From all of us at Wealth for Common Good, thanks for all that you do, and for your commitment to tax fairness!

Chuck Collins, Alison Goldberg and Ann Manning

Download the WCFG 2011 Year In Review (PDF)

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Over the past year, Resource Generation and Wealth for the Common Good have been developing a campaign to amplify the voices of young wealthy people for tax justice.

During the same weekend in September when our organizing team came together to shape strategies, the Occupy Wall Street protest was gathering steam. The team realized that this could be a powerful moment to identify publicly as people with wealth standing for a more just distribution of resources and fairer taxes.

To test out this theory, Resource Generation staff members Elspeth Gilmore, Jessie Spector and other New York RG members made signs, similar to those being carried by OWS protestors, identifying themselves as members of the 1% who stand with the 99%, and took to the streets.  The signs provoked lots of reaction and discussion on the street, and a picture of Elspeth holding her sign went viral on facebook.

To keep in line with the messaging the Occupy movement was using, the team came up with the slogan: I am the 1 percent, I stand with the 99 percent. And so we decided to make the blog to mirror the site We are the 99 percent, and create a place where people with wealth and privilege people could voice their solidarity with the Occupy Movement.

What we’ve accomplished so far:

* There are now over 150 posts on the blog. The stories have been reposted, retweeted and reprinted thousands of times.

* Many of us have been on the streets at Occupy protests in cities all over the country, identifying as members of the 1% standing with the 99%.  Some have even published their thoughts about what it’s like to hold up those 1% signs.

* We have been fielding tons of media requests, including Los Angeles Times, BBC World Service, Christian Science Monitor, CBS News, Marketplace, and Al Jazeera.   Thanks to so many who have been willing to talk to the media, we’ve been able to share the story of our support of the Occupy Movement with national and international outlets, conducting over 50 interviews and generating over 100 media impressions.

* Some of us went to DC to lobby Congress directly as part of the Patriotic Millionaires lobby day to ask policymakers to increase millionaire tax rates. Many others called our lawmakers on our call-in day on November 16th with the message “Tax me! I support proposals to raise taxes for wealthy households like my own. No budget cuts until we raise revenue from those of us who have benefited the most and have the greatest capacity to pay.” And, we have now generated almost 100 signatures on the petition “Letter to the future: a plea for fair taxes from the next generation.”

* Inspired Legacies and Responsible Wealth have signed on as co-sponsors of the blog (along with RG and WFCG).  And we’ve heard from many other organizations that work with folks in the 1%, who have declared their support and shared the link with their networks.

* Our tax team led an amazing workshop at Resource Generation’s annual retreat, Making Money Make Change, and introduced over a hundred young wealthy attendees to the campaign.  The curriculum they developed will be used for future workshops and teach-ins.

* We are hearing from new volunteers who are interested in keeping the momentum going.

What’s next, and how 1 percenters can get involved:

We want to build on this momentum by organizing hundreds of other 1 percenters who can be a part of this movement and mobilize our community for action. We are working on tax justice workshops and educational materials and planning a mobilization around Tax Day in April.

Here are some ways 1 percenters can plug in:

1. Join our conference call on Tuesday, February 21st, 8 pm EST to learn more about tax justice and how the 1 percent can stand with the 99 percent. Sign up for the call here or contact us at westandwiththe99percent@resourcegeneration.org for details.

2. Join April 2012 Tax Day actions. Sign up to stay connected to our organizing at westandwiththe99percent@resourcegeneration.org.

3. Organize a tax justice workshop.

Take a look at the materials from our tax justice workshop.  Contact us if you are interested in organizing a workshop or teach-in, and we can support you through the process.  Or, just use these materials to start conversations about how our current tax system widens the wealth gap every year, and what we can do to create a progressive tax system.

4. Provide financial support for organizing.

One of the critical roles we can play in the Occupy Movement and its related organizations is through financial support. If you are looking for ideas, check out this extensive resource list. Resource Generation and Wealth for Common Good are also fundraising to continue this campaign. Contact us if you would like more information.

You can also…

5. Write a blog post or opinion piece.

We are recruiting writers for a tax justice blog series and can work with you to draft, edit, and place a piece.

6. If you haven’t already, post your sign on the tumblr blog!  Please encourage others to do the same.

7. Talk to friends and family members about wealth and taxes.

8. Support tax reform policies in Congress now – visit www.wealthforcommongood.org to learn about our campaigns.

9. If you’re under 35, join Resource Generation!

They visited members in their offices and testified in a congressional hearing.

