After a couple years lurking on this site, and enjoying the fruits of labor produced by many interesting Cossacks, I feel it's time for me to step out. It's time for me to join the team and create some word combinations to express myself.
The title is misleading because I do know what Non-Profits do, as I've worked for a couple. Drug/Alcohol treatment, women's sober living, Juvenile mental health treatment. There is a need for organizations that offer services we all need, some for free. They provide what you need, and you pay what you can.
However, for the life of me I can't understand how some organizations can exist as a 501(c)(3), when their purpose is mostly political and they lobby to the extent that is done today. Namely, I speak of the NRA, and also the Crossroads PACs that Carl Rove operates. I'm sure there are others, but these two specifically have made an immense impact trying and succeeding to influence political and legal outcomes. How is this possible? How is it that the NRA can raise millions of dollars from their members, which are then used as tax deductions for the members. They also make a shit-ton of money from the firearms manufacturers as their lobbying arm. Where do those extra dollars go, you know, the profit? To judge by the financial sector, my guess would be bonuses for the vultures who are stuffing their accounts full. What did Wayne Lapierre make last year, and the year before that? Just how much money do they all make and where does it go.
I don't even want to try to list ALL of the political non-profits, but it would be nice to get an accounting of the money flowing to these organizations, along with an accounting of salaries/bonuses paid and money spent on lobbying. Remember, this is all money subsidized by the American people as tax deductions. How does that make you feel?
