Massapequa Tea Party Holds 2012 Tax Day Rally

For the fourth time in as many years, the Massapequa Tea Party held their annual Tax Day rally on Sunday, filling the air with their voices, their signs, and their trademark "Don't Tread on Me" Gadsden Flags.

The social and political group, which claims to object to intrusive government and excessive taxation of the middle class, held their rally in the parking lot of the on the traditional day April 15 date when most Americans are scrambling with last-minute tax filing.

Tax Day officially occurs on Tuesday, due to the fact that April 15th fell on a Sunday, a day when Federal offices are closed. Monday was a holiday in Washington D.C.

With patriotically-charged music blaring in the background, Tea Party members from all over Long Island lined Sunrise Highway, holding up protest signs and crying out political slogans to the passing motorists, some of whom honked their horns in support.

Jim Ahlers of North Massapequa has been a Tea Party member for the past three years, and believes his group’s message is being heard loud and clear.

"We protesting the government and what they're doing wrong," he said. "How they're wasting our money, how they're raising our taxes, and how they're basically turning us into a Socialist state. This is what we're protesting against. Believe me, they're paying attention to us in Washington."

Jean Warner of East Rockaway is a new recruit to the Tea Party, something she said she felt driven to do for the sake of her kids.

"I wanted to be able to take action for my children," she said. "It's now or never for the future of our children...we have to be involved, we have to do everything that we can. I have three children, and I look at the country that they could potentially be growing up in, and it frightens me. So, we have to fight for them...when I'm old, I want to be able to tell that that I was in the Tea Party, and I did something."

Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos, who is currently running to win a seat in the U.S. Senate later this year, attended the rally to offer his support.

"All taxpayers should be very concerned as they file their taxes today, because they're sending a check to Obama and most of it is going to be wasted," he said. "And for every tax dollar the government raises, they go out and borrow another dollar to spend two dollars, and that has to come to an end. It's going to bankrupt our country, reduce the standard of living for our children, and raise property taxes."

"It's important that we stand up together on this Tax Day and send a message to Washington," Maragos added. "We're tired of their wasteful spending and we want it to stop."

Robert Ceparano of Massapequa said that, after years of feeling alienated by the various political parties vying for his attention, the one he was out supporting today was the only one that truly spoke to his concerns.

"The Tea Party supports my ideals- a strong national defense, low taxes, and fewer regulations so we get government out of our lives," he said. "It's the only ideal that I've been able to affiliate myself with for a long, long time now."