MCC Crowning Achievement - None!

The radical leftist National Catholic Reporter (NCF) highlighted the Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) as one of the Catholic lobbying groups.  It stated:


The Maryland Catholic Conference has helped the state pass an increase in the minimum wage, protect social services in the budget, defended the rights of immigrants and -- in what executive director Mary Ellen Russell calls the "crowning achievement" of recent years -- pass a repeal of the state death penalty.  As a bonus, just before he left office, Gov. Martin O'Maley commuted the sentences of four people on death row who were not affected by the repeal, and will now face live in prison and not death.


"Catholic Charities works with state agencies," Russell explained, "but the conference helps them deal with the implementation of a variety of policies in education, health insurance and immigration initiatives."


In several states, including Maryland, the state health commissioners did not guarantee that the state health exchange set up under the Affordable Care Act included a policy that did not cover elective abortion, something the act required.  As well, the Maryland conference will need to help implement the changes to the immigration system announced by Obama last year.


The MCC worked with the NAACP -- a pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage group to end the death penalty.  When they allowed me to comment on their Facebook page, I chastised them for it.  Ms. Russell explained to me that they were proud to work with anyone who would end it.  They have since taken down my comments from January 2013 and have banned me from commenting upon their website, as they knew I was right.


They were supporters of Obamacare and continue to support those who have entered the county illegally.


They do not even seem to attempt to stop abortion.  They have given up on it.


However, they have failed since the time of Dick Dowling to get tax credits for businesses which support Catholic Schools.  They have failed repeatedly to obtain tax credits for those who sent their children to Catholic Schools.  Personally, I am beginning to think that they are doing it for show.


They could not stop the rain tax.  They did little to stop gay marriage in the state.


They, like many Catholics, are willing to cozy up to radical leftist politicians, because of contracts.  No wonder why they ignore us, as they know we are more than willing to cozy up to then at the next social justice initative.

ABOLISH THE MCC!

 

MCC and the "Rain Tax"

I don't know why the Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) is crying about the Stormwater Fee aka "rain tax."

A short time ago, the MCC sent out an email to all Catholics asking them to write to their legislators opposing this tax.  They stated that many non-profits, such as Catholic Church, would be hit hard by this tax and basically have to reduce the number of services they provide to the community.

Now, I normally would support this effort and would have helped to advertise this.  However, this time I did not.

Why?

In 2007 there was a proposal in Maryland to increase the "progressive" tax.  The MCC stated that this was a good thing, as we need to take care of the poor and those who are less fortunate.   This also included the environment.

I argued that by increasing taxes in this manner, it would (1) decrease the amount that I have to give to charities; (2) change the debate that the state should be the key provider of support and not individuals; and (3) if you give into them on this, then there will be no stopping the state (or other government entity) from increasing taxes. 

Fast forward six years and since the "rain tax" already hits homeowners, who to you think they have decided to hit next?  Businesses and non-profits, like the Catholic Church.

I have argued, to no avail, a long time ago that when the Church does this, it will come back to bite them big time.  It took seven years, but it has.

The Archdiocese of Washington will have to make some tough decisions but the toughest will be:  "What do we cut and how much more can we ask of our parishioners, who are paying higher and higher taxes?"

(And as an aside, I wonder how many Catholic priests, religious and those who work for the Archdiocese voted for Democrat Party members.  I guess you got what you asked for, didn't you.)

Personally, I say cut the Spanish Center and redirect those funds to our Catholic Schools.  Reduce the amount spend on Catholic Charities and redirect those funds to our Catholic Schools.  Increase the amount on the Newman Center in GW (that will drive the homosexuals really crazy).

Catholic Schools get parents involved and makes them part of the larger parish. 

 

Don't Cry for Me MCC (Maryland Catholic Conference)

You know, I really hate to say this, but when you lie in bed with dogs, you get fleas.

The Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) and many in the Catholic Church have been supporting a large number of positions of the Democratic left in the Maryland legislature.  With each victory, such as with in-state tuition for illegal aliens, everyone "paying their fair share", gun control, the death penalty, radical environmentalism, the left becomes more and more emboldened.  

It seems that there is a new "fee" about the hit us and the MCC let us know:

The State of Maryland has mandated that ten local jurisdictions, including Montgomery County, impose new local fees, or taxes, on all property owners for "stormwater management." The State law exempts property owned by state and local governments, but applies to all other property owners, including nonprofits, churches, schools, and individuals. This new Rain Tax will be based upon the amount of "impervious surface area" on the property – building structures, driveways, sidewalks, pools, parking lots. Our schools and parishes will be severely impacted.

And since this Rain Tax is written as a fee, churches and nonprofits were not exempted. Read a commentary on the issue here.

At present, there are no exemptions for nonprofit, religious or charitable organizations, and the financial impact could be significant, particularly for those parish campuses that include large volumes of impervious surface area. In addition to the substantial financial impact on our schools, churches, and charitable organizations that rely largely on donations and provide badly needed services to our communities, we are gravely concerned that this tax represents an erosion of the tax exemption that churches rightly expect because of our charitable nature. We fear that the needs of government may lead them to levy more of our assets in the future, and we want to register our concerns now to stop any such diversion of our resources.

While we all share a desire for a clean and healthy Chesapeake Bay, the toll that this tax might exact on parish finances, is dramatic.

Montgomery County Council is considering how to implement the Rain Tax.







The Maryland Catholic Conference and those who voted for the radical left, have no one to blame but themselves.  And we all pay for it.  

Thank you MCC, you have increased our taxes once again.