RE: Disclosure

[Denise Hood <hoodsx3@aol.com>]

James states:

"If the government sets up rules for disclosure, I think we'd see a lot of new organizations with names like Citizens for the Good of Humanity, and the Association of Really Nice People. There are many advocacy groups in Washington, which go by a wide variety of names and descriptors. It is difficult to tell from their names who they are and what they represent."

James, you are right, and it's just THESE types of organizations that bother me the most. Their name reveals NOTHING of the nature of just WHAT it is they are lobbying for/against, and if anything, I believe that the names chosen are intended to mislead, by sounding very benign, or even fine, upstanding and patriotic. "As American as apple pie."

I want these organizations to be required to give FULL DISCLOSURE of just what it is that they are about. And what their agendas are. If everything was on the up-and-up, they wouldn't have to resort to the use of these vague, misleading types of names.

I am especially bothered by many "altruistic sounding" lobby groups, which may operate as nothing more than thinly-veiled conduits that funnel money directly from certain religious sects and churches, and religious organizations to candidates/parties/campaigns, to try to influence legislation and public policy. This way, the churches and religious organizations and their membership and contributors remain anonymous, and the churches/religious organizations retain their tax-exempt status, which would be threatened by full disclosure, because this would violate the separation of Church and State. Proponents of "faith-based" public policy agenda are quick to argue that NOWHERE does the Constitution expressly use the language, "Separation of Church and State."
However, the First Amendment to the Constitution spells out: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free _expression_ therof," Which argues for the idea of Church/State separation. 
Religious/church groups are able to circumvent the Church/State question, and retain their anonymity and therefore their tax-exempt status by employing these "sham" pseudonymous organizations to act as Lobby groups, and "launder" church money.As a result, wehave been witness to an "encroachment" by fundamentalist, conservative religious control over the direction of our national agenda. Particularly, since the first day of this new administration, in areas such as the reinstatement of the Global Gag Rule,the appointment of men like John Ashcroft and Tommy Thompson to cabinet positions, challenges to abortion rights and FDA approval of RU-486, the "Office of Faith-Based Ministries", pushing for school vouchers and charter school programs, etc.

This is ONE area of Campaign Finance Reform that is of particular interest to me. The unregulated influence of faith-based lobbying groups over the direction of our national agenda, in violation of the Separation of Church and State, while at the same time maintaining the advantage of tax-free status is something that must be halted! Either control those who seek to further their religious agenda from their position of undue influence over our elected officials, or remove their tax-exempt status. But without "full disclosure" that traces the money back to the churches and religious organizations, and individuals who contribute, this "hawking of religion" in the halls of Congress is never going to be effectively controlled.