Anti-Abortion Group Loses Tax Exemption

[Rose Siding]

The Internal Revenue Service this week revoked the tax exemption of an anti-abortion group, Operation Rescue West, after receiving a complaint that it had violated prohibitions on electioneering by nonprofits in 2004.

The group had promised tax deductions for contributions to help defeat the Democratic presidential candidate, Senator John Kerry.

The organization said the agency’s ruling would have little impact on its operations.

“We have reorganized as simply Operation Rescue,” said Cheryl Sullenger, the group’s outreach coordinator. “Losing our tax exemption doesn’t have much of an effect on us, one way or the other. We have learned some lessons through this whole thing, and I think we’re in a better place now than we were before the I.R.S. investigation.”
...
At the Democratic convention, members of Operation Rescue West drove around a truck featuring a large photo of a late-stage aborted fetus and the words “Kerry’s Choice.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/15/us/15tax.html

[philosophie_en_rose]

1. May this be the first of many.

:bounce:

[Donnachaidh]

2. may they also go after the politicking pastors and mega-churches

And hit them where they live!

[noonwitch]

14. The church stuff goes both ways, and liberal churches cross lines, too

I'm not big on going after conservative churches that have political organizing going on, because liberal churches do it too. Every election season, conservative politicians hit big mega-churches and liberal politicians hit the inner-city church circuit. Both sides violate it, but also both sides do good things for the poor in their community by having food/clothing donation programs and soup kitchens, etc.

My big liberal church has been a place where peace rallies were announced and people were recruiting others to attend them, and liberal politicians have visited prior to elections, including both dem senators, my congressman, and the current governor. Should we lose our tax exemption for this? If we shouldn't, then 1st Baptist shouldn't lose theirs for anti-abortion activism or handing out voter guides for the christian coalition.

I do think tv preachers for the most part should have their tax exemption revoked, though. Their organizations are not established churches, and offer little in the way of community support. I will note that although Pat Robertson, for example, has a certain amount of corruption associated with Operation Blessing (the Liberia thing), there are some very good people who work within those types of organizations who do some good things. Nothing is ever cut and dry in these situations.

[gratuitous]

15. My liberal church doesn't cross lines

We certainly do NOT solicit tax-deductible contributions to give to political candidates. It's a real bright line, and we know exactly where it is. Hosting a candidate forum, or inviting a guest speaker is not electioneering, but asking for donations that the organization then passes through to a party or a candidate while granting those donations tax-deductible status certainly is.

It's not a close or a difficult call, and reputable organizations know what they're allowed to do and not allowed to do. "Our congregation supports the WIC program, and we urge our congregants to support candidates who do the same." Legal as sea salt. "Our congregation supports the WIC program, and Bob Goodboy supports the WIC program. Vote for Bob Goodboy." Illegal.

[noonwitch]

20. My church doesn't cross those lines, either, in those specifics

but our previous minister came close. She did endorse Dennis Kucinech from the pulpit before the 2004 primary season and that could have cost us our tax exemption if she hadn't resigned a few months later. Her big mouth on one Sunday should not cost the church.

I just don't like the idea of revoking a church's tax exempt status for single violations, or for political speech. I'm a liberal, but I do equate handing out voter guides with encouraging people from the pulpit to attend a peace rally. Both are examples of a church endorsing a particular political point of view, if not actual candidates in the second situation. Fundraising for candidates is a separate issue and no church/synagog/mosque/temple/circle should mix in that.

If a conservative church is singled out for espousing an anti-abortion candidate or proposition, than eventually the powers that be will retaliate against a liberal church for violating some rule.

Going after churches for this kind of thing will not go over well with the public, either. It ultimately does no good and it looks petty. If the megachurch with a soup kitchen that feeds a community on a daily basis loses their tax exemption for handing out a voting guide, people won't see the violation of the code, they will see a community resource vanish instead. If my church, which has meeting space for pretty much every 12 step program that exists, were to lose our exemption because our previous minister was ignorant of the law in that regard, it would also result in a community resource vanishing.

[kiteinthewind]

17. Promoting peace rallies is hardly comparable to 'voter guides'

My church is very liberal and they work on social justice issues, but NEVER tell people which candidate to vote for. There is a great group in this area called MAINstream Coaliton and they actually 'visit' these churches and document their promotion of candidates.

These people are not even Christians, truly, they are Dominionists and their philosophy is the end justifies the means, at ANY cost, and the end is dominion over the U.S. and the world. These churches begin brainwashing their members early, as in preschool. They actually advertise 'Little Saints programming', LOL!

