For Seattle peace activist Bert Sacks, the monthly act of resistance adds up to only 59 cents. Symbolically, however, refusing to pay the "war tax" on his Qwest phone bill represents a pocketbook protest against what he sees as misuse of U.S. military power.If you didn't want to fund the war on "poverty" would you get the same p.r.? Or if you thought Social Security taxes were unfair because many government workers don't pay them do you think that would be alright?
"I object to the U.S. government policy of using famine and epidemic as tools against civilian populations. That's wrong," says the retired engineer, who has fought for a decade to get economic sanctions against Iraq lifted.
Sacks is one of thousands of Americans believed to be refusing to pay the federal taxes attached to their monthly phone bills -- money that helps fund military operations overseas.
Many are taking the step as a protest against the war in Iraq. And in many cases, the phone companies are helping them do it.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Many refuse to pay 'war tax' on phone bill
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports: