FATCA Fact Sheet Anti-FATCA Slogans Protest Press Release
AtticusinCanada has received an official permit to protest on Parliament Hill Oct. 16, 2013, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.! We will meet at 9 a.m. in front of Parliament Hill and proceed to the Hill itself once we have a reasonably sized group. Families and even children are welcome if you feel they are old enough! We ask that everyone bring their own sign. A good idea would be to email AtticusinCanada with the slogans you would like to use, so we have as few duplicates as possible.
First posted on September 11, 2013
The mini-protest in Ottawa on Sept 9, 2013, garnered some well needed media attention. Just imagine how much we could achieve if more Brockers joined forces for a larger protest at parliament hill this fall!
Many of us believe that a formal announcement of an IGA for FATCA is just around the corner. It’s time to ramp up with the push back. The letter writing and emailing to our elected representatives has been great, and some illuminating articles have been written by Lynne and Victoria, but we need to do more.
Atticusincanada and I would like to be the drivers towards organizing a larger protest, but first we need to gather enough participants. For those Brockers who can commit to coming to Ottawa for a day, and would like to join us, please email Atticusincanada at atticusincanada@gmail.com.
Here is a thought…
If you want to make FATCA have an impact WITHIN the USA….you might want to educate AARP…or try the magazine…to get the most exposure…
After all, there are many 50 year plus US citizens that plan to retire oversees…like in Costa Rica…and won’t they be surprised that their banking may become extremely hard to deal with…this would put pressure on any investment for the future in a foreign land…like that beach front retirement villa…
I would think this is right up the alley for Blaze and Victoria…
@WhiteKat, no I didn’t mean downgrade the impacts. I was refering to your self-deprecating comment calling your own valid objections a “rant”. We must start with the view that our cause is righteous and we should therefore make no apologies–not even self-deprecating ones.
Benedict arnold, I had thought about contacting AARP some time ago. It’s a good idea!
However, right now for me at least the focus is keeping this abomination out of Canada.
Regarding a second protest possibly in Toronto, I am not aware of the Finance Minister coming to Toronto soon to give a talk.
However Tony Clement, President of the Treasury Board, is speaking at the Empire Club in Toronto at 12 noon on October 15.
He emigrated from UK to Canada AS A CHILD (sound at all familiar?).
What if UK decided to treat Mr. Clement as …
Sorry, the date Clement will speak in Toronto is October 11.
Here is the link:
http://www.empireclub.org/events/the-honourable-tony-clement/
@Petros
I hear Americans are in a big flap about what Putin said. The US is only at the beginning of their identity crisis.
It’s absolutely not a rant or overreacting, it’s what Victoria posted on her Facebook today: “…just a normal reaction to an abnormal amount of bullish*t.” LOL.
I’m out as a US citizen, at both the bank and with the IRS. Why do I take a stand against FATCA and the persecution of US persons abroad? All of the above.
@bubblebustin, I posted something about this at MJ yesterday. I fully agree with you. My reaction was the same as yours. It’s high time the U.S. got over it. In my comment at MJ I said I never understand what Americans are saying when they call the U.S. “exceptional” There are many exceptional places in the world.
C.N.N. were all up in arms this morning about it. The talking head going on about “All he means is America is for democracy and freedom” I had to laugh..yes, no other place on the planet is for any of those things. Only you. Other nations are truly tired of it.
LOL! Thank you for my second laugh of the morning, AtticusinCanada.
I’m in. Toronto is good, can go to ottawa.
@the mom
I live in northern ontario. I am sad the train is gone but I have a car. Perhaps we can trade emails through the monitor. Not sure how much longer I will be living in the north. I am thinking of moving.
@White Kat and Atticus, I’d be happy to get on plane to Ottawa, but agree a multi city protest is best.
Could they be simultaneous? The Tony Clement opportunity in Toronto could be center stage and the rest of us could show up in support in our own communities. Vancouver for BC, Calgary for AB for example. Posters all over the place to tell people about it and where to get more info. We could make the fact sheet Victoria and all are working on into PDF form and downloadable from here. Also wondered about radio advertising. News 1130 here on the coast has a huge audience ( and captured at rush hour twice a day!) They are a Rogers company and have stations nation wide. I am more than willing to pay for a plane ticket, perhaps that money could go toward an advertising budget that we all contribute to. Are there people/organizations who would sponsor that effort? I have experience and connections in voice over, could possibly produce a minute or two spot. Victoria – could you help with the script? These ideas are just flying around my head right now.
Wow…so many good ideas. I’m up to travel to TO, also.
