Join in the work of the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee including WRL members across the country in organizing against taxpayer dollars spent for war and militarism!
The numbers are staggering: Over $1 trillion spent so far on the invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan since October 2001. Nearly half of each tax dollar going to the Pentagon and military contractors. Cities and states are closing schools, cutting services, furloughing staff. Thousands of civilians and soldiers killed with no evidence that the world is safer.
Get out on (or before) tax day to protest the obscene and increasing military budget. See the action list below, but if there's not an action in your area, order some flyers (list at the bottom) and head out to a busy corner to leaflet for an hour.
Events are April 15 unless otherwise noted.
List is in development. nwtrcc [at] nwtrcc.org (Email your action) to be added to this list.
For more information, go to the NWTRCC website.
ARIZONA
Tucson - Members of WILPF (and friends), susan[@]susanthorpe.com or 520-312-9988. Leafleting at the Sun Station Post Office from 9 - 5, and then at the Cherry Bell Station from 5 pm until midnight.
CALIFORNIA
Bay Area – Northern California War Tax Resistance, www.nowartax.org. Thursday, April 15th, 6–9pm, 2220 Sacramento St., BerkeleyNorthern California War Tax Resistance and the People’s Life Fund are delighted to be making nearly $20,000 in grants to twenty one amazing organizations that are working to bring about social justice and peace in our communities. About half of U.S. federal income taxes are used to wage war. People’s Life Fund grant monies come from interest earned on a pool of income tax dollars that have been withheld by people who cannot, in good conscience, support the military by paying these taxes. Instead, they choose to re-direct their taxes through the People’s Life Fund.Includes showing of the short film Death & Taxes. This event is free and open to the public.
Sonoma County - Sonoma County Taxes for Peace, 707-823-9203.
COLORADO
Boulder – War Tax Information Project, 303-499-9456. Tabling at Pearl Street Mall. Approx 11-1.
Colorado Springs – Citizens for Peace in Space, bsulzman [at] juno.com (Email). Leafleting with tax pie charts and other information at the Post Office. Time: noon.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington – Washington Area War Tax Resistance. info [at] dcwtr.org (Email). Vigil and leafleting at IRS headquarters, 1111 Constitution NW. Noon.
KENTUCKY
Louisville — Fellowship of Reconciliation-Louisville chapter. (502) 458-8056 or edwardsfor [at] bellsouth.net (Email). Luncheon meeting with showing of "Death and Taxes" followed by discussion. Sponsored in cooperation with Interfaith Paths to Peace. Rudyard Kipling, 422 West Oak. Buffet lunch at 11:30; presentation begins at noon. $6. Please RSVP.
ILLINOIS
Chicago — War Resisters Support Committee, bradlyttle [at] ameritech.net (Email). Distributing WRL pie chart leaflets at Federal Building Plaza, beginning about 8:00 am, followed at 10:00 am with a rally sponsored by the Midwest Pacifist Center.
Evanston — Neighbors for Peace and the North Shore Coalition for Peace and Justice. riegle [at] svsu.edu (Email).
Leaflet with WRL flyers at the Main Post Office on Davis and Oak ( 60201). From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
INDIANA
South Bend – Michiana War Tax Refusers. (574) 289-2126, psmith(at)saintmarys.edu, or michianapeacejustice.org. Vigil and leafleting at the Main Post Office. 5 pm–9 pm.
IOWA
Dubuque – Citizens’ Tax Moratorium. (563) 583-2586. Vigil and leafleting downtown at Federal Building, 6th and Locust. 5:45 pm–7:45 pm. (Also every Monday, 4:00 pm–5:00 pm.)
LOUISIANA
New Orleans – Pax Christi New Orleans. (504) 522-3751, benhgordon(at)yahoo.com. Leafleting at the main Post Office. 4 pm - 7 pm.
MAINE
Across the State – Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center and other groups. (207) 525-7776 or rosc(at)psouth.net. Call or email to help or to connect with others in your area for leafleting with flyers (click for PDF) about war taxes, budget priorities, and related issues at post offices and busy places. Before or on April 15.
Augusta: Tom Sturtevant, 377-2370
Bangor: Alan Clemence, 745-5558
Belfast: Larry Dansinger, 525-7776
Bath/Woolrich: Bruce Gagnon, 443-9502 or Betty King, 443-9005
Brunswick/Bath: Rosie Tyler Paul, 371-2077 (penny poll)
Ellsworth: Frank Donnelly, 461-5080
Farmington: Eileen Kreutz, 779-1943
Portland: Brad Cummings/Peace Action Maine, 772-0680
Rockland: Jesse Watson, 593-9208
Seacoast NH/Maine: Amy Antonucci: 603-664-2796
Skowhegan/Waterville: Lisa Savage, 643-2356
Damariscotta: Suzanne Hedrick, 563-7041
MASSACHUSETTS
Greenfield - Pioneer Valley War Tax Refusers, tmacl_hdrs [at] yahoo.com (Email) or (413) 774-2640. Picket with leaflets and placards along Main St., urging non-payment of Federal Income tax.. Printed matter will be offered at a sidewalk table by the Food Co-op, with the hope of opening a friendly exchange of views on this vital concern. 9 am until noon.
