Deckard1138 recently received a reply from Democrats Abroad which he wanted to share. His comments precede the letter. Perhaps we should give a letter/email blast another try?
I am thinking of adapting the letter to my Rep/Senators indicating that these harmful effects were damaging enough that I had to renounce my citizenship. Given the fact that this is due to the threat to my non-US family, perhaps it would be shocking enough to at least cause curiosity and hopefully, get past the “offshore tax cheat” label.
*******
Well, here’s something new from Democrats Abroad. While I do not agree with their premise that “To date, many of the harmful effects of federal laws and policies on Americans abroad have been unintentional”, I am heartened to hear that they are at least attempting to reach out for support from both parties, trying to “…get another dozen sponsors this year, including a few Republicans.”
If a critical mass of House sponsorship can be gathered then there is a chance that Congress might begin to wake-up and respond to the monster they’ve created. It’s been a terribly long time since that Carter-era commission looked at Americans abroad, so I think every effort should be made to bring that attention into the present where it is needed more than ever.
*******
Dear ————-,
There is legislation just filed in Congress that could be a game-changer for Americans living abroad.
That bill, House Resolution 597, the Commission on Americans Living Abroad Act, would require that the US Congress to systematically study the impact of government policies on the 6 million American citizens living abroad.
To date, many of the harmful effects of federal laws and policies on Americans abroad have been unintentional. With the passage HR 597 lawmakers would be much better informed about those unintended consequences. Congress would have a better idea of who we are, where we live, and the impact of Federal law on us on issues like taxation, immigration, voting rights, and access to financial institutions.
Our good friend in Congress, Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY and Chair of the Congressional Americans Abroad Caucus) said Americans living and working abroad “are our country’s informal ambassadors around the globe and help strengthen the U.S. economy and promote American influence. Their concerns about how their government interacts with them deserve to be heard — and paid attention to — here in Washington.”
Representative Maloney just introduced HR 597 with Reps. Honda (D-CA) and Napolitano (D-CA) as co-sponsors. The bill was first introduced in the last Congress, but it did not get on any Committee agenda for lack of multiple co-sponsors. A reasonable strategy for Democrats Abroad would be to get another dozen sponsors this year, including a few Republicans.
Congresswoman Maloney is now seeking co-sponsorship for the bill from other members of the House — on both sides of the aisle! We need your help. Contact your representatives to help in the cause. A letter from you now, asking your Representative to sponsor HR 597, will help move the bill through the legislative process.
A short letter will be enough to draw attention to this important bill. Here’s an example:
“Dear Mr./Mrs/Miss ___________: As one of your constituents, I ask that you co-sponsor bill HR 597, the Commission on Americans Living Abroad Act, to examine the range of issues faced by the 6 million Americans who live outside the United States. Such a Commission would be extremely helpful in recognizing our contribution to the American political process and the U.S. economy. I am a proud US citizen living in ________ (your country).” It’s always a good idea to add a personal appeal, if you have time.
If you do not know the name of your Representative or his or her address, please go to http://www.house.gov/ and submit your U.S. voting address. Address the letter to The Honorable ___________, United States House of Representation, Washington. DC 20515
Help us get HR 597 passed. It’s our time to show who we are as U.S. citizens abroad.
Best wishes,
Kenneth Sherman,
International Chair.
To Mike Honda: 民主党がアメリカの捕虜収容所に抑留されたまだサポートし民主党の理想のために働きます。あなたは抑圧について話まだ他の国でアメリカの金融抑圧をサポートします。民主党の指名を放棄してないで、あなただけに加担されます。絶対にない名誉。それは恥ずかしさにすべての日本語アメリカ人です。
(You were interned in an internment camp in America by democrats yet you support and work for the ideals of the Democratic party. You talk about oppression yet support the financial oppression of Americans in other countries. By not renouncing your Democratic nomination, you are just as complicit. Absolutely no honor. It is an embarassment to all Japanese-Americans.)
Addressing Mike Honda in gibberish (machine-translated?) Japanese doesn’t seem called for.
