I have been reading and thinking about the discussion on the recent CBC story and share the frustrations that many have with media in Canada or America who just don’t seem to get the narrative right (from our POV) when it comes to US Expat citizenship taxation, Voluntary Disclosure programs, or offshore accounts issues (FATCA). It is very hard for us as individuals to get Journalist or Editors attention, have them adopt our narratives, and only occasionally do we have minor success on the fringes like here and here.
I wished I had the magic answer, or some profound insight as how to solve this problem. We must recognize that even organizations like ACA who have been at this for years and years have a hard time getting MSM attention on their many efforts. However, I would like to venture a suggestion of another painful drudgery (I am into drudgery) that can bear fruit….
Persistence
Roger Conklin is an example of this with his success in getting a WSJ letter to the editor posted both on the web and added in the print addition. I was amazed that he was able to get the attention of the Editors of a well respected national paper that is read by many policy makers and people of influence in the US. Was this a fluke, special eloquence, or something simpler…… persistence?
What many of you don’t know, is that in spite his years, and his personal difficulties at home, he is persistence with his writing and commenting at major US new media, like the Wall Street Journal. I have been following those comments for quite some time now. In fact that is how I discovered him and encouraged him to come over to Isaac Brock Society and make some comments here. Renouceuscitizenship, picked up on his back ground and highlighted his perspective in the post titled US Citzenship based taxation harms US Economy .
I have noticed how through the persistence of his civil commentary on any article even remotely addressing trade and tax policy, that there are more and more commentators responding to him and picking up or confirming his themes.
Here is the lastest example of the comment thread that is running on the current WSJ article called Fade in China, Made in America. Start reading the comments from a day ago from Arron Brown.
Consistent Talking Point
I would venture the thought, that it is Roger’s persistence in repeating the export job loss and trade deficit angle over and over and over again in the comment sections is why the WSJ responded to his letter to the editor and decided to publish it over the hundreds of other letters they must receive. In addion, just like a politician with a “Talking Point“, Roger hammers home consistently on the theme that the US citizenship model is damaging on US Trade policy, creates US Trade deficits and hurts export jobs created in the homeland.
That is a theme, talking point if you like, that resonates more in the US media, than our perceived whinging about the unfairness of the IRS tax jihad that is directed against homeland tax cheats and evaders, but impacts us instead. It is hard to get any attention or sympathy out of self-centered Americans, (or Canadians) who I would venture a guess, don’t care about our problems unless it is perceived to be harming them. Then it gets their attention.
Non partisan civility and echo chambers
In this day and age of partisan politics with hyperbolic blogs, and name calling commentary on the web, I think we have to recognize that to reach outside our blog, you have to be perceived as non partisan and have a civil presentation. I fail at that all the time! Grrrr me.
We have to be honest with ourselves, and recognize that our blog here, is a bit of an echo chamber. Even with it’s ever increasing readership, and sometimes spirited but civil disagreements, we have to find ways to reach outside it better to get the infamous “Lame Stream Media’s” attention. (Can’t believe I am going to use a Palin quip, but it works! )
I don’t have the answers on how to do this best. I am not a media consultant, didn’t play one in a movie, nor am I especially astute or insightful when it comes to these things. What I do try to do is observe what seems to “work”, and then try that over and over and over. Right now, I have been observing Roger’s comment model of a defined talking point, a targeted media outlet like the WSJ, and his persistent facts and figures presentation which has an even, civil tone.
In some ways, maybe we need a media consultant to help us fine tune our message for the press. We need a consistent Talking Point that works. We need a Frank Luntz amongst us to help us with the key language of our message. Anger and passions works sometimes to generate attention, but I think we have to also look at the role of persistence, use of key language, well structured talking points plus civility if you want get a message into the MSM media.
