Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2007

[susan314]

(My apologies if this has been recently duplicated - I tried doing a search, but all of the threads I saw relating to this topic were from early 2006. There is current activity relating to this act, so I thought a current thread would be helpful.)

There is another letter writing campaign for this important act, and there is a very easy to use website link that will help generate your letter for you! http://www.bipac.net/alert.asp?g=fc

A phone march is scheduled for March 21st, and Greek representatives will be visiting Capitol Hill on April 17th.

Here is the text of the memo that I received from my IHQ:

The Fraternity is seeking your assistance in participating in two efforts which will support the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act (CHIA), legislation seeking support in the United States Congress.
• A national grassroots congressional letter writing campaign
• A congressional “Phone March” on Wednesday, March 21
Passage of this legislation will increase the ability of college fraternities and sororities to improve their student housing by redefining existing tax law to allow tax-deductible charitable contributions made to national or local 501(c)(3) organizations (such as the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation) to be used at the chapter level for a broad range of purposes, including making safety and infrastructure improvements to our chapter houses. Information about the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act may be found at the Fraternal Caucus website, www.fraternalcaucus.com.
Participating in either of these efforts is simple. To send a letter to your United States Senator or Representative, simply go to http://www.bipac.net/alert.asp?g=fc and follow the prompts.
To participate in the March 21 Phone March, go to the Alpha Gamma Delta website and click on the Greek Legislative Action link on the home page.
Thanks for your support of these efforts. Passage of CHIA would make a real difference in the future of Greek housing and Alpha Gamma Delta. It would open up a range of new possibilities for us to improve the experience we provide to our members. Your participation in the letter-writing campaign and / or the Phone March will increase the broad showing of support for it. There is some urgency to this request, as the Phone March is next Wednesday, March 21, and we want a large number of letters to be received in advance of the Greek visits to Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. on April 17. Alpha Gamma Delta will be represented during these visits by four members, two alumnae and two collegians. Your letters will make these visits to Capitol Hill more effective. We ask you to submit your letters by March 31.

[Tom Earp]

Actually, this can never be posted enough to attempt to get something passed for not only the benefit if us as Greeks, but to give releif to the colleges for housing, the increase in student fees, the States for tax purpose and the citizens of said States.

I know that Alpha Gamma Delta has been one in the fore front of this movement!

KUDOS to them!

[Kevin]

We try it every year, and every year it fails.

[BadCat25]

It will continue to fail because Congress is not going to give tax breaks so rich kids can live in fancy fraternity & sorority houses when there are 40 million people without health insurance.

[susan314]

Originally Posted by BadCat25

It will continue to fail because Congress is not going to give tax breaks so rich kids can live in fancy fraternity & sorority houses when there are 40 million people are without health insurance.

Unless the federal government decides to get in the business of providing health insurance (other than Medicare), the two issues are not closely related.

(And I don't know about your campus, but most of the sorority members at the campus where I advise are struggling to work their way through college with part time jobs and student loans, just like any other college student. It was the same way in my chapter when I was an undergraduate student.)

[BadCat25]

Not only will congress never pass this bill but it is a bad bill. When you start accepting tax breaks you open the door to political interference in what you do and how you operate. Do you really want Congress to start writing rules for GLOs? In the case of charities that can receive tax deductible contributions the rules on how you can operate are rather extensive. They can not just do anything they want and it is almost certain that Congress would do the same with GLOs.

[susan314]

Originally Posted by BadCat25

Not only will congress never pass this bill but it is a bad bill. When you start accepting tax breaks you open the door to political interference in what you do and how you operate. Do you really want Congress to start writing rules for GLOs? In the case of charities that can receive tax deductible contributions the rules on how you can operate are rather extensive. They can not just do anything they want and it is almost certain that Congress would do the same with GLOs.

I think you might not be clear on what exactly the bill is asking.

Most (if not all) GLOs already receive tax deductible contributions. What is being asked in this circumstance is to allow tax free funds to be allowed for infrastructure improvements (such as sprinkler systems, etc.) - universities are able to do so, and the argument is that fraternity and sorority houses provide a large chunk of student housing in a similar manner to university dorms. (My assumption is that this would be done through the house corps - the GLO would have a non-profit house corp in the same manner that they already have non-profit foundations, while the operating funds would not change status. Again, that is my assumption.)

You might still not agree with that, and you're certainly entitled to your opinion. But I just wanted to point out that certainly the GLOs know what they are asking for by requesting to accept tax free contributions, since most (if not all) have a non-profit arm already.

[LPIDelta]

Originally Posted by BadCat25

It will continue to fail because Congress is not going to give tax breaks so rich kids can live in fancy fraternity & sorority houses when there are 40 million people without health insurance.

Have you actually read the bill or any of the information about it?

It it asking the donations for GLO housing be treated the same as donations to universities for the same purpose so that we can afford to upgrade the houses with fire and other safety equipment, as well as technology upgrades. The "price" of the bill is very reasonable--especially given that GLOs provide a large amount of housing, actually saving money for colleges and universities because they do not have to build more facilities. Since keeping education affordable is also a priority of Congress, it makes sense that the bill receive support.

[Tom Earp]

The situations are different and I do not really understand why health care was even brought up.

The money donated to colleges are not used to build dorms. Check that out and see.

Living at the division of two states, Kansas and Missouri, I see the time and effort buy State Colleges to get money from the State Governments to just help in infrastructure repairing. This is not being done to this day, just a band aid effect at the very best. There is not enough money coming from the tax paying citizan to pay for many improvements at the college level but for infrastructure of the States. None of these funds are going for new Dorms.

So, if the population of students is growing, there is no place for them to live as dictated by colleges.

So, where does that bring the bills in question? It allows Greeks to build, repair and increase the infrastructure of a College invironment at our expensive not the tax payer.

This is not an old thing, as the last house that was covered by this was the LXA New house at the time at the Un. Ks.

The IRS then stepped in and changed what they called a loop hole.

So, this is nothing totally new, it is just trying to reverse what had been changed.

If you do not think this will help, then do not try to do any thing.

If you think it will, then get on it!

[amanda6035]

*bump*

I just got this email:


Dear Sister,

Alpha Xi Delta needs your help!

For the past few years, Alpha Xi Delta has worked with the Capital Fraternal Caucus and other Greek organizations to urge the United States Congress to pass the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act (CHIA). Congress returned to work this week and there is a strong feeling that now is our best chance to obtain passage of this important legislation to the entire Greek community.

CHIA would allow Greek and other non-profit foundations to make housing and infrastructure grants to non-profit housing entities, such as housing corporations. Additionally, CHIA would allow donations to these foundations for housing/infrastructure purposes to be tax-deductible.

What can you do to help seek passage of CHIA?

The Capital Fraternal Caucus has organized a Greek Phone March for September 19, 2007. Alpha Xi Delta urges its members to contact their representatives to ask them to co-sponsor the CHIA or help move CHIA through Congress this fall.

To learn more about CHIA and how you can participate in the Greek Phone March, click here: http://www.fraternalcaucus.org/getinvolved/phonemarch

Is your U.S. Representative or U.S. Senator a sponsor already? Click here to find out: http://www.fraternalcaucus.org/legis.../chia-sponsors

Thank you in advance for your support!

[33girl]

Originally Posted by amanda6035

Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act (CHIA).

ch ch ch Chia, ch ch ch Chia Pet....

sorry all, it's been a loooooooooooong day.

[KDAngel]

The phone march is today! Be sure to call and fill out the form located here: https://database.dabbledb.com/page/p...1-af2142d7d12d