Yucaipa Valley residents stage "tea party" protest rally

People from all walks of life - laborers, business owners, homemakers, teachers, and students - made their feelings known with signs stating, "Politicians are Pirates," "Stop The Oppression," "Abolish The I.R.S." "Taxed Enough Already," and "I'll keep my gun, my money, and my freedom. You can keep the change."

But one of the most prominent signs being waved about opposes proposition 1A, which would extend the tax increases for two more years.

Rekstad said his and other T.E.A (Taxed Enough Already) groups are taking aim at defeating 1A.

"The propositions, we've got to vote them down," he said. "So our next focus is on 1A on May 19, and we are going to put it in the tank."

Some protesters were angry about what they consider the spread of socialism, the trampling of the constitution and the bill of rights, and expressed fear of losing their jobs, and frustration about finding a job.

26-year-old, Scott Van Den Vryhoef from Beaumont, fought in Iraq. He came home wounded in January 2005. His two best friends in the Army were killed in Iraq. And since he came home, he has been unable to find a job and lives on $1,000 a month in disability payments.

"Things have been very difficult," Van Den Vryhoef said. "Everything that I fought for and everything my friends fought for, and died for, has just gone down the drain. I'm fed up. This is not what freedom's about. This is not what America's about. I didn't come home from Iraq to be choked to death financially."

Van Den Vryhoef also said that he hopes that the movement keeps its momentum and spreads across the nation. "I want to see a march on Washington," he said. "I want to see change peacefully - peacefully and diplomatically."

Although, protesters denounced government spending and taxes at both the state and national levels, the latest Gallup poll shows that over 50 percent of Americans approve government's expansion to fix the economy. And 48 percent say that federal income taxes they pay is about right.

But those polls don't hold much weight with William Butcher, a married father of three boys.

"I'm an American. I live in California and we are getting taxed to death," Butcher said. "Right now it seems they've got an endless ATM machine just ready to take it when they need it.

"Not only that, but even the socialism is something I'm not for. Like the old saying goes, 'the straw that broke the camel's back,' (and) this back's about to be broken."

The Yucaipa tax day tea party protest was one of several held in southern California, including Redlands, San Bernardino, Palm Springs, and Temecula. Rekstad said the Yucaipa event started with a few emails and escalated from there.

"This has all been by email," Rekstad said. We don't have an organization. It's just grass roots. It's spontaneous combustion. People have given their email addresses that they want to be contacted and stay in the loop. We are going to have a revolution and Yucaipa is going to be part of that revolution. People are fed up and they are angry."

83-year-old Pat Walvoord sat quietly in her wheelchair on the sidewalk while protesters waved flags and signs at passing cars. She listened as drivers honked their horns and gave thumbs up support to the protesters. She says she watches and listens to conservative talk show host, Glen Beck of the Fox news channel.

"I am very concerned that we are losing all of our rights," she said.

And if she could speak face-to-face with President Obama? "I would tell him it's time to quit spending and live within our budget, within our means," Walvoord said.

Rekstad said that California has always been considered a liberal state. Conservatives must organize and take charge and show Sacramento, "that we mean business," he said. "That could send a strong message across the country to Washington."

Rekstad had another message for Yucaipa Valley protesters: "What I've been telling the folks along here is vote the incumbents out. And Paul Cook (Republican Assemblyman, 65th District) and Bill Emerson (Republican Assemblyman, 63rd District), they are on notice. They better listen to what's going on in this community, because if they don't they are gone. They are toast. Absolutely."