Transcript from the June 9th hearing.
CITY COUNCIL  CITY OF NEW YORK
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THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MINUTES of the
COMMITTEE ON STATE And FEDERAL LEGISLATION
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June 9, 2005		Start: 1:35 p.m.	Recess: 2:55 p.m.

City Hall, Council Chambers
14 New York, New York

B E F O R E:
JOEL RIVERA, Chairperson,

COUNCIL MEMBERS: 
Joseph Addabbo
Erik Dilan
Hiram Monserrate
Helen Sears
Vincent Gentile
Bill Perkins

LEGAL-EASE COURT REPORTING SERVICES, INC.
 Battery Place - Suite 1308
25 New York, New York 10004
(800) 756-3410

A P P E A R A N C E S

Forest Montgomery
Marian C. Franz, Executive Director, National Campaign For A Peace Tax Fund Peace Tax Foundation

Bishop Michael Banks, New York Council of Mennonite Churches

Walter Fields, Director of Political Development , Community Service Society

Frida Berrigan, Senior Research Associate
World Policy Institute

Angela Boatright
The Fellowship of Reconciliation

G. Simon Harak, S.J.

Anti-Militarism Coordinator
War Resisters League

Ruth Wenger
New York City Council of Mennonite Churches

Colleen Kelly
September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows

Jocelyn Selene Perry
Middle Collegiate Church

Jacqueline Mason-Francis

Frederick R. Dettmer
Religious Society of Friends

Tom Siracuse
Veterans For Peace

Reverend Osagyefo Sekou
Clergy & Laity Concerned About Iraq

A P P E A R A N C E S (CONTINUED)

Reverend Monroe J. Yoder
Mennonite Church

Carl Lundgren
Green Party
Bronx Greens

Archdeacon Michael S. Kendall
Council of Churches New York City and State

Linda Chidsey

Ruth Benn
National War Tax Resistance

Linda Chidsey
New York Yearly Meeting
Religious Society of Friends

Renee Noelle Felice

Rosa Packard
Conscience and Peace Tax International

Ted Henderson
Riverside Church NYC

STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATION

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming

down to City Hall. I am Joel Rivera, the Chair of the Committee on State and Federal Legislation.  Before I begin my opening statement, let me introduce the members who are here with me. We have Council Member Vincent Gentile. We have Council Member Bill Perkins and myself.

Thank you very much for braving the heat, coming down to City Hall. It is a great sunny day outside for a very important resolution. And Council Member Monserrate, we have a very important resolution being debated today and we are grateful for your participation.

Today we will be hearing testimony on Resolution 367-A, which calls upon Congress to pass the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill.

The Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill is a bill that would allow those who are who are opposed to participation in the war, based on religious, moral or ethical principles, to have their taxes used for non-military purposes only.

Taxpayers would not be excused from paying taxes, rather the US Treasury would be directed to spend from the tax money of conscientious objection only on non-military governmental programs.

The grassroots campaign that has formed around this idea is intended to spark a national dialogue about federal spending priorities and military accountability.

Given the ongoing war in Iraq, this is an issue of central importance to all of us.

Before we begin today's hearing, I'd like to turn the mic over to my colleague, Deputy Majority Leader Bill Perkins for a statement on his behalf. He has done a phenomenal job at bringing this to the floor today.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERKINS: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

I just want to be brief, in the interest of the fact that there are so many outstanding individuals here who want to testify on this matter.

Let me begin by paying my respects to Marian Franz, and the National Campaign for the Peace Tax Fund that for many years spearheaded this movement to bring attention to the notion of   conscientious objection in the manner in which people pay their taxes and to recognize that there
are more peaceful ways in which our tax dollars can be used.

I also want to give recognition to the local movement spearheaded by Neena Das who gets great credit for the fact that we're here at all today. And in fact, but for her, I doubt if I would have sponsored this resolution and had the opportunity to be so well invested in this very, very important movement, which I think is catalytic towards an understanding, not only for New Yorkers but for our nation as a whole, as to the notion of conscientious objection and how important it is to so many Americans, as well as the understanding about how our tax dollars are being spent, or one might say misspent.

As I said earlier, this is a very appropriate time for this Council to be discussing this resolution because it's taking place at a time, my colleagues, when we are negotiating our budget. And even though we may at a particular moment think we have a surplus in our budget, just think about how much of a surplus we would have if, in fact, so many of our tax dollars were not being spent in Iraq and for other military purposes instead of for purposes that you and I know our communities prioritize. Purposes like health care, purposes like affordable housing. Imagine if we had more money to fix up our schools, imagine if we had more money so that our public transportation system was a better system than it is now.

So, this reminds us that as we negotiate what might be an historic budget in the City Council, it is not quite what it could be because of certain situations that are taking place on a national level, and in particular because of  the great investment that's taking place in the Iraq war.  So, with that in mind, you know, I  just want to say, we must invest in the right priorities to create opportunities for all New Yorkers.

Current policy is undermining both the safety of our country and the promise of America.  It is estimated that more than 7 billion in New York taxpayers' money is going to war spending. We need this money to help our children get a better education, to provide accessible health care and better service for our seniors to create affordable housing and for so many other underfunded projects that truly meet the public's interest.

Mr. Chairman, let me thank you so much for your Committee taking on this issue, and having this hearing today, again, at such a timely  point in this Council when we are negotiating our
budget, it kind of helps us put things in perspective. Thank you so much.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Anytime.

We're going to be limiting each person testifying to the two-minute time clock. We do have a substantial amount of people that want to testify and get their voices heard, so we're going to try to make sure everybody has maple time to give their testimony. We also have budget hearings
immediately after, so we have to also handle two things at one time.

So, the first panel will consist of Marian Franz, the Executive Director for the National Campaign For A Peace Tax Fund. With her will be Bishop Michael Banks, New York City
Mennonite Council. Also with them will be Walter Fields, Director of Political Development, Community Services Society, and on that panel will also be Frida Berrigan, the Senior Research Associate of the World Policy Institute.

Again, we're going to have a two-minute time clock for each individual testifying.
And you may decide the order, if you want to go in any order, Marian Bishop, Walter and
Frida, that you choose.

By any chance, are you using the computer for the screen, the projector screen in the
back or no? Is anybody using the projector screen?

COUNCIL MEMBER PERKINS: So, maybe we should just disconnect it, number one.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Okay, so you may begin. I guess, Marian, you will be first.

