THOUSAND OAKS : Tax Foes Offer Fake Checks for Officials

An anti-tax group used Wednesday’s last-minute mailing frenzy to urge taxpayers to send fake checks to their elected officials.

“Taxpayers have no voice,” said Shirley Hughes, a spokeswoman for the Ventura County chapter of Citizens Against Government Waste, as she stood outside a packed Thousand Oaks post office handing out flyers.

The flyers included a sample of a non-negotiable check that taxpayers were asked to fill in, stating the amount of taxes paid this year.

The group urges taxpayers to send the sample checks to local lawmakers and to federal agencies with a demand for an explanation of how their tax bills can be lowered next year.

The group also brought an artificial tree adorned with fake hundred- and thousand-dollar bills and a sign reading, “Does the Government Think Our Money Grows on Trees?”

Taxpayers who filed in and out of the post office were welcomed by Ron Cuff, another member, who greeted them with the salutation, “Happy tax day!”

Although the group asked for donations from taxpayers in its flyer, none were offered, Cuff said.

“It’s not a happy day,” one taxpayer said.