Hartford Tea Party Draws Large Crowd
by Christine Stuart | April 15, 2009 1:50 PM
Posted to State Capitol
On the day that many Americans pay their federal and state income taxes, an estimated crowd of more than 3,000 gathered on the north steps of the state Capitol in Hartford to say “enough, is enough.”
Rick Rothstein, 57, of West Hartford one of the organizers of Wednesday’s event being billed as a “tea party,” said today is the day when you think about your taxes the most.
“We are specifically asking elected officials at all levels of government—federal, state, and local—to repeal the pork,” Rothstein, a certified public accountant, said.
John Antunovich of Danbury who was holding a “T.E.A. Taxed Enough Already” sign said he’s not the type of person who goes around demonstrating, but felt compelled to attend Wednesday’s rally. He said while he’s fairly insulated from what’s going on with the economy, he doesn’t want the next generation to be saddled with an enormous tax burden.
Natalie Katrenya, 8, is a member of that next generation. She was holding a sign saying, “I’m only 8 and I’m already $36,000 in debt.”
Susan Kniep, president of the Federation of Connecticut Taxpayers, explained that American taxpayers and their children will be burdened with $10.7 trillion in debt, which translates to $36,000 for every man, woman, and child in the U.S. She said the interest payments of this debt alone is $500 billion for one year.
In addition Kniep said that Connecticut taxpayers pay one of the highest property taxes in the nation, second only to New Jersey. “The only recourse taxpayer have is to unite in solidarity to keep what little we have left as more economic storms brew on the horizon,” Kniep said.
In closing she encouraged the crowd to get involved at the local level and speak out at town council meetings.
Sandi Kalinowski of Durham said prior to attending Wednesday’s tea party she delivered a platter of tea bags to Gov. M. Jodi Rell, along with a personal note to let Rell know she’s not alone. Kalinowski said she knows Rell really wants to limit spending and that it’s the Democrats that are making it difficult.
“People have had it, and they are letting their collective voices be heard here in Hartford and across the state,” Rell said Wednesday. ”As I have said repeatedly, the bloat of bureaucracy is no longer affordable. It is time to get back to basics.”
Rell did not attend the rally, but a few elected officials did.
Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Southport, Sen. Michael McLachlan, R-Danbury, and former Congressman Rob Simmons, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd for his Senate seat in 2010 made an appearance Wednesday.
None of the trio were allowed to speak at the event, but McKinney said the big message which emerged from the rally is “we need government to stop spending our money.”
“This is what democracy is all about,” Simmons said as he pulled out a pocket-sized version of the US Constitution and pointed to three highlighted words at the beginning: “We the People.”
Simmons said he was allowed to speak at the New Haven tea party, but organizers of the Hartford tea party would not allow him to speak.
There were several anti-Dodd signs in the crowd and at one point James Bancroft led the crowd in a “Hey Chris Dodd, Swim to Cuba” chant.
Organizers of the tea party in Hartford said the movement is not tied to any political party and is an organic grassroots effort pulled together by a handful of volunteers, who were not paid for their work. Similar events were held in New Haven, Greenwich, and Norwich.
The “tea party” movement took off in February, when CNBC reporter Rick Santelli ranted against the stimulus package on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
Click here to find out what happened at the New Haven tea party.
Comments (13)
Posted by: iBlogWestHartford | April 15, 2009 2:52 PM
"Many in the crowd said it was time that the silent taxpaying majority stood up to say they've had enough."
Then I fully expect to see all of these "patriots" at the next protest to end the two biggest federal tax-wasting boondoggles of this century: the pointless, endless, trillion-dollar wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Don't worry - I'll bring the peace signs!
Posted by: telldatruth | April 15, 2009 3:47 PM
Tea Party veterans keep speaking out in the weeks to come... Don't let the message fizzle! www.shirts4freedom.com
Posted by: James D. | April 15, 2009 4:11 PM
I gladly pay taxes.
My taxes pay for the road I drove on this morning.
My taxes pay for medical research so fewer Americans die from potentially curable diseases.
My taxes pay for the fireman who helped save my wife's life.
My taxes pay for great public schools for my kids.
My taxes pay for the senior center that my parents use.
My taxes pay for pirate-killing snipers.
No probelms here.
Posted by: City Hall Watch | April 15, 2009 4:39 PM
I'm happy to pay a fair share of the taxes needed to fund the basics of government. Nearly all Americans feel that way. The problem is there are people and pols who abuse us and force us to pay for things we shouldn't be paying for: Pork, bloated government, do-gooder programs that solve absolutely nothing, accomplish damn little, account for next to nothing and yet, are funded and refunded and expanded and so on. It never ends, it's never enough. That's why rents are 1200 a month in New Haven and $2000 a month in FFD. Nobody in state government can say there is no waste in CT government. Yet, the "leaders" piddle.
Posted by: Rocco Frank | April 15, 2009 4:58 PM
For Coverage of the New Haven Area Tea Party see the link below.
www.milforddailyblog.com
Over 1000 in attendance, I95 Slowed to a crawl due to "Rubberneckers."
