Anti-tax rally draws hundreds of supporters, more opponents
Participants in an Americans for Prosperity taxpayer rally who pushed lawmakers to hold the line on taxes were met by a counterdemonstration that demanded legislators finish their work on the state budget as the two sides exchanged barbs outside the state Capitol.
Yellow police tape separated the two sides around the Capitol, and though contentious, Capitol police did not report any arrests. They estimated 300 to 350 AFP demonstrators and 700 to 800 union protesters.
AFP speakers were booed by counter demonstrators throughout the 40-minute rally as the protesters paused to honk air horns, yell "liar" and chant "bull----." At points, the boos matched and overpowered the amplified speakers.
Boots and Sabers blogger Owen Robinson said that the Democrats' budget is "dumping out money like it's candy."
He also called the legislators who signed his pledge vowing not to vote for a budget that includes tax increases the "taxpayer caucus."
Republican Party of Wisconsin chairman Reince Priebus quoted Gov. Jim Doyle's remarks from his first state of the state address, when he pledged he would not raise taxes to fix the state's deficit at the time and complained Wisconsin spends too much.
"He took a page from President Reagan's notebook," Priebus said. "The difference is Reagan meant it and Doyle lied."
All the speakers railed against the Senate version of the budget, which included Healthy Wisconsin and, with it, $18 billion in tax increases.
The taxpayer rally filled up quickly as it neared noon, with buses dropping off participants at the King Street entrance to the Capitol, where a state was set up. An AFP staffer said the group had 400 people registered to attend.
Members of the rally held signs emblazoned with "Oink, Oink," "Doyle lied, jobs died," "No new taxes," "Keep your hands off my wallet." Their opposition held up union flags and signs that read, "Get-R-Done" and "Pass a budget" while sporting aprons emblazoned with "Don't let the Legislature butcher our state budget." Several trucks sporting union flags and signs circled the Capitol throughout the speeches, often honking their horns.
Despite catcalling back and forth between the Americans for Prosperity rally and the union counterdemonstration, the clashes did not escalate beyond verbal taunts. One back-and-forth involved a man in the taxpayer rally yelling, "Pay for your health care!" only to be met with boos. One protester in a green shirt provided by the unions unplugged one of the AFP speakers, but it was quickly plugged back in.
Before the rally, hundreds gathered around the Capitol rotunda, marching in circles and yelled "Do your job!" along with chanting "What do we want? A budget! When do we want it? Now!"
