Humanize not Militarize poster art by Tyler Heston

While advances in medical technology has led to less people being killed on the battlefield it has also created a situation of more military members living with increased trauma. Aside from the general stress of military life and training, suicides among veterans have been attributed to access to guns, difficulty reintegrating to civilian life and exposure to  improvised explosive devices (IEDs), traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).

While the statement, “the American public’s disinterest in the post-9/11 wars, have greatly contributed to increased suicide rates”  seems to overlook those in the anti-war movement who have attempted to prevent the negative impacts of war, it also overlooks the costs of war by soldiers has been in a smaller concentration of military families.  In the summary they write, “High suicide rates mark the failure of the U.S. government and U.S. society to manage the mental health costs of our current conflicts.”

On the other side of the coin, the UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency) released their findings of those most impacted by war worldwide. The global number of people fleeing from conflict and war rose to 82.4 million people. The UN Refugee Agency urged world leaders to step up their efforts to foster peace, stability and cooperation to reverse a 10-year trend that saw a rise in displacement because of violence. 

At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 when over 160 countries closed their borders (with 99 countries making no exception for people being persecuted) the head of the UN called for a ceasefire among nations of the world yet the world witnessed an increase of people fleeing their homes despite national lockdowns. The greatest  impact has been on girls and boys under the age of 18 who account for over 42% of all forcibly displaced people; refugee resettlement plunged to its lowest level in 20 years.

Dave Zarembka at NWTRCC conference May 2019

David Zarembka wrote an article God and Caesar in which he describes his process of refusing to kill as part of the US empire and how that led him to withhold his coins, representing his life energy and to invest that into healing and peacebuilding activities. At age, 18 David realized that he could not participate in killing other human beings and became a Conscientious Objector. Soon thereafter he realized he could not pay for other human beings to kill others and became a war tax resister. He was an integral part of the formation of NWTRCC as war tax resistance was an integral part of his being. He recognized that the impact of those carrying out war and those impacted most by war are part of the same coin; he demonstrated his power by refusing to had over that coin to the State.

In his piece “God and Caesar: On War Tax Resistance,” Zarembka writes, “My resistance has not curtailed the expansion of the U.S. military-industrial complex, but that is not why I am a war tax resister. I resist because I don’t want to participate in killing people, directly or indirectly. I have lived the life as I wanted to live without letting the IRS god determine my choices….It also keeps me aware that I was an outsider to the so-called “American Dream” as a non-participant in America’s war making that sustains American affluence. Moreover, there is no doubt that my involvement in peacemaking in East Africa is the flip side to my war tax resistance – I not only need to oppose militarism, but work to restore peace and reconciliation to places that have been beset by violence and war.”

You can read Bill Ramsey’s wonder tribute to David’s life in More Than a Paycheck.

Post by Chrissy Kirchhoefer

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Banner of Military spending v Human needs at the farmers market in Eugene OR

April 15th saw Tax Day actions not seen in years. Well at least in 2 years. After Tax Day spread into 3 months in 2020 to finally conclude on July 15th last year, people were eager to come out on April 15th in order to join in a long tradition of holding that day as a stand out day to raise the issue of military spending in the US. War Tax Resisters and those concerned about militarism organize actions in their communities to educate that nearly half of the federal income taxes are devoted to war. April 15th also serves as a day of action to build upon community by investing our energy and resources towards human needs through individual and communal redirection ceremonies.

April 15, 2021. Customary band of pickets, NYC. Photo by Ed Hedemann

This year continued to see a mix of online gatherings and in person actions. You can find a list of actions posted at  NWTRCC website under Tax Day Actions as well as international actions mapped out on the Global Days Against Military Spending. The group in Eugene, Oregon has been bringing out a banner that they have made that is to scale of cost comparisons of human needs to bloated military spending. You can watch a short video they shared describing their action. If you have videos or photos to share of actions in April please send them to NWTRCC as we update our Tax Day page. Ed Hedemann captured some irrepressible resisters with the New York War Resisters League outside of the IRS building. 

The May NWTRCC conference spanned three days online this past weekend. We began Saturday with two amazing panels. We heard from panelists focused on nuclear disarmament on how the Entry Into Force of the  has created a great opportunity to call for the end of nuclear weapons and prevent an new generation of nuclear weapons from coming into existence. You can find a link to the panel on NWTRCC’s YouTube Channel here.  The second panel of younger war tax resisters followed. Their articulation of conscientious objection to war will impress. We will share a more detailed report back and links from the conference in coming days.  Thanks to all who attended. It was good to connect with you!

The final day to file taxes this year is May 17th.  The date falls on a Monday following Conscientious Objector Day, May 15th.  There was a clear decision of the the Administrative Committee (Ad Comm) meeting of NWTRCC a few years ago to frame our war tax resistance as a matter of conscientious objection. It was to identify with the long tradition of resistance to war in the US and those who faced prison for their opposition to World War II.  Those pacifists who had taken a principled stance against war continue to guide us as we proclaim that our opposition to war is not simply refusing to engage in combat but also to acknowledge and resist our complicity in paying for it with our taxes. (See a history of Pioneers of the Modern American War Tax Resistance Movement)

Ammon Hennacy with his active war tax resistance photo from wikisource

Ammon Hennessey often comes to mind around tax day. His public  resistance to war went back to World War I and extended throughout his life. He once said “A pacifist between wars is like a vegetarian between meals.”  David Gross wrote about the principles of Ammon’s ‘one man revolution’ in an earlier blog. The work of  NWTRCC is to dispel the myth that we are resisting war in isolation.  We are actively investing in building community, devoting our energy and resources into real needs around us.  As we focus more on redirection efforts and less on the waste of military spending, we are strengthening the mycelium-like networks. Share with the network any actions you have planned around disrupting the military madness. 

