Oklahomans Protest Stimulus Spending at Capitol

By Alex Cameron, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Over 200 Oklahomans turned out for a peaceful protest Friday at the state capitol to rally against wasteful government spending.

The rally was part of a nationwide protest Friday against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 signed by President Obama in February.

"You know, they call it a stimulus. They say they're creating jobs-- Folks, no government in the history of mankind has ever created a single job, ever," former state representative Kevin Calvey said.

CNBC's Rick Santelli called the protest because of his belief in the gross negligence in government spending.

"Washington, listen to us clearly. You are spending money which we don't have, on social programs we don't need, to fix problems that you have caused," said Cheryl Williams with the Oklahoma Republican Party.

The protest, part of the Nationwide Chicago Tea Party, included Americans in New York City, Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, Tulsa, Chicago and many other cities, in a show of united opposition to the Obama Administration's bailout plan.

The protest started around 11:00 a.m. The group hoped their efforts would alert the government that they are against the mortgage bailout, the $1 trillion stimulus, the auto bailout and the Wall Street bailout.

The protestors cheered on a handful of speakers, most of them politicians, who tapped into a number of common frustrations.

"I don't think it's right for those us who pay our mortgages on time. We're going to bail out people, and we're reinforcing bad behavior, and that's just wrong. That's not American," protester Mark McCormick said.

The local organizer believes they accomplished their goal, of breaking the silence.

"I hope all people in the political realm have heard us and know now that we do have a voice and we're not willing to sit on the sidelines anymore," protest organizer Alan Webb said.