The story was picked up in dozens of outlets, including PBS NewsHour, CNN, and CBS News.

“The wealthy are paying less than they paid at any time else, certainly in my lifetime, and probably in the last century… It’s criminal that so little is asked of people who are getting so much. I don’t mind paying more. I really don’t mind paying more taxes. I’d rather pay for taxes than cut Reading is Fundamental or Head Start or some of these programs that are really helping kids. This is the greatest country in the world. Is it really that much worse if you pay 6% more in taxes? Give me a break. Look at what you get for it: you get to be American.”

Watch the video:

Matt Damon on debt limit: ‘I’m so disgusted,’ ‘it’s criminal’ the wealthy are not paying higher taxes from Nicholas Ballasy on Vimeo.

A video message to Speaker John Boehner and members of Congress:

Watch press clips:

Patriotic Millionaires on why they would pay higher tax rates:

Download (mp3)

“I pay a lesser percentage of my income now than I have paid at any time in the past.  If our country is really broke, we can’t afford to give tax cuts to people like me.” - Paul Egerman, Founder of Escription and Patriotic Millionaire

“It is self-defeating to pursue these tax policies, and it is inconsistent with our values as Americans.  We need to throw out the Bush tax cuts in a hurry and begin the process of restoring some fiscal sanity to the country’s budget.” - Dennis Mehiel, Chairman of U.S. Corrugated and Patriotic Millionaire

“I am in favor of higher tax rates for those of us who can afford that.  I am also in favor of lower tax rates for the middle class. I think this whole idea of supply side trickle down economics has clearly failed…  My business needs a strong middle class.  My business is dependent upon employment increasing and on the housing market.” - Frank Patitucci, CEO and Chairman, NuCompass Mobility Services Inc. and Patriotic Millionaire

“It really irks me, as an American, that people who make money by trading in markets pay significantly less taxes than those people who actually go out and work for it. I want to give back to this country and give everybody else the same opportunities I had.” - Dal Lamagna, Co-Managing Partner IceStone and Patriotic Millionaire

“There are some in Congress who believe that the best way to deal with the struggling economy right now is to extend the tax cuts and see if they work the second time around. They didn’t work the first time, and they aren’t going to work the second time.  If they are extended, they will cost Americans $5.5 trillion dollars, a huge blow to the economy. We need to do something different or we are going to end up where Paul Ryan wants to take us; with a country that doesn’t have a Medicare system, that has a shadow of a Medicaid system and where even wealthy people won’t be doing as well as they were during the good ‘ol days of Bill Clinton.” -Robert McIntyre, Director of Citizens for Tax Justice, author of “The Bush Tax Cuts After Ten Years”

Contact Alison Goldberg at alison@wealthforcommongood.org for a recording of the entire press conference.

Republican leaders in Congress have a one-point program for whatever ails the nation: cut taxes for millionaires and large corporations. Let’s ask Congress to put revenue proposals back on the table.

>> Join our call-in day on June 7: Click here to call Congress toll-free. It’s really easy – the website will connect you and we provide talking points.

>> Please join our campaign to increase millionaire tax rates: If your income is UNDER $1 million, sign this letter. If your income is OVER $1 million, join the Patriotic Millionaires.

>> If you are a business manager or investor, join Business & Investors Against Tax Havens Abuse.

>> Find events in your area or contact Alison Goldberg at alison@wealthforcommongood.org if you are interested in learning about opportunities to speak publicly or write op-eds about the tax cuts.

Today, those with incomes over $1 million – or $20 million – pay the same top tax rate as people with incomes over $373,000. The Fairness in Taxation Act would create a new tax rate of 45% for incomes over $1 million with progressively higher rates up to 49% for incomes over $1 billion. The bill would also tax capital gains and dividend income at ordinary income rates for taxpayers with income over $1 million.

Wealth for the Common Good and the Agenda Project are circulating a sign-on letter of support for people with incomes over $1 million. Read the letter here and contact Alison at alison@wealthforcommongood.org to add your name to the initial list of signers.

The Progressive Tax Campaign Organizing Team is a one-year intensive action project for young people, 18-35, with wealth who are ready to launch a campaign for progressive tax reform. The 2011 group will engage in collective study on taxes, build storytelling, media and campaign skills, and work together to hone and launch a campaign.

We are now accepting applications – due March 14th. Learn more and apply here.

Contact us at contact us at taxcampaign@resourcegeneration.org with any questions.