Published: March 29, 2009 12:53 am      

TAXES: Angry citizens stage revolt

BUFFALO — 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.”

Citizens voiced a lot of gripes against Albany and the federal government. Some called for a revolution, some want to break New York City away from the state. The “three men a room” issue got people hot. Some were angry about illegal aliens. Lies, pork and more fees fired up the folks.

“We got to let people know what the hell is going on,” Jake Zimpher said of him emotional burst. “It’s got to start somewhere. It should have started a while ago. We lost it when we had this election. People didn’t know what the hell they were doing. Look what we got in New York, three men in a room!”

Lee Bordeleau, the Lockportian who put the billboard on Transit Road, noted the state Sen. George Maziarz, R-Newfane, at the podium.

“It’s interesting,” Bordeleau said of Republicans. “They’re not in power anymore so they can come out and protest ... Now, they’re all against big spending. Where were they when they were in power? They were spending.”

“Niagara County is No. 1 again,” Bordeleau continued. “We have the highest taxes in the country and the highest unemployment (11.5 percent) in Western New York.”

Dee Fredrickson and Steve Monson of Rochester came to the party. “I think it’s important that we the people stand up to let these clowns in Albany and Washington, D.C. know where we are coming from,” Fredrickson said. “It’s up to us. Let’s have a revolution.”

Monson carried an Upstate United sign. “I don’t like the fact that upstate New York has almost no representation,” he said. “They’re talking about new fees. They’re just getting into our pockets for everything and driving away business.”

Steve Pasquale, a retired school teacher from Gowanda said, “I’m here to stand with other people to show New York state and the federal government that they’re getting absurd. They’re taking all the power away with us and leaving us with nothing. All they want is our money.”

Amy Parker of Lancaster said, “Let them (New York City) become annexed from the state. They’re sucking the money from us. Let them go on their own. We have to cut government. It’s time to cut back.”

“Power to the People!” Lancaster’s Debbie Lett said. “I can’t wait for someone to do it for me. I’m here. Who is going to save our state and our country.”

James Miller, a recent Buffalo State graduate who is looking for a job, carried a “Don’t Tread on Me” banner from the Culpepper Minutemen of the Revolutionary War.

“I want to let the government know I’m against this government spending and the unprecedented government debt that Obama is taking on,” the West Seneca native said. “They are spending money they don’t have and taking it from us.”

A speaker complained about the media and the “dumbing down” of America. Ostrowski called out lawyers to participate in the protest.

A Clarence resident who works in Lockport had some fun with attorneys and carried a Dewey, Cheatum and Howe ("Do we cheat 'em? And how!") sign made famous by the Three Stooges, Groucho Marx and Daffy Duck.

“That’s what the three men in the room are doing right now,” said Greg Thrun. “It’s how they cheat us out of our money, making their deals and making the budget.”

Organizer Russ Thompson of Grand Island was dressed as John Adams.

“It started as a little fun and grew legs of its own,” the Massachusetts native said. “You see the results of it today. There’s a bunch of fed-up taxpayers, and they got the right to be.”

Jean Kiene of Lockport said, “We have to stop what’s going on if we’re going to continue to survive. Look at the condition our state is in. Look at our taxes. Can you imagine someone wanting to tax pop! Haircuts! It’s unreal.”

Contact reporter Bill Wolcott

at 439-9222, ext. 6246.