<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:14pt"><div><span>The City of Boston has about 1 billion dollars in 2 banks in Boston, Citizens and Bank of America, ostensibly because these banks are big enough to cough up a million or 2 on a day's notice, as needed. There are said to be "no strings attached" to the privilege of holding on to this billion in taxpayer money. A Boston City Counsellor, Felix Arroyo, has been working on a plan to influence the city to insist that these banks make loans to local businesses with good credit - a thing they are doing VERY little of, despite sitting on Boston's money.</span></div><div><br><span></span></div><div><span>I think this is something Occupy should look into - it won't happen unless there is pressure and publicity, and it would make a big difference in local jobs and small business. Let's use our muscle to get some
taxpayer money moving things in the right direction!<br></span></div><div><br><span></span></div><div><span>Hope Haff, JP</span></div><div><span>For info, write Couns. Arroyo's office(or I'm sure he'd talk directly to a working group:</span></div><div><a href="mailto:Felix.Arroyo@cityofboston.gov" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 204); font-size: x-small; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Felix.Arroyo@cityofboston.gov</a></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><br></div> <div style="font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> <div style="font-family: times new roman,
new york, times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div dir="ltr"> <font face="Arial" size="2"> <hr size="1"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Daria Casinelli <casinellidaria@gmail.com><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> OccupyJP <occupyjp@googlegroups.com> <br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cc:</span></b> massoccupy@googlegroups.com; interoccupy@lists.occupyboston.org; ob-media@lists.occupyboston.org; street@lists.occupyboston.org; occupybostonoutreach@list.occupyboston.org; occupysalem@googlegroups.com; occupysomerville-mbta@lists.mayfirst.org; obda@occupyboston.org; getinvolved@studentsagainsttcuts.org; info@lists.occupyboston.org; suburbs@lists.occupyboston.org; info@occupyfalmouth.com; community_forum@lists.occupyboston.org; occupy-boston-spp@googlegroups.com <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Thursday, February 23, 2012 10:12 AM<br> <b><span style="font-weight:
bold;">Subject:</span></b> Update on Tax Day Action<br> </font> </div> <br>
<div id="yiv292486204">A city wide coalition is meeting in March to plan, among other things, a Tax Day Action. The 4/17 date for that action is not confirmed. Please come to the OB Sunday night Action Assembly to help make this big--really, really big.<br>
<br><div class="yiv292486204gmail_quote">On Mon, Feb 20, 2012 at 2:37 PM, Aria Littlhous <span dir="ltr"><<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:casinellidaria@gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:casinellidaria@gmail.com">casinellidaria@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="yiv292486204gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
Occupy JP is proposing to form an Intra-Occupy Tax Day Working Group.<br>
Please contact us if you would like to participate! There are two<br>
important issues to resolve immediately:<br>
<br>
*What are our demands?<br>
*What about the Tea Party Rally at the Boston Common Bandstand on<br>
4/15?<br>
<br>
Details below. We welcome your comments and input. Eight weeks and<br>
counting.<br>
<br>
A.<br>
<br>
Our two discussions have included a report back on information already<br>
gathered, things to think about and two possible draft demands to get<br>
the ball rolling.<br>
<br>
Draft Demand:<br>
<br>
1. The gargantuan and labyrinthine nature of the tax code inherently<br>
favors taxpayers wealthy enough to hire lawyers. Occupy JP instructs<br>
our legislators to radically simplify the tax code this year. The<br>
Congress works for the people, the tax code should too.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
2. Occupy JP supports the proposal of our National Taxpayer Advocate,<br>
Nina E. Olson, to Zero Sum Budget Title 26 as outlined part IV of her<br>
testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee on 1/20/11. We<br>
instruct our legislators to paass her proposal this year. The Congress<br>
works for the people, the tax code should too.<br>
<br>
Part IV: A Zero-Based Budgeting Approach Could Assist Congress in<br>
Deciding Which Tax Breaks and IRS-Administered Social Programs to<br>
Retain and Which to Eliminate.<br>
My suggestion is to approach tax reform in a manner similar to zero-<br>
based budgeting. Under that approach, the starting point would be a<br>
tax code without any exclusions or reductions in income or tax. As<br>
discussions proceed, tax breaks and IRS-administered social programs<br>
would be added only if lawmakers decide on balance that the public<br>
policy benefits of running the provision or program through the tax<br>
code outweigh the tax complexity challenges that doing so creates for<br>
taxpayers and the IRS. Some tax provisions and programs will meet this<br>
test, while others will not. Factors to consider in making this<br>
assessment include whether the government continues to place a<br>
priority on encouraging the activity for which the tax incentive is<br>
provided, whether the incentive is accomplishing its intended purpose,<br>
and whether a tax expenditure is more effective than a direct<br>
expenditure for achieving that purpose.47<br>
<br>
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/nta_testimony_waysandmeans_01202011.pdf<br>
<br>
Note: Although getting a legislative demand as specific at #2 through<br>
any GA would be difficult, the advantages of supporting Ms. N.O.’s<br>
proposal are many: it’s a good proposal, she’s non-partisan, it’s<br>
already in the system, she has cool initials.<br>
<br>
Other<br>
<br>
We’ve contacted the New England War Tax Resisters. They will be<br>
announcing the grants they award from a fund set up from the proceeds<br>
of resistance on 4/15. They will get back to us about a possible<br>
collaboration.<br>
<br>
Senator John Kerry will get back to us about where Ms. No!’s proposal<br>
stands now.<br>
<br>
We will contact the advocacy group Uncut and see where they’re at.<br>
<br>
The deadline for filing taxes is midnight April 17. The media<br>
traditionally interviews late filers at the Fort Point Post Office, a<br>
great place for kites.<br>
<br>
Thanks. We look forward to hearing from you.<br>
<br>
O! JP!<br>
</blockquote></div><br>
</div><br><br> </div> </div> </div></body></html>