MS. FRANZ: My name is Mirian Franz. I am Director of the National Campaign for a Peace Tax
Fund and also the Peace Tax Foundation, and currently chair, Conscience and Peace Tax International, which is made up of Peace Tax Campaigns in a number of other countries. I want to make four points. 
 
First of all, the history of the organization. Since 1972, efforts have been underway in Congress to establish the right for taxpayers who are on religious ground cannot participate in funding for war. Ten members of the House of Representatives introduced the Peace Tax Bill in 1972. Among these were Ron Dellums, past chair of the House Armed Services Committee; Charles Rangel, current ranking member of the House Ways & Means Committee. And in 1975, Senator Mark Hatfield, past chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, introduced a companion bill in the Senate. An improved version has been introduced in every Congress since then.

We are trying to reconcile the duties of citizenship with the demands of conscience.

Second, to define who conscientious objectors are, I'm going to quote from a letter that came across my desk.

"Dear Congressman: To continue freely participating with my tax dollars in the suicidal armaments race is clearly for me a sin on at least four counts. First, the sin of suicide against my own person. Second, the sin of premeditated murder against my brothers and sisters. Third, the sin of injustice against over 2/3 of earth's people who are homeless, ragged, and hungry through no fault of their own. And fourth, the sin of idolatry for trusting in armaments. I remain my country's good servant, but God's first."
 
Sherman said, "it is well known" -- he is one of our founding fathers – "it is well known that those who are religiously scrupulous of bearing arms are equally scrupulous of getting substitutes or paying for an equivalent. Many of them would rather die than do either one or the other".

The bill also refers to the double violence of military spending. We have named some of our weapons the names of Gods. Titan and Poseidon, the "devil gods." And so we need to ask the
question, since 30,000 children die every day from malnutrition and lack of clean water and medicine, we must ask, are we sacrificing the children to the Gods.

The Gods have no feeling for their victims. We, Conscience, does.

Now, to the right, the third point, the right of congressional authority. Does this tamper with the appropriations process? No. The bill creates a mechanism under which the full amount of funds are available for appropriated purposes.  Congress will not lose control of its authority. 
 
Will there be a hemorrhage on US Treasury? No. The bill excuses no taxpayers from paying their full tax liability. Will the treasury gain revenue as a result? Yes, according to the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation, which has declared the Peace Fund Tax Bill would not only cause the Treasury to Break even, but would gain revenue because of increased voluntary compliance.  In addition, the government would save the cost of prosecution, and force collection is very time consuming and expensive.

Fourth, I want to say something about the supporters of the bill. There were, first of all, the historic peace churches, Quakers, Mennonite, Church of the Brethren. Then larger denominations came alongside. The 3 million-member  Presbyterian Church, the 10 million-member United Methodist Church, added their official support.  Among the organizations are Catholic, Muslim, Jewish groups, the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Unitarians, Humanitarians International and Veterans for Peace, and so forth. 
 
One woman testifying at a hearing before Congress said she is an Episcopalian, my denomination supports its conscientious objectors and it supports its soldiers. It is up to us to decide which we are.  She testified before Congress, if my denomination says my action is faithful, why then does my government punish me for it.

I will be happy to answer any other questions at some time. And may I please insert that because Mr. Montgomery has to leave to catch a train, that is it okay with you if he goes next?

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Yes.

MS. FRANZ: Okay.
Forest Montgomery is a lifelong --

COUNCIL MEMBER PERKINS: Let him introduce himself. All the panelists will introduce
themselves and their organization or affiliation as they wish.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: And then we'll ask questions after the whole entire panel is done speaking. You may begin, sir.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Thank you very much for this opportunity to be here today.  I don't want to fly on any false colors. I saw the press packet and it had me affiliated with the Evangelicals for Social Action.  I am that not nor ever was.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA:  Sorry to interrupt you.  If you may introduce yourself for the record so we have it documented.

MR. MONTGOMERY:  Well, it's in my written statement that I had submitted.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA:  No, you have to say it for the record on the mic. Because everything gets recorded so you have to say your name for the record.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Oh, I am sorry.  I'm old enough, I think I can remember it.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: You're young enough.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Thank you.
 
CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: We've also been joined by Council Member Helen Sears, and I saw Erik Dilan enter into the room as well.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Okay. My name is Forest Montgomery. I worked for the Internal Revenue Service for nine years, was in the military before that, went to college on the GI bill. I left IRS to take a position at main treasury, leaving there after 25 years of government service as counselor to the General Counsel.  I then went to work for the National Association of Evangelicals. I lay no claim to being a constitutional scholar, however, 20 years in the trenches imbued me with the familiarity with and respect for the religious liberty clauses of the First Amendment.

In 2001, shortly after that tragic incident here on September 11th, the Freedom Forum presented me its First Amendment Outstanding Service Award for Championing the Cause of Religious Liberty. That's why I am here today.

I greatly admire the perseverance of these wonderful people who continue to press for enactment of the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill. Although I am myself not a pacifist, that is beside the point. They are entitled to their religious beliefs.

It is tragic that Congress numerous times has accommodated matters of conscience of  literally millions of Americans, but when these people come to the halls of congress, they are met with little but indifference.  I believe the furthest the bill has ever gotten was a hearing in a House no bill has reached before.

I'm trying to be brief. I have in my written statement various examples to back up what I
said about Congress.  Now, on this matter of a lack of concern for doing something about this needed legislation, I suspect, without knowing, that there persists a latent bias against conscientious objectors who appeared as refusing to fight for their country, yet they are as American and as patriotic as anyone else.  Now, this is despite the fact that they served during times of war in non-combatant capacities, and as I have indicated, love their country as much as anyone else.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: If you could summarize, sir? The time clock has ended. We apologize.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Okay. I'll give you my nugget here that I think you might find of interest. Your friends across the river,  somewhat long time ago, in the East Province of New Jersey which then was politically controlled, or at least there was a power block of Quakers, they passed a law, and I'd like to very briefly, if I can find it -- well, it's in the statement, but the gist of the law was essentially precisely what this law would do. It said that any man who was against the bearing of arms would not have to be forced to, nor could he be forced to pay charges, taxes, to support the government. But if he did refuse to bear arms, then he would pay something equivalent for alternative service for the support of the general government.

It's interesting that I think the past has something to teach us, because that's precisely what this legislation would do.  I urge enactment that you adopt your fine resolution.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Thank you very much.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Next, and, again, I'm going to ask everyone to please confine their remarks to two minutes since we do have a substantial amount of people that want to testify and a limited time frame to hear those testimonies. Sir, you're next.

