The chilling reports from Fallujah reinforce the conclusion that had already been forming in my mind -
I can no longer in good conscience contribute my hard-earned dollars to this administration. Every dollar that we keep is one more dollar that Bush will have to beg Congress to borrow in order to finance his wars. Half of Bush's budget goes to debt, military, and military salaries. And that doesn't include the extra-budget expenditures for Iraq and Afghanistan.
(more below)
It's time for all progressives to join in some civil disobedience, fiscal-style.
If you can totally avoid paying federal income tax, more power to you. If not, here are some guidelines:*
- State taxes (income, sales, property) and FICA are largely progressive-friendly taxes. We can continue to pay these.
- You can starve the beast on a monthly basis by redoing your W-4 and maximizing your number of allowances -- it's legal, and doesn't have to reflect the number you will claim on your taxes. Even if you end up paying the money at the end of the year, you can put it in the bank and earn interest on it, or use it to keep your credit card. I personally claim 10 allowances on my W4.
- Maximize your deductions. Pay the best accountant you can find to limit the amount of tax you pay. You may not save any money, but it's better to pay the accountant than the treasury at this point. Give whatever you can to charity, and claim the deduction.
- If possible, work for barter/trade/karma rather than for reported income.
*I am not a lawyer, accountant, lawyer's accountant, or accountant's lawyers. This diary expresses my opinions, which, if you follow them, will almost certainly give you peace of mind and renewed progressive zeal. And possibly 3-5 years in federal prison.