Brockers,
The recent growth in posting frequency on IBS is a wonderful thing to be sure; it means more people are learning about us and the issues we face. But unfortunately, as the number of threads increases with time, it’s easier and easier to miss important news.
With the approval of site management (we’ve been discussing this in e-mail), I propose to designate this the “official”, or “definitive” thread for following news related to Sens. Casey, Schumer and Reed’s “Ex-PATRIOT” legislation proposal, which if passed would ban covered expatriates from ever re-entering the United States for any reason.
The whole point is that you can SUBSCRIBE to this thread, and then if everyone agrees to post new news information, links, etc. relating to this issue HERE, then everyone already subscribed will be able to follow it. In contrast, when you post news to a NEW thread, it’s increasingly likely that someone will miss it because we have so many new threads these days. For people with no connection to Canada, it’s very hard to follow all the new threads.
So if you are interested in EX-PATRIOT:
– Please subscribe to this thread so you can stay informed
– When you have new information on the issue, please post it HERE rather than creating a new thread
– Please keep this thread focused on news and new developments. If you wish to editorialize on your own views about the absurdity of this legislation, please do that elsewhere so that people who subscribed just to stay in touch with news developments can do so.
I encourage others to follow this format and create more “DEFINITIVE” news and information threads to make it easy for Brockers to share and follow news relating to the topics that interest them most.
To kick this thread off, I will briefly describe the status of this issue as I understand it. If I get anything wrong I’m sure someone will correct me. If you learn NEW information, please post it HERE as a reply to this thread so others subscribed can follow the issue.
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Senators Casey, Schumer, and Reed (not to be confused with Reid) have for several years been trying their best to push through legislation that would ‘punish’ covered expatriates by both barring them from ever re-entering the USA for any reason, and also imposing punitive taxes on any investments they might have in the USA. These actions clearly undermine the best interests of the American People, but these senators seem to have had success selling themselves as protectors of the little guy who are bringing justice to evil tax cheats. Absurd or not, they are serious about this.
Efforts to push through EX-PATRIOT as a standalone bill failed miserably, probably because other senators were able to recognize what a stupid idea the bill was. Undeterred, the “three amigos” (Casey, Schumer, Reed) changed strategy and began looking for much larger bills they could “slip” the EX-PATRIOT language into. They almost succeeded in getting the language inserted into the 2013 Immigration Reform bill, but thankfully the bill moved forward in the legislative process before the three amigos could amend it to include the EX-PATRIOT language. However, most observers believe they have not given up, and will look for new opportunities to advance their legislative goals.
As of March 2014, I am not aware of any post-Immigration bill attempt to “sneak” this language into any other pending legislation. But I fear it’s coming, and when it does we need to be diligent in quickly putting the word out.
It behooves all of us to watch this closely, and post links to any new developments on the issue here in this thread. This issue isn’t dead, and when it resurfaces we need to watch it closely!
Thanks to all for following and participating in this thread. And just in case it appears that I’m “taking it upon myself” to set policy here at IBS, please know that I coordinated and received approval for this “Definitive news thread” format from site management before posting. I encourage others to post similar threads for other issues they follow passionately.
PxP
I renounced in October 2013 – still waiting for CLN. I worry about my daughter who is dual and thinks I am over reacting. Very worrisome. I am subscribing so I can stay informed.
Shaking head…..
What kind of people do they have running the country? Its shameful. Sick.
Since everyone is subscribing, I think I will pull out the link to Bill Yates comments about the Expatriot bill, in case someone here did NOT read them.
If you can go, you can’t come back.
@Polly
I demand that Obama and the other 535 traitors, I mean members of congress, leave the US.
(except Rand Paul of course)
PoliticalXpat Xpat,
My apologies for posting my reaction to the words “Ex-patriot” before reading the posting. As you can see from my background and my mother’s citizenship history that I am not fond of the term and I do see it used elsewhere at IBS very casually (other than in reference to S.B. 3205). So I reacted before reading. Sorry to anyone bothered. As I am getting a lot of stuff from this thread that has nothing at all to do with S.B. 3205, and PoliticalExpat has asked me not to post to this threat (I hope the link I posted to S.B. 305 was useful to some) , can you advise me how to UNSUBCRIBE from this thread? Many thanks. Cheers!
@Susan Ouderkirk
No apology necessary, and I hope I didn’t come across as sounding like a jerk. The point is simply that this thread was created to provide a way for people who are affected by EX-PATRIOT to stay updated when the three amigos eventually try to get this crazy thing passed again.
Susan, you’re more than welcome to post here any time you have news that you think important enough to share with everyone who has subscribed to e-mail updates. But the whole idea is not to pollute the thread with personal opinion, questions, etc. We already have plenty of other threads like that on IBS.
Posts like that from anon and others linking to articles of interest to people affected by Ex-PATRIOT are always welcome. But honestly, I’m dumbfounded to understand why Polly and others insist on posting personal discussion material here when it’s now been clearly explained at least twice that this thread is not the place for that.
Polly, is it really THAT hard for you to choose a different thread to post in? Is the concept of this thread’s purpose difficult to grasp or something? Do you not get the concept that all the people subscribing for the sake of being updated on future news developments would prefer not to have their e-mail inbox littered up every time you decide to express your personal disgust one more time? I just can’t comprehend why you can’t be respectful of other Brokers and follow the clearly stipulated guideline of using this thread exclusively for news and related article dissemination. What’s the problem?
PxP
@politicalxpatxpat
I had absolutely no fucking idea. Sorry!
To add to Just Me’s mention of Virginia la Torre Jeker’s interview of Bill Yates, I wrote up some comments on that here: http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2013/12/30/irs-insider-explains-why-the-united-states-has-never-enforced-the-reed-amendments-banishment-provision-he-thinks-its-funny/
Also, don’t forget my article at American Thinker: http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2012/05/21/no-civilized-country-would-ever-banish-eduardo-saverin/
And Eric’s point that it was this article that was likely called out from the Senate Floor by Stooge #1, Chucky Schumer: http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2012/05/26/chuck-schumer-lashes-out-at-petros-on-senate-floor/
This makes me think that it is important to write because we can never know what impact we may have. The article likely helped to shape the opinion of some republicans in any case, and this is why Schumer, who needed some Republican support, was so angry about my article. The pen can be mightier than the three stooges.