violent antitax protest/riot in US
Brent
atek3 at gmx.net
Fri Jul 13 11:45:08 PDT 2001
hurray, at least some americans don't lay down and wait for the government
to sock it to them, as in Kalifornia
atek3
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Honig" <honig at sprynet.com>
To: <cypherpunks at lne.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2001 11:17 AM
Subject: violent antitax protest/riot in US
> Friday July 13 6:33 AM ET
>
> Anti-Tax Protests at Tenn. Capitol
>
> By KARIN MILLER, Associated Press Writer
>
> NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Protesters hurled rocks through Capitol
> windows, chanted ``no new tax!'' and banged on the locked doors of
> the Senate chamber where Tennessee lawmakers were debating the
> creation of a state income tax.
>
> The tax plan had died before the protesters arrived Thursday, but when
> word spread that lawmakers had passed a no-tax budget, cheers went
> up among the hundreds of protesters.
>
> ``The people are passionate when they say, 'no income tax','' said
> Steve Gill, a Nashville radio talk show host who had called on tax
> opponents to swarm the Capitol.
>
> Anti-tax protests have been frequent the past three years as lawmakers
> considered implementing a state income tax, but the protests had
> always been peaceful - until Thursday.
>
> Within hours of hearing that the Legislature was considering a
> last-minute income tax plan, protesters swarmed into the area, honking
> car horns, waving signs reading ``Tax Revolt!'' and bringing traffic
> outside the Capitol to a standstill.
>
> The rock-throwers busted several windows, including one in the
> governor's office. State troopers escorted lawmakers in the halls and
> locked the doors to the Capitol. One state employee trying to lock a
> side door was injured as the weight of the crowd pushed against him.
>
> No arrests were made and no other injuries were reported.
>
> ``I appreciate the right of all Americans to free speech and peaceful
> protest. I do not, however, approve of those who advocate violence
> and I regret that occurred at the Capitol,'' Gov. Don Sundquist said in
> a statement.
>
> Sundquist has said he would veto any budget that didn't include a new
> revenue plan.
>
> The budget the Legislature passed doesn't include the 3.5 percent
> income tax lawmakers had discussed. It instead cuts $339 million from
> the governor's $19.9 billion spending plan, requires state agencies to
> save an additional $100 million, and uses $560 million in tobacco
> settlement money - four years worth - to balance the budget.
>
> Sundquist wouldn't say if he would sign it.
>
> Tennessee is one of nine states without a broad-based income tax, but
> it has one of the highest sales tax rates at 6 percent, with local
> governments adding up to 2.75 percent.
>
> Sen. Bob Rochelle, a Democratic proponent of a state income tax, had
> argued that the sales tax could be reduced if an income tax was
> implemented. ``The day will come when we won't mistreat our citizens
> any more with that tax,'' he said.
>
> Republican Sen. David Fowler, an opponent of the income tax, said
> negotiations had already broken down by the time most of the
> protesters arrived.
>
> One proposal discussed would have put plans for an income tax to a
> statewide vote. Fowler said the protest may have ``effectively killed''
> that as an option.
>
> ``I don't know if they knew that's what they were doing, but that's what
> they were doing,'' Fowler said.
>
>
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010713/us/tennessee_capitol_protest_8.html
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