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Slist
01-10-2008, 09:49 AM
What if ron paul would take the money just to give it officially back in front of the media?
Or giving it back to the taxpayers somehow?

Wouldn't that be along his principles AND generating some free media buzz about his integrity?

(My most radical idea would be to burn the money just to officially combat money printing, but I guess that's a little too crazy :D)

aksmith
01-10-2008, 09:54 AM
He should pick about 20 charities and give each a million, or whatever he gets divided by 20. But I don't know if it's legal.

Slist
01-10-2008, 10:24 AM
He should pick about 20 charities and give each a million, or whatever he gets divided by 20. But I don't know if it's legal.

I guess charities are not something too much in line with his ideas. But yeah, basically do something good with it.

Time for Change
01-10-2008, 10:56 AM
how about USE it for the campaign....
It IS our money anyway, let's get it and use it!

piotr1
01-10-2008, 11:01 AM
+1 for burning the money. 8)

krott5333
01-10-2008, 11:02 AM
I guess charities are not something too much in line with his ideas. But yeah, basically do something good with it.

sure it is.. he would much rather people give to privately-funded charitable organizations instead of being forced to be "compassionate" through government-run taxpayer-funded welfare programs

MJfromCT
01-10-2008, 11:03 AM
+1776 for Krott5333

Jake!
01-10-2008, 11:06 AM
if he takes the matching funds and gives them away:
1. the media won't cover it
2. the small outlets that cover it will spin it as wasting the tax payers money (like the newsletters story)

he should just use the money for the campagin

Eisenh0wer
01-10-2008, 11:07 AM
First off, I seriously doubt taking the federal matching funds and then donating it to charity or giving it back to the taxpayers is legal. It's money that's set aside for election purposes only, so I imagine it can only legally be used for campaigning, such as buying ads, supplies, etc.

Second off, taking the matching funds limits the amount of money you can spend all together. It sets a cap for how much you can spend. I forget the exact amount.

Thirdly, it goes against Paul's principles. He's against this rampant government spending, and twenty million of tax payer dollars is a lot of money. He would never do such a thing.

Apparition
01-10-2008, 11:15 AM
Yeah... it would not look very good for him if he took the money that people gave towards his campaign and he ended up giving it to charity. If people wanted to donate to charity, they can choose to do that themselves.

I would fully expect him to use it towards his bid for presidency and would be upset with his decision.. no matter how good hearted. It's a good thing that this is highly unlikely to happen.

stevedasbach
01-10-2008, 11:18 AM
What if ron paul would take the money just to give it officially back in front of the media?
Or giving it back to the taxpayers somehow?

Wouldn't that be along his principles AND generating some free media buzz about his integrity?

(My most radical idea would be to burn the money just to officially combat money printing, but I guess that's a little too crazy :D)

Doesn't work. The money is wire-transferred into the campaign account. There is no check to burn.

Once accepted, all the restrictions and redtape apply, even if you return the funds.

CodeMonkey
01-10-2008, 11:30 AM
sure it is.. he would much rather people give to privately-funded charitable organizations instead of being forced to be "compassionate" through government-run taxpayer-funded welfare programs

It would be giving public funds to private charity though...

dshields
01-10-2008, 11:47 AM
Why not buy gold with it now and then when it comes time to fund his bid for presidency the gold will be worth $200,000,000 fiat dollars and counting!! :D

Dave

jj111
01-10-2008, 11:51 AM
How about accept the money, and then donate it back to the US Treasury with press publicity. A physically HUGE sized check, saying he accepted it because the law allows it, but he is giving it back because of the principle. Get some publicity and video that can go on TV. Make it a big story.

dshields
01-10-2008, 11:52 AM
How about accept the money, and then donate it back to the US Treasury with press publicity. A physically HUGE sized check, saying he accepted it because the law allows it, but he is giving it back because of the principle. Get some publicity and video that can go on TV. Make it a big story.

Back to the treasury for "deficit reduction" lol.

Dave

jj111
01-10-2008, 11:52 AM
Or give the money back to the US treasury in the form of gold bars and coins. That would make publicity.

jj111
01-10-2008, 11:55 AM
Or put it in an account, with the promise that it will be saved and given back to the US Treasury at the end of the election. That way, his "warchest" will be on the books during the election. Everytime a reporter mentions Ron Paul's campaign total receipts, they will have to mention that Paul has promised to return X million in matching funds to the Treasury after the election and he will not spend it during the campaign....

I think this is great potential for publicity, guest appearances to discuss this...

dshields
01-10-2008, 11:56 AM
Whatever we do, it needs to make a mockery out of the current system!

Dave

New York For Paul
01-10-2008, 12:09 PM
We need to do something dramatic. We can make our own symbolic check for the media.

jj111
01-10-2008, 12:12 PM
How about a huge truckload of pennies. Donate it back to the US Treasury in pennies. Alternately, in one-dollar FRN's.

celticsman7
01-10-2008, 12:16 PM
Why don't we just take the matching funds and use it to win the fucking election.

RCRanger03
01-10-2008, 01:12 PM
lets buy gold!!!!

RoyalShock
01-10-2008, 01:17 PM
Has anyone actually found out what restrictions and spending caps apply if the money is accepted?

That would seem to be the hinge of any decision regarding the matching funds.

ButchHowdy
01-10-2008, 01:20 PM
Wise crack deleted!

michaelwise
01-10-2008, 01:22 PM
He should take the money and buy the movie, America: Freedom to Fascism, for every household in the country

josh24601
01-10-2008, 01:23 PM
EDIT: As the post below me says, this is voluntary. Now that I think about it, it's that one they ask you about when you file your income tax, the $5 one or whatever.

So yeah, take it and do something creative!

literatim
01-10-2008, 01:27 PM
The matching funds comes from a voluntary tax. You have to mark a check box on your tax form to give money towards it.

WilliamC
01-10-2008, 01:28 PM
I guess charities are not something too much in line with his ideas. But yeah, basically do something good with it.

Whatever gave you that idea?

http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul80.html

"Releasing the charitable impulses of the American people by freeing them from the excessive tax burden so they can devote more of their resources to charity, is a moral and constitutional means of helping the needy. By contrast, the federal welfare state is neither moral nor constitutional. Nowhere in the Constitution is the federal government given the power to levy excessive taxes on one group of citizens for the benefit of another group of citizens. Many of the founders would have been horrified to see modern politicians define compassion as giving away other people's money stolen through confiscatory taxation. In the words of the famous essay by former Congressman Davy Crockett, this money is 'Not Yours to Give.'"