From Freedom Press Action Fund:
The Trump administration may get even more power to spy on your personal communications — unless we speak out.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R–Arkansas) has introduced a bill that would permanently reauthorize an invasive surveillance program that violates your online privacy. Given this administration's hostility toward communities of color and activists, the reauthorization of this program would pose a particular threat to marginalized people in the United States.
Tell Congress that this is unacceptable: Do not reauthorize Section 702 spying.
Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act authorizes intelligence agencies (like the FBI and NSA) to scan in bulk phone calls, text messages and emails traveling across the internet. These agencies are supposed to target only people outside the United States, but they also sweep up massive amounts of Americans’ communications — without a warrant or any individualized suspicion of wrongdoing.
Section 702 is one of the surveillance programs Edward Snowden exposed. Now it's up to us to protect our online privacy from an administration that's notorious for abusing its power.
It’s common for the Section 702 dragnet to sweep up “family photographs, love letters, personal financial matters, discussions of physical and mental health, and political and religious exchanges” between Americans. While this sweeping authority was meant to protect us from the most serious threats to our national security, the FBI regularly uses it to sidestep Fourth Amendment protections and search Americans' personal information for matters entirely unrelated to foreign intelligence. Instead of letting this horrible surveillance dragnet expire, Cotton's bill would make it a permanent fixture of life in the United States.
Urge Congress to protect your online privacy and rein in mass government surveillance.
To sign petition
Showing posts with label government oppression. Show all posts
Showing posts with label government oppression. Show all posts
Monday, July 3, 2017
Saturday, October 17, 2015
The government wants to ban encryption
From Fight For The Future:
Encryption is the basis for all privacy and security online. If your phone or laptop gets stolen, encryption is the only thing protecting your photos and personal information.
Without encryption, your credit card numbers, passwords and online accounts would be accessible to anyone. Encryption is also the only hope that leaders, activists, and journalists have for protection from government spies. It’s that big a deal.
But now, governments are threatening to ban it. Why? Because encryption makes some locks so strong, even governments can’t open them – and that lack of control freaks governments out.
Even if we wanted the FBI or local police to be able to access any seized iPhone or encrypted message in an emergency, there’s another problem: you can’t have it both ways. If the government gets a special backdoor, it’s only a matter of time before criminals figure it out, and then we’re all vulnerable. Even worse, just the process of adding the backdoor brings huge new complexities and more opportunities for mistakes – mistakes that attackers can exploit.
The worst part is, most people in government either don’t understand this or they pretend not to. They want the instant backdoor access AND the security encryption provides.
This is why we’re so worried about this. Even well-meaning politicians could make a disastrous mistake here, out of simple ignorance.
Countries around the world are watching to see what the US does. We *need* to demand a response from the White House. Can you sign the petition right now?
This is about the basic integrity of our bank accounts. It’s about protecting people from the pain of having their private photos spilled onto the Internet. But it goes even farther than that...
This past summer, my stomach turned as I read1 about vulnerabilities in over 500,000 cars (!)that let hackers disable engines and brakes, remotely, anonymously, over the cellphone network. Security researchers are barely able to keep us safe as it is; a ban on strong encryption all but guarantees catastrophic attacks.
Defending encryption has become a matter of life and death. Can you sign this petition now, to defend our basic safety in the digital age?
And there’s one more thing. This may not be important to all of you, but it’s pretty important to us. A few years back, a pretty incredible new innovation came along. It’s called “the blockchain” and it lets engineers build decentralized, free-and-open-source alternatives to centralized corporate monoliths like Paypal, Facebook, Google, Uber, or eBay. That really matters.2
But if governments ban encryption, blockchain technology (which depends on cryptography) would become impossible or illegal. The brilliant young people working on replacing Google or Facebook with something we all control could be thrown in jail, just for building a better Internet.
That’s the dark future that scares me most of all. And I want to do everything I can to prevent it from happening. But we need your help. Can you sign?
Thank you for everything you do,
– Holmes Wilson and the whole Fight for the Future team.
P.S. If this issue is important for you as it is for us, please chip in $5 right now. Not many funders get how big a deal defending crypto is, so Fight for the Future’s ability to do its best work on this issue is in your hands. That said, if you’d like to be involved in funding a larger project, or know someone who might be, be in touch.
1.Source
2.Source
Encryption is the basis for all privacy and security online. If your phone or laptop gets stolen, encryption is the only thing protecting your photos and personal information.
Without encryption, your credit card numbers, passwords and online accounts would be accessible to anyone. Encryption is also the only hope that leaders, activists, and journalists have for protection from government spies. It’s that big a deal.
But now, governments are threatening to ban it. Why? Because encryption makes some locks so strong, even governments can’t open them – and that lack of control freaks governments out.
Even if we wanted the FBI or local police to be able to access any seized iPhone or encrypted message in an emergency, there’s another problem: you can’t have it both ways. If the government gets a special backdoor, it’s only a matter of time before criminals figure it out, and then we’re all vulnerable. Even worse, just the process of adding the backdoor brings huge new complexities and more opportunities for mistakes – mistakes that attackers can exploit.
The worst part is, most people in government either don’t understand this or they pretend not to. They want the instant backdoor access AND the security encryption provides.
This is why we’re so worried about this. Even well-meaning politicians could make a disastrous mistake here, out of simple ignorance.
Countries around the world are watching to see what the US does. We *need* to demand a response from the White House. Can you sign the petition right now?
This is about the basic integrity of our bank accounts. It’s about protecting people from the pain of having their private photos spilled onto the Internet. But it goes even farther than that...
This past summer, my stomach turned as I read1 about vulnerabilities in over 500,000 cars (!)that let hackers disable engines and brakes, remotely, anonymously, over the cellphone network. Security researchers are barely able to keep us safe as it is; a ban on strong encryption all but guarantees catastrophic attacks.
