Ron Paul Statement on Tax Freedom Day

“My ultimate goal remains to repeal the 16th Amendment and end the tyranny of the IRS once and for all.” – Ron Paul

LAKE JACKSON, Texas – Texas Congressman and Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul issued the following statement regarding today being Tax Freedom Day, the day when average Americans finally stop working to pay federal, state, and local taxes.

Below please find comments from Congressman Paul:

“Knowing that every penny the average American has earned from January 1st until today has gone to pay federal, state, or local taxes is a frightening reminder of how much liberty modern Americans have lost.  Unfortunately, even after Tax Freedom Day, Americans will still suffer from the Federal Reserve’s regressive and hidden inflation tax, which erodes their purchasing power for the benefit of big banks and big-spending politicians.

“As a Congressman, I have never voted to raise taxes or increase spending, which is why I have consistently been named one of the top ‘Taxpayers’ Best Friends’ in Congress by the non-partisan National Taxpayers Union.  As President, I will work to reduce the burden of taxes and spending on the American people by passing my ‘Plan to Restore America.’

“This Plan not only cuts $1 trillion in the first year of my administration and balances the budget by the third year, but it provides much-needed tax relief to the American people.  It does this by permanently extending the Bush-era tax rates, lowering the corporate tax rate to 15 percent, allowing American companies to repatriate capital without paying additional taxes, abolishing the death tax, and ending all taxes on personal savings.

“My ‘Plan to Restore America’ also begins to free the American people from the inflation tax by conducting a full audit of the Federal Reserve and legalizing competing currencies.  These simple steps will allow the American people to at last learn the truth about how the Fed is working to prop up big banks at the expense of average Americans’ standard of living and then to take the appropriate actions to protect themselves and their families.

“My ultimate goal remains to repeal the 16th Amendment and end the tyranny of the IRS once and for all.  Of the four men seeking the presidential nomination of one of the major parties – President Obama, Governor Romney, Speaker Gingrich, and myself – I am the only one who has consistently opposed increases in taxes and spending.  I am also the only one who has consistently fought the Federal Reserve’s assault on the middle class’ standard of living.  My campaign to Restore America Now is the clear choice for any American concerned about rolling back taxes, cutting spending, and curbing inflation.”

LP CHAIR: "Violence is No Way For Civilized People to Get Their Revenue"

WASHINGTON -- In light of tomorrow's personal income tax filing deadline, Libertarian National Chair, Mark Hinkle, released the following statement:

"While everyone needs revenue, only criminals and politicians insist that they have to get it through violence.  The criminals, however, do not pretend they're doing it in order to serve the public, and taxes make politicians public masters rather than public servants.

"Certainly, the present size of government at all levels depends on taxation - not only the explicit kind, but the invisible kind that the Federal Reserve System imposes through inflation of the money supply.  People probably wouldn't voluntarily pay to bomb, invade, and occupy other countries, bail out large banks and other corporations, and try to dictate the personal choices of others.  Good riddance!  Government-monopolized services such as education and health care could be provided for less than half the cost if they could be returned to the voluntary sector of society with cost-raising regulations abolished and incentives restored.  Both mutual aid groups and charitable donations filled gaps prior to the rise of the Welfare State for those in need with an efficiency that is impossible when those in charge of aid get more money and power for themselves the worse the job they perform.  We'll have to take some personal responsibility for our own lives and stop using the excuse Ebenezer Scrooge made that his taxes supported institutions for the poor so he could ignore them.

"It is obscene for those claiming to protect life, liberty, and property to obtain their revenue by violating life, liberty, and property.  There are plenty of ways to obtain revenue without force: insurance, user fees, advertising, lotteries, and donations are already used by many local and state governments for a good portion of their revenue.  Let them be true public servants and live within the means that these sources provide.  People might even pay more voluntarily once they're no longer forced to turn over 1/3 to 1/2 of their wealth to governments.

"Ultimately, it is about the type of society we want to have.  We can accomplish a lot voluntarily when we mutually respect each other's lives and property.  It begins by respecting the right of people to keep the fruits of their labor.  A good start would be the abolition of the personal income tax, which only adds insult to the injury of theft by invading every part of the taxpayer's privacy as well as making the second week of April a misery instead of a time to enjoy the early spring."

How Could I Live without Filing Taxes?

Tired of filing taxes? Take a break, executive Director Carla Howell's spoof on taxes has been played on dozens of radio stations nationwide. Enjoy!

Source: e-letter from the Libertarian Party.

Former Senator and Presidential Candidate John Edwards Charged for Alleged Role in Scheme to Violate Federal Campaign Finance Laws

WASHINGTON - A federal grand jury today returned a six-count indictment against former U.S. Senator and Presidential candidate John Edwards for allegedly participating in a scheme to violate federal campaign finance laws, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney George E.B. Holding for the Eastern District of North Carolina.  

The indictment, returned in the Middle District of North Carolina, charges Johnny Reid Edwards, 57, of Chapel Hill, N.C., with one count of conspiracy to violate the federal campaign finance laws and to make false statements to the Federal Election Commission (FEC); four counts of accepting and receiving illegal campaign contributions from two donors in 2007 and 2008; and one count of concealing those illegal donations from the FEC.   Edwards is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court in Winston-Salem, N.C., at 2:30 p.m. EDT before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Auld.

“Today, a federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against former Senator John Edwards for violating federal election laws during his campaign for President of the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.  “Mr. Edwards is alleged to have accepted more than $900,000 in an effort to conceal from the public facts that he believed would harm his candidacy.  As this indictment shows, we will not permit candidates for high office to abuse their special ability to access the coffers of their political supporters to circumvent our election laws.  Our campaign finance system is designed to preserve the integrity of democratic elections – for the presidency and all other elected offices – and we will vigorously pursue abuses of the kind alleged today.”

“Democracy demands that our election system be protected, and without vigorously enforced campaign finance laws, the people of this country lose their voice,” said U.S. Attorney Holding.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice are committed to the prosecution of individuals who abuse the very system of which they seek to become a part.”

“Public servants are held to the same laws as everyone else in this country.   The position sought does not exempt anyone, even those running for President of the United States,” said Chris Briese, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina.

“Public officials hold positions of trust and get no free pass to ignore the law,” said Victor S. O. Song, Chief, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation (CI).   “Today’s indictment demonstrates IRS’ commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure our public officers remain trustworthy and adhere to the highest levels of integrity.”

According to the indictment, while a candidate for President of the United States, Edwards conspired with other individuals to accept and receive campaign contributions in excess of limits imposed by the Federal Election Act in an effort to protect and advance his candidacy from disclosure of an ongoing extra-marital affair and the resulting pregnancy.   The indictment alleges that between 2007 and 2008, Edwards accepted and received more than $900,000 as part of this effort.

The Federal Election Act limits the amount an individual may contribute to any candidate for federal elected office in order to limit the influence any one individual may have on the outcome of a federal election.   The Federal Election Act established that the most one individual could contribute for the 2008 presidential primary election was $2,300.   According to the indictment, the Federal Election Act’s contribution limit applies to anything of value provided for the purpose of influencing a federal election, including contributions to a candidate and his/her campaign; expenditures made in cooperation, consultation or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate or his/her campaign; and payments for personal expenses of a candidate unless those payments would have been made irrespective of his/her candidacy.

The Federal Election Act, according to the indictment, also requires each presidential campaign committee to file periodic campaign finance reports with the FEC, which are made available to the public.  In these reports, the committees were required to identify each person who, during the relevant reporting period, contributed more than $200 to the committee, along with the date and the amount of the contribution.  According to the indictment, these reports are intended to provide citizens with a transparent record of the amount and sources of all campaign contributions and to assist voters in making informed decisions at the polls.

According to the indictment, the payments at issue were used to facilitate Edwards’ extra-marital affair, and to conceal it and the resulting pregnancy from the public.   The indictment alleges that the funds were used to pay for the living and medical expenses of the individual with whom Edwards was having the affair, and to pay for the travel and accommodations necessary to hide this individual from the news media and the public so that Edwards’ candidacy would not be damaged.   According to the indictment, Edwards knew that the public revelation of the affair and pregnancy would undermine his image and force his campaign to divert personnel and resources away from campaign activities to respond to criticism and media scrutiny.

The indictment alleges that Edwards and his co-conspirators concealed the alleged unlawful contributions from the FEC and the public by causing the John Edwards for President Committee to file with the FEC false and misleading campaign finance reports that failed to disclose the illegal contributions.

A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

If convicted, Edwards faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge.   He faces five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count of accepting and receiving illegal campaign contributions, and a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the charge of concealing the alleged illegal donations.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert J. Higdon Jr. and Brian S. Meyers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, as well as Deputy Chief Justin V. Shur and Trial Attorneys David V. Harbach II and Jeffrey E. Tsai of the Public Integrity Section in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.   The case is being investigated by the FBI and IRS-CI.

Libertarians call for permanent government shutdown

WASHINGTON - As elected officials put on a dog-and-pony media show about a temporary shutdown of small parts of the federal government, the Libertarian Party calls for a permanent shutdown of most of the federal government.

Libertarian Party Executive Director Wes Benedict said, "Just think how a permanent government shutdown would allow so many Americans to regain the blessings of liberty.

"Education would blossom as the Department of Education ended its War on Learning, no longer wasting our money and preventing educational innovation with one-size-fits-all centralized mandates.

"Job opportunities at companies big and small would multiply, providing opportunity and choice for American workers.

"The world would enjoy peace as we withdrew our forces from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. Our government spends almost as much on the military as the rest of the world combined. Millions of industrious men and women who work for the military and its contractors could be focusing on building up our economy, rather than tearing down others'.