Prognosis for S. 268
4% chance of getting past committee.
1% chance of being enacted.
Only 12% of Senate bills made it past committee and only 2% were enacted in 2011–2013.
Prognosis for H. R. 597
1% chance of getting past committee.
0% chance of being enacted.
Only 11% of House bills made it past committee and only 2% were enacted in 2011–2013.
@Just Me, ah, don’t you just feel the love? The members of the demorepublican dictatorship made a royal fuss because Hagel didn’t demonstrate enough loyalty to Israel. Yet, what do they do for American citizens living abroad? Absolutely nothing.
Foo. If you truly think that throwing your support behind a bill that would be chaired by 4 Democrats who are sitting at the lap of Obama, will help matters. Then I’ll happily sell you Confederation Bridge for $250M.
After all, I could use that kind of money. As for me, I do not trust anything swathed in Democratic colors. Wakarimasu ka!?
By the way my mother spent WWII in a Canadian version of the Japanese internment camps thanks to Canada’s version of the Democratic Party (the Liberals). Considering Roosevelt was a Democrat and signer of the bill that forced Japanese Americans into places like Tule Lake and Manzanar, I find it sickening to see the overwhelming support for the Democrats by members of the Japanese-American community. To not remember what the DemocRats did to them and blindly follow Obama and rejoice is a spit in the face of their parents who went through that!
I was addressing Honda as an internment survivor who has gone to the Democratic Party to gain office as a Senator. As a relative of an internment survivor I can comment on his hypocrisy. There is a Japanese saying “mekura no kaki nozoki”. Bluntly put it means “don’t criticize what you know nothing of”. That I direct to you.
*The Democratic Party が ア メ リ カ の xenoliths suppresses shelters に さ れ the ta Mada サ ポ ー Suites し の Democratic Party ideals の た め に 働 ki ます on. Seest thou ta は the suppression pressure に つ い て then Mada の で ア the the メ リ カ の financial suppression, THANK ポ, pressure を ー Suites し ます on. The Democratic Party し て な い で の named を give up, Seest thou ta da ke ni plus supported さ れ ます on. Must 対 に な い honorary.そ れ し さ は the shame ず ka ni-su べ て の the Japanese ア メ リ カ the です.*
I don’t understand, Google can’t do any better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kecWxjx05Sk
US Supreme Court to hear voting rights case.
Well, if there are problems between the federal government and the states about US resident voters, what luck could we possibly have from abroad?
The_Animal, I have no illusions that this bill is likely to get passed, and that even if it does, that it will make one bit of difference to our lives. But anything that raises visibility cannot hurt.
As for Mike Honda, I actually knew nothing about him, not having followed American politics much for a couple of decades now, but just looked on his website:
“My parents raised me talking about the injustices of camp, how it was a violation of the Constitution, and how Japanese Americans had been mistreated. I’ve since followed in their footsteps by advocating for social justice and publically serving communities that do not have a voice. The reason we were sent to camp is because no one in Washington said no. I’m here in Congress to make sure that never happens again to any community in America.”
If he means what he says, he should be on our side.
As for as attacking him for not having exactly the beliefs that you think he should have based on his background and experience, all I can say is that I have seen that kind of thing before in lots of different contexts, and at best it constitutes a divide-and-conquer own-goal.
@SwissPinoy
Yup… really feeling the love!! LOL and so will a lot of those Israelis that will be getting extra attention from the IRS.
The Business Insider published an article against S. 268.
No comments…. it speaks for itself.
http://www.businessinsider.com/from-the-man-who-brought-you-the-indefinite-military-detention-clause-2013-2
Foo, he should be on our side, but the simple fact that the Democratic party through history has done nothing but subjugate those less fortunate is traced throughout the American past and that Japanese Americans in an overwhelming majority would support the administration of one dedicated to destroying personal wealth. . Yes, I think he’s a hypocrite. I’m not sorry if you think I’m divisive. If this bill was to be properly adjudicated, there should be Republicans on the panel. The operative word should be “hope” that it is passed, that the United States government should be able to get their heads out of their asses collectively and realize the dream upon which the United States was originally built. “The right to freedom, the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (of which being able to earn an honest day’s wage for an honest day’s work is one of those pursuits).