Defending encryption has become a matter of life and death. Can you sign this petition now, to defend our basic safety in the digital age?
And there’s one more thing. This may not be important to all of you, but it’s pretty important to us. A few years back, a pretty incredible new innovation came along. It’s called “the blockchain” and it lets engineers build decentralized, free-and-open-source alternatives to centralized corporate monoliths like Paypal, Facebook, Google, Uber, or eBay. That really matters.2
But if governments ban encryption, blockchain technology (which depends on cryptography) would become impossible or illegal. The brilliant young people working on replacing Google or Facebook with something we all control could be thrown in jail, just for building a better Internet.
That’s the dark future that scares me most of all. And I want to do everything I can to prevent it from happening. But we need your help. Can you sign?
Thank you for everything you do,
– Holmes Wilson and the whole Fight for the Future team.
P.S. If this issue is important for you as it is for us, please chip in $5 right now. Not many funders get how big a deal defending crypto is, so Fight for the Future’s ability to do its best work on this issue is in your hands. That said, if you’d like to be involved in funding a larger project, or know someone who might be, be in touch.
1.Source
2.Source
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Obama wants to impose a dictatorship
From Campaign For Liberty:
President Obama wants more time calling the shots . . .
Not by changing our Constitution to enable him to run for President again -- but by stacking federal agencies with hordes of statist bureaucrats determined to impose a Big Government legacy that lasts for decades!
Even as I write you, I’m afraid the Obama administration is cooking up sweeping new regulations designed to stifle political speech, wreck private enterprise, crush the American economy with new draconian environmental rules - and more . . .
All without so much as a vote in Congress.
The good news is, there’s legislation to stop Obama cold in his tracks - if representatives and senators have the GUTS to pass it.
That’s why it’s vital you sign your "REIN in Big Government" petitions to Majority Leader McConnell and your U.S. Senators before it’s too late.
As you’ll see, these petitions urge McConnell and your U.S. Senators to cosponsor and seek roll call votes on the REINS Act (H.R. 427/S.226).
Introduced by my son, Senator Rand Paul, the REINS Act would STOP out-of-control government bureaucrats from ramming their agenda down the throats of the American people.
Will you please sign your petitions IMMEDIATELY?
The truth is, as President of the United States, Barack Obama has abused his executive authority as much or more than any President in U.S. history.
In just over six years in office, President Obama has issued over 200 executive orders.
During his eight years in office, President George Washington issued four.
Not only that, but President Obama has issued more than 400 Presidential “memoranda” - more than any other president - intended to pave the way for government bureaucrats to DESTROY liberty and gain even more control over Americans’ lives!
And unless you and I act IMMEDIATELY, I’m afraid there could be much more to come, including:
*** Massive gun bans. I’m afraid President Obama’s attempt to ban AR-15 ammo was just the beginning. The Hill newspaper recently reported that the Justice Department was preparing to release “more than a dozen” anti-gun regulations!
*** The so-called “Fairness Doctrine,” a shameless FCC attempt to SHUT DOWN free speech, guaranteeing the only opinions you hear and see are “government-approved”;
*** Internet controls as federal bureaucrats look to crush the one remaining bright spot in the U.S. economy with hordes of new regulations;
*** New EPA regulations giving federal bureaucrats control of virtually any parcel of land in the United States that receives rainfall, shut down utility plants, prohibit domestic energy production, and DESTROY our entire economy.
The truth is, for decades, presidents of BOTH parties and their federal agencies have abused their power to “rule by decree” - bypassing Congress and SHREDDING the U.S. Constitution - to impose their agenda.
In fact, President Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued more than 3,370 new regulations alone - adding 29,770 pages to the Federal Register!
That’s why you and I must act now to “REIN IN” Big Government before it’s too late.
If passed, the REINS Act would prohibit presidents and out-of-control government agencies from imposing regulations on American citizens with more than a $100 million economic impact without a congressional vote.
That means the FCC, the EPA, and Homeland Security can make all the “recommendations” they want, but they’ll mean nothing unless passed by Congress.
In short, these massive and bloated unconstitutional bureaucracies would be literally stripped of their power -- paving the way for their outright ELIMINATION.
But it won’t be easy.
The statists know passage of the REINS Act would effectively END any hope of “remaking America” with unelected and unaccountable government bureaucrats.
And after our incredible success at pushing Audit the Fed, they know good and well the impact you and I can have on Washington, D.C.
That’s why you and I MUST fight back harder than ever.
Over the next few weeks, I’m planning to massively turn up the heat on senators to cosponsor and seek roll-call votes on the REINS Act.
Using direct mail and email - in addition to internet, radio, and newspaper advertising - my goal is to recruit and mobilize a grassroots army to force roll call votes in both houses of Congress.
In fact, I’m hoping to contact up to twelve million Americans just in the initial push!
Then - once votes are scheduled - I’m planning to launch yet another mail and TV ad campaign, targeting key senators to urge them to pass the REINS Act.
The good news is, no senator wants to face reelection having gone on record AGAINST a bill to stop unaccountable Washington, D.C. bureaucrats from running our lives.
Even if President Obama chooses to veto the REINS Act, just forcing a vote on the bill will force presidential “rule by decree” to the very top of the American political debate in 2016.
So just forcing a vote on the REINS Act puts you and me in a win/win situation.
Americans don’t want a king or a dictator in the Oval Office. They want a President who is bound by the U.S. Constitution.
Not only will statist politicians who oppose the REINS Act pay the political price at the ballot box when faced with reelection . . .
. . . But, recognizing how much of their power is at stake, federal bureaucrats may start to think twice before imposing their radical agenda on the rest of us!
Now, this fight won’t be easy, so I’m counting on your IMMEDIATE action.
