June – July 2026

cover of latest newsletter.
National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee
40 Years of Resistance
More Than a Paycheck,
REFUSING to PAY for WAR

Contents

    • Click here to download a PDF of the June/July issue

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      Tax Day 2026 Reports

      By Lincoln Rice and Chrissy Kirchhoefer

      Tax Day was Wednesday April 15, 2026 and people throughout the US gathered to raise awareness that nearly half of federal income taxes are directed to US militarism. They encouraged others to resist paying taxes and redirect those funds to community needs.

      Here is an abbreviated account of Tax Day 2026 actions from our network. The complete account with more photos can be found on our website. Go to the “Programs” tab and click on “Tax Day.” If you would like to see media coverage that occurred around Tax Day, go to the “Media” tab, and click on “Articles” and “TV and Radio Interviews.”

      We also received a plethora of redirection reports. When combining new reports this year with previous reports from longtime war tax resisters, we count 85 households resisting and redirecting about $162,000. This is before taking into account the redirection of $90,000 by the People’s Life Fund in California, $80,000 by New England War Tax Resistance, $14,000 by the Oregon Community Peace Fund, and $2,200 by World Beyond War Madison.

      Tucson, Arizona – Jack and I vigiled with a row of signs in front of the federal building. Signs included the following messages: “Not with our Tax $$$,” “Bread not Bombs,” “Tools not Tanks,” “Healthcare not Warfare,” and “Books not Bullets.”

      – Felice Cohen-Joppa

      Berkeley, California – On Sunday April 12, the People’s Life Fund held a granting ceremony, where it redirected $90,000 to community organizations. We offer grants to groups that are providing essential day-to-day human services which the government is not adequately furnishing, and/or addressing the root causes of a problem by engaging in education or action, in the spirit of nonviolence, aimed at social, economic, or political change. Grantees included the Anti-Chevron Day Organizing Committee, Arab Film and Media Institute, OLAS (Organización LGBTQ de Apoyo y Solidaridad), Prisoners Literature Project, Support for Intertribal Gatherings, and Unapologetically HERS.

      – People’s Life Fund

      Chico, California – The Butte for a Free Palestine group did Tax Day tabling in front of the post office, and I did a Penny Poll on the 3rd No Kings Day.

      – Chris Nelson

      Colorado Springs, Colorado – It was a good experience to do the poll at the Denver Warm Cookies of the Revolution Tax Carnival — so many people milling through the games and tables, and great food and entertainers — a unicyclist who juggled, mariachi female band, mind reader…
      It was fun to engage folks as they were eager to participate…not always what you get on the street corner! Hooray for 128 people voting their priorities! The votes are in! Counted and recounted! Education wins! Education 24%; Health & Human Services 21%; Environmental Protection 18%; Food / Nutrition 17%; HUD and Housing 17%; Military 3%.

      – Mary Sprunger-Froese

      Bangor, Maine – Two TV stations (CBS and ABC/Fox) attended and interviewed Josh from the Peace and Justice Center and Adam from Veterans for Peace. At least one station ran a segment of our outrage over a proposed $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget for 2027.
      In the past we would say to media, “You can’t eat a missile, no matter how much peanut butter you put on it.” They still taste horrible, enough to make us all sick. It’s time to cut that budget…a lot!

      – Larry Dansinger

      St. Louis, Missouri – We had an action in downtown St. Louis. Horns honked, people stopped, took selfies, and chatted with us about Tax Day and military spending. People expressed their concern about the costs of war and were supportive of people trying to do anything to stop it. We gathered at the Old Court House (where the Dred Scott decision was made) on April 15th during rush hour. The action coincided with the on-going, weekly anti-war vigil hosted by the local Catholic Worker. We engaged with pedestrians with leaflets, signs, and pie charts.

      – Chrissy Kirchhoefer

      Reno, Nevada – I recruited six non-profit groups with booths at this year’s Reno Punk Rock Spring Flea Market to promote WTR using my redirection by matching scheme. We especially promoted W-4 resistance and the WTR Penalty Fund.
      In between the last three bands we had big-check matching-donation ceremonies for each of the non-profits where they got interviewed by the

      – Brian

      Albuquerque, New Mexico – A student on the University of New Mexico (UNM) campus asked me if I was the only one tabling. I told him I was. He had a rock collection, and he gave me a calcite rock that turns pink in the dark. What a sweet gesture!
      Over five hours, I gave out about 600 pieces of literature, the entire rest of my stash that I have been collecting for years. At least 10 students were interested in exploring WTR, about the same as last year.

