"If the government can keep us ignorant and apathetic, they win," a woman's voice boomed across the park. "Yeah!" cried an answering chorus.

And everybody applauded and cheered as loud as they could -- the kind of noise that meant they all understood.

The scene was a packed, raucous rally behind the old County Courthouse in downtown Hanford Wednesday, where more than 300 people, some waving American flags and carrying anti-tax signs, showed up to protest taxes, government overspending and elected officials who don't return letters or phone calls.

The "TEA Party" event was one of several in the Valley, including in Bakersfield, Merced and Fresno.

TEA stands for "Taxed Enough Already" and was inspired by the Boston Tea Party tax revolt of 1773, when colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor to protest a tax on tea, and taxation without representation.

A woman was seen wearing tea bags as earrings. Participants were served ice tea.

"More Tax Less Freedom" one sign read. "No Public Money for Private Failure" read another.

Nationally, the rallies were promoted by conservative advocacy groups such as the American Family Association.

In Kings County, a few political figures attended what was promoted as a bipartisan event, including Hanford City Councilman Dan Chin. A youth Republican group was there to represent Assemblyman Danny Gilmore.

But many people in the crowd were frustrated local taxpayers -- people like Randy Arnold, a union bricklayer from Hanford.

"I just feel that the stimulus package and the taxes they're talking about are really going to burden the American people and they are going to drag the economy down, not up," said Arnold, carrying his 1-year-old grandson, Kade.

Arnold's concern and frustration extends for the future generation.

"They are going to be putting the debt on him," Arnold said. "It's affecting his life ... The next generation and the kids not even born are already in debt. This is ridiculous."

Chris and Pam Fry of Visalia were among those who came out with elaborate signs to join the protest.

The Frys, who own their own construction business, shared their frustration.

"It's a big struggle to be self-employed. We feel all the taxes and fees. It's hard to achieve the American dream when you're having to work to get most of your money taken from you," said Pam Fry.

Like Arnold, the Frys oppose the federal stimulus and bailouts.

"It's a stimulus for the government, not the people," Chris Fry said. Pam Fry added: "Instead of having a trickle-down economy, we're having a trickle-up poverty. If they want a stimulus, let us spend our own money."

Wednesday's event was being organized by a grassroots effort comprised of a loosely organized group led by Sherill Calhoun, an advocate of many causes -- including the region's meth problems -- and wife of Kings County District Attorney Ronald Calhoun.

She hoped to rally support for the larger cause of encouraging regular people to speak out against government spending.

"Whether Republican or Democrat, we're facing issues that impact us all, our pocket book and our way of life," Calhoun told the crowd. "The blame I put on first is us. Many of us have become complacent as if the people we've elected have been doing the right thing for us. Certainly they tell us that when they want to get elected, but that's not always the case ...

"Look at the way they are handling the budget and debt. Things that we know as common sense are not being taken care of properly," Calhoun said. "We need to get off our desk and express this now."

Chriss Dickman, a retired teacher and U.S. Navy veteran residing in Lemoore, did just that.

"We're turning into a Third-World country," Dickman said. "Our quality of life is going down. Jobs and services are disappearing. Even those who are marginally poor can't get Medicaid, and fall through the cracks."

Dickman was among dozens of participants who took the microphone to speak their mind in front of the crowd. She said she is against poor representation, not taxes per se.

"It's not that I don't want to pay taxes," she said. "I just want to make sure our government officials are working in the way they should be, and we don't see it happening."

The reporter can be reached at 583-2429.

(April 16, 2007)