Fw: Library Board Runs Amok

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Name removed

Sent: Monday, August 18, 2008 9:43:12 AM
Subject: Library Board Runs Amok

***ATTENTION CITIZENS***

YOUR TAX DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT

ILLEGALLY BY THE BEVERLY LIBRARY

 

 

The taxpayer supported Beverly Free Library Board is now engaged in partisan politics.  Despite holding a 501c3 tax status which prohibits any political activity, the board led by John Haaf have given the Beverly City Democrats free rent of a building next door to the library which the library acquired as a FREE GIFT!!!

 

Now, people, understand that if you pay real estate taxes in Beverly City, Edgewater Park, or any other community in Burlington County, part of your real estate taxes go to SUPPORTING THE LIBRARY.  Any competent tax attorney will tell you that a 501c3 organization cannot engage in political activity or they lose the status.  AND STATE LAW prohibits any taxpayer money going to political parties.  If you are a tenant, your RENT helps the landlord pay the library tax so it's really you paying for political purposes.

 

Haaf said that they didn't give the space away.  They bartered it for free cleanup of the space.  Barter is OK unless the beneficiary is a political organization.  Moreover, in a barter deal, the value received must equal or exceed fair market rent.  It took the Democrats less than a day to clean out the building.  Even if the effort was worth $1,000, that is nowhere close to fair market rent which Realtors tell us would be at least $600 a month on a long term lease and more for 3 months.  So even if the beneficiary were a private enterprise selling, for example, Halloween costumes, the deal would be illegal anyway!!!!!!!

 

I got a phone call from Haaf last night.  The Library Board was informed by ME of the illegality of the giving of the space to the Democrats.  I, Publius, informed  him that I would file a complaint with the Attorney General of New Jersey and seek revocation of the Library's 501c3 status with the IRS which would preclude it from receiving one more cent of our hard earned dollars.  The phone call announced that there would be a PUBLIC MEETING OF THE BOARD AT 7:30PM TONIGHT, AUG.18 AT 7:30 TO DISCUSS THE MATTER.

 

BE THERE IF YOU ARE AS OUTRAGED AS MANY OF US ARE.

 

One more thing you folks in Edgewater, Delanco, and Beverly need to be informed about.  Until July, all three communities contributed money to the Beverly Bee.  In the new budgets only Beverly is still subsidizing the Bee.

 

Now this might seem not to be a problem.  BUT YOU DON'T HAVE ALL THE FACTS!

 

1.  The registered address of the Bee is Riverbank, Beverly.  Now for those who cannot drive along Riverbank since it is a 'private' street, let me tell you about Riverbank.  It is the site of several mansions all with direct access to the River.

 

2.  The address of the Bee is also the address of Haaf.

 

3.  Much of the text in the Bee is provided by the township clerks, members of township committee, etc.

 

4.  Haaf and his wife Bev are among, if not THE, richest residents of Beverly!

 

5.  SUPPORT OF THE BEE IS PROVIDING WELFARE TO THE WEALTHY!

 

Publius