Last updated on 2011.07.16
All opponents anti-American lying infidels!
After defeating the Yankton School District's proposed property tax opt-out in May, opponents appear to be forming an organization to promoet further regressive ideals in the community. A June 30 letter from organizers Mike Lemon, Charlie Gilson, and Wayne Wurth seeks members and donations for the formation of a 401c4 non-profit organization called "We the People Yankton." Their letterhead:
Wait, is that "We the People" or "We the Venomous Snakes Rearing up to Bite You"?
The full letter is a hoot. My copy is a bit blurry, so permit me to offer this complete transcript (I spell, capitalize, and punctuate faithfully), with occasional interruptions for commentary:
TO ALL:
Thanks again for all those that voted NO on the opt-out, also all those that gave the Financial support to make it happen.
It's been little over a month now that the good "Patriots" of this school district warded off one of the greatest bank robberies in Yankton School District History!!!!!
Bank robbery? Wow: now that's some overheated rhetoric.
YCSE Committee has come up with some new ideas. We will be filing our Final Report YCSE at the School District. Then we are off and running to apply for a 401C4 -- A Non-Profit Organization.
Mike Lemon & Charlie Gilson have volunteered to serve as Chairpersons. There is appx. $499 in checking account of YCSE that will be transferred to the new account. The name of Our new group will be: "We the People, Yankton!" Our emblem will be what is at the top of the page.
Our main objective will be to monitor any public or private entity that receives our tax dollar.
Maybe these folks aren't so bad. We could use a group like this in Madison to monitor the LAIC!
We plan to appear at all school board meetings and if needed hire an outside Consultant!!!!!
...as they did in the opt-out election when they hired religious Iowegian wingnut Paul Dorr, who is heaven-bent on destroying the public school system. Dorr probably advised them to use multiple exclamation points.
I have filed Financial Mid Year Report at YSD 63-3 for YCSE. We took in approx: $14,624.00 and expenses of $14,124.00 balance of approx: $500, in checking account. You can get a copy of financial statement for "Yes for Kids" at school Administration Building. If no luck there, try the P&D!
Attached is copy of Donor's for "Yes for the Kids". Can't imagine why the Bank would Have a pony in this race.
I don't have the list to which Mr. Wirth refers, but if it included bankers, that might result from the fact that banker recognize you have to fund education to maintain a good workforce, a good economy, and a general population that has money to put in the bank. But that's just me....
Just wonder if Larry & the boys have anything to do with the four million of unaccounted Dollars in the Health Care Fund??? Question of the month: How many YSD 63-3 dollars (pour money) does First Dakota have, it appears they wanted 42 Million more!!!!!!!
For now we are asking for your Membership in the fine Group "We the People- Yankton." You will be receiving our monthly news letter, e-mail alerts, and a membership sticker As shown above. You will receive a receipt for your financial support.
We could not have kicked ass on the last ballot election "OPT-OUT": without your help. I can give you my assurance that all information will be held in the strict confidence which most of you wish.
We'll spread around the names of donors from other groups, but we'll keep your information confidential. Absolutely. Without a doubt.
It may take up to a year to get the Non-Profit status 401c4 so we are taking this route till then.
"This route"? Wait, I didn't catch the other route. All I've seen mentioned so far is that you are forming a non-profit. That's one route. What's the other temporary one?
We will constantly be looking for information from our members. E-mail them to Charlie, Mike, or myself. We will pass it on to as many people as possible. Also, if there are any business that want there logo on the news letter, please let me know. I have several now to fit in.
Wait, you just said you'd keep all the information I submit in strict confidence. Now you're saying you'll pass my information on to as many people as possible, meaning it'll probably end up on those darn blogs. I'm really confused.
Also, if there is anyone out there that's good at Art & Drawing, we're looking for a cartoon Section in the Newsletter. The one attached is an idea given to me by a respectable Business man in Yankton prior to the "OPT-OUT". He can't draw and looks like I can't either!!! Questions of interest????
Funny: your group was really skillful at drawing deceptive bar charts....
Once again, thanks for all you have done over the past several months. You are the true Patriots!!!!!!!
Ah, yes, because if you don't agree with us, you're clearly not an American!
Mike's Memo:
If the truth is your agenda and you believe in God, you will never get your ass beat as bad as "Yes for Kids" did!
Bonus bash: Not only are you un-American if you disagree with us, but you're also a liar and an atheist!
The letter ends with "Thanks again" and the names, phone numbers, and addresses of Wayne Wurth, Charlii Gilson, and Mike Lemon.
Whew: with a group like this wound up, Yankton could be in for some ugly politics.