      – Ginny Schneider

      Ithaca, New York – We were about ten folks who stood outside the post office for about an hour on Tax Day. We handed out pie charts and engaged people in conversation. Many people thanked us.

      – Mary Loehr

      Tax Day in Manhattan. Photo by Ed Hedemann

      Manhattan, New York – Besides “the customary band of pickets” (as the New York Times decades ago termed us), more young people than usual showed up. They, as well as us customary sorts, are horrified that US tax dollars were funding US wars and attacks in many countries, not to mention US weapons and bombs enabling wars and conflicts in other areas. Also, sharp increases in funding for ICE have driven more people to begin resisting.
      With the recent flurry of stories about war tax resistance appearing in mainstream media, our demonstration was covered by more photographers than is typical. The included photo taken at our protest outside the IRS building in lower Manhattan.

      – Ed Hedemann

      Cleveland, Ohio – Cleveland Nonviolence Network and ten co-sponsors had a “Tree March: Plant Trees, Not War. It was inspired by Wangari Mathaai and our own Patt Needham, presente.  It was chilly, but sunny and warm enough to plant saplings. It started at the Langston Hughes Branch of the Cleveland Public Library with two Langston Hughes poems. It had multiple artists and speakers at the end — The Brookdale Orchard — an urban core neighborhood restoration project. Abandoned lots that were acquired by the County Land Bank were purchased and have become parcels for an orchard.

      – Maria & Charlie

      Eugene, Oregon – Indivisible Eugene and XR Eugene joined Planet versus Pentagon to protest ICE at the old Federal Building in Eugene. Both ICE and the IRS have offices in the building. Over 30 people held up signs through rain, sleet, and hail. Many of us were dressed in black and some were dressed as lamenters in sackcloth. Though the building should have been open to the public, the door was locked and though we asked to speak with a representative of the IRS, no one opened the door or even answered us.
      Here are the results from our Penny Poll: Military – .01%; Physical Resources – 17%; Climate – 37%; Gov’t Admin – 14%; Human Resources – 32%.
      A local radio station, KEPW interviewed us and KVAL, a local TV station, took pictures and ran a story. And a few local papers ran short stories.

      – Sue Barnhart

      Portland, Oregon – Doubling our tax redirection donations from last year, the Oregon Community Peace Fund redistributed $14,000 to both local social service agencies serving the Portland area and two international groups working to bring aid to the Palestinian community of Gaza. Each group gave a brief presentation as to how these resources would be utilized to help ease suffering.
      A unique beginning to the event featured a song led by a member of our group to which all in attendance joined in, promoting a spirit of community among all. Also, WTR as well as those considering resistance mingled at the Penny Poll and literature table stacked with
      pamphlets.

      – Paul Stretch

      <strong.Madison, Wisconsin – Several members choose to redirect war tax dollars (a total of $2,200) to local mutual aid groups. On Tax Day this year, twelve war tax resisters visited the offices of Representative Mark Pocan and Senator Tammy Baldwin to deliver copies of our letters of objection to “defense” spending with taxpayers’ dollars. It was a great opportunity to present anti-war perspectives in person, especially from our Iranian and veteran members. We had meaningful conversations with their staff on the ballooning costs of war and the barbarity of US actions.

      – April Peterson

      Milwaukee, Wisconsin – On April 11th, Casa Maria Catholic Worker, Milwaukee War Tax Resisters, Welfare Warriors, and Peace Action Wisconsin held a vigil outside the US Army Reserve to protest federal tax dollars for war and genocide. There is a lot of car traffic at this intersection and there seemed to be more honks for peace than last year.

      – Lincoln Rice

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      A Tribute to Antiwar Vets

      By Ruth Benn

      Ironically, it is often people who have served in the military and have experienced firsthand the banality and brutality of mindless obedience who come to question and then reject external authority over their own internal ethical decisions.

