“HIRING!!”
“Help Build the Progressive Movement in Virginia!”
These are the opening lines to an advertisement posted on Craigslist by Phaedra Jackson, Project Director at Virginia New Majority, which is offering “Canvassers” an opportunity to earn $1485 between Oct. 9, 2011 and Nov. 8, 2011, in Norfolk, VA.
This 501(c)(4) corporation’s mission statement was to educate and organize “Virginians in support of social and economic justice for all people of the Commonwealth of Virginia, particularly African-Americans, immigrants, progressive whites, youth, women, and the LGBTQ community.” Indeed, their advertisement on Craigslist states, “People of color and women strongly encouraged to apply.”
I don’t know how they could speak for all “African Americans, immigrants…youth, women, and the LGBTQ community,” but only for the “progressive whites;” at any rate, it is clear that this organization – who, despite this discrimination, characterizes themselves as non-partisan – is a shill for the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. It is obvious who they will be “canvassing” for up to election day.
As a 501(c)(4) corporation, all of this organization’s earnings are tax exempt, but they may still participate in political activity, even campaigns as long as doing so is not considered their “primary activity.” In 2009, their Form 990 showed they received over $750,000 in revenue, with over $70,000 cash on hand at the end of the year (after salaries and “other,” their two largest expense categories). Part of their expenses apparently include paying part-time workers $11 an hour (no benefits) to advance their progressive agenda in the weeks leading up to election day, especially targeting low-income areas.
It has become de rigueur for the progressive left to criticize loopholes in the tax code. Here’s one for you: How is it that a “non-profit” corporation, which by definition grants no property to fund the government for their services, may spend infinite amounts of revenue to alter the political landscape as they see fit; but a for-profit corporation, which does grant a portion of its property to fund the government, may have no direct say in federal elections?
More at D.J. Spiker’s article.
