Anti-tax demonstrators in Ikeja, Lagos
defied a government ban, and a police raid on the local Nigerian Bar
Association offices, to hold a march. Adeshina Ogunlana, chairman of that
Association, told marchers: “Lagosians, don’t be deceived, shine your eyes.
Land Use Charge would lead to inflation, increase in rent, increase in cost
of transportation, and increase in cost of food. This is why we are
encouraging people not to pay Land Use Charge. It must not be allowed to
stay.”
You may have heard some buzz about a bipartisan
IRS
overhaul bill oozing through Congress. The highlights I’ve heard so far
don’t seem amount to much, substance-wise. I suspect it’s really meant as
cover for an
IRS
budget increase. Both parties know that it’s in their interest to boost
agency funding so as to keep the gravy train operating, but boosting the
IRS
budget is poison to Republicans because of how riled up their base got
about the Tea Party targeting scandal. Combine a budget boost with “strong
reform” to “protect taxpayer rights” though, and they might slip it past
the rubes.
Protesting the un-declared Vietnam War “where it can be felt” was recommended
by Miss Amy Pitt, a graduate
student from the University of Buffalo. She was addressing a meeting of the
Clergy and Laymen Concerned About Vietnam (CALCAV),
held at the Olean Coffee House.
She spoke first of the inflationary aspects of the current war, noting that,
because the war had been undeclared, the costs were paid through such taxes as
the surtax and excise tax. She noted further that this method was used because
it was believed to be “politically inadvisable” to stress money problems when
64.8 per cent of the Federal Budget of
$154.9 billion was for wars, past and present. An estimated 15–20 per cent of
the 48.4 per cent of the money for current military expenditures will be used
for Vietnam.
Miss Pitt noted that, due to the increased military budget, the “human
resources” programs had been cut back appreciably, or canceled completely.
As a protest to this federal priority program, Miss Pitt suggested tax
resistance as one method that would help to educate the people as to the usage
of top money, and that it was a useful way to get the people together in
concerted effort.
She also recommended the use of the courts, when necessary, to call attention
to the problems existing.
Observing that the excise tax on telephone service was increased to 10 per
cent in , she quoted
Rep. Wilbur Mills,
chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, who stated, “Vietnam and only
the Vietnam operation makes this bill necessary.”
She called for persons to refuse the pay the tax on the telephone bills. She
explained that this must be accompanied by a letter stating the reason and
that it did not affect the person’s telephone service. The company, she
explained, merely refers the tax nonpayment to the Internal Revenue Service.
This, she said, lets the government know that one is not willingly aiding in
paying for the “unjust and undeclared” war.
She also explained the ways in which a person could protest through the
non-payment of their income taxes. Again, by filing the proper return, but
enclosing a letter of protest. The monies are held in escrow.
Both of these procedures might carry monetary or prison penalties, she
observed, but felt that mass drastic action was necessary for results.
The Rev. Richard Elliott,
chairman of the CALCAV
steering committee, was in charge of the meeting.
Locally, members of CALCAV,
in connection with the Students and Teachers Organized for Peace (STOP)
of St. Bonaventure University,
plan to circulate petitions throughout the area for support of the
(Sen. Charles E.) Goodell
resolution (S. 3000) calling
for the troops to be removed from Vietnam by
and the military non-involvement in
Cambodia and Laos.
Also, a draft counseling center is being established in Olean, with sessions
at the Coffee House.
