National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee

National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee
Notes from Small groups

Las Vegas, Nevada • Saturday, November 4, 2006

On this page: Video Workshop, Sign On Statement Brainstorm,
Counseling Update, Local WTR Activities Reports

Video Workshop
Daniel Woodham, facilitator/note taker

Here's some of what came up in the video workshop:
Attended by Steev, Alice, Susan Balzer, Peter, Mike (from Gallup NM Catholic Worker), Lincoln and Daniel

Video Contest:
- The contest site needs larger font
- "What is WTR" should be first on the list
- Create a link for "email this to a friend," which Steev said he could do if we need him to
- There was some discussion about whether the web vote should elect one of the three top winners, thereby making it the "people's choice"
- We spoke of developing a "criteria for voting" form that would be very SHORT and easy. Mention was made of including "impact," "form," and "content," and others said just "favorite" would be enough.
- A discussion arose of having a celebrity jury. Mike said he would work on this. (His email: galluppeace@yahoo.com.
- Otherwise our jury has Alice and Lincoln volunteering to decision-make
- As for funding Mike spoke of the NM legislature passing about $500 million for filmmaking grants and promotion recently for films and film projects based in NM. (Hmmmmm...)
- In terms of outreach for the contest the following were mentioned: Mennonite Colleges, Indymedia, and contacts that Lincoln has and that Alice has in the Bay area.
- Posting videos on the WRL website as well as the NWTRCC website might stimulate increased interest in the contest.

The group then talked about the NWTRCC Blog and came up with the following:
- There needs to be a link for non-NWTRCC folks signed up so they can have an account.
- We're encouraged to talk more about the NWTRCC website
- All affiliates can be cleared to post directly to the blog.

As for the longer video project, there were these comments:
- Most important right now is to make a "mission statement" for the film which can summarize it.
- It's a bad idea to make a film as a committee.
- Steev will provide some film samples which "Pan Left" has made. This is the video collective to which he belongs in Tucson which could probably do the 60-minute film for $18,000 or maybe less. They also have experience in doing grants.
- Mike pointed out that NM state has $600 million new funding for video education and hollywood projects.

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Sign On Statement Brainstorm

Some further ideas for distribution that came up at a lunch meeting on the topic:
- Send it out with the survey.
- Get local groups to take it over to local peace churches, ideally through a personal contact with those churches, if one is to be had (we specifically thought about Quakers, Mennonites, Brethren, Catholic Workers, and FOR chapters).
- Get it out to the WTR network
- Get it to "big name" signers such as Cindy Sheehan, Roy Borgeois, Julia Butterfly Hill, head Bishop Catherine Jeffers Shory, Martin Sheen, Medea Benjamin, Leslie Cagan (UFPJ), Amy Goodman, David Ray Griffin, Don Kaufman, Tom Gumbleton (Catholic Bishop), Jim Wallace (Sojourners), Carole Rose (Christian Peacemaker Teams) -many of these suggestions came from Sister Megan- Janet Chisolm (head of FOR in past), Ron Sider (Evangelical with CPT), Cora Weis (with SANE/FREEZE), Food Not Bombs, Move on (maybe), Nuclear Resister, Lisa Fithian (UFPJ, Common Ground, Pagan Cluster), Common Ground in general - (whoever the best group/person is to send it to in the anti-globalization network) - Sister Megan - so she can advertise

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Counseling Update

Biggest change is elimination fo phone tax on all but separate local phone service. There is a bill in Congress to eliminate this tax. What do phone-only WTRs do now?
In a small group discussion on what to do post-phone tax for an entry level campaign got into a discussion, these ideas came up:
* What was the average phone tax paid? $12 or so? Resist that amount of income taxes. Or $10.40. If you get a refund, give it to NWTRCC.
* "A Dollar Short and A Day Late" - could a campaign take off from that? Maybe not "a day late" since we don't want to deal with late penalties. Need a new slogan like "A Dollar Short and Really Angry" or "A Dollar Short and Fed Up"
* If people are going to pay, they could pay on a coffin or make a visible action as some have done - but how to do that on April 15 since taxes get sent to a regional office. Those who have paid on coffins have been in collection and taken it to a local office.
* Peace Tax Return could also address this. Has the option to send in a statement even if paying.
These ideas did not come up in the large group but we encourage local groups to use them, adjust them, invent their own and let us know.

Private Collection agencies - IRS is now using them for certain tax debts. Unknown how this will effect us as yet - too new, haven't heard from WTRs who've been pursued by private collectors. They cannot seize money/property. Let NWTRCC know of any experiences with this. People can request to have their case returned to IRS-only handling.