REVEREND BANKS: Thank you. I will be brief and make sure that my colleagues have ample time.  My name is Reverend Michael Banks, and I serve as one of the Bishops of the New York City Council of Mennonite Churches, the Lancaster Conference under the auspices of the Mennonite Church, USA.

In addition to that, I represent the King of Glory Tabernacle, a multi-ethnic urban savvy congregation of first generation committed peace makers located in the Bronx.

This is exciting news to the committee. It should be. What's happening in the Bronx? Young people, multi-ethnic groups are gathering because they believe in peace. What does this bill do?  It gives them hope. I am here to represent the future. I am here to represent the future. What does that mean for us?
 
The Mennonite Church from its inception have been part of the historic peace church tradition. It's our understanding of what it means to be faithful witnesses to Christ, as the prince of peace that motivates us, demonstrate peace-making as a viable option in all arenas of life. This bill then allows young people to have hope in a democratic process which they now can see accommodates their religious conscience.

This is exciting news. I want to conclude with this idea. Biblical peace-making or peace is not just a Biblical concept, but rather gentleman and lady. It is a necessity of evolution. This will open the door for our humanity to grow through the process of our democracy.  Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Thank you very much for your powerful testimony.
Next. You may begin.

MR. FIELDS: Chairman Rivera, good afternoon. My name is Walter Fields, and I am Vice President of Political Development for the Community Service Society whose President, CEO is David R. Jones.

Most recently we issued two reports that called attention to the crises in New York City's labor market, the first detailed the extent of joblessness among black males, and the second revealing the large numbers of disconnected youth, those who are out of school and out of work in our City. The findings of both reports prompted action by the City Council to appropriate $10 million targeting job training and development and moved Mayor Bloomberg to create the Mayor's Commission on Construction Opportunity.

Today I want to briefly comment on Council Resolution 367 in support of HR 2037 creating the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund. At this time, CSS takes no particular position on federal expenditures for military purposes, but recognizes that some individuals, due to their religious beliefs, may object to the use of their tax dollars for warfare.

HR 2037 raises the possibility of those taxpayers having the right to object to such uses and instead designate their tax dollars be used for life-affirming purposes. It's an intriguing proposition and raises hope that at a minimum, the introduction of this bill in Congress will stir debate over the spending priorities of the federal government.

Clearly our interest at CSS is in any movement in this nation for the recognition of human service needs and a responsibility to collective concern and action. We are invited to share our thoughts on what the targeting of life-affirming needs as specified in the language of the federal bill could mean as it relates to the social needs of residents of New York City.

Clearly, we would welcome any additional resources that would address the City's most vulnerable. And sadly, despite some signs of economic recovery, the poor of our City, many of whom are people of color and new immigrants, continue to suffer conditions that places them outside the mainstream of opportunity and upward mobility.

Our research on black male joblessness and disconnected youth suggest the need for a focused infusion of resources towards new opportunities for employment and improving skills for meeting the needs of a new technology-driven economy.

At a minimum, a threshold for defining life-affirming needs in our City should be directing aid to those most in distress.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: If you could summarize?

MR. FIELDS: Sure. CSS research suggest two subgroups in our City that meet the definition, are black men and young people between the age of 60 and 24, and the focus must be on employment opportunities.

At a very basic level, this discussion could force a reevaluation of our spending priorities on the State and Local level by shadowing where those federal dollars would be targeted.
The Community Service Society stands ready to work with the Council in creating
conditions in our City so that all New Yorkers can share in the promise of opportunity and prosperity that are synonymous with our City.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Time is up, if you could wrap up.

MR. FIELDS: I appreciate the invitation to share our thoughts with you today. Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Thank you. And just to make note to everyone, just because you summarize your statement, if you have prepared written statements, they will be put into the record directly so you have no fear of losing your statements from being put into the record. So, you can summarize without losing that voice.

We're going to take questions on behalf of the Committee for you. So, the first will come from Bill Perkins.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERKINS: I'll just ask some quick questions.  Mr. Fields, I'm going to ask you a question because you're a sort of local grassroots-oriented policy group that understands the importance of these dollars, and the kinds of needs that realistically New Yorkers have that will best be addressed if we could get more dollars into our budget.

Is it safe to say that you would agree that such a resolution, the related bill in Congress is a good bill, is a good move on behalf of our nation?

MR. FIELDS: Without a doubt. I think any effort to redirect aid towards people, particularly people who need it most, is a good thing.

So, we certainly look at this resolution favorably, as well as the bill. As I said in our testimony, we don't take any position on federal expenditures for military, but certainly the notion that people who object to use of their taxes, based upon their religious beliefs should have the right to determine where those dollars are directed.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERKINS: And Ms. Franz, let me just ask you one quick question. The status of the bill right now is that it has been reintroduced; would you kindly give us a description of the kind of support that it's getting in terms of its diversity, and how you see such an effort as is taking place in New York City today, having a bearing on the future of the legislation, ultimately not only from the perspective of New York City, but do you anticipate similar efforts being made in other localities throughout the country?

MS. FRANZ: Yes, indeed. The status of the bill, the bill was reintroduced May 25 with 34 additional members of Congress signing on with John Lewis, we've never had that many members at introduction. And we will continue to add to those. Among those are three Republicans, Jim Leach of Iowa, Jerry Moran of Kansas, and Ron Paul of Texas. We have four members of New York City, members of Congress, who are on this bill, and who have sent letters to you to support this bill coming into effect.

The fact that you're doing this here in New York City means that it's given inspiration to a lot of people, and this is going to spin off a lot of City and maybe State resolutions on support for the Peace Tax Fund Bill. The biggest I know coming up is starting immediately for the State of Rhode Island.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERKINS: I should also let you know, I just got back from the State of Washington about a week ago launching a new, what they call Cities For Progress. Cities For Progress is a Coalition of local elected officials, members of City Councils for the most part, that are all planning on submitting resolutions in support of the Peace Tax, and it's on the website for that new organization called CitiesForProgress.org, so you can feel somewhat encouraged that your movement is beginning to take a route in the grassroots legislative bodies that are in touch with the people of the City throughout our country.

 MS. FRANZ: And that is what will make the difference.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERKINS: Thank you.

