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War in Iraq

Tax day protests and refusing to pay for war
by Ruth Benn
April 16, 2007

Brooklyn, NY - Post offices, federal buildings, and IRS offices will be the site of leafleting and vigils during the last days to file 2006 taxes on April 16 and 17. Demonstrators will declare "YES" to funding for human needs and "NO" to continued funding for war. Anger among taxpayers is rising as Congress approves billions more dollars for the wars and occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan, even as polls show 70% of Americans disapprove of the war in Iraq.

In more than a dozen towns and cities across Maine taxpayers will be handed flyers declaring, "Schools or tanks? Health Care or Bombs? Which Will You Pay For?" In Fort Collins, Colorado, postal patrons will be greeted with "Take Back the Pie" signs and handed a piece of pie and a pie chart flyer showing how half of income taxes pay for past, present, and future wars. The "YES!" demonstration at the Federal Building in Philadelphia will demand a shift from war funding to other programs including universal health care; housing; ending hunger; programs for youth, immigrants, and seniors; stopping global warming and restoring the environment.

The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC) has collected a list of tax day actions to share with activists and the media. It is attached below and posted on the internet at http://www.nwtrcc.org/taxday2007.htm.

In addition to protesting government priorities, some people refuse to pay their income taxes to the IRS, because they cannot in good conscience pay for war. These war tax resisters often redirect those funds to groups that work for peace and human needs.

"I will not contribute to the government while it's waging an illegal war," said Bryan Nelson of New Brunswick, New Jersey, as he announced publicly on April 7 that he would not send his $3,000 taxes due to the IRS, but would instead donate it to nonprofit organizations. On April 16 in Berkeley, California, more than $10,000 pooled from a group of resisters will be redirected to groups that are working for peace, justice, and human needs in the community. Such redirection events also take place in Eugene, Oregon; Greenfield, Massachusetts; and Los Angeles, California.

War tax resisters face penalties and collection efforts by the IRS. In Santa Cruz, California, war tax resister and Vietnam era conscientious objector Scott Kennedy was informed that his wages were being garnished by the IRS for taxes due. Kennedy said, "The House of Representatives has just recommended another $100 billion for our brutal, immoral, and unwinnable war in Iraq. I won't in good conscience voluntarily pay for such madness, because of its cost in U.S. lives and squandered resources and because of the devastation and loss of life it is causing in Iraq."

The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC), founded in 1982, is a coalition of local, regional and national groups to provide information and support to people who are conscientious objectors to paying taxes for war.

Protests on (or near) Tax Day, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 Updated at http://www.nwtrcc.org/taxday2007.htm

Arizona

Tucson - Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Local Chapter. (520) 312-9988 or thorpe@dakotacom.net. Leafleting at the Sun Station Post Office, during the day, and, at the main Post Office, Cherry Bell Station, evening until midnight.

California

Berkeley - Northern California War Tax Resistance. (510) 843-9877, nowartax@yahoo.com or http://www.nowartax.org. People's Life Fund Granting Ceremony NCWTR will also host a People's Life Fund granting ceremony redirecting about $10,000 in resisted taxes to groups working for peace and justice. Watch the website or call/email for details.

Eureka - Redwood Peace and Justice Center, (707)826-2511 or www.rpjc.net. Penny poll, leaflet, and press conference. Arcata Post Office.

Fresno - Women's International League for Peace & Freedom (WILPF). skyhorse3593@sbcglobal.net. Leafleting with pie graphs to be used as frisbees at the Tower Post Office and Griffith Station Post Office. 10 am -4:30 pm. Santa Cruz - Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, jahn@cruzio.com. Tabling, leafleting, Raging Grannies songs, and home-made bake sale. Main Post Office, Front Street, Monday, April 16, Noon to 6 pm. Sonoma County (Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Forestville, Petaluma) - Sonoma County Taxes for Peace, 707-823-9203 or larrywtr@sonic.net. Leafleting against militarism. April 17, 9 am - 8 pm.

Colorado

Fort Collins - Center for Justice, Peace & Environment. (970) 419-8944 or distaso@frii.com, www.cjpe.org. Distribute literature and hand out pieces of pie to "take back the pie chart" at the Main Post Office, Federal Building. Noon-5 pm.

Denver - Pax Christi, spiralmotion@msn.com. Leafleting and vigil at the downtown Denver post office, 20th and Champa Streets, 4:30-6:00 pm.

District of Columbia

Washington - DC Area War Tax Resistance. info@dcwtr.org. Vigil and redistribution of resisted tax money at IRS Headquarters, 1111 Constitution NW. Monday, April 16, Noon.

Georgia Brunswick - GlynnPeace: Citizens To End The War In Iraq. glynnpeace@bellsouth.net or call (912) 262-1274, www.glynnpeace.org. Gloucester St. Post office in Brunswick and post office on St. Simons Island. Leafleting of last-day filers and other patrons. 8:30 am-5 pm.

Illinois

Carbondale - Peace Coalition of Southern Illinois/FOR, mparker@srellim.org. Handing out flyers with information on Military Spending vs. Human Needs and How Your Income Tax Dollars Are Used, Carbondale Post Office, E. Main St., Monday, April 16, 11am - 1 pm and 4 - 6 pm.

Chicago - Chicago Area War Resistors Support Committee, mparker@srellim.org. Leafleting, speakers and musicians. Federal Building Plaza in downtown Chicago, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, Monday, April 16.

Joliet - Pax Christi Will County, 815-729-0086. Stuffing church bulletin with Peace Tax Returns and the sign-on statement, "Don't Pay for War in Iraq."

Indiana

South Bend - Michiana War Tax Refusers. 574-289-2126 or www.michianapeacejustice.org. Vigil and leafleting at the Main Post Office. 6 pm-10 pm.

Iowa

Dubuque - Citizens' Tax Moratorium. (563) 583-2586. Vigil at U.S. Courthouse, 6th and Locust. April 16 and weekly on Mondays, 4-6 pm.

Kentucky

Louisville - Fellowship of Reconciliation (local chapter). (502) 458-8056. TAXES FOR PEACE, NOT WAR! Leafleting and Penny Poll at corner of Fifth & Market. Stop by to vote in the Penny Poll to indicate how you would like for your tax dollars to be spent. Mon, Apr 16, Noon.

Maine

Leafleting Peace Action Maine flyer, including WTR as an option. Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center, (207) 525-7776 or rosc@psouth.net.

Augusta: 11 am-1 pm, Main Post Office

Bangor: 4-6 pm, Main Post Office

Bath: 11 am-1 pm, Post Office

Belfast: Noon-2 pm, Post Office

Brunswick: 10 AM-3 pm, Post Office

Newcastle/Damariscotta: Time TBA, Damariscotta Post Office

Portland: Time TBA, Main Post Office, Forest Ave.

Winthrop, 2-4 pm, Post Office

Others TBA: Portsmouth/Kittery, Blue Hill or Ellsworth, and Farmington

Massachusetts

Greenfield - Pioneer Valley War Tax Resisters (PVWTR). (413) 773-8655. Tabling, leafleting, and redirection. Greenfield Market. April 14, 9 am-?.

Northampton - At least one person plans to wear an orange jump-suit and black hood, standing silently with a sign making the connection between paying for war, Guantanamo and torture. April 17, downtown. Appropriate literature will be available.

Missouri

St. Louis - Covenant Community for War Tax Resistance and Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. (314) 725-5303 or hras@humanrightsaction.net. Leaflet with pie chart. Main Post Office, Market and 18th. April 16, 11:30 am-1 pm.

New Hampshire

Keene - New Hampshire Underground. "Tilting at windmills," with lances, tin foil Spanish Knight-style helmets, fluffy scalloped pantaloons, and such. IRS office on Main Street, 3 pm.

New York

Ithaca - Ithaca War Tax Resisters. Showing of An Act of Conscience at the Tompkins County Public Library, followed by discussion. April 14, 2-4pm, Possible penny poll on tax day. Email for details.

New York City - NYC War Resisters League (718) 768-7306 or nycwrl@att.net, and NYC War Tax Resistance (www.nycwtr.org). Leafleting and vigil. Manhattan IRS office, 110 W. 44th Street, west of Sixth Ave. Noon-2 pm.

North Carolina

Durham/Chapel Hill - (336) 340-2683 or ncwarresisters@yahoo.com. Raleigh Post Office, 300 Fayetteville St. Leafleting and more! NOON.

