John Michael Patrick Murphy wants Colorado to become the first state to tax the property of churches and charities, and he's looking for voters who can make his dream come true.
Murphy is responsible for a ballot issue that will ask voters in November if the property of churches and charities should be taxed. He is preparing to set out across the state to drum up support for the measure.Murphy was born and raised a Catholic and just about everyone who is important to him is a member of the Roman Catholic Church. He believes in charities, serves on their boards and contributes money. But he believes that property of charities and churches ought to be taxed.
His idea, which has drawn the ire of the state's religious and nonprofit organizations, will appear on the November election ballot. If approved, Colorado would become the only state to tax church property.
Murphy, a Colorado Springs lawyer and part-time radio talk-show host, admits that part of his motive for the amendment is his feeling toward the Catholic Church. He claims a Catholic priest in Denver molested him over a three-year period when Murphy was a boy. And he is angry that a nun nearly refused to give communion to his daughter, Molly, who has cerebral palsy.
After months of therapy Murphy was able to work through his anger at the priest, now deceased, who admitted the molestation to Murphy's sister several years ago.
The issues of the proposed amendment are simple to Murphy, 50. As he sees it, all the charitable work that nonprofits and charities do is fine, but they shouldn't get a tax exemption because in many cases they get help from federal or state governments.
Murphy believes the poor can go to state Social Services for help with food, clothing and shelter. And much of what charities hand out, such as food, is donated, he said.
The only charities his initiative would exempt from property taxes are schools and any organizations that house the infirm elderly, orphans, homeless, prisoners and the disabled.
"Charity shouldn't be a duty, and a duty shouldn't be charity," Murphy said. "Charity is a volitional. Duty is a summons. We have a duty to take care of the orphans, elderly, disabled and prisoners and to educate our young. No one will go hungry because of this amendment."
Murphy said he has received hundreds of letters and phone calls about the tax proposal, and a few threats.