Tea party tax revolt on the waterfront

BUFFALO, N.Y.(WIVB) - Western New Yorkers say they're up to their eyeballs in taxes.

Now, they're using a party to protest proposed tax increases.

It was quite a scene at the waterfront Saturday as hundreds of western New Yorkers didn't hold back criticizing what they call a floundering state government.

Western New Yorkers at Saturday's tea party tax revolt had a clear message for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Governor Paterson.

Tax activists, some in costume and others not, all had the same message. They're tired of dysfunctional government that they say only know one thing, raising taxes.

Small business is going to be stamped out by taxes in this state and the whole country.

Carl Campbell says he knows because he owns a small business in Lancaster, and he can't keep from using "the c word" to describe where he thinks things are headed.

Campbell said, "What I'd like to do is stop the heavy foot of communism before it really gets started more than it is now."

Tax activist James Ostrowski agrees, and says stopping the growing trend of socialist policies like redistributing wealth needs to start now or it will be too late.

"You've got to see where the trend lines are going and fight right now, you've gotta draw a line in the sand now when we still have freedom of speech," said Ostrowski.

And when people like Carl Campbell still have a business to run, Ostrowski says local leaders who represent the communities right here in Buffalo on Capitol Hill are ignoring their own people.

"They should be ashamed of themselves. How can you preside over the decline of your community for fifty years and not do a damn thing about it?" Asked Campbell.