From: alra@governance.net Subject: "Faith Based" Enviro Scam Vote Possible Land Rights Network American Land Rights Association PO Box 400 – Battle Ground, WA 98604 Phone: 360-687-3087 – Fax: 360-687-2973 E-mail: alra@landrights.org or alra@governance.net Web Address: http://www.landrights.org Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE – Washington, DC 20003 "Faith Based" Enviro Scam Vote Possible Lame Duck Congress Sneak Attack could happen with little fanfare. Special Tax Break for Enviro groups, Nature Conservancy and other land trusts. Please- You Must Act Now! See Action Items Below!!! "Faith Based Initiative" hijacked by Enviros!!! >>>Tax Favoritism, Federal Grant Money proposed for Enviros!!! -----1. Multi-billion dollar land trusts handed special tax breaks! -----2. Enviros made eligible for Even More grant money! >>>List of Senators who voted for bill below. Don’t take any Senator for granted. You must contact your Senators. At any time in the next few days a House-Senate Conference Committee could meet to resolve differences between S. 476 and HR. 7, called the “Faith Based Initiative.” It is called the “Care” Act. It was originally designed to offer funds to social service agencies. The multi-million dollar environmental groups have stuck their snout in the taxpayer financed trough by qualifying their schemes as religious activities and made themselves eligible for this "Faith Based Initiative" funding!! Also - the multi-billion dollar Land Trusts have snuck into the bill special Tax Favoritism for themselves. It will give them a special tax break when buying land. It places multi-billion monsters like the Nature Conservancy at a competitive advantage over private schools, churches and charities. You helped defeat a 50% tax break for the Nature Conservancy and others last year in the House of Representatives. But a 25% tax break for the greens and their land grabbing allies did pass in the Senate. The two versions of the bill must now be resolved. Your job is to keep a conference committee from accepting the Senate 25% tax break. It could be snuck through in the dark of night in a special back room deal as part of the Lame Duck Congress. >>>Your Help Is Needed!!! See Action Item Below! Here is a description of the situation. The powerful, wealthy multibillion dollar land trusts are working night and day to gain this Tax Favoritism for themselves. This is their Top Priority legislation this year. For example, The Nature Conservancy has nearly Three Billion dollars in assets, and annual revenues of over seven hundred million dollars! But they demand more. And if it means pushing aside churches and private schools then so be it - after all, how many churches and schools do you know with three Billion dollars in assets? S. 476, "CARE" Act, Sections 106 and 107 Here is a description of the tax favoritism for environmental groups and government agencies - at the expense of faith-based non-profits such as churches and private schools - that has been inserted into the Faith Based Initiative. It is S.476, Sections 106 and 107, called the "CARE" Act, which began as the President Bush's Faith Based Initiative bill. It states that on sales of land and water rights, the seller will have his capital gains tax reduced by 25% - Only if he sells to an environmental group or a government agency. The usual taxes apply if the land or water rights are sold to a non-environmentalist non-profit, or to a private party. This places at a competitive disadvantage the following: a) All non-profits that are not "conservationist" environmental groups, including churches, orphanages, private schools, and social service agencies. b) All private parties who may want to purchase will also have to bid a higher amount, in order to compete with the tax break accruing to the seller - only if he sells to an environmental group or to a government agency. c) In areas, usually in the western U.S., where the federal government already owns most of the land, this proposal will accelerate turnover of property to the government and resulting loss of tax base for municipalities and economic activity for communities. d) In many cases, the land owner who is selling the land will not even benefit. When other parties are discouraged from bidding, the environmental group can lower their bid by the amount of the tax break. So the only beneficiary is the environmental group. *****Also***** - Environmental and animal rights causes are being treated the Same As religious groups in competition for federal taxpayer-financed grant money!!! Mr. David Kuo, of the Office of Faith Based Initiatives, said that the Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to include green causes is a "great" idea, according to CNS news. And David Riggs of Greenwatch stated, "The bureaucracy is taking this as an opportunity to further fund liberal green causes." Chris Horner of the Competitive Enterprise Institute warned that the "faith-based" program would be inundated by environmental activists who will start "finding religion" in order to qualify for the faith-based grants. "I think it's obscene that Green Groups will simply add a Judeo-Christian face in order to provide themselves a deeper pocket," he told CNS News. >>>See Below --- Action Item Vote No - on the "faith based" enviro scam!!!!!!! Tell both your Senators and your Representative Immediately: -----A. S.476, Sections 106 and 107 - Multi-BILLION dollar land trusts do not need special Tax Favoritism over private schools and churches!!! -----B. Environmental and animal rights groups should not be permitted to qualify as faith based organizations and apply for tax funds!!! >>>All Out Alert!!! Please Do This!!! Stop Any Sneak Attack This Next Week! What You Should Do Now!! -----1. Call, fax and e-mail Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) who is Chairman of the Senate Committee and who has been a supporter of the Nature Conservancy Tax Break. He can stop this special deal if he wants to. Phone: (202) 224-3744 – FAX (202) 224-6020 -- http://grassley.senate.gov/webform.htm -----2. Call both your Senators and your Congressman. You may call any Senator or Representative at the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. When the switchboard answers, ask for your Senators office. Then ask for the staff person who covers S.476, tax issues or natural resource issues . . . or each of them. If you are calling your Congressman, ask about HR 7. You defeated the tax break in the House but remind your Congressman to make sure any conference committee opposes the Senate language. -----3. Send a fax objecting to this special secret deal to both your Senators plus your Representative. If you do not have their fax number, call the toll free number above to get it from your Senator or Representative. -----4. Send a letter to them at the following addresses: Honorable _________ US Senate, Washington, DC 20510. Honorable _________ US House of Representatives, Washington, DC 10515 ----5. Tell your local newspaper about this special interest secret attack on private property. -----6. Call your local radio station or talk show. You must make as much controversy as possible quickly. -----7. Call at least three (3) friends to get them to call. How they voted: The following Senators voted to support the Nature Conservancy Tax Break. If your Senators are not listed, you still need to call them. You must raise a fuss quickly. Stevens (R-AK) McCain (R-AZ) Lincoln (D-AR) Pryor (D-AR) Boxer (D-CA) Feinstein (D-CA) Dodd (D-CT) Lieberman (D-CT) Biden (D-DE) Carper (D-DE) Graham (D-FL) Nelson (D-FL) Miller (D-GA) Akaka (D-HI) Inouye (D-HI) Durbin (D-IL) Bayh (D-IN) Grassley (R-IA) Harkin (D-IA) Brownback (R-KA) Roberts (R-KA) Breaux (D-LA) Landrieu (D-LA) Collins (R-ME) Snowe (F-ME) Mikulski (D-MY) Sarbanes (D-MY) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Levin (D-MI) Stabenow (D-MI) Dayton (D-MN) Baucus (D-MT) Nelson (D-NE) Reid (D-NV) Gregg (F-NH) Sununu (R-NH) Corzine (D-NJ) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Bingaman (D-NM) Clinton (D-NY) Schumer (D-NY) Edwards (D-NC) Conrad (D-ND) Dorgan (D-ND) DeWine (R-OH) Voinovich (R-OH) Smith (R-OR) Wyden (D-OR) Chafee (R-RI) Reed (D-RI) Hollings (D-SC) Daschle (D-SD) Alexander (R-TN) Jeffords (I-VT) Leahy (D-VT) Cantwell (D-WA) Murray (D-WA) Byrd (D-WV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Feingold (D-WI) Kohl (D-WI) Please forward as widely as possible. -- To unsubscribe from this mailing list; please visit http://governance.net and enter your email address.