Buffalo Tea Party: Mad As Hell

Mad as hell.

That seemed to be the most popular slogan amongst the huge crowd of attendees of the Buffalo Tea Party. People of all ages and backgrounds were there to express their anger against a government that has been gradually chipping away at our freedoms over the years. With corruption and secrecy as the norm in this state, the in crowd were clear with their message: enough is enough, we’re not going to take it anymore.

I truly didn’t know what to expect before I got there. I didn’t even know the tea party was being planned until recently. I was surprised, not only by the enormous crowd, but by the intensity of all the participants. These are people who are truly paying attention, and they see what is going is going on and are furious. Taxes. fees, surcharges… The see that the money they work hard is being extorted in all sorts of new ways, only to be spent recklessly by politicians who claim to be looking out for their best interests.

When I looked around, I didn’t see Republicans, Democrats,  or Independents… I didn’t liberals or conservatives. I saw Americans who remember that this country was founded by people who fought against big and obtrusive government. 

I took a bunch of pictures at the event. Click here to check them out.

Another tea party in Buffalo is in the works. April 18th at The W Club, 199 Delaware Avenue. 1-5 PM. There will be a an educational forum and a protest march down to Niagara Square.

There were some information pamplets passed out, produced by Rus Thompson, who put the whole event together. but there were more people there than there were pamplets, so I’ll post some information from that list for those who didn’t get one. 

There was a list of recommended websites for everyone to keep informed.

If you didn’t make it to this tea party, I encourage you to participate in the Nationwide Tea Party on April 18th.

UPDATE: The Lockport Union-Sun & Journal estimates about 1,000 people were in attendance.

About 1,000 men and women encircled speakers Saturday afternoon at the Buffalo inner harbor to protest taxes and almost everything about Albany.

With the USS Little Rock as a backdrop and the dilapidated Memorial Auditorium in the foreground, many people carried protest signs. An emotional Clarence man rushed up to the speaker and put $20 in protest money on the podium. Protesters were discouraged from tossing tea in the water, but a stream of citizens rushed to the stand and donated cash.

“People came forward with loads of cash. I had no idea this would happen,” said Jim Ostrowski of Free New York Blog. “I was flabbergasted. I didn’t know what to make of it.”

UPDATE: Buffalo News estimates 300 attendees...

UPDATE: Tea Party Highlights



One Response to “Buffalo Tea Party: Mad As Hell”

  1. [...] From the Buffalo Bean Blog: Buffalo Tea Party: Mad As Hell [...]

  2. Justin says:

    TAXES: Musicians entertain tax protesters
    Rock band, Rapper delight dozens at the Buffalo Tea Party
    By Erica Allen
    E-mail Erica
    Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

    BUFFALO —It was an afternoon full of teabags, tax anger and tunes at Club W yesterday in downtown Buffalo. Grunge metal newcomers Il Eagles and Canadian-born hip-hop sensation Chuggo dazzled a larger than expect crowd of approximately 75 tax protesters who gathered at the bar to vent their frustration at President Barack Obama’s tax policies.

    Participants in what was dubbed the “Buffalo Tea Party” demonstrated genuine enthusiasm for the event, and the late announced musical accompaniment of Il Eagles and Chuggo only helped to add a sense of excitement for those who came.

    “Club W serves the best chicken strip appetizers in town,” said Tony Marceski, 58, of Hamburg. “I don’t know if it is the cornflake breading on it, but once I heard this tea party was going to be held at Club W, I knew I had to be here.”

    First on stage was the rock band, Il Eagles, a Missouri based act who the St. Louis Riverfront Times once described as having a “bluesy-funk sound” and heralded as “possibly being the next Oasis.” Mustachioed Il Eagles lead singer Tom Moran came fully dressed for the part, sporting an American flag bandana, sunglasses and a tee-shirt of his hometown baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals.

    Moran and his bandmates wasted no time in jumping into their eight minute jam titled, “Radio Lady and the Tamale Children,” which Moran described as being an allegorical tale of a small business forced to shutter its doors after being hit with crippling unemployment compensation taxes. After striking his last chord of the song, Moran directed his anger at the 44th President. “Since when do taxes solve any of our problems, President Obama? Get a brain!” Moran shouted as the audience cheered.

    After Il Eagles cleared the stage, the much publicized rapper Chuggo, a native of Toronto, took over the proceedings. Flanked by six City of Buffalo police officers (assigned by the city upon the tea party organizers’ request to control the crowd of nearly 100 anti-tax protesters), the bald-headed Chuggo appeared with his trademark golden skull staff and immediately launched into a monologue decrying wasteful government spending.

    Chuggo then treated the audience to his never-before heard single, “Kudzu”, much to the crowd’s amazement. Upon finishing the song, Chuggo stopped for a moment and took the time to address the topic of the day.

    “The American taxpayers are like a duck that has been duct-taped to the wall by the U.S. government,” Chuggo said in an uncharacteristically hushed tone. “Well, I’m here to say that we as a people are not going to stand by the sticky restraints of high taxes. President Obama, free the duck!” Clearly, Chuggo’s statement riled up the passions of the audience, as chants of “Free the duck!” soon enveloped the entire club.

    Still, despite the plethora of musical talent patrons of Club W were treated to that afternoon, those in attendance were not forgetful of the true reason for the gathering. “I cannot think of one single thing that my hard earned tax money does to help me or my family,” said Deborah Boyle, 39 of Tonawanda. Boyle said when she learned about the tea party, she immediately rushed over to pick up her daughter Susan, who was participating in a science fair at Tonawanda High School, where she is a student.

    “I would have been here sooner but for having to pull over for that fire engine on Interstate 290,” Boyle said. “It’s important for both me and my daughter to speak out against being forced to pay taxes when we are getting absolutely nothing in return.” Boyle and her daughter were unable to attend the march to Niagara Square, as she had to go visit her father in the VA nursing home in Batavia.

    Those who did stay for the march, however, were joined by Chuggo himself. Chuggo, wearing a suit and a tie but carrying the golden skull staff by which his fans have come to know him, was reflective on the day’s proceedings. “The fact is,” Chuggo said, “You pay your taxes, and what do you get? Nothing but an empty wallet.” The 5-foot-1, 37 year old self-described “populist rapper” became somewhat choked up with emotion as he continued.

    “You see, the people are it. That’s how I feel.”, Chuggo said, Chuggo shook his head in disgust as he boarded the Buffalo Metro Rail to take him back to his hotel, and then on to his next cause celebre. “Why is this country forcing its own people to pay taxes only to see that money go to projects that don’t do anything for the common man?”

    Contact reporter Erica Allen

    at (716) 357-2127