I've had enough. How about you?

[Arizona_Liberal]

I have been reading a lot of posts lately about people trying to get their politicians to DO something about Bush, Iraq, etc. Camp Casey is sending messages on paper plates to Nancy Pelosi, telling her to put impeachment back on the table. I applaud their efforts, and the efforts of everyone who is trying to make our voices heard, but I just can't help feeling we are not making much of a dent in the collective consciousness of our representatives.

One of the battle cries that rallied citizens during the Revolutionary War was “No taxation without representation.” I would venture a guess that, unless you are in Dennis Kucinich’s district or the district of someone like him, you are feeling this way today – no one in the government is representing you, your best interests, or your will.

After much careful thought and consideration, I believe it’s time for a little revolution of our own.

It’s clear that this administration will not listen to anyone. It is clear most of the media is not acting in our behalf. It is also clear that a large number of our elected Democrats have not truly been forceful in fighting for what we know (and most of the world knows) is right. Therefore, it’s past time (and only fitting) to take a page from Grover Norquist’s playbook – namely, “Starve the Beast.” If our representatives won't represent us, if they cannot muster the will to stop funding the Halliburton profit machine, then we need to do it for them.

If you are feeling as I do, this week when you return to work, go get a W-9 form from your payroll department and raise your personal exemptions to twelve. This will result in no Federal (or state) taxes being withheld from your paycheck, just Social Security and Medicare. Do this for the remainder of July, and all of August, September and October. If you pay quarterly estimated taxes, withhold the next payment. My purpose is to slow the amount of money going into government coffers for several months in order to remind our politicians who REALLY controls the purse strings.

Let me make it clear that I do not advocate the ongoing nonpayment of taxes (not yet, anyway). In late October, everyone should update their W-9’s again, perhaps even to zero or one exemption in order to end the year fairly close to your required withholding. You may incur an underpayment penalty, or a penalty for not paying estimated taxes in a timely manner, but these are generally comparatively small. Again, my purpose is only to do this long enough to get the attention of the media and our elected officials. Oh, and it wouldn't hurt to have our friends around the world see that we're finally awakening from this interminable nightmare.

In order to make this effective, we can't have just a few people participating. It's time to stop talking a good game and act. I would think that we need at least 30% or more of wage earners to participate (I’d like to see 50% -- color me optimistic). So, if you agree with me, take action now, then kick and recommend this post, and copy it to other sites. Send it to friends and family. Spread the word quickly, and take action immediately. Our leaders should be afraid of our strength, not we of theirs. We should then use these months to be very vocal with our elected officials, telling them in no uncertain terms that we will not accept inaction any longer.

And before you say it, yes, I realize that some of our valued social services and other important programs may not, in the short term, receive the funding they need. That is regrettable. But I am truly sickened by the injustices and criminal acts that have been heaped upon this country in the past seven years. It is past time to let all those in office know that we will no longer tolerate this administration, nor those who continue to defend it.

Who's with me?

[WilliamPitt]

1. I like roads

and schools and firefighters and ambulances and EMTs and the Coast Guard and garbage collectors and street sweepers too much.

"Taxes are the price we pay to live in a civilized society."

Oliver Wendell Holmes, a good Republican, said that.

I agree with your sentiment. But I live in a city that requires social services. I cannot in good conscience sacrifice my part in ensuring this, or advocate same, if doing so makes life harder for anyone. "That is regrettable" isn't good enough.

[Toots]

16. Your taxes are being subverted for Halliburton to build roads in Iraq instead

at $15 million dollars a mile..If our taxes were being used for the good causes you listed I would agree totally with you but they are not. Highway funding has taken major hits as has firefighters and police. They are not getting the funding they need because Halliburton needs it more as does Exxon..Keep paying because $100 million dollars a DAY NET PROFT is not enough. Exxon needs more and so does Halliburton....Keep up the good work..

[warren pease]

19. Those services are mainly paid for with property taxes, and/or state/local taxes

The feds are out of the business of helping cities, rural communities, small towns and so forth. They're too busy committing genocide abroad and eviscerating human rights here and around the world. No money or time left for that trivial road maintenance shit.


wp

[Robbien]

2. When the government is short of cash

they borrow it. Which is what we do daily. Billions each day.

