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A
Collection of Readings on
Money By, For, and About War Tax Resisters and Resistance |
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Setting Up a Penny Poll
Bangor, Maine |
On tax day—and occasionally at other times of year—groups set up Penny Polls. This simple activity is one way to have more interaction with passersby whether at the IRS, post office, or another public place, and the results can also be used in press releases to local media. Some groups set up tables on college campuses or in libraries – especially if the weather is uncooperative for outdoor tablingl. The poll challenges people to think about both how their tax dollars are being spent and how they would like them spent. While some readers have years of experience penny polling, the NWTRCC office does receive letters asking, “How do you do a Penny Poll?” Photos and descriptions from groups around the country indicate that there as many styles of polls as there are groups. Although called a “penny poll,” some groups use nickels; others use beans instead of coins. Some groups use cups or cut down plastic bottles to collect the coins or beans; some use an assortment of jars; some use matching jars. Then other groups have a member with design and carpentry skills who builds a frame for plastic tubes that’s used year after year. The categories on the War Resisters League pie chart serve as labels for the jars or tubes for some groups; others like to add more specific categories and make an even split with 10 categories and 10 pennies representing one tax dollar. The photos may give you more ideas on how to construct your very own Penny Poll. |
Ithaca, New York
People were given ten pennies to distribute in the way they would like to see their tax dollars spent. 58 people participated in the poll that lasted from 12-2 p.m.(in addition to passing out literature). The following are the results of what people, who took the poll, would spend their money on: 1) Health Care--22.8%, 2) Education--16.9%, 3) Environment--12.3%, 4) Mass Transit--9.8%, 5) Income Assistance--9.5%, 6) Arts--9.0%, 7) Housing--9.0%, 8) Foreign Aid (non military)--5.5%, 9) National Debt--2.8%, 10) Military--2.4% |
Expect shock when passers by see how their tax dollars |
Princeton, New Jersey
The Coalition for Peace Action conducted their annual penny
poll in front form the Princeton post office from noon to 1:30. Each
of 107 participants were given 10 pennies to distribute in 5 categories.
The results were: |
Portsmouth, NH Members of New Hampshire War Tax Resistance conducted
an informal poll in front of the Portsmouth post office on tax day.
Participants were given 20 pennies to drop in any of ten glass jars,
each representing a part of the Federal budget. After 8 hours the results
of the penny poll demonstrated the inverse of how our tax dollars are
actually spent. The results are as follows: Education = 315 pennies
(24%), Education = 315 pennies (24%), Environment = 236 pennies (18%),
Alternative Energy = 216 pennies (16%), Health care = 153 (12%), Social
Services = 122 (9%), Veterans Benefits = 68 (5%), Agriculture = 60
(5%), Science & Technology = 57 (4%), Military = 54 (4%), Homeland
Security =41 (3%)
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Louisville, Kentucky |
Eugene, Oregon |
Tucson, Arizona |
Waukesha, Wisconsin |
More Readings on Money • Readings on Money (first page) with "War Tax Resisters Talk About Money • "The Influence of Money on Decisions to Engage in War Tax Resistance" Karen Marysdaughter • "Inheritance and Social Responsibility" George Salzman • What’s Your Interest: " On Interest" Juanita Nelson; "Interest and Economic Transformation" Bob Irwin; "Rejoinder" Juanita Nelson • "War, the National Debt, Taxes, and the Creation of Money" Jay Sordean • Nonprofits and Tax Exempt Status: "All Saints vs. the State" Matt Vogel; "Your Gifts Are Not Tax-Deductible" Shelley Douglass; "War Tax Resistance and Tax Exempt Status" Excerpt from NWTRCC's Practical War Tax Resistance #6 |
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National
War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee |
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