Responding to Right-Wing Tea Parties –Talking Points

 

The streets and television channels are flooded with Tea Party protests and demonstrations organized by supposed grassroots organizations.  In fact, these organizations are being funded by right-wing donors and  being coordinated by Republican operatives.

 

They are trying to channel the public’s anger toward Wall Street greed –to be against taxes and the Obama economic plan.

 

The Real Problem is the Big Disconnect: 

Most Americans are getting a tax cut this April 15.

People aren’t complaining about their taxes –they are fearful for the economy and jobs.

They are rooting for President Obama to fix the economy –and dig out of the horrific mess that he inherited.

 

Who is behind the Tea Parties?

 

This is a stunt organized by Freedom Works, a right-wing organization funded by the Koch family, an oil billionaire business.  They’ve planted a number of other organizations to make this appear to be a spontaneous groundswell.

 

Their agenda is to shrink government, and cut taxes.  They are not AGAINST Wall Street greed – they ARE Wall Street Greed.  They are pretending to be patriots on tax day –but they are doing the King’s bidding and Wall Street’s program.

 

Without the Koch millions –and Fox News 24/7 infomercials, these demonstrations would not gain much ground.

 

See the expose on Alternet today:  “Fake Teabaggers Are Anti-Spend, Anti-Government: Real Populists Want to Stop Banks from Blundering America”

http://www.alternet.org/workplace/136688

 

Is there a cause to protest?

 

Something to protest is the fact that we have two tax codes in this country –one for the wealthy and another for the rest of us.  The effective tax rate on the richest 1 percent has declined by 50 percent since 1955.  The “great tax shift” has reduced taxes on the wealthy.  President Obama is proposing very modest tax increases compared to what existed under Republican President Eisenhower (who no one could accuse of being a socialist).

 

For more information see: “Reversing the Great Tax Shift: Seven Steps to Finance Recovery Fairly” at IPS www.ips-dc.org/#1207