Post by Chrissy Kirchhoefer

The post Redirection and Keeping Track of the People We Owe first appeared on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

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Right, Catholic Worker musicians “Filthy Rotten System” join tax protest outside the IRS, April 15, 2021. NYC photos by Ed Hedemann.

No troublesome incidents of any kind developed in the course of the day, although the customary band of pickets turned up outside the Forty-fifth Street headquarters for an hour at noon. Recruited by members of the Tax Refusal Committee of Peacemakers, of Sharonville, Ohio, were representatives of the War Resisters League, 5 Beekman Place, and The Catholic Worker, 223 Christie Street.

They either refused to pay Federal income taxes or sympathized with those who did not because “the huge program of armaments can only lead to a third world war.” Weapons, it was claimed, eat up seven-eighths of the national budget. In Philadelphia, other groups of pacifists objected on the same grounds.

Published: March 17, 1953. Copyright © The New York Times

That pretty much sums up the 2021 NYC event, except that Peacemakers is no more, the IRS, WRL and Catholic Worker addresses have changed, and many other groups were out across the country, including:

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Eugene, Oregon

As noted above in that quote above, a very high percentage of taxes paid for war in those years. The introduction to the Historical Tables, published annually with the federal budget, has an interesting section on trends that includes this:

“Throughout most of the Nation’s history prior to the 1930s, the bulk of Federal spending went towards national defense, veterans’ benefits, and interest on the public debt. In 1929, for example, 71 percent of Federal outlays were in these three categories.”

There are still many people who believe that that is all the government should do (until their Social Security check is taken away…), but, during the 1930s efforts to fight the depression with public works led to an increase in social spending. Social spending gained more ground in the 1970s after the Vietnam War ended, thus the pie chart today shows a lower percentage allotted to war. However, the charts in the historical table give you the actual dollar figures (in constant dollars) for so-called “national defense” spending.

1953: $52,802,000,000

2019: $686,003,000,000

There are billions of reasons to refuse to pay for war and institute our own systems of social spending. This year the Northern California People’s Life Fund announced grants from war tax resisted dollars of $2,500 each to 24 groups doing important work in our local communities. Individuals have until May 17 to decide what they are going to do if they owe federal income taxes this year, and the customary band of pickets will be out on May 17 along with other groups across the country to deliver the message again.

— Post by Ruth Benn

The post “The Customary Band of Pickets” first appeared on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

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Below is our press release for Tax Day 2021. We now that Tax Day has been officially delayed until May 17, but many groups are still hosting actions or Zoom events around the original April 15 day. Feel free to adjust the press release below for your own use. If you are having a tax day action, but have not alerted the NWTRCC office, please email the details to nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org, or use the online form. As stated in the press release, we are asking war tax resisters to make their presence felt on the streets (if possible) and online. Please take pictures and video of your tax day actions and send us a copy. When posting online, please use the hashtags, #NoTaxes4War and #NWTRCC. Writing these “hashtags” with your message will mean that anyone can find your post on Facebook or Twitter by searching “#NoTaxes4War” or “#NWTRCC.” When posting a picture or graphic, also let folks know they can find out more info about WTR at nwtrcc.org.

In Resistance,

Lincoln

Press Release 2021

Tax Day 2021

For Immediate Release: April 8, 2021
National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC)
Contact: Lincoln Rice, Coordinator
800-269-7464 (262-399-8217) or nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org

Refusing to Pay for 4 More Years of U.S. Militarism

“War Tax Resisters” Protest with Their Money

War tax resisters are taking to the streets to call for an end to endless war on people and the environment. They are not under any delusions that the Biden presidency will rein in military spending.

U.S. weaponry is used to not only kill people in places like Yemen, Iraq, and Afghanistan, but it is also employed to harm and intimidate—and sometimes kill—Black and Brown citizens in the United States. Since 9/11, over $1.6 billion of military equipment has been transferred to police departments under the 1033 program. Additionally, funding for the militarized Custom and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) terrorizes our immigrant communities with raids and inhumanely separating families. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed misplaced priorities and the gross misuse of federal tax funds. Despite 550,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. and a lack of resources to help Americans weather this crisis, government payments to military contractors have not skipped a beat. And on top of all this, the U.S. military is the largest institutional user of oil in the world—burning 240,000 barrels of oil each day—and no plan to halt climate change is adequate that does not address the military budget.

Thousands of people across the United States—from San Diego to Manhattan—will be protesting the U.S. military budget on the days surrounding traditional Tax Day (April 15) and the date on which taxes are due this year (May 17). They will promote war tax resistance and highlight the deep flaws of our current budget.

Local actions will feature protests at the San Diego-Tijuana border, “Burma shave” sign displays during rush hour, vigils outside federal buildings and military installations, online Zoom sessions, and redirection ceremonies where activists redirect their withheld federal taxes dollars to underfunded organizations. Activists will post pictures and videos from their events on social media using the hashtags, #NoTaxes4War and #NWTRCC.