MISSOURI
St. Louis - St. Louis Covenant Community of War Tax Resisters, WILPF and the Instead of War Coalition
(314) 725-5303 or hras [at] humanrightsaction.net (Email). Vigil and leafleting with WRL pie chart and refrigerator magnet representing the amount of money spent on Afghan and Iraq wars over the last seven years and what that money could fund in St. Louis over the next seven years. 11:30 AM to 1:30 pm, Main Post Office Downtown St. Louis (18th and Market).
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Portsmouth -- Seacoast Peace Response, 603-335-6240 or wesflierl1 [at] netzero.net. Annual War Tax Education Penny Poll on the sidewalk outside the Portsmouth Post Office, 80 Daniel Street, to call attention to the costs of a militarized federal budget. Literature will be available to people as they go to the post office to mail their taxes which will give them information about how their tax dollars are being spent. 11 am to 5:30 pm (approx).
NEW YORK
Ithaca – Ithaca War Tax Resisters, (607) 256-9733. Showing of Death and Taxes with discussion afterwards. Tompkins County Public Library, Saturday, April 10, 1:30 pm. Children are welcome and will be given crafts to do. (PDF flyer)
New York City – NYC War Resisters League, NYC People’s Life Fund, and war tax resisters. (718) 768-7306 or www.warresisters.org. Meet and leaflet at Manhattan IRS office,110W. 44th Street, at 4 pm, then at 5:30 pm march to main post office at 8th Ave. and 34th St. for vigil and leafleting.
Rockland County, New City — Rockland Coalition for Peace and Justice, www.rocklandaction.org. Vigil “No More Tax Dollars for Wars!” We will hold a giant check showing the war cost so far. We will also hand out green checks showing both the total amount of war cost and the share for each Rockland family. Rockland County Courthouse steps, 1 S. Main St. 11:30 am - 12:30 pm.
NORTH CAROLINA
Asheville – Asheville War Resisters League/War Tax Resistance, ashevillewtr [at] gmail.com (Email). Banners and flyer distribution in front of the downtown public library, visible throughout town from the Library to the Federal Building to the Post Office on Coxe Avenue. 3-5 pm.
Greensboro vicinity – Penny poll and handing out pie charts at a local post office. Time and place to be determined. For more information contact Daniel Woodham, danielwoodham(at)yahoo.com
OHIO
Athens area — Penny poll or leafletting - details to be determed. Contact Rod Nippert, rodnip(at)hotmail.com.
OREGON
Portland – Oregon Community for War Tax Resistance/WRL, Veterans for Peace #72, Iraq Veterans Against the War, others. (503) 238-0605 or biljrat [at] spiretech.com (Email). Conscience in Action to benefit Coffee Strong, First Unitarian Church, 1211 SW Main. Showing “Death and Taxes,” with talk by Brian Willson and tax redirection to Coffee Strong. 6:00 pm Contact: (503) 238-0605 or biljrat [at] spiretech.com.
Olympia — Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation. glen [at] olywa.net (Email). Hand out WRL’s tax pie chart flyers at the downtown post office at several times throughout the day.
TEXAS
Austin – Arpil 8, 7:30 pm. Film showing of “Death and Taxes” followed by discussion. Monkeywrench Books, 110 E. North Loop. Tax Day fliering with wrl pie chart, April 15, 5 pm – 6 pm, Downtown Post Office, 6th St. and Guadalupe. Contact: Fran Hanlon, CodePink Austin, 512-743-3764
WASHINGTON
Seattle — NACC. (206) 547-0952, nacc(at)drizzle.com. Leafletting at several post offices from 4 to 5 pm (and other times).
WISCONSIN
Milwaukee – Milwaukee War Tax Resistance will be holding a tax day protest in front of the New Federal Building on the corners of 3rd & Wisconsin from Noon to 1pm on Saturday April 10th. On Thursday April 15, there will be a sit-in at Sen. Herb Kohl's office. For more information on either event, contact Lincoln at 414-344-5745 or usury_sucks(at)hotmail.com
Park Falls – Silent vigil to remember all the dead due to the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan with signs asking people to stop paying for death and destruction by giving their money to the US military. Corner of Hwy. 13 and County Rd. E. 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Contact: Don Timmerman and Roberta Thurstin at 715-762-8239.
List is in development. nwtrcc [at] nwtrcc.org (Email your action) to be added to this list.
Resources
War Resisters League - "Where Your Income Tax Money Really Goes" flyer, WRL pie chart
National Priorities Project - how much does your community spend for war?
National War Tax Resistance - brochures and information about refusing to pay for war
Friends Committee on National Legislation - federal budget information and flyers
"If a thousand people were not to pay their tax-bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody
measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the state to commit violence and shed innocent blood."
—Henry David Thoreau ,On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
