Fired up New Yorkers deliver Tax Day message to 1%

NEW YORK – Several thousand New Yorkers, from all walks of life, ages and beautiful mix of complexions that make this a city worth fighting for turned out for the April 17

Tax Day call “Pay Your Fair Share.”

Haseeme Shamar of 32BJ, a union of the city’s doormen and building workers, was fired up.

“We’re paying our fair share of taxes as workers. Corporate America needs to pay their fair share. Stop balancing all budgets on our back, that’s why I’m here today,” Shamar said.

The rally assembled across the street from Bank of America in Midtown Manhattan.

The ever-present police “pens” quickly filled up as people shared their thoughts, breaking out into chants against the 1%.

 “Wells Fargo sucks, Wells Fargo sucks” was among the lively chants.

Citizens for Tax Justice re-released its report about the Fortune 500’s federal tax payments from 2008 through 2010, adding new information for 2011. North Carolina-based Duke Energy paid a net federal tax bill of negative 3.5% for those years.

Verizon paid no federal corporate income taxes, despite billions in profits and received a one billion dollar tax break, according to the Communications Workers of America Local 1101. The telecommunications behemoth still has yet to settle its contract with the union workers.

Theonie Benetts shared her feelings as an unemployed New Yorker. “It’s unfair for the big the corporations to not pay their share of tax. I think that it’s wrong. It’s a great injustice and I want it to be corrected because America is a great country.”

Demostrators marched to the main post office, where street theater group Tax Dodgers performed, along with rappers/organizers Day Shore and Ronny Don.

Photo: PW/Gabe Falsetta