Media and Blog Articles Open for Comments – Part 3 of 11 (Year 2016)

2,818 thoughts on “Media and Blog Articles Open for Comments – Part 3 of 11 (Year 2016)”

1. …and if anyone finds that “insulting” then perhaps the implied insult hit close to home. Perhaps your best solution will be to look in the mirror.

2. @heidi,

   I knew Obama was going to be bad for me. I knew his policies would be confiscatory. I never imagined he would do 10% of what he actually did though as he crushed anyone with anything foreign.

3. @Neil
   After Bush I had real hope for Obama, I thought that he was reputed to be a Constitutional scholar, yet he has shown complete disregard for the Constitution.
   I have absolutely no respect for him, he seems to be a rather weak man more concerned for his legacy than taking any real decisions. I suspect that his wife is the driving force behind many of his actions.

4. Some comedy about taxation of accidentals.

   https://youtu.be/ipt92vvwKiU

5. @Animal says: “We don’t have the money to “renounce” so we hide.”

   Our family has the money to renounce. Hell will freeze over before I hand my hard earned money over to the US (6 times $3000). Are we hiding out? I’m not so sure. I think what we’re doing is insusting on being treated as Canadian citizens by our Canadian government herecin Canada.

6. B.C. doc, I’m with you. Four X $3000 for the family, plus, after 45 years of living in Canada, an exit tax for me? It’s not going to happen. Not one cent will be going south of the border. I try hard to lead a principled life, and this is just part of that struggle. This whole thing is wrong. Period. And I refuse to participate in something that is fundamentally wrong. Fortunately, those of us living in Canada have not been pushed as far as some others, and so far we have the option of hiding and lying when necessary, both of which I do with a completely clear conscience. In a way it’s easy for me because the exit tax is so outrageously exorbitant that it is completely out of the question. It’s really unconscionable. I often wonder what my reaction would be if I just had the renunciation fee to pay. Would I just give in and go through all of their hoops and be done with the whole thing? I’ll never know.

7. @No name/@BC Doc – well said.

   @Admin- a little help on format for the feature about Twitter on the home page. There is supposed to be 3 block quotes, yet the first did not have a close tag. Thanks.

8. BC_Doc, I’m asking the same damned thing. That my children be treated like the Canadian citizen kids they are (having been born in Canada, raised in Canada) and known nothing else but being Canadian, yet due to my US citizen/CDN Permanent Resident spouse’s toxic citizenship, they are being treated like Americans though they have never set foot on US soil for resident purposes.

   AND as a Canadian-born Canadian spouse of a CDN Permanent Resident spouse…I AM supremely PISSED OFF that Canada doesn’t have the spine to stand up to US bullying.

   BUT AS I HAVE SAID: No matter which government takes power, it will be much of the same damned thing in Canada. milquetoast politicians who care nothing for national sovereignty or for protecting their citizens. The Canadian charter of Rights and Freedoms has been proven to be nothing more than a useless piece of toilet paper.

   BC_Doc, you bandy semantics over “hiding” versus “standing your ground. The Canadian government doesn’t give a shit which either of us do. They do nothing but benefit their own pockets and sell out Canada inch by bitter inch. The only way politics will change is to see politicians hanging from every single goddamned tree in the fucking country. AND THAT IS THE BITTER GODDAMNED TRUTH! And it doesn’t matter whether you’re standing up to the US government injustices by refusing to cooperate, or “hiding” so that we’re not found. Either way, we’re both telling the US Government to FUCK YOU, I’M NOT COOPERATING!!!

   But if you believe that any government change will bring about a change in what is going on; y’all better give yourselves a headshake, because to believe that ANYTHING WILL CHANGE when money is involved is to engage in the most deluded form of naivety.

9. And further to my statement of seeing politicians hanging from every tree to effect change. The next group of politicians will slide back to their old ways, Guaranteed. Permanent change of government will mean keeping these crooks in a state of permanent fear!

10. Wow. PFIC’s int he news:

    http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/US-citizens-may-pay-double-tax-on-Kahlons-child-savings-program-476025

11. Mexican-American dual-citizen Tijuana politician in custody on US money laundering charges
    http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/border-baja-california/sd-me-councilman-tijuana-20161220-story.html

12. A very important blog post on the misuse of the SIN as a TIN for the OECD CRS, thereby creating a vulnerability to identity theft and providing an opportunity for fraudsters;

    http://www.eloisegratton.com/blog/2016/11/29/privacy-risks-to-consider-before-using-sins-as-identifiers/
    ex.

    Risks of Harm Associated with an Inappropriate Use of the SIN

    ……” The use of the SIN as an identifier should be discouraged, especially in light of the fact that a SIN is a sensitive piece of information which may be used in a harmful way against the individual. As stressed by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (“OPC”), the SIN “is a critically important piece of personal information for people dealing with federal and other institutions. Because of its value, the number is highly vulnerable to misuse if it falls into the hands of identity thieves.”