Seems that letters from IRS are being generated more quickly than they used to be. More seizures, but they seem to be bunched geographically.

Joe and Kevin of Restored Israel of Yahweh are still in prison. Nothing new known about the appeal process.

Bill and Genie Durland are in a fight with the IRS for having paid 1/2 of their taxes directly to the Social Security Administration. The IRS says they did not pay.

Dan Jenkins Tax Court case - he is focusing on the 1st and 9th amendments. Using historical arguments. he has been fined a $5,000 frivolous case and is now appealing that. His is also looking in the possibility of a class action lawsuit for taxpayers who do not want to pay for war. Ruth has contact info and court papers if others want to see them.

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Local WTR Activities Reports

Daniel, Greensboro, NC - Knows a few other WTRs in the area, but not organized yet. Maybe by tax day.

Clark, Martha's Vineyard, MA - not in a local group. The New England WTR gathering is this weekend also, so missing that.

Peg, Taxes for Peace Not War!, Eugene, OR, - Looking into linking with other groups, but there is a resistance to organizational endorsments of WTR. One of the key local activists, Charles Gray, died this year and will be missed tremendously. Individual members each have their own style of resistance and contribute their own gifts to the work. Members have had some expensive penalties. Main question from others this weekend is how to best respond to those - why resist if the IRS gets more?

Eszter, Sonoma County Taxes for Peace, Santa Rosa, CA - They do regular potlucks, tax day leafleting, have an alternative fund. Group has gotten smaller over the years and it's hard to get people to resist taxes.

Steev, Tucson, AZ - Not in an active group but knows other WTRs there, including the Cohen-Joppa's who do penny polls and workshops from time to time. Would like to do more.

Dave, San Francisco, CA - His WTR community is mostly online; he has a blog and monitors others, jumping in with WTR info when appropriate. Finds that libertarians are interested in conscientious WTR.

Tana, OR Community for WTR, Portland, OR - Local group meets monthly and does monthly workshops. Their penny poll included a "your dream" column which brought in interest and they have an active local listserve which helps keep people in touch.

Joe, So. Cal WTR and Alternative Fund, Los Angeles, CA - both started 20 years ago. There's an annual meeting. Finds that not all people are activists when he gives out WTR leaflets at large events but no calls result.

Joffre, Chicago Area WTR Support Group - the group is not very active but does tax day events. Individually does a lot of leafleting.

Carol, Peace Resource Center of San Diego, CA - No WTR group there but she hears of interest.

Susan B, Heartland Peace Tax Group, KS - Members who received cards from NWTRCC appreciated them. Don Kaufman has published revisions of his books. They are pushing the Mennonites to work harder for alternative service for taxpayers, including bringing WTR to forefront within the denomination and working ecumenically. Helping with a man who does an AJ Muste presentation also.

Laura and Lincoln, Milwaukee Area WTR and Casa Maria Catholic Worker - Lincoln tried to build the WTR group but unsuccessfully. People did not attend. They do an annual IRS action with some folks getting arrested, this year by Homeland Security. Traffic at IRS office has gotten very low due to internet and phone services.

Alice, No. Cal WTR, San Francisco/Berkeley, CA - Some in the group have realized they rely too much on Susan Quinlan to get things going. She has been busy with other things and the group has not been so active.

Robert, Brunswick, GA - He's working with an anti-Iraq War coalition which is drawing in a very diverse group of people - a range of politics but all against the war. It's been very interesting working with this group. WTR is a "hidden agenda" in his organizing - brings it up when it fits.

Ruth, NYC WRL and loosely NYC WTR and PLF, Brooklyn, NY - Sally Marx keeps the People's Life Fund going along with a few others. The WTR group itself is not so active but our loose network of WTRs has begun quarterly support gatherings. Held 2 so far and will keep going and see what else develops. Seems most people don't want to come to meetings. Did a march from the IRS to PO in Manhattan that was successful in reaching more people this year.

Peter, Michiana War Tax Refusers, South Bend, IN - Just a couple couples who get together a few times a year, but is also active in Michiana Peace and Justice Coalition as a visible WTR. Do annual leafleting at PO.

Mike, Gallup, NM - This is a somewhat new issue for him, but there is a WTR group in Albuquerque that sent him to this meeting.

Response to question about creative response to bank account seizures and salary garnishments - Editorials and letters to the editor to make them more public; street theater; parties; mutual aid appeal - one person had an event to raise an equal amount of money that was seized that she then redirected again to balance the IRS's use of the $$$. Do an action at the bank. Could we form a rapid response network?

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