Craig T. Nelson said on the popular Fox News Glenn Beck show today that he was going to stop paying taxes and was willing to go to jail for it. The conversation sounded like John Galt's famous speech in the classic 1957 novel, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.
In reference to Nelson's home state of California (which is asking the federal government to guarantee its debt), Nelson said: "It's no longer a state. It's a hedge fund. I have a solution. There's only one way. We've gotta make them...we've got to make people stand up for their responsibilities. They were accountable, and they haven't been. No one is accountable anymore for anything. No one did anything wrong. You're to blame, that's to blame. As an investor, as someone who gets taxed an awful lot, I just say, I'm not going to pay 'till you guys can show me that you're fiscally responsible."
Next, Nelson complained about the government's threat to always cut essential services first instead of some of the more unnecessary or wasteful programs that we all know about: "Listen, the first thing they went after -- education. We're going to cut education. Why? That's the most important thing in the world." Beck then chimed in, "Then cops and prisons." "Then firefighters," Nelson said finishing Beck's sentence for him, "We don't have any fires in California," he said tongue-in-cheek.
"We are no longer represented," Nelson continued. "Okay, we just aren't. And there's been a political fight. There's been a pluralism in our California government and you certainly see it reflected in our national government, don't you? I mean, people are blaming each other. No one is taking personal responsibility for what they said or what they did. And those people are responsible to us. They were elected. This is a democracy. It's a republic. My God?!"
"We are a republic and that means that we need to be represented, and we're not being. I'm not going to pay. I'm not going to pay any more money...what these people are asking me to do..."
"Are you saying that you personally aren't going to pay income taxes anymore?" Beck inquired. With no hesitation, Nelson responded, "I'm really thinking about it, Glenn. Because as a fiscally responsible grandfather, there are programs that they're asking me to fund that I refuse to fund. I'm through with it. I'm just sick and tired of it."
"Are you willing to go to jail?" Beck asked in response. "I will go to jail," Nelson answered.
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22 PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS HERE:
I'll believe it when I see it, tough guy.
I'm in.
Let's roll.
(hey anonymous, you always wait for someone else don't you?)
Wuss.
Go Craig! I love to hear these Hollywoods speaking agianst government take over. I have been saying this for a while now. We should ALL stop paying taxes--they can't put us ALL in jail. If NO ONE paid taxes anymore, there would damn sure be some kind of decent tax reform. Maybe even the Fair Tax.
Seriously, Anonymous I can tell what kind of guy YOU are. You really do just sit back and watch.
Key Phrase:
"I'm really thinking about it."
Brave stand or mere posturing?
Seems we'll have to wait and see....
Whatever, ex-Democrat. You're one to talk, seeing that you probably paid your income taxes this year like a good little girl you are, despite all your rhetoric that you wouldn't.
Man up and pay your taxes, whiners.
The point Mr. Nelson is making is that he's fed up with the bailouts, the government rewarding failure and punishing success. He sees the folly in this and is willing to go to jail for his principles. Good for him! Punishing the achievers in society doesn't lead to productivity, but I don't believe prosperity is this administration's goal.
Cap
I agree with Mr. Nelson. Let us all refuse to pay taxes until things are righted in this nation. How much you wanta bet it will only take 1 year, or 1 month to get something done right in Washington DC. If no checks made it to the mail box, no electronic returns were filed next year, we'd all see the America we really want.
I dont want MY TAXES to go for the IRAQ WAR.
When people like Beck and Craig T Nelson start seeking justice for the FAILURES of the BUSH administration; more people will open thier ears to this message.
Until them these guys look like GIANT HYPOCRITES.
Based upon your comment, it's obvious that you do not watch or listen to Glenn Beck but rather based your judgment of him on the Craig T. Nelson interview. Beck began criticizing all of the spending, which has just increased at a phenomenal rate under the current administration, back when Bush was in office. It seems to me the top two accusations fielded against people who criticize the current administration are: 1.) They are racist. 2.) Where was the criticism when Bush was in office? Deflection at its finest.
LOL
You are right I dont watch his clown/comedy/variety show.
I WATCH AND READ NEWS.
Show me ONE SINGLE CLIP of Beck calling Bush a Marxist, communist, fascist any other loaded political term.
I dare you to FIND ONE EXAMPLE.
(If you do find an example... which you wont, because Glenn Beck IS NOT ALLOWED TO SAY SUCH THINGS TO THE GOP... I will donate $100 to your site)
Stop fooling yourself, Craig T Nelson will go to jail if he keeps babbling about not paying taxes.
I've paid less than 4% in taxes (OF MY NET INCOME) since 1999.
Either Craig T Nelson needs to get a better accountant or he's poor.
I don't approve of the current situation myself, but I am NOT DUMB enough to think FOR A SECOND the American people are going to forget GW BUSH, Dick Cheney any time soon.
