Taxpayers Might Be On Hook for Ground Zero Mosque Funding

[grokmaster]

With all the recent interest in the funding of the highly controversial Ground Zero Mosque, it appears that the developers may apply for , and RECEIVE, US TAXDOLLARS to help fund it.

I cannot post the link due to my fledgling status at this forum, but I CAN quote the Reuters article:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67Q5BW20100827 - Link added, Modbert


NEW YORK (Reuters) – The Muslim center planned near the site of the World Trade Center attack could qualify for tax-free financing, a spokesman for City Comptroller John Liu said on Friday, and Liu is willing to consider approving the public subsidy.

The Democratic comptroller's spokesman, Scott Sieber, said Liu supported the project. The center has sparked an intense debate over U.S. religious freedoms and the sanctity of the Trade Center site, where nearly 3,000 perished in the September 11, 2001 attack.

"If it turns out to be financially feasible and if they can demonstrate an ability to pay off the bonds and comply with the laws concerning tax-exempt financing, we'd certainly consider it," Sieber told Reuters.

Spokesmen for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor David Paterson and the Islamic center and were not immediately available.

The proposed center, two blocks from the Trade Center site in lower Manhattan, has caused a split between people who lost relatives and friends in the attack, as well as conservative politicians, and those who support the project. Among those who support it are the mayor, civic and religious groups, and some families of victims.

The mosque's backers hope to raise a total of $70 million in tax-exempt debt to build the center, according to the New York Times. Tax laws allow such funding for religiously affiliated non-profits if they can prove the facility will benefit the general public and their religious activities are funded separately.

The bonds could be issued through a local development corporation created for this purpose, experts said.

The Islamic center would have to repay the bonds, which likely would be less expensive than taxable debt.

New York City's Industrial Development Authority could not issue debt for the center because the state civic facilities law, which governed this type of financing for non-profits, was allowed to expire about two years ago.





Howya like dem apples?

 

[AmericanFirst]

Just another slap in the face. To use tax dollars to build this is the stupidist thing I have heard about this subject. But nothing surprizes me coming from the stupidest admin of all time.

 

[Modbert]

Link once you get 15 posts please.

Edit: Link added

 

[Yurt]

any religious org gets this, if you don't like it for islam, then we should get rid of all exemptions

 

[Yurt]

Link once you get 15 posts please.

its all over...here you go

Ground Zero Muslim center may get public financing | Reuters

 

[Modbert]

Now to comment on the article, I'm pretty sure this isn't a new sort of law. If you're complaining about the exemptions that a certain religion is entitled to by our laws, then I'm assuming you're against all exemptions for all religions.

 

[syrenn]

any religious org gets this, if you don't like it for islam, then we should get rid of all exemptions

I believe in the total separation of church and state and NO religious anything should get one red cent of tax dollars.

 

[rightwinger]

My only question is would a christian, jewish or mormon facility get the same tax exemtion?

If the answer is yes.....why the hell are we posting this thread?

 

[Yurt]

My only question is would a christian, jewish or mormon facility get the same tax exemtion?

If the answer is yes.....why the hell are we posting this thread?

iirc correctly, i just read an article last week about a christian church getting the same thing

 

[theDoctorisIn]

First of all, the article is discussing public financing, not public funding (as in, low interest loans from the state, not free money).

This is how YMCAs all around the country get built.

 

[Yurt]

any religious org gets this, if you don't like it for islam, then we should get rid of all exemptions

I believe in the total separation of church and state and NO religious anything should get one red cent of tax dollars.

i don't think they are really "getting" tax dollars, rather tax cuts or exemptions

but i have no problem with your suggestion

 

[ConHog]

any religious org gets this, if you don't like it for islam, then we should get rid of all exemptions

iThat would be fine with me.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

any religious org gets this, if you don't like it for islam, then we should get rid of all exemptions

iThat would be fine with me.