We may or may not like it, but “pro-life” and “death tax” are examples of deliberate language choices made by activist to better shape a message that a certain group wants in the public debate. It works. I am not sure what works for us, but even the term US Expat may be the wrong language for self identification if it triggers the wrong response in the hearer. If it conjures up an image of someone slightly exotic, rich, devious tax evader and/or non patriotic, then it fails. Victoria has eloquently discussed the perceptions vs the actual in Day in the life of the US Emigrant
Media Experimentation
Since Isaac Brock doesn’t really have a media arm or an over arching media strategy, it is upon us individually to experiment with many things even if the first efforts are imperfect and not finally tuned. Try something, and if it doesn’t work, incrementally adjust it and try again. There are many resources these days in our interconnected world that we can use. This blog is one of the excellent ones, but old style letters and emails, new style social media (even though personally, I hate facebook), and seemingly trivial 140 character Twitter tweets can have effect. (I am still experimenting with it.) There are other internet sites like Reddit, which many media use now to find hot topics, so I have started to experiment there too. I decided last night to post the CBC story there and observe what does or not happen. Not a huge success, but there are 11 likes, and 1 dislike so that is 12 more people outside our echo chamber that now know something about the subject and would never have found the story without that post.
I am sure there are many many other information sharing avenues out there. I haven’t been putting a lot of time into finding them, but I probably should. It may take 1000 of them, before one gets real attention or yields positive results, but that brings us back to the persistence angle. The drudgery of persistence.
Like I have said, I am into drudgery as it overcomes my many other inadequacies, and heaven knows I have my share of them. I may not have personal connections. I may not be politically correct. I may not be a good lobbyist. I may not have an expert knowledge base. I may not be eloquent, or I maybe too wordy with what I write. We all have our individual weakness, and in spite of mine, Drudgery is something I can do. And boy do I do it! 🙂 It can over come a lot of short falls. You just have to tediously try over and over and over and over and over and over and over. Keep throwing things up against the wall until you find something that sticks, and then repeat it.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say.
Now, none of this has yet resulted in the type of media narrative that Wondering has suggested, but it is something to ponder. I welcome more comments, observations, suggestions and criticisms from many of the fine minds that contribute here. Let’s learn from each other how to be more effective in our fragmented media outreach and maybe use this thread as a medium to share what is working or not working from each of our efforts.
Thank you.
@Victoria…
I think you have the eloquence, and the style of writing that could construct something that would be read and resonant with a French readership. I encourage you to go for it. You are already public with your blog, so why not? And if it falls flat, so what? You made the effort, and that is what counts. Continue to mull it over, and whatever decision you come to, I for one support you!
Just a media update. Thought you might be interested in some of the comments Roger and I are making in response to a Wall Street Journal article called.
Romney vs. Obama on Corporate Tax Reform
There are 85 comments there, so not a whole lot of visibility, but at least the comments on these types of articles tend to be more thought provoking, and more serious readers express opinions. I always learn something new. Roger’s are the most recent ones, and I added a reply in support of him. Also he and I have made comments in response to a LOYD ESKILDSON on page two of the comments.
You might think that this is wasted time, and can’t possibly do anything of value. I have to admit that sometimes that may be true, but unless you put contra opinions or perspectives into the conversation, your voice never gets heard, so I plod on when and where I can.
@Just Me – personally, I don’t think it’s a waste of time, I think we need to get our opinions out there, and everywhere we possibly can find to do so. So, thank you for doing that, personally I would not feel qualified to comment on this one, so I’m glad you and Roger are taking the charge on it.
@Outragec…
I don’t feel qualified, either, but do take the opportunity to get the Citizenship taxation message or Tax Complexity issue into the conversation stream even if the article only obliquely applies to the subject. Again, the objective is get the more ‘thoughtful” readers to consider something they may not have thought about before.
Roger keeps the dialog going on the Wall Street Journal..
Jackie Bugnion of ACA weighs in on the Wall Street Journal discussion.
