Where Your Income Tax Money
Really
Goes
The War Resisters League analysis is based on federal funds, not including trust funds — like Social Security — raised separately from income taxes. What you pay (or don’t pay) by April 15th goes to the federal funds portion of the budget.
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by Bryan Farrell
Published in WIN, The Magazine of the War Resisters League, Spring 2009.
As the single largest consumer of energy in the world, the U.S. military is poised at the center of two of the most life-altering issues of our time: climate change and the height of oil production (”peak oil”). Surprisingly, the Pentagon began taking both matters seriously much sooner than the rest of government, which still has its fair share of skeptics.
A 2007 Pentagon-funded report by 11 high-level retired officers concluded that climate change is a “serious threat to America’s national security.” A few weeks later, another Pentagon-commissioned report called on the military to “fundamentally transform” its assumptions about energy because the current strategy of global engagement with highly energy consumptive technologies is “unsustainable in the long term.”
Before the antiwar movement rejoices in the end of U.S. hegemony and environmentalists celebrate the move toward sustainability, it’s important to remember that the Pentagon is still developing solutions to these issues and in the world of warfare things often don’t get fixed until they are first completely destroyed (e.g., Iraq and Afghanistan).
. . .
The DoD also likes to brag that its total site-delivered energy consumption declined more than 60 percent between 1985 and 2006, but when the reasons for this drop are examined the green veneer starts to fade. As energy analyst Sohbet Karbuz noted in a 2007 paper for the Energy Bulletin, “The main factor behind that reduction was the closure of some military bases, privatization of some of its buildings, and leaving some energy related activities to contractors.”
. . .
each soldier consumes 25 percent more energy than the average U.S. citizen—who already consumes 15 times more energy than does the average person in a developing country.
. . .
By the Pentagon’s own figures, the U.S. military uses more fossil fuels than any other single entity. But the Pentagon’s figures only take into consideration vehicle transport and facility maintenance. They don’t account for the energy needed to build something like the massive imperial embassy or mega-bases in Iraq or reconstruct the rest of the country.
Read More…
June 27th, 2009
Posted on Truthdig, June 18, 2009
After the president signs a $106 billion emergency supplemental, the U.S. will have shelled out about $1 trillion in “emergency” funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan—not including the Pentagon’s obscene annual budget, exponentially expanding health care costs for wounded troops, and the interest on all that debt. True to form, lawmakers threw in $2.7 billion worth of cargo planes no one asked for.
AP via Google:
The bill includes about $80 billion to finance the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through this fiscal year that ends Sept. 30. The Pentagon has predicted that the Army could begin running out of money for personnel and operations as early as July without the infusion of more money.
It also provides $4.5 billion, $1.9 billion above what the president requested, for lightweight mine-resistant vehicles, called MRAPs, and $2.7 billion for eight C-17 and seven C-130 cargo planes that the Pentagon did not ask for.
On the nonmilitary front, there’s $10.4 billion in development and other aid for Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and numerous other countries; $7.7 billion for pandemic flu preparedness; and $721 million to pay off what the U.S. owes for U.N. peacekeeping operations.
READ MORE ON GOOGLE NEWS
June 19th, 2009
Tweaking the notion that death and taxes are inevitable, a local group of peaceniks are withholding their tax dollars so they won’t be used for war-making, then redirecting them to groups that work for justice and peace.
War tax resisters in Southern California have awarded $3100 to eleven organizations. Money for the grants came from interest on a fund made up of refused taxes. The Southern California War Tax Alternative Fund was created in 1979 and has given away more than $58,000 over the years.
A “war tax resister” is anyone who refuses to pay a portion of their federal income tax because they don’t want their tax dollars used to make war, or lives below the taxable limit so that they owe no federal taxes.
An analysis of the federal funds budget for Fiscal Year 2009 concluded that 54 cents of every dollar collected by the IRS goes to pay for war–past, present and future. (See .PDF file at: www.warresisters.org).
Organizations that received SCWTAF grants for 2009 are listed below
April 15th, 2009
The costs of war keep adding up, in dollars and in lives.
For over six years peace activists have voted, lobbied, marched, and taken direct action to first prevent and then end the illegal war and occupation in Iraq. Courageous soldiers have refused to fight the war. In Iraq and around the world peace-loving people have called for an end to the violence. But the Bush administration and Congress continue to authorize over $8 billion a month for the war on terror while the U.S. economy is in a tailspin and budget cuts are hitting services across the country. Politicians cannot be trusted with our money.
