Not only did Tea Partiers rally on Sunday in commemoration of the national unity felt the day after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, but they also vowed to "remember in November" when they head to the polls on Election Day.

September 12^th has become the third regular Tea Party protest date, alongside April 15^th and July 4^th. There are two major undercurrents that sweep people to these rallies: a strong concern over the increase in size of government and a patriotic love of country. 9/12 reminds people of the love they felt for the United States and its history--on that day people were driving around with American flags strapped to their cars. We were united as one people headed in one direction.

Nine years later, not so much.

Tea Partiers now recognize an internal threat--the rapidly expanding federal government, instigated by Congressional Democrats and President Obama (and in too many cases, Congressional Republicans).

In Ventura, demonstrators gathered at the Ventura County Government Center to wave flags at passing cars, then marched to nearby Montalvo Hill Park to listen to a series of conservative speakers and candidates.

The candidates included Ventura City Councilman Neal Andrews, candidate for Congress Tom Watson, and State Assembly candidate Mike Stoker.

Conservative speakers included Steve Frank, a Simi Valley-based blogger who made some news recently for some controversial remarks in support of his city's decision to use E-Verify, and Terry Paulson, a speaker who also has a column in the Ventura County Star.

He insults all hard-working municipal employees when he suggests that the corruption of top officials in the city of Bell is even remotely associated with the struggles of public sector union members to maintain livable wages and modest pensions.

But, the salaries and benefits of Ventura employees are already below the labor market, and Andrews knows this.

What is often overlooked in all the political posturing is that the recent increases in pension costs are not the result of benefit increases. They are the fallout of the market crash of 2008-09 from which the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) and other public pension funds are still recovering.

Andrews should be advocating stricter regulations of Wall Street financial institutions that damaged our economy rather than scape-goating public employees, who, like the vast majority of American workers, are struggling to make ends meet.

The councilman is confused. On the one hand, he states that "elected officials have a duty to the taxpayer to assure that what we pay is consistent with the labor market." But, he then proceeds to rail against "the error of leaders who argue that public agencies must offer pay equal to other cities to stay competitive." Which is it?