[Street] Update on Tax Day Action/one idea

Hope Haff hhaff at yahoo.com
Thu Feb 23 12:19:05 EST 2012


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.

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!


Hope Haff, JP
For info, write Couns. Arroyo's office(or I'm sure he'd talk directly to a working group:
Felix.Arroyo at cityofboston.gov



________________________________
 From: Daria Casinelli <casinellidaria at gmail.com>
To: OccupyJP <occupyjp at googlegroups.com> 
Cc: massoccupy at googlegroups.com; interoccupy at lists.occupyboston.org; ob-media at lists.occupyboston.org; street at lists.occupyboston.org; occupybostonoutreach at list.occupyboston.org; occupysalem at googlegroups.com; occupysomerville-mbta at lists.mayfirst.org; obda at occupyboston.org; getinvolved at studentsagainsttcuts.org; info at lists.occupyboston.org; suburbs at lists.occupyboston.org; info at occupyfalmouth.com; community_forum at lists.occupyboston.org; occupy-boston-spp at googlegroups.com 
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2012 10:12 AM
Subject: Update on Tax Day Action
 

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.


On Mon, Feb 20, 2012 at 2:37 PM, Aria Littlhous <casinellidaria at gmail.com> wrote:

Occupy JP is proposing to form an Intra-Occupy Tax Day Working Group.
>Please contact us if you would like to participate! There are two
>important issues to resolve immediately:
>
>*What are our demands?
>*What about the Tea Party Rally at the Boston Common Bandstand on
>4/15?
>
>Details below. We welcome your comments and input. Eight weeks and
>counting.
>
>A.
>
>Our two discussions have included a report back on information already
>gathered, things to think about and two possible draft demands to get
>the ball rolling.
>
>Draft Demand:
>
>1.      The gargantuan and labyrinthine nature of the tax code inherently
>favors taxpayers wealthy enough to hire lawyers. Occupy JP instructs
>our legislators to radically simplify the tax code this year. The
>Congress works for the people, the tax code should too.
>
>
>
>2.      Occupy JP supports the proposal of our National Taxpayer Advocate,
>Nina E. Olson, to Zero Sum Budget Title 26 as outlined part IV of her
>testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee on 1/20/11. We
>instruct our legislators to paass her proposal this year. The Congress
>works for the people, the tax code should too.
>
>Part IV: A Zero-Based Budgeting Approach Could Assist Congress in
>Deciding Which Tax Breaks and IRS-Administered Social Programs to
>Retain and Which to Eliminate.
>My suggestion is to approach tax reform in a manner similar to zero-
>based budgeting. Under that approach, the starting point would be a
>tax code without any exclusions or reductions in income or tax. As
>discussions proceed, tax breaks and IRS-administered social programs
>would be added only if lawmakers decide on balance that the public
>policy benefits of running the provision or program through the tax
>code outweigh the tax complexity challenges that doing so creates for
>taxpayers and the IRS. Some tax provisions and programs will meet this
>test, while others will not. Factors to consider in making this
>assessment include whether the government continues to place a
>priority on encouraging the activity for which the tax incentive is
>provided, whether the incentive is accomplishing its intended purpose,
>and whether a tax expenditure is more effective than a direct
>expenditure for achieving that purpose.47
>
>http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/nta_testimony_waysandmeans_01202011.pdf
>
>Note: Although getting a legislative demand as specific at #2 through
>any GA would be difficult, the advantages of supporting Ms. N.O.’s
>proposal are many: it’s a good proposal, she’s non-partisan, it’s
>already in the system, she has cool initials.
>
>Other
>
>We’ve contacted the New England War Tax Resisters. They will be
>announcing the grants they award from a fund set up from the proceeds
>of resistance on 4/15. They will get back to us about a possible
>collaboration.
>
>Senator John Kerry will get back to us about where Ms. No!’s proposal
>stands now.
>
>We will contact the advocacy group Uncut and see where they’re at.
>
>The deadline for filing taxes is midnight April 17. The media
>traditionally interviews late filers at the Fort Point Post Office, a
>great place for kites.
>
>Thanks. We look forward to hearing from you.
>
>O! JP!
>
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