First, won’t you please sign your "REIN in Big Government" petitions to Majority Leader McConnell and your U.S. Senators, urging them to cosponsor and seek roll call votes on the REINS Act?
And then, if you can, I hope you’ll make your most generous contribution - $30 if you can possibly afford it.
If that’s just too much, I hope you’ll agree to a contribution of $20 , or $10 .
Should you and I succeed in passing the REINS Act, we’ll strike a major blow against Big Government.
Bloated and unconstitutional federal bureaucracies will see much of their power stripped - paving the way for their outright ELIMINATION.
And if we don’t act, all of our victories could go up in smoke as we see the statists’ full agenda IMPOSED on American citizens without so much as a congressional vote.
So please sign your petition and make your most generous contribution of $30 , $20 , or $10 IMMEDIATELY!
For Liberty,
Ron Paul
P.S. With handpicked bureaucrats in EVERY federal agency, Obama now plans to use the Executive Branch to ram through sweeping changes in policy to control speech, wreck private enterprise, install vast new environmental regulations, and more.
That’s why you and I must fight for passage of the REINS Act, which would stop the imposition of sweeping new regulations on American citizens without congressional approval.
So please sign your petitions and make your most generous contribution of $30 , $20 , OR $10 TODAY!
President Obama wants more time calling the shots . . .
Not by changing our Constitution to enable him to run for President again -- but by stacking federal agencies with hordes of statist bureaucrats determined to impose a Big Government legacy that lasts for decades!
Even as I write you, I’m afraid the Obama administration is cooking up sweeping new regulations designed to stifle political speech, wreck private enterprise, crush the American economy with new draconian environmental rules - and more . . .
All without so much as a vote in Congress.
The good news is, there’s legislation to stop Obama cold in his tracks - if representatives and senators have the GUTS to pass it.
That’s why it’s vital you sign your "REIN in Big Government" petitions to Majority Leader McConnell and your U.S. Senators before it’s too late.
As you’ll see, these petitions urge McConnell and your U.S. Senators to cosponsor and seek roll call votes on the REINS Act (H.R. 427/S.226).
Introduced by my son, Senator Rand Paul, the REINS Act would STOP out-of-control government bureaucrats from ramming their agenda down the throats of the American people.
Will you please sign your petitions IMMEDIATELY?
The truth is, as President of the United States, Barack Obama has abused his executive authority as much or more than any President in U.S. history.
In just over six years in office, President Obama has issued over 200 executive orders.
During his eight years in office, President George Washington issued four.
Not only that, but President Obama has issued more than 400 Presidential “memoranda” - more than any other president - intended to pave the way for government bureaucrats to DESTROY liberty and gain even more control over Americans’ lives!
And unless you and I act IMMEDIATELY, I’m afraid there could be much more to come, including:
*** Massive gun bans. I’m afraid President Obama’s attempt to ban AR-15 ammo was just the beginning. The Hill newspaper recently reported that the Justice Department was preparing to release “more than a dozen” anti-gun regulations!
*** The so-called “Fairness Doctrine,” a shameless FCC attempt to SHUT DOWN free speech, guaranteeing the only opinions you hear and see are “government-approved”;
*** Internet controls as federal bureaucrats look to crush the one remaining bright spot in the U.S. economy with hordes of new regulations;
*** New EPA regulations giving federal bureaucrats control of virtually any parcel of land in the United States that receives rainfall, shut down utility plants, prohibit domestic energy production, and DESTROY our entire economy.
The truth is, for decades, presidents of BOTH parties and their federal agencies have abused their power to “rule by decree” - bypassing Congress and SHREDDING the U.S. Constitution - to impose their agenda.
In fact, President Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued more than 3,370 new regulations alone - adding 29,770 pages to the Federal Register!
That’s why you and I must act now to “REIN IN” Big Government before it’s too late.
If passed, the REINS Act would prohibit presidents and out-of-control government agencies from imposing regulations on American citizens with more than a $100 million economic impact without a congressional vote.
That means the FCC, the EPA, and Homeland Security can make all the “recommendations” they want, but they’ll mean nothing unless passed by Congress.
In short, these massive and bloated unconstitutional bureaucracies would be literally stripped of their power -- paving the way for their outright ELIMINATION.
But it won’t be easy.
The statists know passage of the REINS Act would effectively END any hope of “remaking America” with unelected and unaccountable government bureaucrats.
And after our incredible success at pushing Audit the Fed, they know good and well the impact you and I can have on Washington, D.C.
That’s why you and I MUST fight back harder than ever.
Over the next few weeks, I’m planning to massively turn up the heat on senators to cosponsor and seek roll-call votes on the REINS Act.
Using direct mail and email - in addition to internet, radio, and newspaper advertising - my goal is to recruit and mobilize a grassroots army to force roll call votes in both houses of Congress.
In fact, I’m hoping to contact up to twelve million Americans just in the initial push!
Then - once votes are scheduled - I’m planning to launch yet another mail and TV ad campaign, targeting key senators to urge them to pass the REINS Act.
The good news is, no senator wants to face reelection having gone on record AGAINST a bill to stop unaccountable Washington, D.C. bureaucrats from running our lives.
Even if President Obama chooses to veto the REINS Act, just forcing a vote on the bill will force presidential “rule by decree” to the very top of the American political debate in 2016.
So just forcing a vote on the REINS Act puts you and me in a win/win situation.
Americans don’t want a king or a dictator in the Oval Office. They want a President who is bound by the U.S. Constitution.
Not only will statist politicians who oppose the REINS Act pay the political price at the ballot box when faced with reelection . . .
. . . But, recognizing how much of their power is at stake, federal bureaucrats may start to think twice before imposing their radical agenda on the rest of us!
Now, this fight won’t be easy, so I’m counting on your IMMEDIATE action.
