[Peace-discussion] FW: Concerning the Peace Tax Fund Bill--Part II

[Joni LeViness]

 I'm beginning with this posted to both discussion and action, tho i think
it deserves more discussion than action at this point.
Peace,
joni
p.s. i'm still absorbing all the information at this point.

-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Fretz [mailto:chris@peacetaxfund.org] 
Sent: Friday, July 21, 2006 12:49 PM
To: michelle; greentararaider@yahoo.com; wilcox_ann@yahoo.com;
echo@pbcgreenparty.org; myths16@cox.net
Subject: Re: Concerning the Peace Tax Fund Bill--Part II

michelle wrote:

> I would be great to hear from one or more of you concerning the post 
> referenced below.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Michelle
>
> Blog: Dissident Veteran for Peace
> Post: Concerning the Peace Tax Fund Bill--Part II
> Link: 
> http://vfpdissident.blogspot.com/2006/07/concerning-peace-tax-fund-bil
> l-part-ii_12.html
>


Dear Green Peace Action Committee,

Thank you for contacting the National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund. One of
your members, Michelle recently e-mailed me some questions about how the
legislation would work, and I'm glad to clear up any confusion. I was
uncertain whether this response should go to the co-secretaries or
co-chairs, so I have sent this to all four of you, plus Michelle of course.
I would invite you all to review the materials on our website, particularly
the basics Q & A, available for download on our publications section:
http://www.peacetaxfund.org/resources/brochures.htm.
Obviously the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill is not a cure-all for
the entire military budget or the dilemmas facing conscientious objection to
military taxation (COMT). But it is a significant step towards protecting
the rights of conscience for all people, and making COMT more of a
mainstream issue. We hope your committee will come to understand this and
support the bill by officially endorsing the Campaign and making it a side
project to educate and activate fellow Greens.

Below you will find each question, followed by our response.

1. Why should War Tax Resisters (WTRs)/Conscientious Objectors to Military
Taxation (COMTs) or their allies support a bill that would admittedly
INCREASE federal revenues?

As you said, HR 2631 would increase federal revenues. However, the bill also
states "It is the sense of Congress that any increase in revenue to the
Treasury resulting from creation of the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund
shall be allocated in a manner consistent with the purposes of the Fund."
Your question implies that War Tax Resisters (WTRs)/Conscientious Objectors
to Military Taxation (COMTs) are anti-government. Although WTR/COMT ideology
varies greatly from person to person, many WTRs/COMTs are not
anti-government, and are not against the government having revenue, as long
as it isn't used to create violence or oppression. Many WTRs/COMTs support
this legislation because they want their beliefs to be respected, and to
have a legal option to pay their taxes without their personal tax money
being spent on military activities. This legislation would increase revenue
that would be allocated in a manner consistent to the purpose of the Fund,
which is to extend COMT rights, and it would give them a legal option that
does not violate their conscience. I hope you will come to see how that goal
is worthy in itself.

2. Is there any evidence that HR 2631, if signed into law, would actually
divert a single penny away from military spending?

The Campaign has never claimed that HR 2631 would divert money from the
pentagon. Money is fungible, and HR 2631 would only divert money from
military spending if enough taxpayers paid into the Peace Tax Fund that the
government's general fund became smaller than the military budget. 
That may seem unlikely, however, many taxpayers who are not currently
WTRs/COMTs might use the bill once they become aware such an option exists.
However, the main goal of the bill has always been to extend to WTRs/COMTs
the rights COs have enjoyed since 1940 by ensuring that legal penalties are
not imposed because of their beliefs that killing is wrong, and so is paying
others to kill in their names.

3a. If HR 2631 was signed into law wouldn't some WTRs/COMTs understandably
still refuse to pay because they realize that money is fungible and the bill
INCREASES federal revenues?

3b. Isn't it likely that prosecutors would invoke failure to avail
themselves of the provisions of HR 2631 as an aggravating circumstance when
prosecuting such WTRs/COMTs?

3c. Doesn't HR 2631 potentially create two classes of WTRs/COMTs--one legal
(but helping to INCREASE federal revenues), the other illegal--thereby
splitting an already too small movement and furthering a divide-and-conquer
strategy by the government?

It is a personal choice whether one pays their full income taxes or
practices war tax resistance. It would also be a personal choice whether or
not a WTR/COMT would use the Peace Tax Fund. Some WTRs/COMTs may still
refuse to pay taxes after HR 2631 is signed into law. But we simply want to
give people that choice. WTRs/COMTs do actually suffer at the hands of the
IRS, which recently sent 3 WTRs to prison - a very rare punishment and
troubling development. Had the bill been law, it would have prevented this
abuse of conscience. To be honest, we don't know if prosecutors will
consider failing to use the provisions of 2631 as an aggravating
circumstance. That will probably vary greatly from case to case depending
upon the WTR/COMT's circumstance and legal argument.
I think that most WTRs/COMTs would be glad to have legislation that brings
attention to their dilemma of conscience. While the bill does not decrease
military spending, a worthy goal of many other campaigns and organizations,
it does recognize that conscientious objection extends not only to physical
participation in war, but to financial participation as well, and increases
visibility that such beliefs exist in our country. This is a core civil
liberties issue that thousands of people and hundreds of organizations
support, including the Green Party of the United States and Veterans for
Peace. (See the list at
http://www.peacetaxfund.org/endorsements/index.htm.) The bill would also
require the government to report the level of Peace Tax Fund usage,
providing a measure of the number of taxpayers who are COMTs. This would add
to the dialogue about military spending priorities and could build momentum
toward changing current priorities.
We can't know the future, and laws can be amended as necessary. First we
have to pass the bill. To do that we need allies like the GPAX to educate
and activate its members. We hope the committee will help educate Greens
about the bill and the party's endorsement and write a quick email to
congress via the take action section of our website: 
http://www.peacetaxfund.org/takeaction/congress.htm

4. Have supporters of HR 2631 considered a Peace Tax Credit bill that
instead of increasing federal revenues would give WTRs/COMTs a 100% tax
credit for money spent on non-profits charities, non-profits, etc.? If not,
why not?

The Campaign has been around for over 30 years and continues to evolve. 
In the peace tax movement there has not been broad consideration of a Peace
Tax Credit Bill. However, our legislative committee carefully considers how
the legislation gets written, though ultimately the final phrasing is up to
our lead sponsor in Congress, which is currently Rep. 
John Lewis (GA-5). If you have ideas on how the tax credit idea would be
implemented I'd be glad to discuss it with you. You are also welcome to make
a written proposal to the Campaign's board of directors. But the Campaign
remains focused on passing the bill that we have and trying to build
grassroots awareness and support among our allies.
Thanks again for your interest in the Campaign. I hope I have answered your
member's questions to your satisfaction, or at least so the committee has a
better understanding of what the bill does and does not do. I hope the GPAX
committee will work through its consensus process to join the Green Party of
the US in officially endorsing and actively supporting the National Campaign
for a Peace Tax Fund and the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill.
Peace,

Chris Fretz

--
Chris Fretz
Outreach and Development Assistant
National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund
2121 Decatur Place, NW
Washington, DC 20008
202-483-3751