      – Dana Visalli

      With the recent celebration of Memorial Day it seems appropriate to highlight a few of the antiwar, activist veterans who’ve been involved in war tax resistance and this network at one time or another. I hope that any more recent resister veterans will feel free to offer their story for the NWTRCC newsletter.

      Brian Willson was in the Air Force from 1966-1970—including active duty in Vietnam—an experience that left him horrified at the wanton killing of innocent civilians. After returning home he eventually found his way to Vietnam Veterans Against the War. At the time he lived in Western Massachusetts where he met Wally and Juanita Nelson. In a 2011 radio interview he said, “They had incredible courage to live outside the ‘American way of life.’ Their lives, in a sense, were a model of how to live simply and not cooperate with the nation-state…” After various interactions with the IRS, Brian shifted to living low income. (Check out his autobiography Blood on the Tracks, and watch the documentary, Paying the Price for Peace.)

      David Waters, another Vietnam vet and an Alabama native, took a little longer to really get radicalized, but by the end of the first Gulf War he “quit cold,” thoroughly disgusted by the indiscriminate bombing campaign of Operation Desert Storm. “Anytime you’re about to make some kind of a statement or a stand or life-changing decision or something, you think about weighing consequences and all that. And I thought, well, hell, I’d rather live in a hole in the street and eat what I could find rather than pay for this kind of thing anymore” (2003 radio interview). He’s given many interviews, spoke on a panel at the 2000 international conference of war tax resisters and peace tax campaigns, been a member of Veterans for Peace, and traveled to Cuba with the humanitarian aid trips of Pastors for Peace.

      Photo by Patrick O’Neill at the time of Frank’s sentencing.

      Frank Donnelly became an activist following a stint in the Army reserves in 1966. He was court-martialed and spent four months in a military stockade in 1971 for refusing to wear his uniform during the Vietnam War. A few decades later Frank found NWTRCC after running into trouble with the IRS over some unreported income (a method not encouraged by NWTRCC). He took a plea deal, and Maine resisters and activists rallied in his support at the sentencing. The judge handed down a year sentence, which Frank spent split between a federal prison camp in South Carolina and a halfway house in Maine. After his sentencing, Donnelly said he wished he had been more transparent in his war tax resistance but the year in prison did not stop him from his antiwar activism and staying connected with NWTRCC.

      Ellen Barfield, who spent four years in US Army (1977-1981), can be found in a “Rocking Chair Rebellion” against banks that finance fossil fuels, risking arrest on the Capitol Steps holding a “Benefits Not Bullshit” banner, or getting dragged out of a Congressional hearing while protesting US weapons to Israel. As a longtime telephone tax resister (that federal excise tax on local landlines that pays into the general fund and has a historic connection to war taxes), she has spent a good number of hours fighting with Verizon to honor her refusal to pay that tax. She’s on the board of Veterans for Peace, War Resisters League, Military Families Speak Out, and more.

      Peter Smith enlisted in Navy ROTC during college and spent four years in the Navy before returning to graduate school in 1964. Through a Catholic activist group he found himself in a Civil Rights march in Montgomery, Alabama, led by Martin Luther King Jr. that began his shift to peace and justice work. Later hearing Dr. King speak out against the Vietnam War was life changing. “His message of non-violence rooted in Christian principles, his courage to stand up for what he believed in when the odds seemed insurmountable, motivated me to dedicate my life to nonviolent struggle against racism and other forms of injustice.” Peter has been active with NWTRCC for many years and helps maintain the War Tax Resisters Penalty Fund.

      As a Marine, Matthew Hoh participated in the US occupation of Iraq from 2004-2007 and then was posted to Afghanistan with the State Department. In 2009, he resigned publicly in protest over the escalation of the war. In 2015 he announced his refusal to pay taxes for war, and in a profile for NWTRCC he wrote: “My participation in these wars has left me with moral injury, a condition that is, thankfully, becoming better understood in the veterans and medical communities.” He spoke at NWTRCC’s 2017 gathering in St. Louis, where we were also joined by national staff members of Veterans for Peace, which is based in St. Louis. Matthew is not active in the WTR network now, but he’s on the advisory boards of Veterans for Peace and World Beyond War, and you can keep up with him online at “Matt’s Thoughts on War and Peace.”

