CHILLING: IRS targeted groups that criticized the government, IG report says
By Juliet Eilperin, Published: May 12, 2013 at 2:30 pm
At various points over the past two years, Internal Revenue Service officials targeted nonprofit groups that criticized the government and sought to educate Americans about the U.S. Constitution, according to documents in an audit conducted by the agency’s inspector general.
The documents, obtained by The Washington Post from a congressional aide with knowledge of the findings, show that on June 29, 2011, IRS staffers held a briefing with senior agency official Lois G. Lerner in which they described giving special attention to instances where “statements in the case file criticize how the country is being run.” Lerner, who oversees tax-exempt groups for the agency, raised objections and the agency revised its criteria a week later.
But six months later, the IRS applied a new political test to groups that applied for tax-exempt status as “social welfare” groups, the document says. On Jan. 15, 2012 the agency decided to target “political action type organizations involved in limiting/expanding Government, educating on the Constitution and Bill of Rights, social economic reform movement.,” according to the appendix in the IG report, which was requested by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and has yet to be released.
Media and Obama administration on trial with Benghazi Cover-Up
Spinning Benghazi
May 10, 2013
Posted by Alex Koppelman
It’s a cliché, of course, but it really is true: in Washington, every scandal has a crime and a coverup. The ongoing debate about the attack on the United States facility in Benghazi where four Americans were killed, and the Obama Administration’s response to it, is no exception. For a long time, it seemed like the idea of a coverup was just a Republican obsession. But now there is something to it.
On Friday, ABC News’s Jonathan Karl revealed the details of the editing process for the C.I.A.’s talking points about the attack, including the edits themselves and some of the reasons a State Department spokeswoman gave for requesting those edits. It’s striking to see the twelve different iterations that the talking points went through before they were released to Congress and to United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, who used them in Sunday show appearances that became a central focus of Republicans’ criticism of the Administration’s public response to the attacks. Over the course of about twenty-four hours, the remarks evolved from something specific and fairly detailed into a bland, vague mush.
Probe Says Tax Agency Used Sweeping Criteria to Scrutinize Conservative Groups
By JOHN D. MCKINNON and SIOBHAN HUGHES
The Internal Revenue Service’s scrutiny of conservative groups went beyond those with “tea party” or “patriot” in their names—as the agency admitted Friday—to also include ones worried about government spending, debt or taxes, and even ones that lobbied to “make America a better place to live,” according to new details of a government probe.
The investigation also revealed that a high-ranking IRS official knew as early as mid-2011 that conservative groups were being inappropriately targeted—nearly a year before then-IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman told a congressional committee the agency wasn’t targeting conservative groups.
PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC MEETING AND WORK SESSION – MAY 13
PLANNING BOARD
AMENDMENT TO MEETING SCHEDULE
Work Session & Public Meeting: Monday, May 13, 2013
In accordance with the provisions of the “Open Public Meetings Act,” please be advised that the Planning Board has scheduled a special public meeting and work session for MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013, in the VILLAGE HALL COURT ROOM, 4th Floor, 131 NORTH MAPLE AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ beginning at 7:30 p.m.
The Board may take official action during this Work and Public Meeting at which time the Board will:
? have discussion regarding multifamily housing and mixed use development in and near the CBD.
? discuss Ordinance #3368 amending the regulations in the Land Use and Development chapter of the Village Code for Houses of Worship, Schools and Public Utility Facilities.
All meetings of the Ridgewood Planning Board (i.e., official public meetings, work session meetings, pre-meeting assemblies and special meetings) are public meetings which are always open to members of the general public.
In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15th falls, as National Police Week.
Established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others.
Democratic Senators Sen. Loretta Weinberg, Sen. Sandy Cunningham and Sen. Linda Greenstein Caught on Tape: “Confiscate, Confiscate, Confiscate”
Second Amendment rights advocates are fuming today over words from three Democratic state senator caught on tape after Thursday’s hearing on the upper chamber’s gun control package.
The three female senators, who sound from the recording to be Sen. Loretta Weinberg, Sen. Sandy Cunningham and Sen. Linda Greenstein are heard discussing the just-closed hearing. (Isherwood/PolitickerNJ)
Final Voter Registration Night for June Primary Electionis May 14, 2013
Ridgewood NJ, The final date to register to vote for the June Primary Election is May 14, 2013. This voter registration is for new voters to Ridgewood or those who have moved within Ridgewood. On May 14, 2013, you may register to vote at the Village Clerk’s Office, on the 5th Floor of Village Hall, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and in the lobby of the Ridgewood Public Library from 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
School traffic change at Ridge School needs more study
May 13, 2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Village Council has decided to “study ” the issue of traffic congestion at Ridge Elementary School ,thereby voting down the proposed ordinance that was aimed to address traffic concerns from parents of Ridge Elementary School students.
