Kansas Tax Day Tea Party Rallies | J.R. Claeys for Kansas Secretary of State

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

By J.R. Claeys

Here's the text of my speech today at the Salina and Johnson County Tax Day Tea Parties:

Good afternoon. Thank you all so much for giving me the opportunity to speak with you today. My name is J.R. Claeys and I hope to have the privilege of serving as Kansas' next Secretary of State.

I'd like to thank all of you for participating in this great event. It is our job as concerned citizens to teach the folks representing us in Washington a thing or two about living within a budget. They spend money they don't have, print money that doesn't exist and tax money that we can't afford.

If we don't put a stop to the fiscal insanity soon, we will never recover from this recession!

To put this in perspective: We will spend more on taxes this year than on housing, food and clothing combined.

I am a native Kansan. I was born and raised in Salina. My mom is a first grade teacher and my dad is a technician at AT&T. Growing up, I learned the value of a dollar, and the important principle that you just don't spend more than what you have. Unfortunately, our representatives in Washington, DC don't follow those rules.

On days like this, all of us can understand that government at its best can be a hassle, and at its worst can be a burden. When hard-working Americans are tightening their belts in this tough economy to make sure they live within their budget, why shouldn't our Government?

This day represents a unique opportunity for all Americans. Millions of people in more than 1800 different locations throughout all 50 states are making their voices heard. Instead of listening to our leaders in Washington explain their lack of fiscal discipline, we are sending a loud and clear statement that we have had enough!

While we feel frustration today, there can also be opportunity. I am asking you to join me in my journey. We need better Government, not bigger Government. We need a Government that understands it needs to be reasonable, responsible, and accountable to the people that it serves. Not the other way around.

I'm running for Secretary of State to help 'Clean up Kansas' so that businesses can grow without a pile of red tape and regulation; So that our right to vote -- our most important right -- remains safe and secure; and so that every Kansan can participate in our great Democracy and fulfill the dreams of our founding fathers.

Thank you so much for your time and participation today. I'm asking you to please keep up the fight. If the folks in Washington don't hear our voices today, it's not time to give up, it's time to get LOUDER!

Let's 'Clean up Kansas' and get our economy back on track! God Bless all of you and God Bless America!