Category: GOP Politics

by Dave Mindeman

I got my latest Taxpayer's League e-mail. Of course, they trashed the just ended legislative session. However, I guess this must be a social welfare benefit for Minnesota, because the Taxpayer's League is classified as one of those IRS targets - the 501(c)4.

But here is something I did not know - the following came with contribution request (pay attention to the last line) ....

P.S Don't forget that as a 501(c)4 Non-Profit, the Taxpayer's League is able to accept corporate donations and we are not obligated to file disclosure statements about our donors. You can make a tax-deductible (approx. 90%) corporate contribution to the Taxpayer's League of Minnesota through your business using the link below!

Hmmmm...

To classify the Taxpayer's League as a "non-political" entity is a tough carrot to swallow, but they have maintained this status for years.

The idea that a corporation can give them a huge sum of money....and never have to have their identity disclosed, AND IN ADDITION, they get to deduct that same contribution from their tax liability.

Wow.

That, ladies and gentleman, is a tax provision with balls.

Category: GOP Politics

by Dave Mindeman

Republicans can't seem to say enough about the IRS scandal. It is that perfect conflagration of martyrdom and government persecution. But the more they talk the dumber this gets....

From Gov. Bobby Jindal....

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal will use a Saturday speech to Virginia Republicans to suggest the IRS officials who targeted conservative political organizations for scrutiny be sent to prison.

"You cannot take the freedom of law-abiding Americans, whether you disagree with them or not, and keep your own freedom,? Jindal, a Republican, will tell delegates at the Virginia GOP convention, according to remarks shared with POLITICO. ?When you do that, you go to jail.?

Really?

First of all, nobody's freedom was taken away. The vast majority of these applications were still granted....they were just delayed. And quite frankly, these applications needed some scrutiny - I would contend that they did not meet 501(c)4 criteria.

On the other hand, I am not saying that there wasn't any wrong doing here...there was. But infringement on freedom? Seriously?

And jail time?

Our government engaged in torture - nobody went to jail. Our government did illegal wiretapping - nobody went to jail. Bankers nearly brought the entire economy of the United States down to rubble - nobody went to jail.

Continue the investigation - but let's have some reality about the scale of the problem.

Category: GOP Politics

by Dave Mindeman

There has been all this speculation about the Democrats who are considering voting FOR the marriage equality bill, who come from districts that supported the amendment in 2012.

Yet, there is the other side of the coin....there are 21 Republican House members who come from districts that defeated the amendment.

Two of them are from District 57 (Apple Valley-Rosemount). Rep. Tara Mack and Rep. Anna Wills.

Tara Mack's district defeated the amendment by a 10% margin. Yet, she plans to vote NO on the bill. In fact, she was on the committee that brought the 2012 Constitutional Amendment to the floor. It was a 13-12 vote....and Mack was one of those 13 votes. She could have stopped it, but didn't.

Anna Wills has a district that defeated the amendment by 11%. She defeated marriage equality advocate Jeff Wilfahrt in the 2012 election, but she will also probably be a NO vote on the bill.

Time after time, the Democrats are told that they should vote with the majority of their constituents....yet, GOP representatives get none of the same advice.

I can respect a vote of conscience in this case. Personal principles do matter. But let's at least make it consistent.

And don't just consider current constituents either. This is a vote that must consider the future.