Liberal Alternative to the Tea Party – The Other 95%

3 Comments
Join the Conversation
Tea Party Members Protest Taxes. - Image Wikipedia Commons, Photo by Sage Ross
Tea Party Members Protest Taxes. - Image Wikipedia Commons, Photo by Sage Ross
The political group, The Other 95%, counters Tea Party anger by focusing on tax cuts received by 95% of all Americans under President Obama.

What's with all the anger? That's what members of The Other 95% want to know about the Tea Party Movement. Members of this new political group point out to disgruntled Tea Partiers that 95% of Americans received added tax cuts this year thanks in part to the Obama administration.

The Motivation Behind The Other 95%

The Other 95% was founded as a response to the conservative-leaning Tea Party movement who claims that Americans are overtaxed and government is becoming too big. Tea Party members have voiced a strong dislike of federal government during their Tea Party Express rallies, which took place across America and in Washington, D.C. on tax day April, 15th.

According to a recent CBS News/ New York Times Poll, only 12% of Americans believed their taxes decreased, even though close to 95% of all Americans saw their taxes go down this year. Another 53% believed their taxes stayed the same, while 24% thought they had increased.

Who did see a tax increase this year? Anyone who made over $250,000 dollars annually probably saw their taxes increase or possibly stay the same.

The Other 95% Responds to the Tea Party Express

The Other 95% organized a small counter-rally to protest the Tea Party Express on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Donning patriotic shirts and signs that read, "The Other 95% say thanks for our tax cuts, Obama!", the group hoped to bring attention to the 25 separate tax cuts that Obama signed into law since his inauguration.

Though the group aims to diffuse anger over taxes, it does not paint the Tea Partiers with a broad brush. On their website, the group writes that "tea party members are not monolithic" and some want to "express their outrage about Wall Street bailouts" and "massive tax breaks to global corporations and the very rich." The Other 95% claims to support these legitimate concerns. The group's main goal is to accurately depict the tax burden and to promote a responsible tax system.

Find More Information on The Other 95% and Federal Income Tax Cuts

The group is creating a growing presence online with their website, theother95.com. Visitors to the site can find tax information, links to articles, information on events and pictures of rallies. The group's Facebook page also provides information and the opportunity to get involved with the organization.

Visit the Internal Revenue System web site for information on new tax cuts like the Making Work Pay tax credit and the American Opportunity credit. The IRS site also provides tax statistics and trend information.

Related Articles:

Elizabeth Beeson, Photo by Elizabeth Beeson

Elizabeth Beeson - Elizabeth spends most of her time wielding a torch and creating original wearable art for her jewelry line: Quite Clever Jewelry. She also ...

rss
Advertisement
Leave a comment

NOTE: Because you are not a Suite101 member, your comment will be moderated before it is viewable.
Submit
What is 10+6?

Comments

Apr 16, 2010 11:42 AM
Kathlin F. Sickel :
I came to your article from the forum, Elizabeth. I'm glad you mentioned it. I hadn't heard about the Other 95%, but I'm signing up!
Apr 16, 2010 2:04 PM
Guest :
The simpleton Birthers along with the Tea baggers are the same whiners that were crying when the McCain/Bailin ticket lost. Now that their yelling and screaming failed to stop the health care debate and the bill from passing they are crying again. Let’s face it the Republicans had eight years to deal with health care, immigration, climate change and financial oversight and governance and they failed. The Republicans are good at starting wars (two in eight years, with fat contracts to friends of Cheney/Bush) but not at winning wars as seen by the continuing line of body bags that keep coming home. Instead of participating in the health care debate of ideas the Republicans party turned inward to their old fashion obstructionist party (and their Confederacy roots). In my opinion the Republican Waterloo loss was caused by the party allowing a small portions (but very loud) of the republican party of “birthers, baggers and blowhards” to take over their party. I will admit that this fringe is very good at playing “Follow the Leader” by listening to their dullard leaders, Beck, Hedgecock, Hannity, O’Reilly, Rush, Savage, Sarah Bailin, Orly Taitz, Victoria Jackson, Michele Bachmann and the rest of the Blowhards and acting as ill programmed robots (they have already acted against doctors that perform abortions). The Birthers and the Tea party crowd think they can scare, intimidate and force others to go along with them by comments like “This time we came unarmed”, let me tell you something not all ex-military join the fringe militia crazies who don’t pay taxes and run around with face paint in the parks playing commando, the majority are mature and understand that the world is more complicated and grey than the black and white that these simpleton make it out to be and that my friend is the point. The world is complicated and people like Hamilton, Lincoln, and Roosevelt believed that we should use government a little to increase social mobility, now it’s about dancing around the claim of government is the problem. The sainted Reagan passed the biggest tax increase in American history and as a result federal employment increased, but facts are lost when mired in mysticism and superstition. Although some Republicans are trying to distant themselves from this fringe most of them, having no game plan/ vision for our country, are just going along and fanning the flames. For a party that gave us Abraham Lincoln, it is tragic that the ranks are filled with too many empty suits. But they now claim they have changed, come on, what sucker is going to believe that? All I can say to you is remember Waterloo.
Sep 12, 2010 9:43 PM
Guest :
My question is why any working person would join the Tea Party? They think that Obama was forgien born(really?). They are against labor unions that are just a collection of working people trying to get a fair shake.They are against clean energy that creates jobs here in America not in the middle east.The Republicans want to keep drilling for oil,and build nuclear power plants that cost ten times more take years to complete and are alot more maintenance. Oh,lets not forget about the expiring tax breaks for those that make $250,000 or more. Sara Pailin quit her last job to write books and get rich off these people.
3 Comments
Advertisement
Advertisement