Frankly I’m fed up with the people in the United States (brain-dead homelanders is what I call them). All they seem to be interested in is whether “we’ve paid our taxes”. The point that I am making is: legistlation or no legislation, if the government is not willing to represent those who pay taxes, is not willing to provide the services for which we (those who live in foreign lands) pay taxes to said government, and is not willing to turn anything but a deaf ear to those disenfranchised citizens, then they have absolutely no right to OUR money. Like it or not, those are my views. Shikata ga nai, eh?
I’m new to this site and to the whole concept of posting on the web. Not sure if I’m doing this right but thought I’d give it a try. I am totally frustrated with how the US is treating its citizens abroad. While I don’t have much hope that this HR 597 will actually happen, I do agree that something must be done to try and get more visibility within Congress. If we could have someone from ACA and maybe at least one other overseas American on the TAP that could
help in the future.
@ Just Me … @ Star
I too am afraid of raising my head but as Just Me has so eloquently stated “Fear has its consequences also. I don’t discount it. I too have felt it! However, if no one will stand up and try, then all have to accept the consequences of those non actions.”
Can you please tell me if a bit more about using PopVox? Do I need to provide my name or other identifying info (real email address)?
@albatross
I hear you! 🙂 Yes, you have to register with them, and provide details as in your last address or phone number when living in the states. I use the one I have used for years and years for mail purposes and to vote. The site allows you to vote your support or disapproval of the legislation, and send a message, (limited characters) to your Congressman about your feelings on this legislation or why it is important to you.
Now, I am not sure how they could possibly know if it is your real name or not, and I doubt staffers have any means of looking at comments and comparing to registration rolls to decide whether or not to discount a comment, so I think you get my drift.
The main thing is, this doesn’t go to the IRS, and it doesn’t mean that you are non compliant or anything. It just, in a small way, gives you an easy route to express an opinion directly to those that vote on these matters. It is easier than writing your own letter, or going onto the Congressman’s web site, although you can do that too.
Additionally, it is a very easy entry portal for following a piece of legislation through the committee process and see what is happening with it. Something we all should be doing more of these days. One of the benefits of the internet, is a BIG window into the legislative process has opened with sites like this. That was not available just a very few years ago.
And finally, welcome to IBS and being willing to post a comment. We all had to start somewhere at sometime, and your views, fears, comments are welcome. It is a pretty open dialog here, and high tolerance for contra opinions, views and even strong language, although I personally feel it is better to try to stay moderate in tone (not always successful), as it reaches the broadest audience. However, others are very frustrated, and justifiably so, and that does get expressed here, so hopefully you have high tolerances and not easily offended. It is a good bunch commenting regularly, and you can learn a lot. I know I do. Cheers
I was going to send another message, just for the heck of it, but PopVox only lets me send one. Bummer!
I find it easier to send just to send emails to my reps and Senators, per the instructions on their web sites. Calling helps. I had great luck with visits to their offices.
@Mark Twain, I like posting in papers and PopVox to support American surfs. It is they who read my writings. As a non-US citizen, the royalties ruling the the demorepublican monarchy don’t know that I exist and wouldn’t care if they did.
For example, I helped to defend Americans in Dubai today from the reckless threats of profit-hungry US tax preparers. There are two other comments so far:
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/american-expats-warned-against-tax-non-compliance-1.1152015
The_Animal,
“The point that I am making is: legistlation or no legislation, if the government is not willing to represent those who pay taxes, is not willing to provide the services for which we (those who live in foreign lands) pay taxes to said government, and is not willing to turn anything but a deaf ear to those disenfranchised citizens, then they have absolutely no right to OUR money. Like it or not, those are my views. Shikata ga nai, eh?”
I don’t think you’ll get much disagreement here. The way the US is treating its citizens abroad is exactly the sort of thing that led to the formation of the US in the first place. So it is not only wrong, but hypocritical to boot.
