Boy Scouts vs. Philadelphia

[emb021]

"As for what the city of Philadelphia wants, it is the same thing many United Ways have wanted, and what a number of other governmental and non-governmental organizations have wanted: To enforce their own non-discrimination policies. The BSA is free to enforce their membership policies within the BSA, but they cannot impose their membership policies on other organizations or the government."

 

But the BSA isn't trying to impose their membership policies on other organizations.

 

The same is not true of the city of Philidelphia. As is typical of such government bodies, they think they can impose their rules on other groups, especially if said group wants something from that government body.

 

 

In a similiar way, my Fraternity has had a long-time association with the BSA. Our two organizations are independent of each other, and have different membership policies. My Fraternity, because of how most universities are, has never had a policy barring gays or atheists from our organization. Yet we still have an association with the BSA. Sadly, this has lead some of our members who are involved with the BSA to disassociate, because we don't bar gays, and for some of our members to try to sever our connection with the BSA, due to their policies about gays/atheists. I guess the idea that two organizations with different membership policies working together is too much for some people...

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

Philadelphia has standards that must be met for organizations to qualify for below-market leases. The BSA doesn't meet those standards, so they can pay regular market rates, or move out. If you don't meet the requirements, you're out of luck. Sounds familiar.

[Mr. Boyce]

Just from the perspective of a citizen, I think it's extremely useful to have boys trained as scouts. So there is a public interest in promoting scouting.

 

The whole homosexual issue makes the error of focussing singly and solely on one aspect of scouting, and damning all the rest. As a member of the general public, I don't take such a fundamentalist, politically extreme view as this.

 

If homosexuals organized a public safety squad and trained in CPR, I'd have no problem with local government support: it may be the case that my life would be saved, or someone in my family, etc. (And isn't it surprising how dependent upon government support so many gay groups have become? Some lurking lawsuits there, I would suspect!)

[eagle77]

Yeah, having an organization that helps make our youth better citizens most certainly doesn't meet their standards.

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

You can't just meet some of the standards; you need to meet all of them. James Dale certainly met a lot of the standards, but since he was gay, he was kicked out anyway.

[BulldogBlitz]

james dale and any one else who feels slighted or left out can go create their own group... call it the "rainbow boys" or the "pink brigade"... have an "open" policy (knowing full well that an overwhelming majority of their membership would be of one thought). all these ridicululously frivolous lawsuits are ultimately more of a waste and drain on society than their intended "positive".

 

i don't feel the least bit slighted because the gay club downtown doesn't accomodate me. i never felt the least bit slighted that the GLA at college (a public university mind you... allowing them to use the facilities) was set up for their ideals. why do these groups feel the need to play the heavy?

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

This is just more fallout from the Dale decision. The BSA stated it was a private organization, not a public accommodation. You can certainly have private organizations, but they pay market rates, they don't have taxpayers subsidize their private clubs. The BSA is keeping the Philly case alive because they're arguing that they somehow DO have a right to be a private club supported by public money.

[scoutingagain]

True Conservatives would support the idea of smaller, and less government involvment with the private sector. Of course Liberals would support the idea of government support and involvment in private organizations.

 

 

 

SA

[SMT224]

This whole gay discrimination thing is a really good example of tossing the baby out with the bath water. Attacking the Boy Scouts doth not induce inclusion! Who has all this fuss helped? Certainly not the Scouts. No doubt the high and mighty will be congratulating themselves as the old Scout Building lies abandoned - "The evil has been vanquished!" But what will fill the void? No doubt they will mutter, "Not my problem!"

[evmori]

Let's see......churches are private organizations supported by public money. A lot of non-profits are private organizations supported by public money.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the BSA have the same membership requirements in place when the city of brotherly love granted them the lease?

[eagle77]

Don't worry there are plenty of empty buildings in the city both homes and business all chased by the city and there greedy attitude. But wait we do have some excellent new stadiums for our ego rich players. Bottom line you need to have a majority of good citizens to have a good city, as long as Philly keeps chasing away the good it will continue its spiral down the tubes. Once known as the city of brotherly love, I think the city of bodily harm seems to fit it more today.

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

Ed, what examples do you have of public money supporting churches?

[evmori]

Who pays the taxes on the land they sit on?

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

OK, I'll give you that one, but tax exemptions work against the Cradle of Liberty situation. Tax-exempt organizations have to meet certain requirements, and if they don't meet them (or if they act in violation of them), they can lose their tax exemption, as some churches that got too involved in politics have found out. Same with getting subsidized rent -- if you don't meet the requirements, you don't get the subsidy.

[OldGreyEagle]

Hey now, that publicly financed baseball stadium gave Philadelphia the right to be World @#??&$ Series Champions as Chase Utely put so well. (I think it was Chase, it was someone)

 

If only some of that money could have been placed nto a remedial football rules course where you could learn that regular season NFL games can end in a tie, but in playoff games they go until there is a winner

 

Or maybe an upgrade to the public educational system, naw, too easy