Religious leaders back mayor's tax package
Religious leaders gathered Wednesday morning to ask the Baltimore City Council to support a controversial package of taxes proposed by Mayor Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake to help plug a $121 million budget gap, Baltimore Sun colleague Julie Scharper reports.
Her story continues:
The brief news conference organized by the BUILD interfaith coalition marked the first public event supporting Rawlings-Blake's tax package, which has drawn fierce opposition from retailers, beverage distributors, hotel owners and a host of business groups.
"Nobody likes an increase in taxes and fees, but it's a necessity given the economic climate," said Bishop Douglas Miles, co-chair of BUILD. "What's the alternative?"
BUILD members have championed the city's recreation centers, which would have been decimated by a doomsday spending plan that closed the budget shortfall through cutting services.
Rawlings-Blake, who spoke briefly at the news conference, has pledged to keep all the rec centers open through the summer if the council approves her revenue-generating measures, including a bed tax on nonprofit hospitals and universities; a 4-cent tax on bottled beverages; and hikes to energy, telecommunications and income tax rates.
Comments
maybe the religious will also agree to pay their fair share of taxes to help reduce the shortfall.
Posted by: Bob J | May 19, 2010 11:27 PM
Will the city then provide the same services provided taxpayers? Will the city provide assistance to those who loose it from because of those organizations paying taxes?
Posted by: Anonymous | May 20, 2010 1:34 PM
People forget that faith institutions are composed of people many of whom are tax payers/homeowners in Baltimore City. They also forget the many services faith institutions already provide such as after school programs, drug treatment facilities, recreation programs, shelters for the homeless, food give aways, soup kitchens, schools, day care centers and the list could go on and on. Most of these services come from the free will offerings of members of these institutions. So yes we call upon the government to do its fair share as well
Posted by: Bishop Douglas I. Miles | May 25, 2010 3:44 PM