Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
Please help. Donate to the Canadian Charter Challenge Fund.
February 5, 2014 was the day we thought we would never see. It was the day the Canadian government announced it had caved to a foreign nation’s demands to invade our honest, law abiding lives as Canadian citizens and residents to seize our private and legal financial records. It was the day we learned the Canadian government considers us second class Canadians with limited rights under Canadian laws and Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Today is the day we begin our drive to fight back. February 28, 2014 is the day we launch our Canadian Charter Challenge Fund to raise money for a legal opinion from prominent constitutional lawyer, Joseph Arvay.
We must demand freedom. We must demand our government uphold our rights. We must demand the government place its citizens and residents over the demands of a foreign power.
We must demand our government place our rights over those of the bully oppressor. We must band together to fight for our cherished Canadian rights and freedoms. We must do it now.
Remember, the War of 1812 was not over until 1815. We should likewise expect our battle to be long, messy and expensive.
First published on 28 Feb 2014
Greater Toronto people:
In a few hours CCCF will have its very first cash transaction.
Could Canadians be worse off if the Canada-US IGA is struck down by the Supreme Court?
Without the IGA, will Canadian banks and other financial (investment) firms be allowed to refuse or close accounts of anyone suspected of being a U.S. person?
Will banks and investment firms be allowed to ask questions related to U.S. personhood?
Donated, spreading the word, emailed TV/papers in the US that have a national platform begging that they might/maybe/hopefully listen, ditto for Canada and all suggested email addys here to contact, Dad’s financial advisor that has radio show in Boston, and Sen Elizabeth Warren (one of the sponsors of this idiotic bill). My ploy for dealing with US folk, as it all has to do with how this might effect them, is if we win the battle against FATCA, and there WILL be a battle, that our institutions will just have to stop investing in US to avoid the penalties. It is a global world now and our institutions can diversify elsewhere. All it will take is one country to bring down FATCA/FBAR etc and if I were them I’d worry others will follow. FATCA just might bring down their economy, maybe they are being rather short sighted. For sure I am naive in thinking someone will listen but it makes me feel better to scream and yell. I have been so blessed to have found all of you, that you have taken the time to organize and mobilize and have actually been the only thing that has kept my head from falling off. (I’m still in the OH MY GOD phase as you can tell).
Cheque is in the mail.
We must clone GwEvil ,she is too valuable to us to let her sleep.
Queenston, you make a good point. We may indeed be “worse off” reporting wise, but I just can’t get my head around believing that the USA would actually start to enforce this thing against Canada’s banks. I don’t think they’re that anxious to drive us straight in to the sphere of China so quickly, especially with that long border between us. And good lord, would that ever do them massive harm, self inflicted. So, I don’t share your fears.
GW and Calgary, I can’t thank you (amongst others) enough for all your efforts on behalf of all of us. May you get early sainthood. ; )
@Queenston
Good question. So far as I can see, if the IGA is struck down, the banks have two choices: a) they comply with FATCA and face class action suits (that’s right, another suit) which they almost certainly will lose, or b) pull out of the US market. That’s how I see it.
Buried down in the growing list of comments, I’d like to thank Stephen and Lynne for taking on this task.
Please, anyone who is or was concerned about anonymity (with reference to various comments on another thread), consider simply writing a personal cheque to Dr. Stephen Kish (see the website Donation page for details) and mailing it to him. There is no way, IMO, that any rational person can possibly believe that by doing so you will be “outing” yourself to the administrators of your personal chequing account, never mind the IRS or CRA nor Canada Post for that matter, by doing this. Nor is there any legal basis for anyone using such a donation, even in the extraordinarily unlikely event they’d connect the dots with your cheque, as an “indicia” of US personhood under the IGA or under any FATCA reg I’ve read or heard about. And no one is going to be posting any list of donors anywhere, AFAIK. If you’re that afraid of writing a cheque as a donation for this fund, how can you get out of bed in the morning and function outside your own home (or within it)? Seriously. Of all the rational things FATCA-related to be worrying about, making a donation to a legal fund to pay for a legal opinion on a possible Charter challenge is NOT something to worry about IMO.
My personal cheque for my donation will be in the mail in a few minutes when I walk down to the street to the nearest mailbox (Harper hasn’t managed to remove that mailbox yet, anyway). (I don’t use PayPal and have full confidence in Canada Post and my credit union which has my chequing account.
Tweeted as many tweets as allowed by twitter to list of MP’s, Senators and news people. Will continue tomorrow.