"Crime would plummet as the government's War on Drugs ended, no longer sustaining a giant violent black market and overfilling our prisons.

"The life of many poorer Americans would improve as welfare programs stopped, no longer trapping low-income families in an endless cycle of government dependency.

"All Americans would feel a huge burden lifted every April, as they were no longer required to wrestle with a byzantine and oppressive IRS.

"But most importantly, Americans would once again be free of unjust and unconstitutional violations of their unalienable rights."

Benedict added, "We're not talking about eliminating the federal government. We want to end all federal activities that are not authorized by the Constitution, and we want to cut everything else as much as we can. In 2000, the federal government spent $1.8 trillion. This year it's expected to spend $3.8 trillion. Things are going the wrong way -- fast."

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

The LP is America's third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets and civil liberties. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

Libertarian Party Message: Republicans jack up government spending

December 13, 2010

Dear Friend of Liberty,

I'm sure you've seen the media reports of how President Obama and the Republicans are making deals for big increases in government spending (while keeping tax rates very high). Ethanol subsidies, more unfunded unemployment spending, etc.

About a week ago, Republican leader Mitch McConnell said, "I think the current [35%] tax rate is appropriate for our country." No it isn't, it's way too high. In fact, I don't think there should even be an income tax. Section 2.4 of the Libertarian Party Platform calls for the abolition of the IRS.

When I heard Republicans repeat the words "less government" on the campaign trail this year, I wasn't fooled. I knew they were lying. I hope you weren't fooled either.

Unlike the Republicans, we Libertarians believe in cutting government spending. In fact, we want to cut spending across the board -- and that includes the military, Social Security, and Medicare. And we want to get rid of ethanol subsidies and other corporate welfare -- while the Republicans vote to increase it.

In other news, our Chair, Mark Hinkle, came to D.C. this weekend. Robert Kraus (our Operations Director) and I immediately put him to work on the phones calling our top donors to help raise money for the party.

We're still working to raise funds so we can afford to hire Travis Irvine and Nigel Lyons to produce video content for the LP.

We need to raise several thousand dollars more before feeling comfortable about starting on this.

Please make a donation of $1,000, or $500 or even $10 today.

Sincerely,

Wes Benedict

Executive Director

Libertarian National Committee

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

Source: Libertarian Party

Wes for Wesley Snipes

Why men can't jump on Wesley Snipes

(For Immediate Release)

WASHINGTON - Wes Benedict, Executive Director of the Libertarian Party, issued the following statement today:

"The federal government's recent demand for tax protester Wesley Snipes to report to prison brings attention to how horrible the federal income tax system is.

"The three-year federal prison sentence for Snipes's failure to file tax returns is absurd. Snipes is not a threat to anyone, and the judge who sentenced him clearly just wanted to scare others who might think about resisting federal taxes.

"Maybe it's worth reminding people that Wesley Snipes was acquitted of tax fraud and conspiracy charges in 2008. He was only found guilty on misdemeanor charges of 'willful failure to file an income tax return.'

"Why is a failure to file a tax return a criminal non-act? Should people ever be sent to prison for not doing something? If the IRS wants to come after Snipes and take his money, they have power to do that. Who does it help to send the man to prison?

"The tax code is incredibly vague and open to interpretation. In fact, the 'law' is largely written by IRS bureaucrats. If they decide the law says one thing, you're OK; if they decide it's something else, then you're headed for prison.

"The federal tax code also allows for 'selective enforcement,' to put it mildly. Why is it that Wesley Snipes gets a prison sentence, but known tax cheat Tim Geithner gets promoted to Secretary of the Treasury? Maybe Tim should be Wesley's cellmate. Throw tax cheat politician Charlie Rangel in the slammer too for good measure.

"Why do people like Wesley Snipes and Tim Geithner work so hard to avoid paying taxes? Because THE TAX IS TOO DAMN HIGH! When the government wants to grab 35 or 40 percent of what a person earns, you can expect that person to spend a whole lot of time, effort, and money to get around it. Accountants and tax lawyers use a giant bag of tricks to help their clients pay less tax. When the IRS decides that they're just inside the legal bounds, then everything's great. But when the IRS decides they're just outside the legal bounds, now the person's supposedly a horrible criminal who deserves our hatred. Was Snipes a fraudster, or was he just trying to do what he thought the law allowed? It all depends on who you ask.

"Should we simplify the tax code? Obviously. But better yet, I want to get rid of the federal income tax and replace it with nothing. A federal government limited to its proper functions would cost so little compared to today's bloated, unconstitutional leviathan, that an income tax would be unnecessary.

"People can argue over whether non-payment of taxes is immoral, and whether people are 'avoiding' or 'evading.' (I think one of those two is illegal, but it's hard to remember which.) As an organization, we can't encourage people to break the law. Did Snipes break the law? I have no idea. Did he behave immorally? I don't know. What I do know is that the law is horrible, and the IRS is immoral."

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

The LP is America's third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.

Source: Libertarian Party