MS. FRANZ: When members of Congress hear from their folks.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Any other questions? Seeing none, thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. We've also been joined by Council Member Joe Addabbo. And next on the panel will be Frida Berrigan, again, Berrigan; Forest Montgomery -- we already did him already. And Angela Boatright for Ibrahim Ramey, and G. Simon Harak.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERKINS: If you have testimony to hand out, give it to the Sergeant-At-Arms and they'll take care of it for you.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: And also Colleen Kelly. Ruth Wenger. Actually, give it to the Sergeant-At-Arms and he will pass it up. Okay, you may begin. And again, we're going to be limited to a two-minute time clock.

MS. BERRIGAN: Good afternoon, Chairman, and honorable members of the City Council. My name is Frida Berrigan. I'm a Senior Research Associate at the New School University's World Policy Institute.  My written statement is on World Policy Institute letterhead.  I have been asked to talk briefly about US military expenditures. I will start out just with a little bit of the basics.

As you can see from this, not a center bar graph, United States spends more money on the military than any other country in the world, and in fact, a new report finds that we spend what the next 32 nations combined spend on the military.

The consensus among many military experts is that more spending on the military doesn't equal more security, and just one brief example of that is how much we spend on National Missile Defense. This year we'll spend $9 billion on National Missile Defense, a system that is technologically impossible, strategically unnecessary, and politically detrimental.

Just New York State's contribution to national missile defense is enough to train, outfit and support more than 12,000 port security inspectors. And as you all know, the 9/11 focused on port security as one aspect of American security that is not being funded enough.

So, focusing on that as just one example would do much more for US security for New
York security than a techno fantasy like national missile defense. And I know we don't have a lot of time here, but I just want to turn your attention to the pie chart and how much of discretionary spending goes into the military.

This year we'll spend $420 billion on the military in this country, and that's not including the $230 billion that we've allocated towards spending on military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. There's more detailed in my written statement and I look forward to any questions from you.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Thank you very much. Next on the panel you may begin. And, again, we're going to be adhering to a two-minute time clock.

MS. BOATRIGHT: Peace to all of you. My name is Angela Boatright. I'm a Priest in the
Episcopal Diocese of New York. I'm here on behalf of my colleague, Ibrahim Ramey, at The Fellowship of Reconciliation. Ibrahim is in the Sudan today and he asked to read this statement on his behalf.

My organization, the Fellowship of Reconciliation, was established in the United States in 1915. We are the oldest and largest interfaith peace organization in the USA, and for that matter, the world.  Our credo is this: We believe that warfare of any kind is wrong, and an abomination in the eyes of God. We do not, and will not, participate in campaigns and actions that take the lives of other human beings. We take this position recognizing that we will be called cowardly, unpatriotic, or even traitorous.

The resolution before you seeks to establish, as a right of personal moral conscience, legislation that would allow conscientious objectors to war to pay our taxes but for exclusively nonmilitary use.

This provision would, of course, not result in the disappearance of the US military, or immediately impede the ability of the United States to wage war. We would certainly welcome any transformation of the war system into a global peace system, to be sure. The Peace Tax Fund would allow taxpayers and citizens who oppose war, not to be forced to pay for it, or to withhold taxes that currently support military spending, and consequently, the killing of other human beings.

You have all heard the scriptural injunction, "Thou shalt not kill." Well, that would also imply to the peace and pacifist community, that "thou shalt not provide implements for others to engage in killing." Who among you would give $500 to a person whom you knew would use the money to buy a gun and kill another person with it? That is the essential morality and logic of our position. For us, participation in any form --

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: If you can summarize.

MS. BOATRIGHT: Certainly. -- Participation in any form of war is immoral. Our commitment is to be living witnesses to the power of nonviolence. It compels us to seek redress in the form of accommodation for true nonviolence with our national system of taxation and appropriation.  Our faith in the ultimate rightness and in the success of nonviolence is the grounding of our work over the last 90 years.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: If you can wrap it up.

MS. BOATRIGHT: In conclusion, the Fellowship of Reconciliation urges the City Council of New York City to affirm this resolution, and in doing so, to take a huge step in the affirmation of our human right, to not only oppose war, but to descent from paying for it.  Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Thank you very much.  Next, and again I'm going to ask everyone to please adhere to the two-minute time clock. You can summarize without losing your testimony being given on the record.  You are next. You may begin.

MR. HARAK: Good afternoon. My name is Simon Harak. I am the Anti-Militarism Coordinator of the War Resisters League. I'm also a Jesuit priest.
 
I had to teach ethics in the University, and I have got a real good grasp of numbers all the time. So, I asked a friend of mine to explain to me the military budget, and this is what he said.

If we were here talking for a million seconds about these important issues, we would be here for 11 days. What if we were here talking for a billion seconds about these important issues? We would be here for about 31 years.  That's the difference between a million and a billion. One letter, but it's an enormously different number.

Now, I know you know this because you're dealing with a $50 billion budget here in New York City. But our military budget, as Ms. Berrigan pointed out, is $420 billion, billion for this single year, add to it an extra hundred billion dollars per year for the wars that we're doing, and you come up with something like $500 billion in the single year spent on, well, let's face it, killing people, and on destroying the earth and on ruining what's left of our resources.

It works out, if you take a calculation, to about $16,000 a second on killing people. Well, that's the point. The point is that every budget is a moral document. It tells us where and how we allocate our money and shows us in concrete terms where our values are. Shows us right there on the tally sheet where we wish to spend or squander our time, our talents or our treasure. 
 
And that's why I'm asking you in the name of all of these people, we want to be able to spend our tax money, not on Halliburton but on housing, not on mass killing but on mass transit, not on bombing hospitals, but on building them.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Thank you very much. And I appreciate your adhering to the time. Next, you may begin.

MS. WENGER: My name is Ruth Wenger. I'm Pastor of North Bronx Mennonite Church, a very diverse neighborhood in the Bronx, and I'm also Chair of the New York City Council of Mennonite Churches.

The Mennonite Church is historically a church that has chosen not to participate in military service.

Some of my ancestors were actually tortured because they did not participate in
 military service in the US.  In 1940 the Congress passed legislation granting CO status to people who did not want to join the army and to participate in killing.

We're asking in this bill for CO status for our dollars. The young men who did not choose to fight in the military did offer two years of service, voluntary service, working in mental hospitals and in other settings where they were contributing to life-affirming activities. It's not a way of saying we will not participate. We are saying we want to use our dollars, our bodies, to heal and not to kill.