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2005/11/26/01436/229

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/7235393/the_crusaders

http://www.religioustolerance.org/reconstr.htm

http://www.theocracywatch.org/

http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/Conference/NYConfBackwardsChristianSoldiers.html

These people should be feared (and exposed)
:scared:

[kiteinthewind]

16. AMEN!! I have the perfect place for them to start!

Jerry Johnston, pastor of First Family Church www.ffc.org This people are not Christians, they are Dominionists and they are dangerous!

:scared:

[politicat]

3. Yay! Now if the IRS will just look into their finances a bit deeper...

It's well known in Kansas that ORW uses the donations to fund for-profit ventures, including purchasing an apartment building (where several of the ORW "staff" live free) and purchasing items like vehicles only marginally used for ORW activities, if at all.

[napi21]

4. Unfortunately, they probably do operate on a very low budget.

Justusing depreciation on their vehicle and computer equip. if they have any, probably willallow them to show a loss, so they're right, it won't have much inpact.

The orgs that would be severly harmed by a decision like this would be the mega churches you mentioned. Orgs that have millions of $$ flowing through them, and of course all the donations would be tax exempt as well. If THEY would receive a ruling like this, THEn we'd have something to really celebrate!

[politicat]

7. Actually, according to filings with the Kansas Dept of Revenue...

They had a budget in excess of $2 million in 1998, 99, 2000 and 2001. (I haven't seen more recent numbers.) So they're not entirely shoe-string. Definitely wealthy enough to own and pay property taxes upon some nice real estate. Considering that the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center (which does far more than stand around outside clinics) has a far smaller budget, in a far more expensive area, I'm not about to let ORW off the hook.

[Wretched Refuse]

5. Uhh Non-profits....

CANNOT give anything of value to its board memebers, at least in most states that I know of.
I think we need to do like they did to that doctor, and whack these fucktards right in their kitchens, while they take the pictures of the fetuses. In fact, put out the building's address, and let someone do it for us.

[politicat]

6. Oh, ORW OWNS the property. They merely allow members of the board

to make use of it "for the corporation's convenience." The address is published on the Maggot Punks' Punk'd list. See Troy whatsisface and Brenna Suellenger's addresses.

They are such creeps. I'd happily see every one of them in prison for their various financial and racketeering crimes if it wouldn't just make them martyrs. But since it will, I'm hoping that they get hoisted by their own petards one of these days. Rumors are that the Princess of the Feti, Miss Suellenger herself, has been into the Boulder Women's Clinic, and I'm just waiting for the day when we get it on camera.

[BlueIris]

8. Well, it's about. damn. time.

But nice work, NYT, DOING THEIR FUCKING WORK FOR THEM BY THROWING IN A GODAWFUL "KERRY = ABORTED FETUSES" PIECE OF PROPAGANDA THERE IN THAT 'ARTICLE.' Dumb whores.

Edited: slimy, anti-choice fuckwads take away Iris' spelling ability.

[xchrom]

9. good. it couldn't happen to ''nicer'' crew.

[krispos42]

10. Oh, my heart bleeds. Oops, that's some ketchup. Never mind. n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. Wow!

[Cerridwen]

12. 'bout damned time.

Now there are only several hundred more to go with some of the larger offenders worth billions.

[stepnw1f]

13. GOOD! (nt)

[LynneSin]

18. And people question why NARAL & Planned Parenthood endorse republicans

Mind you, they endorse republican pro-choice candidates but they do it so they don't come across as partisan.

About time they got those anti-choice bastards. They're gonna lose big bucks once they start paying taxes.

Of course the lil creeps will find a way around it

[Straight Shooter]

19. Now that the smear campaign is over, the damage is done, Big F'g Deal.

I could just see Cheryl shrugging her shoulders at breaking the law. Hey, no big f'g deal if you're a Repub fundie, because it's clear in the Bible that everyone should make up their own rules as they go along as long as they claim they're doing God's work. Right?

:sarcasm:

[bperci108]

21. For the lowdown on these FanaticalFundieFreaks see:

http://www.maggotpunks.com/antis/fff.htm


These people are theocratic terrorists, and nothing but.

It's time they were treated as such. :evilgrin:

[Judi Lynn]

24. Amazing how profoundly stupid and sub-standard these right-wingers look.

That's the best grouping I've ever seen of these scums: a real eyeopener.

What a shame they've been allowed to run amock, setting up people for their murders all this time. Any roadblock thrown their way now is far, far overdue. They should all be in prison, or in a bin with the other criminally insane.

[NVMojo]

22. good news!

[VegasWolf]

23. Maybe their God will pay their new taxes, then again probably not. nt