The problem is that there is ZERO transparency. Why do they want X amount per publisher? What expenses exist through the year when the Ass Hall is not in use? How many days of the year is it actually used for conventions, ect?? Are they trying to charge each group the maximum that they can get away with to make up for down time?
Buildings must be maintained to retain their resale value. You have to mow the lawn, keep the RTUs running all year to keep the enviroment mold free, you must maintain the plumbing, parking lot, curbs and sidewalks, manage pest-control, change lights, caulk and paint the exterior building at times, and take care of the roof. I'm sure I missed a lot, but those things must be done.
A skilled Jack of all trades maintainance worker can cost around $40,000 or more where I live. Then you have contractors that occasionally must be called in to take care of items that go beyond maintainance. Who knows what that could cost? Normally, a large "worldly" building is always busy with events. Some smaller commercial buildings are rented out, and believe me, the renters get f***ed and pay for everything. They pay into a CAM fund ( Common Area Maintenance ) that supposedly goes towards fixing stuff, but the fine print is a bitch in many lease agreements. The name of the game is "Pass the expense to the other guy!"
So there are real costs involved for the WTBTS. Even so, they are tax free and probably have most maintainance performed by JWs. Some dubs even live at certain facilities, or so I've been told. That seems illegal for a commercial building... There is probably some church loophole.
There is no question that the WTBTS is a scam, like all organized religion, but how much are they scamming the sheeple? Until they are forced to make their finances available to the public, we will never know.
I'm a believer that ALL religions who want charitable status on Earth, should be made to divulge all their financial information. NO EXCEPTIONS. Do you want the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster to have all the tax breaks that come with being a charity? Fine, just list your financial information on a special government website where we can all see it 24/7. What did the GB spend on plane tickets last year, or suits, or toothbrushes? How much did the WTBTS take in through donations and where did it go? All religion should be held accountable, or taxed to death if they won't comply, but that is another subject for another thread.
DD
