Hundreds of Baton Rouge residents, young and old, flooded the steps of the Capitol Building on Thursday for the second Baton Rouge Tea Party tax day rally. The majority of those in attendance carried signs with strong political messages like “Zero to socialism in less than 15 months,” “Show us your birth certificate,” “Attention Washington: You have run out of money” and “The Constitution is not optional.” Dwight Hudson, legislative director of the Baton Rouge Tea Party, said the group’s goal was to let government officials know they’re being held accountable for their fiscal actions. “We wanted to come out here and make sure we hold elected officials’ feet to the fire,” Hudson said. “We want to let them know we’re watching.” Bill Federer, president of AmeriSearch, was the rally’s distinguished speaker. “America is still the greatest nation in the world,” Federer said. “I am encouraged when I see what’s happening today. You are connecting the dots, and you are smart enough to see where these dots connect and what it’s going to mean for our future.” Citizens should fear the concentration of power within the federal government, Federer said. “There are only 6,000 years of recorded human history,” he said. “Empires have risen, and empires have fallen. But one things stays the same. Power has always been concentrated in the hands of one person.” America set itself apart by establishing a weak federal government with three equal branches and 10 amendments to the Constitution, Federer said. “We made people king and the politicians the servants,” he said. “But over time and after every crisis, we have had a reconcentration of power.” Federer said historical actions such as the end of slavery, The New Deal in 1933 and the War on Terror have placed a “tremendous concentration of power” into the federal government. “This is not what the founders intended,” he said. “We’ve returned to the situation of the monarch.” Matt Kennedy from WJBO NewsRadio said the national deficit has tripled in the last 18 months. “If we don’t stay active, the increase in taxes will be crippling,” Kennedy said. “We’ll become a third-world country.” Paul Garrison, agricultural business management sophomore, said he attended the rally to protect his right to success. “My grandfather grew up poor, and after years of hard work became president of Bruno’s Supermarket chain,” Garrison said. “I want the chance to grow up successful like he did, but I don’t want to be taxed to death.” Renee Healy, Baton Rouge resident, said she attended to encourage change. “I work in a dental office that accepts people on Medicaid who are getting services they don’t work for,” Healy said. “The majority of the people I see are the welfare children of welfare parents. Welfare begets more welfare.” Kristen Pellegrin, University alumna, said she came out to support the cause. “It’s tough to see America going downhill,” she said. –Contact Sarah Eddington at [email protected]