People get too caught up on the whole Bush/Obama thing. Its all the same, just different package. Get off of partison Ideals and get on the right track. Its about corruption. Im a 20 something with a lifetime left of reaping what everyone is sewing today. Understand, The baby boomers on down have my generation and my childrens generation out for thier comfort. I agree with Coach, something needs to be done!!
they have SOLD* out my generation and my childrens generation*
I mean what happened? did they miss the lessons that their parents taught them (The greatest generation) those lessons about integrity, selflessness, pride, shame, and honesty lost? I guessed they decided to turn in their bibles and their shame and picked up a doobie and a hit of acid.
Im sorry, like I said, I am a 20 something, educated contributor to society both socially and fiscally. I do not respect a generation that will sell their children to slavery for their on unwillingness to take responsibility for their actions
{{{{Stop fooling yourself, Craig T Nelson will go to jail if he keeps babbling about not paying taxes.
I've paid less than 4% in taxes (OF MY NET INCOME) since 1999.}}}}
If you have paid less than 4% in taxes since 1999 than you are in one of these categories.
1)Person with alot of deductible expenses
2)Lower income bracket with tax credits
3)Disability/SS
4)Someone who fudges their taxes
It is NOT just what you pay federally to the Federal government! The other taxes are all part of the big picture.
The usual amount the average person pays "federally' is "10% to 12%". Now, they are talking about a national sales tax of 25% on everything you buy.
DO you know what that is for? To pay for healthcare for ALL WHOM DONT have coverage. Not just the sick(serious illness) or those whom are losing jobs, but also the drug addicts whom are currently approved for disability easier than terminally ill or chronically ill patients. It will pay for those who lay in wait for an injury, or create an injury to spend a life on disability. And, welfare is very simply a joke.
Being against welfare is NOT RACIST EITHER. Check out the number or caucasions on welfare.
Your tax dollars and mine are being spent for "failed bailouts" to banks whom spent alot of that money overseas acquiring other failed banks and Investing in overseas products. DUH.
Your tax dollars and mine are being spent on "failed bailouts" to the auto industry who saw fit to produce inferior products for the last two and a half decades. THAT WAS NANCY PELOSI AND HER CREW who begged Congress to pass the bill without conditions, hesitations or restrictions, only to end up with it failing anyway.
Your tax dollars and mine went to bail out people who took mortgages they could NOT AFFORD, whom turned around and got bailed by Fannie Mae, only to turn around and DEFAULT AGAIN. Know the percentt of failed mortgages there? 70%.
Want to know who signed the Mortgage Deregulaton Act into law???? 1999-Bill Clinton.
It was a feel good move.
Per year we are now at a 70% dependency rate on foreign oil. $750 billion per year going to the middle east and Venezula/Chavez. Per year.
The entire Iraq war has run around $800 billion.
Yet, I don't hear liberals gasping at the per year oil bill.
Our TAX DOLLARS are not going for drilling here. Not going for getting our butts off foreign oil dependence.
They are going to failed bailouts, Nancy Pelosi's salary and so on.
Our tax dollars are not buying your son, daughter, father,mother, uncle,brother protective gear while they are in Iraq, Kuwait or Afghanistan.
They are going to dinners to entertain millionairs and billionaires and photo shoots.
They are paying the salaries of Congress members who are NOT LOOKING OUT FOR YOU OR I.
I understand perfectly what Beck and Nelson are talking about and throwing out Bush and his admin DOES NOT CHANGE THE TRUTH.
IT is time that the current administration focus on moving ahead instead of the blame game.
The problem with Anonymous is he's been "educated" by statist individuals. John Edwards once "educated" us all on the "Two America's". The time has come to form two America's. One America for leftist, statist people & one for Constitutionalists. Let's allow the statists to take the northeast & upper midwest, & California. The Statist States of America; will need to survive harsh winters with their roofs painted white, they can have GM, Chrysler & the unions. They'll pay 60% of their total income in taxes to bail out their government & support the lazy. They'll provide free healthcare for all. They'll vacation in hotels run by immigrants who don't pay taxes or CLEAN their hotels, either. They'll live in bamboo huts, & grow food without the use of dams, electicity or CO2 emissions. These scurvy stricken freaks will drive bicycles to work when it's -30 degrees. What fun! Conversely, the Constitutional States will allow capitalism to flourish, will pay taxes for defense & infrastructure & will have school choice. The Consitutional States of America will not be required to fund abortions, illegal immigrants healthcare, or prison spa treatments and aromatherapy or welfare. They'll have no onerous environmental regulations that prohibit them from growing & harvesting food, wood, animals, etc. They'll be allowed to drill for oil and other resources. They'll welcome industry and business. This country will take the western and southern states and Alaska. Hmmm... I know which new country I'd like to live in, and I hope Craig T. Nelson and Glenn Beck are my neighbors in this brave, new land!
