Hundreds protest big government

Protesters lined both sides of Kalispell’s Main Street at Depot Park Saturday, waving flags and banners and holding up placards with slogans against big government, big spending and pending health care legislation before Congress.

The rally was timed to coincide with an appearance by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., at the Flathead County Democratic Party’s spring dinner at the nearby Red Lion Hotel. It also was one of many “Tea Party” rallies held across the country on the eve of the House vote on Senate health care legislation.

At one point, there were more than 250 people on the sidewalks, many of them women and elderly, cheered on by a constant din of honking horns from passing cars. A variety of frustrations with government were expressed — one sign read “No more taxes, bailouts, lies, irresponsibility, free rides, spending, incompetence” — and many signs protested Tester’s forest jobs bill. But the big issue of the day was concern about health care.

Many have no confidence that the bill before Congress will reduce government spending, lower health care costs or improve quality or access to the American health care system.

“We need reform, but this is not it,” said Carol Nelson, who was standing next to Carol Barnes, a woman she met at a Depot Park rally last summer.

Barnes said she is astounded the Democratic leadership in Washington is pressing forward with the legislation when polls have consistently shown a solid majority of the public opposing it.

“This is the first time in the history of the country that a president is pushing something the people don’t want,” Barnes said.

The rally and the movement behind it, she said, is the “hope” the country needs in keeping government from overreaching. Saturday’s event was bigger than the one held last summer.

“They thought that we’d come out and then go away. But we’re growing and we’re not going away,” said Barnes.

Pat and Tom Crelly drove from Eureka with a “Don’t Tread On Me” flag to participate in the rally.

“We don’t want this health care” legislation, Pat Crelly said. “We need change, change in who we have in office.”

Asked if he thinks tea parties and their motivations have been fairly portrayed by national media and government leaders, Tom Crelly said no.

 “If we had the media on our side, we wouldn’t be here,” he said. “They portray the tea partiers as bad people. We’re just normal U.S. citizens. Do you see anything bad going on here? I don’t.”

Joe and Sheila Keller, long-time owners of a Kalispell trucking business, came to express opposition to Tester’s Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, carrying signs saying the bill “doesn’t cut it” in terms of restoring jobs in Montana’s timber industry. The bill would ensure permanent wilderness designations, but it has no such guarantees for active management on national forests, Joe Keller said.

“There’s no guarantee that once we declare wilderness that [forest management projects] will stay out of the courts,” he said.

The Kellers said they also are concerned the health care legislation will turn out to be a job killer, citing a letter Caterpillar Inc. sent to Congress this week predicting that the bill will cost the company $100 million in the first year alone.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com