Grassroots Movement Ties Cuts in Public Services to Corporate Tax Cheats

RELEASE: After GE Stunt, US Uncut Organizing 100 Tax Day Actions Across America

Posted on Fri Apr 15th 2011, 2:42am UTC

Blair Fitzgibbon 202-503-6141 blair@fitzgibbonmedia.com
Carl Gibson 601-454-6443 usuncut@gmail.com
Joanne Gifford 707-758-1699 worksalot2@me.com
Ryan Clayton 202-656-2116 uncutclayton@gmail.com
Duncan Meisel 512-657-9124 duncan.meisel@gmail.com

Grassroots Movement Ties Cuts in Public Services to Corporate Tax Cheats

New York, NY – In the wake of a satirical media prank on GE with help from the Yes Men, US Uncut is planning a weekend of nearly 100 Tax Day actions between April 15th and April 18th. The group makes a direct connection between recently announced budget cuts and a corporate culture of tax evasion.

“Why are we cutting $400 million from local law enforcement funding, while corporations like GE, Verizon, Bank of America, and FedEx continue to get away with not paying any taxes year after year?”

asked Carl Gibson of US Uncut Mississippi,

“If GE alone paid their fair share of taxes, then we could ‘uncut’ nearly $2 billion in job training programs. Do we want good jobs in America or do we want tax cheats?”

While millions of Americans pay their taxes this weekend, many have begun to wonder why those who profit most off a system of public services in America pay so little to maintain it. In fact, the Government Accountability Office reports that 83 of the top 100 US companies use tax havens to dodge taxes.

“This weekend will be the largest protest against corporate tax cheats in American history. This is the next wave of tax protest in America,” said US Uncut NYC spokesperson Duncan Meisel, “Citizens in nearly 100 cities are taking to the streets to demand that corporate tax cheats stop bankrupting America.”

In Washington D.C., local organizers are holding a “guerilla book signing” at a corporate storefront with soon-to-be bestselling author Nick Shaxson, who recently wrote Treasure Islands: Uncovering the Damage of Offshore Banking & Tax Havens. On April 18th, the anniversary of Paul Revere’s ride, local Boston activists are holding a March for Common Sense with the rallying cry: “The Cuts are coming! The Cuts are coming!”

Organized primarily through social media, citizens in nearly 100 cities across America have organized events at corporate storefronts to take creative action on a weekend most Americans dread. Holding signs that say “Tax Cheat”, “Uncut US”, and “Chop from the Top, Not from Mom & Pop”, activists from previous actions appear to be a fun mix of soccer moms, college kids, and social security recipients.

“I’m a veteran that’s been unemployed for over 99 months now, and on the same day I heard about GE’s tax evasion, I got a letter saying my VA benefits were being reduced,” said unemployed veteran and US Uncut supporter Earl James, “Why not invest in jobs for veterans and VA benefits for those who served instead of letting tax cheats like GE’s Jeffrey Immelt get away with cheating our country?"

"There's hay in the barn, but we're not feeding the horses," said Gibson, "This isn't a spending problem – it’s a revenue problem. Two-thirds of US corporations routinely get away with not paying any taxes at all, while the rest of us do our American duty and pay our fair share.”

US Uncut is a decentralized grassroots movement organized through social media that connects corporate tax cheats to public service cuts. Over the upcoming Tax Day weekend, US Uncut will hold a record 100 events.

For more information, please visit: http://USuncut.org

For pictures and video of previous actions, please see: http://USuncut.org/actions