Tax Day: Make Them Pay

Today is the day we do our civic duty and pay taxes. But while we middle class Minnesotans all pay our fair share, some billion-dollar corporations and the richest people do not.

Case in point: Exxon Mobil, with earnings of more than $45 billion, is the world’s most profitable corporation. Between 1998 and 2008, it spent $5.7 million in campaign contributions and $138 million in lobbying expenditures, as reported by Think Progress. Yet in 2009, it was not liable for any taxes. Even worse: Exxon Mobil, in 2009, received a $156 million tax rebate.

Here in Minnesota, middle class families actually pay a larger share of our income in state and local taxes than than the richest do.

On April 18, thousands of union members, MoveOn members and other allies will gather all over the country outside the offices of corporations not paying their fair share. We’ll deliver tax bills to the biggest corporate tax-dodgers and demand that our elected leaders make them pay.

Find a Tax Day: Make Them Pay event in your area or join AFSCME members at a post office action this evening.