I'm grateful for the legislation that was passed in 1940 granting CO status to young men and women. I also trust that this will pass granting CO status for alternative service for our dollars.
Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Thank you very much.  Next.

MS. KELLY: Hello. My name is Colleen Kelly, and I am co-director of the September 11th families for peaceful tomorrows. I'm not here as an expert on tax law or conscientious objection, nor do I pretend to be a scholar of military budgets. I am here as the sister of William H. Kelly, Jr., killed on September 11th, 2001, here in this great City at the World Trade Center.

I am here as a concerned and thoughtful citizen who loved her brother deeply and can't understand the war on terror that has been unleashed in Bill's name and the nearly 3,000 others that died that day.

Perhaps no one wants justice served to the perpetrators of this international crime, and those who aided and abetted in the 9/11 families. And no one should doubt that justice is often slow and a costly process.

Almost four years later we are still waiting, with little to show for all of our financial and militaristic efforts.  If I go to a store to buy a vacuum cleaner, I expect that vacuum cleaner to work. I should be assured that when I take the vacuum home, it will clean floors effectively. And the sum of all of its parts will function properly and that the company that sold me this product will be accountable for any malfunction or failure within reason.

I expect the same of my government and its use of my tax dollars. In my assessment, after three and a half years, the militaristic response to 9/11 has been largely ineffectual. We still don't have bin Ladin or Zukowi or others, and incidents of terror around the world in fact have markedly increased. The doctrine of preemptive war
 has left Pandoras once morally locked box, and the greatest cost of all, more than 1,650 US service people killed, and over 100,000 civilians dead.

I stand in good and informed conscience and say my money is not being well spent. I, therefore fully support the Religious Freedom Tax Fund bill, and also ask you to support it. Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Thank you very much. Any questions on behalf of the Committee? Seeing none, thank you very much,  ladies and gentlemen.

The next panel will consist Reverend Sekou, Tom Siracuse, Frederick R. Dettmer, Jocelyn Selene Perry. And we're going to adhere to the two-minute time clock. I apologize if we have to cut you off, but we also have budget negotiating taking place and that is why you see members going back and forth. You may begin, and we have a two-minute time clock.  Ladies first. You may begin.

MS. PERRY: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Jocelyn Selene Perry. I'm Deacon at Middle Collegiate Church, located in the East Village. Middle Collegiate Church is among one of the oldest Protestant Churches in North America. We were founded in 1628. We are one of the founding congregations here in New York City and we are concerned for New York City.  We believe that New York City is in an affordable housing crisis, and these are one of the areas which the City needs to pay attention to.

We fully support Resolution 367, which urges us as people of faith to be conscientious objectors in paying our taxes for military spending. We believe that these tax dollars can go much better toward the crisis which is here in New York City in affordable housing.

I have also traveled in Iraq extensively, and have seen the evil face of mass destruction and indiscriminate death, which New York City has also suffered during September 11th. Middle Collegiate Church is educating our own 600-member congregation about the national peace tax effort.

We are educating our members to support the National Campaign for the Peace Tax Fund.  Dr. King believes that war was immoral and unjust. We at Collegiate Church also believe war is immoral and unjust but defies reason, and so we also call for an accounting of the funds that are already being spent in Iraq.

We believe that the war is fiscally irresponsible, and that billions of dollars have already been wasted in indiscriminate killing and maiming of individuals.

Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Thank you very much.

MS. MASON-FRANCIS: My name is Jacqueline Mason-Francis. I am a community organizer for Action for Community Empowerment.  I have been serving the Central
Harlem Community for the past ten years.

First, I would like to thank Councilman Perkins for introducing Resolution 367. I want to thank you, and also, I'm sorry, I wanted to thank Joel Rivera for holding this hearing today.

It's really unprecedented and really important. And I really think that it is important because in my estimation, Resolution 67 represents an opportunity to fortify the progressive power of marginal and low-income people, so that their priorities for their communities and lives can truly be weighted in the decisions made.

In my work, and in everything I do, I am motivated by my faith, which informs my sense of stewardship from my fellow citizenry, our communities, our society and the people of the world.

Yet, everything I do and others like myself do to build up society is undermined by the fact that half of the great treasure of taxes that God has blessed us with is going to killing and preparing for war.

In our work with families and youth over the past two years, we see that most of the parents we serve cannot afford to send their children to a decent public school, let alone college.

Most of them work, or did work, until their employment was ravished by downsizing and job elimination. The young people are not nurtured as they should be, and our community society has nothing to offer our children, other than arms service or military or jail.

Central Harlem has the highest youth incarceration rate in New York City. In the summer of 2000, the Federal Workforce Investment Act completely cut the budget for the Summer Youth Employment Program. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has spent 100 billion on Star Wars Program without producing one weapon that works.
 
With all the tax money that the federal government collects from New York City, can't we have some of that money back to help build our communities and our lives? At a time when our military expending exceeds that of all other nations combined, supporting the right of conscientious – conscience for taxpayers is an act of justice. And I applaud the City Council for being the first in the nation to hear out the voice of conscientious objectors.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Thank you.

MS. MASON-FRANCIS: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Next. You maybegin.

MR. SIRACUSE: Hello. My name is Tom Siracuse, and I'm a member of the New York Chapter of Veterans For Peace. I was asked by Peter Bronson, the Chairperson who cannot attend, to testify on his behalf. Funding for the Veterans Administration is tied up into the overall military budget. First priority has been given to weaponry, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Funding for VA programs and other  social programs are getting shortchanged, while military spending keeps increasing.

VA hospitals and programs have been cut back. Veterans have been turned away whose claims range from the effects of Agent Orange in the Vietnam War to depleted uranium in the Gulf Wars.  Approximately 33 percent of homeless men are veterans, although veterans comprise of only 23 percent of the adult male population.

The VAs enrolled populations surged over 230 percent from 1996 to 2003, but appropriated funding for medical care only increased 44 percent. We could accept these sacrifices if the Administration's policies were leading to the protection of our country against a tax from terrorism, but we believe that the opposite is the case.

The reasons given to invade and occupy Iraq have all proven false. The National President of the Veterans For Peace has issued a call to Congress to impeach President Bush and Vice President Chaney.

We believe they have violated our constitution and federal laws which they have sworn to uphold. Almost 1,700 American soldiers have been killed, thousands more physically and psychologically maimed and 100,000 Iraqis have died in this war.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: If you could summarize, sir?