Roger adds a reply
Here’s an important and infuriating Letter to the Editor published in the Miami Herald today from the acting assistant secretary for tax policy of the U S Treasury Department, Emily McMahon. It is on today’s Opinion Page with a bold print title.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/15/2695864/offshore-depositors-wont-be-hurt.html.
From the article in the Miami Herald above:
“Second, Rubio and Posey express concern that the information banks report might be shared with corrupt foreign governments, thereby putting depositors’ safety at risk.”
…Just how I view the US government from the perspective of FATCA: greedy, corrupt, foreign and with absolutely no right to have any of the information that they are demanding, whilst at the same time putting my financial security and stability at risk.
@all
In my weekend reading today, I came across this article in the CostaRica News..
Fat Cats and FATCA: A Warning for Retirees
It was a pretty good warning to those living the idillyic life, that something was a foot that they better pay attention to.
It was written by a Kat Sunlove, who has a blog here…
I couldn’t help myself, so I picked the first thread and sent her this message…
My comment is under moderation, so will see what her response is, but some others might want to encourage her about her efforts to assure that more retirees don’t get caught in IRS nets…
Kat,
This probably is not the right place for this, but I wanted to commend you on your article in the CostaRica News and so I have chosen the first thread I saw. I apologize for this, but you have done a great service with your article and I wanted to compliment you.
This final comment of yours ” Failure to do so could put a real financial damper on your retirement.” qualifies as one of the understatements of the past 3 year IRS jihad. 🙂
http://thecostaricanews.com/fat-cats-and-fatca-a-warning-for-retirees/10683
Yours was a good warning for those retirees who may not be paying attention to the fact that the IRS started out in 2009 with a hunt for USB cheats in the Homeland, and has now extended that search on a world wide basis for all Expat Citizens that either didn’t know about the fact that the US taxes are forever, until you either renounce citizenship or die. It doesn’t matter where in the world or universe you live.
Also, the use of the FBAR form to hammer Minnows with severe penalties for just being benignly in non compliance is unconscionable, and now with FATCA form 8938, they have upped the ante.
All of this is compliments of Senator Carl Levin, who has teamed up with the IRS to have these types of provisions added as amendments to bills of unrelated items, like FATCA being added to the Hire Act in 2010 without debate or discussion. No cost vs benefit analysis done!
Just the other day he added the Son of Fatca, SA1818 in the Surface Transportation bill, to force financial institutions into compliance by threatening not allow their credit cards and debit cards to be used in the US. What will that impact be on foreign tourism to America?
The guy has gone mad in his search for homeland cheats, and seems totally oblivious to the unintended consequences and damage he is doing world wide.
ACA is doing their best to lobby and get attention, but the US has become the bully in the school yard and is able to impose its regulations on the world’s financial industry without regard to other countries sovereignty, laws or privacy statutes. It wants information on ALL you US person retirees in Costa Rica, and the banks better turn you over to them!
The only country that I see so far, that is actively resisting the US, is Canada. I would recommend that you add to your reading list, Isaac Brock.com to stay current with the battle that is shaping up there. They too follow ACA and have many contributors to their blog, with a lot of US expats actively working to divorce themselves of American Citizenship. Very sad it has come to that.
Also, just so your Costa Rica National friends know, the IRS is also trying to force US banks to report all non resident depositors to them, so that they can turn that information over to Costa Rica Tax authorities. Say what?
If you are not aware of this issue, I would encourage you to read this post, and then go to the two Miami Articles and read them and the comments.
http://isaacbrocksociety.com/2012/03/17/dualing-editorials-datca-vs-fatca/
All the best, and good work on that story. The more Americans / US persons that wake up to what is happening, the more the push back and the less the potential damage to America.
Right now the IRS is doing great harm to many Minnows who made the mistake of entering their offshore voluntary disclosure process, called the OVDI. If you are not aware of that one, that is another area that you need to learn about and warn your readers.
Thanks for letting me intrude into your idyllic life there, but compliance and complexity of US tax codes takes a little shine off the retirement. I know, as I live in New Zealand.
