this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2026
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Blue states need to halt federal income tax witholding in protest.

top 27 comments
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[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 79 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

Trump isn't in charge of federal funding.

Edit:

That list also represents like half the tax base for the entire United States.

[–] Fermion@mander.xyz 24 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Johnson and Thune deserve a very large portion of the blame for everything that is happening.

[–] GuyFawkesV@lemmy.world 9 points 4 days ago

Plenty of room in Leavenworth for their traitorous asses.

[–] tyrant@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago

The half that didn't vote for Trump

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 69 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Yet another thing that will be shot down in courts, wasting more of our fucking tax dollars.

We should be able to start a civil class action suit and jointly sue everyone who touched this on the administration side. Half of them are billionaires anyway. Go after familial assets as well so their rich spouses can't escape their part in this.

[–] FlexibleToast@lemmy.world 15 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Sue them for fraud waste and abuse.

[–] wheezy@lemmy.ml -1 points 4 days ago (2 children)

They murdered a women in cold blood and then removed all evidence from the scene and prevented the state from investigating. You really think a lawsuit matters to them? Please, please wake up.

[–] arrow74@lemmy.zip 7 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

By taking it through the court system it preserves evidence and creates a more permanent record.

Makes it easier to prosecute once we make it through all this. We can resist in multiple ways simultaneously. It's not one or the other.

What do you suggest be done? Also I encourage you to do something more than complaining that the actions others are taking isn't enough

[–] FlexibleToast@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

We can do multiple things. One thing that needs to start happening is people need to start exercising their second amendment rights during these protests. I know you can't in Minneapolis, but people need to be taking advantage of open carry where they can.

[–] wheezy@lemmy.ml 9 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Ok. But hear me out. Who actually has the power to press the button that transfers funds? Like, literally the dude that physically clicks "transfer". Who is that persons boss? Who is there boss?

People really need to start thinking about how things actually operate. Because making the assumption that "oh, well the judge said no" is only as powerful as who listens to it.

We are clearly not in a country who's leaders are following laws. Why do we think the decisions of judges will continue to matter?

I'm sorry. But the liberal institutions of government have already gotten us this far. You guys really need to stop assuming those same systems will keep things from going to further shit.

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 10 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Here's how it would work. Let's use New York as an example:

  1. State Congress gets pissed, and says the due funds from the Federal Government isn't coming back
  2. Sign a law forbidding any tax collecting entities in the state from sending funds from retailers or individuals to the federal government
  3. Enact said law and cite every single violation of the constitution and federally enacted laws as a breach of contract for the colonies in reference to the constitution since they all exist with constitutional decree as a stated legal document
  4. In weeks Trump runs out of money. It'll be quick.

In that time, they will threaten to arrest the federal representatives for sedition, arrest state lawmakers, and possibly bomb or kill average citizens as retribution to try and get things flowing again.

They're treating the government like a Mafia. Same as the British before we became independent. Cut off the flow of money, and they will absolutely do everything in their power to force compliance.

Same thing happened in the Revolutionary War, in Germany in both WW1 and WW2, as well as the Civil War.

These assholes do not give two shits about what this country means, or what it stands for. They only want subservience to their ends. Fuck that shit.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 38 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Then stop paying Federal tax, THAT is a two way street. The entire taxing without representation is, if I recall history correctly, something that hasn't gone over too well in the US historically.

I'd love to see the Cheetos try this with California. If California were to stop paying, it would ruin the US

[–] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The problem is that it is individuals who file taxes, and for each one of them to withhold them is a serious crimes with serious consequences. though technically civil disobedience, it is not the "block the road get detained then let go" civil disobedience.

[–] knightly@pawb.social 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I'm pretty sure illegally withholding state funding is also a serious crime.

That is not how the law works, it binds the poor and protects the rich. Trump literally cannot commit crimes while president because the supreme court declared him king. He is allowed to kill you with his bare hands (he is allowed to, not that he can) and rape your children and that would be 100% legal, because he is president. So withholding state funding is small potatoes for him. Did you forget the long list of crimes he is constantly committing?

[–] I_Jedi@lemmy.today 2 points 4 days ago

Easy solution. Trump can simply call his death squad into California, shoot some people, and get the tax money flowing again.

I'm sure they can mooch off of Texas and that will cover all the shortfalls.

[–] pahlimur@lemmy.world 32 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Since we are losing funding over it, we may as well actually use our sanctuary status.

In Oregon, no state law enforcement can help with immigration enforcement in any way. On or off duty. Document it and call 1-844-924-STAY.

There are also laws protecting people from any arrest while at a court hearing, such as citizenship things, but we'll see if those hold up.

[–] wheezy@lemmy.ml 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] pahlimur@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

It's unclear if they might. I personally have no idea.

I have heard from some people at oregon protests that our police are tired of ICE. Doesn't mean all of them, but this legal backstop we have sort of annoys them enough to hate ICE.

[–] wheezy@lemmy.ml 3 points 4 days ago

I think they're annoyed with ICE for the wrong reasons. They don't like having an even more unaccountable militarized force in their cities. That's their job.

I think we'll see cops leaving to join ICE far sooner than we actually see cops turning against them.

[–] inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world 10 points 3 days ago

Sanctuary states cut off federal taxes and sanctuary cities cut off taxes given to the state.

Let the Red bleed.

[–] cattywampas@lemmy.world 15 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Didn't they already try this and lose?

[–] KnitWit@lemmy.world 16 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Yes, and they lost it definitively. Although that was first term, so who knows this time around.

[–] favoredponcho@lemmy.zip 12 points 4 days ago

They just lost a case where Trump pulled grant funding to blue states on fifth amendment grounds. This is the same thing. Maybe even a first amendment violation in there too.

[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

No taxation without representation.

You don't pay people for a service they aren't providing you.

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

In any just world we’d be able to hold up a mirror