Tax Day rally attendees speak out against U.S. tax dollars allocation
April 15’s Tax Day rally was organized to demand tax justice — the rightful use of tax dollar spending to serve the American population. 11 speakers addressed the crowd, criticizing the federal government under Trump’s administration. Charlie Hynes | Staff Photographer
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Chants rang out over the lawn of the James M. Hanley Federal Building on Tuesday, as more than 60 people rallied against the allocation of United States tax dollars under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Coinciding with Tax Day, the demonstration demanded tax justice — the rightful spending of tax dollars to benefit Americans. Eleven speakers from community organizations addressed the crowd, criticizing Trump’s administration and New York state for their alleged misallocation of taxpayer dollars.
“We are unstoppable, another world is possible,” protestors shouted. “Money for jobs and education, not money for mass incarceration. Say it loud, say it clear. Syracuse has no fear.”
Speakers protested how their tax dollars are being spent, claiming money is going toward international conflicts, such as the Israel-Hamas war and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency raids, while domestic social programs go underfunded.
Ralliers called for tax dollars to be spent more efficiently in Syracuse amid its ongoing struggle with healthcare, education and housing. Syracuse is currently experiencing a housing crisis, seeing a steady increase in rent and forcing families out of their homes.
Eric Kingson, a retired professor of social work at Syracuse University, said the government often claims it lacks funding for social programs such as healthcare or housing, while consistently funding wars.
Kingson blamed the Trump administration for the changes made to tax dollar allocations and said his partnership with Elon Musk is “dangerous.” The formulation of the Department of Government Efficiency is causing “unknowns” for Syracuse federal employees, he said.
“We have a president who is the master of chaos, if nothing else,” Kingson said. “It’s the Trump-Musk administration now. It’s destructive. It’s disruptive. It’s not respectful of human beings either.”
Multiple speakers agreed with Kingson, attributing the alleged misallocation to the Trump administration. Bill Spreter, president of the central New York chapter of New York State’s Alliance for Retired Americans, spoke out against Trump’s plans to cut federal funding for research institutions.
Charlie Hynes | Staff Photographer
“It’s the Trump-Musk administration now. It’s destructive. It’s disruptive. It’s not respectful of human beings either.” A rally was held on Tax Day Tuesday afternoon to denounce the way U.S. tax dollars are allocated.
In February, Trump announced a new policy limiting indirect costs for the National Institute of Health’s research grants, causing the elimination of billions of dollars in research funding.
“You can’t just stop experiments and research in the middle and then say, we’ll start again after Trump. We can’t start it back up again,” Spreter said. “You’ve lost all that data. That’s gone, and this is stuff that can cure cancer.”
Spreter emphasized his concerns for college students, condemning Trump’s plans to close the Department of Education and allocate tax dollars from education initiatives to other ventures.
Students’ federal scholarships and grants are in danger of being cut due to the re-allocations, Spreter said, pointing to federally-funded Pell Grants and FAFSA aid as the most at-risk. He disagreed with the federal government’s suspending or canceling of federal funding to several universities over antisemitism allegations and diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives.
SU, a R1 research institute, is also at risk of losing DOEd funding for many of its science and technology projects.
“Look what’s happening to Harvard right now with a $2 billion cut. Cornell, $1 billion cut,” Spreter said. “This administration is using a sledgehammer, a sledgehammer, against our universities.”
Tammy Honeywell, a volunteer with Syracuse Democratic Socialists of America, said an apathetic culture has developed among Syracuse’s wealthier residents. People often live without thinking about people experiencing homelessness, she said.
“They say we can’t afford tuition-free college or Green New Deal in New York, but somehow they can afford to give tax breaks to billionaires,” Honeywell said.“They can afford to protect the profits of the ultra-wealthy while telling the rest of us to tighten our belts.”
Aaron Johnson, a volunteer organizer with Syracuse’s chapter of Citizen Action of New York, noted the city’s status of having the highest rates of snowfall in the country while the homelessness rate continues to grow.
Johnson said he hopes the rally will force lawmakers to acknowledge the problems with the tax allocations to help prevent residents from living outside during the winter.
“Syracuse is a city that’s struggling,” Johnson said. “Since the financial crisis and even before that, we’ve had industries leave. We’ve had lead in the walls of half of our houses. We have water that’s not drinkable in some places and we have horrible healthcare issues.”
Jessica Maxwell, executive director of the Central New York Workers Council, said there’s a large culture of misinformation around tax dollar allocations, claiming immigrant communities are being blamed for limited access to public resources. She also highlighted how undocumented immigrant households paid $89.8 billion dollars in taxes in 2023, adding to the U.S. economy.
Honeywell agreed with Maxwell, urging attendees to focus on ways they can lobby local Syracuse and state governments to create change and hold them accountable.
“Because here’s the truth: there is no budget crisis,” Honeywell said. “There is a priority crisis.”