Even if we didn't, I do not see this having much of an effect. Heck the entire Gulf coast region went out of business after Katrina and didn't pay taxes for months (some still aren't) and it didn't have even the slightest effect on spending.

Edit: But I like the idea that people are thinking about other options. What we are currently doing to get our opinions heard certainly isn't working.

[Arizona_Liberal]

3. I like roads too

And we all live places that require social services. My point is, let's force the bastards to spend OUR money on the things we need and are important to us, rather than givng blank checks to war profiteers. I would argue that funding this war has already made life harder for a whole bunch of people -- at least, for those not already dead.

[rodeodance]

5. I think the CONTINOUS calling of our Reps --Dem and Repug alike is having

some effect-----it has to be ongoing and continuous.

and Repugs have to be called/written to also

[blondeatlast]

15. Do you honestly believe that what money is left would be spent

on our infrastructure and social services?

The misadministration would declare an emergency and divert even more funds to the war while it cut back severely on domestic needs--and blame the Democrats for not approving Bush's emergency spending bill.

I was an idealist once too.Now I've handled my own professional and family budget. It ain't all that simple.

[Arizona_Liberal]

4. Thanks, Robbien

You are correct that the government would just borrow. Social services would continue. I believe the true power of this approach is psychological -- to make the politicians wake up and take notice, to maybe finally get some coverage in the media, and just for ourselves, to show that we can pull together and do something on a huge scale. I want to scare the politicians so badly, when they realize how many people feel strongly enough to take this action, that we will start to see some movement in Washington.

[Arizona_Liberal]

6. True, rodeodance

It is having some effect. But I also think they know it is all the same people doing the calling. I think we need to do something on a huge scale that will crystalize in their minds the sheer number of people that are not only pissed off but that are willing to make a bold statement at some personal cost.

[Arizona_Liberal]

7. Hey, all. From "The most emailed article on Yahoo" post...

"WASHINGTON (AFP) - Nearly half of the US public wants President George W. Bush to face impeachment, and even more favor that fate for Vice President Dick Cheney, according to a poll out Friday.

The survey by the American Research Group found that 45 percent support the US House of Representatives beginning impeachment proceedings against Bush, with 46 percent opposed, and a 54-40 split in favor when it comes to Cheney.

>snip<

In late April, left-wing Representative Dennis Kucinich, a long-shot Democratic presidential hopeful, introduced a resolution calling for Cheney's impeachment. To date, the measure has nine listed co-sponsors and a 10th set to sign on when the House returns to work next week.

But Democratic leaders appear unlikely to pursue such a course."

WHY!?!?!?!? Let's MAKE them!

[glowing]

8. Income tax only pays for the borrowed debt of the nation... In fact,

it was first implemented to pay for WWI and was supposed to discontinue after the treasury and armed services restored... and the WWII happened and subsequently more wars.

General services are paid by with other taxes. Sales tax, gas tax, service tax, property tax (that's what really runs infrastructure sucha as schools, police, and firefighters). Our income tax goes to paying off the debt, and there's not enough made in one year to cover the entire debt, I don't even think there's enough to cover interest on the loans.

[Arizona_Liberal]

9. Thanks, glowing.

No offense, but I really think we are getting off the subject here. I think doing this would send a message loud and clear -- to the politicians and the media -- that we are fed up and they'd better start actually doing "the people's bidness."

[KharmaTrain]

10. They're Borrowing For This Invasion

Someone else on the thread mentioned how most of our income taxes are now going to pay debt service and basic serivces. Booooshie's war for profit is being paid for with defecit spending spurred by billions in loans from China and other of our "friends". They found a fish in boooshie and we're paying for it and will be for many, many years to come.

Sadly, withholding taxes would do more to hurt paying for the local schools or a person's medicare or SSI check before it would stop payment on one single bullet in Baghdad. Remember, Raygun went underground to end-run Congress to fund his adventures in Central America...cutting the funding will make boooshie do the same thing.

The way to get a message right now is to get involved in Progressive and Liberal campaigns that are starting up around the country...sending a message to the party establishment early next year that we're gonna hold them accountable...and then to remove as many obstructionist Repugnicans as possible to clean up the abuses and messes of the past 6 years, properly investigate and prosecute the crimes, end this Iraq debacle and begin rebuilding this country's moral, economic and military infrastructure.

[cobalt1999]

11. No, not with you, but I understand your frustration.

We already have a system in place to change the government...voting.