MR. SIRACUSE: Extraordinary measures are needed to change this disastrous policy, and that is why this organization supports House Bill 2631 in Congress and City Council resolution 367.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Thank you very much. Next. You may begin.

MR. DETTMER: Good afternoon. My name is Frederick Dettmer. I'm an attorney involved in private practice, a sole private practice. I'm a member of the Religious Society of Friends, and I engage in war tax witness. I have, in addition to my written statement, I would like to submit a minute adopted by the Friends Committee on National Legislation on Conscientious Objection to War, which endorses the Peace Tax Fund Bill. I wish and strive to be a responsible citizen. I pay my State income taxes, my municipal taxes and county taxes, my real estate taxes, my sales taxes, telephone, gasoline and other excise taxes. And I pay my federal taxes, only I pay them into an escrow account maintained for this purpose by a Quaker organization. When I file my federal tax returns, I advise the Internal Revenue Service in writing that my religious faith and conscience do not permit me to contribute to the machinery of war. So, I have deposited my taxes into escrow pending the national government's commitment to allocate those funds solely to peaceful governmental activities.

The federal government, of course, currently will not make that commitment. Instead, the IRS seeks ways to capture my earnings and assets to collect the taxes and additional interest in penalties, because I maintain a sole or legal practice, I have no employer who issues regular paychecks, which the IRS may find modestly frustrating, but I do referee soccer games, youth soccer games, and the IRS has been seizing those earnings for the last two years, I've also begun refereeing public high school soccer games, and I assume the IRS will start seizing those earnings as soon as they know about it, that is next year.

Echoing the injunction of Isaiah and Micah, to beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks, former President and General Dwight D. Eisenhower counseled that "every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense..." --

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: If you could wrap it up.

MR. DETTMER:  "... A theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed." Until we truly grasp and act in the light of his counsel, we can never approach, much less attain, true peace and security. The Religious Peace Tax Fund Act is a means to approach that goal.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Okay.

MR. DETTMER: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Thank you. Next.

REVEREND SEKOU:  My name is Reverend Osagyefo Sekou. I am the National Coordinator of Clergy and Laity Concerned About Iraq, a program of United for Peace and Justice, the largest anti-war coalition in the nation.

I am proud to lend the support of our150 faith-based religious institutions around this country in support of the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill. It is not enough to rebel against the lack of justice, but we must also rebel against the lack of imagination. These words shall frame the few remarks that I shall make. The religious Freedom Tax Fund Bill creates an imaginative discourse in the way in which we can imagine ourselves using our resources in such a way to keep track of the best of the democratic tradition.

In the past, the passage of voting rights and public accommodations were essential to the establishment of justice public discourse and policy. These legislative mandates were borne from the crucible or more conscientious activism and social justice.

The current and occupation Iraq represents, another moment of great social concern, and requires citizenry to pause and reflect upon the nature of war. Given the current crisis that our cities face and our nation, given the current crisis of unemployment in this great city, one would be remiss not to look critically at our fiscal priorities in our nation.

Moreover, the psychic and spiritual destruction that war breeds, hinders the positive creativity of imagination and impedes the vitality of the soul. Is this how we imagine our democracy?

The passage of the Religious freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill will demonstrate that our government is committed to creating and maintaining its space for a peace witness and public life and policy.  Finally, we would like to extend our gratitude to the New York Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund, and New York City Council for this historic gathering.

It is the intention of Clergy And Laity Concerned About Iraq to replicate this hearing in City Council, church basements and street corners around this nation because democracy, history and heaven mandate it.  Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Thank you very much, sir.  Any questions? No questions. Thank you very much. The next panel will consist of Reverend Monroe Yoder. Archdeacon Michael S. Kendall. Carl Lundgren. Jacqueline Mason-Francis, and Linda Chidsey and Ruth Benn.

Is there anybody else that wants to testify today, because I only have six more people, and I know Councilman Perkins stated that there was other people who wanted to testify.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERKINS: If you haven't filled out a form, then you're not listed, you're not going to be able to testify.  If you haven't filled out the form, raise your hand. Oh, okay, you have filled it out but we didn't get it. All right, great. Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Okay, gentlemen and ladies, you may begin. You may choose the order.

MS. BENN: Okay. My name is Ruth Benn. I live in Brooklyn and I work with the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee, which was founded in 1982 by a coalition of groups as a resource center for people who cannot in good conscience pay for war.
 
Some of our affiliates are here in New York City, and many of our activists work for the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill. When you reach a point where you know if asked you would refuse to fight in a war, the dilemma for paying for it could hit you square in the face.

This is not a new issue. The most famous case of War Tax Resistance in the US is that of Henry David Throw who spent a night in jail because he would not pay a $1 pull tax levy to fund the Mexican War.

If a specific war tax were levied today to pay for the war in Iraq, many more people would face a direct choice. But the government was smart to mingle all the monies into a general fund to obfuscate how our money is being used. An important aspect of Resolution 367 asks our City Council and Congress people to report military expenditures for the people of New York.  Trade-offs are being made every day.

This resolution can help people better understand these choices. Like myself, there are hundreds of others in New York City who feel that we must break the law and not give our tax dollars to the IRS.  Some put the money aside in case of collection, others pay their taxes to groups who work for peace and take care of people. When threatening collection letters come from the IRS, I often ask myself why am I doing this? To find the answer I have only to think about Iraq, Afghanistan and the trillions spent on building the largest collection of WMDs on earth or the unmet needs here at home.

Resolution 367 before the New York City Council acknowledges how the current tax system forces thousands of people to choose between their conscience and the law. It recognizes that decisions made in Washington affect us deeply here in New York City.

On behalf of National War Tax Resistance, I hope that this resolution will gain the support of this Committee. Thank you.

MR. LUNDGREN: Thank you for the opportunity to speak before you today. My name is Carl Lundgren. I'm a member, I'm the Chair of Bronx Greens, a local of the Green Party of New York State. I'm also the State Committee rep to the State Green Party from the 82nd Assembly District in the Bronx. And I'm also representing a Bronx group called Bronx Peace, and the Lamont Chapter of the Human Society of Metropolitan New York. I had not intended to speak here today, but I ran into our mayoral candidate on the Green Party Line who urged me to speak because he couldn't stay.

We do want to express our gratitude to the City Council for supporting this bill, and putting forth this resolution. As the only party that advocates for peace and nonviolence, we find it very gratifying to know that there are others that share our vision.

