Tony Chiado

“If a thousand men were not to pay their tax bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the State to commit violence and shed innocent blood. This is, in fact, the definition of a peaceable revolution, if any such is possible.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience

The Trump regime’s financial threat to states, counties, and municipalities is clear: fall in line or the faucet could drip dry. Forget that it’s unconstitutional or unprecedented. Forget that it’s cruel. Forget that it’s economically backwards, even. It doesn’t matter. This is fascism. Prepare for the regime to wage economic war on those in opposition. And be ready to take action.

This is not merely a theoretical thought exercise. It’s a looming reality. Others have written about it. Trump has made clear he intends to apply impoundment and other unconstitutional practices to lay siege to his opponents. And in the wake of the Los Angeles fires, Trump and the rest of the GOP are signaling that disaster relief funds will be tied to political compliance. It’s nearly past time to ready for the fight ahead. Inaction will most assuredly lead to submission.

The idea of a tax boycott is radical. So is this regime’s shredding of the constitution for political vengeance and power. The legal ramifications of fiscal rebellion are messy and dangerous. Again, so are the actions of the Trump regime. There is no path here that averts the risk of danger, chaos, and hardship. That trajectory is already set in motion. Understanding this inevitable path is the first step. How to proceed comes second.

The Illusion of Choice

For starters, it’s important to consider what a stonewalling of federal funding might mean for Washington State and peers. Without getting too much into the weeds of specific numbers, Washington State receives roughly $20B per year in federal funding (it is worth noting that Washington contributes 6 times that amount in federal taxes making it one of the largest funders of the federal government). Countless more dollars go to municipalities, universities, etc.

To cut that off while still collecting federal tax dollars from Washington State would be nothing short of catastrophic. Various government offices state wide would lack the funding to remain open. Construction jobs on infrastructure projects would evaporate. Social programs would be decommissioned amid extreme budget cuts. Public schools, both K-12 and higher-ed, would fail to provide the services necessary for a robust education. Hospitals would close wings and struggle to meet demand with reduced staffing.

The downstream effects on employment rates, homelessness, economic productivity, and the welfare of Washington residents would be disastrous. Private enterprise would struggle in the wake of a collapsing public sector. With Washington State thrust into a deep economic depression, it would be nearly impossible to pull itself out without significant federal fiscal support; but the federal government will have caused this hardship. And the whole time, Washington residents will be sending more than $100B per year to a federal government that takes pleasure in its unnecessary starvation. This path of taking a beating to avoid a direct confrontation is one choice. But it is clear that it is not without its own danger, chaos and hardship.

Another choice is to fall in line to ensure economic and political health. But this is really no choice at all. The selling of one’s soul, the abdication of morals, the abandonment of the most vulnerable in society. This is no way to live. Our collective conscience cannot allow it. Washington might as well affix Vichy in front of its name if it takes this route. And the danger, chaos, and hardship would shift from the tangible to the intangible. The shame, the cowardice, the shackles; they would make a desolate wasteland of horrors engulfing our minds. This is no choice at all, and it only illusorily clears the path.

A Tax Boycott

The last choice, which I believe is the only true choice, is to prepare for a tax boycott against the federal government. And to be willing to act on it. Civil disobedience is as American a tradition as any, and it has strong roots digging into the garden of American values. Acknowledging the broken contract between state and nation, a fracture created by the Trump regime, calls for civil disobedience. And in a case where the federal government seeks to break the will of the state by draining its coffers and shaking the money from its citizens while giving nothing in return but animosity, controlling one’s own pocketbook seems as good a form of civil disobedience as any.

Washington State gives far more to the federal government than it receives, a partnership it has always found acceptable because of the mutually beneficial agreement between the two parties. But as Trump’s regime becomes violently antagonistic to the state, why should the state be bound to honor this partnership? Washington State will have enough new challenges under a Trump regime without also watching its financial situation go belly up. It may well be time for the state to put itself and its allies first and tell the Trump regime to go fuck itself.

Understanding that Washington State will be one of the bastions of progressive values that speak to the heart of what America aims to be, Washington State should consider that it does not owe its oppressor a subjugation tax. Instead, it owes the people a moral government.

Pen to Paper, Feet to Concrete

A tax boycott against the Trump regime will mean real ramifications. A moment of pride in inking the document that says Washington State residents will no longer pay taxes to the federal government, but will instead send those federal taxes to the state coffers for funding state programs, infrastructure, and institutions. A recognition that Washington State will put its taxpayer dollars toward the people and not into the pockets of the Trump Regime to be siphoned from the working class.

This action will be met with state-sanctioned violence. The Trump Regime will set out to make an example of those who disobey in substantial ways. It might mean something akin to a force bill, which we’ve seen presidents utilize a few times over the course of our history. It could mean the seizing of state lawmakers as political prisoners. I don’t downplay the gravity of the consequences of a tax boycott. But I think it is important to find ways to push back in meaningful ways beyond the hollow façade of slogans.

And if the Trump regime does initiate a force bill or the imprisonment of Washington government leaders? Perhaps it is exactly what Americans would need to wake up. Democrats need to be a true opposition party in this moment. There is no compromise with fascists. They either capitulate to an oppressive ruling class, or they represent the will of the American people. It’s possible that Trump won’t strip funding from oppositional cities, counties and states, only dangling the threat to feed his followers’ appetites. If he doesn’t, then maybe the tax boycott isn’t necessary. But it should be a lever the state is prepared to pull.