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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (April 10, 2003)
Miriam Mazure-Mitchell, MS, ND COMMENTARY BY CHARLES GRAY Naturopathic Physician Dr. M cares . . . naturally. She is a licensed primary care general physician who sees everyone from infants to seniors. • Check-ups, Annuals & Physical exams • Treatments of acute or long-term conditions • Preventive care to help patients be healthy • Covered by many insurance policies • Extended and weekend hours 686-3399 • 74 E. 18th, Suite 12 Call for a brochure or FREE “Meet the Doctor” appointment Eugene Middle East Peace Group Presents A MIDDLE EAST FILM FESTIVAL What If They Gave A War And Nobody Paid? Some insights into war tax resistance. GAZA STRIP: Saturday, April 12, noon, at the Bijou, 492 E. 13th Street BEYOND THE WALLS: Tuesday, April 15, 7 pm, Willamette Hall 100, U of O PROMISES: Saturday, April 19, at noon, at the Bijou FRONTIERS OF DREAMS AND FEARS: Thursday, April 24, 7 pm, Willamette Hall 100, U of O donation from $5 - $15. all proceeds will benefit “grassroots international” supporting social justice work in israel / palestine. f o r m o re i n fo : a l on a t 5 4 1 - 34 6 - 59 7 4. Author and banjo-picking troubadour, Mitch Luckett Flying Dogs Cafe & Deli 1249 Alder Street Tuesday, April 15 7 p.m. • Free “To Kill A Common Loon” UNIVERSITY OF OREGON BOOKSTORE Information on Luckett and other author events online at uobookstore.com 12 APRIL 10, 2003 T he war machine would disintegrate. Who would do the bloody work of war without pay? As we see the U.S. careening right- ward toward endless war and fascism, paying taxes is becoming increasingly repulsive. Are our taxes empowering international thugs — enforcers for the corporations dominating the world economy and culture? If one head of state stands in their way, mega-death is rained down upon his whole people — military, civilian, young and old. Those suspected of terrorist sympathies are seized — no right to legal counsel, no right to see or communicate with their families, no right to formal charges, no court of law to determine their guilt or innocence, just keep innocent and guilty alike locked up until the war on terrorism is over — maybe 50 years from now. These outlaws oversee a bloated military that continues to squander tax money on ever more fiendish weapons of mass destruction while lecturing others about non-proliferation. For example, to harden artillery shells, they coat them with depleted uranium (still radioactive) that incinerates the humans inside the targets and then pulverizes into a radioactive dust that scatters all over the landscape to spread leukemia, birth defects and other diseases. Children are the most likely to pick up this radioactive debris. The U.N. Charter permits the use of military force only for self- defense, unless specifically authorized by the Security Council. Now the U.S. is defying the U.N. Charter and claiming the right to attack any group or nation that may have hostile intentions toward the U.S. This is pre-emptive attack, not self-defense. In the latest outrage, the Pentagon says it may use nuclear weapons even against non-nuclear states. The list of horrors goes on — spending seven times as much on the military as Russia does and 10 times as much as the Chinese, pressing economic policies through the World Bank and the IMF that impoverish much of the world, destroying our civil liberties, gutting environmental protections, putting weapons in space, etc. — but I’ll stop here to focus on ways we might cut off the flow of money that is the blood supply of this machine of war and terror. So far, protest actions carry little risk. Also low risk is refusal to pay the Federal tax on your phone bill. Bringing your income down below taxable level: $7,700 for an individual ($8,850 if you are over 65) and $13,850 for a couple ($15,650 if over 65) is completely legal and so avoids IRS hassles. This is probably the single most effective way of cut- ting the government’s income. To get out from under the withholding tax, you can quit your job and become self-employed, possibly becoming a consultant to those need- ing your skills. Escaping the withholding system gives you the choice of whether to pay or not to pay. Choosing not to pay may mean hassles for you and eventual loss of property, but it is also a hassle for the IRS. It postpones paying for months and sometimes years, especially if you are willing to fight collection. If you don’t have a bank account, don’t own your home and have no marketable valuables, like a late model car, collection by the IRS can be very difficult. They may even give up the chase, providing you with an excuse for celebration as you join the ranks of those no longer buying the bombs and bullets. I don’t tell anyone to refuse taxes. Individuals must deal with their own consciences. This brief article does not give you all you need to know about war tax resistance. For consultation on your specific situa- tion, you can contact Oregon Community for War Tax Resistance, (503) 238-0605 or Lane County War Tax Resistance at (541) 342-2914 and ask for Peg. Charles Gray is a longtime Eugene peace and justice activist, war tax resister, simple living proponent and a founder of McKenzie River Gathering (MRG).
