The Affluent Charity.................

Today, I discussed with a co-worker why I don't donate to charity. The two charities I mentioned were the United Way and the Salvation Army.

Thye United Way a few years back gave a CEO that was leaving a huge severance. That turned my stomach. Then a couple of years ago our local Salvation Army built a $280,000 home for it local leader and wife, to which I was totally against.

The Salvation Army deal was they were given land by a local in the Hills. This land was specifically to be used by the Salvation Army for groups and children. The local chapter decided they needed a bigger house hence the large modern home was to be built.

The discussion was I didn't feel it right that a non-profit, tax exempt organization be using the charitable donations for a brand new modern home, which only two people were living. The co-worker which will remain an anon said (People I work with will figure out who's talking next) "If they are serving God, they deserve it." I said, "Why, do they deserve it more than anybody else?" We are talking about a tax exempt organization, they are considered to be a church by IRS standards. What bugs the fuck outta me is... Do the occupants of the house have to pay the property taxes? Probably not. I know they need a place to live but a home in the hills is the last place they need to be.

If the Salvation Army wants it's leaders to look and act affluent, take away their tax exempt status for the house and make the occupants pay that each year.

That type of exemption for churches has gone on to long. The church has been campaigning for right wing politicians lately. They want to get into the politics game...make them pay taxes. For now, the churches don't pay, they don't get a say.

Eric