      So, a big thanks to all the veterans who are speaking and acting publicly against war and militarism, and a big big thanks to all the active military people who find that they can no longer participate in that system and find their way out. (Center on Conscience and War can help.)

      And, I will end with an additional tribute to those WWII resisters who helped launch the modern war tax resistance movement, the Vietnam era draft resisters who gave it a big boost, and all resisters who have joined in along the way.

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      Counseling Notes

      Purpose of this Section

      This section serves as a hub for war tax resisters to keep abreast of the kind of actions the IRS is taking to collect federal tax debt. It also aids WTR Counselors, who are war tax resisters who volunteer to support existing and potential resisters. These counselors have undergone a day-long training to non-directively counsel individuals and aid them in determining their goals in regards to WTR, to discover the options most appropriate to their situation, and to assess realistically the possible consequences of those options. A current list of counselors by state can be found on the NWTRCC website (go to the “About Us” tab and click “Local Contacts & Counselors”). This training is usually offered once a year in February. If you would be interested in attending one of these trainings, please contact the NWTRCC office at nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org or (800) 269-7464.

      Interest and Penalties during COVID

      If you were charged (and paid) interest and penalties during COVID, you may be due a refund.
      A recent court case [Kwong v. United States, 179 Fed. Cl. 382 (Nov. 2025)] ruled that filing and payment deadlines were postponed during the COVID federal disaster declaration, which was in effect from January 20, 2020 through May 11, 2023. The result is that any tax returns and payments due anytime within that window were not late until after July 10, 2023 (sixty days after the end of the disaster).

      The Justice Department will likely appeal this ruling, but most taxpayers must act by July 10, 2026, to request their potential refunds. Tens of millions of taxpayers were assessed penalties or interest for late filings or payments during these years.

      You do not need to calculate the exact amount of your requested refund or abatement. In the IRS’s Internal Revenue Manual (IRM) procedures, IRMIRM 25.6.1.10.3.2.5(2) says: “A valid protective claim need not state a particular dollar amount or demand an immediate refund; however, the claim must identify and describe the contingencies affecting the claim; must be sufficiently clear and definite to alert the IRS as to the essential nature of the claim; and must identify a sific year or years for which a refund is sought.” Taxpayers would need to file a Form 843, write “Protective Refund Claim Pursuant to Kwong Case” or something similar across the top, and fill in as much detail as possible. Taxpayers can also file protective claims for abatement of interest and penalties assessed but not yet paid. But in this scenario, it is not clear if this action would also delay the 10-year statute of limitations by three and a half years. Form 843 can only be submitted by mail. And filers may want to send it certified mail to prove it was mailed in a timely manner.

      IRS Levy in Summer 2025

      In our previous newsletter, we wrote that we were not aware of any garnishments and levies during the Trump presidency, other than the collection of some state income tax refunds. In response, one of our readers informed us that last summer the IRS began garnishing 15% of the pension she receives from the federal government. She qualified for the pension because her husband died several years ago during military service. It may not be a coincidence that last summer the Trump IRS sent letters to current and former government employees with a tax debt, threatening collection and possible job termination.

      IRS Struggles

      As recently reported by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, IRS budget cuts, the elimination of the free Direct File program, and new tax provisions in the One Big Terrible Bill created a challenging tax season for filers and may threaten the long-term integrity of the tax system. When taking inflation into account, the current IRS budget is 40% less than it was in 2010.

      Update on IRS Sharing Information with ICE

      The sharing of taxpayer information with ICE is still paused as a circuit court case considers the issue. But is it now known that the IRS shared confidential address information for approximately 47,300 taxpayers to ICE in response to a bulk request in August 2025.

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      Many Thanks

      Thanks to each of you who has donated for the May Appeal 2026! Remember, you can also donate online through PayPal and Venmo (not tax deductible) or Resist (tax deductible) by clicking on the “Donate” button at nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org. (Please let the NWTRCC office know if you use Resist.) It’s never too late to send that contribution to support our work.