The new traffic and pedestrian study will be conducted to determine the best course of action.
Chris Harris of the Record reported that the ordinance ,”Specifically, the ordinance would have amended regulations that prohibit vehicular traffic on Clinton Avenue when the West Ridgewood Avenue school is in session. Eastbound traffic on West Ridgewood Avenue, where left turns into the school’s driveway are prohibited, has caused backups during pickup and drop-off time” .https://www.northjersey.com/news/206882321_School_traffic_change_put_off_in_Ridgewood.html
Traffic issues have been at the center of controversy for the school the last several years , with residents , parents and Ridgewood PD at odds over congestion in the area . Recent efforts by the BOE to encourage kids to walk to schools has done little of nothing to help the situation.
Mayor Paul Aronsohn told the Record that , “the council wants to review an overall traffic and pedestrian safety pattern for the Ridge School area” .
2013 Village of Ridgewood Introduced Budget – June 12 Budget Public Hearing
The Village 2013 tax levy of $33,040,375 is $36,725 less than Village 2012 tax levy of $33,077,101. The average residential property assessed at $686,994 in 2013 will experience a municipal tax bill of $3,966. This municipal tax for the average taxpayer represents NO increase over the 2012 year.
The introduced 2013 Budget totals $45,343,651. This is a budget decrease of $677,509 from amended 2012 budget (a 1.4% decrease).
The exact tax rate and average tax paid will be determined by the Bergen County Tax Board after the Village Council adopts the Budget. The 2013 Budget Public Hearing will be held at 8PM June 12, 2013.
Reader Comments : “IRS apologizes for targeting tea party groups”
It is telling that the IRS thoughtlessly let the cat out of the bag that they used words like “tea party” and “patriot” in the titles of organizations as triggers for increased scrutiny (read: audit) when determining whether they merit tax-exempt status. More than likely 90-95% of IRS staffers already personally thoughtlessly assume that tea party/patriot organizations are inherently political.
Ardent progressives/liberals have been hard at work in this country politicizing everything they can get their grubby little mitts on. Once they are successful in politicizing a subject, they can begin to dominate it under the umbrella of their political perspective, because most people in polite conversation shy away from politically sensitive subjects.
Tea Party/Patriot organizations are not truly political in nature, much to the chagrin of dedicated progressives and modern liberals. They believe in preserving and strengthening the principles upon which this country was founded. Such principles should be, and thankfully still are, above mere ‘politics’.
One reason why the Ridgewood Fourth of July parade organizers do not and should not have a problem with individuals who are members of Tea Party organizations marching under their own banner in the parade is that they are true civic organizations that do not support particular candidates or parties. Another reason is that the annual Ridgewood Fourth of July Parade exists for essentially the same reason that Tea Party/Patriot organizations do: To foster greater respect for the founding principles and documents (e.g., Declaration of Independence, Constitution) of this country!
Snapchat Stores “Deleted” Photos In Phones’ Data: Forensic Experts
Data engineers can retrieve images simply by removing a file extension.
By: Addy Dugdale
Snapchat, that clever app that allows friends to send photos that automatically disappear after several seconds, may not be disposing of the evidence after all. A digital forensics firm in Utah has discovered that the app actually saves the photos on the user’s device, rather than destroying them, as it claims.
What Search Warrant? Your Facebook Messages And Private Emails Are Not Safe From FBI Surveillance, Says ACLU
Warrants? We don’t need no stinking warrants.
According to new documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union, government officials may not always obtain warrants when they snoop through our emails, Facebook messages, and other electronic communications — and the FBI apparently doesn’t even believe it’s legally required to do so.
The documents, which were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request and posted on the ACLU website, suggest that the U.S. Department of Justice is flouting a 2010 federal appeals court ruling that declared warrantless access to email a violation of the Fourth Amendment.
I want to wish all the mothers and grandmothers in Bergen County a Happy Mother’s Day and let you know how special I think you are.
There is no job more difficult, more demanding or more important than that of being a mother.
