Doesn't matter if WH is involved. Not about Dems vs. GOP; liberal vs. conservative.
The point that is being missed is that an agency of government has targeted American citizens for political beliefs. Americans have Rights to Freedom of speech, of association, and equal protection under the law. The government by the people, of the people, and for the people can not be involved in singling some groups for express processing and others for delay and harassment based on politics. That is what happens in a totalitarian state.
So I don't care if this came from the WH, Dept of Treasury, or IRS. I want to know where this came from, how far did it go, and how is it being dealt with?
Hi SK,
Well, I think that what you're forgetting is that the issuance of, or granting to, any business or taxable entity the classification of tax exempt status is a classification given by the government. Therefore, the government does have the right to use any reasonable means in checking, investigating and researching any taxable entity that applies for that government issued classification.
This happens all the time. Those who make the rules about who can collect SS or welfare or obtain bids to build highways and other government supported infrastructure are checked out in whatever way the agency that approves such things chooses to use.
If I bid to do some contracting work for the government in some capacity, when I send in my bid I expect the agency that I am applying to is going to check out my business. Is my business solvent? Do I have the necessary capital and equipment to do the job? Do I have the necessary expertise to do the job? Do I send a part of my income to an agency that promotes or supports terrorism against the US?
Yes, I can fight any decision that I deem to be unfounded, but whether I win or lose that fight doesn't in any way take away from the government the ability and fiduciary responsibility to check things out the way they see fit. As I have pointed out before, we are a people who operate on probabilities. We have companies and government agencies whose sole purpose is to predict probabilities based on statistical data.
If my insurance company finds that the majority of impaired drivers will be involved in accidents, then I expect that they will raise the rates of people who are found impaired and driving. Similarly, in this case, it would appear that there was found some statistical anomaly that showed that some sub-group of applicants for tax exemption were later found to have been predicated on fraud. Any prudent manager who would know of this information would be wise to issue a directive that the applications for tax exemption found to be coming from someone of such sub-group be more diligently scrutinized.
That's really, as far as I can tell, all that this is really about. An agency of the government that has the right and obligation and responsibility to check out tax exempt status applications has decided to use a certain statistical 'fact' as a part of its investigating technique. Now, those who may get caught in such a scrutiny are free to holler and scream and fight against it and may well win their individual cast, but that shouldn't have any bearing on the agencies ability to make its own decisions, based on some statistical data, to further check those who fall within the range of the data points.
We may holler and scream about this idea of the government listening in to our cyber conversations, but if that listening to billions and billions of conversations identifies one terrorist group that is considering flying fully fueled jet airplanes into buildings, we would want them to do that! I am personally amazed by these 'freedom fighters' who somehow think that the government has some magic wand by which it finds terrorists. The only way you find out someone is out to kill you is by sifting through a lot of fluff until you get to the meat.
The only way for the government to possibly identify a man who is taking flying lessons to learn to fly a fully fueled jet liner into a building is by checking and scrutinizing every application for flying lessons and using a statistical set of parameters to try and determine who might be taking their flying lessons for no other reason than to fly a jet into a building.
Another way for the government to possibly identify such a person is by eavesdropping in on conversations and electronic data that they have left behind. It's a very tough game and finding the means that work best is also very, very tough. It is hard for anyone to know what someone else is really up to. If they have some ulterior motive, then the only way we're likely to find that out is by investigating their actions. But you can't just send men out to stand on street corners and say, "Well, that guy looks like a terrorist based on the way he's dressed."
Similarly with tax exemption, Medicaid, SS, food stamps, etc. etc. etc. If there is some perceived gain to be made then there will be people who will attempt to get that gain even though it may not be due them. Searching those who are trying to abuse a system for gain is not easy. It's not like you can just put on the application - are you filing this application in order to defraud?, and expect that fraudsters to answer -yes. So, trying to weed out the fraudsters becomes a tough job and those who give such largess have the right and fiduciary responsibility, since it is our tax dollars, to have certain ways of checking.
God bless you.
In Christ, Ted
Were we electing a pastor?????
