Em Jacoby, Fund Manager for the New War Tax Resistance Alternative Fund.
By Em Jacoby
Last night, like many Sunday nights, my household of five headed to the near South Side of Chicago to partake in a community meal program with wraparound services for those experiencing food and housing insecurity. The weather recently turned from oppressive heat and humidity to cool rain. It had rained relentlessly for days, and everything was soaked. For those who carry what they own on a few crumbling suitcase wheels or keep belongings in a tent that has a high risk of theft and vandalism, a dramatic weather shift brings desperation. There is no coat closet waiting for them with last spring’s jackets. We try to meet needs, listen, and create comfort where we can. We wrote up a list of sizes and clothing needs, dug through bins of donations, and supplied what we could. For those who walked away without enough, we will try to find supplies for next week, but we rely on donations from other organizations that also rely on donations. We can promise that no one will leave our meal hungry, but with rain boots, coats, housing, and sufficient preventative care? Sigh, we really try.
The myth is that there is not enough, and I know you understand this is deeply connected to war tax resistance. There actually is enough. We can have a world where all are fed, clothed, housed, and receiving health care; better yet, we can have a world where all are thriving. We are in this fight for federal taxes to fund our communities’ needs.
A little more than a year ago I became the Fund Manager for New England War Tax Resistance, a group started in 1968 in the Boston area to support and educate on war tax resistance. Over time, as various groups dissolved that had started during the Vietnam War, New England War Tax Resistance became national. I am based in Chicago, and here to support anyone who owes federal taxes. One of our more unique services is providing grants every April 15 from funds pooled together by war tax resisters and giving the interest from our pooled resources to the community non-profits our resistors want to see funded. (Reach out for more details!)
I have heard many in the war tax resistance movement express concern about the waning capacity and the aging population of resisters. Being nearly half the age of the former Fund Manager Becky Pierce, who was a fabulous war tax resistance counselor and excellent at finding ways to fund communities, I am taking seriously the task of bridging younger folks with those who have decades of experience as resisters.
In March, I began the Instagram page, @ne_WarTaxResistance, partnering with NWTRCC to provide snippets of information, listing a resistance myth, and dispelling the myth in a few photos. These posts reach 8,000 people on average. With help from an artist friend, I created a one-page zine that is handy for tabling at events, mailing to those exploring war tax resistance, sticking in Little Free Libraries, and passing out at anti-war protests. Knowing that there is a lot of concern for surveillance for any sort of resistance to the government, I offer support over Proton Mail (a free encrypted email platform that is non-profit) and Signal chat (also a non-profit but for texts and calls). I also am happy to show up in-person or virtually to share the resources of New England War Tax Resistance.
As I speak with folks learning about war tax resistance for the first time, returning to it after many years, or those continuing for decades, what I find most interesting is that this movement unites so many other movements. We are truly diverse. There are people finding themselves at War Tax Resistance 101’s who have never protested in any other form. There are folks who say they are here because their very existence is being threatened and they would have been here sooner if they had heard of us. There are folks who tell me their families think they are extreme, but really they just want peace.
Just like the guests of the community meal program, we all want a space where our needs are met, we are listened to, and we feel supported. Let’s continue to do this for war tax resistance. (New England War Tax Resistance can be contacted via email at NEWTresistance@proton.me.)
Great work. Thank you!