The proposed federal budget for fiscal year 2022 continues to take our country in the wrong direction. This massive proposed budget would continue to keep military spending at 48% of the current federal spending with $1.7 trillion being dedicated to past and present military expenses.

Not waiting for the government to act, activists will openly refuse to pay their taxes to the IRS and will instead redirect those funds to humanitarian programs. Erica Leigh of Seattle, Washington, says, “I want to live in accordance with my values and paying for militarism does not fit into that.” Maria Smith of Cleveland, Ohio states that she is “totally transparent on her tax form,” she just refuses to pay for killing at home and abroad. Her war tax resistance “embraces the full amount of my commitment to nonviolence.”

In Berkeley, California, members of Northern California People’s Life Fund will redirect $60,000 in resisted war taxes. They received grant applications earlier this spring and will announce the names of the groups receiving $2,500 grants during an online ceremony on April 15. They will prioritize “essential day-to day human services which the government is not adequately furnishing, together with educational or other work that identifies and seeks to change the root causes of the problem.” The group was founded by war tax resisters in 1971 to pool their resisted war taxes. People’s Life Fund member Susan Quinlan says, “There are so many excellent groups that are working to protect families, communities, and the natural environment, and we are delighted to support these efforts. With U.S. military spending surpassing $1 trillion, we invite others to imagine what good could come from redirecting these military funds on a grand scale.”

The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC) has coordinated tax day actions since 1983. NWTRCC is a coalition of local, regional, and national groups providing information and support to people who are conscientious objectors to paying taxes for war. NWTRCC partners with the Global Days of Action on Military Spending coordinated from Barcelona, Spain to join protests of war spending in the U.S. with a demand for global disarmament and a shift in priorities to sustainable development.

– 30 –

Resources:

War tax resisters are available for interviews. Please contact NWTRCC, 1-800-269-7464, nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org, for contacts in your area.

Up-to-date list of Tax Day actions, https://nwtrcc.org/tax-day-actions-2021/

“Where Your Income Tax Money Really Goes” — War Resisters League pie chart, https://www.warresisters.org/resources/wrl-pie-chart-flyers-where-your-income-tax-money-really-goes

Global Day of Action on Military Spending, http://demilitarize.org/

Militarization of the Police, https://nwtrcc.org/police/

Climate Crisis, Taxes, & War, https://nwtrcc.org/war-tax-resistance-resources/readings/environment-taxes-and-war/

The post Tax Day Press Release – April 2021 first appeared on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

The post Tax Day Press Release – April 2021 appeared first on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

At a recent webinar with U.N. officials, the Vatican called for disarmament in light of the health crisis experienced as a result of the coronavirus from a humanizing perspective: “The pandemic offers us a precious opportunity… prompts us to question how much the huge military expenditures are really able to guarantee the security of individual populations, of how much these resources could and should be allocated to investments to other ends. The pandemic is further shaking an already unstable world, where climate chaos and war compete for the dubious honour of most perilous threat.”    

Public Citizen recently reported that ⅓ of Covid deaths were related to a lack of insurance—emphasizing the need for Medicare for All. Currently, over 87 million people in the U.S. are uninsured or underinsured, with many joining these ranks after losing their employment because of the Covid outbreak and subsequent shutdown. Since the beginning of the outbreak, “health insurers” have seen record profits because they have not had to pay out claims as people in the U.S. have delayed seeking health care treatment either acutely or preventatively.

woman holding pink sign with black text: “Taxes For Healthcare NOT Warfare”

In making the case of Medicare for All in 2019, Rep. Jayapal for the State of Washington said, “The state of our healthcare system is absolutely atrocious… how is it possible that the United States, the richest country in the world, is the only major country that does not guarantee healthcare to our residents?“ 

In another report, it was said that there was a 20% increase in deaths deemed “collateral damage” due to the pandemic. While the deaths were not specifically related to Covid infections, they were due to disruptions in healthcare, especially with those impacted by chronic diseases. There has been a rise in diseases in the U.S. that some have linked to the post-World War II era and the saturation of leftover pollutants from that war into the environment.  

Forbes reports, “However, the CDC data do make an important point: that Americans’ poor state of health, mostly related to our own lifestyles, made the U.S. dramatically more vulnerable to Covid.” It is interesting that for some time the military has attempted to justify military operations as a way of defending the U.S. way of life, yet it is this very way of life that is making us sick, exacerbating the impact of the pandemic, and depriving us of the resources to respond both proactively and reactively to the greatest threats to the well being of human and all life on the planet.

Image by MasterTux from Pixabay.

Kathy Kelly shared in a panel of War Tax Resisters how as a holistic approach to resistance included taking responsibility for her health. That is not to say that we should not have structures in place to ensure care for others, but rather it entails naming what ills us and taking action. I am reminded of a repeated refrain that I have heard at a neighborhood association in the heart of St. Louis when addressing emergency preparedness: “No One is Coming for Us.”

For three decades agencies of the military have known that a massive pandemic has been likely to occur with the climate crisis impacting the severity. War Tax Resister Lindsey Britt recently wrote a piece about the need to critically examine the mono-narrative that is assumed about Death and Taxes and to examine that tension collectively.  Britt articulated the tension eloquently in her article, “Our Taxes Are Our Legacy.”