Posted by: erika | April 16, 2009 8:34 AM
look at my sign its the one that says CUT TAXES,NOT DEALS
Posted by: David Samuels | April 16, 2009 9:30 AM
I'm still wondering if any of these "grassroots" protesters are going to talk about how the ridiculously low tax rates for CT's wealthy residents & corporations contributes to the tax burden of everyone else in this state.
Oh,let's not forget about how these same corporations (who contribute to the campaign funds of Rell &
McKinney)hide their money in offshore accounts to cheat on the miniscule taxes that they do pay. Guess who pays for that?
Posted by: christine | April 16, 2009 10:20 AM
Below is a press release from the White House regarding taxes:
April 15, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
President Obama Underscores Commitment to Restoring Fairness to the Tax Code and Providing Tax Relief to Working Americans
700 million dollars back in the pockets of Connecticut working families as a result of Making Work Pay tax credit
WASHINGTON - Today, on Tax Day, President Obama will meet with several working families, just like the ones all across America, who are facing tough choices during this economic crisis. President Obama underscored his commitment to a simpler tax code that rewards work and the pursuit of the American dream and supports a future of sustained economic growth that creates good jobs and rising incomes for all Americans. He discussed the unprecedented action his Administration has taken to give tax cuts to the Americans who need them, while jump-starting growth and job creation in the process.
Many working Americans have lost a job or are fighting to keep their small business open. Many more are struggling to make payments, to stay in their home, or to pursue a college education. To help middle-class families get back on their feet and restore some fairness to the tax code, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, President Obama signed the Making Work Pay tax credit into law. As a result, 1.3 million families in Connecticut are seeing more money in their paychecks.
"Since the Recovery Act was signed into law we have delivered real and tangible progress for the American people. I am proud to announce that my Administration has lessened the tax burden on working families while also restoring some balance to the tax code," said President Barack Obama.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is based on the simple premise: what is good for working families is good for the economy and what is good for the economy is good for working families. Specifically, cutting taxes for working families helps to create jobs because these families are the most likely to spend the money. And staving off a deep recession disproportionately helps working families that would have been most likely to get hurt by the recession. Here are some of the highlights of the plan:
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: A Plan to Create Jobs and Help Families
v 95% of all working families will receive a tax cut
v 70% of the tax benefits goes to the middle 60% of American workers
v 2 million families will be lifted out of poverty by the tax cuts in the Recovery Act
v More than $150 billion in tax cuts will help low-income and vulnerable households during the economic recovery
v About 1 Million jobs will be created or saved by these tax cuts alone
v Already, over $3 billion of tax credits have been paid out to first-time homebuyers.
What Americans Are Getting:
Making Work Pay Tax Credit. The Making Work Pay tax credit provides a refundable tax credit of up to $400 for working individuals and $800 for working households, increasing most families' take-home pay by over $65/month. The Making Work Pay Credit helps 95% of working families - over 120 million households in all. According to ADP, the nation's largest payroll service provider, more than 80% of workers paid though ADP received the Making Work Pay tax credit in paychecks dated March 1 or later, and virtually all of their clients began using the new withholding tables by March 6th. During the recovery period, Making Work Pay is expected to put more than $100 billion into the pockets of hard-working Americans.
Expansion Of The First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit. The expansion of the First-Time Homebuyer tax credit allows qualifying taxpayers who buy a home this year before December 1, 2009, to claim a credit of up to $8,000 on either their 2008 or 2009 tax returns. Unlike the prior first-time homebuyer credit, individuals do not need to pay this credit back. This credit will contribute to stabilizing the housing market and is estimated that it will help 1.4 million Americans purchase their first home by providing over $6.5 billion in credits. Over $3 billion of credits have already been paid out to first-time homebuyers.
Increased Earned Income Tax Credit. The Recovery Act includes two improvements to the EITC. It increases the credit for families with 3 or more children to 45% by more than $500, helping to reward work and reduce poverty. And it reduces EITC-related marriage penalties by as much as $400. Overall, 6.3 million low-income families with 12.7 million children will benefit from these two changes.
American Opportunity Tax Credit. The American Opportunity Tax Credit provides financial assistance of up to $2,500 to help offset the cost of tuition and other expenses for individuals seeking a college education. This new credit is available for up to four years of college and is the first college tax benefit to be partially refundable so that it will benefit moderate-income households as well. It is expected to save 4.9 million families save $9 billion.
Child Tax Credit Expansion. Thanks to the Recovery Act, the Child Tax Credit will now increase tax funds for more than 11 million low-income earners by increasing the refundability of the credit. Before the Act, working families with less than $12,550 were set to be excluded from the credit. The Act reduced this eligibility floor to $3,000, increasing tax refunds for million of low-income working families with children. This increase in eligibility will put almost $18 billion into the pockets of families most likely to spend the money and stimulate the economy.
