Arguments against Prop 2: A bunch of Hocus Pocus

Does anyone know (4.00 / 3)

if it is legal for a nonprofit to have "vote no on 2" signs posted on their premises? A local catholic school has them prominently displayed.

The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization.

 - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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by: michmark @ Wed Oct 08, 2008 at 02:45:22 AM UTC

Yes, it is. (4.00 / 4)

Nonprofit organizations can spend up to 20% of their budget on lobbying efforts.  Also, nonprofits are allowed to advocate for ISSUES rather than CANDIDATES.  I'm an IRS and OMB Circulars junkie.

Do stupid people know they are stupid?

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by: JPowers155 @ Wed Oct 08, 2008 at 03:06:47 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Follow-up to Mark's question (4.00 / 3)

I think I know what Mark meant but his question was worded a bit off since we all know that many non-profits engage in political displays.  But what are the restrictions on political activites for a tax-exempt religious institution?  It is my understanding that those restrictions are stricter than for a typical non-profit organization.

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by: northernlight @ Wed Oct 08, 2008 at 03:34:11 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Some clarification. (4.00 / 4)

The IRS says, in part, that:

...all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office.

The part that's at issue here for religious institutions is:

For example, a minister of a church can attend an event for a particular candidate and express his support of the candidate as long as he does not state or otherwise imply that he is speaking on behalf of his church.  However, if a minister made the same statement at an official church function or in an official church publication that statement would be prohibited political activity.

So basically, a church can't put up an Obama sign on the front of the pulpit or in the newsletter nor can the minister preach that one should vote for a particular candidate.

But the part that is really at issue here is this:

An organization may take positions on public policy issues, including issues that divide candidates in an election for public office as long as the message does not in any way favor or oppose a candidate.  Be aware that the message does not need to identify the candidate by name to be prohibited political activity.  A message that shows a picture of a candidate, refers to a candidate’s political party affiliations, or other distinctive features of a candidate’s platform or biography may result in prohibited political activity.

Someone can put up a sign (say on the church exterior bulletin board) that's say... against Prop. 2 (stem cells).  As long as it doesn't have the logo of a candidate or say "McCain is our man - he's against stem cell research" the church is within the bounds of the IRS rules.

Sorry for the long winded comment but there aren't different rules for churches or other faith based organizations. It just feels like there should be.

 

 

 

Do stupid people know they are stupid?

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by: JPowers155 @ Wed Oct 08, 2008 at 15:14:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Just because it's legal (4.00 / 3)

doesn't make it right.

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by: PerfectStormer @ Wed Oct 08, 2008 at 15:27:42 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

you must have missed (4.00 / 1)

the shrine to dead baby fetuses last year Mark. It's getting weird over there.

"Kill the headlights and put it in neutral..."

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by: AikoAdam @ Wed Oct 08, 2008 at 17:10:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Was Ray Franz there? (4.00 / 1)

He who puts out campaign literature of fetuses clutching American flags and claiming citizenship? And he who puts out vote no on 2 signs in front of his campaign office.

The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization.

 - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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by: michmark @ Thu Oct 09, 2008 at 02:54:09 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yes (4.00 / 1)

While I haven't treasured ballot committees since 06, Ballot questions are generally exempt from corporate/nonprofit donations.

It's not considered electioneering, but issues lobbying, I believe. That's why you have the Humane Society of the United States dumping hundreds of thousands into anti-hunting efforts, and Michigan Catholic Conference spending money on abortion issues.  

"He who would trade liberty for some temporary security, deserves neither liberty nor security" - Benjamin Franklin

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by: Republican Michigander @ Fri Oct 10, 2008 at 01:27:38 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Sad story to share (4.00 / 2)

A friend of mine told me a priest in the Lansing Catholic Diocese that used his sermon to talk about the evils of stem cell research this past weekend.

The worst part was not that he spoke on that topic, but that he was grossly misinformed, made points that neither side of the Prop 2 issue has ever made, but that his argument didn't make sense.

I'm also told that a handful or two of his parishioners got up and left right in the middle of it, they were so disgusted.

As a spiritual person myself was raised going to church every Sunday, I can't help but think that our faith leaders could help us all out a little more by preaching tolerance, faith, and the positive points of life than condemning life-saving procedures with hellfire and brimstone.  

I want to change the world, not help people adjust to it. - Millie Jeffrey, MI - National Women's labor and Democratic activist, Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient

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by: LiberalLucy @ Wed Oct 08, 2008 at 16:01:13 PM UTC