@SwissPinoy…
Thanks for the alert on that UAE piece. What a beauty it was. I posted a comment too, but it has not shown up. It said it was accepted, and did not say anything about moderation, but will save it here for later use…..
What?! …. Are these attorneys on the IRS payroll, or do they just see big fees in compliance services?
Virginia , PLEASE leave that “Fair Share” meme back on the homeland shores of US partisan rhetoric. What constitutes “fair share?” Very subjective, and as a qualified US tax attorney with the Dubai-based Far East Management Consultants, you should know better. You must be a Democrat, eh?
-When you don’t have a logical argument for why something is so, you resort to subjective view points about tax obligations. Isn’t it enough just to say, as a requirement of US Citizenship, or holding a US Greencard, your income is taxed no matter where you live on our little blue globe. You need to add nothing more than that!
-This is NOT a ‘Fair Share” argument. It is a discussion about a ridiculous requirement that one is obligated to comply with, if they are to remain a U.S. Citizen, or green card holding “U.S. Person,” by IRS definition.
-UAE does not place this requirement on their citizens, if it was so ‘fair’ of a practice, why don’t they follow it?
-US Persons do have a very unique Citizenship taxation requirement that goes along with club membership. It extracts more than it’s ‘fair share’ of taxes and penalties out of other countries treasuries and economy. It also extracts more than its “fair share” of your personal life credit units (LCUs) (a tax on your life) which is required to fill out all the complex forms like FBAR and FATCA forms, and other 1040 filing requirements like forms 3520, 2555, or 1116.
-It also reaches into your pocket to pay high priced attorneys and CPAs (like those commenting in this article) for help figuring out all the complicated tax filing requirements, and that is a tax too. It is more than homelanders have to pay for tax advice. How ‘fair’ is that?
-Citizenship taxation is an imperial action that reaches beyond American shores and taxes not based upon governments services provided, but taxes based upon a birth lottery. Now how ‘fair’ is that, exactly, since you like the word ‘fair’?
-While it is true, that “U.S. Persons” have been facing an IRS jihad for the past 4 years, and now, as of January 28th, face the hard reality of a final FATCA Fatwah. Of course, so do the UAE financial Institutions if they are going to be compliant and not subject to a 30% withholding extortion regime the US came up with to enforce it. How ‘fair’ is that?
-All of this has happened in since Nobel Peace Prize winner Obama became the offshore drone president. While his actual drones may be fairly precise, the FATCA ‘shock and awe’ weapon is carpet bombing the world with lots of unintended consequences. Is that ‘fair’?
-Now US Persons have some very hard decisions to make regarding compliance with their masters on a distant shore. Upon reflection, many are realizing, that this US ‘Tax, Form and Penalty Club’ with FBAR, FATCA and 1040 re-occurring assessments may not be worth the cost anymore. What’s the benefit, is the question on many Expat minds?
Do you still want to talk ‘fair’? Well, How ‘fair’ is it that US offshore tax policies designed to stop Homeland Americans from moving money to tax havens offshore, is now being used as an excuse to make American living abroad the newest toxic asset with business and banks not wanting them for partners or clients.
I mean, would you advise an UAE company to have an American be their CFO and have signing authority on all their bank accounts? These would then be reportable to the International Revenue Service for all transactions and high aggregate balances via FATCA and FBAR reporting. If you would, you would be negligent in such advice.
So, there is nothing ‘fair’ about how the US imposes its self in imperial fashion upon the rest of the world, and there is nothing ‘fair’ about requiring UAE financial Institutions to be the IRS tax spy and collector, at their own expense.
So, let’s just leave that ‘fair meme’ alone, shall we?
Ooof! Looks like I missed a lot!
Well, now that I’m caught up, I’m still going to say that there’s no way I’m sticking my neck out. I trust no one over there. Not the Democrats, not the Republicans, and not with the fear and paranoia induced post 9/11 mindset that exists in America.
