going on right now,” he said.

 

Sam Williams of Akron dons a colonial hat for the Akron Tea Party held at the Falls River Square on Wednesday, August 19, 2009, in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. “I disagree with where our country is going. It’s a little more change than I had wanted.” (Phil Masturzo/Akron Beacon Journal)

View more photos>>

CUYAHOGA FALLS:

About 7,000 people crowded into Falls River Square Wednesday night for the first Akron Tea Party.

Organizers said it was the largest Ohio Tea Party so far.

Many in the crowd wore patriotic hats and shirts, waved American and ”Don’t Tread On Me” flags and carried homemade signs protesting policies in Washington, D.C., and the direction the country is headed in general.

”I was not born in a socialist country, and I will not die in a socialist country,” Republican state Sen. Tim Grendell of Geauga County said. ”And neither will my children.”

The crowd roared its approval.

He said it is ”all American” to get involved in government and let politicians know what policy changes voters would like to see.

”It’s called the First Amendment,” Grendell said.

Instead, he charged, the government is trying to keep the people ignorant and apathetic.

Grendell also urged the crowd to support strong states’ rights and to protect their freedoms.

”I want my country back,” he said.

Other speakers included Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Robart; American Policy Roundtable Vice President Rob Walgate; Republican candidate for Ohio’s 27th Senate District Frank LaRose; and businessmen Greg Knox of Dayton and Jason Wise of Stark County.

Robart said that former President George W. Bush’s bailout ”has been a total failure” and that President Barack Obama’s stimulus bill
”has been worse.”

He promised the crowd that ”cap-and-trade will be the largest tax increase in our history.” Robart said it should be renamed ”the China-India stimulus bill” and accused it of being ”based solely on a myth called global warming.”

”We’re not drinking the Kool-Aid no more,” attendee Barry Bugh of Akron said.

Cristina Shreve of Strongsville came to the Tea Party because, she said, she moved to the United States from Brazil with her parents and siblings as a child in 1965 ”to get away from socialized health care and everything.”

”I just don’t want government in everything we do. I don’t like the illegal immigrants. They should have to do what we did [to enter the country legally]. It took a long time,” Shreve said. ”I get so ticked off at these politicians that think they’re so special.”

Democrat joins ranks

Eileen Crilley, a Democrat from North Canton, said she came because her friend Phil Green of Minerva had urged her.

”I am here to see what it’s all about,” she said.

She said Green persuaded her to really check out President Obama’s health-care plan.

”Some people just hear the bits and parts they want to hear,” Crilley said. ”If you really dig deep, you’ll see what they’re really saying.”

Crilley said she was being swayed by her Republican friend and becoming more conservative.

”I’m just not happy with the way the government has been doing things,” said Aaron Kopp of Ravenna. He said he was not happy about taxes, the health-care plan and Obama’s policies in general, a feeling expressed by many.

Signs could be seen all around the huge gathering, including ”Pucker up D.C. Kiss Our Grass Roots,” ”The Opposite of Progress is Congress” and ”There’s nothing unpatriotic about caring for your grandma.”

Naomi Storob of Akron and friend John Welfley of Munroe Falls said government officials pay no attention to the people, and that Congress won’t have to be on the same health insurance as other U.S. citizens.

”I shudder to think what’s happening to our country,” Storob said.

Phil Bennett of Canton came wearing a costume hat like the crown on the Statue of Liberty.

”I just want to get my voice heard. I don’t agree with what’s going on right now,” he said.

Ohio.com – All stirred up at Tea Party.

The democrat senators and congressmen have found it uncomfortable to peddle their bullshit to constituents that can read and have a mind of their own.   We’ve all seen town hall meetings filled with citizens angry with their representatives for not being representative!  For not reading the legislation before voting for it.  For spending enormous sums of money recklessly.  For bailing out failed industries with our money.  For systematically dismantling our economy and replacing it with government sponsored substitutes.

Pelosi said that the people at these meetings weren’t real people, they were instead operatives of some right-wing conspiracy designed to take Obama down.

