The Houston Chronicle published an excellent piece on churches ripping off taxpayers. Unfortunately, Part 1 used a subliminal racial queue.
Churches rip off the taxpayers
When I started reading the article, I simply said, “It’s about time that the Houston Chronicle, a company that has the resources, examined the legal fraud perpetrated by churches.” As I read, it was clear that it was a piece well done.
I then came across a few paragraphs that praised Joel Osteen and John Hagee for paying their taxes.
Well-off religious organizations that clearly have the means to afford their taxes don’t have to seek the exemption. Lakewood Church did not ask the Harris County appraiser for a tax break on the 15,000-square-foot residence of the state’s most famous prosperity gospel preacher, Joel Osteen. His annual tax bill comes to $218,000 a year, according to county tax records.
Osteen, who hasn’t taken a salary since 2004, believes it’s important for donors to know all their money goes to the church, said his brother-in-law, Don Illof.
“He could take the parsonage break,” Illof said. “But he pays his property taxes, just like he’s supposed to.”
Property records also show that San Antonio’s Cornerstone Church didn’t seek an exemption for any clergy residences in Bexar County. Appraisal records show its well-known spiritual leader, John Hagee, pays $42,000 annually in property taxes. A spokesman said the matter was personal and declined to comment.
In my opinion, these pastors both have checkered morals, even though Osteen’s prosperity messaging is one I listen to. Couldn’t the Houston Chronicle find a couple of lesser-known pastors with better records to highlight?
But the racist bias then raised its head.
But Harris County Appraisal District documents show New Light Church World Outreach & Worship Centers pays no taxes on its nearly 25,000-square-foot mansion in Spring perched on the shore of a private lake and occupied by its high-profile leader, I.V. Hilliard. The 11.8-acre lot includes three hot tubs, two fountains and a swimming pool and tennis court, property records show.
…
In 1984, after devoting his youth to mastering martial arts, Ivan Ujueta “accepted Christ as Lord,” according to online biographies. Soon after, he founded a new martial arts discipline “with Christ being the foundation of this system.”
His Family Vision Center applied for and received a 100 percent religious property tax exemption from Bexar County for a new 5,900-square-foot residence in Helotes, a small city northwest of San Antonio. It claimed a portion of the structure as his living quarters — a parsonage — with the rest dedicated to his melded martial arts/religious practice stressing how to “disable a man from doing wrong and enable him to do right.”
A black preacher and a Latino were called out by name on the negative side of the article. Some may find my concern to be unwarranted. But these initial associations, while not very obvious initially, are codified in the psyche. Two white preachers are doing the right thing while the black and Latino are cheating. And the stereotype continues to build by inference.
I sent the following letter to the executive editor of the Houston Chronicle.
Complaint to Houston Chronicle
I read the first installment on religious institutions that take advantage of the tax code. I am very happy you covered it. The report was excellent except a subtle and subliminal form of racism raised its ugly head. Most won’t see it but will inhale it when coming to conclusions.
The article highlights two white pastors who are controversial in their own right as charlatans and snake oil salesmen among their many negative proclivities. The article elevates them given that they pay their property taxes. Wow, they are doing what all decent citizens do even as they use the monies of their pew to do so.
When choosing abusive pastors by name, the authors of the article chose a Black and Latino pastor. While the authors are not necessarily racists, two often the easy way out is to go after minorities to illustrate bad acts. It is type of a deflection and permission to judge the “class.”
Our mainstream news media continue to fail us as crime and negative information on black and brown people seldom reflects the reality of the society at large.
Just a little note. I live in Kingwood. The kids here do a lot of drugs and pills and so do their parents. We cover all the crime in the “hood.” Why not cover the crime where cops look the other way. They sure as hell don’t in South Park or the barrios.
BTW, I have been a subscriber for decades and have been pulling the hairs I don’t have as I watch bias coverage not only by your paper but by ALL our mainstream media.
Be well,
Egberto
I will let you know if I get a response.