Christian television network denied tax break

[babylonsister]

Christian television network denied tax break

By DAVE WAGNER / NewsChannel 36


INDIAN LAND, S.C. -- A serious blow to a local Christian television network could bring hundreds of thousands of dollars to a struggling county.

For the past eight months, the I-Team has been investigating the Inspiration Network in Lancaster County. We've learned the State of South Carolina has rejected the Christian network's tax-exempt status for its headquarters in Indian Land.

A dazzling display of architecture called the City of Light was paid for with millions of dollars in donations given to the Inspirational Network.

Despite appeals, the State of South Carolina rejected the network's request for tax-exempt status meaning this fall, the land, buildings and equipment in Indian Land will all be taxed.

The I-Team looked at tax records of the Inspirational Network. In 2007, the network revenue was more than $69 million.

CEO David Cerullo was paid more than $1.5 million. His wife Barbara was paid $150,000 and their kids Ben and Becky are also on the company payroll.

Warren Smith is with a watchdog group that monitors Christian organizations and said $39 million in profit over the last, from 2002 to 2006. “That's a lot of profit. That's a lot of profit."

more...

http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/stories/wcnc-061809-al-christian_network.712374.html

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. It's about damn time!

I sincerely hope this is the first of many to be denied...

K&R

[sutz12]

2. Score one for the good guys...

Millions available if we start taxing the churches. They funnel billions every year, much of which lines their own pockets.

Get 'em! :)

[Bozita]

3. Maybe there is a god after all.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

20. I think my Irony meter just exploded

:rofl:

[Joanne98]

4. YAY! That's the best news I've heard all day!

:bounce:

[NC_Nurse]

5. YAY!!!! These hucksters need to pay up like any business. I don't see how they

are any different from other infomercials.

[RagAss]

6. Welcome to America.......assholes !

[slay]

7. We need to end tax exempt status for all churches IMO

That said, any money they actually spend on helping people should not be taxed - kind of like a non-profit. This would stop many who are in the "religious business" purely to make money and avoid taxes.

[mitchum]

8. Suck on it, grifters

[boppers]

9. There's an idea for taking care of healthcare costs...

:evilgrin:

[HughMoran]

10. Right-wingers bagged using religion for profit

...again. Graft like that in any other company would get the CEO fired.

[ColbertWatcher]

11. Good. k+r, n/t

[RagAss]

12. Send them this from the DU Store....

http://www.cafepress.com/du_store.391405554

[katandmoon]

13. Fabulous news.

[old mark]

14. May they be number 1 on a long, long list...

It's about time these thieves got revealed for what they really are - scam artists.

I can hear the "religious" right screaming about persecution by the Socialist Obama....:rofl:


mark

[pleah]

15. K&R

[starroute]

16. With this guy it isn't the religion -- it's the scuzziness

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/741812.html

As Easter approached, the ad ran repeatedly on the Inspiration Network: David Cerullo, clutching a Bible, told viewers they, too, could receive prosperity, physical healing and other blessings God gave the ancient Israelites. All they had to do, the televangelist said, was send $200 or more. . . .

Few nonprofit leaders are paid more than Cerullo. In 2007, he received roughly $1.52 million in base pay, along with other compensation totaling about $69,000, according to the ministry's IRS filing.

Guidestar, which monitors nonprofits, compiles a database on thousands of charities – including 13,000 religious organizations that filed IRS returns for 2006, the last year with complete records. None of the faith-based groups paid their leaders more than the Inspiration Network.

Even religious nonprofits with vastly larger budgets pay their presidents substantially less, the Observer found. The Christian Broadcasting Network, founded by Pat Robertson, has a budget roughly four times larger than Inspiration's. Compensation to CBN's president totaled $344,000 in 2007.

[BlooInBloo]

17. Sweet. Give back to the fucking communicty you fucking freeloading parasites.

[Vidar]

18. Glad to hear it.

[Liberal In Texas]

19. Good. K&R.

[Vickers]

21. Two quotes: "In 2007, the network revenue was more than $69 million."

That is from the linked story.

And from Wikipedia:

"(Lancaster County) currently has a 17.8% unemployment"

Apparently the "reverend"'s family is not affected...

:eyes:

[northofdenali]

22. NO religious organization, church, school, or property

should be tax exempt. It elevates religion to a "protected status" specifically denied by the Constitution and the separation of Church and State.

[DKRC]

23. NEXT!

Couldn't happen to better people. :rofl:

[Control-Z]

24. Good. -eom

[SoCalDem]

25. HALLELUJAH !! Can I have an AMEN ???

:rofl:

[Duval]

30. AMEN!!!!

:toast:

[armyowalgreens]

26. There are few assholes I despise more than televangelists...

They feed the biggest bunch of lies to people. And they make millions doing it.

[ProfessorGAC]

27. Why Would The NETWORK Has Tax Exempt Status?

Even if the church itself had one, why would the TV network get it? That seems ridiculous.

A tax exempt organization starts a second operation which is also tax exempt, even though it has its own revenue stream?

No wonder it's so easy for the tax cheats to get away with it. The laws are preposterously "twistable".
GAC

[DFW]

28. May this become the rule, and not the exception! n/t

[penndragon69]

29. Tax ALL the churches,

and any other group who uses religion as a front to avoid taxes!

Make them pay the taxes that are due, and if they can't survive without them....
Good Riddance!

[mascarax]

31. GOOD

It's about time. More to come, I hope.

The statistic above about the high unemployment rate while this thieving family (& others) thrives on fear and BS lies...despicable.

[spanone]

32. let's not stop there....

:bounce:

[konnichi wa]

33. Those people are complete scum. They re-run old programs over and over and use that SOB

Mike Murdock to raise money...It's legalized rape and robbery.
:grr:

[surrealAmerican]

34. Good call.

They are clearly NOT a non-profit organization.

[Peacetrain]

35. As a committed Christian..all I can say is.."it's about time"

Snake Oil salesmen of religiosity

[billyoc]

36. Praise Jesus!

:woohoo: