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Border wall GoFundMe may need to issue refunds after millions raised
NY Post ^
| 12/20/18
| Marisa Schultz
Posted on 12/21/2018 12:07:13 AM PST by Revel
A grassroots online campaign to fund President Trumps proposed border wall roared past $8.7 million on Thursday, but questions remained about whether the feds would be able to accept the gift.
As of Thursday evening, 143,821 people had donated $8,742,182 toward Air Force veteran Brian Kolfages GoFundMe campaign, titled We the People Will Fund the Wall, just a little over three days after its launch.
The pledge drive aims to raise $1 billion to uphold our laws, and get this wall BUILT! Kolfage, a Purple Heart recipient who lost both legs and an arm in Iraq, wrote on the campaigns Web page. Its up to Americans to help out and pitch in to get this project rolling.
Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), chair of the House Judiciary Committee and a longtime proponent of tighter border security, hailed the vets impressive campaign, even as he expressed reservations about allowing private citizens to govern with their wallets.
I think its admirable, and I think that the country should respond, Goodlatte told The Post. Obviously, we cant let citizens raise money and say, The government will spend my money on this purpose.
According to the Treasury Department, general donations to the feds are directed to a Gifts to the United States fund, set aside for general use by the federal government or budget needs.
Specific federal agencies cant touch this funding without a congressional appropriation.
Some agencies can accept gifts directly for earmarked purposes, but it was not clear if the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the borders, was among them.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
TOPICS: Breaking News; Government; News/Current Events; US: New York; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: aliens; bobgoodlatte; borderwall; briankolfage; buildthewall; dnctalkingpoint; dnctalkingpoints; dsj02; gofundme; kolfage; marisaschultz; mediawingofthednc; newyork; newyorkcity; newyorkcompost; newyorkpost; partisanmediashills; presstitutes; smearmachine; virginia; wall
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To: Red Badger
If you could get $3 from every breathing human
in the USA the goal could be reach overnight.
101
posted on
12/21/2018 8:25:49 AM PST
by
deport
To: Red Badger
If you could get $3 from every breathing human
in the USA the goal could be reach overnight.
102
posted on
12/21/2018 8:25:49 AM PST
by
deport
To: Revel
The gvt figured out a way to fund Iraq 150 billion in
cash. Now they want us to believe they can't find a way to accept multimillions from a bunch of patriots who are obviously more interested in border security than they are.
BULLSH!T
I gave $100, how about you?
103
posted on
12/21/2018 8:54:52 AM PST
by
upchuck
(Q: What high crime has Trump committed? A: He won the 2016 Presidential election. ~ h/t dartuser)
To: mass55th
Bullcrap. The government sold Bonds, and use the proceeds to specifically finance WWII. That was a particular purpose.
That's not exactly true. The money from the Series E "War Bonds" went into the Treasury. It wasn't ear-marked for military purposes or any other specific appropriation--it just happened that the war constituted most of the budget at the time.
The money went into the Treasury, and the Constitution says Congress gets to decide where it goes from there. Per Article I, Section 9, "No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law."
The same would be true of thus GoFundMe money, if it was actually donated to the Treasury--if it's even allowed. If the money goes into the Treasury, then Congress has free rein on how it is spent, and has no obligation to listen to the donors. It could be routed to a special fund that was created in the 1990s (I think) to allow donations to pay down the national debt.
That said, Congress has authorized some agencies to accept donations, such as the National Forest Service and the Library of Congress. There's no reason Congress couldn't authorize CBP or the Corps of Engineers (whoever would be responsible for building the wall) to accept donations for the wall.
Unfortunately, the reason Congress won't build the wall has nothing to do with money, of course.
To: Revel
I know I’m a wet blanket but who didn’t see this coming?
Who really thought the Feds would let some fundraising bank account get to a billion dollars and then spend it the way it was set up?
105
posted on
12/21/2018 9:10:15 AM PST
by
hattend
To: Revel
I see a lot of anonymous contributors to the fund.
Initially, I thought they’d be conservatives who just didn’t want to put their names out there because they’d get static from their few liberal friends.
Then I realized it could also be Democrat donors who didn’t want to be totally ostracized by their numerous liberal friends.
Sort of indicates which side has lost its collective mind, no?
106
posted on
12/21/2018 9:14:26 AM PST
by
Norseman
(Defund the Left....completely!)
To: InterceptPoint
I had a similar idea. The fund could offer every bidding contractor a percentage of his bid if he wins and completes the job successfully.
