Libertarian Party of NY -- Press Release -- Congressman Inspired By Libertarians Aiding Bullied Church

Congressman Inspired By Libertarians Aiding Bullied Church.

Learning of the threat to a church's property rights, Richard Cooper and the Libertarian Party of Nassau County rushed to the aid of the Rev. Fred Jenkins and his St. Luke's Pentecostal Church. The Town of North Hempstead's Community Development Agency (CDA) is trying to seize their church under the eminent domain law in the name of "community revitalization." The Federal funds are Community Development Block Grants.

Richard Cooper, Libertarian Nassau County Chair, was outraged to learn of the church's plight from a story in The Westbury Times by Jessica DeStefano reporting that a Town Zoning Board official said that "We have enough churches here in New Cassel. I would like to see done with the property what it was earmarked for...business." Rallying the Libertarians to aid St. Luke's, Cooper noted that the Libertarians reject eminent domain and "urban renewal" programs as violations of rights and destructive of communities.

Rev. Jenkins bought a vacant church with the intent of renovating it for his St. Luke's Pentecostal Church which had gone 21 years without a building of their own. But the Town of North Hempstead Zoning Board blocked his permits. The CDA offered him $80,000, $50,000 less than he paid for it. Although his church enjoys tax-exempt status with the IRS, the Town decided the property was not tax-exempt because the building did not open its doors. They claimed to have informed him, which he denies. And he has gotten $22,000 in property tax bills. To Richard Cooper, a Westbury businessman, these actions smell of trickery to deprive the poor congregation of its property on the cheap. "Town bureaucrats have replaced Martin Luther King's dream with a scheme."

The Libertarians are circulating a petition calling on the Town of North Hempstead to abandon its attempt to seize the property, to restore its tax exemption and to stop bureaucratic harassment. A rally organized by St. Luke's and the Libertarian Party drew about 120 people on March 25th. The Libertarians urge concerned people to protest to Supervisor May W. Newburger, Town of North Hempstead, 222 Plandome Road, Manhasset, NY 11030 phone 516-627-0590, www.northhempstead.com, and the Town Council. Donations to help the church's building fund and legal defense can be sent to St. Luke's Pentecostal Church, 493 Maple Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590. The Libertarians urge concerned Americans to contact their Congressional delegation to support Ron Paul's bill (H.R. 4084), which will be introduced as an amendment to pending legislation (H.R. 1776, The American Home Ownership and Economic Opportunity Act of 2000).

Speaking at the rally, Richard Cooper declared that "Moses said to Pharaoh: Let my people go. The Libertarian Party says to our modern Pharaoh: Let these people stay." Cooper terms the Town's efforts legalized theft. Fellow Libertarian John Clifton, a social work administrator and drug counselor in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, urged church folk and their friends to stand firm. "Behind each of us are two angels--Grace and Freedom." Mr. Clifton is seeking the Libertarian nomination for US Senate at their convention April 29th in Yonkers.

The Libertarian Party stands for individual liberty, free markets and personal responsibility in order to promote a society that enjoys justice, abundance and peace. To contact the LPNY call 516/746-5769 or write Libertarian Party of New York, PO Box 728, Bellport, NY 11713. Their website is http://ny.lp.org/. Media Contact: lpnymedia@hotmail.com

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