The Government Wants The Name Of Anti-IRS Newspaper Commenters

The Business Insider ^ | 6/17/09

[FromLori]

Newspaper story on gold and tax fraud brings out the crazies. And the Feds wants their name, SS# and credit card data.

Ah Las Vegas. Home of gambling, sin and hardcore libertarian, anti-government gold bugs.

The Las Vegas Review Journalrecently reported on the trial of Robert Kahre, a guy accused of setting up a scheme to pay employees in gold coins so that they may tell the IRS they were paid by the coin's nominal, face value, rather than what that gold is actually worth when converted into dollars.

Not surprisingly, the story attracted many angry commenters, who hate the IRS and who hate paper currency.

Now, in a case that should once again test the (established) privacy rights of web commenters, the newspaper has be subpoenad for their info. And it's not just your garden variety names and IP addresses that the government wants.

Editor Thomas Mitchell wrote this weekend:

This past week the newspaper was served with a grand jury subpoena from the U.S. attorney's office demanding that we turn over all records pertaining to those postings, including "full name, date of birth, physical address, gender, ZIP code, password prompts, security questions, telephone numbers and other identifiers ... the IP address," et (kitchen sink) cetera.

Tantamount to killing a gnat with an A-bomb.

There was no indication what they were looking for or what crime, if any, was being investigated, just a blanket subpoena for voluminous and detailed records on every private citizen who dared to speak about a federal tax case.

Queue more conspiracy theorizing.

[the_Watchman]

Perhaps they are trying to set some legal precedents for later when the targets will be more politically motivated!?

[DoughtyOne]

I just think the Obamatons are drunk with power.

Still, you don’t screw around with the IRS, unless you want your lunch handed to you.

[4rcane]

well gold coins with a face value are legal tender, so there shouldn’t be anything wrong about reporting what you were paid in using the face value

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Linkee no workee....

[J Aguilar]

The point is that every currency is being devaluated before gold, that is the way these spirals of spending from the government can be sustained. If people switches to gold, the whole system may collapse.

[FromLori]

Sorry try this...

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-government-wants-the-name-of-anti-fed-newspaper-commenters-2009-6

[Califreak]

That’s just silly!

Everyone hates the IRS, don’t they?

It’s the American way!

[GeronL]

Trying to silence dissent

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

“Still, you don’t screw around with the IRS, unless you want your lunch handed to you.”

The IRS is a terrorist organization.

[DoughtyOne]

There’s no denying that, and the IRS expects people to. They won’t tolerate folks networking to avoid taxation though.

Doing that is just plain silly. You don’t win when it comes to the IRS. They win.

[DoughtyOne]

The IRS has been handed that authority by our Congress. I realize there are grave problems with the IRS. I’m not here to defend. I’m here to remind folks what the reality is. Don’t screw with the IRS.

[randomhero97]

So why take it up the wazoo like good little subjects? No thanks.

[DoughtyOne]

Do what you like. If you’ve been around as long as I have, you have seen these wise ass tax avoidance people for 40 years, and what happens to them and their families when they do what they are determined to do.

Look, until our leaders change the tax laws, we have to deal with the cards we are dealt. I wouldn’t wish the IRS to come down on you or anyone else.

[randomhero97]

That’s why you learn to live off the grid, bro.

[Man50D]

This is another reason why we need to pass The Fair Tax Act(HR25/S296) that will replace all federal income taxes with a national sales tax and abolish the IRS. Fair Tax ping!

[sausageseller]

This is another reason why we need to pass The Fair Tax Act(HR25/S296) that will replace all federal income taxes with a national sales tax and abolish the IRS. Fair Tax ping!

Yea there will not be anyone cheating on a "national sales tax".

Heck no one now cheats on sales taxes now, Right?

[muir_redwoods]

If a US coin is clearly marked as worth $1 or $50 and I accept it as pay for a job my employer and I agree is worth, say, $200/wk where is the crime? Did I force the treasury to mismark their coins? Did I cheat my employer?

I don't think so.

[bitterohiogunclinger]

“If a US coin is clearly marked as worth $1 or $50 and I accept it as pay for a job my employer and I agree is worth, say, $200/wk where is the crime? Did I force the treasury to mismark their coins? Did I cheat my employer?”
In your scenario there might be a crime in avoiding the minimum wage, but I agree that the IRS might be overstepping it's authority on this one. However, I would like to know where the guy is getting gold coins for face value? Likely the case involves a form of money laundering. It would be interesting to know the details of the case because I could make a similar claim that the government is forcing my employer to pay me in fiat currency that is worthless, therefore they own me.

[stefanbatory]

nobody cheats on income taxes either...