NYT: Pastors' Get-Out-the-Vote Training Could Test Tax (exempt) Rules

[DeepModem Mom]

Pastors' Get-Out-the-Vote Training Could Test Tax Rules
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
Published: March 21, 2006

WASHINGTON, March 20 — Weeks after the Internal Revenue Service announced a crackdown on political activities by churches and other tax-exempt organizations, a coalition of nonprofit conservative groups is holding training sessions to enlist Pennsylvania pastors in turning out voters for the November elections.

Experts in tax law said the sessions, organized by four groups as the Pennsylvania Pastors Network, could test the promises by the tax agency to step up enforcement of the law that prohibits such activity by exempt organizations.

Such a test could define the boundaries for churches and other groups.

Although the tax agency has often overlooked political activity by churches, it has repeatedly warned the clergy and religious groups that it intends to enforce its rules with new vigor this year, in part to correct what it considers to have been too much political intervention by churches and charities in 2004.

The first training session, on March 6 in Valley Forge, included a videotaped message from a single candidate, Senator Rick Santorum, the Pennsylvania Republican who faces a difficult re-election fight....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/21/politics/21churches.html

[BreweryYardRat]

1. Good!

Tax 'em 'till they scream.

Seperation of church and state is in the Constitution for a reason.

[NoGOP]

6. I think they should all be taxed.....

regardless of size.

[movonne]

2. It's about time...as far as I am concerned they sould not have a

tax exemption unless they are a small church that brings in very little money, not these mega churches..

[azurnoir]

3. It probably won't

happen while * is in office. In the town where I voted in '04 the repug mayor moved the voting from the cities civic center to a Catholic church the day before the election. However the church removed their "moral vote" signs before they opened, guess the priest was a Dem (as is the Lutheran minister)

[pinto]

4. 'bout time. n/t

[loudsue]

5. The IRS is only auditing churches with LIBERAL, messages,

certainly NOT "their base", the wingnut churches.

:kick::kick::kick: