12 thoughts on “Reminder – Solving US Citizenship Problems – Vancouver”

1. How about in future for these events $25 attendance. $20 to cover the costs and $5 contribution to ADCS. To get people thinking about contributing to ADCS.

2. The requirements are not only on citizens, but every U.S. person in the U.S. or outside the U.S.
   There are so many ways you can be considered a U.S. person that the only goal of the Expats should be to get House Bill HR25 passed and every citizen anywhere or Legal card holders of any stripe would be relieved of any reporting responsibility.
   The politicians in D.C. want to keep all the complications in the tax code and have resisted any real reform so they can extract campaign contributions from individuals, corporations and all taxpaying endities, for slipping earmarks into bills that will be voted on without anyone reading the rediculous tax gifts they give to just one person or taxpaying endity.
   The FairTax isn’t an issue that is partisian and should be embraced by all parties, republicans, democrats, democratic socialists and Libertarians. The FairTax advocates are growing in number and pretty soon you will be asked if you support it even if the job is a local stray dog catcher, so that when the foundling politician moves up the food chain they will automatically support the FairTax. It is already that way in some precincts.
   We have a Presidential Candidate we are all supporting on that issue alone. Governor Huckabee is a FairTax advocate. Progress is slow because most politicians have the policy of ”where’s mine” instead of patriotic ideas to save the Republic. All the taxes now are evadable by over 50% of the ones who owes taxes, and the Fairtax will tax even criminals when they spend.

3. I’m pleased to be hosting this. That’s a great idea, JC. Should I provide a separate box or jar to collect ADCS donations in?

4. Bubblebustin,

   that’s a good idea!

5. “I am only a snowbird! Why does this affect me?”
   ” 5. If I spend a certain number of days in the U.S. over a period of three years, does the U.S. consider me to be a U.S. resident?

   According to the IRS website, you (unless you are a U.S. citizen) are considered a resident alien for U.S. tax purposes if you satisfy the substantial presence test. This test uses the number of days you were in the U.S. during a three year period. The IRS website has more information to help you determine if you are a resident alien based on the substantial presence test.

   The IRS also says that even if you are a non-U.S. citizen and you satisfy the substantial presence test for a particular year, you can still be considered a non-resident alien, if you meet certain conditions. One of these conditions is that you maintain a closer connection to a foreign country in that year.

   IRS Publication 519 states that the U.S. domestic rules that determine if a non-U.S. citizen is a U.S. resident do not override tax treaty definitions of residency. If you are considered a resident of Canada and the U.S. under each country’s laws and the Canada–U.S. tax treaty considers you a resident of Canada, the U.S. has to treat you as a non-resident taxpayer and you should not identify yourself as a U.S. resident to your Canadian financial institution.”
   http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/nnrsdnts/nhncdrprtng/fq-eng.html#q2-5

6. Wilton from the movie Back to School Rodney Dangerfield says this to a snooty professor about construction buisness

   “Rodney Dangerfield: Oh, you left out a bunch of stuff.

   sniffy professor: Oh really? Like what for instance?

   Rodney D: First of all you´re going to have to grease the local politicians for the sudden zoning problems that always come up. Then there´s the kickbacks to the carpenters, and if you plan on using any cement in this building I´m sure the teamsters would like to have a little chat with ya, and that´ll cost ya. Oh and don´t forget a little something for the building inspectors. Then there´s long term costs such as waste disposal. I don´t know if you´re familiar with who runs that business but I assure you it´s not the boyscouts. ”

   Of course Ben Franklin said this about Democracy over a Republic
   “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.”
   USA is no longer a republic

   “A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.” Thomas Jefferson
   “Hence it is that democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and in general have been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths… A republic, by which I mean a government in which a scheme of representation takes place, opens a different prospect and promises the cure for which we are seeking.” James Madison, Federalist Papers No. 10 (1787).
   http://www.whatourforefathersthought.com/DemoRep.html

7. Wilton
   Of course back then the idea of dual citizenship would have been repugnant and voting was by tax payer.

8. Wilton J. Tidwell
   Do you not think that Chamber of Commerce supporting amnesty is short term gain for long term pain?
   Lenin said “Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them.”

9. @Bubblebustin. I think both raising fee to $25 with $5 stated to go to ADCS and also a donation box would be good with perhaps a flyer about how to donate such as through PayPal. The fee is a good way as that gets people over the hurdle of making their first donation. It also indicates small donations welcome which is part of the culture of ADCS. When they get online, they will see other dollar amount donation possibilities.

   If they do not donate on the spot, that is ok as they may always do so on line or via mail. In marketing/advertising it is said that not just one ad is impactive but a series of ads. So you might start with information before the meeting, at the meeting, then follow up with an e-mail of online resources including how to donate to ADCS, and encourage them to join The Isaac Brock Community and visit the message boards there.

   I know John has put a lot into these meetings and I imagine that he would do the same for Citizenship Solutions.

10. Most of the people that have garnered the courage to come to these sessions are in their OMG moments and looking for information and support, which they WILL get at one of John Richardson’s sessions.

    Just a thought that although it’s good to have ADCS-ADSC donation and other material available there, etc., letting them know that $5 of their fee goes toward Canada’s litigation in the fight for their and their family’s rights (and the remainder to make a dent in the costs of the facility and presenter’s travel and accommodation), these sessions may not be the time for TOO much marketing (for a more caring feeling than other information sessions I’ve attended). May be better to play it by ear in answers to their own questions.

11. @calgary411 — I agree. Just my humble opinion, but I think the first priority and need for these sessions is for people to hear John’s presentation and ask him questions, and the fee should go toward facilitating that (i.e., toward venue cost and his expenses). Contribution/donation to ADCS — as important as that is — can be a separate, voluntary contribution, with information available, as you describe.

12. JC

    Excuse me but Brock does not determine what fees for the Information Sessions should be. It’s perfectly fine to have something set aside where people can donate if they want to. And the litigation is mentioned and there are handouts on the table with information about donating. That said, the Information Sessions are an Educational Outreach Program of Citizenship Solutions, first and foremost. The fee for an individual is $20 and $40 for a family up to 4 people. Donations to ADCS are optional. It is also important not to clash with the information we put out for each of these meetings here, Sandbox, all of our Facebook sites, Meetup Groups, Eventbright, Twitter etc.