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
I’m in for any assignments you need help with.
@DukeOfDevon,
Great letter! I’m glad we are on the same side. …cool about your great grandmother!
I am swamped. Here’s an idea for any pilots out there
Contact the Canadian Pilots Assoc and send two links with your message:
http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1438783/cathay-withhold-us-pilots-wages-taxes
and
http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2014/03/02/cathy-pacific-to-begin-30-fatca-withholding-of-american-pilots-wages/
@ChearsBigEars, Is it wet where you live?
@EM
please post this on the Star tonight
Can’t get in
cathay-withhold-us-pilots-wages-taxes
http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1438783/cathay-withhold-us-pilots-wages-taxes
@ ChearsBigEars
Done.
STRATEGIC ALLIANCES
Who might be interested in supporting a Canadian FATCA IGA Charter Challenge for their own strategic reasons? Who are “unlikely” allies who might support this – because it also advances their own interests?
1) How about the Texas and Florida Bankers Associations? They are already challenging FATCA in US courts. How cost effective for them would it be to also support a complementary challenge FATCA in the Canadian Courts?
“Texas and Florida bankers’ groups are appealing the dismissal of a lawsuit they brought last year challenging rules meant to help the government implement the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), a law aimed at combating offshore tax evasion….In a reciprocal information-sharing effort, the Internal Revenue Service also wrote rules requiring U.S. banks to disclose information about U.S. accounts held by many foreigners that earn at least $10 of interest per year. In a lawsuit filed in April 2013, the Florida Bankers Association and Texas Bankers Association challenged those rules aimed at U.S. banks as burdensome and an obstacle to foreign investment in the United States.”
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/fundsFundsNews/idUSL2N0LA0SY20140205
2) Native or First Nations Canadian groups. The number of First Nations people in Canada is roughly equal to the number of so-called “US persons” in Canada. How many First Nations people in Canada are also considered so-called “US persons” under FATCA due to US birthplace or ancestry? Canada’s FATCA IGA has NO special consideration for First Nations persons. How does the FATCA IGA interface with the Canadian Charter section 25 to 31 and also various Treaty Rights?
3) Parti Québécois
How many citizens of Quebec are also so-called US-persons? What is the conflict of law, sovereignty and Quebec’s unique status between the extra-jurisdictional assertion of US sovereignty over certain Quebec citizens by the US government, and the evolving reality of Quebec sovereignty? Do the Québécois understand how a the Harper Government IGa may abridge the rights of some of their citizens? Is this an opportunity for Quebec to push back against the Harper Government?
4) How about Hells Angels? “Six members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club have retained one of Canada’s leading constitutional and human rights lawyers Joe Arvay … to challenge B.C.’s Civil Forfeiture Act as it battles to gain back possession of their club houses in Vancouver, Kelowna, and Nanaimo.”
http://www.canadianlawyermag.com/legalfeeds/1725/arvay-to-represent-hells-angels-in-challenge-of-b-c-forfeiture-law.html
How many members of outlier motorcycle organization in Canada are also so-called “US persons”? Maybe an outlier organization like Hells Angels would especially object to the Canadian Government sending their financial information to the US? Maybe they would support this cause on principle?
5) How about US Senator Rand Paul himself? Or the PACs that support him (such as RAND PAC 2016)? Rand despises FATCA! maybe he would support a Canadian push-back.
OK folks,
I’ve been gathering names of US – born well-known Cdns listed on Wikipedia. The info I have gathered is being put onto an Excel spreadsheet (Name, place of birth, place of current residence if available & some details about the person’s occupation/activities)
I’ve not been getting addresses (yet).
WhiteKat has agreed to write a mailing letter.
I’m prepared to cover the cost of printing, envelopes, stamps, to do the stuffing, addressing and mailing once addresses are gathered.
I’m REALLY busy over the next few weeks but can send the entire list of names & data that I have right now to someone (or some two or three) that WhiteKat and/or Petros and/or other long-standing dedicated Brokers agrees would carefully coordinate the address-finding at this time.
I’ll be available again in early April; since this is after the initial CCCF fund-raising initiative, the letter/flier/document will reflect this but still be an articulate intro to the issues we are all facing and encouragement to spread the word and support us (especially if/when the word from Joe Avery is “A-GO”.
I also think that writing to groups, as suggested by Wondering, might be worth considering – but carefully chosen. Cathay pilots anyone?
