new york city war tax resistance—
2006 annual report
On Monday, April 17, 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
A string of catastrophes, both natural and manmade, have hit the world this past year. In the U.S., with a standstill congress, and an executive clearly at odds with most Americans, legislative accomplishments, if any, have been meager. Issues such as the dire need for housing, extending medical coverage to the entire population, the sharp decrease in decent paying jobs, the urgency to revive industries or introduce new ones in depressed areas reflect the current state of the nation. They call for the urgent attention of our Congress, but they are unlikely to get even the most cursory consideration. The fabric of American life is fast deteriorating. Except for the Depression generation, now a scant few, most Americans have never seen hard times. Although the halls of academia are beginning to reverberate with discussion of U.S. decline, countless Americans have been grappling with “decline” for decades.
Certainly, the war in Iraq, a catastrophe from day one, has not only drained us of people and resources, but it has added a dire urgency to defeating the war agenda of the Bush administration.
On the positive side, the peace movement has gained considerable momentum. It continues to mobilize large demonstrations as well as weekly vigils and regular neighborhood presences throughout the country. These attest to the unbreakable spirit of people who believe that the current war is not only destroying and impoverishing Iraq, but our own country as well because it is dangerously corroding and diminishing our way of life.
what can you do?
nyc wtr & nyc plf—partners in struggle against the war machine
Since the days of the Vietnam War, New York City War Tax Resistance (NYC WTR) has stood in opposition to the illogic and savagery of war. In that time it has counseled aspiring war tax resisters and provided support to those experiencing difficulties with the Internal Revenue Service.
Recognizing that resistance is only the beginning, we must also create a model for an alternative. Many resisters in the New York area have chosen to put their resisted moneys into New York City People's Life Fund (NYC PLF), enabling it to redirect tens of thousands of dollars in grants and loans to local community groups. These local groups give wing to the possibilities for change.
In 1971, NYC PLF evolved as an outgrowth of NYC WTR in direct opposition to the Vietnam War and the horrors of the Cold War. WTR voiced the protest by withholding war taxes. PLF took that voice of protest and turned it into a tool for change. As the Fund continued to grow, it became an important ally and support system for the efforts of NYC WTR.
For 35 years, NYC PLF has represented hope and possibility for many city groups. In recent years, the downturn in contributions and resisted war taxes has in fact halted—hopefully temporarily—the flow of grants and loans to local groups. Additionally, NYC PLF's historic relation to NYC WTR as its economic engine has been all but halted. In other words, the support the Life Fund has extended to WTR activities and mailings is in jeopardy. The engine survives, but it fails to support the necessary momentum for change.
The loss of this economic engine would be a great one not only for the local groups that might be supported, but also for the war tax resistance movement itself. We urge you to support the Life Fund with a special contribution.
Since this is Tax Day, we also urge you to support New York City War Tax Resistance. No contribution is ever too small. The added convenience of being able to contribute online by PayPal takes the sting out of the process of having to write a personal check and sending it in the mail.
| Top | The Year in Review | What Can You Do? | Partners in Struggle Against the War Machine |
Return to Annuals Page |