When a community needs to rebuild crumbling roads, should houses of worship pay fees for the number of times their congregants drive on them?
That’s the question behind a recent suit filed by churches in the small city of Mission, Kan., who argue the city’s new “transportation utility fee” is a tax they should not have to pay.
With cash-strapped states and cities facing a slew of tough choices, there’s a growing debate nationwide about whether religious congregations should help foot the bill.
Sounds like a Social Justice issue to me, but then that would involve upper middle class white parishes to pony up more money. Good luck with that…
“She said calling the fee a “driveway tax” is a misnomer.” Hogwash. If the fee is a forced exaction, which it is, then it is a tax. They can call it what ever they want, but if they can force you to pay it, it is a tax.
Besides those going to the Church already pay road upkeep taxes through what ever existing tax structure the municipality is using. For example gasoline taxes.
Render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s, twice. That sounds familiar but a bit off.
What about people who go to the grocery store or mall on Sunday? Or what if they go somewhere that isn’t taxed already like an art museum or county hospital? And if the church is doing community outreach or a soup kitchen, is the city going to feed or clothe those people whose soup bowl was taxed out of existance? The truth is govenrments need to stop spending. That will solve the taxation problem.
My personal opinion is that governments just need to call a spade a spade. If its a tax, just call it that and live with the consequences.
If I live irresponsibly, I don’t have the right to go across the street and shake down my neighbor to pay my VISA bill. Not so the government.
The reason why this is such a critical issue is that churches — especially inner-city ones — are hanging by a thread now and one more hit will kill a lot of them. Taxation, whether by intent or not, is a form of control. In some cases, the ability to stifle or eliminate completely. This becomes a Constitutional issue with respect to religion.
Bu first will be the local politics. If people have to choose between their own lower tax bill and defending the local church, it doesn’t look good for the parishes.