Ohio

Athens - People for Peace and Justice. (740) 448-3071 or rodnip@hotmail.com. Leafleting and penny poll at post office. 4-7 pm.

Oregon

Eugene - Taxes for Peace Not War. (541) 342-2914 or guyprouty@msn.com. April 14: March from Federal Building to Post Office with signs like "paying taxes under protest," "refusing to pay taxes," "taxes for peace not war." Op-ed piece in local paper. April 16: Tabling, penny poll, and war tax redirection ceremony. Downtown.

Portland - Oregon Community for War Tax Resistance/WRL. (503) 238-0605 or nowar@lists.wrlpdx.org. April 14: forum, "Defunding the war by legislation and WTR," location TBA. April 16 & 17: Holding "Burma Shave" signs on the local bridges during morning rush hours. April 19: Presentation of redirected taxes. Multnomah County Building, Details: (503) 281-3697.

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Area - Conscience, Militarism and War Tax Concerns Working Group, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. (215) 241-7240 or joanb@pym.org. April 14: Annual gathering and war tax resistance workshop. April 17: Leafleting at many area post offices.

Philadelphia - Brandywine Peace Community, (610) 544-1818 or brandywine@juno.com. "!YES!" Demonstration: "YES" to Justice and Peace ("No!" to War)! "YES!" to Universal Health Care, Housing, Ending Hunger here and around the world, Programs for Youth, Immigrants, and Seniors, Crime Prevention Programs, Job Creation and Economic Conversion, Stopping Global Warming and Restoring the Environment; "NO!" to Continued Funding of War in Iraq. We are inviting community, justice, environmental, religious, and citizen groups, as well as other peace groups to join with people around the country going to Federal Buildings and the home offices of such Senators as Arlen Specter on Tax Day and to be part of the "!YES!" DEMONSTRATION. Philadelphiaa Federal Building, 6th & Market Sts. Noon.

Lehigh Valley - LEPOCO and Lehigh Valley WTR Life Fund. See www.lepoco.org. Leafleting at area post offices.

Texas

San Antonio - Leafleting with pie chart at weekly peace vigil, Thursdays 4-5 pm, downtown at the main plaza (officially Plaza de Las Islas) on the Northeast corner, Main Plaza and Commerce Sts.

Vermont

Waitsfield - War-Tax Resistance workshop, Sunday, April 15, 7 pm at Yestermorrow. Slide show of the history of U.S. taxation, the history and heroes of war tax resistance, and the methods and consequences of resistance. Literature will be available. For more information: (802) 496-4452

Washington

Seattle - Nonviolent Action Community of Cascadia (NACC). (206) 547-0952 or http://seanacc.org/. Leafleting "Where Your Income Taxes Really Go" flyers at the Capitol Hill post office, Broadway and Denny. Noon-1 pm. Also at main downtown Seattle post office, 3rd and Union. 5:30 - 6:30 pm.

Spokane - Peace and Justice Action League, (509) 838-7870. Penny poll to vote for which war you want to fund next. Main post office, 11:30 - 2.

Tacoma - Members of local Pax Christi group and others. (253) 961-5822. Leafleting and signage at the Main Post Office on South Pine St., April 16, 7-9 pm or so.

Wisconsin

Madison - Madison Branch of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). Leaflet to inform and remind taxpayers where their taxes are. West Side Post Office. 5-7 pm.

Milwaukee - Milwaukee War Tax Resistance and Casa Maria Catholic Worker, (414) 344-5745. Demonstration in front of the IRS office, 211 W Wisconsin Ave. 11:30 am-1 pm. We will also make our annual trek over to Sen. Kohl's office a block away to express our concerns.

National

The Occupation Project, Voices for Creative Nonviolence - 773-878-3815. Phase Two of the Occupation Project launches on April 17-Tax Day-with a call for activists to mark "tax day" by occupying the offices of elected representatives until they pledge to vote against the next bill to provide funds for the Iraq war for next year. For more information see http://vcnv.org.

Contact the NWTRCC office, (718-768-3420) or nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org, if you need further contact information for local groups or individuals, or would like a copy of the list faxed to you.

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