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The group Mormon Tips is looking for people to report local projects that might not be legally tax free. I'd be shocked if anything comes of it though. John Oliver did an interesting story showing how extremely rare it is that the IRS goes after religious organizations.
They believe the Mormon church is not properly paying taxes, and condemns its Hawaii Real Estate Division -- Hawaii Reserves, Inc. (HRI) -- for its plan to develop Malaekahana with 875 new homes, a shopping center and a school.
The creators have run similar commercials across the nation since the beginning of the year.
"They've got venture capital firms, real estate galore, and they don't pay taxes. We think that's unfair," said Fred Karger, director of Mormon Tips.
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/35863...-tax-fraud
Here are their ads:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFGmYuHlUN4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yC5os3W56E
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it's not fair. i can't believe we have tax exemptions for religious organizations. whatever happened to separation of church and state. it's disgusting.
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I read recently that the argument FOR tax exempt status for churches is that they take on the burden of helping the poor, etc. Eh. I say if they make money, if they own real estate, they need to pay taxes on it, just like the rest of us. Check out Freedom From Religion Foundation (you may have seen Ron Reagan, Jr.'s national ad for these guys) and Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Both organizations fight the fight for separation and fairness.
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Meanwhile they're holding prayer sessions in the Oval office...
Don't just go after the Mormons though, let them all pay their fair share in Hawaii and elsewhere.
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Montreal has already started taxing churches, it would be great if Hawaii followed suit.
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Considering how Hawaii likes taxes, it seems this might be a good place to try to tax churches with multi-million dollar real estate developments and theme parks.
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"Separation of church and state" is a phrase President Jefferson wrote in reference to the First Amendment, ""Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." Activist judges have used Jefferson's phrase to mean there should be a "wall" between religion and government with the intent to eradicate religion entirely and replace it with statism. If one carefully reads the Amendment, it should be clear that it means the government should not favor any religion, including creating a government religion.
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the government should not favor any religion
Yet the State gives a "free pass" to Native Hawaiians. Perhaps this is simply racist, not religious?
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In most cities the church and non profit own multi property and it is all tax free. I cant understand why. I think after one property ever thing else should be tax at full value.
jrw
jrw
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Old Croc - yes, the establishment clause has been interpreted to mean that the gov't should not favor any religion. Having ANY advantages, tax or otherwise, bc you are a religion is favoring a religion. Allowing prayer in school is favoring a religion. Allowing 'In God We Trust' on currency is favoring a religion. Saying "One nation, under God" is favoring a religion. (I personally still say, "One nation, indivisible...") Allowing voting in a church is favoring religion. The list goes on and on. Therefore, the ONLY way to avoid favoring a religion - let's face it, we're talking Christianity - is to keep government and religion totally separate. I do acknowledge, however, that that is federal rules. I don't believe there's anything stopping a state, unless it's in their own state constitution, from favoritism when it comes to religion. I hope Hawaii leads the way.