I got an email from Elizabeth May and the Green Party today announcing that Elizabeth is going to start a Canada-wide town-meeting tour on September 17 in Halifax. Elizabeth will visit Halifax, Moncton, Fredericton, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Orillia, Winnipeg, Brandon, Calgary, Dawson City, Whitehorse, Vancouver, Victoria and Salt Spring Island, presumably before Parliament resumes on October 16.
You can post suggestions for topics to be addressed at these meetings here
http://www.greenparty.ca/tour. I’ve posted a couple, including one on FATCA, and don’t see them on the web page. I suggest others might want to word and post their own suggestions.
I can’t find a calendar for when and where she will be speaking in each city, but you can sign up for email notification of the location nearest you, if you wish.
If nothing else, this is an opportunity to hand out leaflets and talk to some people who are likely to be sympathetic. I know Elizabeth May is well-informed about and opposed to a FATCA sell-out, but it’s possible many people in her audiences won’t be informed. This is another segment of Canadians worth reaching out to, IMO.
I just wish Mulcair had the imagination and guts to do something like this. He certainly has more of a budget for it, than do the Greens.
This is an opportunity to raise a whole lot of issues besides FATCA, and it probably will get pretty good media coverage.
@ schubert1975
I’m already on Ms. May’s mailing list but signed up for a special notify re: her tour. Of course, my suggestion was to speak about FATCA. I don’t think any other parliamentarian has such an extensive outreach to Canadians as does Ms. May. She communicates in so many ways that it really is astounding.
@ALL, If you email me do not think I am ignoring you if I do not respond asap. I have company the next couple of days. I will check in off and on and try to be as prompt as possible to acknowledge you!
@CanadianGirl
I would consider attending a protest if one were to happen in Vancouver. I am a dual citizen on the other side–originally from Canada, now in the US–equally concerned about the long reach of FATCA-FBAR and how it will ultimately hurt both countries. Of course I won’t be renouncing either citizenship for now but this overreach makes it very hard to plan were I ever to want to or need to return to Canada.
My roots in Canada are in Southern Ontario but I am currently in Seattle–meaning that I could get to an event in Vancouver much more easily than Toronto or Ottawa.
It’s just a shame the U.S. has generated SO much ill will especially here in Canada over this. It really, really did not need to be this way. I have been aware that some press read here and they always want our full names.. As for the press who don’t get it. MANY people are terrified to use their own names. Have you seen the THREATS that have been made by IRS and their data gathering machine bragging?? Have you seen the THREATS these people have been under? Hardly any of these people would owe any taxes but, the fines on FBARS and all the rest have absolutely terrified every day good people. That’s why the anger. That’s why nobody wants to say who they are. The more afraid people are made the more anger there is. Why should a school teacher, a stay at home mom, a truck driver, carpenter, dentist abroad and all their entire family be made to feel fearful??
The U.S. had a friend in Canada but, once this FATCA business becomes known more widely…many Canadians are not going to be feeling the love. I came forward with my name because I just cannot live in fear anymore and I have done NOTHING wrong. I just won’t go back if the U.S. wishes to “punish” me so for not knowing about FBAR when I had ZERO income. I am NOT going to report on my Canadian spouses income. To do so would be a betrayal to him.
Some of our families inside the U.S. still don’t believe this is real or that it is as bad as we say it is..when they find out that our former “Uncle” is doing this to people they love then even those living in the U.S. affected by this will be up in arms. FATCA is simply wrong. This is a witch hunt. If the U.S. wants “tax cheats” it needs to start looking within its own borders asap.
P.S. I had a heart breaking letter today from a lady who reads here but, is afraid to come forward. She said her sign would say “CBT ENDS WITH ME” and so to represent her I wanted to post that part of what she said. Her situation is similar to Calgary411. I’m so sad the U.S. is doing this to law abiding people. Disgusted!
@AtticusinCanada Believe me, I understand your anger. Those of us dual citizens on the US side of the border are no stranger to difficult fights with the USG, although the fights were different in my case. I had an 18 year fight to get my green card after moving from Canada, and a 5 year fight with the IRS over a tax audit at one point. Once I became a “US person” I would have been subject to FBAR–it was only by good fortune that I never left more than $10k in Canada as I didn’t hear about until recently either. But I’m sure there are many Canadian citizens–on work visas, on green cards, or dual citizens–living in the USA who are affected and I hope the IBS will reach out to them at some point.
I can do my best to attend any protest in Vancouver if I’d be welcome–if not I can certainly not attend too.
@Dash1729
You’re certainly welcome at any protest any of us organizes, I’m sure.
