ACRE F.A.Q.
Benefits of ACRE Membership | FAQ | Political Issues | Sign Up Now | What is Acre?
What is ACRE?
What is a Political Action Committee?
Are my contributions tax deductible?
What do I receive for my contribution?
Where does my contribution go?
Who determines how these contributions are made?
Do I really make a difference?
What if I no longer wish to be an ACRE member?
What is ACRE?
ACRE is the political action committee of the nation's electric cooperatives. Founded in 1966 by approximately 1,000 cooperatives of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), it supports candidates for state and federal office - those in office now and running for office - who will speak for and protect the interests of electric cooperatives and their consumer-owners.
Rural electric co-ops need representatives in Congress who will fight for rural electric consumers. Your participation in the nationwide ACRE program ensures that the voice of the electric cooperatives remains strong in our nation's captial and in the state of Wisconsin.
What is a Political Action Committee?
The law allows individuals with common interests to pool their resources using political action committees to make political contributions to candidates for state and federal offices. The candidates that receive contributions from ACRE know that the electric cooperative consumer-owners and employees who supported them want to elect individuals to office who will make good policy decisions on their behalf.
Are my contributions tax deductible?
Unfortunately, no. The IRS has ruled that all political contributions, such as those to ACRE, are not tax deductible. The good news though is that your low monthly contributions of $2.08 will only amount to about $42 dollars a year.
What do I receive for my contribution?
In addition to being a voice in helping elect state and federal officials that will support your cooperative and community; you will receive information on political action workshops and quartly issues of the ACRE Action Newsletter. This newsletter includes legislative alerts, profiles of cooperative leaders, and other timely features.
Where does my contribution go?
With the exception of a small federal tax of less than 1%, all of your memership contribution goes directly to campaigns of candidates who support rural electrification. About half of your contribution will go to the state of Wisconsin to aid in state and local elections. A list of 2008 State Contributions is available.
Who determines how these contributions are made?
ACRE follows established procedures for making contributions to candidates running for political office. Factors that determine financial support include the candidate's position on issues critical to electric cooperatives, as well as their votes and public statements on these issues; the candidate's committee assignments and leadership positions and his or her relative importance to cooperatives; and a candidate's financial need and the strength of his or her opponent. The candidate's political affiliation is never taken into account.
Individual states have their own guidelines for making contributions to candidates for statewide offices. While these rules are set by the individual states, they often mirror those guidelines used by the national ACRE program.
Do I really make a difference?
Yes. ACRE's strength comes from you and your commitment to cooperative rural electrification. It is each individual membership that allows ACRE to remain stong and promote the legislative rural electric program.
What if I no longer wish to be an ACRE member?
You may discontinue your ACRE membership at any time. Simply call or email Eau Claire Energy Cooperative to cancel your membership. In the case of email you must include a day time telephone number so that you may be called to confirm the cancellation of your ACRE membership.
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