April 15, 2009

It’s time to tea party. All over America, people are peacefully demonstrating against higher taxes and an out-of control government that is spending us to record deficits and financial dependency on foreign governments, especially China.

Politicians fear citizen anger because it threatens their hold on our lives and pocketbooks. Paul Krugman, the liberal economist, wrote in Monday’s New York Times about the demonstrations, accusing right-wing groups and Fox News of organizing and promoting them. He also said the GOP has no leadership or vision, and is reduced to holding demonstrations like these. He may have a point there.

Much of the public knows what it believes far better than the politicians and commentators. People are tired of being penalized for working hard and making right decisions, only to see their money go to others who didn’t work as hard and made a lot of wrong decisions.

The exodus from high tax states like New York and California continues. And today’s tea parties, if they are not one-time events, have the potential to rally the country to demand of their government fiscal responsibility, just like its citizens must practice.

Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.