Rep. McClintock: 'I have never seen a taxpayer rally like this'

In Sacramento, a crowd estimated at 3,000 to 5,000 spread under scores of fluttering American flags, along the broad plaza at the foot of the statehouse’s west steps, and onto the grassy expanse across 10th Street, which was shut down for the rally.

Hundreds of signs sprinkled the throng: “Pelosi Is a Pirate,” “Read My Lipstick: No More Bailouts,” “We Don’t Want No Stinkin’ Socialism.”

Speaker after speaker pointed to the gold-domed capitol to grouse about the $13 billion in tax hikes pushed through by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Democrat-dominated Legislature.

Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Granite Bay), one of the state’s most ardent anti-tax advocates during his quarter-century in politics, told the gathering: “I have never seen a taxpayer rally like this.

“The silent majority is no longer silent. We are stirring, we are many, we are Americans,” McClintock yelled to roars of “Throw them out! Throw them out!” from the sun-drenched pack.

In the throng, Scott Vines, a 42-year-old unemployed electrician from Napa, hefted a sign reading: “Sac & DC Economic Terrorists” and talked of rebellion.

“Here and in Washington, they’re playing accounting games, trying to hide the tax-and-spend tactics,” said Vines, a Libertarian. “The solution isn’t more debt. I’m afraid we’re going to turn this recession into a depression.”

Doug McNea, president of the Silicon Valley Taxpayers’ Assn., stood nearby, nodding in approval.

“This gathering demonstrates that there are a lot of unhappy people – and they’re going to be even more unhappy with these new taxes passed by the state,” McNea said.

Robin Todd drove 110 miles from Sonora with her son, Connor, 11, to “be where the action is.”

“We’re just Americans trying to get our voices heard about too much taxation and spending, the swelling size of government, the bailouts for big business,” she said. “That’s European-style socialism.”

Silvia Rodriguez brought a unique perspective to the anti-tax gathering -- she’s a tax collector for the state Board of Equalization. But she’s no fan of what’s happening at the state capitol or in Washington.

“It’s crazy,” Rodriguez said. “It’s hard for me, hard for my husband.”

“Yeah, we’re down for lower taxes,” said Terry Rodriguez, who joined his wife during a lunch break from his job as a capitol janitor. “Our sales tax went up, our car tax, our income tax. We are hardly making it.”

He talked of two grown sons serving in the military, of paying bills on time and keeping up with the mortgage, but also of seeing their house $100,000 underwater and now having their taxes boosted.

“I feel we did all the right things,” he said, “but we’re getting punished by the government.”

-- Eric Bailey

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