Wealth for the Common Good

“I’m a big believer in the importance of mentorship, of helping the next generation of business and community leaders find their way. But I also view efficient government and adequate tax revenue as essential ingredients in a fostering the fertile soil for business development and healthy communities. Just as a healthy farm or garden needs a balance of nutrients, our country needs a balanced and fair tax system.”

– Peter Heegaard,
retired banker and former Managing Principal of Lowry Hill, a subsidiary of Wells Fargo

Wealth for the Common Good is…

Mobilizing thousands of people to speak out for fairness in our tax code

Since we launched in June 2009, our petition to end the Bush-era tax cuts has attracted close to 2000 signers. Our supporters are speaking to the media, organizing educational events in their communities, blogging, writing letters to the editor and op-eds, and making the case to friends, colleagues, and family about the need for tax code reform.

Documenting the Great Tax Shift of the last 50 years

Our April 2010 report, Shifting Responsibility: How 50 Years of Tax Cuts Benefited the Wealthiest Americans, includes key facts and statistics about the Great Tax Shift of the past half-century and a package of policy proposals that could raise over $450 billion in revenue while introducing greater transparency and progressivity into the tax system. Recent news coverage of our report includes The Christian Science Monitor, Chicago Sun Times, The Washington Post blog, and The Nation.

Getting this story into the media through high-profile voices

Wealth for the Common Good is recruiting spokespeople who can generate media attention while lending credibility to our campaigns. To date, some of our supporters include John Bogle, Founder of Vanguard Mutual Fund, Howard Behar, former President of Starbucks Coffee Company, Arul Menezes, the Principal Architect at Microsoft, Bernard Rapoport, Chairman Emeritus of American Income Life Insurance Co., Bill Gates Sr., and John Steel, former Mayor of Telluride, Colorado.

“I come from a successful family. We would have had little success without government support. We started a farm in the desert, where neither water nor electricity was available. The government invested in rural electrification, dams, canals, and roads. Without those investments, we would not have been able to farm that land or get our products to markets. Having benefited, we should pay our fair share to recycle that opportunity to others.”

–Jody Wiser, Tax Fairness Oregon

We’re also…

Partnering with some of the most strategic groups to effect change

We are teaming up with a wide variety of organizations on outreach and strategy. American Sustainable Business Council, North Star Fund, Growth & Justice, Resource Generation, Bolder Giving, Business for Shared Prosperity and Citizens for Tax Justice are just a few of the many organizations we’re partnering with to create change.

Bringing people together to strategize about taxes

Through programs and events around the country, we’re bringing people together to investigate how the tax system can support strong public institutions, promote economic equality, and recycle opportunity.

Wealth for the Common Good is changing the conversation about taxes.

Please consider supporting our work and help us build on this momentum.

During the next six months, we will…

• Ramp up our communications through a redesigned website and new outreach materials.
• Organize advocacy opportunities to pressure elected officials to support progressive taxes.
• Launch our campaign, Business and Investors Against Tax Haven Abuse.
• Circulate our newest petition to create a Financial Speculation Tax.
• Connect with thousands of new supporters.

“Recently, I took a new job as an executive in a consulting company. We compete for clients all over the world. To grow my business, I need new employees with great critical thinking and analytical skills. I want the United States to invest in education to make it possible for every child to receive quality early childhood education and ensure the same federal financial aid that helped me is available to every family.