Tax Day Peace Actions
Ira Harritt
"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense
than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."
~Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Dear Peacemakers,
I invite you to participate in three actions tomorrow, Tax Day to speak out for new national priorities that raises the value of life and hope above war and fear and learn more about the federal budget and anti-war actions you can take .
Join us from 5:30 to 8:30pm for an April 15th - Tax Day Peace action and help with:
- Displaying a 20’ long 2011 Federal Discretionary Budget graph contrasting the 59% of the budget spent on the military compared to what is spent on all other needs; or
- Carrying a new Cost of War- Afghanistan Banner; or
- Leafleting taxpayers with information about how our tax dollars could produce more jobs by decreasing war spending,
The demonstration will take place at the KCMO Mobile Post Office by the KCMO Mail Distribution Center, 1700 Cleveland, KCMO – the only post office location opened late in the KC metro.
Call 816 931-5256 to RSVP or just come by to help.
Tell Congress how to spend your money:
Congress will vote soon on whether to approve an additional $34 billion in emergency funding for the escalation of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Please join nationwide efforts to tell Congress to stop funding war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Call the Congressional switchboard: 866-220-0044.
- We want the government to fund priorities that bring true security to our country, like job creation, healthcare and education.
- We want the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to end; do not spend our tax dollars to continue to fund these wars.
- We should be supporting civilian-led repair and reconstruction in Afghanistan.
- Military spending should focus on withdrawal; we need a clear exit strategy from Afghanistan.
Learn more about the federal budget and anti-war work:
Join us for a strategy call with Jo Comerford executive director of the National Priorities Project and an expert in military spending and the federal budget. The presentation will tell you more about where your tax dollars are going, what it means for your community, and how you can help to end the wars.
Send us questions you want Jo to answer during the call: ques...@afsc.org
Call in details:
Where
Do Your Tax Dollars Go?
Jo Comerford, Executive Director of the National Priorities Project
Thursday April 15, 8 - 9 p.m. Eastern
To
join the call: dial 1-866-740-1260 (toll-free)
Conference Access Code 2414586#
Thanks for your work for peace!
Sincerely,
Ira Harritt
KC AFSC
KC Iraq Task Force
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From Friends Committee On National Legislation
Stories the Budget Tells: March/April Washington Newsletter
Dear Ira Harritt ,
|
This
tax day, we are paying taxes for what the government chose to fund last year,
in 2009. Congress is already working ahead, examining the president's budget
proposal for 2011. This budget will determine how your tax dollars are spent
next year. |
In addition to Ruth's editorial, here are some of the other articles you will find in this issue:
Stories the Budget Tells:
Expanding Military Missions
The Pentagon budget has grown faster in the last decade than at any time since
the Korean War. Proponents offer different reasons for this increase at
different times-the world's a dangerous place, we're at war, or we're not at
war but we could be at any moment. Yet even in times of peace, this budget
continues to grow. Find out why this is happening.
Stories the Budget Tells: The
U.S. Can Face Its Challenges
History shows that focused investments in responding to poverty can make a big
difference in the lives of ordinary people and particularly in the lives of
people in low-income families. Find out how you can support current efforts to
invest in reducing poverty in the United States.
Mountains of Debt
The gross federal debt will rise to more than $15 trillion by the end of
September 2011, according to projections from the Office of Management and
Budget. This mountain of debt has been accumulating rapidly since about 1982,
when tax cuts reduced revenues and accelerating military spending increased
outlays. Is debt always bad? What builds these mountains, and how can they be
brought down? Find out in this article.
Margaret Nielsen: Working in
Michigan on Our Nation's Checkbook
In Michigan, more than 270 local elected officials, religious leaders,
community groups, and individuals are working together to redefine the U.S.
approach to national security through a campaign called Our Nation's Checkbook.
One of the lead organizers in Michigan is Margaret Nielsen, a seasoned advocate
and retired professor in the School of Social Work at Michigan State University
in East Lansing. Read more about Margaret's work with her community.
(Short) Stories the Budget Tells
Discussions of the funding in the budget for weapons systems, nuclear weapons,
and support of veterans.
As always, find updates on these and other issues at www.fcnl.org.
In peace,
Alicia McBride
Director for Communications, and Editor of FCNL's Washington Newsletter
Ira Harritt
KC Program Coordinator
American Friends Service Committee
816 931-5256