By "Radical" Russ Belville on April 10, 2009
It's $14 billion we could reap from Re-Legalization, at least!
The news media will be out in force at your local post office getting live shots for the evening news of the last minute tax filers. An easy way to support the cause is for you to get our there with a “Tax & Regulate Marijuana” sign and get on camera. Learn more at NORML’s Tax Day Protest page.
And don’t forget at 8:00am Eastern on Tax Day (Wednesday), Allen St. Pierre will be presenting a check to the federal treasury for $14 billion, representing the tax revenue and law enforcement savings from re-legalized marijuana. This takes place at the steps of the General Post Office in Midtown Manhattan, with plenty of news media on hand. There will then be a public event at 4:20pm.
Posted in ACTIVISM, LEGISLATION | Tagged tax day protest, Taxes
I am the host of the NORML SHOW LIVE and The NORML Stash Blog. I'm married, live in Portland, Oregon, and I am a registered medical marijuana caregiver in this state. I've worked days as an IT geek and nights as a professional musician. Previously, I have been the host of my own political talk radio show on satellite radio. I've been the High Times "Freedom Fighter of the Month" for my work producing Oregon NORML's TV show, "A Cannabis Community Forum", and for helping to institute Portland's wildly successful medical marijuana cardholders meetings, where we help sick and disabled Oregonians acquire cannabis plant starts, learn gardening, and understand the medical marijuana law. I've dedicated my life to bringing an end to adult marijuana prohibition and re-legalizing cannabis hemp, and I'm honored to be chosen by NORML to be our daily voice.
It was a long day protesting at the post office(s).
Since I knew it would be tough to find local supporters, I covered the two largest cities in SE Idaho. I first went to Idaho Falls main post office for a couple of hours in the rain. Ruined a $150 pair of Aldo shoes in the rain, and I reached about 50 people with flyers and 100′s with my sign.
After my cold wet, leather smelling feet were too sore, I went to Pocatello where I found the most success. I reached hundreds of people, and most of them were very supportive.
I also stopped by the Idaho State Journal and grabbed the newspaper from April 10th, and found the letter to the editor that I sent. It was edited, and chopped down a lot. But it was in there non-the-less. The URL for the stash was in it too!
Stopped by some local businesses that I love in Old Town, and gave a few hundred flyers to the owners to pass out.
Then I went back home to edit the video that I shot. I haven’t had much sleep in the last 48, trying to prepare for all of this. But the end result is this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMG6xJT1MbY
I hope you enjoy it! Please post your videos if you have some stashers! Thanks! Peace, love and pot!
Here is my YouTube for today, TAX DAY!!
(can I post video?)
If not here is a link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gpknxe8-xo
Hope to see you’re video of your tax day protest stashers!
I didn’t find a link yet. One has to pay to search the archives of the Idaho State Journal.
But, my mom-in-law has the newspaper clipping. I will scan it when I get it from her.
They actually printed everything I sent them!
I think I got something in the Post Register too, because someone called me from that paper to confirm the details.
So I will actually be protesting in front of two different Post Offices Wednesday. One in Idaho Falls, and one in Pocatello.
Im going to be stealing some of the NORML sign art for my flyers. :)
I’ll film it and post it too!
There is a tool here at NORML to announce to your local media what you are doing. I used it and I got this event in to 2 mainstream local newspapers. One of the announcements ended up in page A4 of the paper, which I consider to be pretty good seeing that I didn’t have to bribe anyone at the paper! LOL
I know a handful of us that will be trying to represent with “Marijuana…Tax-Regulate-Stimulate the Economy!” signs down in the San Antonio and Austin area. We’ll be looking for that few seconds with a sign in front of the cameras if we can.
Links, we need links!
Whoa, what a week. I got something to do each day this week… printers, people, posters, post office, postcards … and pot. I gotta travel a ways to find a post office.
Yeppie! I got the tax day protest in at least 1 SE Idaho newspaper!
Listen to the Friday Stash, we have a Georgian starting a NORML of Georgia chapter. Stand up with him and fight the oppression.
Ok, it’s like this, I live in GA, and I have been thinking that the only way to actually be a part of the movement, is to physically move to California.
Georgians are so super scared to get involved in changing any laws concerning cannabis, that they will not even hold a verbal dialog with you if you try to even bring it up.
There isn’t even a whisper in the air of people willing to go out on that limb to say “we have had enough of your government control!!!”
Well, not this kid! I am sick to death, trying to talk to my fellow smokers, who are so skeptical about the slim chance we have to make this most important change.
I believe that Georgia has more marijuana users than non-users, but nonetheless no one wants to step up to the plate and let the powers that be know that we have had enough!
I am sick of feeling so alone, in my burning desire to not feel threatened by our militant law enforcement agencies, that are more that willing to rip my family apart by slinging my ass in jail for nothing less that deciding for my self what and what not to ingest in MY OWN body!
So, as I said before, I am thinking about moving to California, so that at least my hard earned tax dollars will go to a local government that actually cares about the ideas of it’s citizens.
I will end with this; My fellow Georgian’s, I am very disappointed in the fact that there are so many of you that use and enjoy marijuana on a daily basis, but you do not have the guts to stand up to our prohibitionist minded local government officials. You, the citizen voters of GA, have a responsibility to fight for what I know you all believe in…fear is only a cop out! Sonny Purdue will NOT send a swat team to your house, just for sending him an e-mail or writing him a letter…I’ve personally sent hundreds, with no recourse.
I love this state…it’s where I grew up, it’s where all my friends and family are, it’s where I fell in love with my wife, where my son was born…it breaks my heart to leave GA, but I can no longer sit back and be the only one who sees the truth, that the citizens of this state are so chicken s#it, that they will not push for the change we all know is the right thing to do!
See Y’all L8R & I hope you enjoy your government oppression!
Jimbo