MERRIMACK, NEW HAMPSHIRE — Former Town Councilor Mike Malzone, the founder of the Merrimack Tea Party, said Thursday in a Facebook post reacting to on health care, "I hope the (5 supremes) get colon cancer."
A day after posting the message, Malzone said he stands by what he said. He clarified that he doesn't want anyone to die, and the cancer reference was more to make a point that he wants them to feel the pain being inflicted on Americans being overburdened by taxes.
“I didn't wish for anyone to die, but I said I do wish for them to feel our pain,” he said. “No one cares about me, they all make their promises and then go do what they goddamn feel.”
Malzone, who briefly considered , posted the message on the Merrimack Tea Facebook page.
He said he feels “beaten down and worn out” by the government, and he is tired of paying taxes to help people who don't do enough to help themselves.
Merrimack Patch contacted Malzone on Friday after coming across the expletive-laden reaction to Thursday's Supreme Court ruling finding the individual health insurance mandate is constitutional.
In his reaction, Malzone expressed clear anger and frustration at the ruling. At the end of his post, he apologized to his followers for the strong language he used, but several people who responded told him no apology was necessary.
“I feel a lot more passionate about this than even this describes. Blow off all the steam, then lets get to work throwing them out,” one person wrote in a comment underneath Malzone's post.
“No apology needed, you said it well......we need to stop yapping and get to work to get these jerks out!” said another.
“You say exactly how I feel! I am so (expletive) mad today!!” added another.
Out of 14 comments, no one said they thought Malzone was in the wrong. The post also received 33 "likes."
On Friday afternoon, Malzone said he'd never felt so beaten down as he did after hearing the Supreme Court decision.
“I can't believe how angry I was,” he said. “But it is what it is. I apologized to Merrimack Tea followers for my language. I keep it clean on that page, I've never sworn before. But people said 'hey we feel your pain,' they told me not to worry about it, to blow off steam and move on.”
Malzone said it's a combination of things that make him wonder why he bothers to work if he could just go on welfare and get things for free.
In 10 years, he's paid $100,000 in property taxes on his house in Merrimack, he's seen his property value drop and his taxes go up. Insurance premiums continue to climb and are likely going to soar after this, he said. He's seen the price of cigarettes go up $2 in the last eight years and then found out recently that people can legally purchase cigarettes and beer using EBT cards.
“I pay taxes on my own cigarettes so other people can buy them for free?” Malzone asked. “Where's the justice in that? There is none.”
Malzone said he is not a hate-filled person; he loves serving his community and giving back and he's the first to help a neighbor if they need it. But yesterday was his breaking point.
“I'm so fed up, I'll do anything for anybody but they're breaking me, they're breaking me down," he said.
He questioned why he works seven days a week, and his wife six, just to barely make ends meet. They drive used cars and live by their own means, but he questioned why people who carry cell phones, drive fancy cars and have laptop computers can get away with saying they can't afford insurance and take government handouts.
“Where's the reward for working hard these days? There is none,” he said.
Malzone, who recently ran an unsuccessful campaign for an open seat on the Merrimack Town Council, said he wouldn't have posted what he did if he were a sitting public official. But as a citizen representing himself, he was exercising his right to free speech.
“I think no matter what I was doing, in the heat yesterday, that's how I felt,” he said. “I apologized to the people that do follow me, for my language. To the people that have done this to us, I don't apologize. But I do apologize to the people who follow me if I offended them.”
