Fifty people voted in a penny poll on Tax Day, April 15, in downtown Colorado Springs. Each given 10 pennies to allocate to 8 categories, voters chose healthcare and hunger as top priorities — 21% for each, $1.09 and $1.08, respectively.
The remaining categories received: education, 17% (88 cents); environment, 13% (66 cents); housing, 8% (42 cents); the arts, 8% (40 cents); military, 6% (33 cents); and retirement (6%, 30 cents). Total cash voted was $5.16 — 16 cents are unaccounted for, believed to be contributed by voters.
A dozen activists hosted the poll from 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., offering the War Resisters League pie chart leaflet, Where your income tax money really goes, as well as penny candy to each voter in the penny poll. Given the very military nature of Colorado Springs (5 bases and many “defense” industry contractors), it’s significant that the military received a 6% vote while healthcare and hunger each received more than 3 times as much.
While the federal income tax assigns 47% of its dollars to past and present military use, the people vote for human needs when given a choice. It’s time to move the money!
See the action on Youtube and see the photos here.