This just in from GOA:
IRS Wants To Shut Down Pro-gun Internet Activities
Gun Owners of America E-Mail/FAX Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org
January 8, 2001
The IRS has proposed some dangerous threats to free speech in their
IRS Announcement 2000-84 (10/16/00).
In a transparent effort to protect the incumbents in Congress, the
Announcement would prohibit a link from the GOA web site to, for
example, the Bush and the Gore sites so that you can see for
yourself what their positions on firearms are during a campaign. Of
course, GOA could do so if we subjected ourselves to the terms of
the Speech Police at the Federal Election Commission.
If GOA were to be treated as a political committee by the federal
government, all of its members would have to be reported. That is
obviously totally unacceptable.
In an effort to deny funds for communications to members and the
public, the Announcement would tax any proceeds from books and other
products purchased at the GOA web site. If someone wants to further
the work of GOA by purchasing things from GOA, why should the
government put its greedy hands on that "income?" In other words,
the IRS wants a Speech Tax.
The announcement would also limit those with whom GOA could
communicate. The IRS would determine who is a member and then say
that only members can receive e-mail from GOA.
Please communicate your displeasure with this Announcement by
February 13, 2001.
You can send your objections via postal mail to:
Internal Revenue Service
1111 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington DC 20224
Attn: Judith E. Kindell
You can use the address: *TE/GE-Exempt-2@irs.gov to e-mail your
objections.
Please circulate this call for action to as many people as you can.
The text of the Ammouncement is on pages 385-387 of the IRS bulletin
at http://ftp.fedworld.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb00-42.pdf (401 Kb, Adobe
Acrobat required).
If you wish, you can use the suggested language below and post or
e-mail it.
Internal Revenue Service
Attn: Judith E. Kindell
1111 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington DC 20224
Re: Announcement 2000-84
Dear Ms. Kindell,
Please do not put these measures into effect.
The government has no business regulating or taxing speech and the
organizations involved in advocacy.
I want to know what candidates say, and I want non-profit
organizations to tell me how to find candidate web pages so I can
see for myself what candidates are saying.
I do not want to have to "join" an organization to receive e-mail
from them.
I don't want the IRS diluting the effectiveness of organizations I
support by taxing the proceeds of their product sales. If I choose
to support them in that way, I don't want you getting a cut.
U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Dick Armey had it
right: "The idea of turning the tax man into a Net cop would have a
chilling effect on free speech on the internet."
Sincerely,
**************
Special! Become a GOA Life Member ($500) and receive one thousand
dollars ($1000) in free world-class training! Front Sight Firearms
Training Institute offers a two-day defensive handgun course,
two-day tactical shotgun course, or a two-day practical rifle course
PLUS a one-day submachine gun course where they provide the Uzis and
all the ammo. This $1000 value is free for new GOA Life Members.
Please see http://www.gunowners.org/subguns.htm for details.
**************
Do not reply directly to this message.
To subscribe to free, low-volume GOA alerts, go to
http://www.gunowners.org/ean.htm on the web. Change of e-mail
address may also be made at that location.
To unsubscribe send a message to gunowners_members@mailmanager.net
with the word unsubscribe in the subject line.
Problems, questions or comments? The main GOA e-mail address
goamail@gunowners.org is at your disposal. Please do not add that
address to distribution lists sending more than ten messages per
week or lists associated with issues other than gun rights.
Now is the time to CALL your Reps-- all of them! and nip these freedom-stealing, un-elected ( anf hence unaccountable ) bureaucrats in the bud.
A one-page letter or fax would help too- I like hard copy that can sit on a desk, get re-read, and passed along.
If you don't do it- who will? HCI? Sarah?
IRS Wants To Shut Down Pro-gun Internet Activities
Gun Owners of America E-Mail/FAX Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org
January 8, 2001
The IRS has proposed some dangerous threats to free speech in their
IRS Announcement 2000-84 (10/16/00).
In a transparent effort to protect the incumbents in Congress, the
Announcement would prohibit a link from the GOA web site to, for
example, the Bush and the Gore sites so that you can see for
yourself what their positions on firearms are during a campaign. Of
course, GOA could do so if we subjected ourselves to the terms of
the Speech Police at the Federal Election Commission.
If GOA were to be treated as a political committee by the federal
government, all of its members would have to be reported. That is
obviously totally unacceptable.
In an effort to deny funds for communications to members and the
public, the Announcement would tax any proceeds from books and other
products purchased at the GOA web site. If someone wants to further
the work of GOA by purchasing things from GOA, why should the
government put its greedy hands on that "income?" In other words,
the IRS wants a Speech Tax.
The announcement would also limit those with whom GOA could
communicate. The IRS would determine who is a member and then say
that only members can receive e-mail from GOA.
Please communicate your displeasure with this Announcement by
February 13, 2001.
You can send your objections via postal mail to:
Internal Revenue Service
1111 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington DC 20224
Attn: Judith E. Kindell
You can use the address: *TE/GE-Exempt-2@irs.gov to e-mail your
objections.
Please circulate this call for action to as many people as you can.
The text of the Ammouncement is on pages 385-387 of the IRS bulletin
at http://ftp.fedworld.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb00-42.pdf (401 Kb, Adobe
Acrobat required).
If you wish, you can use the suggested language below and post or
e-mail it.
Internal Revenue Service
Attn: Judith E. Kindell
1111 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington DC 20224
Re: Announcement 2000-84
Dear Ms. Kindell,
Please do not put these measures into effect.
The government has no business regulating or taxing speech and the
organizations involved in advocacy.
I want to know what candidates say, and I want non-profit
organizations to tell me how to find candidate web pages so I can
see for myself what candidates are saying.
I do not want to have to "join" an organization to receive e-mail
from them.
I don't want the IRS diluting the effectiveness of organizations I
support by taxing the proceeds of their product sales. If I choose
to support them in that way, I don't want you getting a cut.
U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Dick Armey had it
right: "The idea of turning the tax man into a Net cop would have a
chilling effect on free speech on the internet."
Sincerely,
**************
Special! Become a GOA Life Member ($500) and receive one thousand
dollars ($1000) in free world-class training! Front Sight Firearms
Training Institute offers a two-day defensive handgun course,
two-day tactical shotgun course, or a two-day practical rifle course
PLUS a one-day submachine gun course where they provide the Uzis and
all the ammo. This $1000 value is free for new GOA Life Members.
Please see http://www.gunowners.org/subguns.htm for details.
**************
Do not reply directly to this message.
To subscribe to free, low-volume GOA alerts, go to
http://www.gunowners.org/ean.htm on the web. Change of e-mail
address may also be made at that location.
To unsubscribe send a message to gunowners_members@mailmanager.net
with the word unsubscribe in the subject line.
Problems, questions or comments? The main GOA e-mail address
goamail@gunowners.org is at your disposal. Please do not add that
address to distribution lists sending more than ten messages per
week or lists associated with issues other than gun rights.
Now is the time to CALL your Reps-- all of them! and nip these freedom-stealing, un-elected ( anf hence unaccountable ) bureaucrats in the bud.
A one-page letter or fax would help too- I like hard copy that can sit on a desk, get re-read, and passed along.
If you don't do it- who will? HCI? Sarah?
But I am sure you can find it with an internet search. Just use the key words declaration of independence. You will find all you need to know in that essay.