Let us take this precious opportunity and raise these issues, especially in the lead up to tax day. Let us know  what you are planning and how NWTRCC can support your efforts. 

Post by Chrissy Kirchhoefer 

The post Questioning Death and Taxes first appeared on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

The post Questioning Death and Taxes appeared first on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

2020 has revealed so much inequity within our society, especially related to class and racial justice.  Conversations around the injustices in which this nation was founded, with stolen land and stolen bodies that created the very wealth of those who continue to benefit, are more prevalent in the present than ever before.  Many will acknowledge that the United States was founded through revolution and tax protest,  yet do not see this as a participatory part of democracy even now when the very vitality of the U.S. and its inhabitants are at stake.

U.S. War Tax History

Following the American Revolution, George Washington proposed a tax on spirits to fund a policy of “assuming war debt” for the war that established the United States. It was the first time that Congress approved of a tax on a domestic product, which fomented the Whiskey Rebellion. The first income tax was placed on the population to pay for the Civil War in 1861.  Abraham Lincoln voluntarily paid income tax that was later returned to his estate.  There was much debate about the legitimacy of federal income tax. There were two types of taxes imposed: the poll tax or head tax for individuals as well as property taxes; the distribution of the taxes was related to each state’s population from the census. While there were income taxes imposed in the late 19th century to recoup costs from the war, it was not until Congress passed the Revenue Act of 1913 that federal income taxes were formalized. Teddy Roosevelt had pushed for a “progressive tax” in 1907, which would tax each income class according to its means. At that time a 1% income tax was imposed on net personal income over $3,000 and 6% on incomes over $500,000.  

Following World War I, the top income rate rose to 77% to help pay for the war but in reality the wealthy only paid 15%. The percentages of taxes levied varied greatly following the Great Depression and increased dramatically at the end of World War II. At that time Congress introduced payroll withholdings and quarterly tax payments. Although income taxes were imposed to pay for wars, it was not until 1967 until Lyndon Johnson proposed an income tax “surtax” to pay for the Vietnam War; created an explicit “war tax.”

U.S. War Tax Resistance History

One of the most well known  war tax resister in the US was Henry David Thoreau  who spent a night in jail for refusing to pay for Mexican-American war and slavery.  His writing “Civil Disobedience” penned in  1847 continues to be an influential source of principled resistance tactics. While there were other examples of war tax resistance it was not until the dawn of the nuclear age that nationwide networks of  WTR were established. Peacemakers and the Committee for Nonviolent Revolution, the predecessors to NWTRCC,  were established in 1948 following a gathering in Chicago of  anti-war radicals. An article, “Hell No I Won’t Pay” by Kennett Love was published during the Vietnam War and included many of names of those who have paved the way with their principled approach to oppose paying for war. A.J. Muste penned a letter to the Washington Post to articulate some of those principles in stating that many came to WTR after “the ordinary channels of protest have been exhausted.” Many well known people signed onto the pledge at a time when there was little support for that position; they paved the path for people of conscience to rise above fear of the IRS and to simply paying for wars. While approaches to WTR vary, two common themes seem to be harm reduction, concern for those impacted from U.S. wars and the theft of those resources from our communities as well as an emphasis upon collectivism, devoting time, energy and resources into our communal needs. 

Donald Trump & Taxes

Donald Trump’s taxes seem to epitomize the antithesis of the values of WTR. I originally intended to share some of the “highlights” of the Trump taxes, but then it felt more like regurgitating a tired, stale tale that would create more agitation than inspiration. Anger and fear can only carry us as far as it is ignited. I have been thinking a lot about language, especially as it relates to rejecting militarized language and focusing more on language that encourages action and inspiration. I continue to ponder Ruth Benn’s questions posed in last week’s blog. I have been pondering for much of 2020 how to encourage others to divest from paying for wars and invest in their communities as they are able. Many are seeing with new eyes in 2020; I hope that we are able to inspire others to take bold, creative actions rooted in uplifting life.

Here are additional sources of information about the conversations happening around federal income taxes:

The President’s Taxes: Long Concealed Records Show Trump’s Chronic Loses and Years of Tax Avoidance

How Reality-TV Fame Handed Trump a $427 million Lifeline

Trump’s Tax Avoidance is a Tax on the Rest of Us

A Brief History of the Taxpayer in Chief

Among the key findings of the Times’ investigation:

• Mr. Trump paid no federal income taxes in 11 of 18 years that the Times examined. In 2017, after he became president, his tax bill was only $750.
• He has reduced his tax bill with questionable measures, including a $72.9 million tax refund that is the subject of an audit by the Internal Revenue Service.
• Many of his signature businesses, including his golf courses, report losing large amounts of money — losses that have helped him to lower his taxes.
• The financial pressure on him is increasing as hundreds of millions of dollars in loans he personally guaranteed are soon coming due.
• Even while declaring losses, he has managed to enjoy a lavish lifestyle by taking tax deductions on what most people would consider personal expenses, including residences, aircraft, and $70,000 in hairstyling for television.
• Ivanka Trump, while working as an employee of the Trump Organization, appears to have received “consulting fees” that also helped reduce the family’s tax bill.
• As president, he has received more money from foreign sources and U.S. interest groups than previously known. The records do not reveal any previously unreported connections to Russia.

