Tax Day Reports and Pictures
April 15-18, 2006

Links to Newspaper Articles
Christian Science Monitor, April 14, 2006 (pdf)
USA Today, April 14, 2006 (pdf)
Brattleboro Reformer, April 17, 2006 (pdf)
Portland State University Vanguard, April 10, 2006 (pdf)
CommonDreams (Seattle Post-Intelligencer), April 17, 2006, Letter to the IRS
Keene (NH) Free Press, April 15, 2006
Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 15, 2006 (pdf)

Waukesha, Wisconsin

Ruth and Glenn Van Haitsma and Karen Moore conducted a penny poll in front of the public library in Waukesha, Wisconsin on April 15. Well-received by all ages, the poll attracted 82 voters and lasted until the education jar was about to overflow. Photo by Glenn Van Haitsma

Bangor, Maine
On April 18, the deadline day for Maine tax returns, a group of us conducted a "Penny Poll" outside the main post office in Bangor. We gave each person ten pennies, each representing ten percent of money they were paying in federal income taxes and asked them to put money in jars representing ten of the major parts of the federal budget. Just over 100 participated in the poll over several hours. The results are similar to how most people in other polls really want their tax money spent and very different from how our federal government actually does spend that money: health, education, and welfare, 27%; envi-ronment, 17%; alternative energy, 15%; national defense and homeland security, 9%; with small percentage for science and research, transportation, agriculture, interest on the debt, infrastruc-ture, and government administration.
--Larry Dansinger, ROSC

Richard Paget tests out a new penny poll set up for use on tax day in Bangor and at farmer's markets and the Full Circle Fair this summer. Photo by Andrea DeFrancesca.

Asheville, North Carolina

Tax Day at the post office in Asheville, NC. Judy Conrad (right) holds the "you don't gotta" sign while other members of Fools of Conscience/Taxes for Life! take time out from their vigiling to pose for the camera. Photos by Clare Hanrahan

Louisville, Kentucky

On April 17, members of the Louisville Fellowship of Reconciliation handed out the pie chart flyer at the four corners of Fifth and Market while employees of the large banking center headed to lunch. Wearing Uncle Sam regalia they attracted lots of passers by to their penny poll. Photos by Jean Edwards.

Washington, DC
A hearty group braves the rain for a vigil in front of IRS headquarters. Photo by Carol Moore.

Austin, Texas
Photos by Susan Van Haitsma from the vigil and leafletting at the Downtown Post Office.

	Earlier in the day, Ann Wright, Cindy Sheehan, Bill Mitchell, Juan Torres and others who had come to Austin following Easter Camp Casey just up the road in Crawford, Texas, participated with local students and Code Pinkers in a counter-recruitment rally and march to an Army recruiting station. Ann Wright and several other Camp Caseyites also joined the demonstration at the post office, along with Universal Living Wage supporters and Austin Conscientious Objectors to Military Taxation.

Madison, Wisconsin
On Tax Day, April 17th, members of Madison Area War Tax Resisters (formerly Southern Wisconsin Alternative Tax Fund) distributed our refused federal tax dollars in a public event. Over $3,700 was distributed equally among four organizations: American Friends Service Committee - Iraqi relief program Family Farm Defenders - providing aid to small farmers devastated by Hurricane Katrina Interfaith Hospitality Network - housing for the homeless Community Action Commission - supplying 40 local food pantries.

Syracuse, New York
We passed out almost 1000 leaflets in downtown Syracuse and at Syracuse University. The leaflet was volume one of "The Shared Times," the Syracuse Peace Council's projected series of leaflets connecting the spending on the war on Iraq to the defunding of social programs in our home county. See http://www.peacecouncil.net/sharedtimes/TruthSheet1.pdf for the leaflet.
Syracuse Peace Council, www.peacecouncil.net

New York, New York Outside the IRS in Manhattan with "Uncle Sam" and a bit of street theatre on the theme of "Death and Taxes." Photos by Ruth Benn. Also see Tom Good's photos that include the walk from the IRS to the General Post Office, through Times Square. Click here and scroll down the page to where the IRS photos begin.
A short “test video” of the action
Carbondale, Illinois On April 17 members of the Peace Coalition of Southern Illinois were at the Carbondale Post Office passing out National Priority Project flyers detailing how much of an average Illiinois income tax payment went to the military and other categories of spending. We also handed out United for Peace and Justice "tax receipts" for Iraq War spending which asked if taxpayers were satisfied with their $225.6 billion purchase. This was the Coalition's 20th annual Tax Day consciousness-raising demonstration. The picture shows Margie Parker and Sarah Heyer wearing sandwich boards with additional messages while passing out flyers.
Portland, Oregon On April 14, members and friends of the Oregon Community for War Tax Resistance displayed "burma shave" message boards to rush hour traffic on the Hawthorne and Morrison St. bridges (morning) and on SW Broadway at Pioneer Courthouse Square (evening), raising issues of runaway military spending and a corrupt federal budget. At the regular 5 pm rally at the Square, OCWTR hosted a public redirection of income tax dollars withheld from the federal government by local war tax resisters. Just over $14,000 was redirected to local and international service organizations selected for their worthy contribu-tions toward a peaceful and just community. Also on April 17, a penny poll was conducted at the main post office in NW Portland and flyers were distributed. Photos by Tana Hastings. --John Grueschow, Portland Chapter, War Resisters League
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