Confusing Seniors For Profit

It looks like The Traditional Values Coalition’s front-group, the Christian Seniors Association, is again mailing out its bogus “U.S. Taxpayer Census” forms in an attempt to extort donations from confused senior citizens:

Local seniors who contacted this newspaper said they found the letter they received from the Christian Seniors Association confusing, saying at first glance it appears to be a government mailing of some kind.

On the front of the document, in large block letters, are the words “U.S. Taxpayer Census” and a seal similar in design to the U.S. official seal. (The official seal of the United States, which features an eagle holding arrows in one claw and olive leaves in the other, differs in detail from the design on the letter).

Also printed on the front of each letter are the words, “Census Document #” (followed by a 11-digit number) and the words “assigned to:” (followed by the recipient’s name).

Inside, the form further identifies itself as a “U.S. Taxpayer Census on the Social Security Preservation Act (HR 219).

In smaller print at the bottom of the first page of the document, the mailing is identified as “a special citizen action project of Christian Seniors Association, a division of Traditional Values Coalition.”

The monetary appeal portion of the letter has check boxes next to suggested donation amounts of $15; $25; $50; $100; $250; $500 and “other.”

Alternatively, seniors are invited to donate $8 to cover the “cost of tabulating my census and delivering results to Congress,” if the recipient feels they are unable to make “a substantial contribution” in the amounts suggested above.

It is no surprise that TVC would stoop to this sort of fundraising tactic considering that, according to their most recent tax filing, their “total net assets” are -$4,288,151.