Ivy arrested 2009.06.04, approx. 19:45

[ny2nh]

I agree that everyone pays taxes whether one way or another. I happen to think the best thing is to try and reduce the amount of taxes we pay by reducing the size of gov't and their need for more and more taxes.

That being said, when someone steals from the government, they are in essence in part stealing from me....since it was my money in the first place. Those who are paying even less taxes than the rest of us....then use even more of the government's "benefits"....then lie to get additional benefits....sorry, I can't think of single decent thing about any of that....regardless of whether it's Ivy or someone else.

[Lactivist]

OK, let me clarify...yes you are never exempt from taxes.  I understand that.  She never worked on the books, and therefore never paid state/local taxes, she never filed federal taxes (according to her).  So she in essence was stealing from all who did.  That was my point.

[thinkliberty]

I also have no problem with getting back taxes you paid (thus get as much back from the IRS). HOWEVER, Sharon was VERY public with the fact that she didn't pay taxes....so again she was knowingly and willingly taking from other people.

Every dollar that goes toward someone on welfare is a dollar they don't use on computerized bomber drones and depleted uranium bullets. I am not that angry at a person that collects money from the welfare system.

I would rather have a liberty activist take money from the state then have that money go to the politicians thugs or to bailout private industry.

If you can collect money from the state and bleed the beast, by all means do it. Especially if that mean you have time to do activism or home school your kids.

[_mikey_]

She stole from you (Lactivist,ny2nh)?

Oh my, then you must surely have some proof of ownership or loss.
When I'm being robbed I normally keep evidence of crimes against me along with gangsters' affiliations: Medicare,SS,Federal,Local,State,sales,sin and the most sneaky crime of all: counterfeiting (inflation).

[anthonybpugh]

Ivy attempted to take something which she did not own.  She had no right to it.  She did nothing to earn it.  I am not going to grieve for the alleged victim in this case but the facts remain, she attempted to use deceit in order to gain something which wasn't hers.   

Or are you trying to suggest that being a Welfare Queen in somehow justifiable libertarian activism? 

[Fluff and Stuff]

OK, let me clarify...yes you are never exempt from taxes.  I understand that.  She never worked on the books, and therefore never paid state/local taxes, she never filed federal taxes (according to her).  So she in essence was stealing from all who did.  That was my point.

I don't even know if Ivy took welfare.  But taking welfare isn't stealing.

[violence]

i can't believe people who are so called liberty activists are defending her on any other grounds than innocent until proven guilty (even though you admitted on several forums to what she was doing)

[ny2nh]

I don't even know if Ivy took welfare.  But taking welfare isn't stealing.

My name is Sharon Ankrom, but most folks call me Ivy.  You do not know me, but you might remember Beth Golomb or Dan Garthwaite from PorcFest.  They are my best friends and referred me to you for some advise.  I'm not quite sure what advise I might need at the moment, since this is all just starting within the past few hours, but they said I should email you with my story and go from there.

Little background information: I am a single mother of two small children (5yof, 2yom) from RI.  I do not have much income, so I am on my state's medical insurance for me and my son (my daughter is covered under her father's), collect some foodstamps for the three of us ($62.00/month), and am on the Child Care Assistance program my state offers. The CCA pays some or all of your day-care expenses depending on hours of employment and income level.  Right now, my children have complete coverage.  Each of these programs go through recertification every 6 months, where you need to verify your address, your employment, etc.  Also, I have owned and operated my own landscaping company since last October.  It was small time... I had one 'major' client and a few others I worked with from time to time.  But this past June I picked up some waitressing shifts at a restaurant, and the restaurant suddenly took over much of my time, which left me with no time for my own business and put my company out of business.  (Not a big deal - I was making good money in the restaurant anyways).

So in the last week of June I get a letter from the Dept of Human Services saying that my CCA will be ending June 30th because I "did not fill out my recertification form or provide the necessary information" - a form which I never received and information I was never told I needed to provide by a certain time.  I called up my case worker Barbara Silvia to inquire what was going on.

On a side note, Barbara has taken issue with me several times in the past regarding my self employment.  She, being a good little government employee, is all upset that I don't keep books for my cash business.  She gives me all kinds of grief about it each time I speak with her.

