Liberty and justice for all United States persons abroad

Politico: Rand Paul in crosshairs of tax evasion war

Politico’s Rachel Bade reports on the renewed efforts by Carl Levin and John McCain to pressure Senator Rand Paul into ratifying a long-delayed 2009 Swiss-U.S. Protocol that would allow the release of even more names of U.S. account holders at Swiss banks.  As Bade reports in this excerpt,

Paul, a libertarian Republican widely believed to be eyeing a 2016 presidential run, says his hold stems from concerns about Fourth Amendment protections against “unreasonable search and seizure.”

“These are people that are alleged, not convicted of doing anything wrong,” Paul said a few weeks ago. “I don’t think you should have everybody’s information from their bank. There should be some process: accusations and proof that you’ve committed a crime.”

Paul’s protest is also linked to his abhorrence of the soon-to-take-effect Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, which will force foreign banks to disclose U.S. account information to the IRS, and domestic banks to reciprocate to other nations’ revenue departments.

A Treasury official recently told Paul’s staff that FATCA “doesn’t work” without the treaties — though there seems to be disagreement on that point, even in the executive branch.

That sent up red flags anew to Paul because the senator has legislation to repeal FATCA and hesitates to support a treaty that enables a law he views as U.S. government overreach.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/rand-paul-tax-swiss-banks-104148.html#ixzz2usQjnrMo

 

This article could really use some commentary from Brockers – I encourage everyone to get over there. This is Politico, and it’s a great chance to educate some more of those “rich tax cheats sitting on the beach” Kool-Aid drinkers.

 

108 thoughts on “Politico: Rand Paul in crosshairs of tax evasion war

  1. more Americans are aware of FATCA then is evident from the pro-FATCA crowd. They discuss HR-2487
    and how it is effectively a form of currency control.

  2. @WhiteKat – stand strong. Those paid propagandists over at Politico are vicious small brained (or utterly dishonest) thugs. They are the sort that supported the Gestapo. Do not let them worry your soul.

  3. Just did another survey of the Politico commentary … a few short of 2150 comments. Really seems to have stirred up an ants nest. Added a few more comments myself …. but I do get the sense that slowly after all the knee jerk nonsense and a handful of repeater knuckleheads that the weight of the argument is against FATCA and CBT thanks to a determined effort to educate by a number of people including familiar ids. Hopefully a few readers will be better informed as a result – at least those who are not pathologically mendacious – assuming of course that they do in fact possess at least a minimum of grey matter in their skulls.

  4. @LM
    I thought the same thing. I know of a retired MP who grew up in the US. I’ll mail a copy to him as he has no computer literacy. I called him last fall and told him my story. He was furious and told me he would call Jim Flaherty the next day. When he called back to follow-up he told me to march myself down to the American consulate and renounce my citizenship, and then he added he no longer trusts Government. He was an MP for fifteen years.

  5. @ChearsBigEars

    Sickening, isn’t it?

    Another thing that the lamestream media doesn’t like to talk about too much is that when the Russians went into the Crimea region, they were basically treated as liberators by the people. Also, it’s to my understanding that some segments of the Ukrainian army had defected to the Russian side as well.

    The US has done everything they could to try and spin the Russians as a force of evil, ever since they were seriously butthurt by Edward Snowden’s defection. And now, predictably, they’re beating the drums of war yet again. I wouldn’t doubt that the US has had some heavy covert involvement in fomenting unrest in Ukraine, given the US’s long history of meddling in the affairs of other nations for its own benefit.

  6. Disgusted, I would like his address as well (offline). I have, as you know talked to him on the phone and mentioned fact that here at Isaac Brock. I don`t think there is any harm in giving his name: Myron Thompson. If anyone here knows him well, it would be wonderful if you could talk with him to get him into this fight! Mr. Thompson told me that he told Flaherty when he lived in the US, he followed US law and since he`s been in Canada, he`s followed Canadian law. We should make him aware that Flaherty has indicated this is his and our problem to take up with the US:

    To have watched / listened to the Credit Suisse hearings, Part 1 and Part 2, last Wednesday was more than I could bear to know we are all lumped in with those who really are out for US fraud and tax evasion. I don’t consider myself or my son (who has a ‘mental incapacity’ and cannot renounce US citizenship nor does a parent, a guardian or a trustee of such a person) or most of the whatever 7 million figure of US expats around the world are those persons. We are painted with the same exceptional US brush. To now see Finance Minister Flaherty’s words, makes me finally realize that my Canadian-born son (as all other ‘US Persons’ in Canada) is now deemed second class to any other Canadian no matter where they are from or their parents’ “national origin” and not to be protected by the country of his birth. Two-tiered Canadian citizenship :

    Our Government fully understands the separate, but important, issue of U.S. citizenship-based taxation on dual Canada-U.S. citizens. The U.S. government’s system of citizenship-based taxation is different from the residence-based approach generally followed most of the rest of the world.