Mothers give love unconditionally and everlastingly. Mothers comfort us when we are down, forgive our mistakes, and offer us a haven from the world’s troubles. Mothers love us for who we are.
Mothers are taxi drivers, cooks, doctors, teachers and psychologists all rolled into one. Mothers inspire greatness as well as kindness.
For those of us whose Mothers have passed, we remember her with great affection and love on this day and everyday.
To the Moms everywhere, I hope you spend the day surrounded by the children you love and the families you created.
And to all you sons and daughters, take a moment to show your mother that you appreciate all the things she has done for you — all the sacrifices she made, without complaint, year after year. It is her unconditional love that has taken you this far.
Happy Mother’s Day! Bergen County Executive Kathleen A. Donovan
Money, power and 3 bad loans for top Bergen County Democrats
Saturday May 11, 2013, 11:32 PM
BY JEAN RIMBACH
STAFF WRITER
The Record
At a time when the local Democratic Party dominated county government, its longtime leader, Joseph Ferriero, received a highly favorable $350,000 loan from a bank owned by one of the county’s most politically active developers — a loan he obtained without having to put up collateral and that he defaulted on after being indicted on corruption charges.
Fred Daibes, founder and majority shareholder of Mariner’s Bank of Edgewater, said he made it a practice to stay away from decisions regarding loan approvals.
The loan was one of three made to party leaders by Edgewater’s Mariner’s Bank that were unsecured by property or other assets during a period in which the bank and its owner did business on a number of fronts with the county and the Democrats.
Rep. Scott Garrett Reintroduces Bill to Shed Light on Taxpayer Liabilities
May 9, 2013 Issues: Budget
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), senior Member of the House Budget Committee, reintroduced the Budget and Accounting Transparency Act as part of a comprehensive set of reforms that strengthen spending controls, enhance oversight of government spending and bring honest accounting to Washington’s broken budget process. These reforms build on the House-passed Path to Prosperity and is the latest instance of House Republicans working to address our spending-driven debt crisis and bringing accountability and transparency back to the federal government’s budget process.
Rep. Garrett made the following statement after reintroducing the Budget and Accounting Transparency Act:
“Our federal budget process is broken, and it also grossly distorts the breadth and scope of our spending-driven debt crisis by failing to report all of the costs incurred by the federal government. How can we expect to confront our exploding debt if we can’t accurately account for all of the taxpayer liabilities already on the books? We need to be honest with ourselves and the American people and bring all of our existing commitments into the light of day.
“The Budget and Accounting Transparency Act would recognize the budgetary impact of the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by formally bringing the housing giants on-budget and requiring their debt issuance be included in the calculation of the federal debt. This legislation would also ensure that our accounting methods truly account for the risk of government credit programs. We need to bring undocumented taxpayer liabilities out from the shadows to accurately reflect the depth of our country’s financial troubles. We can’t get our economy back on track until we know what’s holding us down.”
Rep. Paul Ryan, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, made the following statement after Rep. Garrett introduced the Budget and Accounting Transparency Act:
“I thank Congressman Garrett for introducing the Budget and Accounting Transparency Act. It takes a good step toward a full account of the costs of federal programs, which our families deserve.”
The Budget and Accounting Transparency Act would:
Require fair-value accounting for federal credit programs. The executive branch and Congress would be required to use “fair-value” accounting in calculating the costs of federal credit programs. “Fair-value” accounts for the borrowing costs of the federal government and the costs of the market risk the federal government is incurring by issuing a loan or loan guarantee or by making an investment in a private entity. This reform would bring federal budgeting in line with private-sector accounting practices.
Bring Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on-budget to identify the budgetary impact of these housing-related government-sponsored enterprises. New debt issuances of these GSEs would be included in the calculation of the federal debt. Since the financial crisis, these enterprises have become the explicit financial responsibility of the federal government. Accordingly, these reforms would ensure that the budgetary implications of that fact are reflected in the federal budget.
Study the impact of extending fair-value accounting to federal insurance programs. This reform would require the CBO and OMB to conduct a study on the impact of extending this fair-value methodology to federal insurance programs, which are currently accounted for on a cash-flow basis.
Require CBO and OMB to conduct a study on the use of budgetary terms related to money collected by the federal government, which has become jumbled and inconsistent over the decades.
Require that agencies make public the budgetary justification materials prepared in support of their request for use of taxpayer dollars.