I get her on the phone and she says that she had sent me the form "a few" weeks prior (she couldn't tell me when) and that since she had not received it and my information yet, my assistance would be ending.  I asked if I could get a new copy of the form she (supposedly) sent me to fill out and return to her.  She starts asking me about my employment looking for my records of my landscaping business.  I again explain to her it's a cash business and I don't keep very good records and it would be hard to provide her with books, but her boss only required that I get him a letter from my client(s) last time (yes I had to get her boss involved in the prior recertification) and "that should do, right?".  She starts in with "Well, didn't you file your tax return for last year? You should have had to report that income on your tax return!  THAT should do, not some letter anyone can write!"  I say to her "Well, Barbara, actually you are not technically required to pay federal personal income tax."  I went on to explain to her briefly that in the federal tax code there is nothing that requires you to pay.  I have become enlightened to the truth about tax laws - truth which I did not even know and I DO TAXES FOR A LIVING in the tax season.  I had since become a member of the Libertarian party and of other organizations and fight against such frauds.  I then said, "However, Barbara, I will say that, even if I claimed that income, my income is so low and would still be so low that I would have still had a zero tax liability and would not have paid taxes.  I have had a zero tax liability for more than four years and AM NOT REQUIRED to pay federal income tax BY THE FEDS OWN STANDARDS."  After that, she abruptly tried to end our conversation, saying that she would be starting to review her cases in a few days and even if I mailed my form today in she would not get it by then and my assistance would be ending.  I then asked if I could come down to the office that afternoon and pick up the form and bring it to her the next day with all the information she required.  She said to me "Don't even bother!" and explained that nothing I could do would stop my assistance from ending.  I asked what I should do from here, and she says to me I should go and get a new application and send it in.  New applications are allowed 30 days from the date they receive it to be processed - which means I'd be out of childcare for 30 days and therefore out of work for 30 days... who can keep a job that way??!!!

So at first I think, this woman has all the cards, I'm screwed anyways, suck it up.  Fine.  I get a new application, fill it out and send it in that day.  A week and a few days go by, and I call to check on it and she claims she has never received my application.  I fill out another one... same scenario.  By now it is mid-June.  The kids have been out of daycare for two weeks, and I have been out of work for one of those two (the first week I could afford a sitter...).  After the application mysteriously getting lost in the mail twice, I figured I'll just bring it down to the office so it can't possibly get lost.  Now it's June 19th and I bring down the form to the office.  I tell the girl at the desk that the application has somehow gotten lost in the mail twice (yeah right) and I was bringing it down so it wont get lost again.  She smiles and says, "You know what?  Have a seat and I'll have another worker take that right from you so it doesn't get "lost" again.  (I think they know what is going on...)  So I go in and talk to this other guy Mike and he puts my application in the computer system.  He says it will take a few days but it should be no problem, call next week. 

Next week rolls around and I call up and she has done nothing with the case at all.  I had to get her boss involved again to finally process and get my case approved after another week.

Now I have no job because I was unable to show up for 3 weeks...

This morning a Federal Investigator rings my doorbell.  She says my case is under review and she verbally verifies all this information I just gave to the workers, says she is going to investigate my entire case and get back to me.  I ask what triggered this and she starts going into well sometimes they are random, sometimes a case worker sees something... I stopped her and asked, yes but why mine and she looks at her paperwork and is finally truthful and says "Because you told your worker you do not file income tax."

Nice.

So that's my story so far.  I'm not sure what is going to happen with this 'investigation, but I'll keep you all posted.  Feel free to forward this on to anyone and if you or anyone has any thoughts or advise, feel free to contact me via email.

Sincerely,

Ivy.

I do agree that taking welfare is not stealing. Like it or not, the gov't takes some of our earnings and in part uses the money for social welfare programs. Sadly, these programs are abused by many and the people who truly need the assistance often go without.

[liftsboxes]

I think that we can all agree that when you get active against the government, the government will eventually try and get active against you.

For some of us that means determining an "acceptable" level of risk.

For some of us that means making sure that they have very little / nothing to hold over our heads.

For some of us that means taking government charges against a liberty activist with a grain (or two) of salt.

[Kat Kanning]

I want to make it perfectly clear where I stand on this issue.  I have NOTHING to do with NFTY.  That's all Russell. 

[Pat McCotter]

I want to make it perfectly clear where I stand on this issue.  I have NOTHING to do with NFTY.  That's all Russell. 

First thing that came to mind was the Jewish youth group from NFTY!?!?!?!? But I finally got it.

[J’raxis 270145]

Updates on the bail and custody hearings.

[Lloyd Danforth]

OK, let me clarify...yes you are never exempt from taxes.  I understand that.  She never worked on the books, and therefore never paid state/local taxes, she never filed federal taxes (according to her).  So she in essence was stealing from all who did.  That was my point.

I don't even know if Ivy took welfare.  But taking welfare isn't stealing.

Right!  It's getting someone else to steal for you.

[Lactivist]

Ivy attempted to take something which she did not own.  She had no right to it.  She did nothing to earn it.  I am not going to grieve for the alleged victim in this case but the facts remain, she attempted to use deceit in order to gain something which wasn't hers.   

Or are you trying to suggest that being a Welfare Queen in somehow justifiable libertarian activism? 

Thank you

[Lactivist]

Right!  It's getting someone else to steal for you.

Nice