GV sends message during TEA Party

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Fed up over taxes, pork barrel spending and government bailouts, scores of protesters took to the streets in Green Valley on Saturday as part of the second national Taxed Enough Already (TEA) party protest.

About 300 people gathered from 8 a.m. until after 10 a.m. at La Canada Drive and Esperanza Boulevard, joining thousands of counterparts in cities across the country, to participate in the nationwide rally that was planned to coincide with the Forth of July celebration of America’s 233rd birthday.

“We wanted to celebrate freedom and independence, and what better way to do that than on Independence Day for America?” said Tom Purdon, of Green Valley.

On tax day, April 15, about the same number of demonstrators gathered in the same spot to protest the economic stimulus bill, said Kay Kohler, the event’s organizer, and she was looking for similar results this time around.

“I hoped that we would have a great turnout,” she said. “I am very pleased.”

The largely Republican and Libertarian crowd flew flags and waved signs reading, “Obama bin Spendin’,” “No Porkulus,” “Make Love Not Inflation” and “No Socialism,” which drew enthusiastic honking from drivers passing by.

“We’ve got pirates in Washington and we need to exterminate them,” said Vern Paeator, of Green Valley, waving a black flag bearing a skull and crossbones. “We need to take our government back. It’s time the people stood up.”

Unfurling a yellow Gadsden flag, with the coiled snake and “Don’t Tread on Me” logo, Joel Taylor, a Libertarian from Green Valley, said the government growth has gotten out of control.

“I’m out here in protest of the taxes. All of them,” he said. “We need to reduce the government drastically.”

Classic protest songs set the mood as Amado balladeer Kelly Pardi belted out tunes like Kris Kristopherson’s “Me and Bobby McGee” and Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind.”

The times, they have a-changed, said Jim O’Berry of Green Valley, because in his short time in office, President Obama has taken this country in the wrong direction.

“We went from a free-market capitalist republic to facism in six months,” he said.

Some, like Teri Farmer of Corona de Tucson, even called for Obama’s impeachment for the “intentional destruction of the American economy.”

“I think it was all planned out,” she said. “Any time they’re doing anything against the Constitution, (Congress) should impeach their butts and put someone else in there.”

Jesse Kelly, who’s running for a House seat against Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., came down to meet and greet voters on his tour of tea parties in Green Valley, Sierra Vista, Marana and Tucson.

“They want the government to get out of their way,” he said of the demonstrators, who he said mostly raised concerns over health care reform and the cap-and-trade energy plan.

But if elected, he said, “The government would not expand. Wasteful spending would stop. A lot of things would change. The bailouts would stop.”