What is THIS all about?

[JewelDigger]

This is dated yesterday (Sept. 3, 2003). I haven't heard anything about this until now.


http://www.americanpolicy.org/sledgehammer/main.htm

<snip>
Tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. the House Ways and Means Committee will vote on whether to include a massive, unfair, tax-advantage to green land trusts in H.R. 7 (the supposed "Faith-based" initiative).

This is a showdown between property rights advocates and green land grabbers. The outcome will be CRUCIAL. This is one that property rights folks CAN’T AFFORD TO LOSE!

We only have the next 24 hours to make our voices heard.

Multibillion-dollar, green land trusts like the ever-corrupt Nature Conservancy are demanding that Congress add a loophole to H.R. 7 that will discount 50% off of capital gains taxes for a seller of land—BUT only if land is sold to a land trust or government agency! This places EVERYONE ELSE at an extreme comparative disadvantage when attempting to purchase land.

This will severely devalue private property. It will discourage private parties from even bidding on land, so the only offers for land will be made by the land-grabbing green groups and government agencies. Do you think you will get a fair price from them???

<snip>

[damnraddem]

1. Go Nature Conservancy! Good on ya!

I hope this makes it.

[JewelDigger]

2. I'm confused

You hope this does make it?

I guess that's why I originally posted this, b/c I don't understand what it's all about.

[bitchkitty]

3. Did you read through the site?

I don't think these are progressive people.

[sandnsea]

4. They buy a tiny fraction of land

This is to help get land set aside for wildlife and wetlands. For example, I know of a piece of lakefront property that has only been logged once, maybe 60 years ago. It's value is now something like a million dollars and the sellers would pay a huge amount of taxes on it. If some environmental group wanted to buy it, the seller could reduce the price because of the amount of money they would save on taxes, helping both parties. It isn't as if there's that much land that falls into this sort of category anyway. Unless you want to see every piece of land in the US developed, this is a good measure.

[uptohere]

5. this is terrific for conservation

these groups go about buuying land or coaxing owners into donating it. This helps a lot in those cases where they actually buy it. Its a big plus for the seller (who is doing a good thing) and helps get land set aside for wilderness.

my brother is BIG in to this (like 150M worth in the last ten years) , I've learned quite a lot from him.

[JewelDigger]

6. ahhhh...

...light bulb beginning to turn on. Thanks to all who answered.