Wojtek
>Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 14:35:25 -0400
>From: peacetaxfund at igc.apc.org (National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund)
>Subject: PEACE TAX FUND: Reps. Lewis And Leach Reintroduce The Peace Tax Fund
> Into Congress
>To: peacetaxfund at igc.apc.org
> (National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund Mailing List)
>Reply-to: peacetaxfund at igc.apc.org
>
>Peace Tax Fund Action Alert
>
>Urging their colleagues to "stand up for the religious freedom promised in
>the First Amendment," Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and Rep. Jim Leach (R-IA) will
>introduce the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill on tax day, April 15.
>
>
>The Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill would create a fund within the
>U.S. treasury to receive the taxes of people who cannot pay for war for
>religious or moral reasons. Taxes in this fund would be used at the
>discretion of Congress only for non-military government programs.
>
>
>Thousands of Americans hold sincere, conscientious beliefs that do not
>allow them to participate in military actions of any kind, including paying
>taxes for it. Each year on tax day, they choose to disobey the law rather
>than their own conscience.
>
>
>In other words, they can't pay the military portion of their taxes. (They
>don't keep them either; they usually give the money to other causes.)
>Since this is prohibited, the IRS usually responds by garnishing their
>wages, or by seizing their cars, homes and other assets. The Religious
>Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill would allow these citizens to legally exercise
>their sincere beliefs.
>
>
>"It would be a great step for democracy if the largest military power in
>the world recognized people's right not to participate financially in war,"
>said Marian Franz, Executive Director of the National Campaign for a Peace
>Tax Fund. "People sincerely want to contribute their fair share of taxes,
>but they cannot violate their most basic beliefs."
>
>
>Support for the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill is growing. The
>proposal was first introduced in Congress in 1972, mostly at the initiative
>of Quakers, Mennonites and members of the Church of the Brethren. Since
>then, a diverse range of religious organizations has come to recognize the
>proposal as a religious liberty issue. The Bill is now supported by such
>organizations as the ten-million-member United Methodist Church, the
>Presbyterian Church, and the Christian Legal Society.
>
>
>According to the Friends Committee on National Legislation, in 1998, 43
>cents of each federal income tax dollar (excluding trust funds like Social
>Security) was spent on past or present military programs. The only legal
>option for people who cannot pay for the military is to live in poverty
>under the taxable level ($12,500 per couple).
>
>
>The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee estimates that there
>are 10,000 conscientious objectors actively resisting financial
>participation in the military.
>
>
>
>------------------------
>For more information, go the the National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund
website at http://www.nonviolence.org/peacetax
>
>Explore the Nonviolence Web at http://www.nonviolence.org/
>