has anyone heard this pile of $#@%$^@@^^@???!!!!!!

[Guest guest]

its a damn war i tell ya

grrrr

 

Attack on tax status of environment group

Conservatives ask IRS for new ruling

 

<A HREF= " glenmartin " >Glen Martin, Chronicle Environment

Writer</A> Thursday, June 21, 2001

>

 

 

 

 

 

In a move that could hobble environmental protests, a conservative lobbying

organization has petitioned the Internal Revenue Service to rescind nonprofit

status for a San Francisco environmental group. Environmentalists say a

positive ruling by the IRS would have a chilling effect on nonprofit

organizations that sometimes engage in lobbying or protests. The unusual

action by the Frontiers of Freedom Institute in Arlington, Va., against

Rainforest Action Network (RAN) could represent a new strategy by

conservative groups alarmed by recent large-scale protests against world

trade and multinational corporations. Rainforest Action Network specializes

in public campaigns against companies the group believes are involved in the

destructive logging of old-growth forests or selling products from such

forests. The Frontiers of Freedom Institute has requested that the IRS revoke

the 501©(3) status of Rainforest Action. Such status means that an

organization is tax-exempt and that all contributions made to it are tax

deductible. " They basically contend that because some members of Rainforest

Action have participated in misdemeanor trespass (during protests), they are

engaged in criminal behavior, and that (RAN) therefore deserves to be

stripped of nonprofit status, " said Michael Shellenberger, a spokesman for

the environmental group. The IRS can revoke 501©(3) status if it determines

an organization spends too much money on lobbying -- generally, more than 20

percent of revenues -- or if members engage in criminal activity. " It's a

canard, " Shellenberger said of the institute's contentions. " The kind of

activity that would require revocation of 501©(3) is felonious activity --

embezzlement and the like. " Jason Wright, a spokesman for the institute,

confirmed that his organization had made the request to the IRS but declined

to comment further to The Chronicle, saying the story had been promised

exclusively to another publication. In March, the Frontiers of Freedom

Institute issued a press release condemning Rainforest Action Network for

protests held at the headquarters of Boise Cascade, a forest products company

based in Boise, Idaho. George Landrith, the institute's executive director,

called Rainforest Action Network " fundamentally radical, anti-capitalist and

lawless. " " American companies are the most responsible forest resource

developers in the world, " Landrith said. " In contrast, RAN's approach to

forest resource development would cost thousands of jobs, reduce choices for

consumers and achieve little environmental good. " Boise Cascade has been a

primary target of Rainforest Action because of its logging activities in

old-growth coniferous forests in British Columbia. Boise Cascade spokeswoman

Susan Walton said her company was not affiliated with Frontiers of Freedom.

" But we are certainly aware that some organizations are beginning to question

the status of groups like RAN as charitable institutions due to their lawless

activities, " Walton said. " We have found (RAN) to be a group of reckless,

lawless and radical activists. " Walton said three RAN members had been

arrested in Boise in April for rappeling off a building during protests

against the company. " And three others were arrested in October of last year

when they illegally entered our building, " she said. " We're just thankful no

one was hurt. " Walton said Boise Cascade had met several times with RAN staff

members to discuss logging issues and would do so again, " but the first item

on the agenda will have to be a correction of the mistruths they have spread

on this company. " Shellenberger said Rainforest Action would survive no

matter what the IRS decided. " (Frontiers of Freedom) is trying to scare our

supporters, but they won't be scared, " he said. " Ultimately, this will help

us raise money. " But other environmental leaders deplore the development.

" It's outrageous, " said Carl Pope, director of the Sierra Club. " By the

standard Frontiers of Freedom is trying to apply, the NAACP and other civil

rights groups would have lost their tax exemptions because members

participated in protests. " I think this could have a very chilling effect on

many organizations. If it goes through, we'll have very strong evidence that

the Bush administration has politicized the IRS. " E-mail Glen Martin at <A

HREF= " glenmartin " >

glenmartin</A>.

 

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