US protesters refuse to pay war-tax

Al Jazeera ^ | 04/16/03 | Al Jazeera Staff Writer

[bedolido]

Over 10,000 anti-war protestors across the United States have decided not to pay up taxes intended to cover the expenses involved in invading Iraq.

In the unique protest, several dozen group members have announced their intention not to pay federal taxes that support the war against Iraq or the US military occupation of that country.

Actual cheques for the amount of resisted tax money will be given to representatives of local social needs organizations, as well as organizations giving aid to victims of war in Iraq.

According to local resident Betty Scholten, a member of Christian Peacemaker and Iraq Peace Teams who spent two months in Iraq, including 10 days during the war, “I have seen first hand the horror and terror of war. I believe it is time for people who believe that this war is wrong to realize that in paying our taxes we are funding the very wars we protest. We need to stop paying for our country’s aggression.”

The Iraq Pledge of Resistance, a nationwide campaign of nonviolent civil disobedience to oppose war and occupation in Iraq, has encouraged all participating groups to join the more than 10,000 war tax resisters in the US.

Gordon Clark, National Coordinator of the Iraq Pledge of Resistance and member of the local DC Pledge of Resistance, said “nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience is not restricted to crossing a police line or blockading a weapons producer. In refusing to pay part or all of our federal taxes and redirecting that money, war tax resisters are intentionally violating the law to further withhold our support and our cooperation from this illegal, immoral and unjust war.”

War tax resistance has a special meaning for residents in the capital Washington DC. Despite having no vote in Congress and therefore no say in the wars they are nonetheless required to fund through their taxes. A resident and war tax resister Anna White said the capital’s residents pay more federal taxes per capita than all but one state, and served in the Gulf War in greater numbers (proportionately) than the citizens of 46 states.

Ms. White added “I strongly believe in paying taxes. In fact, I would be willing to pay even more taxes, if they went to improve the social welfare of our nation. But until DC residents are treated as full citizens of this country, and until our government ends its global path of death and destruction, I cannot in good conscience pay my remaining federal taxes.”

She, like others, will donate her resisted taxes to support human needs in the District of Colombia. Other states where similar protests have been held include California and Wisconsin. --- Al Jazeera

[bedolido]

A demonstrator flashes a peace sign during a protest in conjunction with the World Bank IMF Spring meetings in Washington, April 13, 2003

[Saturnalia]

Providing this one is (partially) true, looks like the government will be taking in some extra fine revenue.

[mewzilla]

You've got to wonder about Al Jazeera. These folks really, really need to get a life.

[netmilsmom]

None of them work anyway. It's like saying I will boycott French wine. I don't buy it anyway so I'm not really doing anything am I?

[Gefreiter]

Al Jazeeera doesn't realize that these people will pay penalities and/or go to jail.

[wesdale]

I bet most of these people are already claimed as dependents by their parents anyways.

[Retrofire]

I love this. They can't be punished for exercising their right to free speech, but darn if they can't hang themselves with remarkably little rope.

Asshats.

[areafiftyone]

I tend not to believe Al JERKZERA they have a reputation of lying. I haven't seen anything about this on the Dark Side and most of the Peaceniks know the tax laws and really do not want the IRS breathing down their necks! They hate this government with a passion and they know they will be audited if they don't pay up and can go to jail.

[rface]

Over 10,000 anti-war protestors across the United States have decided not to pay up taxes.....and the 'RATs have just lost another 10,000 votes after these individuals lose their right to vote for refusing to pay Fed Income Tax.

[RoseofTexas]

WHOOOOOOOPPPPPPIE..the dirty BUMS are going to jail! HOME SWEET HOME! LOL

[Mister Baredog]

If this is how the tax system worked then sign me up. I'm sick of paying for pork for demoncrat welfare projects, they have a coalition for every form of govt "largess". Too bad that's NOT the way it is. This sounds like the "earned income tax credit" crowd to me. There's no jeopardy if you don't owe anything.

[Republican Wildcat]

Oh, yes, there's a "war tax" that shows up on the tax withholding on the pay stub. Al Jazeera is a joke.

[Gefreiter]

Yeah Rose, and they'll get a shower too...mandatory.

[Havoc]

Screw em. Send em to jail for tax evasion.

[dirtboy]

Over 10,000 anti-war protestors across the United States have decided not to pay up taxes intended to cover the expenses involved in invading Iraq.

I doubt most of these people pay federal income tax as it is. You need to have a job first, and one that pays more than Mickey D's wages...

[TonyWojo]

The Portion of my tax that goes to the Nature Conservency I want to not pay that. The portion that goes for the Everglades restoration nah don't want to pay that. The portion of Federal Grant money going to U of M nope do not agree with the affirmative action NIX that tax portion out of my return......... 16 hours later, I believe after all of my exemptions the IRS now owes me.

[pfflier]

Over 10,000

Lets do some simple math like assume that there are 200,000,000 taxpayers in the country. Of these 199,999,000 paid their "war taxes". 1.99,999,000/200,000,000 = 99.9995% paid

Where's the story? I would guess that many more than 10,000 just "forgot" to get their 1040 in by midnight.

[dei23]

This is great news!!! I am against a number of things the Feds waste my money on...does this mean I can stop paying taxes for these programs???

[sr4402]

The left is committing political suicide. Do you think the Dems who are money hungry for their Social Engineering or the Republican who want the tax cut to go forward will have any mercy? I THINK NOT

Bwwaaa, Haaaaa, Haaaaa. /saracasm off

[B. Rabbit]

I actually saw a group of protesters that weren't going to pay the war taxes. They had the strangely paradoxical signs which read:

Socialist
Hicks
Impugn
Taxes for war