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http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/_news/2007/10/28/
1055978-us-senators-re-shriners-non-profit-transparency

U.S. Senators, Re: Shriners & Non Profit Transparency

Sun Oct 28, 2007

news, shriners, senate-finance-committee, grassley, baucus, cantwell, non-profit-groups

Sandy Frost

Photo Credit: Senators Baucus, Grassley, consecutive Chairmen, Senate Finance Committee

From: Maria_Cantwell@cantwell.senate.gov

To: cassandrafrost@yahoo.com

Subject: From the Office of Senator Cantwell

Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 11:25:04 -0400

Dear Ms. Frost ,

Thank you for contacting me regarding your research on the Shriners. I appreciate hearing from you on this issue, and regret the delayed response.

Tax-exempt organizations provide valuable services to society, and they are expected to meet strict standards in order to maintain their exempt status. It is important that the Congress, especially the Senate Finance Committee, of which I am a member, continues to be vigilant with respect to its oversight of these groups, in order to ensure that they are operating in a manner that justifies their tax exemption.

I will review the information you have provided and keep it in mind as the Finance Committee continues its work on these issues.

Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter.

Sincerely,

Maria Cantwell

United States Senator

State of Washington

For future correspondence with my office, please visit my website.

A Tuesday, May 29, 2007 press release supporting the IRS's effort to increase non profit transparency from Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus, D, Montana and previous chairman, Charles Grassley, R, Iowa states:

"Seeking greater transparency into the workings of tax-exempt organizations including charities, Sens. Chuck Grassley and Max Baucus are urging the Treasury Secretary to update the IRS tax form used by the nonprofit sector.

The senators made their request in a letter sent today. They urged the Treasury Department to make gathering more and better information a top priority and to pay particular attention to the operational complexities of nonprofit hospitals...

'While we always hear that sunshine is the best disinfectant, sunshine can't do its work unless we open the blinds," Grassley and Baucus wrote. 'The sooner we open those blinds