Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force
The Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force more commonly known as BBA Task Force (BBATF) is a 501(C)(4) "Florida not-for-profit corporation" with a Washington D.C. address listed as its address online[1] but a Palm City location on its tax filings. It gained tax-exempt status in 2010.[2] BBATF is a "leading advocacy group"[3] in a "campaign for the proposal and ratification of Balanced Budget Amendment the U.S. Constitution" and "has devoted its energy to passionately advocating for a Convention of States to solely consider a Balanced Budget."[4][5]
According to Common Cause's "The Dangerous Path: Big Money's Plan to Shred the Constitution" report: "The Task Force was founded by conservative activists and state legislators, including Lew Uhler, President of the National Tax Limitation Committee, and Pete Sepp, Vice President for Policy and Communications at the National Taxpayers Union, which was one of the original groups to back an Article V convention for a balanced budget amendment in the 1970s."[6]
The Center for Media and Democracy reported in 2017 that all of the 24 bills for an article v convention at that time were "closely tailored to model measures being promoted by the Koch-backed American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force."[7]
The founding directors of BBATF were William Hall, William and Bonnie N. Ruth.[8]
Contents
Names and Aliases
BBATF goes by a variety of names. Balanced Budget Amendment, Inc. is the name under which the Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force does business.[1] The organization's website URL is BBA4USA.org and its Twitter handle is "BBAforUSA," while its Twitter display name is "Balanced Budget."[9] On Facebook, the "Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force" has the username "Balanced Budget Amendment" while its profile picture uses the acronym "BBATF."[10] BBATF is typically referred to in media accounts as the "Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force."[3]
In 2010, the first year the organization filed 990 tax forms, it was called "10 Amendments for Freedom Inc." and operated the website 10 ammendments.org.[8]
Debts
BBATF brought in $2,227 in revenue in 2010, while it spent $135,276.13, over $110,000 of which was on printing and publications. BBATF carried ran a deficit every year until 2017 when William Futh forgave the debts BBATF owed to himself personally and to Policom Corp, which Futh owns.[11]
Core Financials
2019[12]
- Total Revenue: $550
- Total Expenses: $332
- Net Assets: $1,534
2018[13]
- Total Revenue: $920
- Total Expenses: $5,916
- Net Assets $1,316
2017[11]
- Total Revenue: $17,245
- Total Expenses: $20,925
- Net Assets $6,313
2016[14]
- Total Revenue: $26,092
- Total Expenses: $110,901
- Net Assets $-227,139
2015[15]
- Total Revenue: $43,080.50
- Total Expenses: $52,637.14
- Net Assets $-192,365.50
2014[16]
- Total Revenue: $9,825.48
- Total Expenses: $46,267.20
- Net Assets $-192,879.02
2013[17]
- Total Revenue: $9,825.48
- Total Expenses: $30,434.64
- Net Assets $-156,660.08
2012[18]
- Total Revenue: $751.96
- Total Expenses: $359.45
- Net Assets $-132,421.24
2011[19]
- Total Revenue: $0
- Total Expenses: $2,391,81
- Net Assets $-132,813.74
2010[8]
- Total Revenue: $2,227.06
- Total Expenses: $135,276.13
- Net Assets $-132,99.07
Personnel
Board of Directors
As of December 2019:[12]
- William H. Fruth, Chair
- Loren Enns, Vice Chair
- David Guldenschuh, Secretary
Former Board Members
Between 2010 and 2018, William Hall, and Bonnie N. Fruth were directors of BBATF since it was founded.[8][11] David Biddulph is a "co-founder" of BBATF[20][21] but resigned from the group to start Let Us Vote for a BBA[22]
Contact Information
Tax identification: 27-1351108
Address:
1747 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW,
SUITE 1000
WASHINGTON, DC 20006
EMAIL: INFO@BBA4USA.ORG
Twitter: @BBAforUSA
Facebook: Balanced Budget Amendment
Articles and Resources
IRS Form 990 Filings
2019
2018
2017
2016
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 BBATF homepage organization website, accessed April 9, 2019
- ↑ NonProfit Explorer BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT INC ProPublica, accessed April 19 2019
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Michael Wines Inside the Conservative Push for States to Amend the Constitution New York Times August 22 2016
- ↑ BBATF facebook page social media profile, accessed April 9, 2019
- ↑ BBATF BBA for USA twitter accessed April 9, 2019
- ↑ Jay Riestenberg and Dale Eisman, with Scott Swenson, Stephen Spaulding, Karen Hobert Flynn, and Isabella Bronstein The Dangerous Path: Big Money's Plan to Shred the Constitution Common Cause, May 2016
- ↑ Arn Pearson Koch Convention to Rewrite Constitution Runs Into Roadblocks PrWatch June 12, 2017
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 10 Amendments for Freedom Inc 2011 990-EZ tax filing, May 11, 2012
- ↑ BBATF [twitter.com/BBAforUSA profile] social media, accessed April 19, 2019
- ↑ BBATF [facebook.com/BalancedBudgetAmendment profile] social media, accessed April 19, 2019
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Balanced Budget Amendment Inc 990-EZ tax filing, Oct. 30, 2018
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Balanced Budget Amendment Inc, 2019 990-EZ, organizational tax filing, April 28, 2020.
- ↑ Balanced Budget Amendment Inc 2018 990-EZ tax filing, April 12, 2019
- ↑ Balanced Budget Amendment Inc 2016 990-EZ tax filing, Jun. 8, 2017
- ↑ Balanced Budget Amendment Inc 2015 990-EZ tax filing, May 18, 2016
- ↑ Balanced Budget Amendment Inc 2014 990-EZ tax filing, accessed April 19 2019
- ↑ Balanced Budget Amendment Inc 2013 990-EZ tax filing, May 7, 2014
- ↑ Balanced Budget Amendment Inc 2012 990-EZ tax filing, May 20, 2013
- ↑ Balanced Budget Amendment Inc 2011 990-EZ tax filing, May 11, 2012
- ↑ John Celock Balanced Budget Advocates Seek Article V Constitutional Convention Huffington Post March 28, 2019
- ↑ ALEC David Biddulph organizational website, accessed April 19, 2019
- ↑ LUVBBA David Biddulph organizational profile, accessed April 22, 2019