    This creates unique challenges for U.S. citizens who reside in other countries – especially Canada. However, as these are U.S. laws that apply to U.S. citizens, they can only be addressed by the U.S. government – not Canada. In that regard, I would encourage U.S. citizens in Canada to share their concerns with the U.S. government.

    That the Government of Canada has signed an IGA with the US to allow our local CANADIAN “foreign financial institutions” to turn confidential financial information for persons identified as US Persons over to the CRA for them to then be able to turn the information over to the IRS and now the Finance Minister of that government makes that statement gives me no peace. I am no longer a US citizen and my son, being born and lived all his life in Canada and never registered with the US, would have no US representative to share his concerns with if he were able to do that.

    The IGA “exception” the Conservative government boasts about is for the banks – they do not have to turn Canadian registered account information for US Persons over to the CRA, but there is no exception for US citizens in still having to report that to the US. So many so-called one million (or however many) US Persons in Canada and their families (many “Accidental Americans”) knew nothing about US citizenship-based taxation and their US tax responsibilities and the US did a very poor job of educating us (or for that matter all the new immigrants to the US who, with joint accounts with family back in their ‘old country’, are now caught up in this – and they, unfortunately, live within the boundaries of the US). I believe many who will be deemed US Persons in Canada still do not know – until they are faced with the new requirement for opening a Canadian banking account to certify they do not have a “national origin” of or relationship with anyone who is “US”. Not ALL Canadians will have the same rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

  7. Central Banker PM says Ukraine ready for IMF Auction Block

    http://www.infowars.com/central-banker-pm-says-ukraine-ready-for-imf-auction-block/
    Central Banker appointed as PM of Ukraine
    http://www.infowars.com/central-banker-appointed-as-prime-minister-of-ukraine/
    Why is mainstream media ignoring the rabid anti-semitism in new Ukraine gov’t
    http://www.infowars.com/why-is-the-mainstream-media-ignoring-the-rabid-anti-semitism-in-the-new-ukraine-government/

  8. Apparently, my comment got deleted from the Politico site. Compared to the rest of the comments, it wasn’t even that polemical.

  9. serfingUSA,

    We should all go to check to see if our education comments are still there!

  10. If John Baird and John Kerry are advocates for human rights and Democracy then why was there no American outcry during the Rwandan Genocide. Kerry and Baird are promoting the agenda of the corporate elites. Mainstream media is owned by these same elites, they are spin doctors who force feed the public their message. I like Ron Pauls opinion on foreign affairs “America should mind its own business”

  11. Calgary411, it’s strange – seems like all the other FATCA related comments are still there. Maybe I’ll just post it again.

  12. Looks like they have deleted nearly 100 comments … down to about 2074 comments now including recent incoming. Figure was close to 2150 this morning.

  13. @Calgary411 – WhiteKat is a brave fighter. Brave fighters sometimes get wounded and need to be reminded to keep strong and level vibes by their friends and like minded people. The Brockers are a great group and we have to remember that no matter how nasty the opposition they cannot touch us where we live … in our souls.

  14. @ serfingUSA & calgary411
    Mine is still there but it is so far down it is irrelevant at this point. It took me quite awhile just to find it (posted when there were 1440 comments and now there are 2074). It’s a shame that there are commenters there who post frivolous, way off topic and multiple comments to the point where good stuff gets quickly buried.

  15. Em, that’s Disqus for you. Almost every commenting system using it is plagued by junk comments.

  16. @Tim, well now that was eye opening. Way to fight the power isn’t it? Rigg’s bank! lol!

  17. @Darlene Hall

    In case Politico deletes this exchange (or my reply to you), I have copied it below:

    RichardOwens Softnet • 2 days ago

    He’s as phoney as a 3 dollar bill.

    Protecting Rand Paul from his quest to starve our own government and claim we are broke.

    He should go straight to Hell.

