AFP and the Tax Reform Act of 2014

AFP Call to Action: The Tax Reform Act of 2014 - What You Need to Know, What You Need to Do

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is trying to reach out to all of the AFP members for help.  There is a fear that the Tax Reform Act would limit charitable efforts.  There is a two percent adjusted gross income floor: the tax reform plan's increased gross income (AGI) floor could alienate taxpayers who give smaller charitable gifts, it could also hinder future givers due to a lack of financial funds.  The limiting of the value of deductions for property worries the AFP because real estate incentive may dissipate.

There is a positive listed by the AFP, but I wanted to focus on the conflict and action taken by this group.  This is also not a conventional article, but this is what I liked about it.  Public Policy is a difficult topic because of all the different measures taken to achieve it in Congress and by the Executive Branch.  The AFP is a Non-Government Organization (NGO) and they have seen Public Policy (Tax Reform Act) that this not favored.  The AFP is telling members to write to his or her Congressman and state factors against this Tax Reform Act.  The response by this group, or any NGO for that matter, is interesting to see an actual live and real example of the Iron Triangle at work.  It would be interesting to see if Lobbying wi
ll come up from the AFP if the results by writing to Congress does not prove sufficient.                    

Supreme Court Declined Cases

Here’s What the Supreme Court Is Declining To Argue About Today

In the work schedule of the Supreme Court, time is a limited privilege.  Three very controversial cases have been declined the examination by the Supreme Court.  These cases consist of: Elane Photography v. Willock, Klayman v. Obama, and Iowa Right to Life Committee v. Tooker.

Elane Photography v. Willock
This case deals with a photographer in New Mexico declining to provide services to a same-sex couple's wedding.  The refusal caused the small business to run into the state's anti-discrimination laws.  The photographer did not support gay marriage and argued that forcing her to accept the couple as clients violated her inherent First Amendment rights.  SCOTUS decision to not hear the case lets the New Mexican Supreme Court decision stand; finding that Elane Photography had violated the anti-discrimination laws for refusing to accommodate the couple.
Klayman v. Obama
Larry Klayman's challenge against the National Security Agency's (NSA) gathering of domestic data.  The Supreme Court has decided to wait to view this case.
Iowa Right to Life Committee v. Tooker
Iowa Right to Life challenged the stat'es ban on campaign donations directly to candidates from corporations.  Due to not hearing the case, SCOTUS left the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in tact.  This decision upheld the ban in June of 2013.  The anti-abortion group argued that the ban violated free speech and equal protection of the law in the U.S. Constitution.

I found this interesting because of the importance of some of these cases, such as Klayman v. Obama.  Then again, the Supreme Court has heard and has to hear many of these cases.  The decision of the Court to not hear these cases at this time; however, in the future is understandable.  The anticipation of how the Court would rule, if they do decide to hear the cases, is quite intriguing.

The Bureaucracy of Poverty

The Bureaucracy of Poverty

The city of Philadelphia has a poverty issue; more than one in for residents are in poverty.  Mayor Micheal Nutter is attempting to bring reform to the city's antipoverty agency.  The Mayor's Office of Community Services (MOCS) has been an agency of patronage for years, and to say the least that their budget has been robbed by other departments.  This department has been renamed the Mayor's Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO).  A respected new Director, Eva Gladstein, has been appointed and gave the agency a new focus: Produce a report on what city government can do to fight poverty, and coordinate the process.  The new plan has been titled "Shared Prosperity Philadelphia."
The MOCS has long had a reputation of having patronage hires.  Nutter has sponsored MOCS hires, as well as political influences.  Nutter's spokesman; however, states that he does not sponsor and hire based on patronage "because of politics or favor."
The Mayor knows them, knows their work, their skills and then hired them," he said.
Gladstein has stated that so far, her personnel decisions have not been influenced by political pressures.  She has said that she is shifting people elsewhere so that CEO "can focus on the implementation of the plan."

I find this to be a good example of a more local form of Bureaucracy.  This article also represents and shows the patronage that can and will go into the different agencies.  It is human nature to surround oneself with people who share similar mindsets.  I agree with Nutter, whereas many appoint people based on political bias or favor, Nutter appointed these members because he "knew of their work and skills."  It seems like a loophole; however, it is a credible point.  In the beginning of the article, it was stated that different agencies would go and cut into the MOCS budget to fight poverty.  Bureaucratic pathologies, such as Conflict and reverse duplication where affecting the poverty in the city.

This flow chart is a good example of the causes and effects of Conflict. Conflict is the root of the organization or agency's performance. Depending on the consensus and/or decision quality with ultimately affect the performance of the organization.