Sign language
Tax Day stirs residents into action
Issue Date: 4/22/2010
Last Updated: 9/22/2014 1:36:12 PM |
By
Melea Burke
No garden hats or floral dresses or watercress sandwiches were visible at the Tea Party on the evening of Tax Day, April 15, at Ducharme Park.
Irv Milheim counted 61 people who showed up with their handmade signs and lawn chairs to protest taxes on a beautiful spring day. A few more Tea Party supporters may have joined the party after 5 p.m. when they finished work for the day.
Standing mostly in the sunshine, protestors waved signs such as “Honk for Capitalism,” “Who will bail out the taxpayer?” and “Honk for real change.” Youngsters Gatlin and Anna Schiele fought over who got to wave their “Don’t steal my piggy bank” sign.
One group of area residents each held up a sign with one digit of the national debt painted on each sign. As of press time, the national debt was up to $12 trillion —and, by the way, a trillion has 12 zeroes.
Despite the somber theme, the group smiled and laughed as they lined Highway 93 and waved to passing motorists.
Ken Ritz of Polson attended the Tea Party last fall that also protested too many taxes and too much government spending.
“We thought we’d come out for round two. It’s not as windy and cold,” Ritz said.
Giving his reason for being at the Tea Party, Gary Jystad from Rollins said, “We need to get our feelings known. We need to quit taking a back seat and letting other people run our lives.”
Even Bobcats and Grizzly fans played well with each other at this tea party. Grizzly fans Pam Perry and Norm Johnson posed for a picture with Bobcat fanciers Annette Schiele and Marshall Bjork.
Annette Schiele organized the Tea Party. Her dad Dick Matejovsky told Schiele, “At least you can tell your children you tried.”
Across town, the Flathead Reservation Human Rights Coalition staged their own event that promoted the good that taxes do for the community. About seven members of the FRHRC met at the Polson City Library to finish and sign a thank-you card for the Lake County Commissioners. Then at about 4 p.m. they walked to the Lake County Court House to hand deliver the card, plus some cookies. Polson City Hall employees also were recipients of the treats.
Members of the FRHRC said their tax day reflection was: “Remember the good our tax dollars do in our community.”