    “The article “How Social Security numbers became Skeleton keys for fraudsters” explains that when fraudsters have the SIN, along with the individual’s name and date of birth, they can use it not only to take over existing bank accounts, but also open new ones and access benefits and healthcare in the individual’s name. As a matter of fact, there are two main risks of harm associated with an inappropriate use of the SIN. First, there is a risk of data matching since the SIN is considered as a key piece of information which can open the door to other personal information given computer data matching technology which can link databases to one another. Second, a SIN can also be used to steal someone’s identity and to commit fraud and can be used to apply for a credit card or open a bank account, rent vehicles, equipment, or accommodations in someone else’s name, leaving the victim responsible for the bills, charges, bad cheques and taxes….”……..

    “…..In the event that the SIN is required by a foreign entity or if it will be shared with foreign-based entities, it is important to keep in mind that sending personal information, including SINs, to entities located outside of Canada involves additional risks. These foreign organizations may not be subject to laws pertaining to the protection of personal information which are as stringent as Canadian data protection laws and they may not be required to report a security incident affecting information under their control. Moreover, cross-border restrictions in Canada should be considered prior to transferring sensitive information to a foreign jurisdiction…..”…….

13. @Animal says; “BC_Doc, you bandy semantics over “hiding” versus “standing your ground.”

    I’m a Canadian. I refuse to be treated, referred to, or defined as an “American person in Canada” by our government. Semantics can turn me into a second class citizen. I refuse to cooperate or go down that pathway.

    “But if you believe that any government change will bring about a change in what is going on; y’all better give yourselves a head-shake”

    I don’t. I support the Charter lawsuit. I want a legal remedy, not a political remedy.

    BC Doc

14. “I don’t. I support the Charter lawsuit. I want a legal remedy, not a political remedy.”

    The Charter Lawsuit will gain us “protection”. The US changing from CBT to RBT will be the only thing that gives us freedom.

    My wife is a Permanent Resident of Canada, which means that she hasn’t managed to lose her leash to the homeland – not because of “not wanting to” but because “we can’t afford the $2350 that the US requires for her to buy her freedom”. Hence the reason why I took exception to your sniping about hiding versus your standing your ground. BOTH of us have our middle fingers in the air. I as A CANADIAN am protecting my wife because, as a permanent resident of Canada; but not a citizen, she is still vulnerable. AND considering that I am born in EDMONTON!!! …and my kids are born in Burnaby, BC…AS A CANADIAN, I AM ROYALLY FUCKING PISSED OFF AT THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT FOR SAYING THAT MY KIDS ARE AMERICAN CITIZENS LIVING IN CANADA.

15. “Our family has the money to renounce. Hell will freeze over before I hand my hard earned money over to the US (6 times $3000). Are we hiding out? I’m not so sure. I think what we’re doing is insusting on being treated as Canadian citizens by our Canadian government herecin Canada.”

    So what would you like…BC_Doc? A pat on the head saying what a “good little Canadian you are?” Because I really don’t give a shit. The only thing that I’m fucking concerned about is keeping my family together and making damned sure that the US doesn’t track my wife down. As far as I’m concerned, the United States doesn’t have a goddamned right to any cent of her Canadian-earned income.

    If you’re making well over high five figures; well, whoopty fucking doo… Good for you; you can renounce. In a good year, my wife makes just slightly over 18. That doesn’t leave a whole fucking lot after rent and food to deal with compliance or renunciation, so no matter what, WE (My family) ARE STUCK HIDING!

    “insusting on being treated as Canadian citizens by our Canadian government herecin Canada.”

    And my wife and our Canadian-born kids want the same damned thing; my wife to have the protection of Canada and my kids to be treated like Canadian citizens, ESPECIALLY since they were born here!

    If you can’t understand that…then FUCK YOU VERY MUCHLY!

16. @the animal
    You do understand that BCDoc is on your side? I mean- if you are looking for enemies, then its not him.

17. @The_Animal1970: if your kids were born in Canada I assume you can ignore the whole US thing. Do they have a US passport? My kids were born in the EU with an EU citizenship. They have a US passport, but without a US birthplace they are under the radar here in the EU. No banking problems. My only problem is my US birthplace, reason why I was outed by a bank in 2014 and discoverd FATCA, CBT, and IBS…! Jeez how I wish I could simply change my birthplace on my French passport.

18. @Fred
    Does your French passport have a country place of birth or a city? Both UK and Swiss passports only contain a city or “place of origin’ birthplace, if you are lucky they could be ‘confused’ for a ‘UK city’, ie Boston (Lincolnshire), Manchester (Lancashire), Portland (Dorset). A lack of imagination of those early US settlers could prove useful.

19. @Animal– You’ve misconstrued what I’ve written and your response is completely over the top. I’m disengaging here. Good luck to you and your family.

    BC Doc

20. @ BC Doc
    Please don’t disengage from Brock. All hands on deck are needed and your middle FATCA finger is particularly appreciated by me and others who refuse to feed the beast.