      We are very grateful to these alternative funds and WTR groups for their redirections and Affiliate dues:
      People’s Life Fund of Northern California; New England War Tax Resistance;
      Las Vegas Catholic Worker; Boulder War Tax Info Project

      [Return to List of Headlines]

      Network Updates

      The Network List of Affiliates, Area Contacts, Counselors, and Alternative Funds is updated and online at nwtrcc.org, or contact the NWTRCC office (nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org or (800) 269-7464), if you would like a printed list by mail.

      Don’t forget, you can find us on
      Facebook • Twitter • YouTube • Instagram •

      or join our discussion listserve.
      Click on the icons at       nwtrcc.org

      Advertise to Activists! See the advertising rates for this newsletter or contact the editor at (800) 269‒7464.

      Consider a Bequest

      NWTRCC accepts bequests which can be arranged through your will or other estate plan.

      Don’t Delay, Make a Bequest to NWTRCC Today!

      Many of us war tax resisters (WTRs) are getting on in age though we don’t like to admit it and some of us are still young but want to ensure the longevity of NWTRCC. We have been supporters of NWTRCC with our dollars and our efforts and understand the importance of ensuring that NWTRCC is around as long as our taxes support death, destruction, and the military-industrial complex. NWTRCC is key to keeping WTRs connected across the country and the globe. It provides critical information for potential, new and long-time WTRs through this newsletter, the practicals, counselors, staff, and other technical support. Through national gatherings, social and traditional media, and its presence at peace and justice events across the country, the organization promotes outreach to the community at large to raise awareness that WTR is a way to resist collusion with the killing of citizens here and abroad.
      A charitable bequest is the easiest and best way to make a gift to NWTRCC. Through your will or other estate plan and no matter what your age is, you simply name NWTRCC as the beneficiary of a portion of your estate or of particular assets in your estate. Bequests can be some of the most enduring gifts. A large or small bequest can be made for many reasons. It can honor a loved one while providing critical support to NWTRCC to maintain or expand the committee’s work. A bequest costs nothing now yet it may give you great satisfaction to know that your gift will live on in NWTRCC. You can find more information about making a bequest on our website: nwtrcc.org/bequests. You can also contact Lincoln Rice at (800) 269-7464 to discuss gift strategies that can help you support NWTRCC and WTR.

      More information: nwtrcc.org/bequests, (800) 269-7464, or nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org.

      “I have been donating quarterly to NWTRCC for many years, because as a life-long war tax resister I feel I definitely need NWTRCC to be there and to be strong.”

      — Becky Pierce, Dorchester, Mass.

      Please join Becky as an annual, monthly, or quarterly pledger to NWTRCC. See the donate page on our website to pledge through Paypal (any amount monthly) or through Resist (monthly, quarterly, and annual options). If you would like a pledge packet to give by check, please contact the NWTRCC office, 800-269-7464.

      Are you organizing an action, training, or gathering?
      Got a good photo of your war tax resister community in action?
      Keep us in the loop

      We’re all about building the community of resisters.
      We’d love to celebrate you + help spread the word. Email Chrissy Kirchhoefer (Our Outreach Consultant):outreach@nwtrcc.org

      Donate by Venmo


      NWTRCC now accepts donations by Venmo! We still accept donations by check, PayPal, and credit/debit card using PayPal. Also, tax deductible donations can be made by check or credit/debit card using one of our fiscal sponsors. For more information on all the ways you can donate to NWTRCC, go to nwtrcc.org/donate.

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      NWTRCC and WTR News

      NWTRCC’s Conference & Coordinating Committee Meeting

      NWTRCC’s May 2026 conference on Zoom attracted about 100 participants. Friday evening featured two half-hour sessions where participants could socialize in small groups based on themes offered during registration.    We then separated into breakout rooms with themes suggested by participants during registration. One session was a bit more formalized and featured Socialist Washington State congressional candidate Kshama Sawant, for a session entitled, “Who Speaks for the Anti-War/Genocide Left?: Independent Kshama Sawant or Democrat Jim McGovern.”

      Saturday morning we heard from Rachel Cohen, a Chicago lawyer who very publicly proclaimed this spring that she would be refusing to pay about $8,000 in federal income taxes because of the actions of the US military and ICE. She now has over 275,000 followers on Instagram (@cohen.489).

