teaparty

We've talked about how young voters are more progressive, more apt to to support democratic candidates, and are one of the age groups that supports the President's push for health care reform. Its not surprising then, that the majority of the Teabagger Community is made up of people over the age of 30.

"Young voters are not going away. There is a greater chance that the people in those tea party photos will see far fewer birthdays than the 18-to-30-year-olds who seem to have very little in common with graying protestors.

Why does this demographics shift matter? Here is an example why: When it became clear that the health care reform package might include a 5 percent tax on multimillionaires, conservative boomers went mad ... and 18-to-30-year-olds yawned.

Why? They don't have sympathy invested into the plight of millionaires. Unlike their parents, they never bought into the "trickle down" myth. That was where taxpayers were supposed to give more money to millionaires in hopes that some of that money would trickle down to the pockets of the average American."

Its true. And in a previous post by Craig, we see 61 percent of 18-29 year olds support a government run health care program. Similarly, in a piece by the LA Times

"Adults 18 to 29 are the group most supportive of President Obama's plan to overhaul healthcare, according to a recent poll by SurveyUSA."

The PNJ post continues to say that young people regard Teabaggers as inspiration for laughs on the Daily Show, which makes the entire movement to a generation quite simply a joke.

"We were a generation that believed it was OK for Henry Kravis to make $54,000 an hour while 47 million people live below the poverty line on less than $12,000 a year. [Millennial] voters are repulsed by such a reality. . .

"So it's no wonder that the new GOP, defined by Granddad's "anti-" movement, has even less appeal to young voters who hope to change most everything that appealed to Granddad."

While some in our country want to curse taxes they have to pay many are thanking their lucky stars for those returns they'll get back in a few weeks.

The Republican Party has taken this day to protest taxes, and often times you hear the GOP pontificate about how unnecessary they are.

But on this day, I invite you all to participate in a different kind of event than the Tea Parties across the country. Instead I invite you to think about what things in your life, paid for by tax dollars, that you are grateful for. In the video above, many young people express why taxes are meaningful to them, or why they pay even if they don't believe in what its going to.

For me it was a first - I had to pay. Not because I made a lot of money, but because I am self-employed. While I have to say it hurts, I know I'm paying for my country. I'm paying for students who can't afford to go to college so they might have a chance, I'm paying for free lunches, I'm paying for my dad's salary, for the health care of the 9-11 Firefighters who breathed the toxic air on that awful day. I'm proud to pay taxes because its the right thing to do.

If you're on Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, or any other social network - think about updating your status telling others what you pay for. And tag it with #teaparty.

For example: I pay so even Tom Delay can get a fair trial #teaparty.