From a personal point of view, I remember when I was a student in high school, during the Vietnam War, and I had to go to selective service to get my draft card, I was a conscientious objector at the time too, and I talked to guidance counselors in school and said, look, I don't want to hurt anybody. I have never wanted to hurt anybody. I don't believe in this. I can't do this. They said, well, go to your church and get an affidavit from them stating you're a conscience objector. By the way, what church are you from? I said I'm a Lutheran. Oh, Lutherans are not recognized as pacifists. So, I honestly don't know what I would have done at the time. I am glad that we have made strides now that people can put forth the idea that they're conscientious objectors.

We still believe that there's a long way to go. At some point we hope that no one will have to pay taxes to support wars, but until that time we think this resolution is a step in the right direction, and we wholeheartedly support it.

I will be putting forth a proposal to the State Green Party at our next State committee meeting for the Green Party of New York State to also endorse this. And I would also like to say in my remaining seconds, that all of our candidates in running this year will be in support of this resolution.

MR. YODER: To you, honorable servants, and those that you represent, I am Monroe Yoder, resident of New York City and Pastor in New York City, Mennonite pastor in New York City.

I'm concerned about what is happening for our reduced community services. I was, am presently serving as the Chair of our Head Start Board, and that is just on example of what is happening to some of our programs that are dependent upon the federal dollars. And, so, it really consciously drives it home, and draws me into this in a way that makes it real how our money, how our federal money is being spent. And then when I see, and the housing needs, the community services, the health services and all of that that goes down on that record, I beg you to support and to pass this resolution.

As a young man in 1958, I made the conscious decision to be a conscientious objector based on my religious training and my understanding of the command of Jesus. And what that did for me, my alternate service, what that did for me, to build, instead of destroy, is still a part of my life and part of my service.  So, I am saying, let's send a message to United States. Let's develop a true, true, true culture of life, not one that selectively destroys and kills.

MR. KENDALL: I am Michael Kendall. I am the Archdeacon for the Episcopal Diocese of New York. I'm the Vice Chair of the New York City Council of Churches, and I chair a public policy committee for the New York State Council of Churches.

We live in a time of greed and violence. We live under an Administration which is perpetuating greed and violence. The charts behind us show that. What is happening right now when there is such a gap between rich and poor is that there are tax cuts for the rich that are being structured in by law, and at the same time, that's the greed, at the same time we are dramatically increasing our military spending which is the violence.

The other violence is what's happening to social service programs that are mandated by the government. We are cutting services to children, to the elderly, to the poor, in New York City.  Almost every religious institution is trying in some way to respond to poverty and homelessness, and it is way beyond what we can do. Government is cutting back.
 
So, it is time that we reverse what is going on, and we use our money to help, to care, to become a compassionate society, not a violent society.

And I might say in making this testimony that the New York State Council of Churches, New York City Council of Churches and the Episcopal Peace Fellowship, have all gone on record supporting this peace tax.

And finally, conscientious objection goes back to the American Revolution, and as we heard earlier, even before. It is part of the tradition of this country, people came here to escape violence from other places and they came here for a refuge. Just as many of our immigrants are coming now for a refuge, and we are cutting back on their services and we are producing a very violent society.

Let me end by thanking Councilman Perkins and New York City Council for taking this historic step. We appreciate what you're doing, and we pray that we may become a nation of compassion.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERKINS:  Thank you.

MS. CHIDSEY: I'm Linda Chidsey. I'm  presiding Clerk of New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends Quakers. I also serve as representative to the governing body of the New York State Council of Churches, and I begin this testimony by saying both New York Yearly Meeting and the New York State Council of Churches have endorsed Resolution 367.

For over 30 years, New York Yearly Meeting has adopted minutes supporting versions of the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Bill, and has provided ways of assisting employees and members, who for reasons of conscience cannot pay military taxes.

Since the beginnings of our religious societies, we've understood our role as followers of Christ to be one of helping establish the peaceable kingdom on earth. We believe in the sanctity of life, the oneness of humanity and that each person carries within him or herself a measure of the Divine light.

We take seriously the life and teachings of Jesus, we hear "thou shalt not kill," and "resist not evil with evil" as words to live by.  Many are familiar with Friends through our testimonies, in the Society of Friends there were testimony describes a corporate witness to truth that's revealed deep within the human heart, and this truth is meant to be lived out every day, at all times in all places and all of our relationships.

And our historic peace testimony was first articulated in 1660 by George Fox and other founders of Quakerism. Briefly, we do utterly deny all outward war and strife for any end or any pretense whatsoever. And this is our testimony to the whole world.

The spirit of Christ which leads us into all truth would never move us to fight in war against any man with outward weapons neither for the Kingdom of Christ or the Kingdom of this World.

Today in New York Yearly Meeting, conduct is guided by what we call "Advices and Theories" in our Book of Discipline. And our 14th advice reads: "Friends are cautioned against the taking of arms against any person. Friends should be aware of supporting preparations for war even indirectly and should examine in this light matters as noncombatant military service, cooperation with conscription, employment or investment in war industries and voluntary payment of taxes.

So, this is the stock from which friends come.  So, what relevance do these beliefs and testimonies of a historic peace church have for the life of an individual? How do they inform our thoughts and actions following events such as took place here in this City on September 11th, 2001. For myself, I struggled for days. I struggled for days with a question of whether this historic peace testimony was anything more than a lofty ideal, impossible to live out in a world where such horrific events take place.

Then in early October of that year, a friend and I went to Ground Zero, where praying and weeping we saw what had happened. And several days after that a transformative insight came to me, a kind of in-the-bone knowing that this was it. That each one of us has a part to play in the reconciliation and redemption of that horrendous event and all others like it.

There are a number of friends in New York Yearly Meeting who conscientiously withhold their taxes, they observe the radical teachings of Jesus, and they witness to the peace of Christ through their conscientious objection, and the Yearly Meeting supports and upholds them in their faithfulness.

In conclusion, as I testify today, I am deeply moved that out of a City that suffered such pain and loss on September 11th comes a resolution which offers hope and lifts up the possibility of healing through peaceful means. So, I'm grateful to this Council, and I urge on behalf of the yearly meeting, as a private citizen and a representative of the New York State Council of Churches, to vote for this resolution. Thank you.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERKINS: Thank you all for your testimony. There are no questions at this time, but even as your testimony has been abbreviated, it will all be included as you have submitted it, for the official record. So, thank you, again, for the work you do, and the testimony you just gave.