If that percentage was 15%, for example, the bids to the Goverment would be about 15% lower than expected and Trumps budget would go further.Add another 15% for coming in under the projected time - and in a bit of circular logic - or for coming in under budget. :-)
107
posted on
12/21/2018 9:30:11 AM PST
by
Oatka
To: SteveH
then how did the wwii memorial get built? We need to stop calling it a Wall, and start calling it a monument to the brave, undocumented immigrants.
108
posted on
12/21/2018 9:43:26 AM PST
by
seowulf
To: familyop
The Donations Acceptance Program broadly enables CBP to accept donations of real property, personal property (including monetary donations) and non-personal services from public and private sector entities in support of CBP operations. Accepted donations may be used for port of entry construction, alterations, operations, and maintenance activities.Pursuant to 6 U.S.C. § 301a (Section 301a)
To: ScottinVA
Cant the private landowners whose property is along the border agree to private wall construction?They could, but most of the money would have to pay for required environmental studies.
110
posted on
12/21/2018 10:45:36 AM PST
by
aimhigh
(1 John 3:23 "And THIS is His commandment . . . ")
To: The Pack Knight
Thanks for the excellent explanation, history, and Constitution lesson. It’s greatly appreciated.
111
posted on
12/21/2018 11:01:49 AM PST
by
mass55th
(Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
To: Revel
I think its admirable, and I think that the country should respond, Goodlatte told The Post. Obviously, we cant let citizens raise money and say, The government will spend my money on this purpose. WHY THE HELL NOT? THEY TAKE MY MONEY AND SPEND IT ON CRAP THAT MAKES MY HAIR STAND ON END!"
112
posted on
12/21/2018 11:04:38 AM PST
by
rlmorel
(Leftists: They believe in the "Invisible Hand" only when it is guided by government.)
To: ridesthemiles; Revel
"
Those WAR BONDS were for one purpose & one purpose only-and American citizens bought them by the millions."
While that's true, it's not a good analogy. The war bonds were started by, and administered by the federal government...not a private citizen.
Throughout World War II, the War Finance Commmitee in the Department of the Treasury oversaw the sale of war bonds. Through a series of specific Bond Drives throughout the war, over 85 million Americans purchased over $185.7 billion worth of securities. These bonds were purchased to lend the Federal government money to finance the war effort.
https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/war-bonds.htmlNot saying Goodlatte is in the right, just saying the war bonds card isn't a good one to play.
113
posted on
12/21/2018 11:11:18 AM PST
by
rxsid
(HOW CAN A NATURAL BORN CITIZEN'S STATUS BE "GOVERNED" BY GREAT BRITAIN? - Leo Donofrio (2009))
To: InterceptPoint; Revel
But I can see a way around this. If private companies are building the wall then have the fund pay those companies directly for a portion of the work. +++++
I had a similar idea. The fund could offer every bidding contractor a percentage of his bid if he wins and completes the job successfully.
+++++
A house near me was built of multiple concrete walls, and transported 200 miles to its present siting.
The pieces were numbered, and a crane assembled all the pieces to make a three-storyall-concretehouse in 2½ days!
If private landowners would allow partial assembly (or storage) of the necessary pieces, it would advance the completion of the wallby years.
114
posted on
12/21/2018 1:02:53 PM PST
by
Does so
(If Trump Colluded with Russians, Why Did Hillary Win The Popular Vote?)
To: SteveH
So, does this mean no more NPR?
115
posted on
12/21/2018 2:22:36 PM PST
by
jazminerose
(Adorable Deplorable)
To: Chaguito
You can choose various amounts. I chose $1.
Visa only charges 3%. They can f themselves.
116
posted on
12/21/2018 2:38:31 PM PST
by
E. Pluribus Unum
(If you can't recognize sarcasm when you see it, you're an idiot.)
To: mabarker1
screw the government, use private contractors to build on land who's owners want a wall!
117
posted on
12/21/2018 2:57:57 PM PST
by
Chode
( WeÂ’re America, Bitch!)
To: Revel
“Wouldn’t this be a slap in the face.
But I can see a way around this. If private companies are building the wall then have the fund pay those companies directly for a portion of the work.
Side step government corruption.”
~Great idea......!
To: Revel
“Wouldn’t this be a slap in the face.
But I can see a way around this. If private companies are building the wall then have the fund pay those companies directly for a portion of the work.
Side step government corruption.”
~Great idea......!
To: Presbyterian Reporter
“You are correct. The Democrats, RINOs, and the Media will be working overtime to discourage people from making a contribution”.
Time to double down.
I will be making a second donation tonight.
120
posted on
12/21/2018 4:40:27 PM PST
by
Captain7seas
(UNexit. Make America Great Again!)
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