The John Fredericks Show

The IRS: Taxing Your Patience and Patriotism Since 2011

By Congresswoman Cynthia Lummis

Casper Star Tribune

Monday May 20, 2013

Bullying has officially entered a new school playground, the Internal Revenue Service.

The IRS, one of the most powerful departments within our federal government, has been harassing conservative citizen groups and organizations for more than two years. This comes despite repeated demands for investigation and information during the same two-year period from the House Ways and Means Committee as to whether this practice was taking place.

In June of 2012, Inspector General Russell George was appointed to investigate mounting allegations that the IRS was harassing private organization — what he found is embarrassing. According to his report, Lois Lerner, the director of Tax Exempt Groups within the IRS, was told in June of 2011 that the practicing of political targeting was taking place within the department. Lerner turned a blind eye and the IRS continued to claim no knowledge of this practice when directly questioned by the House Ways and Means Committee. Now nearly two years later, Lerner has publicly apologized for the targeting. Queue the floodgates.

An internal IRS memo dubbed “Be on the Look-Out”, or BOLO, listed terms like “patriot” and “tea party” as alerts to IRS agents to perform more scrutiny on these filers or applicants for tax-exempt status. Flagged organizations and groups were told to turn over names of their donors, donation amounts and even list their policy positions on political issues important to their organization. This information is not and has never been required by law for tax-exempt filing purposes.

I watched in disbelief as this saga unfolded — albeit in the midst of the Benghazi and Associated Press bombshells this week. Then, in a press conference Wednesday, the president warned of a “partisan agenda” fearing that “political motivations” would unfairly escalate the IRS story.

An egregious intrusion on citizens’ rights should not be prefaced and trivialized under a fear of partisanship. Every American should be concerned by these actions. This involves every citizen. The power wielded by the IRS has been abused. Period.

The administration’s solution was to point fingers at low level “rogue” employees in the IRS’ Cincinnati office and Acting IRS Commissioner Steve Miller, whose temporary assignment was ending in June. The administration may declare this as a resolution; I see this as a scapegoat.

Then there is Lerner, who, despite being embattled and at the center of this controversy and knowing of these indiscretions in June of 2011, still has her job.

We on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee are taking a different approach. This week we’re having a little visit with Lerner, along with her colleagues Neil Wolin, deputy secretary of the Treasury responsible for supervising the IRS, and Douglas Shulman, the former IRS commissioner. They, along with Inspector General Russell George, whose report led to the uncovering of this embarrassment, will answer questions in our committee hearing “The IRS: Targeting Americans for Political Beliefs.”

Bolling, Price Headline Friday on The John Fredericks Morning Show

It’s the Memorial Day weekend palapalooza on the Friday John Fredericks Morning Radio Show…this is one show you won’t want to miss!

Here’s our May 24 guest line-up:

6:10 AM – Bob Dane, Federation for American Immigration Reform

Bob gives his candid assessment of the Gang of Eight Immigration bill that just got kicked out of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee…Is it really just amnesty…or does it secure the borders first…find out tomorrow if it can pass through Congress.

6:40 AM – Bill Riley, Publisher, Virginia Virtucon

Riley gives his take on the new GOP, which some conservative organizations have coined: “CuJO.”

7:10 AM - Bill Fredericks – IT executive

Bill, with a great last name BTW, explains why we don’t need to loosen the restrictions on HB-1 Visas that will flood the U.S. with foreign high tech workers, competing with American college and technical school students and graduates.

7:40 AM – Lt. Governor Bill Bolling (R-Virginia)

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling rolls out his new PAC: Virginia Mainstream, that he says will allow him to speak his mind and raise money for candidates. He’ll also give his take on the newly minted LG nominee. This is must listen radio…

8:10 AM - Mark Burkhalter, former Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, is live in London.

The former Speaker of the Peach State, who many credit with turning Georgia from virtually all blue to solidly red, is on the scene in London with analysis of the horrific terrorist slaying of a British soldier in broad daylight in the middle of a busy street. We’ll also get his take on the goings on in Washington, D.C.

8:40 – U.S. House Rep. Tom Price, M.D. (R-Georgia)

Price, who many think could be U.S. House Speaker in waiting, gives his unabashed assessments of the IRS scandal, immigration reform legislation, Benghazi and Syria…all done in

heralded Tom Price no-holds-barred-take-no-prisoners style.

John Fredericks is syndicated radio talk show host in Baltimore, Washington D.C & Virginia and can be heard M-F 6-9 a.m. on WTNT –AM 730 & 102.9FM in Balt-D.C., WLEE AM 990 in Richmond, WHKT AM 1650 in Tidewater and WBRG AM 1050 & 104.5 FM in Lynchburg – Roanoke- Charlottesville or streaming online at http://www.washingtontimes.com/listen/

The John Fredericks Morning Show
Monday – Friday 6 – 9AM
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DC/ NOVA – WTNT AM 730 & 102.9 FM
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LYNCHBURG-ROANOKE-CHARLOTTESVILLE- WBRG AM 1050 &104.5 FM
STREAMING ONLINE: www.washingtontimes.com/listen

JOHN’S LATEST COLUMN:

When West is South…the Immigration FAIR comes to D.C.