Health Insurance For Workers Between Jobs. To help people maintain health coverage following job loss, the Recovery Act provides a 65% subsidy for COBRA continuation premiums for up to 9 months. As a result, eligible individuals pay only 35% of their COBRA premiums. Based on average COBRA premiums, this amounts to a subsidy of about $325 per month for single coverage and $715 per month for family coverage. This subsidy is expected to provide approximately $24 billion in benefits to more than 5 million individuals and families that have recently lost jobs that provided them with health benefits.
Benefits For Retirees, other Social Security Beneficiaries and Disabled Veterans. The American Recovery Act provides a one-time payment of $250 to retirees, disabled veterans, and SSI recipients. Over 64 million retirees and other individuals will receive this one-time payment, totaling $16 billion.
Auto Sales and Excise Tax Deduction. The Recovery Act provides taxpayers with a new tax deduction for state and local sales and excise taxes paid on the purchase of a new car, light truck, recreational vehicles, or motorcycles through 2009. This deduction is estimated to save 7.8 million new vehicle purchasers $1.6 billion during the new recovery period.
Carryback Of Net Operating Losses For Small Businesses. Under the Recovery Act, small businesses can elect to carryback 2008 net operating losses (NOLs) for up to five years, as opposed to 2 years. This longer carryback period gives small businesses that experienced losses in 2008 the ability to get immediate refunds of income taxes they paid in earlier years and is estimated to give back $3.4 billion to small businesses this year.
Expanded Depreciation for Businesses. The economic recovery legislation extends a provision allowing small businesses to expense up to $250,000 in investments. In addition, the extension of the bonus depreciation under the Recovery Act generally allows businesses that purchase equipment placed in service during 2009 to accelerate their first year depreciation to up to 50% of purchase cost. This additional tax relief is estimated to help business save $34 billion during the recovery period.
How These Tax Cuts Affect American Families:
SAMPLE FAMILY
TAX CUT UNDER RECOVERY ACT
Married couple with 2 children.
Income: $120,000
$800
($800 from Making Work Pay Credit)
Married couple eligible for first time Homebuyer's Credit with 2 children
Income: $60,000
$8,800
($800 from Making Work Pay Credit
and $8,000 from Homebuyer's Credit)
Married couple with 3 children, all eligible for the Child Tax Credit and EITC.
Income: $30,000
$2,172
($800 from Making Work Pay Credit,
$1,025 from EITC increase, and
$347 from Child Tax Credit increase)
Married Couple with a Child who is a Full Time Student with $4,000 in Education Expenses
Income: $90,000
$1,500
($800 from Making Work Pay Credit,
$700 from increased American Opportunity Tax Credit)
Posted by: David Samuels | April 16, 2009 12:16 PM
Christine, thanks for injecting facts into this debate. Yesterday, I heard a Fox News reporter say that the tea parties were about more than taxes. I agree.
Tea party protestors in Philadelphia carried signs calling President Obama a "shoe shine boy" and called for the lynching of black Democrat members of Congress. While I don't believe that those idiots represented the views of everyone who participated in the tea parties, I think that there was a racial component to the protests. I'm sure that I'm not the only one who noticed that the crowds were overwhelmingly white.
Struggling middle class folks were used by the corporations & conservative think tanks, who provided national funding for the tea parties. Fox News was the only broadcast or cable network to cover the protests live. Since when has Fox been the "network of the people"?
The wealthy class & corporations are manipulating working folks in order to protect their position of power. They don't want to pay increased taxes or be subject to regulation, so they're using the working class as pawns in their war against the Obama administration and the Democrats.
Posted by: Matt W. | April 16, 2009 1:55 PM
Why so much bitterness?
I don't understand the problem. I didn't attend a rally but I respect the rights of those who did to protest what they feel is an unfair or improper method of taxing & spending.
I don't understand those who have to attack them. They've done nothing to you. They are Americans voicing their displeasure. If you don't agree and you are happy with the way things are being handled, you should be happy.
Posted by: David Samuels | April 16, 2009 4:17 PM
Matt W, I don't understand how you equate pointing out the element of racism at some of the tea parties with "bitterness"...
Posted by: bumbershoot | April 18, 2009 3:39 AM
...and after their nice protest, with its security provided by taxpayer-funded police, all the anti-government people drove home on government-built roads, perhaps stopping at a bank to make an FDIC-insured deposit or at a grocery store to buy some FDA-inspected food.
Posted by: Charles | April 19, 2009 6:33 AM
>>Tea party protesters in Philadelphia carried signs calling President Obama a "shoe shine boy" and called for the lynching of black Democrat members of Congress.
Have you considered the possibility those could be plants? I can easily imagine some folks showing up with their own extremist signs for a friend to take pictures of. The Huffington Post encouraged readers to take photos and submit them to their site, HuffPo now has a "most offensive signs" link on their site now. No surprise there. It appears one guy managed to be in Chicago and Philadelphia at the same time. :)