The Ragged Edge A Growing Anger By The People, For The People? Many Doubt It

A lot of us are fed up with government.

We’re tired of bureaucracy, rules made by regulators thousands of miles away, taxes that seem to go nowhere but up.

Our dissatisfaction surfaced in the last two major elections. We dumped George Bush for Bill Clinton in 1992, then sent the Democratic Congress packing in 1994.

We’re still mad.

In the Inland Northwest, this anger has coalesced into a broad anti-government movement that’s shaping local politics and putting bureaucrats on edge.

In today’s Spokesman-Review, you’ll meet this wide-ranging group of people. At one extreme, armed militiamen are practicing to prevent another Randy Weaver siege.

Many more people disillusioned with government don’t fit that profile.

They include disgruntled taxpayers who’ve had bitter run-ins with bureaucracy, parents worried sick that mounting federal debt jeopardizes their children’s future, loggers sure that government’s out to do away with jobs.

All share a belief that government is failing its citizens and eroding liberties.

There’s no single line that people cross from believing in government to believing Uncle Sam is their enemy. Our four-part series, “The Ragged Edge,” explores this movement.

The series begins today and continues Monday, next Sunday and the following Monday.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Color Photos