From: belmonte@MIT.EDU (Matthew Belmonte)
To: CapuanoHR8@aol.com
Subject: support HR 1186
Date: Sat, 03 Aug 2002 10:06:57 +0100

Dear Representative Capuano

I hope that you'll consider becoming a co-sponsor of HR 1186, the Religious
Freedom Peace Tax Fund Act, which would create a means for conscientious
objectors to keep their tax payments from funding the military.  Today's New
York Times reports on the heavy burden being suffered by Americans who are
morally opposed to funding war: many of these people are living in perpetual
poverty because it is the only way to avoid paying taxes that would support
military purposes.  The diversion of these people's taxes to non-military
activities would have no significant effect on the United States' ability to
maintain its military, since the number of conscientious objectors is so small
relative to the number of non-objectors.  Passage of this bill would improve
the United States' ability to collect revenue, and would dramatically improve
the lives of the conscientious objectors who are now suffering economically.

Matthew Belmonte
[address]