First, won’t you please sign your "REIN in Big Government" petitions to Majority Leader McConnell and your U.S. Senators, urging them to cosponsor and seek roll call votes on the REINS Act?
And then, if you can, I hope you’ll make your most generous contribution - $30 if you can possibly afford it.
If that’s just too much, I hope you’ll agree to a contribution of $20 , or $10 .
Should you and I succeed in passing the REINS Act, we’ll strike a major blow against Big Government.
Bloated and unconstitutional federal bureaucracies will see much of their power stripped - paving the way for their outright ELIMINATION.
And if we don’t act, all of our victories could go up in smoke as we see the statists’ full agenda IMPOSED on American citizens without so much as a congressional vote.
So please sign your petition and make your most generous contribution of $30 , $20 , or $10 IMMEDIATELY!
For Liberty,
Ron Paul
P.S. With handpicked bureaucrats in EVERY federal agency, Obama now plans to use the Executive Branch to ram through sweeping changes in policy to control speech, wreck private enterprise, install vast new environmental regulations, and more.
That’s why you and I must fight for passage of the REINS Act, which would stop the imposition of sweeping new regulations on American citizens without congressional approval.
So please sign your petitions and make your most generous contribution of $30 , $20 , OR $10 TODAY!
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Campaign For Liberty stands up to the IRS
From Campaign For Liberty:
The message is loud and clear.
Of the tens of thousands of Emergency C4L Supporter Ballots received so far, a whopping 97% say Campaign for Liberty should STAND AND FIGHT the IRS' demand that we turn over sensitive contributor information.
So if they want a fight, let's give them a fight!
That's why we’re instructing our legal team to prepare for an all-out battle with the IRS, if it refuses to back down.
And that's also why I'm announcing our "Battle with the IRS" blitz starting today with the goal of raising $110,000 by next Friday, June 6, at midnight.
I'll give you the link to help out with this critical effort in just a moment. But first let me tell you why I believe this fight deserves your most generous financial support.
As a 501(c)(4) organization under IRS law, all Campaign for Liberty contributor information is supposed to be confidential.
This is a critical protection I wholeheartedly support.
But the IRS is demanding sensitive contributor information on Campaign for Liberty’s top donors, pointing to a rarely enforced and unconstitutional bureaucratic rule.
And they’re claiming we’re being fined for an “incomplete” return.
But I'm afraid the real reason is something far more sinister - our Liberty Movement is growing.
Only a few years ago, you and I were barely a “blip” on the political screen.
But there’s no denying things have changed, when you consider:
*** Audit the Fed is now a top issue in American politics, with the majority of the U.S. House signed on as cosponsors;
*** The bipartisan National Internet Tax Mandate and the National ID database scheme were supposed to sail through Congress, but you and I have so far held them both off;
*** More and more Americans now oppose radical federal government spying programs and - as we saw with Syria - are more skeptical than ever of foreign military adventurism;
*** Today, we see a growing crop of new Liberty Movement supporters such as Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) in the U.S. Senate, and Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Justin Amash (R-MI) in the U.S. House.
Liberty-minded Americans’ efforts are at the heart of all this success.
And the statists know these are just the beginning stages of a massive nationwide R3VOLUTION that can usher in a new era of liberty and limited government in America.
That’s why we’re being targeted.
That’s why the statists in BOTH parties want so much to shut us up and shut us down.
But I'm not backing down.
I won't be bullied or intimidated by bureaucrats at the IRS.
Campaign for Liberty is going to fight back against the IRS with everything we've got.
And I'm counting on you to be in my corner.
That's why I hope you'll agree to make a generous contribution to our "Battle with the IRS" blitz.
As I'm sure you can imagine, a massive legal fight with the IRS won't be cheap.
On top of the outrageous, nearly $13,000 fine - with DAILY penalties - already levied against C4L, there's also the costs of legal fees, staff time, and other court-related expenses.
And the truth is, it's impossible to know how long this type of legal fight could go on.
So today, I must ask you to make a generous contribution of $15 to help Campaign for Liberty in this critical fight.
I know that’s a lot.
But this is the IRS we’re talking about. This is not a game.
In fact, I'm asking all Campaign for Liberty supporters to go above and beyond what they’ve done in the past.
This battle is just that important.
But if $15 is just too much, won’t you please agree to contribute $10 or at least $5?
Even if all you can do is chip in $5 right now, any amount you can afford to contribute will make a difference in this fight.
Not only will your contribution help C4L stand up to the IRS, but it’ll also help make sure we don’t have to cut back on our other efforts to do so.
This is the price you pay for daring to stand up to a federal government that wants to keep taxing, spending, and printing every American into the poorhouse.
But when it comes to protecting the privacy of Campaign for Liberty's contributors, it's a price I'm willing to pay.
So please make a generous contribution to our "Battle with the IRS" blitz right away.
Thank you in advance for your support.
For Liberty,
Ron Paul
Chairman
P.S. We're instructing our legal team to prepare for an all-out fight with the IRS, if it refuses to back down.
I won't be bullied or intimidated by bureaucrats at the IRS. Campaign for Liberty is going to fight back against the IRS with everything we've got.
I'm counting on you to help us fight back by making a generous contribution of $15, $10, $5 - or whatever you can afford - to our "Battle with the IRS" blitz.
The message is loud and clear.
Of the tens of thousands of Emergency C4L Supporter Ballots received so far, a whopping 97% say Campaign for Liberty should STAND AND FIGHT the IRS' demand that we turn over sensitive contributor information.
So if they want a fight, let's give them a fight!
That's why we’re instructing our legal team to prepare for an all-out battle with the IRS, if it refuses to back down.
And that's also why I'm announcing our "Battle with the IRS" blitz starting today with the goal of raising $110,000 by next Friday, June 6, at midnight.
I'll give you the link to help out with this critical effort in just a moment. But first let me tell you why I believe this fight deserves your most generous financial support.
As a 501(c)(4) organization under IRS law, all Campaign for Liberty contributor information is supposed to be confidential.
This is a critical protection I wholeheartedly support.
But the IRS is demanding sensitive contributor information on Campaign for Liberty’s top donors, pointing to a rarely enforced and unconstitutional bureaucratic rule.
And they’re claiming we’re being fined for an “incomplete” return.
But I'm afraid the real reason is something far more sinister - our Liberty Movement is growing.
Only a few years ago, you and I were barely a “blip” on the political screen.
But there’s no denying things have changed, when you consider:
*** Audit the Fed is now a top issue in American politics, with the majority of the U.S. House signed on as cosponsors;
*** The bipartisan National Internet Tax Mandate and the National ID database scheme were supposed to sail through Congress, but you and I have so far held them both off;
*** More and more Americans now oppose radical federal government spying programs and - as we saw with Syria - are more skeptical than ever of foreign military adventurism;
*** Today, we see a growing crop of new Liberty Movement supporters such as Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) in the U.S. Senate, and Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Justin Amash (R-MI) in the U.S. House.
Liberty-minded Americans’ efforts are at the heart of all this success.
And the statists know these are just the beginning stages of a massive nationwide R3VOLUTION that can usher in a new era of liberty and limited government in America.
That’s why we’re being targeted.
That’s why the statists in BOTH parties want so much to shut us up and shut us down.
But I'm not backing down.
I won't be bullied or intimidated by bureaucrats at the IRS.
Campaign for Liberty is going to fight back against the IRS with everything we've got.
And I'm counting on you to be in my corner.
That's why I hope you'll agree to make a generous contribution to our "Battle with the IRS" blitz.
As I'm sure you can imagine, a massive legal fight with the IRS won't be cheap.
On top of the outrageous, nearly $13,000 fine - with DAILY penalties - already levied against C4L, there's also the costs of legal fees, staff time, and other court-related expenses.
And the truth is, it's impossible to know how long this type of legal fight could go on.
So today, I must ask you to make a generous contribution of $15 to help Campaign for Liberty in this critical fight.
I know that’s a lot.
But this is the IRS we’re talking about. This is not a game.
In fact, I'm asking all Campaign for Liberty supporters to go above and beyond what they’ve done in the past.
This battle is just that important.
But if $15 is just too much, won’t you please agree to contribute $10 or at least $5?
Even if all you can do is chip in $5 right now, any amount you can afford to contribute will make a difference in this fight.
Not only will your contribution help C4L stand up to the IRS, but it’ll also help make sure we don’t have to cut back on our other efforts to do so.
This is the price you pay for daring to stand up to a federal government that wants to keep taxing, spending, and printing every American into the poorhouse.
But when it comes to protecting the privacy of Campaign for Liberty's contributors, it's a price I'm willing to pay.
So please make a generous contribution to our "Battle with the IRS" blitz right away.
Thank you in advance for your support.
For Liberty,
Ron Paul
Chairman
P.S. We're instructing our legal team to prepare for an all-out fight with the IRS, if it refuses to back down.
I won't be bullied or intimidated by bureaucrats at the IRS. Campaign for Liberty is going to fight back against the IRS with everything we've got.
I'm counting on you to help us fight back by making a generous contribution of $15, $10, $5 - or whatever you can afford - to our "Battle with the IRS" blitz.
Monday, April 14, 2014
IRS goes after Campaign For Liberty
From Campaign For Liberty:
This is one of the toughest letters I’ve ever had to send.
For years, people have joked that the three most feared letters in the English language may well be these . . .
I – R – S.
But today, I’m not laughing.
Just days ago, the IRS handed Campaign for Liberty a hefty fine and DEMANDED we turn over sensitive contributor information.
If we don’t comply with the IRS’ outrageous demand for sensitive donor information, I’m afraid we’ll face additional fines that could cripple Campaign for Liberty and perhaps even force us to shut our doors.
But I’m not naïve. I know where this is headed.
The statists at the IRS know I’ll NEVER EVER turn over confidential information about Campaign for Liberty’s donors without a fight.
Instead, this is likely just the first in a long line of UNCONSTITUTIONAL and likely ILLEGAL “excuses” this rogue government agency will use to try to shut us up and shut us down by FINING us to death.
So I have a decision to make - a critical decision that could affect Campaign for Liberty’s very survival in the months ahead.
Do I fight on? Do I risk everything? Do I tell the statist IRS to go fly a kite?
Or should Campaign for Liberty just pay up, keep our head down, and hope this never happens again?
I need you to tell me what to do today.
In just a second, I’m going to give you a link to a Campaign for Liberty Supporter Ballot.
As you’ll see, there will only be two choices on the form - the only two choices I’m faced with today.
But before you decide, please let me explain everything that’s at stake . . .
As I mentioned, what the IRS wants is contributor information on Campaign for Liberty’s top donors, pointing to a rarely enforced and unconstitutional bureaucratic rule.
You see, as a 501(c)(4) organization under IRS law, all Campaign for Liberty contributor information is supposed to be confidential.
This is a critical protection I wholeheartedly support.
Privacy and liberty go hand-in-hand.
In fact, when Thomas Paine published his pamphlet Common Sense in 1776, he did so anonymously.
Forcing organizations like Campaign for Liberty to publicize donor information would have an incredibly chilling effect on political speech.
Many liberty-loving Americans would silence themselves for fear of becoming targets of political “retribution.”
And after the Obama IRS was caught red-handed targeting pro-limited government groups for harassment and intimidation, these fears could not be more well-founded.
So there’s no way I would ever just hand this kind of information over to these government bureaucrats. That’s not an option.
So when we filed annual reports with the IRS as required by law, we left this information off.
The IRS now claims that’s the reason we’re being fined!
