Polygamist sect gets millions from U.S. government in loan, contracts

[struggle4progress]

Source: McClatchy

Apr 12, 2008
McClatchy Newspapers
McClatchy-Tribune News Service via COMTEX

American taxpayers have unwittingly helped finance a polygamist sect that is now the focus of a massive child abuse investigation in West Texas, with a business tied to the group receiving a nearly $1 million loan from the federal government and $1.2 million in military contracts.

The ability of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or FLDS, to operate and grow is largely dependent on huge contributions from its members and revenue from the businesses they control, according to a former accountant for the church, and government officials in Utah and Arizona, where the sect is primarily based.

One of those businesses, NewEra Manufacturing in Las Vegas, has been awarded more than $1.2 million in federal government contracts, with most of the money coming in recent years from the Defense Department for wheel and brake components for military aircraft.

A large portion of the awards were preferential no-bid or "sole source" contracts because of the company's classification as a small business, according to online databases that track federal government appropriations ...

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1354729/

Read more: http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1354729/

[Ian David]

1. Why do I get the feeling this leads directly to Abramoff? n/t

[fascisthunter]

2. Right Wing Cults Hiding Behind a God and the American Flag

[heliarc]

3. Welcome to the Office of Faith Based Initiatives!

Awesome!

[fasttense]

4. So child rapists and abusers got

no bid contracts from the bushes. How corrupt can you get?

[SpiralHawk]

5. "Oh, republicons can get a LOT more corrupt than that. In fact, we have. Smirk." - Commander AWOL

[B3Nut]

6. Wow...I wondered where they got the cash to build those gleaming

buildings...couple no-bid contracts with the tax-exempt status of churches, and voila! Hell of a racket...

I'm wondering if it's time for the concept of religion getting off tax-free to hit the dustbin...republiCON cronyism certainly is overdue for a trip to File 13...

[peacetalksforall]

7. Are they apolitical or are they Republican? Guess the question

might have to be divided:

Followers - apolitical?
Leaders - Republican?

How many children are in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Some really sorry people get into leadership positions.

[Ian David]

9. There will be no difference between the leadership and the followers.

They will all follow what their leaders tell them in all matters, including voting.

They're not even allowed to laugh or cry, because they believe laughter and tears both come from the devil.

[peacetalksforall]

12. Not allowed to laugh or cry - laughter and tears come from the devil.

Is that coming from this Fundamentalist sect or all divisions of the Church?

Are tears welling the same as crying.

Can you imagine one of your children receiving a prized award and not tearing?

Or the announcement that someone has survived a health crisis?

[lunatica]

13. All things are God's will

Unless they're the Devils will, of course. Humanity is just stuck in the middle of an epic battle between Good and Evil and what humanity does shows who's winning the contest. Crying is for wusses and those who cry (like children) must have it beaten out of them or the Devil wins!



x(

[InkAddict]

14. Favorite lines I heard as a child.

"What are YOU laughing at?"
"I'LL give you something to cry about!"

The "silent treatment" of my youth morphed into "shunning" too.

Fine w/me. They're all:

Fundy crazies of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod.

[Ian David]

16. As far as I know, the laughing/crying thing is just this particular sect/cult.

Romney laughs all the time, for example, when it involves death and destruction.

[Vinca]

8. No bid contracts to a bunch of pedophiles. Great.

Is it time for impeachment yet????

[JeanGrey]

10. And they wonder why people are "bitter"

[lunatica]

11. "Praise the Lord, but pass the ammunition!"

"Praise the Lord, but pass the ammunition!", and that's exactly what Bush does in his 'faith based initiatives'. It's amazing what you can get away with if you call yourself religious and say it's in the name of God Hisself.

[MindPilot]

15. When your religion becomes a business

it should be taxed and regulated.