Haggard's New Life Church Parishioners Have Seen The Light:

[Minnesota]

The megachurch founded by evangelist Ted Haggard has laid off 44 people amid falling income and attendance.

Associate pastor Rob Brendle says the cuts amount to about 12 percent of the church's work force.

The 14-thousand member church [had] been growing for 22 years.

source

[Jimmy Higgins]

44 people laid off... is 12 percent?! That's over 350 employees before the layoffs! Gosh, think of all the money we could get if we just taxed the churches and stopped pretending they didn't play in the politics. Even at a paltry 25k a year average, that's almost 9 million in salaries.

I've found the solution to the Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security problem.

[$cirisme]

44 people laid off... is 12 percent?! That's over 350 employees before the layoffs! Gosh, think of all the money we could get if we just taxed the churches and stopped pretending they didn't play in the politics. Even at a paltry 25k a year average, that's almost 9 million in salaries.

I've found the solution to the Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security problem.

Church employees aren't exempt from income taxes, nor SS/medicare taxes.*

The only taxes most churches are exempt from are the same any other non-profits are exempt from: property and sales taxes on purchases. But these would go to the state/county, not the feds, so this wouldn't exactly solve the budget problems.

(* some pastors can opt out of SS/medicare, if they choose to, but that is not an option for the majority of church staffs)

[Pilgrim]

44 people laid off... is 12 percent?! That's over 350 employees before the layoffs! Gosh, think of all the money we could get if we just taxed the churches and stopped pretending they didn't play in the politics. Even at a paltry 25k a year average, that's almost 9 million in salaries.

I've found the solution to the Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security problem.

Bonehead, they all pay income tax. And most ministers pay social security too. (You have to have a theological opposition to Social Security to get out of it. Yes, some dishonest people take advantage of it but not many.) So the state is actually losing money by these layoffs because they are losing the tax revenue AND potential are paying unemployment. The only thing not taxed is purchases they make and the property.

[Pilgrim]

Church employees aren't exempt from income taxes, nor SS/medicare taxes.*

The only taxes most churches are exempt from are the same any other non-profits are exempt from: property and sales taxes on purchases. But these would go to the state/county, not the feds, so this wouldn't exactly solve the budget problems.

(* some pastors can opt out of SS/medicare, if they choose to, but that is not an option for the majority of church staffs)

oops, I should have read the entire thread. Sorry for stepping on your thunder there WUC.

[Jimmy Higgins]

Bonehead, they all pay income tax. And most ministers pay social security too. (You have to have a theological opposition to Social Security to get out of it. Yes, some dishonest people take advantage of it but not many.) So the state is actually losing money by these layoffs because they are losing the tax revenue AND potential are paying unemployment. The only thing not taxed is purchases they make and the property.

Well *bleep* me for making an honest *bleep* mistake. I wasn't aware of that.