    @ The_Animal
    Has your wife begun the process for getting Canadian citizenship? My husband only paid $200 for his citizenship application. Years before his landed immigrant status ended up costing a fair bit more than that but I can’t remember what the total was (took a whole lot more time, too, to get everything together).

    Let’s hope 2017 brings workable solutions for everyone, instead of more problems.

21. @ All
    The light officially began its return in the wee hours of the Canadian morning. I’m not a pagan but I can still appreciate Winter Solstice because living in a mountain valley in winter in Canada means far too few hours of daylight and just knowing the days will soon be getting longer again feels pretty good. It’s like clamoring up a hill in knee deep snow, pausing briefly at the summit and then sliding down the other side. Enjoy the day!

22. “Has your wife begun the process for getting Canadian citizenship? My husband only paid $200 for his citizenship application. Years before his landed immigrant status ended up costing a fair bit more than that but I can’t remember what the total was (took a whole lot more time, too, to get everything together).”

    Somehow, somewhere, my wife’s IMM1000 (She’s been living in Canada for 16 years) decided to take a walk and we have to go through the hoops of trying to get THAT back (or a certified facsimile) then she has to go through the hoops of getting a PR Card, then and only then can we even think about applying for her Canadian citizenship. And right now, money is tight; tight to the point where we’re squeaking. When food and bills are done, there’s maybe cents left. My wife gets part-time shifts which amount to very little and the competition agreement means that she can’t get a job anyplace else that does the same thing (retail at a drug store). Which means that trying to save up for anything is a royal pain-in-the-ass. I’m not looking for sympathy, I’m just stating the facts (we’re tight up and stuck in this financial situation). That’s it.

    What we need is for the United States to leave us the hell alone and quit applying stress; just basically leave us the hell alone to live our lives. I ended up in the ER twice with high blood pressure from a respiratory infection that damned near put me on a slab between October/November owing to the stress. And when BC_Doc came out with the “holier than thou” – “Our family has the money to renounce. Hell will freeze over before I hand my hard earned money over to the US (6 times $3000). Are we hiding out? I’m not so sure. I think what we’re doing is insusting on being treated as Canadian citizens by our Canadian government herecin Canada.” That pissed me off to no end. I’m not getting into a semantics “whether standing your ground” is better than “hiding” but for us, “hiding” works. Yeah, HELL will freeze over before I send one goddamned cent to the USGOV. After the last quarter of 2016, I have little patience for anyone who will bandy semantics and come at me with a holier than thou attitude.

    Well, so he can renounce and that works for his family. Goody for him, but he can take his self-righteous tone and shove it up his ass.

    My family does what it can; and that means feeding our family and making sure that there is a roof over our head. That’s the best that we can do in this situation and that’s what we’re going to stick to. If by chance that we have a windfall down the road (highly unlikely since I don’t play the lottery (it’s a waste of money), then maybe I might have the money to get her the necessary documentation of Canadian citizenship. For now all we can do is just hope to hell that any government elected in the future has some awareness of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and sticks to that. But it doesn’t seem likely with the shared borders agreement which allows US police to operate within CDN borders. We’re seeing our national sovereignty eroded bit by bit with no fanfare or protests.

    So…as I’ve said, Facts are facts…I’m not looking for sympathy or for financial help; I’ve gone through my life being self-sufficient – I’m just stating our position right now and why we haven’t done much of anything as far as extrication. If it happens that we can manage to afford to get her her citizenship, you’ll all be the first to know. But as of right now, I sit here, short-tempered and supremely pissed off at the United States and Canada. And you know what they say about when you corner a animal… Bad things happen.

23. “if your kids were born in Canada I assume you can ignore the whole US thing. Do they have a US passport? My kids were born in the EU with an EU citizenship. They have a US passport, but without a US birthplace they are under the radar here in the EU. No banking problems.”

    My kids don’t hold US passports, nor have we even made inquiries into it. But all it takes is one person at the bank we use (in fact, my wife and I have split up banking institutions just so that nobody asks questions), asking questions that could bring the carefully constructed house of cards crumbling down on our heads. Hence the stress, and hence my snappishness towards others.

24. @EmBee Thank you. My right hand FATCA Middle Finger is pointed south to Washington DC. My left hand FATCA Middle Finger points eastward to Ottawa. The crux of my statement is I refuse to play their game (IRS, State Department, Canadian banks, Canadian government). United we stand, divided we fall. I think @The_Animal would rather eat one of his own than direct his anger we’re it is warranted.

25. @The Animal
    Maybe you can be generous of heart enough to tip your hat to BCDoc and acknowledge without anger that he does have the money to renounce- even if you do not. I don`t think he said it to make you feel bad. I think what he was saying is that with or without the means to do so, he wont. So he really is on your side and feels the same anger as you do. Question: what would you do if you DID have the money to renounce? Would you pay it?

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