On April 17, Tax Day, Peaceworks activists held a noon-hour Speakout for a Peace Economy at the Columbia Post Office. We were also present from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. giving out many hundreds of leaflets to folks who'd come to the Post Office to file their taxes.
Our message was not anti-tax, but rather Fair Taxes in the context of an economy that works for all, a Peace Economy.
We discussed the benefits of investing in people and infrastructure, making our economy more productive. We also pointed out the negative impacts on the economy of virtually permanent war.
We also discussed distribution, pointing out that virtually all the gains in the economy over the past three decades have gone to the wealthy, leaving us with the most skewed distribution of income and wealth since the 1920s. This is not just unfair, it's also bad economics.
Finally, we spoke out clearly regarding the impacts of imposing austerity. We pointed out that not only does this unfairly punish the majority of our population, but it is also a prescription for a prolonged stagnant economy.
Clearly, there is a need for activism to promote ending the wars and building a prosperous, sustainable future for us and our children. This is what a Peace Economy is all about.
Watch Videos of Our Speakout!
You can watch six short videos of our Tax Day event. Start with Part 1 by clicking here:
You can access the other five parts on our YouTube page if you CLICK HERE.
