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TexasTowelie

(111,292 posts)
Tue Jun 25, 2019, 07:44 AM Jun 2019

Ex-legislator in Havre urges Hutterite boycott, alleging 'unfair advantage' over other family farmer

A local activist is organizing a movement intended to “level the playing field” for family farms by calling for a boycott of Hutterite goods. Former state legislator Bob Sivertsen says the Hutterite communal lifestyle gives them unfair advantages over the average non-communal farmer.

Questions concerning the Hutterites and how much they pay in taxes came to the surface after Sivertsen claimed the colonies have built-in advantages because of religious exemptions and their “socialist-communal” system.

The {Havre} Herald contacted the Department of Revenue, Office of Public Instruction and county officials for available tax information on Hutterite colonies.

The numbers show that local Hutterite colonies are among the biggest real property taxpayers on the Hi-Line.

Read more: https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/2019/06/24/ex-legislator-havre-urges-hutterite-boycott-alleging-unfair-advantage-over-other-family-farmers/1547354001/

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Ex-legislator in Havre urges Hutterite boycott, alleging 'unfair advantage' over other family farmer (Original Post) TexasTowelie Jun 2019 OP
constitutional rights of peaceable assembly and religion give them an unfair advantage? rampartc Jun 2019 #1
Yeah, the Amish and Mennonite also have a tax free advantage Farmer-Rick Jun 2019 #2
Which one? TexasTowelie Jun 2019 #3
The farmers obviously Farmer-Rick Jun 2019 #7
According to the article link, they pay a shit load of property tax. 3Hotdogs Jun 2019 #5
Yeah, except on their church owned properties. Farmer-Rick Jun 2019 #6
They show up at the farmers' markets 2naSalit Jun 2019 #4

rampartc

(5,263 posts)
1. constitutional rights of peaceable assembly and religion give them an unfair advantage?
Tue Jun 25, 2019, 07:54 AM
Jun 2019

religious communal farms have existed in America since the mayflower, or maybe the mound builders.

Farmer-Rick

(10,072 posts)
2. Yeah, the Amish and Mennonite also have a tax free advantage
Tue Jun 25, 2019, 08:25 AM
Jun 2019

That's why their farms tend to be so rich.

But just a warning those farmers, those religious farms, still use Round Up, pesticides and fungicides. Don't think just because they are a religion they are chemical free or organic. They use tractors and chemical fertilizers like most nonorganic farmers.

And they are shrewd capitalist. I once got cheated on some hens from an Amish farmer. I thought I was getting a fair deal on free range hens. But I was getting the farmers problem chickens that had been caged for most of their life. And I paid to take these egg eating, feather plucking abused girls off the farmer's hands. Oh well, at least the chickens adjusted despite their bad habits. And they were good layers. But man they were a difficult flock to handle.

Farmer-Rick

(10,072 posts)
6. Yeah, except on their church owned properties.
Wed Jun 26, 2019, 08:18 AM
Jun 2019

You can hide a lot of wealth under the guise of religion. Just ask the liar Copeland.

Just another scam to keep people ignorant.

2naSalit

(86,048 posts)
4. They show up at the farmers' markets
Tue Jun 25, 2019, 10:07 AM
Jun 2019

and have some of the highest prices at the market and grocery stores who take local produce. They don't advertise organic produce, they rely on their religion to indicate that they are "pure and organic". Many of them don't speak English so that you have to fumble through the transaction. They also look at normal folks like they are heathens in many cases.

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