The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) is fighting for legal status in Italy. The Mormon Church, which spearheaded the effort to repeal same-sex marriage in California, is now pleading with Italian officials for legal status. If granted, the church will receive partial taxpayer funding in Italy.

The church needs to gain the Italian Parliament’s approval and wants U.S. officials to support its application, according to the National Law Journal.

An official for the Church remarked, “Outside of the United States, being part of a minority religion can be very difficult in your daily life.” There are 23,000 Mormons in Italy, out of 13.5 million worldwide.

LDS played a huge role in achieving passage of “Yes on 8,” although recently it announced it would support proposed Salt Lake City, Utah, laws that would prohibit discrimination against gays and lesbians in housing and employment.

Councilmember Todd Gloria held a forum at the San Diego LGBT Community Center this week to explain the city’s budget crisis.

At the heart of the problem the city faces is its pension, health care

and infrastructure debt. Forty percent of the city’s budget comes from the state, which returns to the city a fraction of the monies San Diegans pay in property taxes.

We need to work towards reforming property taxes in California. The California Constitution (Proposition 13) creates a huge disparity now in property taxes paid by private and commercial property owners.

In 1978, when Proposition 13 passed, it provided some needed reform in

property tax assessments. Today, it’s an unfairness. Someone today who purchases a $1 million home pays $10,000 a year in property taxes; the neighbor who bought

the $1 million house next door in ‘78 pays about a $1,000 a year. That

homeowner can pass that tax rate onto a spouse, domestic partner, or child, which makes the tax system unfair to those who are not related by blood or marriage to a selling homeowner.