Green Party Opposes Out-of-Control Government Spending
Tax Day Events to Highlight War's Economic Costs
| In the US, April 15 is the deadline for people to file their federal income tax forms. Many pro-reform groups hold events and protests at this time. Here's what the Green Party is planning. |
On Tax Day, April 15, dozens of state and local Green Parties nationwide will undertake aggressive campaigns to educate Americans about the effect that the war on Iraq is having on the U.S. economy.
"We have events happening in Alaska, California, Idaho, New York, and Delaware," said Starlene Rankin, co-organizer of GPax, the Green Party's Peace Action Committee, which is coordinating the activities. "We'll be educating people about why there's no tax money left to provide human services, education, health and infrastructure, when billions of tax dollars go to corporations making weapons."
Greens in these states will leaflet post offices with Green Party 'Guns and Butter' flyers and the War Resisters League's military pie chart brochures. New York Greens will distribute flyers at the General Post Offices in Manhattan and the Bronx and outside major subway stops.
"New York City residents are perhaps more aware than other Americans that the Bush administration is impoverishing the citizens of the United States in order to enrich a few defense contractors and oil corporations," said Elizabeth Shanklin, a New York Green peace activist. "We are losing firehouses, educators, library access, jobs, housing, and health care."
Greens in San Jose, California will participate in "Billionaires for War," a satirical event on the war's billion-dollar windfall for corporations favored by the White House.
"Who are the real winners of the war on Iraq? Bechtel, Alliant, TRW, Northrup Grumman, and Boeing have multibillion dollar deals, with an unlimited contract for Cheney's Halliburton," said Heron Baker, Idaho Green delegate to the party's national committee and GPax co-organizer. "Who are the homefront losers? Child care for poor working families, health care (especially AIDS), Head Start, the EPA, public housing, job training, and other services. The Bush Administration has also proposed a $1.4 trillion 'diversion' of Social Security to pay for other programs in the next ten years."
The proposed 2004 military budget is $399.1 billion (a $48 billion increase), not including the requested $79 billion for 6 months for the war on Iraq. A Yale report estimates that an additional $300 billion will be needed to 'secure' Iraq over two years of occupation. By 2035, the estimated cost of Bush's national missile defense program will be $1.2 trillion.
"Many Americans are wondering whether the alleged weapons of mass destruction will ever be found in Iraq," said Heron Baker. "The supposed threat of an imminent attack by Iraq with WMDs was Bush's major justification to invade. It's becoming more and more apparent that our economy is being looted by the Bush Administration for a war based on fraudulent premises."
For further information:
The Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
'Guns and Butter' Report on Your Tax Dollars at Work
http://www.gp.org/articles/gunsnbutter.html
Green Party Peace Mobilization
http://www.gp.org/peace.html
War Resisters League pie chart on military spending
http://www.warresisters.org/piechart.htm
http://www.warresisters.org/piechart-spanish.htm
(Spanish)
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