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People are Getting a Little Worked Up Over Proposed IRS Non-Profit Guidance

Posted on by Adrienne Gonzalez

YOU SHALL NOT STIFLE MY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO BE A PARTISAN GROUP PRETENDING TO BE A SOCIAL WELFARE GROUP!

Richard Rubin points out this morning that the topic at hand — Guidance for Tax-Exempt Social Welfare Organizations on Candidate-Related Political Activities (REG-134417-13) — is generating quite the vocal buzz.

This should come as no surprise since the uninformed masses have been groomed to think this is a free speech issue. Also, Obama.

Case in point:

These regulations are nothing but an attempt to legalize the harassment of conservative, Christian, and Tea Party groups by the Obama administration. No one has been held accountable for the blatant targeting of conservatives by the IRS. Lois Lerner took the Fifth Amendment, was placed on "paid" leave, and allowed to retire with full pension and benefits. The proposed regulations simply codify this targeting, and therefore should be withdrawn.

and:

I am steadfastly against the proposed regulations that directly violate the First Amendment of the Constitution which ensures the federal government shall not infringe on our Freedom of Speech.

These regulations would strip citizens’ right to send organized communication within weeks of an election and prohibit identifying a candidate or political party who supports Obama’s pro-forced unionism agenda.

I urge the Federal Government to drop Regulation IR-2013-92 and its unconstitutional restrictions on citizen organizations, and to cease using tax laws to suppress political speech.

The funny part about that last one was the fact that the defender of the Constitution didn't care to sign his or her name to the comment and remained anonymous just like our founding fathers would have wanted.

76,186 comments and counting. Anyone else going to weigh in?

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Senators Want Accounting Details From Boys & Girls Club of America

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A group of Republican senators (including Chuck Grassley) want Boys & Girls Clubs of America executives to answer for such egregious non-profit sins as high executive salaries, fat retirement plans, and lobbying expenses. You see, Chuck Grassley is a sharp guy (wild statements about executive suicide notwithstanding) and as ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, he’s the one keeping an eye on the sort of action non-profits get from Congress. So when an $85 million a year initiative to provide blanket funding to the non-profit group slipped by the committee, the red flags went up.


Iowa’s Grassley is joined by Tom Coburn, R-OK; Jon Kyl , R.-AZ.; and John Cornyn, R-TX in questioning a multitude of sins including CEO Roxanne Spillett’s $1 million a year compensation package, half a million dollars a year in lobbying and $4.3 million in “travel expenses.” Not really a problem if the funds are unrestricted and coming from donors who know their donations may go to, say, trips and renting a Senator here and there. Nah. After reviewing the org’s 2008 tax return, the senators concluded that 40% of Boys and Girls Club funding comes from the federal government.

The new Senate bill, S.2924, changes the original intent of a 1998 bill that granted $20 million a year to provide “seed money” for 1,000 new Boys & Girls Clubs from 1997 – 2001. Grassley argues that this new legislation essentially turns money that should go to keeping low income at-risk youth off the streets, into a vague piggy bank for the organization. Naturally, Chuck & Co. have a problem with that.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America posted a $13 million loss in 2008. In 2009, it cut 10% of its full-time workers, instituted 26 furlough days a year, and closed chapters in DC, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and others.

Though the organization hasn’t had time to personally respond to Grassley’s nice letter last Thursday, they told the Journal they’d be complying with the investigation and not at all afraid of what the committee may find, insisting they are no more poorly-managed than any other non-profit nor do they spend more on lobbying than anyone else either.

Sounds like an excellent defense; I don’t see how it could go wrong.

Senators Demand Accounting from Boys & Girls Clubs [WebCPA]
Sens Try To Block Funding To Boys & Girls Clubs of America [WSJ]