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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrump Administration Using Relief Funds To Bail Out Churches, Pay Pastor Salaries
Unacceptable, Unconstitutional, UnAmerican: In a clear violation of the separation of church and state, the Trump administration will use taxpayer money to bail out churches and pay pastor salaries.
NPR reports:
A key part of the $2 trillion economic relief legislation enacted last month includes about $350 billion for the Small Business Administration to extend loans to small businesses facing financial difficulties as a result of the coronavirus shutdown orders. Churches and other faith-based organizations, classified as businesses, qualify for aid under the program, even if they have an exclusively religious orientation.
In a statement about the issue, the Small Business Administration said:
Read more: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2020/04/trump-administration-using-relief-funds-to-bail-out-churches-pay-pastor-salaries/
dhol82
(9,353 posts)This is appalling!
Ohiogal
(31,998 posts)Then why are they tax exempt!!
Newest Reality
(12,712 posts)Trumps regime motives rest on keeping gullible, fundamentalist Evangelicals in his pocket as he gives them the hope that said will have more power in a theocratic sense. The GOP goes for that as well.
Trump has worked the crowd of oligarchs and theocratic hopefuls all along. They represent to anti-democracy factions that, to me, are both vying for ascendancy when the right circumstances, like a totalitarian titular head, allow them to usurp the current system. Of course, the GOP is so invested because they are rather obsolete and projected demographics indicate their waning popularity as a major party. Forcing a relevancy and using propaganda, along with a figurehead who does not respect our system is their obvious strategy.
Buying some votes, perhaps?
Sanity Claws
(21,848 posts)The only criterion is that they must have fewer than 500 employees. They can get a loan equal to 2.5 months of payroll; the loan does not have to be paid back if the entity is able to show that at least 75% was applied to payroll and the remainder may be applied to overhead like rent or mortgage.
procon
(15,805 posts)for the purpose of receiving taxpayer's money, then they are also businesses that owe taxes.
These money grubbing hucksters can't have it both ways, it's time to pay their fair share and stop their con game.
sinkingfeeling
(51,457 posts)thucythucy
(8,050 posts)and more liberal, socially progressive denominations like the UCC and the Unitarians and American Friends get cut out entirely?
Not that tax money should go to any of them--but even this will be just another exercise in red state/conservative draining off the public trough.