Economic Justice Project
In response to the crisis affecting people and systems in our nation, state, county, city, and around the globe, the Congregation for Reconciliation has adopted a focus and commitment for our present social justice work to center on economic justice.
Unfair income taxation is alive and well, and resides within the Austin Center (Austin Landing) Joint Economic Development District (JEDD). In this JEDD, created by Miami Township, the City of Springboro, and the City of Miamisburg, the employees and employers of the retail, restaurant, and construction businesses are subject to a 2.25% income tax. Incredibly, the employers and employees in the higher income-producing professional, technology, and financial businesses are exempt from paying the tax! Small wonder these white-collar businesses are flocking to Austin Landing, the new “tax haven” in Montgomery County! Not only are they exempt from the tax, but they pay nothing for the JEDD’s maintenance - that burden falls on JEDD’s taxpayers. This unfairness and inequality needs to be fixed.
In practical terms this means that attention, strategy, and effort will be limited to economic justice issues as they affect the traditional concerns of our work during the last 40 years. These areas have included the environment, housing, colonialism, peace, food and land, sexism, racism, corporations, LGBT rights, unions, wages, Africa, Central and Latin America, and Dayton. We will integrate the national issue of the weaknesses and failings in the economic system in our work.
The means of this project will be education, non-partisan social policy work, and direct action. We follow a commitment to democratic process from which will come the specific design of our actions. We have an appreciation of the power people can exercise through creativity, passion, love, humor, quality research, personal/community engagement, and hard work.
This congregation of faith-based and conscience-based people share democratic values, find common cause in working together, feast and celebrate, play, learn, and challenge and support each other. In addition, our faith-based members/participants worship. This includes weekly communion, study, prayer and observance of the church year.
If you are interested in being a part of this project contact us at [email protected], P.O. Box 60418, Dayton 45406 or 276-4077. Thank you!
The means of this project will be education, non-partisan social policy work, and direct action. We follow a commitment to democratic process from which will come the specific design of our actions. We have an appreciation of the power people can exercise through creativity, passion, love, humor, quality research, personal/community engagement, and hard work.
This congregation of faith-based and conscience-based people share democratic values, find common cause in working together, feast and celebrate, play, learn, and challenge and support each other. In addition, our faith-based members/participants worship. This includes weekly communion, study, prayer and observance of the church year.
If you are interested in being a part of this project contact us at [email protected], P.O. Box 60418, Dayton 45406 or 276-4077. Thank you!
Economic Justice Covenant
In the fall of 2013, the Congregation for Reconciliation (CfR) voted to enter into the Economic Justice Covenant process with the United Church of Christ. This covenant fits with the social justice history of the Congregation, see Highlights. The first start of action on this covenant will come in the form of the Saturday morning, April 12, 2014 workshop, "Justice and Equality in Dayton: Launching a Movement to Challenge Economic Injustice". The CfR welcomes people with concern for the many issues that stem from our local and national economic landscape to join this promising time together to learn, engage with each other and determine what might be your place in the opportunity to create change.