My own son was born in Canada (both parents US), has proudly kept his Canadian passport but has asserted his US citizenship, also has a US passport, and lives in the US with his US wife and my grandkids (who are growing up American, not my choice but of course I love them all the same). My son has also been affected by FATCA in ways I’m not about to go into here or anywhere else, but he’s well-aware of the situation and just as concerned/upset about this as anyone else. In fact, I think he understands my feelings and position on this even better than at least one of my sisters in the US. Which, at the end of the day, is more important to me, if I have to make that choice. My other sister, a Midwestern US farmer, is very upset about the situation, very supportive, but like a lot of other farmers has a real hate-on for the IRS for all kinds of reasons. If you think FBAR and other IRS paperwork is bad, try being a family farmer in the US for a couple of years and then look at that paperwork … Employees of big agribusiness farms have it a lot simpler, and the corps have expensive lawyers and accountants to take care of their tax forms. Not the little person, the family farmer who actually owns the farm. Endangered species though they sadly have become …
@schubert1975
Thanks! Hope I’ll be able to see you at a protest at some point.
Yes, as your son has found out, there are definitely advantages to US citizenship as well. It gives access to an economy that–even though IMHO struggling relative to Canada–is 8 or 9 times bigger and that just offers more opportunity. Renouncing only seems to make sense when one is pretty firmly ensconced in Canada with Canadian assets that could potentially be lost. But in that situation the reach of the IRS is truly grotesque and must be stopped.
I don’t know anything specifically about farming but I do think that there is a climate of bureaucracy in many parts of the USG which is very stifling to entrepreneurship especially for the small entrepreneur.
it would be nice to have a specific webpage mentioned on any material which is tailored for anyone following the protest.
(Brock is fantastic but it is a running log of interesting articles—not a targeted message site)
WhiteKat – It’s about wanting Canada to be Canada, not an extension of the USA.
People like you become the resisters that governments fear. It does not take many to have an impact.
Awareness germinates in direct personal experience. But the particular disadvantage is not what sustains for the long term, because every particular disadvantage slips toward accommodation or resolution.
Outrage at injustice sustains. And persistence is key. Go to it, with applause.
All that said, I think your American-style idealism has displaced onto a mythologization of “Canada.”
Canada may seem a handy target for pressuring what-is-not to become what-should-be. To borrow a Petrosity, Canada carries water for the US. Has done and will do. (One example: serious Vietnam War arms merchant.)
Going after Canada on FATCA is like trying to shoot the convenient footsoldier while believing that the general is beyond reach.
Resistance to this situation on any front is good. Best is maximized result for minimized effort. Happenstance is inevitable. Surprise is a huge advantage [last Monday]. The more you do the better you get. You are who you know.
May some part of this prove encouraging and useful.
More on possible mini-protest (three moms?) at visit of Tony Clement, President of the Treasury Board, speaking at Empire Club on 12 noon October 11 in Toronto:
The location of Clement’s talk will be the Arcadian Court, 8th floor of the Simpson Tower 401 Bay (at Queen). See: http://events.oliverbonacini.com/Venues/Arcadian-Court/Arcadian-Court-Location.aspx
You do not need a permit to hold a demonstration in Toronto. I spoke to Toronto Police Services which greatly prefers, but does not require, that a notice of demonstration be filled out in advance. Notice does not need to include name of organizer or “organization.” If the demonstration will take place, I could send in a modified notice form to Police as a courtesy.
As Clement is federal, Police said that RCMP will be there.
–No idea whether G20 haters, foreign service workers etc. will demonstrate against Clement. If so, it could get congested.
Given that Clement emigrated from UK to Toronto as a child, Blaze suggests this as one possibility for a sign: “What if Britain Wanted To FATCA Canada?”
http://www.toronto.ca/special_events/event-support/es_demonstrations.htm
The notice: http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/publications/files/forms/noticeofdemonstration.pdf
I think that is an excellent opportunity. It doesn’t take many to show up to create a buzz as we already know when media will be present. Toronto Brockers? IRSCF, I may be able to go to that one depending on what’s going on that week. I am already coming to Toronto September 26th so need to check if I’d be able to turn around and go back again.
There are more of you in T.O. than there are here. Think showing up at that event is a great idea!
The public protest is important, long overdue and if planned properly very effective.
Another way to get the word out:
I believe it is also important to target specific groups who really are affected by FATCA and citizenship-based taxation but actually don’t even know it.
FATCA and CBT make the world much more dangerous for professionals of all kinds who have U.S. person clients – particularly lawyers.
As awareness of CBT grows, the legal liability for failing to be aware of CBT grows!
Lawyers are NOT the only group, but they are group that is particularly vulnerable to this. Therefore, why not think in terms of targeting specific groups of people who are actually very much affected by this but don’t know it.
Just collected these thoughts in a post:
http://renounceuscitizenship.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/the-liability-of-a-lawyer-and-the-fbar-marriage/
“The liability of a lawyer and the #FBARMarriage”.