Protestors prep for Obama visit

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Call it Tea Party Take Two as local protestors who joined in last months anti-tax, anti-spending Tea Parties prepare for President Obama's visit to Albuquerque.

Tens of thousand of people lined streets across the country on Tax Day April 15 protesting government stimulus spending.

Charlotte Salazar organized the Albuquerque portion and said she collected as many e-mail addresses as she could that day.

"We have over 2,000 right now, and you have to take into consideration that's only a fraction of the people that made it to our staging area," Salazar told KRQE News 13.

She estimated 7,000-10,000 chanted and held signs in Albuquerque on April 15. And she said they hope to have as good a showing for president Obama next week.

The president is planning a town hall meeting to talk about reforming how credit card companies treat their customers and the Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights now working its way through Congress.

"We're very thrilled that our president is coming to New Mexico," Salazar said. "We're planning a very sizzling welcome for him."

State Rep. Al Park, D-Albuquerque, said the protestors are misguided.

"I didn't here these guys complaining when the U.S. government bailed out the airline industry after Sept. 11th," Park said. "We're facing catastrophic economic crises here in this country right now."

He said letting the banks and auto companies fail would hurt average Americans, and that left the government with little choice.

Obama is scheduled to be in Albuquerque Thursday although details of the visit have yet to be announced.

Organizers are saying their protest will be peaceful like the April Tea Party.