Friday, January 12, 2007

Vermont Churches and Land Taxation

Time for me to say "sorry" to Vermont. After the bonehead story about taxing "supersize" homes, I blithely assumed that Vermont would remain in my mind as a cutesy place where the natives are driven into the hills, and candle dippin' hippies that are worth a million bucks rule the roost. Even my mellow girlfriend almost broke into hives when we had lunch in Bennington once.

The only place I can think of that would get away with a proposal to tax the property of churches IS Vermont. The Vermont idea is a good one, as it proposes to tax church lands. Now, I know that sounds like Henry the VIIIth and the Dissolution of the Monasteries, but t' isn't,

Barre Vermont, needs money. They've floated a few things, all of which failed. Now, they are floating a tax on previously exempt land.
Naturally it's being called a "church tax" even though church stuff takes place in buildings.

They tried to pass a constitutional amendment in Colorado to tax non-profit property, it died at the hands of the voters. I bet this doesn't pan out, because the opposition loves to threaten the loss of The Lord due to taxes, and proponents are either scared of parishioners, or they are those militant-style atheists that everyone feels sorta creepy about.


2 comments:

Relucent Reader said...

Hiya, linked here form your profile when I noticed "Great War...." as one of yer fav-o-riite books. Love his stuff, have you tried "Thank God for the Atom Bomb, and Other Essays" and "Travel". Same pungent eye.
Your blog entry on the Green Mountain State taxing non-prof prop was an eye-opener.

Thank you.

Joshua Vincent said...

Thank you! I think I am inspired to get back to blogging. I do like Fussel, but have not yet read "Travel." thank you for the tip!