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People’s Life Fund |
War Tax RedirectionA Positive Alternative to Federal War Taxes
Today, even more than soldiers, the Pentagon requires tremendous amounts of money to build both nuclear and conventional weapons systems. The U.S. government continues to collect tax dollars from its citizens to finance high-technology preparation for war. As people realize this, and we make the connection between our tax money and the violence and oppression brought on by military spending, war tax resistance grows. During the Vietnam war, the number of people who resisted paying federal taxes increased dramatically. At that time, about 60% of our income taxes went for military-related purposes, and the federal excise tax on our phone bill was increased to help pay for that war. Today, roughly 50% of our federal tax dollars are still being used to pay for the activities and debts of the military machine. Many people in communities across the United States are taking steps to resist the payment of the federal income and/or telephone tax. There are a number of forms that tax resistance can take; more information about this form of civil disobedience can be obtained from the War Resisters League: http://www.warresisters.org/node/321 Alternative FundsOver 50 alternative funds have been established in the U.S. to serve as repositories for money which is not paid in taxes to the federal government. A portion of the money in each fund is then given away by its members for a broad range of positive, life-affirming purposes. By creating alternative funds, we move a step beyond resistance. Through our actions, we determine the priorities for the use of our tax dollars. And by this determination, we not only empower ourselves, but we also provide critical funds for human services that the government is not adequately supplying. The People’s Life FundIn 1971, war tax resisters in the San Francisco Bay Area formed the People’s Life Fund (PLF). Each April 15, the PLF makes grants to community organizations working for peace and justice. To provide for a wide range of needs, the PLF is divided into three categories:
The People’s Life Fund strives to deposit contributions in alternative financial institutions, such as credit unions and socially responsible funds, whose goals are compatible with those of the members of the funds. People’s Life Fund GrantsGrants are made to groups whose work falls within one of the priority areas described below. Preference is given to groups that provide services in the Northern California region. First Priority: Provision of essential, day-to-day human services (food, health, child care, housing, etc.) combined with educational work aimed at pointing out and changing the root causes of whatever problems the group is addressing. Second Priority: Provision of essential, day-to-day human services without an explicit, conscious attempt to provide an analysis or eradicate the problem. Third Priority: Education or action, in a spirit of non-violence, aimed at social, economic, or political change. In addition to the above priorities, the People’s Life Fund favors projects serving the Northern California area, and small organizations with annual budgets of less than $200,000. Preference will be given to groups that challenge privilege and injustice and are led by the same constituencies that are being served. In 2013 we are giving special priority to groups that are working in the areas of Youth, Economic and Racial Justice and Environmental Sustainability. The PLF does not fund the same organization two years in a row, and gives preference to groups that have not recently received funding. Applications will be accepted between March 1–22, 2013, with final decisions made by late March. Grants will be awarded on the evening of April 15th at a public tax day event. Groups receiving a PLF grant are required to receive the check, in person, at our granting ceremony, and to list the PLF among their funders as: War Taxes Redirected by People’s Life Fund. Please use this application if you wish to apply. Please email your application by 5 p.m., March 22nd, 2013, to: nowartax@riseup.net. We strongly encourage you to submit your application by email, but will also accept paper copies if submitting electronically is absolutely impossible, and if received by the deadline. Applications are screened and grants are made by any members of the PLF who choose to attend meetings in February and March of each year [in 2012, the PLF account did not earn enough to warrant grants, so we’re saving up extra for this year]. Any person who, in the past two years, has made a contribution to category C or has had a positive balance in category B is a member of the PLF. In addition, one may become a member of the Fund by volunteering time or resources to the work of the Fund. Granting decisions are made by consensus of the members involved. An informal evaluation on the use of PLF grants by recipient organizations is made after an appropriate time by the recipient and the PLF. Loans are made on a limited basis from the People’s Life Fund to organizations whose overall purpose is to provide human services or aid to low-income persons, to promote nonviolent action or education, and/or to promote alternative economic projects and relationships. Your SupportIf we all placed the money we didn’t give to the military in locally administered funds like the PLF, we could help create models for a future in which people would regain control of their common institutions and effectively end their complicity in government programs they believe to be detrimental to the Earth and living things. We invite you to join us in this work.
People’s Life Fund |