Ground Zero Muslim center may get public financing

Reuters ^ | August 27, 2010 | Joan Gralla

[2ndDivisionVet]

The Muslim center planned near the site of the World Trade Center attack could qualify for tax-free financing, a spokesman for City Comptroller John Liu said on Friday, and Liu is willing to consider approving the public subsidy.

The Democratic comptroller's spokesman, Scott Sieber, said Liu supported the project. The center has sparked an intense debate over U.S. religious freedoms and the sanctity of the Trade Center site, where nearly 3,000 perished in the September 11, 2001 attack.

"If it turns out to be financially feasible and if they can demonstrate an ability to pay off the bonds and comply with the laws concerning tax-exempt financing, we'd certainly consider it," Sieber told Reuters.

Spokesmen for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor David Paterson and the Islamic center and were not immediately available.

The proposed center, two blocks from the Trade Center site in lower Manhattan, has caused a split between people who lost relatives and friends in the attack, as well as conservative politicians, and those who support the project. Among those who support it are the mayor, civic and religious groups, and some families of victims.

The mosque's backers hope to raise a total of $70 million in tax-exempt debt to build the center, according to the New York Times. Tax laws allow such funding for religiously affiliated non-profits if they can prove the facility will benefit the general public and their religious activities are funded separately.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Yes, you read that right.

[marron]

Bloomberg and his claque need to be ejected from office. I think the proper word is “defenestrated”.

Where are New Yorkers? How long will they stand for these fools? How long will they stand by while they are publicly mocked and humiliated?

[2ndDivisionVet]

You won’t believe this ping!

[aquila48]

I’m going to pull my hair out!!

[2ndDivisionVet]

PING!!

[unkus]

Where are New Yorkers? How long will they stand for these fools? How long will they stand by while they are publicly mocked and humiliated?

---

Until the next 9-11.

[Smokin' Joe]

I believe it. I am beginning to think there is ‘something’ in the water over there.

[Darkwolf377]

Imagine the bile that’ll be spewing from the “separation of church and state” whine-asses when this happens, and they’ll have to somehow claim it ISN’T such a violation?

As an atheist myself, it’ll be fun watching them explode. “But...but...but it’s DIFFERENT! And you can’t say a prayer before a football game because...because that’ll bring about more McCarthyism, and and and you’re a bigot!” Then their heads explode.

[abishai]

Let me begin by saying I am completely ignorant of tax laws concerning non-profits like religious centers. With that said, I understand Islam to be not a religion, but a barbaric political system based upon Arabic racial supremacy, pre-medieval science and customs, bent upon fascistic world domination. Yet as of now it is protected as a "religion" by the first amendment. By that status is it not free from taxes? I thought this is how most religious bodies operate.

I thought in order to "subsidize" something the government actually had to give it funds. Aren't conservatives uncomfortable with the idea that religious institutions, being untaxed because of their non-profit status, are labeled as being subsidized?

[abigail2]

Am I surprised at this point? No

[lakey]

Pet pigs! On leashes. Take along a pooper-scooper and a plastic trash sack.

I've wondered why these people won't allow pork products (such as Hormel Vienna Sausages in the military packages we sent to Iraq) in their countries but are willing to set up residence in a bacon-eating foreign community? Even modern Jews eat bacon.

[2ndDivisionVet]

[lakey]

Just reminded myself of working in Vernon, CA. Every Tuesday, Swifts Corp. rendered pork. Talk about enough to gag-a-maggot. Combine that odor with smog ....

Further out, off the 405 freeway, Bridgeford's finished productions smelled heavenly.

[lakey]

Yum-yum.

[Tzimisce]

...this just keeps on getting better and better....

[himno hero]

Its already happened, most are unaware,,, there is a boxcutter in the White House cockpit.

[Fitzy_888]

“we’d certainly consider it”

Oh...and I imagine that won’t take long.

[elhombrelibre]

The Imam is already being paid to travel the world, his wife too, on the taxpayers dime. He’s pals with Obama, after all.

[scooby321]

Mayor Mike ( Net Worth $20.0 billion ) has become America's 8th-richest citizen after a transaction put a solid valuation on Bloomberg LP: he borrowed to buy a 20% stake in his company from Merrill Lynch in July for $4.5 billion. Today he owns 88% of the financial data and news outfit he founded in 1982. Boston-born son of accountant got engineering degree from Johns Hopkins, M.B.A. from Harvard. Became a trader at Salomon Brothers 1970s, quit with $10 million in stock after merger. Created financial information services firm Innovative Market Systems to sell financial data, analytic tools to Wall Street. Renamed Bloomberg LP 1987; added news service, magazine, cable network, radio station. Spent $74 million to become mayor of New York City in 2001 and $85 million on reelection in 2005. Enjoying 71% approval rating, appears to be looking for ways to do away with term limits as November 2009 election looms. Since last June former Republican no longer affiliated with any political party. Has given away nearly $800 million to charity in the past 5 years; with Bill Gates, planning to invest hundreds of millions to combat smoking worldwide.

He should just write a personal check.

[samtheman]

I knew this was coming. The liberals send in the national guard if a public school student makes a Christian remark in school... but Islam gets direct subsidies from the government.

When the liberals read “no law establishing a religion”, they translate it to, “we’re the government, we’ll establish whatever religion we want”.