Surely you have heard by now that the IRS singled out groups seeking 501(c)(4) status for harassment if they had the words “tea party” or “patriot” in their applications. The Associated Press is blaming Bush for targeting groups whose political persuasion indicated they may be working for causes opposed to those of the incumbent seeking re-election in 2012. (Hint: His name starts with an O.) The IRS blames low-level bureaucrats and says it was unaware as an organization about the thug tactics in spite of multiple complaints.
The thuggery was justified as trying to stop political organizations from getting tax-exempt status reserved only for groups addressing “social welfare.” Being politically-correct, “social welfare” is defined as going along with failed programs that expand dependency by bankrupting struggling individuals and businesses into joining the ranks of the needy. Indicating a change in policy toward more self-determination and less government meddling is the best thing this country could do for social welfare must not be mentioned.
Reportedly, the IRS found no violations in the applications it processed. This is after groups with those two naughty triggers filled out pages and pages of extra forms that asked questions that “sought information about group members’ political activities, including details of their postings on social networking websites and about family members.” The extra paperwork put some applicants in their proper place, and they decided not to pursue nonprofit status. Others were granted their status after the 2012 election.
