Posted on 05/21/2013 3:27:44 PM PDT by T.Bourne
The unfolding IRS scandal is a symptom, not the disease.For decades, campaign-finance reform zealots have sought to limit core political speech through spending limits and disclosure requirements. More recently, they have claimed that it is wrong and dangerous for tax-exempt entities to engage in political speech. The Obama administration shares these views, especially when conservative, small-government organizations are involved, and the IRS clearly got the message. While the agency must be investigated and reformed, the ultimate cure for these abuses is to unshackle political speech by all groups, including tax-exempt ones, from arbitrary and unconstitutional government regulation. Beginning in March 2010, the IRS engaged in an unprecedented campaign of harassment against conservative groups, either through denials or delays in approving their tax-exempt-status applications, or through endless and burdensome audits. In notable contrast, liberal and "progressive" organizations got approvals with remarkable speed. The most conspicuous example involves the Barack H. Obama Foundation, which was approved as tax exempt within a month by the then-head of the IRS tax-exempt branch, Lois Lerner. From media reports and firsthand accounts, we also know that the IRS disproportionately audited donors to conservative causes and leaked confidential tax information concerning conservative groups in violation of federal law. This IRS politicization is not an isolated problem. It is an inevitable result of the broader efforts to regulate and, in fact, suppress political speech. The IRS crackdown on tax-exemption approvals for conservative groups was directed at nonprofit social-welfare groups, often called 501(c)(4)s after the Internal Revenue Code section granting them tax-exempt status. Such groups do not have to disclose their donors and are exempt from most taxation, although donations to them generally aren't tax deductible.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I don’t know why sometimes posts don’t do PPHs well....
The unfolding IRS scandal is a symptom, not the disease.For decades, campaign-finance reform zealots have sought to limit core political speech through spending limits and disclosure requirements. More recently, they have claimed that it is wrong and dangerous for tax-exempt entities to engage in political speech.
The Obama administration shares these views, especially when conservative, small-government organizations are involved, and the IRS clearly got the message. While the agency must be investigated and reformed, the ultimate cure for these abuses is to unshackle political speech by all groups, including tax-exempt ones, from arbitrary and unconstitutional government regulation.
Beginning in March 2010, the IRS engaged in an unprecedented campaign of harassment against conservative groups, either through denials or delays in approving their tax-exempt-status applications, or through endless and burdensome audits.
In notable contrast, liberal and “progressive” organizations got approvals with remarkable speed. The most conspicuous example involves the Barack H. Obama Foundation, which was approved as tax exempt within a month by the then-head of the IRS tax-exempt branch, Lois Lerner. From media reports and firsthand accounts, we also know that the IRS disproportionately audited donors to conservative causes and leaked confidential tax information concerning conservative groups in violation of federal law.
This IRS politicization is not an isolated problem. It is an inevitable result of the broader efforts to regulate and, in fact, suppress political speech.
The IRS crackdown on tax-exemption approvals for conservative groups was directed at nonprofit social-welfare groups, often called 501(c)(4)s after the Internal Revenue Code section granting them tax-exempt status. Such groups do not have to disclose their donors and are exempt from most taxation, although donations to them generally aren’t tax deductible.
The WSJ had better decide which side they’re on - the statist side or traditional America’s, because their constant promotion of unlimited immigration is the fastest way to totalitarianism I can think of.
The D.O.J. investigating journalists and people who are not pleased with the current regime...
Where is this insane Obamunism leading us?
They’ve decided. The WSJ is in favor of totalitarianism, as long as their masters make money from it.
There is something strange about the timing of all this. Call me a conspiracy nut or what ever.
For a creature of the system to just spill the beens about the misconduct of her office voluntarily is mind boggling to me. Me thinks something else is afoot here. I am wondering if this is a sparkly to hide what was going on with the Saudi that was injured in the recent bombings. He was special enough to garner attention from the White House with a visit from the First Lady and then bam he’s gone. I think the president is getting thrown under the bus by his handlers the Saudis.
NO ONE is trying to stop liberal speech. No one. Not one person. Elites are trying to stop OUR speech....
The masters of the Roman world surrounded their throne with darkness, concealed their irresistible strength, and humbly professed themselves the accountable ministers of the senate, whose supreme decrees they dictated and obeyed.”
Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall, Chapter 3
The past forcasts the future.
Why is the IRS permitted to unionize?
I'm with you, DW...my spider sense is tingling.
A part of me thinks these are slaps to the face to let everyone know not to donate to republicans, be a conservative or investigate what they are doing. They succeed any one of these and they have taken over yet another chunk of liberty.
The other part worries strongly about the staged timing of this trifecta of scandals immediately following the Boston bombing...
Either way, I hope they run hard in to the wall that all bad guys do...too greedy too fast. They are juggling a lot right now.
All that personal data at the disposal of people as STUPID as Maxine Waters.
We’re desensitized to believe if we think outside the box that we’re whack jobs - for what its worth - I think you’ve made a very good point. I dug deep into the attempted bombing at Times Square...it led me to believe zip of what we’re fed. Personally I think these bombers are hired guns produced and controlled by the mullahs for big bucks but that’s a whole other story.
The Clinton Serbian invasion was/is a template, not only for strategy and methodology but also the people and media involved. Their cries of a holocaust against the Serbs was a myth. Soros and a couple of his professor buddies made their debut in Serbia.
Could it be as simple as trying to drive the lowest common denominator right-wing nut over the edge?
Or just scaring the hell out of us because they hate us?
Maybe a planned event coming along just in time to further destroy the fabric of our society? I dunno.
But this whole deal is fishy.
Yea. I just threw in the plot for seasoning.
Tacitus - The Annals.
I spend a lot of time in the woods. When I’m sleeping I am so atuned to the noises that the smallest sound out of place brings me awake and all my senses are alive. Thats the feeling I am getting with all this noise.
I think that alot of what is happening in the middle east is tied to narco trafficking of heroin. Alot like the politicians not wanting our southern border closed. To much money being made. I look for another heroin epidemic to arise soon in this country.
I hear ya, bro....spent a lot of time, and still do, in the backwoods. But further, a lot of my livelihood has been around the inborn ability to listen to and give response to our natural alarms...they have served me well enough.
And my instincts tell me we are in flight or fight moment now.
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