Obama has been saying that the messages from the “angry mobs” about killing private health insurance and euthanasia are simply not true.

When you read the House’s “health care for all Americans” bill. Right there on Page 16 is a provision making individual private medical insurance illegal.
The provision outlaws individual private coverage. Under the header of “Protecting The Choice To Keep Current Coverage,” the “Limitation On New Enrollment” section of the bill clearly states:

“Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day” of the year the legislation becomes law.

So we can all keep our coverage, just as promised — with, of course, exceptions: Those who currently have private individual coverage won’t be able to change it. Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers.

From the beginning, opponents of the public option plan have warned that if the government gets into the business of offering subsidized health insurance coverage, the private insurance market will wither. Drawn by a public option that will be 30% to 40% cheaper than their current premiums because taxpayers will be funding it, employers will gladly scrap their private plans and go with Washington’s coverage.

The nonpartisan Lewin Group estimated in April that 120 million or more Americans could lose their group coverage at work and end up in such a program. That would leave private carriers with 50 million or fewer customers. This could cause the market to, as Lewin Vice President John Sheils put it, “fizzle out altogether.”

What wasn’t known until now is that the bill itself will kill the market for private individual coverage by not letting any new policies be written after the public option becomes law.

The legislation is also likely to finish off health savings accounts, a goal that Democrats have had for years. They want to crush that alternative because nothing gives individuals more control over their medical care, and the government less, than HSAs.

With HSAs out of the way, a key obstacle to the left’s expansion of the welfare state will be removed.

The public option won’t be an option for many, but rather a mandate for buying government care. A free people should be outraged at this advance of soft tyranny.

Washington does not have the constitutional or moral authority to outlaw private markets in which parties voluntarily participate. It shouldn’t be killing business opportunities, or limiting choices, or legislating major changes in Americans’ lives.

And what about that euthanasia claim?  Well, I think that’s a twist of words on Obama’s part.  I don’t think anyone actually mistook Obama Care for euthanasia.  After all, euthanasia puts someone who is suffering out of their misery.  Obama Care on the other hand, will ration care to those who some bureaucratic panel has deemed to be more valuable to society.  So, Obama is right; it’s not euthanasia but it will certainly “thin the herd”.  And, it seems to me that older folks, those with disabilities and those that require long term care should be worried!

The demonstrations are part of a larger grassroots movement to protest massive government spending called Taxed Enough Already, or TEA — giving name to the Tax Day Tea Parties.

Rallies against government spending are scheduled across the nation, more than 235 years after the original Boston Tea Party revolt against taxes.

Crowds of 5,000 to 10,000 are expected in various cities like New York, Atlanta and Sacramento, according to Mike Leahy, co-founder of Top Conservatives on Twitter, one of the three conservative groups helping to coordinate the protests on a national scale.

Organizers say they’re steamed at government spending since President Obama’s administration took over.

The latest round of protests started yesterday when about 200 people gathered at the Missouri state capitol.

In Pennsylvania, protesters will gather outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia to voice their opposition to taxes on a host of items from cell phones to cigars.

In New Hampshire, state employees are hitting the street to speak out against cuts aimed at public employee jobs.

“These are moms and dads, teachers and students, businessmen and women who are concerned for their country,” Republican Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina told FOXNews.com. “They are worried that our nation is quickly being taken in the wrong direction by politicians who are more concerned about the next election instead of the next generation.

“This cuts across party lines and demographic divides. It’s not about Republican or Democrat, its about citizens who believe America can only survive if we protect the principles of liberty from a federal government that is out of control and must be reformed now. And that’s a real message of hope,” Demint said.

DeMint and other well-known conservatives, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, are lined up to speak at some of the demonstrations. Texas Gov. Rick Perry told FOX News Wednesday that he’ll be attending protests in San Antonio, Fort Worth, and Austin, Texas.

via Anti-Tax ‘Tea Party’ Protests Expected Across U.S. – Presidential Politics | Political News – FOXNews.com.