new york city war tax resistance—
2005 annual report
On Friday, April 15, New York City War Tax Resistance held its annual protest in front of the IRS office at 110 West 44th Street. Following below is the text of our update to membership:
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the year in review
Americans went to the polls on November 2nd and George Bush won the presidency once again. Aside from major voting irregularities in Ohio, which have been reported widely; machine breakdowns; lack of verifying mechanisms; registration among blacks delayed, questioned or denied; long lines (waits up to 3 or 4 hours), all contributed to making the American voting system a most unreliable and questionable one. As Jimmy Carter said, the U.S. doesn't come up to the standards that The Carter Center sets.
The challenge to the presidency of George Bush continues. With judicial appointments piling up, the federal court system will continue to hand down increasingly reactionary decisions. Presidential appointment is a powerful tool for changing the law since interpretations and little-kown provisions often yield unintended results.
We can expect the struggle to end the Iraq War to continue unabatingly. But that certainly doesn't preclude further Mid-East adventures. If Vietnam was a quagmire, Iraq is a snare, an entanglement that, as time goes on, makes disengagement increasingly difficult. With the prospect of never-ending war dubbbed “pre-emptive strikes,” the words of Dwight D. Eisenhower, in 1951, before he became president, take on an ominous tone. In a letter to Charles E. Wilson, he said
Any person who doesn't understand that national security and national solvency are mutually dependent and that permanent maintenance of a crushing weight of military power would eventually produce dictatorship, should not be entrusted with any kind of responsibility in our country.
nyc war tax resistance & nyc people's life fund:
a mutually beneficial relationship
New York City War Tax Resistance (NYC WTR) was a fertile ground where people of conscience shared their ideas on war tax resistance and organizing for peace. Established in 1971 by members of NYC WTR at the height of the Vietnam War, New York City People's Life Fund (NYC PLF) shares a mutually beneficial relationship with NYC WTR. The Life Fund grew out of the recognition that resistance to the payment of war taxes is merely the beginning of an ongoing effort. By funneling war tax resisted moneys from its base of resisters, NYC WTR was the engine that drove the Life Fund, enabling it to assist critically needed life-affirming programs. The objective here was to make a tangible difference.
And the Life Fund has made a difference. NYC PLF has provided seed money to countless organizations that are now flourishing, and provide vital services to the communities they serve. The fledgling St. Marks Clinic, assisted by the Fund at a time of critical need, has grown into the present-day Callen-Lorde Health Center. Other organizations assisted by PLF include The Good Food Coop, now known as the 4th Street Food Coop, Action for Community Empowerment (ACE), Shelter and Food for the Homeless and People United for Children (PUC), to name but a few. A small grant to the Attica Legal Defense Fund supported the recently made financial settlement.
Unfortunately recent years have seen a steep decline in the flow of resisted war taxes. The need is plain to see. It is challenging to remember a time of greater urgency than now in the causes of peace and social justice.
To address these concerns, both New York City People's Life Fund and New York City War Tax Resistance have taken significant measures in recent months.
recent events
Brecht Forum Spring Presentation: On March 21, the first day of spring, the NYC PLF presented a forum entitled Resisting the War Abroad and the War at Home. Speakers included Amy Goodman, host, Democracy Now, who spoke about the role of the media in beating the drums of war; Ruth Benn, National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee coordinator, and Steve Theberge, War Resisters League countermilitarism organizer, who gave thoughtful presentations on the role of war tax resistance and counterrecruitment in strengthening resistance to the war in Iraq.
In coming months, the Life Fund intends to host more of these forums as part of our outreach efforts.
expanding our fundraising efforts
In November of 2004 NYC PLF made an effort to contact non-resisters sympathetic to the cause of war tax resistance who might be willing to lend their financial support.
In December of 2004, NYC WTR launched a brand new web site of its own. All related pages previously on the NYC PLF web site have been removed and are currently being redesigned for the new site. In particular response to requests from supporters and members, we are initiating payments over the Internet through PayPal.
By the time you receive this letter, this service should be active. It is important to remember that resistance to war is just the beginning. We must create alternatives to the prevalent death culture. No contribution is ever too small. Be a part of the effort to build a movement not only opposed to war, but dedicated to building a community that puts life first.
| Top | The Year in Review | A Mutually Beneficial Relationship |
| Recent Events | Expanding Our Fundraising Efforts | Return to Annuals Page |