An estimated 2,000 people weathered a cold, wet snow Wednesday in downtown Salt Lake City in a vocal protest of wasteful government spending and taxes, joining a handful of similar rallies around the state and dozens of others across the country.

Protesters perched on planters or huddled under umbrellas as speakers decried federal bailouts of failing banks and companies, mounting federal debt and elected officials who are out of touch, chanting over and over, "Send them home."

"I'm ticked," said Darren Kasparian, who owns a plastic repair business in Salt Lake City and says there's a disconnect between the elected officials and their frustrated constituents struggling to make ends meet. "We feel like we're living in a different world."

Utah Democrats said that the tax protests were orchestrated by right-wing radio but ignore that the Bush administration added trillions to the national debt.

The crowd repeatedly booed Utah's senators, Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett, for being part of the problem and chastised Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. for not sending back $1.6 billion of stimulus money the state is expected to receive.

Hatch said in a statement that he shares the protesters' outrage. Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, who is considering challenging Bennett for his Senate seat, said Utahns don't need government "wiping our noses and putting Band-Aids on our boo-boos."

"The time for talk is over. Now is the time for action," said Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff. "Don't give us your entitlement. Don't take care of us. Get out of our lives and let us take care of ourselves."

The federal budget deficit is projected to reach $1.75 trillion this year, driven to record levels by repeated stimulus and bailouts.

"I've got to tell you, I'm fired up. No more bailouts, no more stimulus!" said Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah. "We cannot be all things to all people in this country. We can't keep running this country on a credit card."

Author Candace Salima warned that what she sees as a trend toward socialism would destroy the country.

"Have we had enough of high taxes? Have we had enough of big government? Have we had enough of socialism?" she called to the crowd, answered each time with cheers and shouts. "We do not apologize for being Americans. We are done having Europe telling us what to do."

President Barack Obama said Wednesday that his administration passed a $120 billion tax cut for 95 percent of American workers which began showing up on workers' paychecks on April 1 and also provided tax breaks for homebuyers and college tuition.

"For too long, we've seen taxes used as a wedge to scare people into supporting policies that actually increased the burden on working people instead of helping them live their dreams," Obama said. "That has to change and that's the work we've begun."

Utah Democrats say state residents' share of the tax cut is about $500 million.

A report issued Monday by the liberal-leaning Center for Budget and Policy Priorities said that the median tax burden for a family of four in 2006 -- the most recent data available -- had crept up slightly since 2003, when it was at the lowest level since 1955.

A Gallup poll released this week found that 48 percent of respondents thought their tax burden was about right; 46 percent said it was too high. It was the highest favorable rating since Gallup began conducting the poll in 1956.

More than half of those making less than $75,000 a year thought their burden was about right. Sixty-one percent said the tax system is fair.

But those people were not in attendance Wednesday.

"I'm just fed up with paying more taxes than I need to," said Stacey Guerra, of Salt Lake City, who attended the event with her husband and daughter.