'Democrats, you're not my spouse'

'Democrats, you're not my spouse'
Fed-up taxpayers rally for smaller government

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Thousands of outspoken taxpayers withstood freezing temperatures and blowing snow to rally for smaller government and less taxes yesterday in Minnesota.

Signs with messages like, "Democrats you're not my spouse, stop spending my money," and "I am not an ATM," were found everywhere. The poor economic climate nationwide and a recent statewide gas-tax increase had many at the rally seeing red.

The event took place at the state capitol and was organized by radio personality Jason Lewis, a regular fill in on the Rush Limbaugh program, who says the idea for the tax-cut rally started nearly a decade ago and has turned into an annual event.

"This goes back almost 10 years now when I just kind of threw it out there one day on the air," Lewis said. "I didn't think we'd have a big crowd on a Saturday back in the late 90s, but we had a huge crowd, and so every year we've been trying to put on a rally to show the politicians that there are people concerned about taxes in Minnesota."

The event featured a number of speakers including Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann who spoke with WND about the importance of getting involved.

"I think taxpayers across the country should take heed, and realize that at their state level they can have a tremendous impact," Bachmann said. "There were calls today to elect people who will respect taxpayers' pocketbooks, and to hold those who voted against taxpayers best interests accountable. There was a tremendous outpouring of support for initiatives to reduce the size of government."

Speakers at the rally touched on a variety of issues related to taxes. Topics included everything from taxes to fight global warming to funding universal health care. The crowd's consensus on government taxing and spending was clear: enough is enough.

"I think government is out of control and there's no end to their appetite for more spending and taxes," said Tom Disselkamp, a husband and father of three at the rally. "I wish they'd get out of our lives and return some freedom to us."

People of all ages attended, including college student like Alex Hoopes, who isn't sure the tax issue resonates with all his peers.

"I think college students need to take an interest in [cutting taxes] now because if things continue the way they are, it will certainly affect them in the future," Hoopes said.

The size and enthusiasm of the so-called "conservative base" is providing hope for Republicans in the 2008 election.

Bachmann believes there is a clear choice when it comes to the presidential election.

"I think that conservatives are looking at the candidates and they are clearly appalled at what they see on the Democrats' side with both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama," she said. "I think that the more they look at both of those choices, the more they're willing to look at Senator McCain who is adamant in taking on spending increases, he's been a real fighter for that, and (getting rid of) earmarks.

While many attending the event were certainly full of energy, others think it remains to be seen if McCain can draw that same kind of enthusiasm.

"I saw plenty of Ron Paul signs in the crowd, but I couldn't find one for McCain," said David Lubowitz, who also said he feels a little disenfranchised with the Republican Party.

In the end, the pocketbook could be a major factor in this election.

"This is a debate over your budget versus the government's budget. I happen to think you can spend your money more wisely than they can," Lewis said during his speech. "If the Bush tax cuts expire, 115 million taxpayers will see their taxes go up. We'll see $1.9 trillion of new taxes over seven years and that's just if the Bush tax cuts expire, but that's not enough for Barack Obama who wants to spend 1.4 trillion more over the next five years."

Lewis feels that the issue of high taxes is important to everyone.

"In the final analysis my friends, taxes are a moral issue, not merely an economical one," he said. "The right to keep the fruits of your labor is no less a personal issue than the right to free speech."