Regarding a news article ("IRS commissioner vows to rebuild trust, Jan. 7): Actions speak louder than words

Apparently, the IRS effort to "rebuild trust" includes changing definitions and rules to make its "targeting of conservative groups" not an oversight or misstep, but the new rule. Look at the IRS proposed new rules that will target conservative 501(c)4 groups: (

On Nov. 29, the IRS issued proposed rules that will treat all of the following as candidate-related political activities:

* Voter registration

* Candidate forums and debate

* Voter guides

* Voting records of incumbents

* Public statements by officers and leaders of (c)4s that reference incumbents and or candidates

* Communications, including radio, TV, written, newspaper, Internet, phones and oral, if they can reach 500 people

* If voting records or other statements are posted on a website -- and remain on the website during "blackout" period of 60 days prior to general elections or 30 days prior to primary elections

* Applies to volunteer activities sponsored by organizations

* "Candidates" include all public offices, executive, legislative, and judicial -- partisan and nonpartisan, and officers in a "political organization"

* Contributions to a (c)4 that engages in any "CRPA" will be treated as 100 percent political

Note that the proposed rules do not include:

* Labor unions (even though the Wall Street Journal documented $4.4 billion in political expenditures by labor unions from 2005 through 2011)

* Trade associations

* 501(c)3 organizations

You can speak up. Public comment on these proposed regulations is open until Feb. 27. Email comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at Include this citation: IRS REG-134417-13 That will take you to the comments page.

Encouraging citizen education and participation in elections is promoting the "social welfare" and benefit of our whole society. Conducting nonpartisan voter registration, candidate forums, issue guides and publishing voting records of incumbents is critical for well-educated voting citizens. It is "social welfare." Speak up now.

Colleen Britton