If I have time in the next few weeks, I will further scour for US-born Cdns via Wikipedia and add to the list – – I mean, the people mentioned there are going to have a lot of contacts to whom they can spread the word, possibly a reasonable wealth, and should be just as motivated as we are to support these efforts. Some are already successful activists (Jeffry House, Judy Rebick, Michael Hendricks, Svend Robinson).
Would people want to take names randomly or by city or province or by occupation? I’ve sent the list-so-far of Journalist/broadcasters to Atticus.
Other than the above, I’m just not sure where to start. So I’ll continue to gather the background data and hope some of you will come forward with a plan as to how to organize/take this forward at this juncture. Ideas welcomed…..
PS Thanks, Charl, for your offer to help too
@WhiteKat
Where the last winter Olympics were, yes
@ grouchy&mad – just want to acknowledge your willingness to help with sending letters. See my 12:35 March 4 comment
@ IRSCompliantForever says “My own thinking is that donors are often guided by self-interest.”
I agree, but also these are individuals who, like many Brockers, have CHOSEN to live in Canada for a reason. Would they really agree with the idea of their financial records being investigated and invaded by the IRS? They all probably pay their taxes; will they not be angered by basically being labeled tax-cheats? Will they not understand the issues of “accidental Americans”? Surely they, too, know US expats here in Canada, especially in their professional field. I think we can still appeal to their sense of “common cause” too.
@Wondering:
“How about the Texas and Florida Bankers Associations? ”
Anyone mind if I compliment those here who are getting past the whinging stage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j7OWfSeiik
and into war mode and action mode. It’s hard to think and plan under stress but we must do this until we get stronger. We need different very creative strategies like that! You cannot beat this enemy by begging and complaining about how unfair they are because they already know this. We must be sly as a fox and contact the people who can act and effectively jam this government for subverting our rights and freedoms. Personally I like some of the ideas I’m seeing. A think tank is being born. A formidable enemy like the French Resistance. Never mind a leader here, I’m glad we don’t have one. We were Americans and we were smart enough to leave the sinking ship when we realized it was sinking. So, we are smart enough to wage this war as individuals. Don’t sell ourselves short as powerless. Our power will come NOT by working within this system but by shadowing it with embarrassment and making it look foolish. You can stop writing to your MP’s, they don’t care and they want you to do this to let off steam. Do NOT let off steam the way they program you to in school. Question EVERYTHING you were ever taught and then you will know what needs to be done, then do it.
Now we need to start thinking in terms of creative effective Culture Jamming so Corporate and Financial Canada will suffer the way we are.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_jamming
If 1,000,000 of us engage in CULTURE JAMMING we can wake people up and if enough of us do it we can subvert the banking culture and counteract their propaganda brainwashing programs. The TD Green Torture chair one of us created is a perfect example of culture jamming. Suppose we print tens of thousands of those flyers and instead of wasting time protesting in front of one bank get hundreds to split up in Toronto one day and go to each bank in Metro and hand them out. Voila…..the idea of comfortable banking is destroyed. We keep up the campaign in city to city. Then Culture Jam “You’re Richer than you Think” (unless we get the IRS to destroy you using Harpers new revised Charter of Rights). Get the idea? We need an army of proactive culture jammers to bring them to their knees.
Another example of Culture Jamming I saw on a stop sign last week. Right underneath the word STOP someone put a sticker that read HARPER. That sort of thing
@Wondering, I REALLY like the idea of getting biker gangs to back us because surely many of them are affected. Don’t ask me how to do this, I’m clueless about it. If we can’t depend on our own government to stop a foreign dictatorship from harassing innocent citizens here then we will find someone who will. Anybody who will help is OK with me. We have been unjustly criminalized and raped by the Harper regime.
Fatca Compliance Problematic for Credit Unions
http://www.calculator.co.uk/2014/02/fatca-compliance-problematic-for-credit-unions/
— February 5, 2014
“February-05
World Council of Credit Unions (Woccu) vice-president and chief counsel Michael Edwards believes that credit unions will face severe issues implementing the new US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, better known as Fatca.
The act creates a significant regulatory burden for banks, credit unions and many government agencies that cooperate with the United States. Many in the financial services industry would prefer if Fatca “did not exist”, Woccu vice-president and chief counsel Michael Edwards claims.
Even US-based banks and credit unions may face regulatory issues due to the new legislation. Although the statute doesn’t specifically mention US credit unions and banks, as part of the information collecting efforts required to enforce the act, the United States government may need to collect data from US-based credit unions.
