FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2003
Contact: Joan Bazar, South Bay Labor for Peace and
Justice, (408) 243-4359
South Bay Mobilization to Stop the War, (408) 998-8504
LOCAL PEACE AND LABOR GROUPS TO DEMONSTRATE
ON TAX DAY
APRIL 15TH POST OFFICE RALLY WILL OPPOSE TAXES
FOR WAR AND BUDGET CUTS IN HUMAN SERVICES
Members of two local organizations, South Bay Labor
for Peace and Justice and South Bay Mobilization to
Stop the War, will join together on April 15th to demonstrate
against what both groups see as a misuse of their federal
tax dollars. The event is planned for the Willow Glen
Post Office on 1750 Meridian Ave, which will be open
late to accommodate large crowds of last-minute tax
filers. A rally at 6 pm will include speakers, pickets
and street theater, and demonstrators will remain at
the office until closing.
Demonstrators aim to reach out to taxpayers who will
be at the office and to draw attention to the proportion
of federal income taxes that go to the military instead
of to job creation, health, human service, education,
the environment, and other urgent needs. In a twist
on the popular antiwar slogan “Not in our name,”
participants will send the message “Not with our
taxes.”
“We think that the taxes paid by working Americans
ought to go towards the things we need most –
things like health care for children, support for public
transportation, and help for all those who are being
laid off,” said one participant. “Instead,
the Bush administration is using our money to wage an
illegal, unnecessary war and occupation, while cutting
hundreds of billions of dollars from programs that working
families need.”
Under the title of “Billionaires for War,”
a political theater group will draw attention to the
involvement of defense contractors and other companies
in the war and the tax dollars those companies receive,
as well as the tax cuts for the wealthy which the Bush
administration has pushed forward. (See attached release.)
Protestors will also hand out educational flyers to
taxpayers and provide labels with protest slogans for
last-minute filers to place on their tax returns.
As calculated by the National Priorities Project, the
average San Jose household paid $2,506.50 in taxes for
military and defense in 2002. In addition, each household
will pay an estimated $1,369 in income taxes to fund
the war on Iraq. Meanwhile, the House budget proposal
for 2004 would cut $165 billion from entitlement programs
for families, children, and elderly and disabled people
with low incomes, and more from other health, human
service, environment and education programs.
South Bay Mobilization to Stop the War
National organizations:
http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org
http://www.nationalpriorities.org
http://www.fairtaxes4all.org
http://www.cbpp.org
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