I spent my childhood being raised by Quaker parents whose testimony of simplicity, in part, seemed to translate as "never having any money" because they were oriented toward service instead of accumulating wealth. Fair enough, but stressful. For them, I'm sure, but also for me. It imprinted, though, and my adult work life has also been oriented toward service offering little money, which is still (very) stressful. But it does mean I always get a refund at tax time.
They still keep some, and so the joy of supporting what I love and the complicity of supporting what I deplore still exists, as you illuminate here beautifully. But I do take some weird pleasure in reclaiming some small amount from the jaws of empire every year.
Sometimes I wish I wasn't so close to the edge financially all the time, but then I remember my hand slipping through the empire's teeth every year and I think, okay. I'd rather this, given the current options.
For most of my adult life, I have wished that there were polls attached to our tax forms that let us indicate which programs we want to support - maybe not ones that immediately dictate how the money is spent, but at least a way for folks like me to to say that I want my tax dollars to go toward schools, clean water, libraries, mass transportation, clean energy, etc. rather than politicians' pet projects and war war war. In my frustration, I have worked closely with my financial advisor and accountant over the years to craft a delicate line of working and getting paid just enough and then giving the rest of my work away to lose enough money so that my tax burden is nearly zero every year. Maybe that's chicken shit, but I still engage in voting and community building and showing up to comment at the city council when I can, and I know that I'm not unnecessarily padding the efforts of the warmongers. For now, it gives me peace.
And if folks are looking for ways other than the ones you suggested to feel good about spending their money, I'm currently raising money to help my friend Ahmed and his family purchase used solar panels for their tents in Gaza. Electricity would be a game-changer for them and since they will be trapped in Gaza for the foreseeable future, I'd like to be able to continue sending them money to keep them as comfortable as possible. I've been in relationship with his entire extended family (half of them safely in Cairo and the other half in Gaza) for three years now and boy, would it be lovely for them to know that we haven't forgotten them.
Thank you for this, Garrett. You have a gift for identifying something that many (or all!) of us are feeling and then putting it out there into the world in an understandable way. If I tried to do that it would not be readable, I fear.
When I was doing my taxes this year I had many similar thoughts. My mind dreamed up a world where the 1040 was like a United Way donation form with boxes I could check for things I want my tax dollars to support. Passenger rail buildouts and subsidies? Check. Infrastructure projects? Yep. Meals on Wheels? Sure. Bombs and guns? Hmm…rather not this year.
I simply live in fantasy land. We ALL refuse to pay taxes and set up our own shadow government, which funds the social services we believe in, refuses to support pork barrel funding, maintains infrastructure, etc. Then I start thinking about how, even among us woke folk, there are extreme variations in how we rank "need," and the chaos that would ensue if we were given free reign. Then I think about multi-party countries like Israel and Italy, and how the splinter groups hold the government and people hostage, and give in to a horrific migraine. Turning lights off, pulling shades and gonna try to sleep it off!
My husband has taxes withheld from his paycheck, and a combination of (a) donating more $$ to charity and (b) me (self-employed) earning a little less in 2025 means we'll be getting a couple thousand dollars back as a refund. We'll try to find something meaningful to do with it, even though it feels like a drop in the bucket compared to the literal trillions spent on the military.
Yesterday was such a crappy day! I don't think I've felt so much existential dread since election day 2016. I like to think that maybe THIS will finally be the thing that makes the people who are in a position of power/influence realize they have to DO something, but the last decade has made me even more cynical about this country's leadership.
I spent my childhood being raised by Quaker parents whose testimony of simplicity, in part, seemed to translate as "never having any money" because they were oriented toward service instead of accumulating wealth. Fair enough, but stressful. For them, I'm sure, but also for me. It imprinted, though, and my adult work life has also been oriented toward service offering little money, which is still (very) stressful. But it does mean I always get a refund at tax time.
They still keep some, and so the joy of supporting what I love and the complicity of supporting what I deplore still exists, as you illuminate here beautifully. But I do take some weird pleasure in reclaiming some small amount from the jaws of empire every year.
Sometimes I wish I wasn't so close to the edge financially all the time, but then I remember my hand slipping through the empire's teeth every year and I think, okay. I'd rather this, given the current options.
For most of my adult life, I have wished that there were polls attached to our tax forms that let us indicate which programs we want to support - maybe not ones that immediately dictate how the money is spent, but at least a way for folks like me to to say that I want my tax dollars to go toward schools, clean water, libraries, mass transportation, clean energy, etc. rather than politicians' pet projects and war war war. In my frustration, I have worked closely with my financial advisor and accountant over the years to craft a delicate line of working and getting paid just enough and then giving the rest of my work away to lose enough money so that my tax burden is nearly zero every year. Maybe that's chicken shit, but I still engage in voting and community building and showing up to comment at the city council when I can, and I know that I'm not unnecessarily padding the efforts of the warmongers. For now, it gives me peace.
And if folks are looking for ways other than the ones you suggested to feel good about spending their money, I'm currently raising money to help my friend Ahmed and his family purchase used solar panels for their tents in Gaza. Electricity would be a game-changer for them and since they will be trapped in Gaza for the foreseeable future, I'd like to be able to continue sending them money to keep them as comfortable as possible. I've been in relationship with his entire extended family (half of them safely in Cairo and the other half in Gaza) for three years now and boy, would it be lovely for them to know that we haven't forgotten them.
If folks want to pitch in to help Ahmed and his family, my venmo is hppts://www.venmo.com/kari-odriscoll or Paypal is https://www.paypal.me/kario369
Thank you for this, Garrett. You have a gift for identifying something that many (or all!) of us are feeling and then putting it out there into the world in an understandable way. If I tried to do that it would not be readable, I fear.
When I was doing my taxes this year I had many similar thoughts. My mind dreamed up a world where the 1040 was like a United Way donation form with boxes I could check for things I want my tax dollars to support. Passenger rail buildouts and subsidies? Check. Infrastructure projects? Yep. Meals on Wheels? Sure. Bombs and guns? Hmm…rather not this year.
If only…
I simply live in fantasy land. We ALL refuse to pay taxes and set up our own shadow government, which funds the social services we believe in, refuses to support pork barrel funding, maintains infrastructure, etc. Then I start thinking about how, even among us woke folk, there are extreme variations in how we rank "need," and the chaos that would ensue if we were given free reign. Then I think about multi-party countries like Israel and Italy, and how the splinter groups hold the government and people hostage, and give in to a horrific migraine. Turning lights off, pulling shades and gonna try to sleep it off!
My husband has taxes withheld from his paycheck, and a combination of (a) donating more $$ to charity and (b) me (self-employed) earning a little less in 2025 means we'll be getting a couple thousand dollars back as a refund. We'll try to find something meaningful to do with it, even though it feels like a drop in the bucket compared to the literal trillions spent on the military.
Yesterday was such a crappy day! I don't think I've felt so much existential dread since election day 2016. I like to think that maybe THIS will finally be the thing that makes the people who are in a position of power/influence realize they have to DO something, but the last decade has made me even more cynical about this country's leadership.
Wrt to the Interdependence Relay: Aw, rats, I'll be on the incorrect coast the day you're in Portland. Hope to connect with y'all another time!