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Show DESERET March REEF Page Se ae ‘THE NA TIONAL TA STRIKE 1776: No Taxation 1981: No Taxation 205 Wears of vigorous protests, the formation of “Committees of Correspondence” to coordinate resistance, and movements which have “‘posed”’ as movements of the people, this one isn’t coordinated by a Madison Avenue public relations firm, nor are its aims con- sidered “‘respectable” or “relevant” by conventional with wholesale smuggling of taxed goods. A year later the colonies were convulsed by the attempted British ‘imposition of the “Stamp Act” — which the “Declaratory Act’? that they indeed had the night to tax the colonies. Throughout the period leading up to the Revolu-. It is based -polies. on the fundamental axiom that the the Stamp Act — stating, however, in tion in 1776, crisis after crisis was provoked by British measures designed to restrict colonial trade and levy taxes. Each time the colonists responded by boycotting British goods, refusing to buy taxed goods(such as tea— often paying higher prices for smuggled foreign goods — refusing to trade with government-mandated and supported mono- They also became expert smugglers, and “fruits of the labor’ of an individual belong to that individual — and that efforts to forcibly deprive a person of their property and money are nothing often evicted tax collectors and government bureaucrats from their midst by force. In short, they less than robbery. sible, unpatriotic, treasonous, criminal manner. Tax revolt did not end with the Revolution. In acted in what today would be termed an irrespon- It is the “National Tax Strike’. The groups involved with the National Tax Strike range from the New Left to the Old Right. Despite their obviously different ideologies, they are united by the fact that they have hit upon the single most effective way to stop oppressive government in its tracks. Taxation is the heart and soul of government. Without money there can be no narc squads — Selec- tive Service Systems — imperialistic wars. the Constitution adopted. for a strong, federal, central gov- ernment. Without taxation the government no longer has the power to dictate the intimate details of your life. Without money, the people can no longer be victims of grandiose social engineering plans, designed by wealthy elitists who are always so sure they know what is good for everyone. Without finances, the bloated and repressive bureaucracy dies on the vine. Without taxation, the poor and the economically deprived have a real chance to actually get ahead: On March 3, 1791 the farmers of west- ern Pennsylvania rose up in revolt against a new excise tax on whiskey laid by the US Congress. Revolt people are guilty until Even when you've done is wiser to confess and than to hire a lawyer to nocence. Agents of the cords were in good being what they have been Above is the surprisingly IRS wish with brutal treatment. to ignore of the IRS the HEADQUARTERS 1409 S900 E by the IRS ' This was untrue. She had never, the fact that her attorney had signed it, and was hauled away for a 90-day psy chiatric evaluation.” With the help of two US Senators, Hutchinson was later { released. Fleetwood’s article also reported on the intimidation used against the media. Playboy magazine did a biting article on IRS abuses and tactics and was soon hit with an assessment of $7.7 million in 1976. Two weeks after ABC aired a special investigation of the IRS in 1975, Paul Altmeyer, the documentary’s writer, was assessed for of a $2,125.09 Later it was reduced to $51.47. However, Altmeyer discovered, under the Freedom of Information Act, that the IRS had compiled an on him after the tactics almost 100 page report documentary was aired. -Other examples abound. An accoutant the in Chicago, paper’s policy is supportive of tax-collecting for all forms of government programs, or the publication wishes to avoid an IRS audit. But Saturday Review charged into the IRS like a made bull. Here are some of the interesting facts brought out by the author, Blake Feetl- wood, in The Tax Police: “Last summer, for example, two IRS agents put ona bru- Howard MacNeil, was assessed $36,000 personally for taxes of a corpora tion that he had no relationship to except as a client. MacNeil fought the assessment and the IRS, “without any court proceed- ing, attached his bank account and posted signs around his house proclaiming Keep ‘Out — Property of the US Govemment. “MacNeil went into debt, lost his business, -. tal display in full view of dozens of onlookers and news photographers. While Stephen and Mona Oliver sat in their Volkswagon, the agents smashed in the car windows and dragged the counle over the broken olass. and waited years before being completély vindicated at his trial.” Unfortunately, the article cuss if taxation is immoral alternatives to this form once the citizenry does not dis- or if there are of theft. understands that But thugs operate governmental agencies, they should next consider the real meaning of coercion. Climaa Catalogue $34.95 in gr. or ozs. available at $5.95 Gestapo-like an audit that the IRS used mental hospitals to rep- Most publications because of two reasons: from ress dissent. Shortly after her appearance, she was convicted of omitting the signature of a tax expert on her retum, despite story in Saturday Re- facts. shielded | undergone psychiatric treatment— not, that is, until after she testified before Montoya view (May 1980) on the Internal Revenue Service. It is more than interesting to see an established East Coast journal tackle the AN UNUSUALLY SENSITIVE SCALE FOR PRECISION WEIGHING Weighs from 1/10 gram to 4 ozs. -Removable 4” weighing pans Complete with 6 brass weights Extra sets of weights graduated ;varagraph But months be- umn and Montoya lost the election. However, after the election, no tax irregularities were found after an audit. A more chilling éxample of IRS tactics was that of Barbara Hutchinson, who publicly denounced the IRS. “In 1974, one day before Barbara Hutchinson.. . was due to appear before (Montoya’s) subcommittee, _he was visited by tax agents. They informed him that Mrs. Hutchinson was unfit to testify because she was under psychiatric accused of.” beginning good order. commissioner. The information, somehow, found its way into Jack Anderson’s col- proven innocent. nothing wrong, it pay a larger fine establish