War Tax Resistance: Refusing to Fund War on Tax Day

[G_j]

* War Tax Resistance: Refusing to Fund War on Tax Day *

Today is Tax Day - while millions of Americans are scrambling to file their
income taxes on time, others are protesting the use of tax dollars to fund
the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by refusing to pay some or all of their
taxes. We speak with a member of the National War Tax Resistance
Coordinating Committee.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/04/15/1337232

In at least 50 communities across the country, demonstrations will be held at Internal Revenue Service offices, Federal buildings, post offices, and other public places to protest the use of tax dollars to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some are making their protest stronger by refusing to pay some or all of their federal taxes that help pay for war.


Ruth Benn, Coordinator of the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee. She is co-author of the book "War Tax Resistance."

[G_j]

1. Follow Your Taxes

Follow Your Taxes

Even if you don't support the war, your tax dollars certainly do.

http://www.tompaine.com/uncommonsense/index.php?dateid=20050415#4523
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/follow_your_taxes.php?dateid=20050415

So now that your taxes are signed, stamped, mailed or e-filed, (and they are, right?) let's consider, for a moment, what happens to that money. While I don't like seeing the tax taken from my paychecks any more than the next person, it helps if I tell myself that a portion of my hard-earned funds is being used for the general good of the nation—things like education, housing for people who need it, and support for veterans.

Well, some of my tax money—and yours—is going to those things. But a whole lot more of it is going to defense and interest on the national debt, according to research from the National Priorities Project . For the average family, one-third of tax money goes to defense spending, and 90 percent of that total goes directly to the military (while only 3 percent is used for preventative measures.) Another 18 percent of your taxes go to pay interest on the ever-increasing national debt. The money going toward education? Less than 4 percent. And only 2 percent goes toward housing.

It's not really surprising: The military budget is squeezing out the things that can help our communities and families. "As the expanding military budget strips communities of vital support and the cost of war in Iraq continues to spiral upward, people deserve to ask whether this is how they want their tax dollars spent," says Greg Speeter, executive director of the National Priorities Project.

Check out this tax calculator to find out how the government is spending your tax money, and see the state-by-state and city-by-city breakdowns of what the Iraq war is costing you.

--Laura Donnelly | Friday 8:56 AM
===========

[cheezus]

2. that's why we have elections

what? *I* never drive on highway 222! Why should *I* pay for it?

[G_j]

6. see post #4

how can you compare a highway with the invasion of Iraq?
:shrug:

[beyurslf]

3. While I oppose the war, and many other things that our tax dollars go to,

this is not the answer. This logic says, I don't have kids so my dollars shouldn't be spent on schools. Or, I don't use "name the program" so my dollars shouldn't be spent there. We do not get to line item our tax dollars.

To decide how our money is spent, we vote.

[G_j]

4. two comments on "voting"

have you folks been paying attention to the election process?

""name the program""?? ...that rather trivializes the murder of thousands of people based on deception and lies doesn't it?
For me anyway, war crimes do not constitute just another program.

[amazona]

5. a great way to make yourself powerless

Fine. Don't pay your taxes. Give them an excuse to round you up and put you in jail. Who does that help?

I know Joan Baez did it back in the day, and bless her heart, but I still think it's stupid. At least when Baez gets in trouble with the law, it's front page news. When Joe No-Name gest thrown in jail for tax evasion, no one knows and even his friends and family figure he was really just looking for a way to chisel. He doesn't draw any attention to his cause, he just looks like a crook.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[peace4all]

8. the Boston tea party was stupid too I guess

but you are correct about a few lone tax resisters having little effect. It would take maybe half a million tax resisters to really be successful. I think many Americans may be just too cowardly and selfish to pull off something that might make a difference.

[Jokerman]

7. A great idea.

This could have a serious impact if enough people joined in. Unfortunately as we see in the previous posts, many people will dismiss it out of hand as too radical or because they fear the I.R.S.