I’m rather caught up in the past lately, what with working on the War Resisters League 100th anniversary and helping finalize an unpublished autobiography by WWI resister and war tax resister Max Sandin. So, lacking any other ideas for a post here, I decided see what was in the NWTRCC newsletter 10 years ago. The… Continue reading
News
Move the Money — Mine and the Pentagon’s
I eagerly await my next letter from the IRS. I just got a letter from them “correcting” my 1040 for tax year 2020, filed on tax day, May 17, 2021. This latest letter came “right on time”; when I called in July 2022 the IRS employee told me it would be 16 weeks before my… Continue reading
Report on the 16th International Conference on War Tax Resistance and Peace Tax Campaigns
The 16th International Conference on War Tax Resistance and Peace Tax Campaigns Geneva Switzerland September 17, 2022 Participants: Switzerland, UK, Germany, Italy, Colombia, Belgium, USA, attendance both in person and online. NWTRCC participants Ruth Benn, Cathy Deppe, Eleanor Forman, William Ruhaak. Major Organizing for Conference: CPTI–Conscience and Peace Tax International Board of Directors, with… Continue reading
$80 Billion for IRS…
Almost from the moment that Biden assumed the presidency, he has been singing in unison with IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig about the need to increase funding to the IRS by $80 billion. Originally, the proposed funding had some Republican support, but that soon soured and the future of the funding proposal seemed dead. All that… Continue reading
U.S. Weapons, Ukraine, and War Tax Resistance
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought the horror of war back into the forefront of many in the U.S. who never think about it. It has been easy for many to condemn the actions of a hostile, powerful, and well-funded military when it is somebody else’s. It is much easier for NPR and late-night… Continue reading
Reflecting on the Last 40 Years
A lot of cultural shifts were taking place 40 years ago as evidenced by some anniversaries taking place this year. A couple weekends there were a couple remembrances of the events that took place around June 12, 1982 when over 1 million people descended on the United Nations (UN) Headquarters, marching through the streets of… Continue reading
A Cog in a Broke Down Machine
I can’t even remember how much time it has taken me to create an online account with the IRS. Until recently this was not something I ever wanted to do, because they ask for so much information to establish the account. But there are a few reasons I’ve found it necessary: you can’t get anyone… Continue reading
Support War Resisters
Every year on May 15, International Conscientious Objection Day, War Resisters’ International (WRI) organizes solidarity with conscientious objectors (COs) and draws attention to their resistance to war. This year, with the ongoing war in Ukraine, they turned their focus on the resistance of conscientious objectors from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, and published statements from the… Continue reading
No War, No Warming: Fund Our Future
In these discouraging times for antiwar activists and humanity at large, it was good to be out marching around with like-minded folks and getting encouraging support from passers-by, including tourists from near and far. War tax resistance is a quarterly, paycheck-to-paycheck or even daily act of resistance to war, depending on your method, but it… Continue reading
The Untouchable Pentagon
The bright red slices of pie on War Resisters League’s new “Where Your Income Tax Money Really Goes” flyer have shrunk well below 50% this year. For years we’ve been demanding a budget that prioritizes humanitarian and social needs over military spending. It almost makes us want to celebrate…almost. Biden’s budget proposal for FY 2023… Continue reading
Conscience Matters: Submitting a Statement of Conscience in U.S. Tax Court
I have been a war tax resister for many years. I withhold half of my income tax from the federal government and donate that amount to support the victims of war: refugees and veterans. I include a personal “statement of conscience” that explains my beliefs along with each tax payment. The federal government uses tax… Continue reading
WAR, ENDLESS WAR
I was going to write about something else, but here the world is today facing a dangerous time with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. I am beyond being able to know how it feels for the people in the region, but I know I share a feeling with millions of others of just being sick of… Continue reading