Now that the Tea Parties across the nation have finished, the big question is what, if anything, is next? It can only be hoped that the energy from these grassroots demonstrations around the country do not dissipate, now that April 15 has come and gone.
It was originally estimated that there would be somewhere between 300 and 500 rallies and marches on Wednesday and we may not know for some time how many exactly occurred. The Web site taxdayteaparty.com listed 29 in New York but did not have Auburn's listed. While critics may charge that these Tea Parties were driven by right-leaning radio broadcasts, you don't get these numbers by just having someone asking from a distance for you to come out. They occur when people are fed up - whether it is with Washington, Albany or local governments closer to home.
So far the effort to oppose higher taxes needs to do more than have one day where people can hold up signs, join in collective protest and get drivers to honk their horns when they pass by the group, as they did in front of the Cayuga County Courthouse Wednesday.
What is needed is for those who really believe in the message of fiscal discipline (not just that taxes are too high) translate that belief into action. The first step may be to get like-minded individuals to band together to spread their message, or to back candidates for office, whether it be at the school board, town, village or city level.
More importantly, some within those ranks will, hopefully, run for office. It is one thing to stand on a nice sunny day and protest a monolithic government that seems to tax and spend (especially New York state) indiscriminately - it is another to sit in a meeting as a voting member to have to say “no” to popular programs or associates who have great ideas that just aren't financially feasible.
Like the “summer soldiers and sunshine patriots” that Thomas Paine wrote about more than two centuries ago, who in “ ... crisis, shrink from the service of his country ...,” those who think that taxes are really too high and that fiscal responsibility is needed need to come forward and run, whether for school board next month (most petitions are not due for another 10 days) or city council and town boards this November.
Those who rallied this week need to follow through on their protest. They need to not only organize, but more importantly either run as candidates or back people who share their fiscal policy agenda. That is the real test of whether the Tea Party is real or not.
Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com
So far the effort to oppose higher taxes needs to do more than have one day where people can hold up signs, join in collective protest and get drivers to honk their horns when they pass by the group, as they did in front of the Cayuga County Courthouse Wednesday.
What is needed is for those who really believe in the message of fiscal discipline (not just that taxes are too high) translate that belief into action. The first step may be to get like-minded individuals to band together to spread their message, or to back candidates for office, whether it be at the school board, town, village or city level.
More importantly, some within those ranks will, hopefully, run for office. It is one thing to stand on a nice sunny day and protest a monolithic government that seems to tax and spend (especially New York state) indiscriminately - it is another to sit in a meeting as a voting member to have to say “no” to popular programs or associates who have great ideas that just aren't financially feasible.
Like the “summer soldiers and sunshine patriots” that Thomas Paine wrote about more than two centuries ago, who in “ ... crisis, shrink from the service of his country ...,” those who think that taxes are really too high and that fiscal responsibility is needed need to come forward and run, whether for school board next month (most petitions are not due for another 10 days) or city council and town boards this November.
Those who rallied this week need to follow through on their protest. They need to not only organize, but more importantly either run as candidates or back people who share their fiscal policy agenda. That is the real test of whether the Tea Party is real or not.
Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com
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Andy b wrote on Apr 21, 2009 10:35 AM:
Many of us fiscally conservative Republicans, libertarians, and bluedog Democrats have been disillusioned for years. What we see going on from big government for the last 30 years and now accelerating in this ridiculous spending bill is maddening.
Not to mention the assaults on the Bill of Rights. "
former resident of auburn wrote on Apr 21, 2009 10:28 AM:
substantiate, you are right! Where WERE all these people for the past 8 years? I know that there were marches against Bush's Illegal Invasion of Iraq, but I sure don't remember any of these 'Teabaggers' protesting Bush adding over $6 TRILLION to the National Debt. Now, it's like Everything is President Obama's fault--not one word about Bush.
And did you hear the comments from the Right Wing when President Obama shook hands with Chavez? You'd think they had a Lovefest or something going on! So, President Obama is a Civilized human being--he doesn't talk like a 'tough cowboy', and he is polite enough to shake hands and accept a book as a gift from Chavez--instead of taking the book and throwing it back at Chavez.
I really think the Republican party is just a party of WMDs (White Male Dunces) and backwoods racists. Very sad to see what the party of our most beloved President, Abraham Lincoln, has turned into... "
substantiate wrote on Apr 19, 2009 9:09 AM:
cheeko wrote on Apr 18, 2009 2:46 PM:
a.mom wrote on Apr 17, 2009 6:00 PM:
It was pointed out by several speakers that people have to educate themselves about the candidates and the issues AND VOTE to evoke change. Many people talked about term limits, which I use to disagree with (that's what elections are for after all), but am finding myself more sympathetic to after watching incumbents win again and again with loads of money raised outside of the districts they actually represent. Take Arcuri - 80% of his campaign funds were raised outside of the district. Loads of his largest donors are in Manhattan. He didn't even bother campaigning in Auburn.
This is a good start. People are angry, but everyone on Wednesday was a cheerful warrior as well. The resolve to take back our government was palpable. "
showpeople wrote on Apr 17, 2009 11:50 AM:
As to the "grassroots" movement. Talk radio did spur it on, no doubt about that, but it was organized on the internet where a good proportion of our population goes for any information about what is going on in the world. It is pretty easy today to get to a thousand of so of your "closest" friends. Several local sites can be used to reach out to locals. "