Thousands attend John & Ken’s Tax Revolt protest in Fullerton

By
Larry Gilbert
– March 8, 2009Posted in: Fresh Juice, fullerton, taxes

(Pictures courtesy of Orange Juice blogger Roy Reynolds)

UPDATE: Video of this event will be available at this link by 6 pm tonight.

A KFI AM-640 tax revolt tea party took place this afternoon in the city of Fullerton, CA. As I exited the 91 freeway onto Harbor Blvd heading north to East Commonwealth Ave. I immediately knew John and Ken’s KFI AM-640 open air program was going to be a packed house. In fact I had to drive six blocks to find a parking place as the city parking garage and surrounding areas were all full.

As I approached the KFI stage attendees passed several booths such as the HJTA booth where volunteers were giving out NO on Measure 1 A bumper stickers,  the AFP blow up ATM machine where a man held a sign reading “I am not California’s ATM, a recall Assemblyman Jeff Miller booth, another area with volunteers signing up recall Arnold rolls and some fun games including John and Ken’s Political Traitor Shoe Toss where you throw a shoe at a picture of Arnold and the Legislature leaders who supported the tax increase. Another booth labeled a “flush-a-natar” dunk tank where I saw young boys getting a bucket of water dumped on their heads in the 68 degrees afternoon.

I arrived a full hour before the official program starting time of 3 p.m. and can report that we did not need John and Ken to get us pumped up. Several in the crowd, which grew to around 2,500 and counting, starting chanting “off with their heads, off with their heads” to huge participation from the many who drove from as far away as San Diego and Murietta to be part of this anti tax increase gathering. There must have been hundreds of man made signs. I take that back. Many of the signs were also created by the ladies in the standing-room-only area between the railroad track and the Slidebar Cafe.

George Collins, producer of Santa Ana Insight, drove up alongside me standing on his Segway Personal Transporter filming the crowd. Nice touch.

Let me give you a sampling of the signs “Schwarzenegger is a girly man, Taxes are way too high, somewhere, somehow, someone’s going to pay–us, Benedict Arnold Traitor, Total Recall Arnold, Raped by the state, Corrupt politicians–taxation without representation, No on 1 A, Recall Arnold, Sacramento is sick, Californian Leaders betray us taxpayers.”
One sign that was well received read “U.S. unemployment 8.5%.” The next line read “California’s unemployment 10.6%” with the final line reading “state workers unemployment 0%.” Another sign read “How do politicians spell pledge L-I-E” with another reading “born free, taxed to death.”

As John and Ken opened the live KFI radio broadcast we were asked “taxpayers, are you ready?” as we looked at their toilet plunger with a legislator face on the end. The crowd was then encouraged to chant “heads on a stick, heads on a stick” that did not require much urging. Another chant was “revolt, recall, repeal.  Revolt, recall repeal.”

We did not need to be reminded that we pay the highest sales tax rate in the nation and the other tax increase just approved by our legislators. At one point Ken walked on stage with Arnold’s head on a sword which surely got the crowd’s attention.

We listened to a sound bite/cut familiar to me in which Governor Schwarzenegger, in 2006, stated “I will not raise taxes on the people of California.” This was followed by another chant of “liar, liar, liar.” We were told that our taxes will be increased $50 billion over the next four years.

Before one of the commercial breaks Fullerton City councilman Shawn Nelson was invited to use a sledgehammer and smash a VHS copy of Arnold’s Last Action Hero.

This was followed by Ken and John using a shredder to destroy a DVD of Arnold’s 1987 movie Predator to the enjoyment of the crowd.

(Picture courtesy of Steven Sarkis)

The down side of getting up to the fifth row from the stage was trying to leave. I briefly spoke to Fullerton Planning Commissioner, Supervisor Norby Exec Assistant Bruce Whitaker and CRA officer Steve Sarkis.

(Picture courtesy of Steven Sarkis)

On my was out I stopped by a man wearing a huge sandwich sign which read. “Pledge to my voters: I will not support a budget that includes tax increases.” Assemblyman Anthony Adams.  Big Fat Liar. They were handing out cards reading RECALL Assemblyman Anthony Adams which reads that he “casted one of the three Republican votes that were needed to raise our taxes.” It has a web site reading www.RecallAdams.org.

(Picture courtesy of Steven Sarkis)

My last stop at the event was to stop at a booth with a long line of voters waiting to sign a petition calling for the recall of Assemblyman Jeff Miller. I picked up a flyer at that booth which opens stating “we do not want our leaders merely for a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ vote. We elect them to fight on our behalf and protect the constituents from government abuse. Jeff Miller has FAILED to Protect Us.” One bullet point reads. “Miller voted to put an extra 2 year tax increase on the ballot after pledging “no new taxes.” It has a web address www.recallmiller.com

Heading to the street and my car there were hundreds of other people coming from all directions to catch part of this KFI broadcast that is still on the air as I finish this blog post.

Great weather, energized crowd, numerous signs and a great message from John and Ken that needs to resonate across our state.

UPDATE:

Click here to read the O.C. Register story about this event.  They say that over 8,000 were at this tax protest.

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