As for all of this talk about Japanese American internment camps…. C’mon! Seriously?!? That shit happened around 70 years ago! That tragic event was over once World War II was over, and though it was bad that Americans had prison camps, the Germans, and the Japanese certainly had them as well. So did the Soviets as well. There were internment camps in Canada, even. But that was war, and that war has been over for a long, long time! How many people that have fought that war, and have lived through it are even alive still?
Frankly, if I was an American abroad that was fighting for the dignity and respect that I wasn’t getting from my own country, I can’t find for the life of me figure out how speaking about interment camps for imprisoning Japanese Americans from a time long since gone could even be relevant to the discussion. Maybe I’ve missed something in the discussion, but personally, I would much rather share my own stories of going through what could be construed as abuse with other like minded people, and how I feel alienated from the American way because of this abuse, even though my stories aren’t really so much centred around tax oppression as it is about intimidation. But FATCA tax policies are just as intimidating, and not just for us oppressed tax chattel, too.
That is what’s on my mind tonight.
@mjh49783
I haven’t been following the discussion on Japanese interment camps closely, but I can infer that even though those actions were 70 years ago, the impacts, psychologically, remain until this day. So I understand the relevance from that perspective. I can empathize with people recalling the time when other government actions impacted them or their families, similar as FATCA and the IRS offshore jihad may be discussed 30, 40, 50 years from now. When current IBS members look back at this time and recall how bad government policy dramatically impacted their lives and forced on them decisions they would rather not have had to make, it sticks with you. You may still be reliving it long after you have moved on with life. Those are the times you long for a mild case of alzheimer’s 🙂
@Just Me, excellent comment! My comment appeared after at least 6 hours, so hopefully they’ll post it later.
@SwissPinoy
If mine isn’t posted in 6 hours or less, then I haven’t had my “fair share” of comment opportunity! 🙂 I should have pared it down, but that “fair share” meme, sends me ballistic!
@mjh49783,
A long time ago? Well, many Americans still remember and/or commemorate the Civil War, the Great Depression, the Dustbowl, WW2, the Korean War, etc. Would the experience of having the US government act to have all of your family’s belongings and property confiscated, being labelled enemies and worse, and being interned involuntarily be forgettable? Should it be forgotten? See research on the aftereffects: http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/history/health.html There is the saying “”Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (George Santayana http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_of_Reason ).
American citizens of Japanese descent, and those in Canada too, were not at war. They were trying to live ordinary lives just like their fellow Americans – and that is despite the discrimination and organized barriers they already were facing from the US government prior to the war “… Unlike European immigrants, all Japanese immigrants to the United States were considered “aliens ineligible to citizenship” until 1952. Because of this, they could not vote. Asian Americans also experienced segregated schools…” http://spice.stanford.edu/docs/136#Rights Some sources state that over 60% incarcerated in the camps were US citizens. Half were children, and many were women – hardly a realistic threat http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/history/index.html . There is no excuse for the internments and the confiscations.
See: …”At the time, Executive Order 9066 was justified as a “military necessity” to protect against domestic espionage and sabotage. However, it was later documented that “our government had in its possession proof that not one Japanese American, citizen or not, had engaged in espionage, not one had committed any act of sabotage.” (Michi Weglyn, 1976).
Rather, the causes for this unprecedented action in American history, according to the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, “were motivated largely by racial prejudice, wartime hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.”…… from http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/history/index.html
Some of the neighbours of the internees were happy to have them removed – due to racism and greed (see http://www.pbs.org/thewar/at_home_civil_rights_japanese_american.htm ) .Other Americans managed to acquire the property and goods which were forfeit, at a steep discount. Once a country rationalizes involuntary imprisonment, confiscation of assets, and worse, suspending due process and the civil rights protections, they can do it again – to anyone. “To this day, it is difficult for Japanese Americans to reconcile how the only country they knew, and a democratic one, could incarcerate them because of their ancestry.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/27/japanese-american-internm_n_1304668.html
Who would forget being imprisoned or interned? Who would forget being incarcerated or punished merely because of national origin and ancestry? What a mockery of the constitution http://amhistory.si.edu/perfectunion/experience/index.html .