& the Gang of Eight Comes out of the Closet With a Doozy

By John Fredericks

Be careful what you wish for.

Florida U.S. Rep. and Col. (Ret.) Allen West’s endorsement goes to his former battlefield commander, Del. Scott Lingamfelter (R) for Virginia Lt. governor. It’s been hyped and heralded — on this website and from the Lingamfelter camp — as a great coup and a potential game-changer. But it could come at a major cost. Find out what the endorsement really means when Delegate Lingamfelter joins us tomorrow on the John Fredericks Morning Show. We’ll get the inside scoop from the man who says he’s got the big Mo’ going into to Richmond.

Is it FAIR? We’ll be there.

The John Fredericks Morning Show will be broadcasting live Wednesday & Thursday from the FAIR Convention (Federation of American Immigration Reform) at the Phoenix Park Hotel in D.C. This years FAIR theme: “Hold Their Feet to the Fire.” And they’ve got a blockbuster lineup, including U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (FL), U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Fmr. U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) — who has disavowed U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) — U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), U.S. Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), Prince William County Chairman of Supervisors Corey Stewart and many more all attending this event.

The Gang of Eight Comes Out of the Closet-A Sneak Peak

Here’s a quick summary of the bill, now out of the shadows for the first time: amnesty, low-wage labor, and worthless enforcement promises.

Amnesty

Illegal aliens who have previously been deported for non-criminal offenses will be allowed to apply for reentry and will also be granted temporary legal status and permitted to work.

Illegal aliens who are in removal proceedings, or who have pending orders of deportation will be eligible for temporary legal status.

Illegal aliens may also choose to leave the country. If they choose this option, they will be eligible to apply for green cards after five years.

Illegal aliens who remain in the U.S. in temporary legal status will be eligible to apply for green cards after ten years, irrespective of whether enforcement promises have been kept.

Only at the time they apply for green cards will amnestied aliens be required to pay a $2,000 fine.

Illegal aliens who entered the country before age 16 – so-called DREAMers – are eligible for a special amnesty. They would qualify for green cards after five years and be immediately eligible to apply for citizenship.

Illegal aliens who worked in agriculture would also be eligible for a special amnesty. They, too, would qualify for green cards after five years.

Illegal aliens who do not qualify for the special DREAM Act or agricultural amnesty would be eligible to apply for citizenship after 13 years.

More Foreign Workers

The number of H-1B visas available to employers would increase from 65,000 to 110,000 annually. That number could increase to 180,000, based on demand for these workers. These increases would incur in spite of the fact that we have historically high levels of unemployment.The bill creates a new W visa for low-skilled workers. W visa workers, would be admitted to fill “labor shortages,” but would not be required to remain in the jobs they were brought here to fill. After one year, W visa holders could self-petition for green cards and remain permanently.After five years, the number of new low-skilled W visa workers could reach 200,000 annually. In addition to the principal W visa holder, spouses and dependent minor children would be eligible for admission.The W visa program would be managed by a new bureaucracy, known as the Immigration and Labor Market Research Bureau, within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This new government bureaucracy would determine where workers are needed and help determine wages.Would establish “dual intent” visas for foreign students making them eligible for green cards after completion of bachelor’s degrees.

Enforcement

Bill would establish “goal” of 90 percent effectiveness in apprehending illegal entrants in “high risk” sectors of the southern border.DHS would be required to submit a plan for border enforcement within 180 of enactment, including plans for additional fencing, technology and manpower (even though these are already required under current law).If border security goals are not met within five years, a commission will be established to make recommendations. Failure to achieve border security goals will have no bearing on the legalization process for illegal aliens. Phased-in implementation of E-Verify for all U.S. employers. Companies with more than 5,000 employees would be required to use E-Verify within two years of enactment. Companies with fewer than 5,000 workers would be required to use E-Verify within five years of enactment.

For updates all week, be sure to like us on Facebook.John Fredericks is a syndicated morning drive radio talk show host in Baltimore, Washington D.C & Virginia and can be heard M-F 6-9 a.m. on WTNT –AM 730 & 102.9FM in Balt-D.C., WLEE AM 990 in Richmond, WHKT AM 1650 in Tidewater and WBRG AM 1050 & 104.5 FM in Lynchburg – Roanoke – Charlottesville or streaming online at http://washingtontimes.com/listen

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NEWSMAKER OF THE DAY - Virginia State Senator Mark Herring, who is also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Atty General, joined John to address his LGBT initiative, the current Atty General Ken Cuccinelli, his involvement with the choice of a candidate to fill the 20th District judgeship & Virginia politics. http://youtu.be/OyO_RekojiA

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