"Astro Turf." Fake grassroots. It’s what you get when big business and rich zealots hire pricey consultants to manufacture public outrage. With big budgets, limitless manpower, sophisticated targeting, and a sympathetic media channel, it's not difficult to generate anger. And that’s exactly what’s going on with today’s tea parties

Whether these so-called tea parties originated as grassroots events or not, they have become nothing more than Astroturf outrage generated by Fox News and corporate-financed consultants. $aveTheRich.com is dedicated to documenting these efforts, so we created a clearinghouse of information to expose the truth behind the so-called “Tax Day Tea Parties” being held around the country. And so far, the tell-tale signs of Astro Turf are everywhere:

As a part of the Tea Party campaign, conservative activists have been encouraged to send tea bags to elected representatives. The only problem is, according to Sarah Olkin at the Chicago Tribune, "the tea keeps getting mistaken for a hazardous substance."

"Astroturf." Fake grassroots. It's what you get when big business and rich zealots hire pricey consultants to manufacture public outrage.

With big budgets, limitless manpower, sophisticated targeting, and a sympathetic media channel, it's not difficult to generate anger.

We will spend the next days documenting exactly who these people are. They are pushing a message out to the press, and with the press. It's going to take information and work to push back.

The evidence of astroturfing is everywhere: