[Dialogue] FW: NEWS: A miracle in Congress

[David & Lin]

I've been thinking that given the addiction to consumption we would 
do well to shift from an Income Tax to a Consumption Tax--the greater 
the rate of consumption the more tax received.

That would not only temper the addiction to consumption, it would 
provide more revenue with which to ameliorate the devastation that 
mindless consumption is creating.

  David and Lin Zahrt 
| Country Homestead Bed and Breakfast
| 22133 Larpenteur Rd
| Turin, IA 51040     <mailto:zahrt at country-homestead.com>

>I've always said I'd like my tax return to have a page with one 
>column showing how our taxes were spent the past year (by 
>percentage) and a second column for me to say how I'd like it spread 
>the next year. Even if it were never followed, I'd love to see the 
>results. It just might look like the "Common Sense Budget Act" - see 
>below.
>
>Sunny Walker
>Institute of Cultural Affairs, Denver
>303-671-0704
>swalker at ica-usa.org
>
>Releasing the capacity to create positive, sustainable futures in 
>every individual, organization, & community
>
>
>From: TrueMajorityACTION [mailto:alerts at truemajorityaction.org]
>Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 12:11 PM
>To: Linda Walker
>Subject: [Norton AntiSpam] NEWS: A miracle in Congress
>
>
>
>
>
>Military Budget Shifted to Schools, Healthcare by New Bill
>
>
>Dear Linda,
>
>Admirals, generals and CEOs support this plan to spend more on kids 
>and less on useless Cold War weapons. Can you support the work 
>needed to make it happen?
>
><https://secure.truemajority.org/03/csba_fundraiser/nEd_vrFY15mrV?>CONTRIBUTE
>
>Yesterday, a group of courageous U.S. Representatives introduced the 
>"Common Sense Budget Act, " which would take $60 Billion in wasted 
>Pentagon funding and spend it instead on schools, doctors, and stuff 
>we care about.
>
>This money could save 6 million kids who die of starvation each year 
>in impoverished countries. It could rebuild our public schools and 
>provide health insurance for our kids who don't have it. It could do 
>all this and a lot more, every year. And it's exactly what tens of 
>thousands of TrueMajority members have been asking for.
>
>With a group of respected business and military leaders, we've 
>planned a yearlong campaign to spread that common sense across the 
>country. Can you 
><https://secure.truemajority.org/03/csba_fundraiser/nEd_vrFY15mrV?>donate 
>today to make it happen?
>
>Our partner in this campaign, Business Leaders for Sensible 
>Priorities, has already established field offices in Iowa and New 
>Hampshire. Full-page newspaper ads have been prepared to pressure 
>the House and Senate budget chairmen to pay attention. We're making 
>plans for delivering the 40,000+ petitions signed by TrueMajority 
>members like you asking for a sensible, moral federal budget.
>
>But it will take $50,000 to keep the momentum going for the first 
>half of this year. 
><https://secure.truemajority.org/03/csba_fundraiser/nEd_vrFY15mrV?>Please 
>contribute what you can.
>
><https://secure.truemajority.org/03/csba_fundraiser/nEd_vrFY15mrV?%25>https://secure.truemajority.org/03/csba_fundraiser
>
>Yes, you'll be taking on a big job; the habit of giving away HALF of 
>the federal discretionary budget to defense contractors developed 
>over decades and won't be broken overnight. But look at the 
>resources we have on our side:
>
>President Reagan's former Asst. Secretary of Defense,[3] 
>a whole list of retired admirals and generals (including the former 
>commander of the U.S. Second Fleet),[4]
>650 current and former CEOs and other business leaders,[5]
>...and the majority of the American public.[6]
>And don't forget, some representatives are already so convinced this 
>is the right thing to do that they were willing to stick their necks 
>out in an election year.
>
>"What better serves the cause of national security? Investment in 
>first responders, energy independence and global nutrition ... or 
>billions that we're still pouring into the F-22A Raptor, which was 
>designed to outpace Soviet fighter jets?" - Common Sense Budget Act 
>sponsor Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
>
>Thanks for taking on this important work,
>
>Matt Holland
>TrueMajorityACTION's Online Director
>
>
>References:
>
>[1] 
> "<http://thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/030806/liberals.html>Liberals 
>seek $60B in cuts to defense." The Hill, 3/9/06. 
>
>[2] "<http://www.sensiblepriorities.org/csba/text.php>The Common 
>Sense Budget Act." 
>
>[3] Lawrence J. Korb, Assistant Secretary of Defense from 1981-85, 
>administered about 70% of the defense budget. He has prepared a 
>report, identifying exactly where $60 billion can be saved from that 
><http://www.sensiblepriorities.org/pdf/korb_report_Finalb.pdf>budget.
>
>[4] The full list of military 
><http://www.sensiblepriorities.org/csba/factsheet.php#advisors>advisors.
>
>[5] These are the members of BLSP. Learn more 
><http://www.sensiblepriorities.org/who_we_are.php>here. 
>
>[6] When presented the major items in the discretionary federal 
>budget and given the opportunity to modify it, Americans make some 
>dramatic changes. The largest cut by far is to defense 
>spending...the largest increases are to reductions in the deficit, 
>various forms of social spending, and spending on the environment. 
><http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/DefenseSpending/FedBudget_Mar05/FedBudget_Mar05_rpt.pdf>The 
>PIPA/Knowledge Networks Poll. The Federal Budget: The Public's 
>Priorities.
>
>
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