IRS Wants To Shut Down Pro-gun Internet Activities Gun Owners of America E-Mail/FAX Alert 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151 Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408 January 8, 2001 The IRS has proposed some dangerous threats to free speech in their IRS Announcement 2000-84 (10/16/00). In a transparent effort to protect the incumbents in Congress, the Announcement would prohibit a link from the GOA web site to, for example, the Bush and the Gore sites so that you can see for yourself what their positions on firearms are during a campaign. Of course, GOA could do so if we subjected ourselves to the terms of the Speech Police at the Federal Election Commission. If GOA were to be treated as a political committee by the federal government, all of its members would have to be reported. That is obviously totally unacceptable. In an effort to deny funds for communications to members and the public, the Announcement would tax any proceeds from books and other products purchased at the GOA web site. If someone wants to further the work of GOA by purchasing things from GOA, why should the government put its greedy hands on that "income?" In other words, the IRS wants a Speech Tax. The announcement would also limit those with whom GOA could communicate. The IRS would determine who is a member and then say that only members can receive e-mail from GOA. Please communicate your displeasure with this Announcement by February 13, 2001. You can send your objections via postal mail to: Internal Revenue Service 1111 Constitution Avenue NW Washington DC 20224 Attn: Judith E. Kindell You can use the address: *TE/GE-Exempt-2@irs.gov to e-mail your objections. Please circulate this call for action to as many people as you can. The text of the Ammouncement is on pages 385-387 of the IRS bulletin at (401 Kb, Adobe Acrobat required). If you wish, you can use the suggested language below and post or e-mail it. Internal Revenue Service Attn: Judith E. Kindell 1111 Constitution Avenue NW Washington DC 20224 Re: Announcement 2000-84 Dear Ms. Kindell, Please do not put these measures into effect. The government has no business regulating or taxing speech and the organizations involved in advocacy. I want to know what candidates say, and I want non-profit organizations to tell me how to find candidate web pages so I can see for myself what candidates are saying. I do not want to have to "join" an organization to receive e-mail from them. I don't want the IRS diluting the effectiveness of organizations I support by taxing the proceeds of their product sales. If I choose to support them in that way, I don't want you getting a cut. U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Dick Armey had it right: "The idea of turning the tax man into a Net cop would have a chilling effect on free speech on the internet." Sincerely,