your inregime routinely ral militia to queel the revolt. an idea as to how serious the revolt was. During the Mexican-American War, Thoreau refused to pay taxes’ because of the imperialistic nature of the war and the unjust attitude of the US ever He served time in jail for his objections. in life. A person whose income is under $3000 a Even during the years preceding the Russian year in this country pays 30% of that income in di- Revolution, various groups advocated a refusal to rect and hidden taxes. | pay taxes as a way of undermining an oppressive The Tax Strike is based on the realization that state. the entire tax system depends on the voluntary con-The government normally reacts strongly to. sent of the victims. In other words, while the tax threats. of tax evasion and avoidance. However, laws are backed by criminal and civil sanctions there is a limit to what they can actually do to “and enforced by the lawless and criminal IRS) the stop such movements. This is illustrated by the parctical enforcement of them depends totally on budding tax strike going on in Flint, Michigan. the voluntary compliance of the citizens. . There auto workers, fed up with a bloated federal The strategy of “tax revolting’ — citizens refus- government, filed amended W-2 forms with their ing to pay coercive taxation on legal, moral, eco- employer claiming as many as 99 dependents. nomic, or constitutional grounds — goes right Others filed a special W-2 indicating that no back to the American Revolution. The “Sugar taxes should be deducted from their paychecks beAct” of 1764 laid a tax on molasses, a prime procause they did not anticipate owing any taxes that year. duct of New England. Americans reacted with In response, the government is threatening civil and criminal penalties. Their response is highly in- V. fore Montoya’s reelection campaign in 1976. the IRS leaked stories that ““Montoya was “It is aland ruled by Draconian laws. There se:ze homes, businesses, cars, bank accounts — even before the victims are told had a total population of only 28,000 — which gives Edward tigation into IRS abuses, the IRS publicly announred that Senator Montoya’s tax re- : of any who still doubt the inherently represand criminal nature of the IRS‘ we are publishthe following articles first printed in Libertas, newsletter of the Society for Libertarian Life. Eventually, Washington had to send in 15,000 fedeIn 1790, Philadelphia Senator ness was encourage by highly placed Washington officials.” Somehow, months before the 1968 election, Ed Long’s tax returns were leaked to Life magazine. Many irregularities were suggested, but despite a clean bill from a Senate subcommittee, Long !ost a re-election bid to Thomas Eagleton. Another Senator was foolish enough to probe into the IRS in 1972. The Senator, Joseph Montoya (D-NM), however, was not ; up for reelection until 1976. During inves- sponsoring the first annual “Day of Rage” protest April 15th. And for the information and instruc- The Constitution lays 1960s opened mail and that “much of this lawless- a short while, in what amounted to a conservative the groundwork mid Senate subcommittee told of IRS defiance for money and manpower) the “gloves come off’ and the iron fist of governmental violence is displayed in all of its arrogance, cruelty, and nakedness. _As the IRS however has admitted on the evening news, there is no way the IRS can catch and prosecute all 3500 or so people participating in that . local strike. Experience shows they prefer to tackle someone willing to grovel before their authority than to take on organized, intelligent, moral people with excellent legal, moral, and constitu- — tional -cases. (By the way, if the IRS is true to form, this article should earn us an audit). This column is an on-going effort to inform readers of the Deseret Reefer as to the progress and development of the National Tax Strike and Re volt. In cooperation with other groups, we will be reaction, the original government of the united colonies (which did not give the government. the power to lay coercive taxes) was thrown out and the of court orders, that the agency picked locks, stike records, illegally tapped phones, of which strike at the government’s essential needs tion sive ing the A tow Long (D-Mo) conducted a three-year investigation of the IRS. His report from the structive. Normally the government bureaucracy attempts to appear reasonable and rational, explaining that their actions is for the individuals — or society's — “own good’... In cases such as ‘tax strikes, counterfeiting,or draft evasion (all three As a result the British government backed down and repealed In Tax required that a wide range of public/legal document,s as well as books and newspapers bear a special stamp as evidence of taxes paid;Riots broke out throughout the colonies; the stamps were seized and.burned, the tax collectors were tarred, feathered, and driven out of cities and towns. movements of the left and right. ‘Itis causing more consternation and alarm in the government bureaucracy than any other-movement in decades. As a result of its effectiveness, the government is mobilizing resources and power. Fear tactics, psychiatric abuse, extortion, and violent coercion is routinely used against its adherents. Techniques developed during the governents infiltration of anti- war groups during the 60s are being used once more — and this time, the ACLU, SWP, ADA and other liberal/leftist organizations are largely silent. Those participating are called parasites, criminals, deadbeats, unpatriotic — and sometimes have their property seized, their reputations destroyed, and their liberty revoked in jails and prisons. Yet, it is a movement for social and economic justice which is as old as the American Revolution. them bruised and bloody. to seize their car.”’ The article continues to exp’ain that the IRS “monster” is out of control and that attempts to curb the agency have failed. Without Representatio Without Consent Revolutionary Across the country a grass-roots protest movement is gaining strength and power. Unlike other aan truck hauled their car away. .The IRS asses- | _sed them $4,700 for their 1977 taxes without givi "g a reason and moved immediately DISCOUNT PARAPHERNALIA! HEAD SHOP BY MAIL! SAVE ON EVERYTHING FROM WATERPIPES TO WATERBEDS.. JEWELRY TO NO . 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