Finds it to be a business

Dear Editor:

As a long time resident and property owner in Lake Harmony, taxpayers have been encouraged to pay membership to the fire company, rescue squad, stock the lake, etc. In short, property owners are the mainstay of providing health, safety and the welfare of our the residents by paying taxes and becoming members of variouos organizations. You can join most of these organizations or at times there are various fundraisers when something needs to be replaced, redone, or improved.

These fundraisers come in various forms to benefit these organizations which in turn benefit ALL. No one can be denied a serivce which discriinates for any reason. I might point out that with the Fisherman church, that non Catholics cannot receive holy communion, discriminates against women and have sex issues that would fill a book.

The Catholic church closed its doors at the Blakeslee Catholic Church. Definitely new as compared to the over 100 year old Methodist Church. The burden of that church was clustered with the Fisherman church in Lake Harmony. Is it a Church or is it a business that uses religion to get tax free donations and take away from other fundraisers in Lake Harmony. I find it to be a business. Breakfasts, dinners, selling Easter eggs, crafts, etc - bring in tax free donations that goes to one person, the bishop. What about the rest of Lake Harmony? While this church, as a tax free enterprise, no property tax, no income tax, it then wants to share its religion under the guise that things like having a breakfast is a Religious service. It is not.

It is a business. To further increase its non taxed income many more participate in this cash making business when even more people use it during skiing season, the summer season etc - and it gives nothing back compared to the wealth it funnels off of the area. The health, safety and welfare of the residents of Lake Harmony need help in funding the various organizations that have provided serivce, such as the fire department, resuce, police, etc. The Church skims off the top dollar, the township taxpayers get to pay the bills. It's time for a change.

The Fisherman church should give 50 percent of all of its gross income, from its activities to be divided to the various groups at Lake Harmony that provides same services to ALL. If it does not, and for example it has a breakfast, the income to that breakfast should be taxed by the state and federal government. Lake Harmony services from police to fire department should charge the Fisherman a fee for each and every service they provide.

During the advertisement of such tax free activities which brings in those tax free donations - there should be real estate tax on the Fisherman property as long as the event is advertised, publicized, occuring - so that tax money would trickle down to the organizations who care for and provide the health, welfare and safety of the locals. On the other hand if they are allowed to sell a product under "donations" all other businesses in Lake Harmony should be allowed to do so, tax free, and their property tax exempt similar to the Fisherman. In short what is good for one, certainly is good for the other.

Bob Washick

Conyngham/Lake Harmony