But the truth is, years ago, after the NAACP complied with IRS demands and promptly saw their donor information publicized, the IRS has only occasionally sought to “enforce” their ridiculous rule.
The real reason they’re coming after Campaign for Liberty I’m afraid is something far more sinister.
After all, there’s no denying our Liberty Movement is growing.
Only a few years ago, you and I were barely a “blip” on the political screen.
But there’s no denying things have changed, when you consider:
***Today, we see a growing crop of new Liberty Movement supporters like Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) in the U.S. Senate;
***In the U.S. House, there’s Congressmen Justin Amash (R-MI) and Thomas Massie (R-KY).
***My son, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), is now considered a frontrunner for President in 2016!
***Audit the Fed is now a top issue in American politics;
***The bipartisan National Internet Tax Mandate and the National ID database scheme were supposed to sail through Congress, but you and I have so far held them both off;
***More and more Americans now oppose radical federal government spying programs and - as we saw with Syria - are more skeptical than ever of foreign military adventurism.
Liberty-minded Americans’ efforts are at the heart of all this success.
I’m convinced these are just the beginning stages of a massive nationwide R3VOLUTION that can usher in a new era of liberty and limited government in America.
That’s why we’re being targeted.
That’s why the statists in BOTH parties want so much to shut us up and shut us down.
I’m afraid, without your support today, they could very well get their wish.
I have no doubt if these ridiculous demands made it to court, Campaign for Liberty would win, hands down.
But I’m afraid that’s not what this is about.
Campaign for Liberty is run on a shoestring budget. We don’t have millions lying around in the bank.
This is about draining us.
This is about forcing me to take resources off of other critical programs just to keep our doors open.
That’s why I want so badly to just say “NO!”
But without an IMMEDIATE influx of funds, I’m afraid we’ll be sitting ducks.
I just won’t be able to pay for everything . . .
But the alternative could be worse.
Paying this outrageous extortionist fine - just to exercise our rights as American citizens to petition our government - may even be cheaper in the short run.
But it’ll just embolden an alphabet soup of other federal agencies to come after us.
This is the price you pay for daring to stand up to a federal government that wants to keep taxing, spending, and printing every American into the poorhouse.
So what do I do?
Won’t you please fill out your Campaign for Liberty Supporter Ballot right away?
I’m going to ask my staff to tally up the votes, and I will proceed as C4L’s generous members and supporters tell me to.
The decision is in your hands.
But if you tell me to fight, please realize this is serious.
Any potential legal fight is going to take money - money Campaign for Liberty does not have lying around.
So I must ask you to be as generous as you possibly can.
I must ask you to please agree to an emergency gift of $15.
I know that’s a lot.
But this is the IRS we’re talking about. This is not a game.
As I mentioned, this is one of the hardest letters I’ve ever had to send.
I have to ask all Campaign for Liberty supporters to go above and beyond what they’ve done in the past.
But if $15 is just too much, won’t you please agree to $10 or at least $5?
I’m anxiously awaiting your response.
This is not something I can just put off for a later day. I need to hear from you right away.
So please fill out your Campaign for Liberty Supporter Ballot and agree to your most generous gift of $15, $10, or at least $5 today.
For Liberty,
Ron Paul
Chairman
P.S. Just days ago, Campaign for Liberty received a letter fining us and DEMANDING we turn over sensitive contributor information to the IRS.
The statists’ goal is to cripple Campaign for Liberty and perhaps even force us to shut our doors.
So I need you to tell me what to do.
Below you’ll find a link to your Campaign for Liberty Supporter Ballot. Please tell me how I should respond to this new IRS threat.
And if you possibly can, please agree to your most generous gift of $15, $10, or at least $5 to help us be ready to fight back TODAY!
This is one of the toughest letters I’ve ever had to send.
For years, people have joked that the three most feared letters in the English language may well be these . . .
I – R – S.
But today, I’m not laughing.
Just days ago, the IRS handed Campaign for Liberty a hefty fine and DEMANDED we turn over sensitive contributor information.
If we don’t comply with the IRS’ outrageous demand for sensitive donor information, I’m afraid we’ll face additional fines that could cripple Campaign for Liberty and perhaps even force us to shut our doors.
But I’m not naïve. I know where this is headed.
The statists at the IRS know I’ll NEVER EVER turn over confidential information about Campaign for Liberty’s donors without a fight.
Instead, this is likely just the first in a long line of UNCONSTITUTIONAL and likely ILLEGAL “excuses” this rogue government agency will use to try to shut us up and shut us down by FINING us to death.
So I have a decision to make - a critical decision that could affect Campaign for Liberty’s very survival in the months ahead.
Do I fight on? Do I risk everything? Do I tell the statist IRS to go fly a kite?
Or should Campaign for Liberty just pay up, keep our head down, and hope this never happens again?
I need you to tell me what to do today.
In just a second, I’m going to give you a link to a Campaign for Liberty Supporter Ballot.
As you’ll see, there will only be two choices on the form - the only two choices I’m faced with today.
But before you decide, please let me explain everything that’s at stake . . .
As I mentioned, what the IRS wants is contributor information on Campaign for Liberty’s top donors, pointing to a rarely enforced and unconstitutional bureaucratic rule.
You see, as a 501(c)(4) organization under IRS law, all Campaign for Liberty contributor information is supposed to be confidential.
This is a critical protection I wholeheartedly support.
Privacy and liberty go hand-in-hand.
In fact, when Thomas Paine published his pamphlet Common Sense in 1776, he did so anonymously.
Forcing organizations like Campaign for Liberty to publicize donor information would have an incredibly chilling effect on political speech.
Many liberty-loving Americans would silence themselves for fear of becoming targets of political “retribution.”
And after the Obama IRS was caught red-handed targeting pro-limited government groups for harassment and intimidation, these fears could not be more well-founded.
