Open Letter to Vicki Ryder re: Metro Justice Finances and Anti-War Storefront

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Vicki,

I wasn't trying to be rude.

Here's the facts as I see them:

Metro Justice's tax return for 2005 lists the
following (I've attached the tax return for your
benefit):

For its publications (including the newsletters) and
educational events MJ spent $28,301

Speakouts, rallies, buses to and from NYC and DC all
to promote peace, MJ spent $20,084

Metro Justice recieved $385,984 in revenue for 2005
and spent $204,768 in 2005. Metro Justice had an
excess of $181,216 in 2005.

It stands to reason, that Metro Justice had an even
greater excess for 2006, with the seemingly confirmed
rumors of the large bequest of an unspecified amount.

Since Metro Justice already pays for a lot of other
peace & education activities and clearly has "money
to burn" why wouldn't Metro Justice pay for the
Anti-War Storefront that's a part of MJ?

Especially since Metro Justice is slamming COMIDA for
giving a $348,000 tax exemption that's loosely tied to
job/economic development.

How can MJ slam COMIDA, when it's doing the same
thing?

MJ is sucking up what little funding is available in
the community. When MJ solicits and attracts
donations, it deprives everyone else of that money.
For MJ to fundraise and then "sit" on hundreds of
thousands of dollars which is supposed to spent on its
mission, which is what their tax returns seem to show,
it hurts the entire community. Just like when the
COMIDA tax breaks deprive the school districts of
funding. Apparently even less strings are attached to
MJ's recieved funding than the funding the Brighton
Lodging recieved.

That's what I don't understand. Please explain.

Yours truly,

Andrew S.

Economy