Tax Non-Profit Group Targets Brown on Facebook
Saturday, January 07, 2012
A group on political activists and union officials have created a Brown University Stop Tax Exempt Deals (BUSTED) initiative leveraging social media and grass roots operation. The Facebook page was being promoted by Providence Firefighter Union Chief Paul Doughty, former State Representative Joe Almeida and Providence Journal Political Reporter Katherine Gregg.
The Facebook group calls for "We are calling for an immediate moratorium on the purchase of property by all tax-exempt institutions. We also respectfully request an audit to ensure the current exemption is being properly applied.Lastly, we also propose establishing a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) payment of 50% of the assessed valuation for tax exempt properties."
This year's City of Providence Budget included $8 million in new revenue to the City of Providence in payment from the non-profits. The City is now more than halfway through the budget year and has not been able to rich an agreement with the City's targeted hospitals and colleges.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAccording to the Facebook page, BUSTED is organizing a rally this coming week outside the upscale seafood restaurant, Hemenway's:
Please join us as we urge Ruth Simmons, the General Assembly and the City Council to help us restore the financial health of Providence by closing tax loopholes. Making educational property owners pay property taxes is a matter of fairness.
At the end of the first day of the Facebook effort - the group had 90 members.
Tax Fairness Rally
January 11
4:30-6 pm
121 South Main Street (Hemenway’s)
Providence, RI
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