So there’s no way I would ever just hand this kind of information over to these government bureaucrats. That’s not an option.
So when we filed annual reports with the IRS as required by law, we left this information off.
The IRS now claims that’s the reason we’re being fined!
But the truth is, years ago, after the NAACP complied with IRS demands and promptly saw their donor information publicized, the IRS has only occasionally sought to “enforce” their ridiculous rule.
The real reason they’re coming after Campaign for Liberty I’m afraid is something far more sinister.
After all, there’s no denying our Liberty Movement is growing.
Only a few years ago, you and I were barely a “blip” on the political screen.
But there’s no denying things have changed, when you consider:
***Today, we see a growing crop of new Liberty Movement supporters like Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) in the U.S. Senate;
***In the U.S. House, there’s Congressmen Justin Amash (R-MI) and Thomas Massie (R-KY).
***My son, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), is now considered a frontrunner for President in 2016!
***Audit the Fed is now a top issue in American politics;
***The bipartisan National Internet Tax Mandate and the National ID database scheme were supposed to sail through Congress, but you and I have so far held them both off;
***More and more Americans now oppose radical federal government spying programs and - as we saw with Syria - are more skeptical than ever of foreign military adventurism.
Liberty-minded Americans’ efforts are at the heart of all this success.
I’m convinced these are just the beginning stages of a massive nationwide R3VOLUTION that can usher in a new era of liberty and limited government in America.
That’s why we’re being targeted.
That’s why the statists in BOTH parties want so much to shut us up and shut us down.
I’m afraid, without your support today, they could very well get their wish.
I have no doubt if these ridiculous demands made it to court, Campaign for Liberty would win, hands down.
But I’m afraid that’s not what this is about.
Campaign for Liberty is run on a shoestring budget. We don’t have millions lying around in the bank.
This is about draining us.
This is about forcing me to take resources off of other critical programs just to keep our doors open.
That’s why I want so badly to just say “NO!”
But without an IMMEDIATE influx of funds, I’m afraid we’ll be sitting ducks.
I just won’t be able to pay for everything . . .
But the alternative could be worse.
Paying this outrageous extortionist fine - just to exercise our rights as American citizens to petition our government - may even be cheaper in the short run.
But it’ll just embolden an alphabet soup of other federal agencies to come after us.
This is the price you pay for daring to stand up to a federal government that wants to keep taxing, spending, and printing every American into the poorhouse.
So what do I do?
Won’t you please fill out your Campaign for Liberty Supporter Ballot right away?
I’m going to ask my staff to tally up the votes, and I will proceed as C4L’s generous members and supporters tell me to.
The decision is in your hands.
But if you tell me to fight, please realize this is serious.
Any potential legal fight is going to take money - money Campaign for Liberty does not have lying around.
So I must ask you to be as generous as you possibly can.
I must ask you to please agree to an emergency gift of $15.
I know that’s a lot.
But this is the IRS we’re talking about. This is not a game.
As I mentioned, this is one of the hardest letters I’ve ever had to send.
I have to ask all Campaign for Liberty supporters to go above and beyond what they’ve done in the past.
But if $15 is just too much, won’t you please agree to $10 or at least $5?
I’m anxiously awaiting your response.
This is not something I can just put off for a later day. I need to hear from you right away.
So please fill out your Campaign for Liberty Supporter Ballot and agree to your most generous gift of $15, $10, or at least $5 today.
For Liberty,
Ron Paul
Chairman
P.S. Just days ago, Campaign for Liberty received a letter fining us and DEMANDING we turn over sensitive contributor information to the IRS.
The statists’ goal is to cripple Campaign for Liberty and perhaps even force us to shut our doors.
So I need you to tell me what to do.
Below you’ll find a link to your Campaign for Liberty Supporter Ballot. Please tell me how I should respond to this new IRS threat.
And if you possibly can, please agree to your most generous gift of $15, $10, or at least $5 to help us be ready to fight back TODAY!
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Some things from Freedom Works
From Freedom Works:
Starting this year, the IRS will begin silencing grassroots conservatives.
The Obama administration proposed new rules that will make it illegal for non-profit groups like FreedomWorks to help citizens hold government accountable.
Before enacting these rules, the IRS is required to accept comments from the public. That means THIS is your opportunity to tell DC bureaucrats to stop silencing conservatives!
Watch the video and learn how to submit a comment to the IRS.
The proposed IRS rules are a direct attack on your freedom of speech. They will limit the ability of concerned citizens to contact their elected officials. They will make it harder for small tea party, 9/12, and school choice groups to organize. And they will make it easier for the IRS to silence conservatives across America.
It’s because of patriots like you that members of Congress are holding the line on issues like spending, ObamaCare, and NSA spying. Just as the IRS illegally targeted conservatives, now the agency is trying to silence our voice.
Free speech is a constitutional right. These new IRS rules will make it harder for grassroots conservatives to come together and hold their government accountable. They must be stopped.
We need to take the fight to the IRS directly. This is our government. We won’t be bullied and we won’t let THEM silence us!
To comment about IRS situtation
Onto other things:
It’s 2013 – do you know how your Congressmen voted last year?
Did your Senators stand with Ted Cruz in the fight to stop ObamaCare? Did your Representative join Justin Amash and vote to defund the NSA?
If you don’t know how your Congressmen voted, you can look it up on the FreedomWorks Score Card.
Last year saw plenty of big votes on ObamaCare, the national debt, the Farm Bill, and civil liberties. FreedomWorks kept careful track of every Congressman and Senator's votes in 2013. We compiled all the information on our Congressional Scorecard. And now, you can see if your representatives in Washington are as conservative as they claim!
The FreedomWorks Scorecard is your one-stop portal to see if your lawmakers were freedom fighters or Big Government stooges.
