CA bill could remove tax breaks for BSA

[Krampus]

I would welcome an end to ALL tax dodges, no matter what or who they benefit and the entire current tax code, to be replaced by the Fair Tax. That would level the field and give the maximum 'local option' to every individual.

 

If the tax advantage is the margin which causes a person to choose to do good charitable things for others, then I have to question the depth of their commitment to those things.

Where I live the local city, county and other government-run food banks went belly up. If not for churches, synagogues and other religious groups collecting food the hungry in our area would have gone without. When you talk to many churches the ONLY reason they can run such a program is due to the non-profit status. Take that away and you are left with either the government doing it (fat chance), private enterprise doing it (but not for a profit, so why bother) or people doing it out of the goodness of their hearts AND having to fund their work too (again, fat chance). So I would not call all non-profits a "tax dodge". Non-profits play a huge role in society.

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

AZ; It is obvious to me that the total capitulation is their goal. They may finally overplay their hand; if the infamous "silent majority" finally has had enough. Time will tell. Meanwhile, I still am for the local option, as have always felt that was the way it should have been left anyway. But, changing the keystone of belief in personal spirituality would I think pretty much be the end of it. Even on an international level, God, or some spiritual entity or belief is part of almost all of the Scouting groups. Those that claim otherwise are simply wrong, though some other groups do have internal pushes against it.

 

Those who claim otherwise are simply wrong, because you wrote "almost all". Did you have a point?

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

So, would a church youth group who performs charity work be required to allow athiests.

 

Better yet, if there was an atheist youth organization involved in public activism, would they be required to grant admission to the hundreds of evangelicals who would just love to preach Jesus to them while volunteering in leadership positions?

Only if they also want to be exempt from California taxes as outlined in SB 323. Plenty of organizations exist now that aren't exempt from taxes, of course, so I don't know why so many people are responding as if such organizations couldn't exist at all if this law passes.

[acco40]

Let's take our heated passions out of this. Simply put, should an organization that has won court battles to proclaim themselves private and limit their membership as they see fit get tax breaks? I remember back when I lived in Missouri, a Ku Klux Klan (or similar type "hate" organization), volunteered to take care of a certain stretch of the highway (i.e. litter clean-up) and were denied that priviledge.

 

Yes, we do live in a particular world these days.

 

P.S. Missouri renamed the stretch of the highway the Klan was so interested in keeping clean the Rosa Parks freeway. When Nazi's wanted to perform similar service, they renamed the highway the Abraham Joshua Heschel highway. :-)

[AZMike]

Per Lara's Wikipedia bio, the bill's sponsor is openly gay and is one of 8 members of the California Legislature Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Caucus, so I think it's a personal issue with him, NJCubScouter. He ain't gonna drop the bill to support your Local Option. That 3.2% you mentioned has a lot of political power and friends in California politics.

[acco40]

I'm confused. I was not aware that the BSA made or produced any food products, nonalcoholic beverages or other tangible personal property. So what would the impact be one way or the other?

[packsaddle]

I would welcome an end to ALL tax dodges, no matter what or who they benefit and the entire current tax code, to be replaced by the Fair Tax. That would level the field and give the maximum 'local option' to every individual.

 

If the tax advantage is the margin which causes a person to choose to do good charitable things for others, then I have to question the depth of their commitment to those things.

Krampus, first of all, a 'non-profit' isn't necessarily something to which contributions are deductible. They are merely non-profit. If they do happen to have a status that allows contributions to them to be deductible, they are accepting a subsidy from ALL of us who pay taxes. They should not. If their charitable actions have sufficient merit, then those of us who would pay less tax will step up and contribute more, since we will have more disposable income. Churches, for example, consume public services such as infrastructure, fire protection, etc. They should support those the same as the rest of us. If they can't operate their programs efficiently enough to survive with the added tax burden like the rest of us, they shouldn't survive, same as the rest of us. If their members are sufficiently charitable, they won't let that happen, If not, then that's fate.

[CalicoPenn]

So, would a church youth group who performs charity work be required to allow athiests.

 

Better yet, if there was an atheist youth organization involved in public activism, would they be required to grant admission to the hundreds of evangelicals who would just love to preach Jesus to them while volunteering in leadership positions?

No - read the bill - only organizations exclusively organized as a public charity youth organization are affected. A churches youth group is not generally a public charity youth organization. They are organized under their church and generally do not have a separate legal identity.

[bnelon44]

Per Lara's Wikipedia bio, the bill's sponsor is openly gay and is one of 8 members of the California Legislature Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Caucus, so I think it's a personal issue with him, NJCubScouter. He ain't gonna drop the bill to support your Local Option. That 3.2% you mentioned has a lot of political power and friends in California politics.

That bill isn't going anywhere, it is DOA

[skeptic]

Likely anything sold in scout stores, and possibly fund raising such as popcorn and so on.