Trillion Dollar Infrastructure Plan

[Terrywoodenpic]

Tax exemption is a disentanglement from government and politics. Also, many western countries have far greater ties between the state and church, including church taxes and state funding of official religions.

Quite frankly, I am amused by the shortsightedness of leftists who want to begin the process of tearing down the wall between church and state. They want to use the government to hurt religions through taxation, but don't realize how they would open Pandora's Box. Where do you think that will lead in our country? Less religion? Ha. You'll see church subsidies well beyond situations such as the agriculture subsidy before you see any additional monies from taxed churches. Would you be okay with a 20B a year religious subsidy(what the agriculture subsidy is)? How about 40 or 100?

Personally, as someone who supports the spirit of Americanism, I like our wall. The state neither shuts down nor keeps open churches, it neither levies taxes nor grants monies. That is the way it should stay.

Although the Church of England is the state religion of the Uk. It, nor any other church gets state subsidies nor tax exemptions. Howeve those aspects of church work classed as a charity will have tax exemption on those aspects. This is neither automatic nor universal but only paid to qualified registered charities. Churches are not a special case. There is no religious aspect to this.

Churches that do not allow free access to their services or other benefits to every one, can not qualify. For example the Mormon Temples do not qualify as they are exclusive. Not withstanding they might otherwise do good works.

 

[Mister Emu]

Although the Church of England is the state religion of the Uk...

I didn't mention the United Kingdom. That said, I maintain my position that taxation of churches is more of a tie than not.

To my point, see Church tax - Wikipedia

 

[Revoltingest]

There is an over-riding public good in providing things like fire and police services and maintaining the methods of access for those services.

If it threatens separation of church & state to have the former pay for services used by the
latter, isn't the church's subsidy of free services from the state also a crack in that wall?

 

[Mister Emu]

If it threatens separation of church & state to have the former pay for services used by the
latter, isn't the church's subsidy of free services from the state also a crack in that wall?

That is why I used the phrasing I did. The state has an over riding interest in church property not being a fire danger for the community nor a zone of lawlessness, even in the face of rightful maintenance of no fiscal ties.

 

[Revoltingest]

That is why I used the phrasing I did. The state has an over riding interest in church property not being a fire danger for the community nor a zone of lawlessness, even in the face of rightful maintenance of no fiscal ties.

The expectation of free services (paid for by non-church taxpayers) is itself a fiscal tie.
What next? Free water & sewer service too.
But if the church contracted with a private companies, this would sever the tie.

I don't think separation of church & state is threatened if churches have to pay for the
state provided services they use.

 

[tytlyf]

Source?

That's the democratic MO. Raise taxes on the 1% because they don't pay anything anyways. Same thing with loopholes. Bernie is more supportive of this than Clinton I believe.
Republicans on the other hand like to lower taxes on the 1% and raise on the middle class.
Wall street speculation is another area to get some extra revenue.

How Bernie pays for his proposals - Bernie Sanders

 

[Monk Of Reason]

Tax exemption is a disentanglement from government and politics. Also, many western countries have far greater ties between the state and church, including church taxes and state funding of official religions.

Quite frankly, I am amused by the shortsightedness of leftists who want to begin the process of tearing down the wall between church and state. They want to use the government to hurt religions through taxation, but don't realize how they would open Pandora's Box. Where do you think that will lead in our country? Less religion? Ha. You'll see church subsidies well beyond situations such as the agriculture subsidy before you see any additional monies from taxed churches. Would you be okay with a 20B a year religious subsidy(what the agriculture subsidy is)? How about 40 or 100?

Personally, as someone who supports the spirit of Americanism, I like our wall. The state neither shuts down nor keeps open churches, it neither levies taxes nor grants monies. That is the way it should stay.

Why would we have a church subsidy? What product do they sell taht is deemed vital to the American people? We have oil and agricultural subsidies to make sure the market price of these goods remain low. Is the cost of church gonna skyrocket and wreck our economy?

I think churches should simply not get special treatment. If they follow all the rules of a non-profit organization then they don't pay taxes except when paying its employees. What it really really hurts is megachurches that rake in millions a year without actually providing any kind of public service. Many churches do soup kitchens, food drives, homeless efforts, ect. True they also do it with compulsion of religion but that could change to if we taxed them.

The point isn't to "hurt" your local church. Its to make sure the pastor pays his taxes and that the church either pays its income taxes or stays to the standard of a non-profit. There is no reason for the government to ever fund a church. Not every industry gets subsidies. Only a select few "necessary" industries obtain subsidies.

 

[Mister Emu]

Why would we have a church subsidy?

Because we live in America.

There is no reason for the government to ever fund a church.

Nor is there a reason for government to take money from a church. We live in a country that thankfully agrees to both of those.

 

[Monk Of Reason]

Because we live in America.

What "functional" reason does America have for giving a subsidy to a church?

Nor is there a reason for government to take money from a church. We live in a country that thankfully agrees to both of those.

Except that they exist and need to pay taxes like everyone else. If they want to avoid being taxed they need to make sure they fall safely behind the non-profit line. Superchurches that rake in millions without providing a damn thing to society need to be taxed so that their bullcrap at least has some function.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Senate democrats are close to unveiling a plan for a much needed trillion dollar update to our crumbling infrastructure. Several bills were introduced during the Obama administration, but were consistently blocked by republicans in the House.

Well, if Republicans who blocked it under a Democratic President support it now, it makes it completely obvious that it was nothing but partisan politics -- and that they were willing to play those politics at the expense of the American people for no other reason than partisanship.

Should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[Kuzcotopia]

Well, if Republicans who blocked it under a Democratic President support it now, it makes it completely obvious that it was nothing but partisan politics -- and that they were willing to play those politics at the expense of the American people for no other reason than partisanship.

Should be ashamed of themselves.

Agreed. Dems just want to get stuff done. . . But Obama's years in the WH were marked by nothing but obstruction, for the sake of defeating him at all costs.

The two parties don't play by the same rules, and it's amazing that everybody on both sides don't get that.