It Pays to be Progressive (near election day, anyway)
By Andrew Schwartz | Tuesday, October 11th, 2011 | Hampton Roads, Politics“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.
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About the author
Andrew Schwartz is a historian from Old Dominion University, where, despite his conservative arguments in liberal academia, he graduated Summa Cum Laude. His focus as a historian is on Colonial and Revolutionary American political and intellectual history. His focus on politics is rational conservatism. He has written on politics and history for various blogs for about five years.
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3 Responses to "It Pays to be Progressive (near election day, anyway)"
To answer the last question:
Because through Republican and Democrat administrations, the left owns the bureaucracy. Did Bush43 fund ACORN? You betcha. Did the Federal and state agencies churn out thousands of provisions each year? You betcha. Do leftist judges mandate sunshine every day at taxpayer expense? You betcha. The left understands there is more than one way to tear down a house.
BTW the leftists don’t criticize loopholes per se; only loopholes that are politically convenient to criticize. They rely on loopholes to escape the brunt of their own regs and to funnel cash to the cronies. Thats why they require a lapdog media to cover for them.
Note that when they say “social and economic justice”, they do not mean equality. Also, I had to look up what Q meant in LGBTQ. I found a couple different versions, so I am still ignorant on that subject.
What is it that leads this author to believe that progressives are the only ones that have 501c4 organizations that try to impact the political process? Andrew, do you share these criticisms for the long list of conservative and right-wing c4 groups?
Plus, the only groups that really have very little limit on their expenditures for political purposes are PAC’s. Virginia is home to an endless list of right-wing and pro-corporate PAC’s. Andrew, do you believe that all of the Tea Party PAC’s should also be subject to either high tax rates or limits on how much money they can spend?
Finally, the question we’re actually faced with is, economic security. How can Virginians be safe, with secure jobs that they can work hard at, without having to sweat endlessly over how to pay for their next doctor’s bill, or how they’ll keep the lights on. Being a hardworking Virginia SHOULD be a challenge; working hard to overcome obstacles is part of the American ethos. But, overcoming insurmountable odds, day in and day out is just unfair. Let’s elect politicians that can help hardworking Virginians get by, just a little but easier. Surely, that’s something everybody get can get behind.
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