    • After our WTR 101 & 201 sessions, Sociologist Ruth Braunstein discussed the morality of taxpaying in the US. Much of her discussion focused on her interviews with war tax resisters while researching her recent book, My Tax Dollars: The Morality of Taxpaying in America.
    • Our final Saturday session on New Trends in WTR Outreach featured speakers discussing how they are working to spread war tax resistance in our changing world. We heard from Brian, who founded TaxStrikeNV.com in Reno; Em, who recently took over management of New England War Tax Resistance; and Kima and Jenna with the Oregon Community Peace Fund, who discussed how they have adapted their outreach and workshops. Videos for the three presentations on Saturday can be found at youtube.com/nwtrcc.On Sunday morning, we had our Sunday business meeting. NWTRCC’s consultants provided reports and we went over finances. With the conclusion of of that meeting, Paula Rogge and Greg Reagle finished their three-year terms on NWTRCC’s Administrative Committee and we welcomed Missy Pidgeon and Christina Thompson to that committee. Also, since Patricia Kirkpatrick stepped down from AdComm for personal reasons, we chose Daniel Woodham to finish Patricia’s term.There were two proposals discussed at the business meeting. One proposal that would make it more difficult to prevent the changing of topics at pre-arranged NWTRCC events was rejected. Another proposal to improve the hybrid meeting experience for online attendees was approved with some modifications. Minutes for the meeting can be found at nwtrcc.org/nwtrcc-business.

      Mark your Calendars!!!
      National War Tax Resistance Gathering & Coordinating Committee Meeting
      November 6-8, 2026 in Las Vegas

      Our next conference will be the first full weekend of November in Las Vegas, Nevada. We are grateful to be hosted by the Las Vegas Catholic Worker. Some sessions will also be streamed on Zoom. More details will be forthcoming. If you are interested in hosting a future NWTRCC meeting and have the resources to allow easy integration of online participants using Zoom, please contact the NWTRCC office.

      Request from The Black Response Cambridge

      We do not usually print requests for funds from other groups, but the Black Response Cambridge is great at promoting war tax resistance. First by hosting a session on war tax resistance last tax season and then by sharing their work at our November 2025 conference in Worcester. So here is a brief message from their group:
      TBR is facing a $20,000 shortfall as our fiscal year draws to a close. Without closing this gap, we risk being unable to pay our staff through the end of the quarter. These organizers and coordinators show up daily because they share our commitment to peace, resistance, and community care. Keeping them on payroll ensures our campaigns, member support, and outreach don’t stall at a critical moment.
      We’re asking if you would consider making a personal donation to help us bridge this gap.
      Ways to give: check and PayPal. For more info, go to www.theblackresponsecambridge.com or email general@theblackresponsecambridge.com.

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      A Call to Resistance: War Tax Refusal

      By Suzanne Belote Shanley and Brayton Shanley

      We resist paying taxes for war used to kill our country’s enemies, because as Christians, Jesus commands us to love our enemies.

      We resist paying taxes for war because war is a lethal, murderous sacrilege, a wanton killing of God’s gift of human life which threatens all life on earth, as nuclear war looms.

      We resist paying taxes for war because if we ourselves refuse to kill, we certainly cannot pay someone to kill for us.

      We resist paying taxes for war because approximately one half of our tax dollars are used to support past, present and future wars, the bombing of Iran costing 2 billion dollars a day.

      We resist paying taxes for war because they are used to kill non-combatant civilians, including children, the epitome of innocent victims.

      We resist paying taxes for war, the most preposterous of all evils, killing pregnant women and unborn children and sacrificing young enlistees to a war machine.

      We resist paying taxes for war because the US military is one of the biggest, high-carbon polluters of the planet’s soil, air and water.

      We resist paying taxes for war because war fuels climate change, causing deadly, erratic weather and global warming.

      We resist paying taxes for war because they result in the killing of thousands of civilians in Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, Ukraine, and other US war zones, severing limbs, disfiguring bodies, creating lifetime trauma and cycles of revenge.

      We resist paying taxes for war, a difficult journey, but one we take because the US government gives its citizens no choice but to pay for war and not for peace.