Now, I'm all for separation between church and state - I'm a card-carrying member of Americans United and the ACLU. But I don't have any problem with public finacing being available for this sort of thing: YMCAs, Salvation Armys, and organizations like that do tremendous good. As long as the funding isn't used for religious purposes.

 

[Modbert]

Now, I'm all for separation between church and state - I'm a card-carrying member of Americans United and the ACLU. But I don't have any problem with public finacing being available for this sort of thing: YMCAs, Salvation Armys, and organizations like that do tremendous good. As long as the funding isn't used for religious purposes.

Agreed, 110%. I'd rep you, but alas I must wait.

 

[ConHog]

any religious org gets this, if you don't like it for islam, then we should get rid of all exemptions

iThat would be fine with me.

Now, I'm all for separation between church and state - I'm a card-carrying member of Americans United and the ACLU. But I don't have any problem with public finacing being available for this sort of thing: YMCAs, Salvation Armys, and organizations like that do tremendous good. As long as the funding isn't used for religious purposes.

My understanding is that there is talk of giving them tax free US bonds to sell to finance the mosque. That is wrong, no matter the religion.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

iThat would be fine with me.

Now, I'm all for separation between church and state - I'm a card-carrying member of Americans United and the ACLU. But I don't have any problem with public finacing being available for this sort of thing: YMCAs, Salvation Armys, and organizations like that do tremendous good. As long as the funding isn't used for religious purposes.

My understanding is that there is talk of giving them tax free US bonds to sell to finance the mosque. That is wrong, no matter the religion.

No, the financing would come from them getting bonds (which are low-interest government loans). They are already tax-exempt, due to being a religious non-profit. It's in the article. And as long as the money is used for the non-religious parts of the center, it's not against the law.

 

[ConHog]

Now, I'm all for separation between church and state - I'm a card-carrying member of Americans United and the ACLU. But I don't have any problem with public finacing being available for this sort of thing: YMCAs, Salvation Armys, and organizations like that do tremendous good. As long as the funding isn't used for religious purposes.

My understanding is that there is talk of giving them tax free US bonds to sell to finance the mosque. That is wrong, no matter the religion.

No, the financing would come from them getting bonds (which are low-interest government loans). They are already tax-exempt, due to being a religious non-profit. It's in the article. And as long as the money is used for the non-religious parts of the center, it's not against the law.

There is no non religious part of the mosque, stop with that lie

Let them go to a bank, PERIOD. What is with the USG "loaning" money they don't have?

 

[theDoctorisIn]

My understanding is that there is talk of giving them tax free US bonds to sell to finance the mosque. That is wrong, no matter the religion.

No, the financing would come from them getting bonds (which are low-interest government loans). They are already tax-exempt, due to being a religious non-profit. It's in the article. And as long as the money is used for the non-religious parts of the center, it's not against the law.

There is no non religious part of the mosque, stop with that lie

Let them go to a bank, PERIOD. What is with the USG "loaning" money they don't have?

No, not a lie. Prove your statement.

Seriously dude. It's a YMCA.


Also, you're "lying" when you say the money's coming from the US Government - it's not. It's coming from the City of New York.

 

[Mr.Fitnah]

As long as it is sharia compliant , who cares?

 

[ConHog]

No, the financing would come from them getting bonds (which are low-interest government loans). They are already tax-exempt, due to being a religious non-profit. It's in the article. And as long as the money is used for the non-religious parts of the center, it's not against the law.

There is no non religious part of the mosque, stop with that lie

Let them go to a bank, PERIOD. What is with the USG "loaning" money they don't have?

No, not a lie. Prove your statement.

Seriously dude. It's a YMCA.


Also, you're "lying" when you say the money's coming from the US Government - it's not. It's coming from the City of New York.

Dude, I have proven in so many different threads that the entire building is a mosque that at this point it is boring. Go see the National Mosque of Bangladesh for ONE example. 240 shops, 5 restaurants, a library, a gym, etc etc, and still its called a MOSQUE.

As for the money is coming from the city of New York City rather than the USG, what's the difference? The COTUS applies to cities and states as well as the USG does it not?