City Hikes Boy Scouts' Rent by $199,999 over Gay Ban (Philadelphia)

Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 10/18/2007 | Joseph A. Slobodzian

[Pyro7480]

The Boy Scouts of America's refusal to bend its rules to permit gay scouts will cost the organization's local chapter $200,000 a year if it wishes to keep its headquarters in a city-owned building on Logan Square.

Representatives of the Boy Scouts of America's Cradle of Liberty Council were notified that to remain in their 79-year-old landmark headquarters, they needed to pay the city a "fair market" rent, Fairmount Park Commission president Robert N.C. Nix said yesterday. Currently, the rent is $1 a year....

[trumandogz]

Exactly!

[CharacterCounts]

So, is the land worth $200,000 per year, or is the city trying to charge rent on the Boy Scouts own building?

[muawiyah]

A contract is a contract. If the Scouts built the building in return for the rent, and the city wants to break the deal seems to me the City of Philadelphia may well have purchased a really expensive building.

Things probably worth half to 3/4 of a billion dollars, and that's just a bottem end guess, eh!

Well, I'm sure the city's lawyers will understand that.

[rawcatslyentist]

The BSA used to be able to make a difference. They are hopelessly outnumbered today.

I agree, they should pull up and rent the building to the city.

Maybe they could rent it for 1$ a year for awhile. Then they could charge repair and maintenance fees.

[trumandogz]

That is all taken into consideration. However, their improvements become mine.

[Army Air Corps]

So, the city does not support freedom of assembly or association? Oh, I forgot, the BSA is a “traditionalist” group.

[Petronski]

But since the shoe is not on the other foot, your comment makes no sense.

[been_lurking]

receive free rent from the city?

You have made this same incorrect statement at least four times in this thread. The rent is not free. The Scouts pay a legally recognized amount of $1.00/year -- in accordance with their agreement with with the City.

Therefore, your whole premise of "free land" is false and your argument collapses under it's own weight.

[MrLee]

Portland, Maine, is a good candidate for SF East too.
Why do these perverts want to destroy everything good and decent about America????

[trumandogz]

One dollar a year is Free Rent.

[Tenacious 1]

How can you people get this far into a thread without having actually read the article or at least other posts in an effort to reasonably articulate cognoscente thoughts about the stated issue.

I thought only liberals and MSM made knee jerk judgments and reactions to two-bit headlines.

C’mon!

[nuke rocketeer]

Yes, that is true, although there have ben troops that have kicked out atheist and gay youths, that is up to the troop, not the national or council level.

[Hazwaste]

I’m just flagging your anti-Catholic bigotry for what it is.

Is it bigotry when someone refers to historical events? Just asking. I've got nothing against Catholics or any other people. Heck, my parents are Catholic.

[Steve_Seattle]

"But why should the scouts get free land from the city?"

They are not getting free land. They are getting a nominal rental fee because THE SCOUTS BUILT THE BUILDING, per the full story that is linked in the excerpt shown here. What we don't know are the full terms of the original agreement between the Scouts and the city, and whether the agreemet had an expiration date or any other provisions that would allow the city to unilaterally terminate or amend it.

[restornu]

You can’t even be honest in your own head! LOL

That’s alright the Lord love you anyway!:)

[Bob]

Exactly. Why are the Boy Scouts on Welfare?

Most, if not all, scouting organizations participate as unpaid volunteers at community functions and special events. If they didn't, the city would have to staff those events at a significant cost.

[WOSG]

Your statement is a non-sequitor.

It’s now been established on the thread that the boy scouts built this building with their funds, and the City gets plenty of benefits from the Boy Scouts.

Yes, the Boy Scouts do deserve public help. Such as allowing the boy scout troops to use schools for meetings, etc. The benefits to the community in reducing juvenile delinquency and building up solid citizens more than pays for the minor costs involved, which is less than the maintenance of a park or two.

[Petronski]

You’re bearing false witness against me while inhaling and praying for me while exhaling.

As I said, you make no sense.

[restornu]

Must be bi polar?

[trumandogz]

The rights of the property owner supersede those of the tenant.

And if a tenant wishes to improve a property the improvements become property of the landlord.