They may not have tossed tea bags into the river, but some 350 citizens did tote signs protesting taxes and irresponsible spending in Washington last Wednesday at Gilchrist County’s Tea Party.

Held in the parking lot near the county building, the non-partisan gathering lasted five hours and drew veterans of the armed forces, politicians, and concerned citizens of all ages.
Gilchrist County residents in attendance were just a handful of the estimated half a million Americans who stood on streets in 800 cities all over the United States protesting out of control spending on tax day.

“The crowd was far above what I anticipate,” Ken Palm, event organizer said. “The tea party wasn’t just about protesting taxes going crazy. It was about our representatives’ taking our individual rights away.”

The local rally drew Bob Rose, a radio personality who has a talk radio show that airs weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on The Sky 97.3 FM.

According to Palm, 400 tea bags were mailed to President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Senator Bill Nelson and Congressman Allen Boyd.
Another grassroots protest is being planned around the July 4 weekend, Palm said on Tuesday. More details on the event will be featured in the Journal, once that information has been determined.