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Politics : Piffer Thread on Political Rantings and Ravings -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jorj X Mckie who wrote (8148)	7/10/2002 9:56:28 AM
From: Alan Smithee	Respond to of 14610

so.....what are the laws about tax exempt status and political lobbying? Here's a pretty good summary from the site of a Private Foundation: II. The Prohibition Against Private Foundation Lobbying Every organization that is exempt from federal tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code ("I.R.C.") is classified as either a "private foundation" or a "public charity." A public charity is generally an organization that normally receives substantial support from the general public, government agencies, or both. Grantmakers are generally (but not always) private foundations, while grant applicants are generally public charities. . . . [A] private foundation, . . . is subject to a number of legal limitations that do not apply to public charities. In particular, . . . [a Private Foundation] is absolutely prohibited from making any grant "to carry on propaganda, or otherwise to attempt, to influence legislation . . . ." I.R.C. § 4945(d)(1). That proscription, commonly known as the "lobbying limitation," covers both "any attempt to influence any legislation through an attempt to affect the opinion of the general public . . ." ("grass roots" lobbying) and "any attempt to influence legislation through communication with any member or employee of a legislative body, or with any other government official or employee who may participate in the formulation of the legislation . . ." ("direct lobbying"). I.R.C. § 4945(e). A public charity, on the other hand, may engage in limited lobbying, so long as "no substantial part" of the organization's activities is "carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation." I.R.C. § 501(c)(3). A public charity may, in order to avoid the vagueness and uncertainty of this "no substantial part" test, make an election under I.R.C. § 501(h) to become subject to specific dollar limitations on the amounts that it may spend on lobbying. (Lobbying on legislation is distinguished from campaigning for candidates for public office. All Section 501(c)(3) organizations, both public charities and private foundations, are prohibited from supporting or opposing political candidates. brainerd.org

To: Jorj X Mckie who wrote (8148)	7/12/2002 11:59:26 AM
From: Original Mad Dog	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 14610

story.news.yahoo.com Overweight Flyers Kicked Off Southwest Flight Fri Jul 12,11:04 AM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An overweight family was booted off a Southwest Airlines flight this week after they refused to buy extra seats, weeks after the airline said it would began enforcing its "people of size" policy. Southwest Airlines Co. said in June it would start strictly enforcing a policy that asks passengers too large to fit between its 18-3/4 inch seats to buy an extra seat. Other airlines have similar practices. Siblings Marty McLaughlin and Andrea Kysar told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Friday they were aware of the rule but were told before they bought the tickets they wouldn't have to pay double because they were flying with Kysar's average-sized husband and her 75-pound daughter. The family made it to Indiana but were told just before their return flight to New Mexico took off that they needed to buy two more seats. The Dallas-based airline's spokeswoman, Beth Harbin, who apologized to the family on the show, told Reuters the agent who didn't make them buy seats on their first flight was probably trying to work "from the heart." The siblings were going to their mother's memorial service. "We upset some folks, and that's not what we intended to do," said Harbin, adding Southwest policy requires they buy the extra seats but the money is refunded if the flight isn't full. The airline's policy, which grabbed headlines when it was announced, is likely to become more of an issue as Americans grow fatter and airlines try to keep seats narrow to squeeze more people on board, industry experts have said. Southwest refunded the cost of the entire family's flight and they took a bus 1,200 miles back to New Mexico.