The scouts will scrap sending needy kids to camp to pay the bills…
They’ve been meeting at the same building since 1929 but the Philadelphia Boy Scouts will soon be evicted from the government complex because of their national anti-gay policy.
The private group has previously only paid $1 a year to use the property, but City Council has recently voted to increase their rent by $199,999 citing the National organization’s anti-gay policy.- CBS3.
FOX News has more on the eviction:
The Philadelphia Boy Scouts could find themselves booted from their historic dowtown headquarters Monday unless a dispute with City Hall over the group’s anti-gay policies is resolved.
The Cradle of Liberty Council—Philadelphia’s Boy Scout chapter—has been housed in an historic building in downtown Philly for almost 80 years, paying almost nothing for the prime piece of proprety under the terms of a 100-year sweetheart lease it inked with the city in 1928. But that lease is set to expire, and city officials say the taxpayer’s shouldn’t be footing the Scouts rent bill because of it’s national policy banning openly gay members and leaders. The Scouts must either pony up the fair market rent for the space—about $200,000 a year—or find a new home.
“If they want to accept the national policies of the Boy Scout organization they have to be able to pay for it,” said Philadelphia City Councilman Jack Kelly.
According to a letter the Boy Scouts received from City Solicitor Rome Diaz, the Boy Scouts have until Dec. 3 to sign a new lease and start paying for the use of the property, or the city will find a new tennant and the scouts will be evicted.
The scouting group said they will have to scrap sending needy kids to summer camp.