How they voted
Start Ending Government Waste in 2014
It’s a new year, and that means Sen. Tom Coburn’s released another edition of his Wastebook. Every year, the Oklahoma Senator documents 100 cases of inexcusable government waste. The list runs from pork-barrel projects for political cronies to projects that are downright silly and unnecessary.
Some of the most wasteful spending approved by Congress in 2013 included:
•$65 million spent on tourism during the Hurricane Sandy cleanup.
•$1.5 billion wasted on maintaining buildings the government no longer needs.
•$1.5 million given to Hollywood to help establish “authenticity.”
•$914,000 spent on studying romance stories on the internet.
•At least $379 million spent promoting ObamaCare, including the broken website.
Our federal government spends billions of taxpayer dollars on unnecessary programs like these every year. At a time when millions of regular Americans are cutting back, the federal government should to!
Sen. Coburn has already started fighting one wasteful project. He has co-sponsored a bill that puts a limit to spending on Congressional portraits. Some of these paintings cost as much as $50,000 – thats more than most Americans make in an entire year!
Contact your Senators and urge them to support the “Responsible Use of Taxpayer Dollars for Portraits Act.” This is a bipartisan effort to curb wasteful spending. And we can start the year off by saving taxpayer money!
Tell your Senators to support the “Responsible Use of Taxpayer Dollars for Portraits Act.”
End wasteful spending
Friday, June 7, 2013
The government is spying on you
From Demand Progress:
It's an outrage: The Guardian has obtained long sought-after evidence of the extent of ongoing spying on Americans under the PATRIOT Act -- and it's as bad as we'd worried.
The National Security Agency is currently collecting the telephone records of millions of US customers of Verizon, one of America's largest telecoms providers, under a top secret court order issued in April.
The order, a copy of which has been obtained by the Guardian, requires Verizon on an "ongoing, daily basis" to give the NSA information on all telephone calls in its systems, both within the US and between the US and other countries.
Click here to demand that the Congress investigate -- and put an end to -- this spying right away!
The government is continuing -- and expanding -- egregious spying and other infringement on our civil liberties that began under the Bush administration. And enough is enough!
Please sign on to our petition to the House Oversight Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee to demand an immediate investigation of this spying.
Just click here to tell Congress to investigate -- and end -- the spying right now!
Petition:click here
From Fight For The Future:
A leaked document proves that the US government is tracking call information and caller location for every American who uses Verizon. And probably every other carrier as well.
The top secret court ruling -- obtained by The Guardian -- shows that the NSA forced Verizon to hand over the records of every single customer’s phone calls “on an ongoing, daily basis.” Sounds like dystopian sci-fi? Read the ruling for yourself, it’s only 3 pages.
This confirms what we and other digital rights organizations have been saying for years: the U.S. Government’s domestic surveillance programs are completely out of control.
Help us send a message so strong it can’t be ignored. This indiscriminate spying on innocent Americans must stop immediately, and those responsible should be prosecuted for violating the Constitution.
The Obama administration responded this morning, saying it’s a tool to monitor “suspected terrorists”. But they weren’t monitoring terrorists; they were monitoring every Verizon customer and--most likely--every single American with a cellphone.
This new revelation could really be the last straw, the thing that grabs the public’s attention and catalyzes a new movement for protecting our Constitutional rights online. But tons of people still haven’t even heard the news.
We’ll be building out this site and adding updates all day. If you only take action on one thing this year, this should be it. This is outrageous and straight forward enough that your Grandma will want to sign it. Tell everyone. We need to draw a line in the sand to protect our rights.
More on this soon.
Sincerely,
Holmes Wilson
Fight for the Future
Petition:click here
It's an outrage: The Guardian has obtained long sought-after evidence of the extent of ongoing spying on Americans under the PATRIOT Act -- and it's as bad as we'd worried.
The National Security Agency is currently collecting the telephone records of millions of US customers of Verizon, one of America's largest telecoms providers, under a top secret court order issued in April.
The order, a copy of which has been obtained by the Guardian, requires Verizon on an "ongoing, daily basis" to give the NSA information on all telephone calls in its systems, both within the US and between the US and other countries.
Click here to demand that the Congress investigate -- and put an end to -- this spying right away!
The government is continuing -- and expanding -- egregious spying and other infringement on our civil liberties that began under the Bush administration. And enough is enough!
Please sign on to our petition to the House Oversight Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee to demand an immediate investigation of this spying.
Just click here to tell Congress to investigate -- and end -- the spying right now!
Petition:click here
From Fight For The Future:
A leaked document proves that the US government is tracking call information and caller location for every American who uses Verizon. And probably every other carrier as well.
The top secret court ruling -- obtained by The Guardian -- shows that the NSA forced Verizon to hand over the records of every single customer’s phone calls “on an ongoing, daily basis.” Sounds like dystopian sci-fi? Read the ruling for yourself, it’s only 3 pages.
This confirms what we and other digital rights organizations have been saying for years: the U.S. Government’s domestic surveillance programs are completely out of control.
Help us send a message so strong it can’t be ignored. This indiscriminate spying on innocent Americans must stop immediately, and those responsible should be prosecuted for violating the Constitution.
The Obama administration responded this morning, saying it’s a tool to monitor “suspected terrorists”. But they weren’t monitoring terrorists; they were monitoring every Verizon customer and--most likely--every single American with a cellphone.
This new revelation could really be the last straw, the thing that grabs the public’s attention and catalyzes a new movement for protecting our Constitutional rights online. But tons of people still haven’t even heard the news.
We’ll be building out this site and adding updates all day. If you only take action on one thing this year, this should be it. This is outrageous and straight forward enough that your Grandma will want to sign it. Tell everyone. We need to draw a line in the sand to protect our rights.
Sincerely,
Holmes Wilson
Fight for the Future
Petition:click here
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