Unlike the mess we already have? I have no problem with charities. I do have
a problem with granting charities immense tax write-offs. The Catholic
church comes to mind, as do the Moonies.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"katy" wrote in message
...
Charlie Morgan wrote:
On Thu, 28 Sep 2006 13:31:34 -0700, "Capt. JG"
wrote:

I was thinking of all the right-wingnuts who can't seem to figure out
that good science is more important than their religious convictions.

So is art. Eliminate just music, and our economy would probably collapse
pretty
quickly. Eliminate religion and the economy would hardly notice.

CWM
Religion funds education and charities. If you eliminated church based
charities you'd have a real mess.

Capt. JG wrote:
Unlike the mess we already have? I have no problem with charities. I do have
a problem with granting charities immense tax write-offs. The Catholic
church comes to mind, as do the Moonies.

United Way, United Fund, The American Cancer Society, the American Heart
Association...they are all tax free as are the Boy Scouts, Firls Scouts
and many other service organizations...start taxing one and you have to
tax them all...and then the burden comes down once again to the
taxpayers anyway so why not just up and quit and become damn Socialists?

Yes, they're all tax free, but it seems like there should be some limits and
stiffer requirements. Some of the charities only really give a small
percentage of what they bring in to the people they claim they're helping.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"katy" wrote in message
...
Capt. JG wrote:
Unlike the mess we already have? I have no problem with charities. I do
have a problem with granting charities immense tax write-offs. The
Catholic church comes to mind, as do the Moonies.

United Way, United Fund, The American Cancer Society, the American Heart
Association...they are all tax free as are the Boy Scouts, Firls Scouts
and many other service organizations...start taxing one and you have to
tax them all...and then the burden comes down once again to the taxpayers
anyway so why not just up and quit and become damn Socialists?

Capt. JG wrote:
Yes, they're all tax free, but it seems like there should be some limits and
stiffer requirements. Some of the charities only really give a small
percentage of what they bring in to the people they claim they're helping.

The Catholic Church is not one of those...Catholic hospitlas alone
provide emergency room and outpatient care to thousands...plus all the
other charities they support...my sister works for Catholic SOcial
Services where she lives giving classes on foster parenting. The amount
of free services, counseling, etc. given out by that one agency is
staggering. And I imagine in large cities it would be even more so...

The CC owns half of Manhattan. There's no reason why building that have
nothing to do with religion should be tax free. Given that we barely have a
Federal response to disasters any more, perhaps we *do* need charities.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"katy" wrote in message
...
Capt. JG wrote:
Yes, they're all tax free, but it seems like there should be some limits
and stiffer requirements. Some of the charities only really give a small
percentage of what they bring in to the people they claim they're
helping.

The Catholic Church is not one of those...Catholic hospitlas alone provide
emergency room and outpatient care to thousands...plus all the other
charities they support...my sister works for Catholic SOcial Services
where she lives giving classes on foster parenting. The amount of free
services, counseling, etc. given out by that one agency is staggering. And
I imagine in large cities it would be even more so...

"Capt. JG" wrote in message
...
Yes, they're all tax free, but it seems like there should be some limits
and stiffer requirements. Some of the charities only really give a small
percentage of what they bring in to the people they claim they're helping.

Yup. The United Way has distributed less than 10% of its collected funds in
some past years. They're doing somewhat better now, but they've had to cook
the books to make the program look more efficient.

My take: if a charity can't legitimately show that it distributes 70% of
its revenues, it should not be tax exempt.

Max

"Capt. JG" wrote in message
...
Unlike the mess we already have? I have no problem with charities. I do
have a problem with granting charities immense tax write-offs. The
Catholic church comes to mind, as do the Moonies.

Ah yes, the Unification Church of the "Rev." Sun Yung Moon. One of my
favorites. I used to love to attempt to debate the Moonies that came to my
door soliciting funds when I was in college. My favorite: "I guess you
have to turn all that collected money over to Rev. Moon. I'll make you a
better deal--collect money for my "church" and I'll let you keep half."

What I'd like to see more than denying tax write-offs to religious
organizations is some tight accountability for where the "charitable" funds
go. There is a sizeable church organization here that has an annual
operating budget of well over half a billion dollars. The Rev. and his
family live like royalty at any of their numerous homes in Hawaii, Florida,
the Caribbean, Europe, Aspen, and Utah. They have four--count 'em--four
"corporate" jets and a rather largish motor yacht which moves annually
between the Caribbean and the Med. They've been doing a big fundraising
push for the establishment of a new TV transmitter and station to be built
in French Polynesia. I'm in the wrong damn business.

Max