“Citizens doing what gov’t failed. We are Canadians. Help us. C3F Canadian Charter Challenge http://bit.ly/1mKXXO5 #FATCA”
Twitter list here – https://twitter.com/CdnGov/lists/canadian-mps
PierreD and NorthernShrike;
If banks and investment firms are allowed to close accounts, even if they aren’t required to do so, we can’t launch a class action suit, or participate in one. With no money, we’ll struggle to eat, let alone pay legal fees!
@ Schubert
I had no problem writing a cheque to Dr. Kish (could hardly wait to do it actually) and I will be tromping through the snow to our Post Office today to send it on its way. I’m sure Dr. Kish will not bother linking my cheque to my presence here at Brock. I also put a little mention of C3f on that infuriating CNBC article which came out yesterday (“Big steps toward curbing overseas tax evasion”).
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101452453
I just received a cash donation from a Toronto person who was worried about confidentiality. I will try to accommodate others who wish to do this.
We talked for 20 minutes and I listened to yet another miserable story of what the U.S. wants to do to an innocent Canadian. We have to make this Charter challenge work.
The other alternative for people who want complete anonymity is to get a bank draft. I haven’t gotten one in a very long time, but the last time I did, I went to the bank and asked for a bank draft in a certain amount.
The teller handed me the bank draft with a blank space for the recipient. I filled that in and mailed it off to the recipient.
I have no idea if it still works like that, but it’s worth checking out.
Or, as Schubert says, a cheque would be made available to Dr. Kish, not to a lawyer, not to CCF, etc.
If that’s not private enough, follow Em’s suggestion. Give cash or a check to a friend and have them write a cheque to Dr. Kish or donate via PayPal.
If there’s a will, there’s a way. Whatever you do, please do it quickly. We have given a three week deadline, but it shouldn’t take that long unless we let it take that long.
The sooner we have the money, the sooner Joe Arvay can start his work. The faster we can do this, the stronger the message we send to the government about how serious we are.
What a sad commentary on our country’s position that ‘US Persons in Canada’ must pay their tribute to the USA when people have to donate money in anonymous envelopes to help fight against Canadian discrimination by ‘national origin’. I’m glad you had a conversation with this person, IRSCF, that I know would have restored some of lost confidence in themselves. That and every donation will get us that much closer.
I also asked myself how does America want to get along without all the other banks? If they implemtned that 30% withholding tax – what would America do without other banks participating in the world ecomony? I just dont understand that everybody caved in. I can understand Switzerland caving in because they looked so guilty and didnt have a single soul on their side- but all of Europe? Canada? New Zealand? Why? I`m no econimist so I just dont get it.
. With no money, we’ll struggle to eat, let alone pay legal fees!
queenston
Got gold coins and bars?
If this is not a good argument for making sure we nip this FATCA shite in the bud…I don’t know what is!
Personally, I did not hesitate making a donation using VISA. I have also used the same for donating to WikiLeaks. Fear is the tool of choice of the IRS/USA. Whether you feel fear is to some extent your choice.
Domain suggestion
StopFatcaFraud.ca
Just got here and saw this!
Grateful thanks to you all who organized this. This fulfills several crucial functions above and beyond obtaining the legal opinion itself.
Contribution soon on its way.
All day, the words to the final song played at my mother’s funeral last month have been running throgh my mind:
To dream … the impossible dream …
To fight … the unbeatable foe …
To bear … with unbearable sorrow …
To run … where the brave dare not go …
To right … the unrightable wrong …
To love … pure and chaste from afar …
To try … when your arms are too weary …
To reach … the unreachable star …
This is my quest, to follow that star …
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far …
To fight for the right, without question or pause …
To be willing to march into Hell, for a Heavenly cause …
And I know if I’ll only be true, to this glorious quest,
That my heart will lie will lie peaceful and calm,
when I’m laid to my rest …
And the world will be better for this:
That one man, scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove, with his last ounce of courage,
To reach … the unreachable star …
We can do this. We can right the unrightable wrong. We can reach the unreachable star!
I have to smile when I recall that my only concern about living in Canada has been that Canadians are too conforming and unwilling to raise a stink about things [except for Tommy Douglas and the Saskatchewan NDP and the Quebecois during the Quiet Revolution.). We expats have the chance to show them how political and social movements work!
I think the C3f site is outstanding C3f and what a frank set of answers on the FAQ! That is just as it should be. BTW, my cheque is in the mail but I froze my cheeks getting it there (windchill -30C here today).
Oops, a stray C3f there. My fingers are still frozen.
@ Joe Smith
We’re not all “expats”. I am a Canadian and I am not conforming.
@ Blaze
I’ve had the Man of La Mancha in my head lately too. Matter of fact I was reading a summary of Don Quixote last night when the CCCF was announced. Synchronicity or something I guess.
Beautiful Blaze — your mom is there beside her brave daughter!! Bravo — I could hear you singing.