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I Don’t Think My Tax Dollars Should be Used to Fund the ACLU

So I’m going to quit paying my taxes

If everybody who had a beef with how and where some of their tax dollars were being spent decided to quit paying their taxes in protest — well, nobody would be paying taxes and we’d all go to shit-in-a-handbasket.

As Blogs for Bush notes, “This is what passes for courage and morality amongst our liberal friends”:

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - When the United States invaded Iraq more than four years ago, war opponent David Gross asked his bosses for a radical pay cut, enough so he wouldn’t have to pay taxes to support the war.

“I was having a hard time looking at myself in the mirror,” Gross said. “I knew the bombs falling were in part paid with my tax dollars. I had to actually do something concrete to remove my complicity.”

The San Francisco technical writer was making close to $100,000 a year. He didn’t know exactly how big of a pay cut he would need to fall below the federal tax threshold, but later figured out he would have to make less than minimum wage.

In any event, his employer turned him down and he quit. Gross, 38, now works on a contract basis, and last year he refused to pay self-employment taxes.

This guy’s giving technical writers a bad name (I’ve been a technical writer for the last 10 years).

Anyway — I hope his future paychecks (even if they are just at minimum wage) are garnished to pay his legal debt, and his home and his Prius are seized to pay the same.

If he really wants to stop paying taxes, he’s free to renounce his citizenship and move the hell out. I’ll be glad to refer his current customers to some technical writers who aren’t anti-American wusses.

Posted by Robbie Cooper on Thursday, July 5th, 2007 | Trackback |

18 Responses to “I Don’t Think My Tax Dollars Should be Used to Fund the ACLU”

Do you really not know that the ACLU is supported by its members and not your tax dollars? How odd.

Left by awed on July 5th, 2007 at 10:18 am

Despite the ACLU categorically stating that “We do not receive any government funding”, they do.

The ACLU receives taxpayer support in three ways: (1) the organization is a non-profit and does not pay any taxes; (2) the donations to ACLU “foundations” are tax-deductible and reduce the donor’s tax liability; and (3) ACLU lawyers are compensated with tax dollars for their time.

Ask the ACLU how much money they have been bilked the government for via the Civil Rights Attorneys Fee Awards Act (42 U.S.C. Section 1988).

According to George C. Landrith, the ACLU receives millions of our tax dollars.

Mr. Landrith is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was Business Editor of the Virginia Journal of Law and Politics. He had a successful law practice in business and litigation. In 1994 and 1996, Mr. Landrith was a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District. He served on the Albemarle County School Board. Mr. Landrith is an adjunct professor at the George Mason School of Law. He is recognized as an authority on constitutional law and jurisprudence, federalism, global warming, and property rights.

Sounds like he might know a thing or two about whether or not the ACLU is getting tax funds or not.

If you believe that the ACLU is completely funded by it’s members, then you are a deluded and naive moonbat.

Left by Robbie on July 5th, 2007 at 10:58 am

The aclu also makes money by filing lawsuits against municipalities alleging deminimus violations. Since, it is too expensive to defend against these suits, the tendency is to settle and pay the aclu’s legal expenses. The taxpayer, of course, bears the expense. It’s just a form of extortion.

Left by kma on July 5th, 2007 at 11:03 am

Regarding the tax deductibility, ifyou think that is tax support, I have bad news for you concerning tax deductibility of church support. You can’t have it both ways.

The fact that they occasionally win fee awards coming from improper governmental behavior doesn’t quite equal government funding, either.

As for Mr Landreth, it’s pretty easy to find failed congressional candidates who will say just about anything. He has no credibility if he is equating fee awards and tax deductibility with taxpayer support.

Left by Dan on July 5th, 2007 at 1:17 pm

I’m opposed to Churches being a tax-exempt entity too. Those giant for-profit businesses should be paying taxes just like everybody else.

Makes me sick to watch them gobble up some great land in our beautiful hill country (tax free). And then sit on it for years and years (without the burden of paying annual property taxes while it sits appreciating).

Then, when the market’s really hot, they sell the property for huge profits — which of course are also not taxed.

Left by Robbie on July 5th, 2007 at 1:55 pm

I have often wished I could somehow turn my bar into a church/bar… sin taxes are a bitch!

Left by kw on July 5th, 2007 at 2:52 pm

Good luck with that, Robbie. I hope you can convince a Republican candidate to adopt that position. (While I mock your political feasibility, I do acknowledge your consistency, and appreciate your willingness to think outside the box.)

