by Stanley Rogouski & Daniel Meltzer
James
Dobson of the extremist anti-gay hate group, “Focus on the Family,”
believes that politics, not charity is the main purpose of religion.
According
to his spokesman Paul Hetrick “it’s not a question of the poor not being
important or that meeting their needs is not important. But whether or not a
baby is killed in the seventh or eighth month of pregnancy, that is less
important than help for the poor? We would respectfully disagree with
that.”
“Focus
on the Family” has been quick to recognize and seize the benefits of
Ketra, the Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005. Ketra grants tax breaks to
organizations raising money for hurricane relief, not only on the money they
raise for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, but on money they bring in for other
purposes as well. “Focus on the Family” also provides a prominent,
full-page link on its web site instructing its members how to contribute to
their organization beyond the usual limit of 50% of their AGI, or adjusted
gross income, essentially on how to abuse Ketra tax breaks
We
would recommend that “Focus on the Family put its money where its mouth is
and stop taking Ketra disaster relief funds, and re-think their professed
priority of promoting the careers of anti-choice, anti-gay judges as being more
important than helping the poor. We also call on the Congress to examine more
closely those laws that allow anti-gay hate groups to line their pockets with
taxpayer money while congratulating themselves for raising money for the
victims of Hurricane Katrina.