Post by: Chrissy Kirchhoefer

The post U.S. Tax History- It Doesn’t Repeat Itself, But It Often Rhymes first appeared on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

The post U.S. Tax History- It Doesn’t Repeat Itself, But It Often Rhymes appeared first on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

Below is our press release for Tax Day, 15 July 2020. Feel free to adjust it for your own use. If you are having a tax day action, but have not alerted the NWTRCC office, please email the details to nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org, or use the online form. As stated in the press release, we are asking war tax resisters to make their presence felt on the streets (if possible) and online on July 15^th. When posting online, please use the hashtags, #NoTaxes4War and #NWTRCC. Writing these “hashtags” with your message will mean that anyone can find your post on Facebook or Twitter by searching “#NoTaxes4War” or “#NWTRCC.” When posting a picture or graphic, also let folks know they can find out more info about WTR at nwtrcc.org.

In Resistance,

Lincoln

Press Release 2020

Tax Day 2020

For Immediate Release: July 9, 2020
National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC)
Contact: Lincoln Rice, Coordinator
800-269-7464 (262-399-8217) or nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org

Tax Day Protests Demand End to the War on People of Color
Both Beyond and Within the Borders of the United States

Thousands of people across the United States—from San Diego to Manhattan—are organizing protest campaigns on or near Wednesday, July 15, calling for an end to endless war on people of color both inside and beyond the borders of the United States. In this past, local actions featured public hearings on an immoral budget, flying kites instead of drones, and “Burma shave” sign displays during rush hour. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many activists will adjust their plans. This year, plans include traditional protests at post offices and street corners, joining with Black Lives Matters protests to defund racist mechanisms of so-called security, and making their presence felt online by posting the call: “Don’t Pay for War!”—using the hashtags #NoTaxes4War and #NWTRCC.

War Tax Resisters will post this graphic online for Tax Day (July 15).

Or take a picture of themselves from protesting outside. Nydia Leaf in front of Post Office in New York City on 15 April 2020.

Many have been taking to the streets to call for Defunding the Police and redirecting those funds towards vital human needs. Since 1997, the Department of Defense has transferred more than $7 billion worth of military equipment to more than 8,000 law enforcement agencies around the country through what is known as the 1033 Program. The National Priorities Project has proposed a local resolution to end the transfer of military equipment to police. Additionally, since the mid-1990s, the Department of Justice has granted $14 billion to local police departments. NWTRCC Coordinator Lincoln Rice states, “The refusal to pay federal income taxes is a tangible way to protest the racist practices of local police departments and defund the police.”

“Where You Income Tax Money Really Goes” War Resister League Pie Chart

This is all in addition to increased funding for the militarized Custom and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which terrorize our immigrant communities with raids and inhumanely separate families.

The proposed federal budget for fiscal year 2021 aims to take our country in the wrong direction. Noticeably missing in Trump’s $3.5 trillion proposed budget is any mention of funding to combat climate change. The Environmental Protection Agency would face a 26% decrease in funding with 50 programs facing elimination. This is worsened by the fact the U.S. military is the number one institutional user of oil in the world, burning about 240,000 barrels of oil each day. The U.S. military can afford to exert this environmental harm because approximately 50% of federal income taxes are directed to past, present, and future military spending.

This massive proposed budget also includes about $2 trillion in cuts to safety net programs like Medicaid, student loan programs, federal housing assistance, food stamps, and federal disability insurance.

Often forgotten is the growing use of drone warfare. According the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, there were 1,878 drone strikes during Obama’s eight years in office. During Trump’s first three years in office, there have been 11,760 drone strikes. Since 2002, there have been 8,850 to 16,800 drone deaths, including 900 to 2,200 civilian deaths.

The explicit focus of federal income taxes being utilized for the killing of human beings and the destruction of the environment while programs to address human needs face steep cuts is unacceptable.

Not waiting for the government to act, many activists will openly refuse to pay their taxes to the IRS and will instead redirect those funds to humanitarian programs. Bill Glassmire of Corvallis, Oregon, says, “I am resisting war taxes in order to redirect resources away from U.S. militarism and routine violence and toward building a peaceful and healthy earth.”

In Berkeley, California this past April, members of Northern California People’s Life Fund redirected $21,850 in resisted war taxes to eleven local social justice organizations that are providing human services that the government is not adequately supplying. On July 15, they will be granting an additional $12,000 to community based groups and individuals who are leading the movement for racial justice and divesting from police violence, as well as those who are addressing the COVID crisis through powerful mutual aid projects. The group was founded by war tax resisters in 1971 to pool their resisted war taxes. People’s Life Fund member Susan Quinlan says, “There are so many excellent groups that are working to protect families, communities, and the natural environment, and we are delighted to support these efforts. With U.S. military spending surpassing $1 trillion, we invite others to imagine what good could come from redirecting these military funds on a grand scale.”

On Saturday July 11, the Cleveland Nonviolence Network will be hosting an online event, The Deadly Sonic Boom of the U.S. Military Budget, featuring war tax resister Kathy Kelly from Voices for Creative Nonviolence. Kelly will share from her life experiences traveling to areas impacted by war, conveying the personal impacts of war, and discussing our collective responsibility in terms of U.S. military spending.

