Colorado News -Reply

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Susan, you wrote:
"When I was listening to the news this morning, I heard -
or thought I heard - that Colorado had defeated a bill that
would have taken away the property tax-exempt status for
churches and religious organizations."

You, in fact, heard the truth.  A local lawyer, who is very
bitter toward Christianity, deceived 80,000 people into
signing petitions "that would lower their property taxes." 
His reasoning was if you increase the number of businesses
paying property taxes, this will automatically lower the
amount needed to be collected from residential property. 
NOT!  (I'll explain why in a sec.)

His amendment to the state constitution would have
allowed the taxing of property of most non-profit
organizations, which included the Boy Scouts, Goodwill
Industries, soup kitchens, all private or parochial schools,
all churches and para-church orgs (like Focus), private
non-profit hospitals, the city zoo, etc.  When the truth
began to come out (incredibly, by the media) there was a
strong grassroots coalition that came together to raise
money and attempt to defeat the proposed amendment. 
Praise God it went down in an overwhelming defeat
83%-17%!!  The campaign slogan used against it was,
"Please Don't Hurt the Helpers."  

Regarding the deception:  the state constitution requires
that the collection of property taxes be balanced between
commercial and residential property (58%-42%
respectively...I think).  If all the non-profit orgs were then
taxed, it would have permitted our state legislatures to
have *increased* the amount collected from residential
property in order to maintain the ratio required by the
constitution.  People got angry when they realized this. 
The bottom line is that the author wanted to get back at
churches (as he wrote and spoke several times). 
Interestingly enough, the local media never referred to him
as mean-spirited and hateful, forcing his agenda down
everyone else's throats...  hmmm...  double standard
perhaps.  We've been praying for him.  Hope this info
helps.

The amendment we really wanted passed was the Parental
Rights Amendment.  It would have given parents
"inalienable" rights to rear their children as they deem right.
 None of this "it takes a village" junk.  Maybe in 1998...

Pastor Ed Cantu