Update 2011.07.16 10:25 CDT: South Dacola volunteers his Art & Drawing skills to provide a much crisper and more descriptive logo. The Displaced Plainsman riffs off that logo into a comic tour de force on the sinister significance of the Yankton naysayers' symbolic choices. (I know, I know, they're graphic novels, not comics anymore... but comic works better on a number of levels here.)
Those with the least amount of knowledge always seem to be the loudest.
http://yankton.net/articles/2011/07/12/community/doc4e1bc1d42e483907890944.txt
Ms. Gilson was overwhelmed and unprepared as she tried to tell the school board how to run their insurance.
Apparently using dozens of exclamation points makes a person's point more valid!!!! Look!!!!! I'm screaming in print!!!!!! Isn't this persuasive??????!?!?!!!
Nice logo, too. Snake clip art with some words scrawled in crayon, like something doodled on the back of a cocktail napkin. You can almost smell the book lernin'.
Two words: More Thorazine.
I hope we can get every copy. Do we have a hook up? Is there a back alley dealer? God knows I'm on a few of their lists, but mailing isn't one of them!
FYI, Chris S. who posted at 15:23 is not Chris Specht a school board member.
Duly noted, Mr. Specht. :-) No confusion was intended on my part.
And another thing! Why do candy bars cost $1.00 at one place, and $1.50 at another place!?!?!
I wonder if the workers at First Dakota have seen the accusations made in this rag. I suppose someone should probably send them all a copy.
What is a 401 (c)(4) nonprofit? I suspect the group really means they're becoming a 501 (c)(4) nonprofit, but if that's the case they don't need to send anybody a receipt for donating because donations to a 501 (c)(4) are not tax deductible. (However, if they were becoming a 501(c)(3), the donations would be tax deductible.) A 501 (c)(4) can do a lot more legislative lobbying than a 501 (c)(3).
Whether you're a (c)(3) or a (c)(4) makes a big difference in the world of nonprofits. A lot of people want that tax deduction for donations, making it harder to raise money for (c)(4)'s. So groups don't become a (c)(4) unless they're planning to do lots of legislative influencing.
Kelly it wouldn't surprise me one bit with the crew steering that ship that they have zero idea what to apply for.
Thanks for that explanation, Kelly! Another reader mentioned that same thing. I apologize for not catching it sooner. When I Googled around, I found some other organizations that referred to themselves as 401(c)(4) groups, but they must have been making the same mistake. Internal Revenue Code 401 covers tax rules for pensions, profit-sharing, and stock bonus plans.
If the Snakebite Club is seeking 501 status, I assume that someone told them c4's get to engage in more political activity than c3's. But I sure hope they have made clear to their donors that their donations won't be tax deductible. I get the feeling this group's own financial activities may bear some monitoring.
THUMBS DOWN to the derisive letter sent out to the membership of “We the People, Yankton!†at the end of June by board members Charlii Gilson, Mike Lemon and Wayne Wurth. This is the new name of the organization that led the effort to defeat the Yankton School District property-tax opt-out in May. If a way forward on the school funding issue is to be found, it does not appear it will occur with these individuals in charge. Their derogatory comments are the things of playground exchanges, not adult conversation. “Classic†lines include, “We could not have kicked a** on the last ballot election ‘OPT-OUT’: without your help,†and, “If the truth is your agenda and you believe in God, you will never get your a** beat as bad as ‘Yes for Kids’ did!†We have a couple of words of advice for this organization if it wishes to be taken seriously: Grow up.
The above is from the Yankton Press and Dakotan's OP/Ed weekly Thumbs UP/Thumbs DOWN. Our new friends got a resounding thumbs down.
Seems that both Charlie and Mike are "chairpersons" of the organization--how exactly does that work?
http://www.southdacola.com/blog/2011/07/wtp-yankton-more-like-wtf-yankton/
here's that logo they were looking for.
Yes! Great link, Shane! I like those fonts on Scott's logo. Very crisp.
Not being from Yankton but occasionally spending money their, can anyone tell me how to ensure that none of my cash will end up in their or their employer's pocket. Your spending is worth way more than your vote to these folks.
Oops. "........not spending money there,........
NEEDMORECOFFEE.
Let's try this again.
Not being from Yankton but occasionally spending money there, can anyone tell me how to ensure that none of my cash will end up in their or their employer’s pocket. Your spending is worth way more than your vote to these folks.
Have you and Montana Cowgirl been comparing notes, Cory? http://mtcowgirl.com/2011/07/17/western-traditions-partnership-electioneering-you-be-the-judge/
Btw, think: Jason Gant.
Curt some of the major business backers were Kopetsky's Ace Hardware, Murphs Applience then you are looking at realators, engineers and insurance salesmen. As far as local owned businesses fighting against funding for school those are two of the big ones.