Report From Omaha

I grew up in Omaha and my mom still lives there. So this report from Omaha about a Tea Party there inspired me to write.

The big traffic problems in Southwest Omaha Thursday night could be blamed on one thing: a political rally. Some people had to park more than a mile away from the event. It's exactly what Tea Party organizers were hoping for.

The Tea Party Express Bus Tour began last weekend in Saturday. "One person does make a difference," says one of the tour speakers.

Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom helped organize this stop. "I think a lot of people who haven't got too involved in politics before have really gotten angry and frustrated to the point that they want to get involved in politics now," says Doug Kagan who represents the organization.

Lynn Ewing brought her family to boat ramp/picnic area at Lake Zorinsky. "I think they're being taxed to death and it's not fair."

Organizers were expecting a few hundred at the rally but instead there were an estimated 3,000.

"I'm disgusted with government and the takeover of everything. They're not listening to us," says Allyson Bendorf of Harlan, Iowa, who went to one of these rallies in Kansas last year. Her daughter Jordan also attended. "We just want to let out what we believe."

Todd Sales came to the rally from Council Bluffs because he wants the government to operate more like his own bank account. If you can't afford to buy something, you don't. "It's definitely not an angry mob as a lot of the media portrays. It's people who are fed up with Washington's overspending and raising our taxes. They're standing up. They've awakened the beast."

You can watch a video report of the rally at the link.

It is telling that the organizers expected hundreds and instead got thousands.

Also interesting is the fact that unemployment in the Omaha area is running well below the national average. I guess it has something to do with the region being a food producing area. It is not extremely profitable but people always need to eat. I guess that is why my grandparents went into the grocery business. When I was growing up in the grocery business from time to time we used to get supplies from Table Supply Meat Company which later turned into Omaha Steaks. My mom sent me a Care package from them a while back. Yum. Thanks mom.

Cross Posted at Classical Values