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9 Tax March Sign Ideas That You Can Use At The Rally
Don't look now, but yet another series of nationwide protest marches is scheduled to go down this weekend. This time, it's the 2018 Tax March, following up on last year's event of the same name. And while it may not be getting as much press as the Women's March, or the March For Our Lives, people are definitely going to be turning out. And if you're thinking about participating, you're going to want to get your gear in order ― here are nine sign ideas for the 2018 Tax March you can use for inspiration, because no protest is complete without some creative, clever, or biting signage.
It's worth noting that this year's march has a considerably different central theme than last year's. On April 15, 2017, marchers took to the streets to demand that President Donald Trump release his tax returns, something that had traditionally been a requirement (though not a legal or enforceable one) for presidential candidates. Trump eschewed that custom, refusing to open up his tax returns to public scrutiny.
This time around, however, the march is about the Republican Party's controversial tax cut package passed and signed into law late last year. With the cuts overwhelmingly and inordinately benefiting the corporate and upper classes, many progressives and progressive organizations have criticized it as an upward redistribution of wealth.
In short, it's highly controversial, and a whole lot of people are going to be showing off some critical signs when the marches roll around. Here are some ideas to help you brainstorm if you want to join in.
No Tax Scam!
During the legislative debate over the tax cut package, which passed last December, progressive organizations and Democrats alike chose a very different name for the bill than the Republicans did. While the GOP called it the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017," protesters and critics dubbed it the "Tax Scam," and it seems likely that you'll see signs with those words if you attend one of the marches.
Tax Wall Street
By virtue of the fact that the Republican tax cut package is predominantly geared towards benefiting the rich and major corporations, you might want to go with a class-conscious approach. Of course, protest signs are best when they're homemade, so yours doesn't have to look like the mass-produced one pictured above. But a call for a more progressive tax code ― and thus, more taxes levied on Wall Street ― could be a good way to get your point across.
In The Hands Of A Few
In a protest over what are mainly tax cuts benefiting the rich, sometimes a simple yet eloquent like the one above goes a long way: "In the hands of a few is the wealth of the many."
1% Richer, 99% Poorer
Ever since the Occupy Wall Street movement back in 2011, the terms "the one percent" and "the 99 percent" have been centered in the progressive conversation about economic justice and income equality.
Don't Gut Healthcare
One tried and true method of voicing opposition to upper-class tax cuts is to highlight the things that money could be used to pay for instead, like health care for Americans who badly need it.
Tax Cuts For The Rich Are Deadly
It's undeniable that class division is a central theme of protests against last year's GOP tax cuts, owing to the fact that more than 80 percent of the cuts are projected to go to the top one percent of earners, as detailed by Vox late last year. That's a lot of lost revenue that can't be put towards other causes, some of which are existentially important to vulnerable Americans.
Decency
There are a quartet of pretty sharp, funny signs in the tweet above, but the first one is a pretty good lesson in simplicity. After all, there are few things more universal than a call for "decency."
We See Your Greed
While proponents of the GOP tax cuts have argued that they'll stimulate economic growth, and provide a helpful boost to middle-class families, the counter-argument many progressive activists have been making is a simple one: that it's really about greed, a simple cash-grab by people and companies who already have plenty.
Taxi Vader
There's a non-negligible chance that you're going to see some references at this year's march to last year's theme, which was Trump's refusal to release his tax returns. If you're planning to target Trump specifically, the sign above is a good reminder that puns can work, and so can slapping some images on your sign.
If you're planning to join the marches, you'll want to check out when you can attend an event near you. An extensive nationwide list is available on the Tax March official website.
