ALRA Alert/Land Trusts & Charity Bill
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
Phone: 202-210-2357 – Fax: 202-543-7126 – E-mail: landrightsnet@aol.com

COALITION: No Land Trust Tax Deal!

A broad coalition of 34 interest groups representing religious schools and churches, taxpayer advocates and property rights organizations have united in support of the House (HR 7) and against the Senate (S 476) version of the "Faith Based Initiative."
The group has signed a letter to the House and Senate committee chairmen with jurisdiction over the legislation, objecting to a favored status that would be granted to land trusts in the Senate version of the bill. It reads in part:
"The Senate proposal would provide a capital gains tax reduction of 25% to sellers of land or water rights - but only if they sell to a land trust or a government agency . . . It will do virtually nothing to benefit sellers of land, since land trusts will be able to reduce their offering price versus any other potential buyer of property . . . This proposal would place faith-based institutions, such as churches, orphanages and private schools, at a comparative disadvantage in property purchases compared to land trusts and government agencies, neither of which are faith based."
The additional cost of the Senate provision is approximately $500 million. The Land Trust Alliance is pushing for a 50% reduction, costing nearly $1 billion.
Signers include the National Tax Limitation Committee, the American Conservative Union, the American Association of Christian Schools, the American Land Rights Association and 30 others.
Separately, the Association of Christian Schools International, joined by the National Association of Evangelicals and 18 others, signed a similar letter objecting to the "glaring inequity in the Senate version." It asks Congress to support "charitable choice" as long as there is a "level playing field" for all charitable groups "rather than a special benefit bill for land trusts."
"Votes on this bill will be scored on our annual vote index,” promised Susan Kocsis of the League of Private Property Voters, which has published its annual scorecard of Congress since 1989.
ACTION ITEM:
Congressman Steve Pearce is circulating a letter to all members of Congress, asking them to sign it - it says that there should be NO special handouts to Land Trusts!!!
CONTACT your Congressional office - tell them to "Sign Congressman Steve Pearce's letter on HR 7 - NO SPECIAL DEALS FOR LAND TRUSTS !!!”
You can call every Congressman at (202) 225-3121. Or use this temporary free number : (800) 648-3516.

You can read the letter here and the press release here.