I applaud the TEA Party protesters on April 15 at the Thousand Oaks Post Office. Although my family and I planned on being part of the event, unfortunately, we were unable to do so. However, our sign would have read: "Join the TEA Party: Tax Equality for All!"

It's easy to object to pork barrel spending. It's easy to object to overspending. What galls me is that federal taxes are not only lacking in equality across income brackets, but, most importantly, there's no equality when it comes to what state you reside in.

Are we not a country built on democracy? I didn't vote for President Ronald Reagan; however, I think President Reagan sums it up best in his first inaugural speech on Jan. 20, 1981, "You and I, as individuals, can, by borrowing, live beyond our means, but for only a limited period of time. Why, then, should we think that collectively, as a nation, we are not bound by that same limitation?"

Reagan also said, "From time to time, we have been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by selfrule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by and of the people. But if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else?

"All of us together, in and out of government, must bear the burden. The solutions we seek must be equitable, with no one group singled out to pay a higher price."

Regardless of what party you stand for, I believe that there's truth in what Reagan said. I look forward to participating in the rally on Independence Day. Since it's a national holiday, I won't have to work and know that my family and I can participate.

It seems to me that perhaps we need to reevaluate what national programs allow for Independence Day to be celebrated for some the other 364 days. Jenny Conway Newbury Park