The War Tax Boycott campaign unites taxpayers who oppose this war in a powerful act of nonviolent civil disobedience — saying NO! to war with our money. Thousands of individuals in the U.S. take this stand despite the risks. Uniting our voices and actions through the War Tax Boycott strengthens our demand that Congress cut off the funds for this war and redirect resources to the pressing needs of people.
Read More at: http://wartaxboycott.org/
April 1st, 2009
Each year War Resisters League analyzes federal funds outlays as presented in detailed tables in “Analytical Perspectives” of the Budget of the United States Government. The analysis is based on federal funds, which do not include trust funds — such as Social Security — that are raised separately from income taxes for specific purposes. What you pay (or don’t pay) by April 15, 2009, goes to the federal funds portion of the budget.
While we do not expect the military percentage to change much, Obama’s 2010 budget presentation should include funding for the bank bailout, takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the stimulus package. The Bush administration (with little Congressional opposition) refused to budget for the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the wider war on terror, intentionally hiding the full monetary costs of their criminal activities. We must demand that all future administration present a more complete and honest budget than we have seen in recent years.
The largest spending bill in history is going to turn out to be the war in Iraq… I don’t understand why… building a road, building a school, helping somebody get health care, that’s wasteful spending, but that war in Iraq… is going to cost us over $1 trillion before we’re through…
Congressman Barney Frank on This Week with George Stephanopoulos, ABC, February 1, 2009.
April 1st, 2009
The War Tax Resisters Penalty Fund began more than 20 years ago when Ronald Reagan was president, the US-backed Contras were hard at work on our behalf, nuclear disarmament was a hot topic, and US Marines had been bombed in Beirut.
Military tax resisters were refusing to pay all or a portion of their income taxes to support mad (and MAD!) military policies of the United States, and were being socked with large penalties, interest, liens, garnishments, and at times, seizure of their property to settle accounts. As a result of widespread tax fraud, the IRS would soon create the “frivolous penalty,” charging $500 for claiming extra dependents on the W-4 form.
A core group of 83 people decided we could easily share $463.14 in penalties incurred by a few military tax resisters if we divided their penalties and interest between us. The more people we could recruit to pay a resisterms costs over and above his ore her tax liability, the lighter the burden for everyone. With the little help we could provide, resisters were able to keep on.
How the Penalty Fund Works
Send us your name and address and we’ll add you to the list of supporters who are willing to share tax resisters penalties. Periodically we review requests from resisters against whom the IRS has moved and divide what they’ve paid in penalties and interest among the people on our mailing list. Shares have been as high as $30 but are usually less than $10. Contributors pay all if they can, or whatever they can afford. Some pay more than their share. We divide what we get from our appeal among the needy resisters. If we canmt cover all their indebtedness, we cover as much as we can. On average, wemve reimbursed 80% of the amounts requested.
Contributors who decide to become resisters may also apply to the fund for assistance after they have paid assessed fines or the IRS has seized penalties and interest. All we ask is that resisters provide us with copies of tax forms, any correspondence theymve had with the IRS, and a copy of their letter of conscience submitted with their income tax returns.
Who Administers the Fund?
Our mailing list includes people from all over the country, but for convenience mostly, our mailbox is located in North Manchester, Indiana, where the idea for the penalty fund was hatched. Members of our steering committee are from in and around this burg. We have tried at times to share the rewards of the job with others, but members felt it was working well the way it was. We even encouraged other communities to develop regional penalty funds, and a few exist around the country. The beauty of the fund is that it could be done anywhere.
The address for the Penalty Fund is:
War Tax Resisters Penalty Fund
PO Box 25,
N. Manchester, IN, 46962.
March 15th, 2009
The refusal to pay my taxes … is not a means. It is an end. I do not know if my refusal, and the refusal of others, will be effective in halting these wars. All I know is that it is worth doing. The alternative, a complacency bred from cynicism and despair, is worse. Refusing to actively resist injustice and flagrant violations of international law, refusing to attempt to turn back the tide of American tyranny, is surrender. It is the death of hope.
From “Why We Resist” posted on Truthdig.com, December 10, 2007.
December 10th, 2007
I have about had it!
The Bush Criminal Mob is asking Congress for $123 billion more dollars to fund their total demolition of Iraq and their future crime sprees in such places as Iran and perhaps, Syria.
. . .
Our elected officials have failed us miserably. We elected them to oppose George and his war, not support him. We are not being represented properly and I, for one, refuse to be taxed by them.
From “No Taxation Without Representation” posted on Democracy In Action, March 22, 2007.
March 22nd, 2007