The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC) has coordinated tax day actions since 1983. NWTRCC is a coalition of local, regional and national groups providing information and support to people who are conscientious objectors to paying taxes for war. NWTRCC partners with the Global Days of Action on Military Spending coordinated from Barcelona, Spain to join protests of war spending in the U.S. with a demand for global disarmament and a shift in priorities to sustainable development.

– 30 –

Resources:

War tax resisters are available for interviews. Please contact NWTRCC, 1-800-269-7464, nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org, for contacts in your area.

“Where Your Income Tax Money Really Goes” — War Resisters League pie chart, https://www.warresisters.org/resources/wrl-pie-chart-flyers-where-your-income-tax-money-really-goes

“The Financial Priorities of Local Governments Mirror the Federal Government” — NWTRCC article on the dominance of “security funding” in the federal budget and municipal budgets, https://nwtrcc.org/2020/06/04/the-financial-priorities-of-local-governments-mirror-the-federal-government/

Global Day of Action on Military Spending, http://demilitarize.org/

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism — Drone Warfare
https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/projects/drone-war

Tax Day Report of 2019: https://nwtrcc.org/tax-day-2019/

The post Tax Day Press Release July 2020 first appeared on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

The post Tax Day Press Release July 2020 appeared first on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

Image from the Cleveland Nonviolence Network flier for the Deadly Sonic Boom of the US Military Budget (a Birthday Party!)

At NWTRCC’s online conference in May, Maria Smith, a War Tax Resister extraordinaire from Cleveland,  extended  an invitation to her online Birthday party just prior to Tax Day. She would love for you to join in her event. The Deadly Sonic Boom of the U.S. Military Budget will feature War Tax Resister Kathy Kelly with Voices for Creative Nonviolence. Kathy will share from her life experiences  traveling to areas impacted by war, conveying the personal impacts of war and our collective responsibility in terms of US military spending. Kathy inspires action and encourages us to“catch courage” from each other to take personal risks in order to connect with a wider sense of our shared humanity. Maria’s celebration of life, sponsored by the Cleveland Nonviolence Network, will feature poets Anita Tobin and Sherrie Tolliver and will take place Saturday July 11th at 7pm Eastern standard time.

Much has changed within the US in these past few months. Many have been taking to the streets to demand justice and to call for Defunding the police and redirecting those funds towards vital human needs. Since 1990, the Department of Defense has transferred more than $7 billion worth of military equipment to more than 8,000 law enforcement agencies around the country through what is known as the 1033 Program.  The National Priorities Project has proposed a Local Resolution to End the Transfer of military equipment to police. “These transfers have promulgated the militarization of police, contributing to police violence and increasingly aggressive police tactics.”   NWTRCC Coordinator, Lincoln Rice recently wrote  a blog about similarities of local and federal budgets, The Financial Priorities of Local Governments Mirror the Federal Government. People throughout the US are talking about ‘participatory budgeting’ with the campaigns to Defund the police as well as wider demilitarization efforts.

A recent book, The Rise of the Warrior Cop further explores these connections. The author Radley Balko explored these connections in a recent interview “the Reagan administration started blurring this line that we’ve had between the military and the police. And yeah, we had that line for a very good reason. These are very – two very different jobs. A soldier’s job is to kill people and break things – right? – to annihilate a foreign enemy. A police officer’s job is to keep the peace. It’s to protect and serve. They are not equivalent, although a lot of politicians over the years have seemed to think they are.” Representative Barbara Lee has proposed legislation to Defund the Pentagon Budget by cutting the budget by $350 Billion in order to ‘Reinvest in People and Cut Weapons of War‘.

On what is normally Tax Day in the U.S., April 15th, members of NWTRCC took  to social media to raise awareness that close to half of the federal budget goes towards  war. There were also actions at the IRS and Post Offices. You can find some of the actions here as well as suggestions from an earlier blog here. We can still share War Resisters League Pie Chart compiled by Ruth Benn and Ed Hedemann shared virtually with the hash tag #NoTaxes4War and #NWTRCC. The War Resisters League of Portland, Oregon will hold signs “burma shave” style on bridges with messages about government spending and priorities on July 15th. Let us know your action plans and redirection efforts  in your communities.

Photo from Ithaca WTR on Tax Day 2020

Rev. Liz Theoharis with the Poor People’s Campaign sums up the start of 2020 and the work before us, “2020 began with an almost-war. Then a pandemic. Then a series of murders. But then came the uprising. As demands grow to redirect money away from the police and toward the building blocks of a more just, equitable society, we must do the same for the war economy.” 

Post by Chrissy Kirchhoefer

The post Tax Day 2020- As Movements Converge first appeared on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

The post Tax Day 2020- As Movements Converge appeared first on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

But planning for redirection has been on my mind lately, reinforced by the calls to defund the police and invest in badly needed services in communities long underfunded. I’ve also gotten quite a few emails from organizations or activists encouraging donations to Black-led groups as another prod to consider my redirections.

This reminded me of NWTRCC’s 2017 call to war tax resisters for “collective redirection to Black, Brown, and Indigenous Resistance.” Sam Koplinka-Loehr, Outreach Consultant at the time, was behind the text for the call, which outlined reasons for this campaign (the full text and reports of the redirection are on the website).

• Black, Brown, and Indigenous People are directly targeted by systemic racism and state-sponsored violence.
• Black, Brown, and Indigenous organizers in our communities are leading—and have been leading for generations—fierce campaigns to end state violence, dismantle white supremacy, and eliminate all forms of oppression. (Check out the Movement For Black Lives Policy Platform   which lays out how our movements are deeply connected and how black organizers are leading the charge for systemic change both in the United States and around the world.)
• There is a huge wealth gap from the ongoing legacies of white supremacy and systemic racism that impacts households  and organizations. In many communities, white organizers have access to more resources than Black, Brown, and Indigenous organizers.
• War tax resisters have long recognized the interconnections between our movements. The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC) statement of purpose reads, “NWTRCC sees poverty, racism, sexism, homophobia, economic exploitation, environmental destruction and militarization of law enforcement as integrally linked with the militarism which we abhor. Through the redirection of our tax dollars NWTRCC members contribute directly to the struggle for peace and justice for all.”

That last point said to me “put your money where your mouth is.” The collective redirection campaign did cause me to examine my usual redirection list and note that I was guilty guilty guilty of supporting mostly white-led organizations. While I focused on lots of good causes like feeding the hungry, sheltering victims of war, or promoting alternative media, I was not thinking about a deeper level of redirection that involves shifting resources.

This examination is an ongoing process. I’m not patting myself on my back for changes made as there’s always more to be done. Sam still deserves a nod for pushing us along the road to examine and act on the ways that racism and structural racism inveigle their ways into even our most sincere efforts to act for peace and justice.

— Post by Ruth Benn

The post Examining My Good Intentions first appeared on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

The post Examining My Good Intentions appeared first on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

Call for Revolution by Jose Guadalupe Posada

Time is running out…

If you haven’t placed a bid or checked on your bid now is the time to respond.  Carlos Stewart has offered Flood Gallery to host the auction which is now exclusively online. Carlos is a former Ad Comm member of NWTRCC and currently serves on the Fundraising committee.  You can find the link to NWTRCC’s benefit at Charity Auctions Today HERE before it concludes on Saturday June 27th.

One of 12 images of social justice poster series by Luba Lukova

Artists from throughout the U.S. have donated or discounted their artwork to support NWTRCC. Creative people have often been at the forefront of change in the world.  Their ability to envision another world has been expressed through many mediums.  Art has a way of evoking so many emotions common in the human experience. Often we have individual responses to our exposure to art that resonates with a collective knowing that extents beyond words.  You will find poetry, sculpture, photographs and history amongst the offerings.

We all come to change from deeply personal experiences that motivate.  Art is one of the uniting forces of being human on this earth. It can speak a language that is uniquely experienced but connects to universal messages.  Now is the time for us to to support artists and end war. In this time of reflection we invest our money in ways that support the creation of a more nonviolent world.

Pray for the Dead collage by Amy Bartell. One of many pieces from the Syracuse Cultural Workers

GREAT NEWS—Who Knew Redirection Could Be So Easy (and you don’t even have to leave the house).  Lincoln Rice, Coordinator of NWTRCC, mentioned that supporters have been generous in the annual Spring Appeal that was mailed out recently. In a unique sign of the strange times we live in, a few members have signed over their stimulus checks issued by the federal government to support the work of NWTRCC.

With the rising of Black Lives Matter rallies in every state in the US—encompassing cities, suburbs and rural area—a vision of a new reality is emerging at every sector of society that we could not even imagine a short time ago. The movement Divest from police departments and invest in community needs has been a catalyst challenging us to look at what we prioritize through through funding. This echos a core belief of NWTRCC.

We would love to hear what actions you have been participating in locally and nationally through writing letters to the editor, calling elected officials, having challenging conversations with others, etc. Let us know any preparations that you are making for Tax Day on July 15th and ways NWTRCC can help. Know that the choices you make have an impact upon the world. We are all contributing to this shared vision. We are better together; we know more than ever that we are all connected.

Here’s the link again for the Auction—where you’ll find this frog amidst other amazing artwork including a Not War note card series.

Cynthia Potter’s Paper Mache Frog Puppet

 Post by Chrissy Kirchhoefer

The post Instead of War- Art and Beauty first appeared on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

The post Instead of War- Art and Beauty appeared first on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

George Floyd memorial in Minneapolis from commons.wikimedia

Trump began Monday by undermining existing global bodies when he called Vladamir Putin to invite Russia to join the summit that would expand the G-7 to be held in the U.S. later in the year.  Yet it was not until later in the day that some, including those from the military,  speculate that Trump finally crossed the line by using violence against  protesters outside the White House with chemical agents, sound grenades, and numerous armed agents in riot gear to disperse the crowd exercising their 1st Amendment right to assemble, so he could cross the street to have his photo taken with a bible. Retired Army General Douglas Lute said “There is a thin line between the tolerance we have witnessed from the military for three years and the point where it becomes intolerable…as the team walked across Lafayette Park with the president, they crossed that line.”  The team he was referring to included  Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, General Mark Milley chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff and Attorney General William Barr.

Shortly before crossing the street, Trump urged governors to use the National Guard to “dominate the streets” or he would send active military throughout the U.S. with the 1807 Insurrection Act. Later, the head of the Department of Defense told reporters, “I did not know where I was going.”  The New York Times explained, “he did not understand that he was symbolically embracing the use of American military forces…to suppress peaceful protest.”   Earlier in the day Esper, a former lobbyist for Raytheon, stated that the mission was to “dominate the battle space” and as the day was coming to close the White House was reminiscent of the fortified Green Zone in Baghdad. Trump was able to make it home with the assistance of a heavily armed entourage before the curfew went into effect in the nation’s capital. 

After the sun had set, the National Guard, often used to respond to natural disasters, was sent to enforce the curfew and disperse the crowd. A Black Hawk and Lakota helicopter with a cross indicating it was a medical response and violating the Geneva conventions were sent in by the national guard to disperse the crowd. The pilots, who did not have experience flying the military equipment in a crowded metropolitan area, terrorized the crowd while flying low, stirring up debris and breaking trees.  This was part of the arsenal of the National Guards which included reconnaissance planes, armored vehicles, tens of thousands of pistol rounds, rifles and other weapons that were placed in storage at the DC Armory.      

Almost all of the militarized factions of the US apparatus were present in DC including the FBI, ATF, Homeland Security (ICE and CBP), the Bureau of Prisons (specifically the ‘riot control’ sector who had been deputized to arrest protesters by AG Barr) and other unidentified federal agencies. The actions were unprecedented for the numerous agencies and led to confusion with different internal policies to guide their actions. 

Trump has often boasted about the amount of taxpayer money he has allocated (more than was requested) to these very agencies which now was being seen more as a bribe, leading the top military officials across a line into a political position. Former Secretary of Defense Mattis broke with tradition and spoke out against the current military command, “We must reject any thinking of our cities as a ‘battle space’ that our uniformed military is called to dominate.”  

Line of protesters and military police in Lafayette Square commons.wikimedia

The line between the police and military have been blurring in recent years especially when approximately 20% of police departments consist of former members of the military.  A former sergeant states “The purpose of the military is to train soldiers to treat the enemy as inferior human beings or not human at all because that makes them easier to kill.”  Rosa Brooks writes in an article, “Stop Training Police Like They’re Joining the Military,” that she recognized that she was joining a paramilitary organization when training at the police academy in DC.

It has been important to hear from those in the military including someone who spoke on the condition of anonymity that “he was hoping to make it through another day without having to cite his constitutional obligations to decline an illegal order… although he would not be surprised if he faced such a dilemma in the coming weeks.” Family members of the military were joining the protest to “Condemn the use of military forces within the United States and described being stunned- and horrified- by the images from Lafayette Square.”  In 2016 Trump campaigned on the promise of bringing the troops home; little did know that in 2020 he would intend on using those very troops on US citizens.  He also promised to build a wall. We are witnessing that wall emerge in the isolationist US policies and literal fortification of the White House. 

Post by Chrissy Kirchhoefer

The post Bringing the Troops Home to Use on US Citizens first appeared on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

The post Bringing the Troops Home to Use on US Citizens appeared first on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

Today as I pondered a blog topic yet again I decided to do a search on “war tax resistance” and see where that might lead. Interestingly, it led me to a recent article, “Tax Revolts Aren’t Out of the Question.” There’s a hopeful topic!

In the article, the author Stephen Mihm focuses on the current budget crises of state and local governments. He looks back at the Great Depression as the closest precedent for today’s “coronavirus-induced declines in tax revenue” as he puts it. Even though the federal government could lower taxes and carry debt, states and localities were desperate. “For every penny saved in taxes in Washington, five cents were added to taxes at the City Hall and State House,” he quotes from a critic at the time. “Taxpayer leagues” formed around the country and created a visible tax resistance movement, some calling for a tax strike, which led the powers that be to brand them as (the always scary) “anarchists.”

By 1933, fears of cuts in essential services strengthened the calls to “pay your taxes,” and the repeal of Prohibition allowed state and local governments to raise revenue with the sales tax on alcoholic beverages and licenses. (The federal government still gets significant revenue from those excise taxes on alcohol.)

What can we do to make war tax resistance a more visible option at this time? WTRs have long included “healthcare not warfare” in our slogans and platforms. With tax day still 6 weeks away (as it stands now) can we make that message or similar one we use across the country for a more unified and visible presence? Can we better promote our alternative fund and individual redirection to healthcare, food programs, etc., to bring more attention to the desperate need to move money from the Pentagon to so many other desperate needs?

The Poor People’s Campaign is working to build their virtual Mass Poor People’s Assembly & Moral March on Washington on June 20,2020.  It seems to me their platform and messaging do a very good job of connecting a whole range of critical issues, with an emphasis on the poor who have suffered drastically from the coronavirus and underlying structural inequalities. A good resource is their series of fact sheets, including a national and state  versions of “Defund Militarism: How a Policy of Violence Has Bankrupted Our Communities in United States.”

It may seem that there’s no hope for a resurgence but refusing taxes for war – and resistance to the government in general – has historically gone through cycles. While some may see no possibility of making WTR more visible, I can always hope….and hope for some comments with useful organizing ideas to take advantage of wider concerns during these exceptional times.

— Post by Ruth Benn

*In the late 1990s on leaving as coordinator, Karen Marysdaughter wrote well on The Status of the War Tax Resistance Movement in the US and The Future of the War Tax Resistance Movement in the U.S. (scroll down to the last article on those pages).

The post Looking for Hope In A Time of Crisis first appeared on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.

The post Looking for Hope In A Time of Crisis appeared first on National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.