Craig Nelson, like Glenn Beck, is full of hot air and empty threats.
Much like conservative bloggers, they will pay their taxes like all the "tea party" attendants did this year.
Girlie-men is a better name for you people.
Well, I am with Craig...besides that watch the vid found on Google vids: "America: Freedom to Fascism--authorized directors version" (1 hr 51 mins)
Link, if site allows: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656880303867390173
From the Federal Reserve (which is neither) to the 16th amendment, to there is NO LAW requiring payment of SALARY/WAGE TAX.
No one can cite A LAW...therefore no one is required to pay under penalty of law. (See around the second half of vid with juror on a "tax evasion" case...they aquitted, btw...NO LAW)
I know laws don't mean much nowdays..but what the heck, learn something.
My name is Richard Wright
I have been waiting for some group, organization or person to stand up and take a radical stand to change the way our taxes are taken through the IRS. That person, group or organization has not materialized, so that is why I am writing this letter. The PC way to change things in America is for a group of like minded people to come together and present their ideas and changes to enough congressmen and hopefully they will do the right thing and make the appropriate changes. The American people have wanted to overhaul the IRS since the 1980’s and only minor changes have been passed and most of those changes have not been for the good of the majority of the people in this country.
It is time for the people of this country to strike, boycott or at the least delay the withholding of their taxes. By doing this it will hit the government where it hurts, in the pocket there main source of revenue. This plan is simple and can easily accomplish the goals of many Americans who believe the IRS tax laws are long overdue for an overhaul.
We the people, in order to reform the IRS, will do the following:
1. Every American will change their W4 form to have 30 allowances starting January 01, 2009. 30 is the number of allowances I need so that no taxes are taken out of my paycheck. To find the number of allowances you need to do the same go to web site
http://www.finance.cch.com/sohoApplets/Payroll.asp.
2. Deposit the money that would have gone to your 2009 tax withholding into a special and separate account at your bank or credit union.
3. July 1, 2009 demand that the IRS tax laws are changed to a fairer tax structure that benefits all Americans.
4. On December 15, 2009, write a check to the IRS to pay your taxes for 2008 with the funds that you have placed in your separate account.
5. When a good Tax law has been passed, the American people will change their W4 form allowances back to their normal number and the government will get their revenues each time an American gets paid otherwise continue this tax withholding delay for 2009.
If millions of Americans follow the first 2 steps, we will be in the right position to demand that the government change the IRS, something they should have done decades ago. The IRS has thought that someone might do this so they have created a process called Lock-In to insure that they get our money on a timely basis. The Lock-In process say the IRS can dictate an allowance number for any American’s W4 based on past history. If a person’s tax withholding is less than $200.00 or the amount taken for tax withholding is extremely lower than the amount taken in the person’s past history they can send a Lock-In letter to a person’s employer. The IRS would send a letter to your employer telling them what your tax allowance will be and the employer must create a W4 with that tax allowance or they will be pay a penalty. Oh by the way shouldn’t the wealthy, those persons making over $500,000 a year have an automatic Lock-In, like the little people, just a thought.
Our Tax Withholding is not voluntary.
For those of you who are afraid that the government will come after you or send a Lock-In letter to your employer, I need only remind you that the government is currently saying they cannot and are unable deport 12 million illegal aliens because of the cost and logistics of doing so, then how can they come after 200 million American citizens for a tax withholding charge? It also makes our government look bad.
I believe that a tax overhaul will only make the country stronger and more economically valuable for all Americans now and our children and grandchildren to come. I have 6 lovely grand daughters and 5 grandsons, who deserve that we fight for them now,
Mr. Nelson is an idiot. He didn't have a problem with taxes when he received the benefits while on welfare and food stamps...and then he has the nerve to say "nobody every helped him". Hey Mr. Nelson, other people are on welfare and food stamps right now...buck up and pay your fair share you ungracious idiot.
Before refusing to pay taxes, he should pay back all the money and benefits he's received from taxes...welfare, food stamps, sewer systems, streets, electrical grid...all of it. You don't want to pay taxes?...fine, then you owe your neighbors $100 every time you flush a toilet to pay for the sewer and you owe the state however many thousands of dollars you received in welfare, and you can give back the cash from your SUV tax credit. Oh, and you can go ahead and answer your own 911 calls and put out your own house fire.
Pay attention to everything your tax dollars provide before you get all high and mighty about it.
The Golden State faced a runaway deficit in part because many Californians pay little if any property taxes. The state's gimmicky property tax law, created by referendum, drastically under-assesses many homes and commercial properties, while essentially eliminating property taxes on those who bought before 1979. The same Californians who don't want to pay property taxes like those in other states want the people who live in other states to be taxed extra to subsidize California.
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