Hundreds protest new tax hikes

Protesters rallied in front of the Nevada Legislature on Friday afternoon for the Northern Nevada Tax Freedom Day Tea Party.

Nevada State Legislative Police estimated that about 250 people came to the rally. Many waved American flags or signs opposing high taxes, socialism, President Barack Obama and Nevada Sen. Harry Reid.

Drivers passing by honked in support of signs reading, "Government is the Problem," "I'm Mad as Hell Harry" and "Let's Put the Taxanation Devils on a Starvation Diet."

Shyrl Bailey of Washoe Valley said legislators need to start paying attention to the people who pay their salaries.

Most politicians would rather spend taxes on new programs than consider the consequences of spending, she said.

"I just feel like I have to do something," she said. "We wouldn't run a house like our country's being run. We're borrowing, borrowing, borrowing instead of living in our means like I would do in my household and it's wrong. It's wrong for younger generations."

Olavo Kluft of Reno said he is angry about new state taxes and bailouts for auto makers.

"It's like every time I turn on the news, something new is going on," he said. "It's socialism creeping in " not creeping in, it's almost a complete takeover."

The rally was organized by an umbrella group, angeris

brewing.com, which included Republican Party clubs, tax protesters and traditional family supporters.

Angerisbrewing.com picked the date for the rally because it is known as Tax Freedom Day. By May 29, according to The Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based research group, American workers have earned enough to pay their taxes for the year.

The rally was smaller than the April 15 Tax Day Tea Party in Carson City that brought out more than 2,000 protesters. But organizers said they would continue to fight new taxes and government regulation.

Gov. Jim Gibbons told a cheering crowd that he is proud he vetoed a $781 million tax increase from the Legislature, even though his veto was overridden Friday.

He described legislators who voted for the tax increase as "misguided, misinformed and mistaken."

The rally showed that most residents agree with his tax philosophy instead of the ideas of state Democrats, he said.

"I want to tell you the silent majority is no longer silent," Gibbons said.