The Libertarian Party of Tennessee

It’s a Libertarian Party tradition. On April 15th each year, Libertarians stage Tax Day Protests at Post Offices across the country. Libertarians in several Tennessee cities, including Chattanooga, Cookeville, Cordova, and Kingsport upheld this tradition in 2005. Some held signs encouraging passing motorists to “Honk for lower taxes!” And those motorists certainly honked a lot.

When last-minute income tax filers show up angry and tired after completing their tax returns and signing over those payment checks, Libertarians take the opportunity to give them “million dollar bill” handouts. Obviously, it’s not real money, but the back of the handout points out the shamefully excessive spending rate of the federal government.

Alicia Mattson, chair of the Libertarian Party of Tennessee notes, “The government has done a great job of obscuring exactly how much wage earners pay in income taxes. Many people don’t really see how much they pay until they file their tax returns. Then they’re angry, and that’s the best time to draw their attention to the Libertarians as the only political party that’s really serious about cutting taxes and reducing government spending. Republicans talk a good tax-reduction game, but in reality, they don’t get the job done. Democrats tax and spend, and Republicans borrow and spend.”

According to IRS data from 2001, 93% of income taxes are paid by the top 50% of wage earners. Mattson points out, “Congress has structured the income tax system so that half of the American people pay almost no taxes. You need a majority of voters to vote out politicians who won’t be fiscally responsible. It’s really hard to get non-taxpayers motivated in large enough numbers to fix the federal spending problem.”

According to the Tax Foundation www.taxfoundation.org American taxpayers will work from January 1, 2005 until April 17th, 2005 to earn enough money to pay all their tax bills for the year 2005. This calculation includes local and state taxes as well as federal income taxes. In 1920, tax freedom day fell on February 12th, but that date has steadily advanced forward.

Says Mattson, “If voters really want to make a change in federal taxation and spending, they’re going to have to do more than just honk and chuckle at “million dollar bill” handouts on Tax Day. They’re going to have to stand with Libertarians on election day.”