IRS seizes Scott Kennedy's Wages for Unpaid War Taxes

The Internal Revenue Service has issued a "Notice of Levy on Wages, Salary, and other Income" requiring the Resource Center for Nonviolence to turn over staff member Scott Kennedy's salary. Complying with the levy, the Resource Center has paid a total of $1,548.32 including unpaid federal income taxes, interest and penalties is demanded by the IRS for tax year 2005.

Speaking on behalf of the Resource Center's Steering Committee, Peter Klotz-Chamberlin commented, "The Resource Center for Nonviolence supports the choice of our employee Scott Kennedy to refuse paying for war waged by the United States government. The Center supports acts of conscience seeking peace and justice by Scott Kennedy and all Americans. Our responsibility to the ongoing work of the Resource Center, however, leads us to reluctantly comply with the IRS levy on Scott's salary."

Kennedy said, "The timing is auspicious during the last two weeks before Federal income taxes are due. The House of Representatives has just recommended another $100 billion for our brutal, immoral, and unwinnable war in Iraq. I won't in good conscience voluntarily pay for such madness, because of its cost in US lives and squandered resources and because of the devastation and loss of life it is causing in Iraq."

The Resource Center has complied with the IRS order by issuing a check in the full amount. The assessed amount equals approximately 6 weeks of Kennedy's salary at the Resource Center for Nonviolence. In 2004 he was the plaintiff in an unsuccessful law suit in the US Federal Court seeking to extend conscientious objector from war status to nonpayment of war taxes. Kennedy is a former mayor of the City of Santa Cruz and three term councilmember.

-- for more information: Peter Klotz-Chamberlin 831 426 9523
Scott Kennedy 831 457 8003


"Let them march all they want, as long as they continue to pay their taxes."
-Gen. Alexander Haig, U.S. Secretary of State, June 12, 1982

"If a thousand [people] were not to pay their tax bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them and enable the state to commit violence and shed innocent blood."
- Henry David Thoreau, during Mexican-American War of 1846-48

"The two decisive powers of the government with respect to war are the power to conscript and the power to tax."
- A.J. Muste, Executive Secretary of the national religious pacifist organization Fellowship of Reconciliation for 20 years