The ALRA has put out another alert on tomorrow's vote in the House Ways & Means Committee.

Here is the Tax Favoritism that they are DEMANDING:
The Land Trusts are demanding a loophole that will discount 50% off of capital gains taxes for a seller of land - BUT - only if the land is sold to a Land Trust or government agency! If the land is sold to anyone else, forget it - no tax break.
This places churches, private schools and private parties at a comparative disadvantage when attempting to purchase land - because this Tax Favoritism only applies if land is sold to a Land Trust or the government!
And here is the rest of the story - the only ones who will benefit from this special deal are Land Trusts, NOT the seller of the land. Here is why:
This proposal will severely devalue private property. It allows Land Trusts and government agencies to cut their offering price for land by nearly the amount of the tax cut, so effectively the only beneficiary is the land trust!
This Tax Favoritism for the Land Trusts is even worse than it seems.
Consider the following additional impacts:
a) it will damage the property tax base of communities since more and more land will become tax-exempt. This increases the tax burden on remaining private land - while the Land Trusts sit back, not paying any taxes, and lick their chops deciding who to go after next.
b) it will hand over more land to government agencies, since this Tax Favoritism proposal permits the tax break for sales of land ONLY to Land Trusts or government agencies.
c) it will cost, according the House-Senate Joint Taxation Committee, $948 million - nearly a BILLION dollars added to America's national debt, just to feed the Land Trusts hunger for more power.
d) Land Trusts, since they are "non-profits," already have huge business advantages over private individuals, since they don't pay taxes and contributions to them are tax deductible. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!
e) this Tax Favoritism proposal will discourage private parties from even bidding on land, so many times the only offers for land will be made by the twin buzzards of Land Trusts and government agencies. Do you think you will get a fair price from them???
f) HR 7, the Faith Based Initiative that the Land Trusts are attempting to amend, is intended to encourage churches, orphanages and private schools to promote social services. The Land Trusts desire to place themselves at an advantage over private schools and churches in this very bill!!!
g) WATER RIGHTS. The Land Trusts are demanding that this Tax Favoritism include sales of water rights, damaging future agriculture use.

You can view the entire alert here.