If you really could get enough people to do your suggestion effectively, then by default you'd have enough to change an election.

There will be no revolution or change no matter what tactic you try without HUGE broad based support. The challenge is getting people (beyond this small group) to care.

[Arizona_Liberal]

12. Well, by my estimation, voting hasn't worked too well lately.

And I am well aware that the bullets in Bagdad won't be stopped directly by withholding our tax dollars for a few months. Again, it's the MESSAGE it would send. What's going on here? Be honest; have I not been clear? I think it's time to have another Boston Tea Party, and everyone here is talking about the tea itself.

[cobalt1999]

13. without broad based support...

Your message won't be heard, or worse, the message will be confirmation that nobody cares. The Boston Tea Party only occured AFTER a critical mass of people were upset. If it the same thing was done 3 years earlier, everyone would have been upset about the lost tea.

Again, the effort should be in building the support, or any action is meaningless. JMHO.

[frogcycle]

14. I like the sentiment

but agree that it would not have much, if any, impact

not visible enough

to accomplish what you seek - that is, to remind the government that it is a government of the people, with power granted by the consent of the governed, we need LARGE numbers of people in their faces.

We need physical demonstrations - not just blogosphere commiseration with people of like mind

we need more peace marches; we need something like the "Poor People's March" in the 60's, when thousands went to DC and pitched tents on the mall, lived there for months.

I attended a march on the Pentagon (got a taste of teargas); they had troops elbow to elbow around the entire building with fixed bayonets

When activists tried to shut down DC for a day it pretty much fizzled - the plan was to stop cars on the bridges and tie up traffic - the cops were ready with tow trucks and kept it pretty clear, filled RFK stadium with people, let them all go at the end of the day

There was a ring of DC transit buses bumper-to-bumper around the White House and Ex Ofc Bldg! Talk about a bunker mentality!

The visibility generates talk; brings out "lurkers" who agree but were keeping quiet; the "representatives" start really reading the handwriting on the wall

What do you think hits a rep in the gut more - reading stats that the cashflow is dipping or seeing themselves hung in effigy by a disciplined but angry mob?

[zippy890]

17. i agree with you and think it would have an impact

but I think it would be important to tie the witholding of taxes directly to the war and bloated military. Witholding all taxes would not be right, as many people depend on the human resources made available by federal taxes.

a percentage of taxes could be put in escrow based on % taxes spent on war. but this gets a bit complicated, don't know how it would be done.

This group look interesting, The National War Tax Resistance Committee
http://www.nwtrcc.org/

I've been meaning to check it out in more depth. Anybody have any information on this group? looks like they have their facts straight.

[newyawker99]

18. Hi Arizona_Liberal!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Arizona_Liberal]

22. Thanks, newyawker99! I lived in New York City for many years.

:toast:

[blues90]

20. So far nothing has worked out well

Not protests , not letters , nothing . They are not for the people , this is obvious . Some people are goign to stand each sunday with signs or shirts with enough written on them . Hope this has some effect and I hope Gores world concert does as well .

I give up on politicians , they know damn well what the people voted for and are ignoring us .

It's still bombs and bullets and corp greed running out of control , we have to kill the power they have before we get anywhere IMHO .

[Arizona_Liberal]

21. Hello blues90. This is exactly my point.

Nothing has worked out well. Not protests, not voting, not calls from the same people over and over. Not camping in Crawford, not letters to the editor, not signing petitions. Not buttons, bumper stickers or T-shirts. As I noted previously, nearly 50% of Americans want Bush impeached, and even more want Cheney impeached. So if the public is that much in favor of impeachment and STILL nothing is being done, I say it's time to get that 50% involved and take a stand.

1.) Stop your withholding.
2.) Call and write to your local media outlets telling them what you're doing and why.
3.) Call and write to your representatives telling them what you're doing and why.

If all else has failed, why not try something new? I have to remain optimistic. Have you seen "SiCKO"? One gentleman talks about how governments get away with controlling their citizens: Keep them hopeless, keep them in debt, and keep them afraid.

It sure has been working.

Haven't we ALL had enough of this crap?

[Arizona_Liberal]

23. Hey everyone. As you can see, I'm new here.

And I would really appreciate more feedback. I know there is a lot going on today, but please take a moment to reply if you are reading this.

Thanks!

:hi: