Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC)
PO Box 5616, Milwaukee, WI 53233 • 800-269-7464
nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org • www.nwtrcc.org
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: April 9, 2019
National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC)
Contact: Lincoln, Coordinator
800-269-7464 (262-399-8217) or nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org
Tax Day Protests Demand End to War and Military Spending
War tax resisters redirect tax dollars from the Pentagon to People
Calling for an end to endless war and for funding for people and planet, thousands of people across the United States—from San Diego to Manhattan—are taking public action from Friday, April 12 through Wednesday, April 17. These actions feature public hearings on an immoral budget, flying kites instead of drones, and “Burma shave” sign displays during rush hour. Participants will take their message to the public, the IRS, and to the offices of elected officials.
This year, we are also celebrating the release of The Pacifist, a documentary film about the single largest act of War Tax Resistance in U.S. History. It has won several independent film festival awards and is now available on Amazon. The subject of the film, Larry Bassett, refused to pay federal income tax on $1 million that he inherited from his father’s estate and redirected those refused funds to groups & organizations meeting human needs all around the world. As Larry Bassett shared, “I owe [the IRS]… $236,000 in taxes and penalties and interest… [and] I have donated nearly $250,000 to people and organizations that make the world a better place.” (https://www.facebook.com/thepacifistfilm/)
According the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, there were 1,878 drone strikes during Obama’s eight years in office. During Trump’s first two years in office, there have been 2,243 drone strikes. Since 2004, there have been 8,000 to 12,000 drone deaths, including about 800 to 1,700 civilian deaths. In response, Milwaukee War Tax Resistance & the Casa Maria Catholic Worker are sponsoring a Fly Kites Not Drones demonstration on Saturday April 13 in front of the Milwaukee Army Reserve Base.
California Poor People’s Campaign Bus Tour will hold their last event of their Emergency Truth & Poverty Tour on Saturday April 13. They will hold a Public Hearing by the People on the Immoral Budget & March to the Border. The event begins at Casa Familiar Civic Center (1212 W Park, San Ysidro, CA).
Not waiting for the government to act, many activists will openly refuse to pay their taxes to the IRS and give the money to humanitarian programs instead. 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, members of Northern California People’s Life Fund will redirect over $15,000 in resisted war taxes in a public granting ceremony on Sunday April 14. 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 Monday, April 15, Taxes for Peace Not War in Eugene, Oregon will hold a rally outside the IRS office with Oregon Women’s Action for New Directions & Extinction Rebellion. They will be highlighting the ecological degradation that results from the U.S. military. The U.S. Pentagon is the largest user of oil in the world today, using over 350,000 barrels of oil each day. An F-16 jet on a training mission ignites more fuel in a single hour than the average car owner consumes in two years.
Passing out leaflets and singing, members of New York City War Resisters League will demand “taxes for peace” in the Manhattan in collaboration with the NYC Catholic Worker, Kairos Community, Peace Action NYS, Brooklyn For Peace, Veterans for Peace/Chapter 34, CODEPINK NYC, Raging Grannies, Pax Christi Metro New York, Granny Peace Brigade, Peace Action Bay Ridge, Bronx Peace Action, Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, NYC Democratic Socialists of America Anti-War Working Group, and World Can't Wait.
The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC) has coordinated tax day actions since 1983. The full list of actions with more details and local contact information is at https://nwtrcc.org/tax-day-actions/.
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.
Resources:
War tax resisters are available for interviews. Please contact NWTRCC, 1-800-269-7464, nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org, for contacts in your area.
List of tax day actions – https://nwtrcc.org/tax-day-actions/
“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/