Our next and last panel, Ted Henderson, Riverside Church of New York City. Renee Noelle Felice. Is that how you say your name? Oh, Renee Noell Felice. Simple.
And last, but not least, Rosa Packard, Conscience and Peace Tax International. Please give it to the Sergeant-At-Arms. He'll take it.  You may begin as you wish, you'll decide who goes first and so forth.

MS. FELICE: Okay. My name is Renee Noell Felice. I was born in New York City and have lived here almost all my life, and I've been a conscientious tax resister for over 20 years.

When we were out on the steps, an incident reminded me of a story. We, in back of the speakers, could not hear them. That reminded me of the minister who was accustomed to getting into the pulpit at every Sunday and saying "peace be with you," and the congregation would reply, "and also with you." And one morning he got up to the microphone and he said, this microphone is broken.

And the congregation, of course, couldn't hear him, and they said, "and also with you." There's something wrong with this microphone he said. And they said, "and also with you."

Well, something is broken, and a lot of it has to do with language. If I were to tell you that I am pro-life, you would assume that I am anti-abortion. And if I were to tell you that I am pro-choice, you would assume that I am for abortion. In fact, I am both pro-life and both pro-choice. I choose. I choose not -- I'm sorry. I choose to -- I do choose life. 
 
I choose not to vote 50 percent of each tax dollar to military spending. I choose adding $20 million or more to the federal budget for developing sustainable energy sources and not as President Bush has done subtracting that amount.  I choose Red Woods over the decimation of oceans and other waterways. I choose dolphins over the rape and destruction of the waterways.  I choose raising up community gardens, that's raising with an i-s, raising them with an r-a-z. I choose reinstating or increasing health benefits to military personnel, as opposed to  giving $15,000 bonuses to new draftees. I choose the right to exercise my religion regarding pacifism, as opposed to being persecuted financially by the government for doing so. I choose long-term planning, as opposed to massive accumulation of wealth by a handful of people.

 People, few people do tax resistance. Some are afraid of losing their property, their income, their savings. Many have never thought about it. And some are afraid to break the law, but the law with a capital t and a capital l is broken. We are about as close to a democracy as we are to getting on a shuttle to Washington and ending up on the moon.

This resolution is a first step, a gigantic, wonderful, exciting, scary first step towards fixing the law.
Thank you.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERKINS: Thank you.

MS. PACKARD: My name is Rosa Packard. I'm a non-governmental representative at the United Nations for Conscience and Peace Tax International, which has consulted its status there. Conscience and Peace Tax International's base is in Brussels, and its board members come from other countries besides ours, where citizens are working to obtain legal recognition of the human right of conscientious objection to military taxes.  I'm also a board member of the National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund and Peace Tax Foundation in this country who work with Conscience and Peace Tax International. 
 
Tax witness has been important to me for 25 years. I place my taxes in an escrow account for the US government until it respects conscientious objection and provides a way for my taxes to go for non-military purposes. Local Quakers manage the escrow account I use, and when I fill out and mail my tax form to the IRS I write a letter explaining my position.

Every year the Government destroys my letter and ignores the escrow account by seizing the money from my personal checking account. My bank knows what I do and why I do
and is sympathetic towards me when they respond to the government's levy for the amount of my taxes, as current law requires them to do. I tell you that nitty-gritty because it really isn't terrifying to do, if you're clear that it's important to do.

Several years ago I sued the US government, hoping that under the provisions of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act my conscientious objection to military taxation would be respected.  New York Yearly Meeting wrote an eloquent amicus brief for my appeal to the second circuit into the Supreme Court.

The brief gave us the 350-year long history of Quakers and it's posted on the Conscience and Peace Tax International Web Page. Two other Quakers from two other Quaker yearly meetings had related cases at the same time. Not only did the US judges dismiss these three Quaker cases, they ignored the issues raised by them.

That is why this legislation is so very important for this issue which is to some of us very important.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERKINS: Please summarize. Oh, thank you so much. Great summary.

MR. HENDERSON: Yes, good afternoon. My name is Ted Henderson, and I don't have any fancy titles, I'm just a concerned citizen, and I came across this initiative as a member of Riverside Church, and the mens' group there. And the way I came across it was I was meeting with some folks, and I work on behalf of an organization called the Children's Hunger Fund.
 
So, my interest is really children, hungry and needy children. And I saw the connection immediately with the ability to folks who are both concerned about aggressive international military actions, to be able to divert some of those resources to other things such as caring for children, both abroad and here. And having worked very closely and been to countries like Uganda and worked in the areas and ate the same food that was available, and cared for small children and orphaned children with distended belly that it no longer is something that you see on TV, but something that's real and personal.
 
So, with that, I thought that the Peace Tax Fund was something that not only is Riverside as a church supporting, but I thought it would be very important as a citizen to come down, and to voice my support for it. And, so, that's really why I'm here, not only to support the international initiatives whether it's in Uganda or South America or Tsunami Relief, which the Children's Hunger Fund does, and Riverside Church does, but also right here in the US and New York City.

When you have 25 percent of the children that are eligible for the meals not getting meals in school, both breakfast and lunch, that's a concern. Any time you have an environment where children are not benefitting by the resources that are available, it's an unstable environment. It becomes an unstable future because those are the ones that are going to replace us.

So, that is why I'm supporting the initiative. I want to be part of creating that kind of work. Thank you.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERKINS: Thank you all very much. And your timing could not have been more perfect, as my colleagues hover at the back ready to go forward with our budget negotiations.

So, let me say, on behalf of the Council, that, first, thank you to our Chair Joel Rivera, and the Committee on State and Federal Legislation. This was a historic hearing on Reso 367-A, sponsored by Council Members Perkins, Martinez, Barron, Lopez, Foster, Reed, Brewer, Jackson, Monserrate and James. And this resolution was in support of the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Act, known as HR2631, to affirm the rights of taxpayers who are conscientiously opposed to participation in war, by providing that the income, estate or gift tax payments of such taxpayers be used for non-military purposes.

We're so proud to have begun a grassroots movement with regard to this very, very important piece of federal legislation. Today the Committee on State and Federal Legislation held a hearing on the proposed resolution and supported the religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund, and let me say on behalf of my colleagues, peace be with you.

CHAIRPERSON RIVERA: Thank you very much. The meeting is adjourned, if everybody could please clear the room.  
(Hearing concluded at 2:55 p.m.)