Group rallies against spending, taxes

POST FALLS — Sitting against the Q’emiln Park pavilion among signs protesting government’s recent actions, Jim Davis on Friday night pondered the country.

“We’re being taxed to death,” he said. “We’re spending money bailing (companies) out and not taking care of the common person.”

Davis, who traveled from Sandpoint to help the Tea Party Patriots of North Idaho send their second wave of concerns about government spending and high taxes to Washington, was among about 700 who attended the “We the People” rally.

The event kicked off Flag Day weekend with patriotic music, food, speeches and ways to become politically involved.

“These are the people,” said Davis, overlooking the crowd. “Hopefully, if enough of us get together, they’ll listen.”

The non-partisan, grassroots group attracted about 1,300 to its first rally on April 15 in Coeur d’Alene in conjunction with other tea parties across the country. While organizers hoped for about 2,000 on Friday, the turnout was still respectable despite the event competing for people’s time with Car d’Alene.

The group, using the slogan “The Silent Majority Speaks”, also plans to march in the Fourth of July parade in Coeur d’Alene.

Ray Zieleski, who attended on Friday, called the rallies “spontaneous.”

“We’re protesting just like the original tea party,” he said. “I’m opposed to the current system of government. We’re being sold down the drain. I really feel that this is the start of a rebellion.”

Chris Fillios spoke on “Change or Chains?”

“When we abandon free market principles, we’re not just sacrificing economic freedom but we’re also sacrificing political freedom,” he said after his speech. “Without political freedom, there’s no freedom. You can’t have one without the other.”

Fillios said people should have a response the next time government calls on citizens to sacrifice.

“America’s response should be … lead by example,” he said.

Madison Leonard spoke on behalf of youth.

“We have an obligation and duty to raise our voice if we don’t agree with what’s going on,” she said. “The fundamentals of our country are being breached right now.”

Leonard said that it was obvious by the crowd, who appeared laid back in lawn chairs or sitting on the park’s grass with their friends or families, that the tea party is about people coming together with a common cause, not a bunch of angry radicals revolting.

“We’re just determined to stand against any more erosion,” she said.

Speaker Ron Nilson said he prays daily for the country’s leaders, but they also need to know that people are concerned about the current times.

“If we give them some love, we just need to squeeze them tight enough to get their attention so that maybe they’ll start to do something,” he said.

“Tea Party II” was a way of showing the movement isn’t going away, Nilson said.

“We’ve got to keep going,” he said. “If we quit doing this, they win.”