California Tax Revolt 2009

Popular radio talk show hosts Jon Kobylt and Ken Chiampou of the Jon and Ken show on KFI-AM organized a massive tax revolt in Fullerton, Ca on March 7th. With their growing number of listeners the event turned out numbers topping 15,000 in some estimates. The passage of California's new budget in February marks tax increases upwards of $16 billion, making California the highest taxed state in the nation. With Californians struggling to hold their lives together in midst of a down economy, they gathered in unprecedented numbers to show Sacramento they will not stand for politician's outrageous spending sprees while the people are stuck with the ever growing bill. Many showed up to protest Proposition 1A in the upcoming special elections in May which disguises itself as a spending cap for Sacramento, but allows spending increases whenever taxes are raised. Prop 1A also serves to extend the newly implemented tax increases another two years possibly resulting in as much another $20 billion. There are already law suits directed at Sacramento law makers in response to Prop 1A in their beginning stages.

With Sacramento democrat and moderate politicians showing no restraint, many in the crowd came to organize massive recall efforts. Representatives of newly formed recall organizations such as Recall Maldanado, Recall Jeff Miller and Recall Assemblymember Anthony Adams cycled through the crowd throughout the day to gather signatures. Some recall efforts were not so kind as to gather signatures as the crowd joined in chants of "off with their heads" while many in the crowd offered a dummy head of Governor Schwarzenegger which they speared at the end of a pole. Numerous people offered Arnold Schwarzenegger memorabilia to a pile which were then smashed with a sledgehammer.

Tax revolt efforts are beginning to prop up all across the state, with events such as the recent Tea Parties. The Howard Jarvis Tax Payers Association has promised a fast an easy way to organize and get involved with these events with the launch of their new website tomorrow Moday, March 9th. Anyone wanting to get involved should visit their website or even organize their own events no matter how big or small. The coming months will offer much more of this response if Sacramento does not start showing some discipline, which doesn't seem to be the trend.