Let's start now to tax church real estate
It's hard to see how not taxing all the real estate assets currently owned by religious organizations helps maintain any sort of reasonable separation of church and state. In fact, it means the government is the most direct funder of church activities. No wonder you get "one nation under god" whenever political figures gather together--you're looking at a group of investors!
So, let's start taxing at least the real estate assets now. This can be done over a 20 or 30 year period, incrementally. That will prevent the leaders of these protected organizations from complaining that they'll be "put out of business" by unfair treatment. In fact, I'll take that argument straight on: to all you priests and deacons and other puffed-up guys: if you cant evolve your business model enough to pay for a small portion of the free services you soak up in 30 years, you should be fired.
Taxing real estate has the benefit of being local--those funds can contribute to organizations that work on a local level that have a direct impact on the community (some religious organizations deliver social services, but they're the least effective non-profits at doing so--overall less than 5% of religious funds go to community services, one assumes--probably much less than that).
Another advantage is that this tax will cause users of this prime real estate to think more carefully about how to maximize its use. So, instead of dead lots scattered across local tax rolls, you'll start to see more productive programming, downsizing of obscene space-wasting operations, and other benefits.
Let's start now. In thirty years, religious organizations will be paying the same real estate taxes you and I are for the space we need--but only if we don't delay. They still get everything else they do tax-free, so don't even think of whining. And to not miss the point: religion adds social and financial costs for all of us. I, for one, do not want to subsidize the damage religious institutions do to our society any longer.
So, let's start taxing at least the real estate assets now. This can be done over a 20 or 30 year period, incrementally. That will prevent the leaders of these protected organizations from complaining that they'll be "put out of business" by unfair treatment. In fact, I'll take that argument straight on: to all you priests and deacons and other puffed-up guys: if you cant evolve your business model enough to pay for a small portion of the free services you soak up in 30 years, you should be fired.
Taxing real estate has the benefit of being local--those funds can contribute to organizations that work on a local level that have a direct impact on the community (some religious organizations deliver social services, but they're the least effective non-profits at doing so--overall less than 5% of religious funds go to community services, one assumes--probably much less than that).
Another advantage is that this tax will cause users of this prime real estate to think more carefully about how to maximize its use. So, instead of dead lots scattered across local tax rolls, you'll start to see more productive programming, downsizing of obscene space-wasting operations, and other benefits.
Let's start now. In thirty years, religious organizations will be paying the same real estate taxes you and I are for the space we need--but only if we don't delay. They still get everything else they do tax-free, so don't even think of whining. And to not miss the point: religion adds social and financial costs for all of us. I, for one, do not want to subsidize the damage religious institutions do to our society any longer.
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