PROPOSAL: ENDORSEMENT OF THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM PEACE TAX FUND ACT

PRESENTER: Texas state delegation

CONTACT: John St. Denis Austin, TX (512) 454-0323, saintdenis@hotmail.com

SUBJECT: National endorsement of the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Act.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Selective Service Act allows Conscientious Objectors to war to have alternatives to military service. People with religious, moral or ethical beliefs against participation in war through taxation require a similar alternative to enhance the common good without their taxes going to war. The bill enjoyed the support of hundreds of Greens at the fall 2001 Nader rally, and Mr. Nader himself expressed interest in it. The Travis, Bastrop and Dallas County Green Parties and the State Executive Committee have all endorsed it. In June, the Green Party of Texas convention in San Marcos approved submittal to the Green party of the United States for endorsement.

PROPOSAL: The action requested of the Green Party of the United States is formal written endorsement of the National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund and its long-term effort to pass the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund bill (currently, H.R. 1186). This bill would allow people who cannot in good conscience allow their federal income taxes to go to war to have a fund established in the United States Treasury that would guarantee their taxes would not go to the Pentagon. This would not open the so-called floodgates for other taxpayers, given the legal precedent, history of religious freedom, extremely high budget, and the life and death nature of war. It would educate taxpayers on the tax forms and record users of the Fund by recording them in the Congressional Record. Endorsing the bill and notifying Congress would be a major boost to the Campaign as well as demonstrate the USGP's commitment to peace, justice, nonviolence and civil rights. The proposal also calls for the USGP to notify Congress and the President and its members of the endorsement through emails, web links and newsletter articles and to encourage their Congressional representatives and the President to co-sponsor and support the bill.

TIME LINE: We request that the USGP send a written endorsement to Congress and to the Campaign prior to the end of the current Congressional session in September, and that it notify all its affiliates to encourage individual action simultaneously or as soon as possible and again next spring 2003 when the bill is reintroduced. The bill number should not be referenced to allow for a reusable and ongoing endorsement.

RESOURCES: There are no foreseen budgetary implications of the proposal's adoption beyond a committee to complete statement of endorsement and deliver it to the National Campaign as well as to Congress and staff time to notify rank and file members through emails, web links and newsletter articles.

REFERENCES: http://www.PeaceTaxFund.org, 888-Peace-Tax
See also: http://www.NWTRCC.org, http://www.WarResisters.org/piechart.htm,
http://www.NationalPriorities.org, http://www.CDI.org