Cheers
Financial News:
Fatca hangs heavily over asset managers
https://twitter.com/#!/FBAR_Compliant/status/181677135671476224
FATCA and Hedge Funds: The Taxman Cometh, This Time with a Passport
KPMG Hedge Fund Tax Expert David Richardson Looks at FATCA Through the Lens of Hedge Fund Managers and Their Investors.
This is in the “carrying water for the IRS” under the guise of informational Q & A. Actually, more akin to drumming up business. The FATCA/IRS/Accounting firms/practitioner complex is well on it’s way to formation.
I just came down off the scaffolding where I am gluing in some laminates on a rotting beam to post this comment to you that read this thread.
I just heard this story on NPR’s morning edition, from the Planet Money team on the history of income tax.
From Abe Lincoln To Donald Duck: History Of The Income Tax
I quickly posted a comment asking for more discussion on how the Citizenship taxation model came to be, and the negative impacts of that policy on current export job creation…
Below is the link, and I see their are 78 comments so far.
All comments are put through moderation, so mine is not yet visible, but it was civil, and no links, so it should show up, I would think…
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/03/22/149058446/from-abe-lincoln-to-donald-duck-history-of-the-income-tax
I would encourage others of you to make some civil comments about the negative impacts of citizenship taxation, or ask for more coverage of the issue and how it is impacting US competitiveness or how the IRS hunt for offshore accounts is impact citizens around the world. This is an opportunity to communicate these issues to a progressive set of readers!
Also, for those of you who twitter….You can find them here…
@planetmoney
@just me, I see your comment, thank you! I will figure out how to register in order to add something.
A new WSJ media story allowing opportunities for input of our POV.
Roger has already been at it, again, and I recommend his comments to you, as well as Patric Hale and a Geoff Aronson.
There are only 20 comments on the story, so not too hard to get through and see what merits your recommendation and attention…
Story name…
Asia’s Endangered Species: The Expat
http://on.wsj.com/GYLZZx
Just updating with links to recent Media stories so I have one place to go back to…
New Accounting Today story on NY State appeal for FATCA penalty changes and new rules..
I posted comments..
Americans Beware, the Tax Man cometh by David Jolly…
Plea for more comments on NYTs blog
Reuters Story on US Citizens Renouncing.
Two Stories on Nina Olson of the TAS
1040 reasons to know Nina..
The People versus the IRS…
I am sure I have missed some, but if any one else has others, feel free to drop them into comments here…
Thnx…
Again, when it comes to comments let me repeat what I said elsewhere….
I just hope more folks will make the effort to make comments online. I know it seems almost fruitless sometimes, as who will notice or care….but, the point I think we sometimes miss, is the comment as feedback to the Journalist, is almost a medal of sorts that says this story resonants with my readers. Maybe I should maintain an interest and write more in the future.
If no one bothers to say anything, the author might shrug and think they will look for another subject next time. They don’t report just for altruist purposes. They have egos too, and like to see that their stories have “purchase” with the readers they are trying to reach.
Comments are the direct feedback these days that the media of old did not have. It has become the “coin of the media realm.” They feel like a winner if they stir a lot of feedback or lots of twitter traffic. It goes into their journalistic “relevance bank account”, so to speak. That is why I have made much more of an effort than I ever would have in the past even at the expense of LCUs. First I didn’t out of fear, and then I didn’t out of complacency, and finally when I begin to look at it as “tipping” for service, I have kept it up as much as time allows. And if comments aren’t available, I try to direct email the author(s) with a compliment. That works too! Not always, but enough times that it will surprise you. Honey gets the fly, as they say.
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The only way the average American can really relate to this issue and get it right is if you make everybody pay taxes in each and every state they ever lived at – forever! Regardless of how long they lived there and regardless of where they live today!
….Each and every state IN the US of course, and as you know each state has different tax. Now let’s see if people will take this bs…