Tea Party planned for Princeton

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PRINCETON — Susie Bishop is not alone.

Last month, Bishop came to the Bureau County Republican to express her frustration with high taxes, and to see if there was any interest among community members in holding a Taxed Enough Already Party, such as were held across the country on April 15.

“We don’t want our grandchildren and great-grandchildren to be paying for our taxes,” she said.

Boy, did she get her answer.

Numerous phone calls and one planning meeting later, the Princeton Tea Party is set for 9 a.m. Saturday in front of the Bureau County Courthouse.

“The basic thing we’re looking for is people to gather and air their dissatisfaction with Washington running, or should I say ruining, this country,” said Denise Schubert.

Schubert is one of the people inspired by Bishop’s initiative in speaking up.

“If Susie wouldn’t have been brave enough, I wouldn’t be involved,” she said. “We’re just a couple of ladies who don’t know a lot about politics, but I just don’t want to sit here saying ‘La, la, la’ while all this is going on.”

Bishop, Schubert and Loretta Volker have created signs and a press release inviting area residents to attend Saturday’s Tea Party.

They wrote, “Tax increases are a growing concern that affects all of us. We are watching unemployment grow almost to the double digits, yet the Congress just passed an energy tax bill that, if it goes through the Senate, will burden American households with higher energy bills than ever in this country. They are driving up a debt that generations to come will never be able to pay.”

The women ask area residents that, no matter whether their issues are freedom of speech, bailouts, healthcare or something else, to come and let their voices be heard.

According to the release, “Bring your signs that express what you feel is happening to this great country that you are not pleased with. Time is running out for all Americans to lose their complacency and educate themselves as to what is really being done in Washington, which inevitably will fall to all of us to cope with in the future.”

Schubert said she has spoken with many people about the issues, and a lot of them say they are afraid of the government.

“They say, ‘I thought I was the only one who felt this way,’” Schubert said. “Now they’re ready to stand up and say ‘Enough is enough.’”

In addition to holding their signs and making their voices heard, partiers will also have the chance to hear a variety of speakers.

The party won’t last too long. The Bureau County Historical Society is holding a Fourth of July event at Soldiers and Sailors Park at 10 a.m., and Schubert said the partiers will protest and listen quietly while that ceremony is going on.

Schubert would like to see thousands of people attend the Tea Party, but realizes it might just be a few of them in attendance on Saturday. But no matter the outcome, she said they just had to try.

“We might start a revolution,” she said. “It’s about time.”

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