In 2009, at the ripe old age of 67, when so many of my retired friends were playing golf in Boca, I decided to get involved and give back to the only country in the world, where this “kid from Brooklyn,” this grandson of poor, uneducated Russian immigrants, could attain a life that most people just dream about.
It all started four years ago, when my wife and I joined a national group of doctors and their families, who traveled to Washington D.C. to investigate the proposed changes to the greatest health-care system on the planet.
I prayed (whops. I can’t say that), I “hoped” it wasn’t socialized medicine, but, after two days of meetings with Dr. Colburn, Dr .Price and the other doctor congressmen, who were all actually reading this 3,000-page bill, my suspicions were confirmed.
Obamacare was our government’s massive entry into our health-care system. Unfortunately providing health-care coverage to the 15 million uninsured citizens was going to come with a price.
The taxpayer would have to come up with $500 billion in new taxes, as well as suffering a $500 billion reduction in their Medicare services.
All of this and it still wasn’t going to lower our health-care costs or reduce insurance premiums either. How confusing.
What made it worse, if that was at all possible, was that the New York Times decided not to cover the story that 2,000 doctors were in D.C. that day. I was one of them.
This newspaper must have felt that any mention of this huge turnout of health-care providers would have contradicted their “every doctor loves Obamacare” editorial policy. We have now become accustomed to this policy of “editorializing by omission”.
At the same time, we also joined a much larger group that went to D.C. to examine and protest Obama’s big government, high taxed agenda as well as his vast entitlement expansion.
My new political activism was a marked change from my previous life as a typically busy, family orientated, suburban dentist.
The Times reported that 80,000 of these new Tea Party folks came to Washington that week. They had neglected to inform their readers that the D.C. police’s actual count was well over 900,000. Yes! 1 million people were there, not 80,000!!
Again, where was the New York Times? Their editors now couldn’t possibly explain away one million people as a few “right-wing extremists.” 80,000? Maybe?
Besides, we had obtained all the necessary permits, did not violate any local ordinances, we did not commit any crimes and basically left their city cleaner and better off than when we found it. We even paid all own expenses. Extremists? No way! But, we were a group to be reckoned with.
Several months later, my wife and I co-founded the Nassau-Queens County 9-12 Tea Party.
Nancy and Harry and Chucky and Barney, as well as the Times, described us as a group of racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, right-wing Christian fanatics. Wow! What a mouthful!
In spite of all these slanderous accusations, thousands of families joined Long Island’s various Tea Party groups that year. They, in no way resembled Nancy Pelosi’s description.
We were busy studying the Constitution, reading the bills, reviewing deficits and budgets and monitoring our senators and congressmen.
We didn’t have the time or inclination to answer those ridiculous charges. Perhaps that was a mistake. Black, white, young, old, Hispanic, Jews, Christians, they all were in our groups.
But not according to Channel 4. One of the first things we did four years ago, was to consider applying for an IRS tax-exempt status.
Our 9-12 group met all their criteria by concentrating on studying local and national policies, promoting educational lectures, and disseminating material concerning all the various political issues. That’s what a 9-12 group does. But, even as long as three years ago, Tea Party groups were “having trouble” obtaining their tax exempt status, due to the IRS’s delaying tactics and demands for absurd information.
Being new to this political game, we still naively excused this as just another example of big government bureaucracy.
But, on the other hand, many liberal groups received it within four to six months.
We finally decided not to apply. Maybe, we should have changed our name to the Progressive Tea Party, The Green Tea Party, the people’s worker’s Tea Party or the Global-warming Tea Party? We never thought that this could happen in America! But it did! and to us!
Where was the ACLU and Alan Dershowitz when we needed them ?
Starting three years ago, rumors began to circulate throughout the Tea Party. We started to hear about the retaliation through IRS audits, or actual threats to our members. Where was the Anti-Defamation League?
America is finally being told what we already knew. Targeted, yes targeted, were:
1 – Pro-life groups
2 – Conservative groups
3 – Tea-Party groups
4 – “Patriotic” groups, whatever that means!
5 – 9-12 groups
6 – bible study and religious groups.
7- Pro-Israel groups and
8 – they even hacked into the e-mails of the Associated Press. Wow, even the AP.
We naively believed that in America, this type of tyrannical governmental behavior couldn’t be pervasive. We were wrong.
We actually thought that these goings-on would be quickly exposed and rectified. We were wrong again.
The good news: In March of 2012, IRS Commissioner Schulman testified before Congress and stated that there was absolutely no targeting of any Tea Party group. Period! What a relief?
The bad news: He lied! He was replaced by acting Commissioner Steven Miller.
The good news: Two weeks ago, Obama, “infuriated” by this “new” revelation, promised swift action to correct this “isolated,” “low level” behavior. He “fired” Mr.Miller.
The bad news: Mr. Miller was scheduled to resign anyway next month and is still being paid!
The good news: Ms.Sarah Hall Ingram left the IRS! She was the IRS agent in charge of all the new groups who were applying for tax exempt status ! Thank God she is gone!
The bad news: Even though she was in charge, the White House spin was that she was not aware of the crimes! Or as the White House characterizes it, “bad behavior. “ Her “reward” for a job well done? She was given a $42,000 dollar bonus and is now running the entire tax provisions of ObamaCare.
Under Obamacare, anyone eligible for health-insurance premium reductions, (that’s the core of ObamaCare) must apply to the IRS! Guess who is totally responsible for their eligibility? You got it !
Ms. Sarah Hall Ingram
Retaliation? Targeting ? Watch out!
According to their Iowa congressman, a bible study group in his state, seeking tax-exempt status, was asked by the IRS to provide a list of all the prayers they used last year. (That’s not a joke!)
According to their congressman in Illinois, a conservative book reading club was asked by the IRS to list all the books they read that year! ( that’s not a joke either)
Did Public Broadcasting Corporation go though this?
Did Planned Parenthood? Did George Soros?
I doubt it! Will our democracy survive?
I only hope my suspicions are wrong.
Dr. Stephen Morris DDS
North Hills