      For more information on war tax resistance:
      www.agapecommunity.org; www.warresisters.org; www.nwtrcc.org;
      peace@agapecommunity.org</em<>/a>
      Peace, Agape Community 

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      Our Letter to the IRS

      April 15, 2026
      Dear IRS,

      Iran Graves. Photo Credit: Iran’s Foreign Media Department, via Associated Press.

      This year, just as we were preparing to pay our taxes, the President of the United States launched a reckless war against Iran, without a clear justification or objective and without Congressional approval. Within the first 24 hours of this horrible misadventure, our country had fired a missile at an elementary school, killing 150 innocent schoolchildren. These are their graves:

      Since March, the militaries of the United States and Israel, funded by US and Israeli taxpayers, have killed 1,443 Iranian civilians, including at least 217 children. Thirteen American servicemembers have been killed. All of these people were created by God and endowed with unique talents and gifts. All of them suffered violent deaths in an armed conflict initiated by the United States. Their blood is on our hands. Informed by our consciences and our Catholic Christian faith, we can no longer contribute to this reckless destruction of human life. Therefore, we are not paying the additional $3,748 that we owe in taxes for 2025. Instead, we have donated this amount to organizations that are working to advance peace and human health and dignity.

      We ask that the federal taxes that we did pay this year be directed toward health care, disease research and prevention, education, and critical infrastructure. The needs here at home are significant. 2 million people in the United States of America live in homes without running water. Millions more have running water, but it is not safe to drink. In our state of Wisconsin, communities with aging lead pipes or wells contaminated by toxic chemicals are told by federal agencies that there is not enough money to provide clean drinking water to American families. However, there always seems to be enough money for killing machines, like the F35 fighter jets that cost over $80,000,000 (80 million) each and whose presence in Madison, Wisconsin is lowering property values near the airport they use for take-off and landing due to extreme noise. In the United States, approximately 13% of total federal spending and over 50% of the federal discretional budget goes to pay for past, present, and future wars – more than the next nine countries combined.

      Since the start of the war in Afghanistan in 2001, Congress has appropriated $14,000,000,000,000 ($14 trillion) to the Pentagon. How can the United States have $14 trillion dollars to blow up roads and bridges in other countries, but we have no money to fix roads and bridges in our own? Here in Wisconsin, towns are pulverizing their paved roads and reverting back to gravel roads because there are not enough state and federal highway funds to maintain the paved roads. Here in the Dairy State, these roads are part of the critical infrastructure that allows milk from our dairy farms to safely reach processing plants. In 2007, the I-35 bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed due to lack of maintenance, and 13 people plunged to their deaths in the river below. Was another foreign military escapade more important than the lives of those Americans?
      As numerous members of our families battle cancer, there are a nationwide shortages of critical cancer drugs. The federal government is cutting funding for research and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, which has devastated members of both of our families. In contrast, the United States had enough R&D funds to develop, test, and supply Israel with the thermal and thermobaric munitions that it used to literally vaporize Palestinians in the Gaza war. Creating heat of 6,332 degrees Fahrenheit, these weapons were used in violation of international law to reduce men, women, and children to tiny bits indistinguishable tissue. The United States, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, is deep in the “Culture of Death” described by Pope Francis.

      Our consciences have spoken. We can no longer continue to pay for war while praying for peace.
      Sincerely,
      Ryan and Kara O’Connor
      Madison, Wisconsin

      [Return to List of Headlines] [

      Editor Lincoln Rice
      Production Rick Bickhart

      More Than a Paycheck: Refusing to Pay for War is a bimonthly publication of the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee, a clearinghouse and resource center for the conscientious war tax resistance movement in the United States. NWTRCC is a coalition of local, regional and national affiliate groups working on war tax related issues.

      NWTRCC sees poverty, racism, sexism, homophobia, economic exploitation, environmental destruction and militarization of law enforcement as integrally linked with the militarism which we abhor. Through the redirection of our tax dollars, NWTRCC members contribute directly to the struggle for peace and justice for all.

      Paper Subscriptions are $25 per year. Digital subscriptions are free.

      NWTRCC
      P.O. Box 5616, Milwaukee, WI 53205
      (800) 269‒7464
      (262) 399‒8217
      nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org
      social media: socialmedia@nwtrcc.org
      newsletter: wartaxresister@nwtrcc.org
      www.nwtrcc.org