Conference questions not quite up to par! (contd)

14. 
The Gift Aid Scheme entitles AA to claim 28p from the government for every £1 donated by an individual member of AA.

Would conference consider that this is a breach of Tradition 7 since 28p comes from the government which is an outside contribution?

1. Gift Aid Explained says AA takes the UK taxpayer’s contribution (on which you have already paid tax), and tax is reclaimed at the basic rate of 28%. Tax is a financial charge or other levy imposed upon a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay, or evasion of or resistance to collection, is punishable by law.

Tax has been used by the government for the enforcement of law and public order, protection of property, economic infrastructure (roads, legal tender, enforcement of contracts, etc.), public works, social engineering, subsidies, and the operation of government itself.

Governments also use taxes to fund welfare and public services. These services can include education systems, health care systems, pensions for the elderly, unemployment benefits, and publictransportation [sic]. An AA member, as a UK taxpayer, should expect the money they give for tax to be spent on what it is supposed to be spent on. Even though AA has been branded as a charity, Tradition 7 prevents AA from taking money from the government.

Conference 2007 discussed Gift Aid concluding that the use of “Gift Aid” remains a matter for the individual conscience.

Committee 3 stated that Gift Aid “is a way for individual members who pay tax to make an additional personal contribution.” The Committee did not understand the procedure of Gift Aid. The issue is that tax money is being given to AA by the government which is an outside contribution and clearly a breach of Tradition 7. This is not a matter for the individual conscience but it is a matter for the whole organisation of AA.

Committee 3 of Conference 2007 was in error in their discussion of “Gift Aid”. Concept 5 states that “in the light of the principle of the “Right of Appeal,” all minorities – whether in our staffs, committees, corporate boards, or among the Trustees – should be encouraged to file minority reports whenever they feel a majority to be in considerable error. And when a minority considers an issue to be such a grave one that a mistaken decision could seriously affect AA as a whole, it should then charge itself with the actual duty of presenting a minority report to the Conference.”¹ 

Concept 12 states that “in all its proceedings, the General Service Conference shall observe the spirit of the AA tradition…that no Conference action ever be personally punitive or an incitement to public controversy.”² “The Warranties of Article 12 are a series of solemn undertakings which guarantee that the Conference itself will conform to AA’s Twelve Traditions.”³ Conference has not observed the spirit of AA tradition with regards to Gift Aid. Concept 12 points out that “in an overseas area there was some rather bad publicity when a considerable section of the groups there became convinced they ought to accept money subsidies from their country’s government to promote AA work, the AA Tradition notwithstanding.”⁴ AA is doing this today by accepting Gift Aid from the government. Conference should be reminded that “we know that we personally have to choose conformity to AA’s Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions or else face dissolution and death, both as individuals and as groups.”⁵ 

We support ourselves by our own contributions. 

“Both these principles we understand: that AA wants no charity, that we support our own services.” – Bill W., Language of the Heart, p 350 

It wasn’t always that way. When AA started, the pioneers had grandiose plans. They would open up AA hospitals, pay special workers to go round 12th‐stepping the still suffering, publishing books, pamphlets, organising massive ad campaigns to carry the message.

All this would take money. So they went around with the begging bowl. The millionaire, John D. Rockefeller, lent them a thousand dollars. Most of it was spent on the first edition of The Big Book.

But when the money ran out, they realised that not all donors would give money without strings.

Ever since then, AA has been totally self‐supporting.⁶ 

2. References 

Alcoholics Anonymous pp 561‐566, pp 574‐575; AA Comes of Age p 30, p 114, p 141, p 182, p187, p 192, p 204, p 208f; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions pp 164‐169; As Bill Sees It p 335; Twelve Concepts for World Service, The AA Structure Handbook for Great Britain 2013 p 34, p37, p 61, p 69, p 72; AA Tradition‐How it developed; Twelve Concepts Illustrated; Twelve Traditions Illustrated


¹ The AA Structure Handbook for Great Britain 2013, Concept 5, page 34

² The AA Structure Handbook for Great Britain 2013, Concept 12, page 61

³ The AA Structure Handbook for Great Britain 2013, Concept 12, page 61

⁴ The AA Structure Handbook for Great Britain 2013, Concept 12, page 69 

Terms of Reference No. 7 Based on incorrect information and the CSC have asked the Honorary Treasurer to clarify Gift Aid at Conference in the Finance presentation.

Comment: A pretty thorough presentation we think. It is clear from the government website that Gift Aid is something “claim[ed] back” from the government AFTER tax has been paid. ie. after it has become 'government money' so to speak. Authorisation must be given by the tax payer for the charity to claim Gift Aid back, but the government set the criteria. The final decision therefore resides with the money's 'owner' – the government. Therefore in accepting Gift Aid AA is accepting an “outside contribution”.  Moreover the government may decide at a future date to reverse its policy on Gift Aid. This is not at the discretion of the tax payer (other than by the ballot box).  Gift Aid does not constitute a "voluntary contribution" (ie. entirely at the discretion of the donor) any more than profits from literature sales do.

Incidentally the response included in the "Terms of Reference No 7 is something of a red herring.  The gist of the argument is clear (and argued accurately) even if, as it is claimed, some of the information is "incorrect" (which information?).  Moreover where it is stated that the Honorary Treasurer will "clarify Gift Aid" at the AA conference this simply refers to yet another attempt to justify what is called 'economic insecurity' otherwise known as GREED, a defect of character which, according to the AA programme at least, we are supposedly seeking to have removed!!

Cheers

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous) 

PS For AA Minority Report 2013 click here

PPS And as for Minority Reports - we all know what happens to them when they're presented to the AA conference. They kind of ..... disappear!