The law will “not result in finding information on many foreigners”, despite being a significant burden to both US and international credit unions. As most credit unions have local residents as board members, the administrative cost of Fatca could be an immense burden to US-based credit unions in particular.
Numerous international banks and credit unions have objected to Fatca, noting its immense administrative costs. Banks in countries like Switzerland and Singapore have reportedly turned away US customers interested in becoming account holders due to the immense administrative costs associated with their business.
The legislation was introduced to reduce offshore tax evasion by US citizens. Critics of the act claim that, instead of reducing tax evasion, it simply increases the cost of doing business with US-based account holders and companies for banks based in countries believed to be tax havens.
While the act has run into opposition in the United States, political experts believe that a repeal is unlikely. Tax evasion is a hot political topic in the United States and the repeal of a bill – even an ineffective one – designed to reduce it would be very unlikely, tax experts claim.”
@Petros
On the IBS site, the challenge fund is given as “Canadian Charter Challenge Freedom Fund”, but if you follow the link, the actual name of the Fund is “Canadian Charter Challenge Fund”. As the name of the fund is decided by @Blaze and @IRSC, it appears to me that it ought to be changed on the IBS site.
Regards.
My previous comment should perhaps have been directed to GwEvil, who authored the post in question. Apologies, if any are called for!
@NorthernShrike,
Thanks for catching this. I have emailed GwEvil on this.
—-Nice cheques came in this morning at the P.O. box and have been deposited.
So far, all cheques are local and we expect out of province donations to begin coming in during the next few days.
Calling all Calgary area Brockers to join me and `Disgusted` for an opportunity on March 12th, 5:00 p.m.!
Hey Calgary Brockers. Any interest in my sending you the names of other US-born Calgarians? I could just send names or a more detailed listing to one or two of you if you’re interested in seeking to educated these folks/get them to support us….
@Wondering,
I like your suggestions for forming strategic alliances —but am somewhat uncomfortable in aligning efforts with biker gangs.
Having said that, and looking through the link that you discovered, I am really happy that we selected a constitutional expert to provide a legal opinion who wants to defend the rights of ALL Canadians, even those (like us in the minds of many?) who are not that “sympathetic” to the public:
“VANCOUVER — Six members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club have retained one of Canada’s leading constitutional and human rights lawyers Joe Arvay, of Arvay Finlay in Vancouver to challenge B.C.’s Civil Forfeiture Act as it battles to gain back possession of their club houses in Vancouver, Kelowna, and Nanaimo.
Their lawyer notes ‘people may not be sympathetic to my clients’ the Hells Angels’ forfeiture case has wider implications…. ”
http://www.canadianlawyermag.com/legalfeeds/1725/arvay-to-represent-hells-angels-in-challenge-of-b-c-forfeiture-law.html
Sure, LM. I may have already contacted some of them way back, with no response. But, I`m up for trying again.
Caveat; ethical/moral concerns about outing fellow Canadians as US persons, and unintended consequences?
As an FYI;
‘Canadian Who’s Who’ – notes birth city information:
see samples at http://canadianwhoswho.ca/search_results.php?current=current&archived=archived&living=living&deceased=deceased&searchAll=searchAll&keywords=united+states&lastname=&firstname=&city=&language=&education=&credentials=&occupation=&page=1
Past print versions of ‘Canadian Who’s Who’ available in many/most public libraries, possibly colleges, and up to date current versions as searchable electronic/online reference resource in all/most university collections – but possibly restricted to onsite in-person access for those in the community who are not currently a student, faculty, staff unless individual library allows for a guest access day pass (rules and conditions vary), or possibly researcher access with an annual fee.
See also similar sources in large libraries/university/law libraries:
‘Who’s Who in Canada’
and
‘Who’s Who in Canadian Business’
‘Canadian Business presents Who’s who in Canadian business’
‘Who’s who in Canadian finance’
re those notable/influential in Canadian business and finance.
Possibly some supplemental info in
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com (free online).
Overall challenge; efficiently searching/locating records containing an unequivocal US birthplace, identifying those who acquired US status not through US birthplace, but via parentage, naturalization, and via extended work/study/residence in the US. And some may have been stripped of US status via naturalization in Canada or elsewhere, or renounced, or formally surrendered greencards.
badger,
That sounds like a project for some budding law student. Like — remember that `Student Advocate`commenter to some Globe and Mail stories.
and you have a point about the risk of “outing persons”!