Sacramento Tea Party | ABC30 Fresno | abc30.com

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By ABC30

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Fresno, CA The state capital was filled with trucks, tractors, and hundreds of valley protesters Friday. The rally was organized by the tea party.

They wanted to let government officials know they're upset about regulations they say favors fish over farmers, and ones that could wind up costing the consumer more money.

A bus full of valley protesters arrived back in Northwest Fresno Friday night. The group of tea party supporters was in Sacramento, along with thousands of people from all over the state.

Demonstrators rallied at the state capital to voice their concerns about the state's environmental regulations, including the central valley's water crisis

"They've turned the water on temporarily but in December, they will turn the water off again. And we all know that a lot of trees and plants that have died on the west side that have never recovered."

Robert Smith is with the Fresno Tea Party. He said aside from the valley's lack of water, the group is concerned with cap and trade, an environmental policy that will restrict emissions from trucks. They fear that could make prices higher for consumers.

"Would mandate that all the truckers would have to have their diesel engines reworked at the cost of 20-thousand dollars a unit and that would also include farmers and farm equipment."

John Pero of Ahwahnee joined Friday's protest. He said their cause has nothing to do with political affiliations, but rather, issues that impact everyone.

"We have democrats, republicans, libertarians, atheists, Christians, there were all kinds of people there and the bottom line is our state representatives and our federal representatives are not responsive to what we want. They do not represent us."

Protesters also voiced concerns today about the federal government's plan for universal healthcare. The rally was one of thirty-three stops on a cross-country trip to Washington, DC.