Why a tax exemption?

The tea partyers forced Mitt Romney to become an unviable, severely conservative candidate, and that contributed to President Barack Obama’s re-election. Now, why would Obama supporters use the Internal Revenue Service to limit the advantage given them by the tea party? That’s the basis of the current IRS controversy about targeting of tea groups seeking tax-exempt status. Democrats working in the IRS should love the tea party in the sense that they help Republicans lose national elections.

What I don’t understand is how someone could apply to the government for tax exemptions and not expect scrutiny. The IRS didn’t say that you can’t have free speech, but it should ask if you qualified for a tax exemption. That has to be done fairly and the same questions asked of all groups that apply.

What’s disturbing is that the tax code allows people to avoid taxes on the basis of political activism. These people want to flood our airways with their views and beliefs, and ask me to subsidize their activism by allowing them to avoid income taxes. This is an important point in that the IRS collects taxes on income.

If you make money from your political efforts, why shouldn’t you pay tax on that income?

Pete Scobby

Newport, Wash.