Left by Dan on July 6th, 2007 at 7:11 am

You have to give the guy credit for makinga stand.

To many people lik eto have a moan about subjects and then do nothing to back them up.

I’m not sure showing this guy the exit door out of the country is the way at all. What you’re agreeing with there is the governments right to say “Agree with us or get out!”.

You’re getting ever closer to a dictatorship and you don’t even know it! :)

Left by Anonymous on July 6th, 2007 at 9:13 am

I’m not sure showing this guy the exit door out of the country is the way at all.

If he doesn’t want to pay US taxes and wants to avoid going to prison, then he needs to immigrate. The choice is his.

You’re getting ever closer to a dictatorship and you don’t even know it!

And, you’re a real idiot and you don’t even know it!

Left by kma on July 6th, 2007 at 10:07 am

The disingenuous part of the entire protest is using Thoreau as an example — what they need to remember is how Thoreau protested, which was by going to jail.

These new-age tax protesters simply want to break the law and not be held accountable for it.

If Mr. Gross doesn’t want to pay taxes, he can take my advice and renounce his citizenship and hit the door. Or he can truly stand by his principles and do a bit of time for his crime.

I can’t see him lasting a long time on the inside, where they have their own informal — albeit strictly enforced — rules of taxation.

Left by Robbie on July 6th, 2007 at 10:36 am

Understood Robbie, but what if the situation came about wher eyou had been paying your hard earned taxes toward the upkeep of a state/nation that you where just about happy with when they turned on you and said your taxes are now going toward a new program to introduce Iraqis to your nation as they feel they have no home elsewhere.

I think a reasonable complaint to your governers is a just thing to do - and if your not satisfied with that, don’t pay your taxes toward such a scheme.
And if that fails, i’m afraid you need to get out of your own country!

The point is, what you guys are saying here is unless you agree with the single minded view point that your government is correct in everything they say, you have to go out the backdoor?

Your fore fathers faught for your land, and I’m pretty confident they wouldn’t have stood by for the bullsh*t you guys justify!

Jonny

Left by Jon on July 6th, 2007 at 5:59 pm

I say great. Let the people who are unhappy with our government protest the government. If that doesn’t work, don’t pay taxes, just as Jonny said and if that doesn’t work, leave this country AFTER SERVING YOUR PRISON TIME IN LEAVENWORTH.

Left by Dianne on July 7th, 2007 at 12:01 pm

Or you could protest and things ‘may’ change?

We had a tax put on us when Margaret Thatcher was in power called the Poll Tax. It was unfair and those who had the least money, elderly in general, where punished for having worked their whole lives, and fought in two world wars.
Many people faced prison sentances, but many more refused to pay.

People power worked this time and the Poll Tax was soon changed.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all that you have some people over there who can think for themselves ad whom decide to stand up for themselves rather than following the shepard as most of you sheep do.

Jonny

Left by Jon on July 8th, 2007 at 3:12 am

Guess what, Jonny, we have people power in this country too. Witness the death of the Senate immigration bill that the people in this country defeated by waging a war of words with our own Senators. The capitol phone lines and e-mail system were literally overwhelmed and shut down.

Your posts, Jonny, are always personally insulting. Don’t they teach you any manners across the pond?

Baaaaaaaaa Baaaaaaaa

Left by Dianne on July 8th, 2007 at 8:40 am

I did the same thing as Mr. Gross, I asked my employer to reduce my pay to $22,500 from $49,000 so i could stop paying taxes. They did and I’m not starving or funding this bloated government.

So am I in danger of having my Suburban seized for not paying “my share” of taxes I should have paid if I had been making $49k?

Left by Will on July 8th, 2007 at 11:55 am

Hey Will, good luck in retirement.

Left by Dianne on July 8th, 2007 at 2:52 pm

Thanks, I should do well, between my 403b, 401k, IRA’s and Roth IRA’s. (I get to use the IRA as a way to increase what I can earn by using it as a tax deduction.)

Left by Will on July 8th, 2007 at 3:30 pm

Sorry Dianne, I fail to see that I have been personally offensive.

Now if you take some of the comments directed at me from certain individuals then i’d see your point.

And manners? We invented them my dear.

Jonny

Left by Anonymous on July 9th, 2007 at 3:15 am

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