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    Darlene Hall RichardOwens • 2 days ago

    If I lived in the USA I would not be a republican. I hate all they stand for, even Rand Paul but I am in agreement with him on the issue of FATCA. I suggest you watch this short video, it is funny, simple and gives a clear understanding of FATCA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?…
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    nervousinvestor Darlene Hall • a day ago

    @Darlene Hall – if I were a US resident with a vote I would have a problem … the Democrat party seems to have sold its soul to the devil and to be utterly mendacious (vide Harry Reid in recent comments about the Affordable Care Act and the hurt that has done to so many people). The Republicans in large part are little better though perhaps not quite so mendacious. I would be forced to look for the least offensive choice on an election by election basis which in itself has problems since there can never be continuity in that way.

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    Darlene Hall nervousinvestor • a day ago

    @NI I agree with you. I just had a good cry on phone with my son. I am considered a criminal and a traitor. All I want is a life to live where I want.. I had done my US taxes up to theyear I became Canadian. One of the years the IRS sent me a $2k cheque for refund. I sent it back . I never earned any money in the US for decades.. My brother said I should collect Social Security. I don’t want it. I want to be only Canadian. I saw TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE. Powerful movie. I am the USA slave. I want to be released from bondage. I can not understand how a man I so admired and many of my friends has done this evil law against me. I am waiting for my CLN . I was told yesterday it may take a year It is 8 months now.. I think many Americans are now renouncing and relinquishing and there is such a backlog. I want to be free.. I am Canadian in my heart and soul. I have comfort with the Isaac Brock Society.
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    nervousinvestor Darlene Hall • 8 minutes ago

    @Darlene Hall. Sadly some of us who have experienced the same behaviour around the world in prior decades could see through the Obama chimera and really hoped that the American voters would not fall for the razzle dazzle and the playing of the race card. Sadly the US electorate fell in majority for his con game – twice – some through goodness in wanting to see a non white person rise to the Presidency and to do well in that position; sadly, though the rise is there, the “do well in the position” is not. Not that I think that John McCain was of any substance at all – I lost respect for him a long time ago. Romney though was a real contender and I am confident would have done good for America and probably also done good for the world. Obama however is a face card for many others of varying races (and parties as there are Republicans who believe in or will “go along with” the same outdated and destructive things as Obama et al) who are truly extremists or pathologically mendacious team players like Harry Reid and Nancy Pelozi to name two. I agree with you that the Isaac Brock Society is a collection of sober, sane, generally polite, well thinking people. Canada is a great country.

    Being owned as a chattle slave is an awful thing – to think that the US treats its citizens as Chattles to extract tax revenue is disgustingly 16th century – the US has forgotten that it was formed by people who wished to be free of Kings, Princes (though I myself love the Monarchy and my Queen Elizabeth II) and Tyrants. History shows us that America was formed by people who wished to breathe freedom, to work for their livelihoods and to build a better life for themselves. Sadly those same persons did not get rid of slavery completely at that time and it took a long time to free those who remained enslaved. The US Citizen resident outside the US and others being tarred and feathered as “US Persons” by FATCA are still enslaved in the view of some Americans including Obama, Levin, Schumer and their gang of tyrants. Martin Luther King’s actions were a great example of the sort of civil protest and “fight” that has to be done now. Be strong, be peaceful but be determined that right must triumph in the end. To paraphrase a wonderful line from an Indian movie about the “Marigold Hotel” … If everything is not yet all right then it is not yet the end. To paraphrase another famous saying …. All it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. We must not let evil triumph. We must protest until we are hoarse and then protest some more until people understand the evil that their Government is doing to the entire world … and stop it. Peacefully.
    __________________________________________________________

    As we frequently say here in Jamaica:

    One love.

    Cool Runnings.

    Jus’ Irie.

    Everything is Everything.

    Big up !

    Keep the faith.

  18. @Nervousinvestor, You just made me cry, but in a good way. Thank you for your inspiring words.

  19. @WhiteKat. Glad you are a Brocker. It helped me to express those feelings. Stay Strong.

  20. Jumped back into the Politico article. Whitekat and Serfing USA…..GREAT STUFF! We are all now on the top of the comments. Hope folks are still reading this especially (I hope/pray/beg) any US lawmakers.

  21. @Charl,

    In order to get back up to the top, all one has to do is create a new comment (even if it is a duplicate of a prior ‘good’ comment).

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