Norquist Targeted in Demand for Tax Justice

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)As millions of Americans across the country rushed to beat the annual Tax Day filing deadline, activists gathered in front of Grover Norquist's downtown DC office Tuesday to demand tax justice. Many politicians have been forced to sign Norquist's infamous tax pledge, which critics say shields the wealthy and big corporations from paying their fair share. “Grover thinks that tax breaks for millionaires are more important than fixing America’s crumbling infrastructure” said Eric Shoanberg of Responsible Wealth to the crowd gathered beneath colorful signs and American flags. Over a hundred activists from local labor, including AFGE, AFSCME Council 26, NNU, and APWU joined local and national progressive organizations to demand tax justice. “Politicians should only be pledging to do what’s best for Americans,” Shoanberg added. DCNA member Brenda King (at left), a nurse at Children’s National Medical Center, reminded the crowd of the nurses’ ongoing campaign to “Heal America / Tax Wall Street,” saying “we need a tax policy that guarantees fairness.” The rally closed with the DC Labor Chorus leading the crowd in a revised version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” singing “Someday Grover Won’t Reign So.” - report/photos by Julia Kann