The Albuquerque Tea Party recently had a column in the Journal that discussed their targeting by the IRS. The article also noted that new regulations have been proposed which would further clamp down on free speech. Anyone who is concerned about the ability for organizations like the Tea Party and other non-profits to engage in the political and policy debates facing our nation should be concerned and should consider taking a few minutes to comment.
Details on the IRS’s proposed regulations (from the IRS itself) can be found here. More English language information is available from the Center for Competitive Politics which advocates for free speech among these organizations. Lastly and most importantly, comments can be sent to the IRS here. The Rio Grande Foundation has posted the following comments:
The Rio Grande Foundation is a 501c3 non profit think tank based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We have the following concerns about the proposed IRS regulations. We are concerned because they are discriminatory as they only applying to 501c4 organizations;
they violate First Amendment rights of citizens and organizations;
the regulations are complicated, complex and will burden small citizens groups;
they ignore the fact that political and lobbying activities ARE for the social welfare and the public good;
The following are things that 501c4 organizations should be allowed to do 365 days a year:
Hold candidate forums and debates;
engage in nonpartisan voter registration;
engage in get-out-the-vote activities;
issue voter guides;
discuss the voting records of incumbents;
engage in grassroots lobbying 365 days per year; and
volunteer programs should NOT be subject to taxation.
RGF shouldn’t get tax breaks, it’s a conflict of interest.
Andrew, the real problem is non-profits are funded by donations…..monies that have already been taxed as income to the donor and as such should not be subjected to tax again. The same issue is true in tax exempt status of churches, the government should never have sought to tax the church, because it does not fund the church. The government holds the ability to tax the church as a way to impact what the pastors feel they can speak to their congregations about. As a society we have become slaves of our own government…..all working Americans work a significant part of the year to just pay our tax bill. Then the federal government wants to tax organizations we support with the money we share after we have paid our taxes. The taxation and growth of government has to be stopped or there will be nothing left for our labor.
Rather than complain a neighbor is getting a tax break, we
should campaign on tax breaks for all.
Why recent hoopla about New Jersey governor’s (terminated) staff closing a traffic-clogged bridge for a few hours, when the president’s political police at the IRS are punishing millions of Americans for acting upon their honestly-held opinions?