Bush Executive Order: Billions of Tax Dollars for the Church/State

[Q]

The Faith-Based Fraud
01/24/2005 @ 10:55am


In 2003--according to White House data reported by the Los Angeles Times--Bush doled out $1 billion to hundreds of faith-based groups through a little-noted executive order. More importantly, the Bush Administration used the grants to sway influential African-Americans in key battleground states and reward longtime political supporters at taxpayer expense.

For example, after the Rev. Herb Lusk II delivered the invocation at the 2000 Republican convention, his Philadelphia church received $1 million in federal funds. Bishop Harold Ray, who offered the invocation at a rally for Dick Cheney in Palm Beach, Florida, got $1.7 million for his South Florida ministry. In 2002 Bush personally visited Milwaukee's Bishop Sedgwick Daniels--who voted for Clinton and Gore--and later awarded him a $1.5 million grant. This fall, Daniels's face appeared on Republican Party fliers in Wisconsin, endorsing Bush as a man who "shares our views."

The faith-based initiatives likely played a crucial role in increasing Bush's take of the black vote, especially in targeted swing states. Funnily enough, the campaign held grant-writing workshops in St. Louis in September (when Missouri was still in play) and Miami in October.

Moreover, it's unclear exactly how much money is going where. The recent White House data contains a caveat that it represents all grants. Even the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's cultish Unification Church has received funding. And House Republicans allegedly blocked Democrat Chet Edwards from investigating the money flow. --- http://www.thenation.com/blogs/outrage?bid=13&pid=2145

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...Religious groups participating in federal job-training programs could hire employees based on their religious beliefs under a jobs bill that passed the House on Wednesday (March 2). The vote to extend and rewrite the 1998 Workforce Investment Act came a day after President Bush chided Congress for failing to pass his faith-based initiatives. Under current law, religious organizations that participate in federal job-training programs cannot discriminate in hiring or firing for taxpayer-funded jobs. The House bill would remove that prohibition, meaning that a faith-based group could limit such employment to fellow believers. Supporters of the clause stress that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects the rights of religious organizations to take religion into account in their hiring practices. The bill's prospects in the Senate are uncertain.

...Congressman Walter Jones has reintroduced legislation that would let clergy endorse candidates from the pulpit without jeopardizing their churches' tax-exempt status. It is his fourth attempt to win passage of the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act. At a Capitol Hill news conference with clergy and fellow Republicans from the House and Senate, Jones said, "This will happen in God's time and I believe the time has come." Several ministers said they should not have to worry that the IRS is reviewing their sermons. Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, who heads the Interfaith Alliance, responded that preachers already can say anything they want as long as they are willing to forfeit their tax-exempt status. But supporters of Jones' bill -- HR 235 -- say that effectively muzzles ministers who they say should be able to offer guidance to their flocks without fear of government reprisal. --- http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/3/32005h.asp

[aquart]

1. Say it again: Moonies got funding.

[7th_Sephiroth]

2. as a non religious person in this country

i feel verry un- represented and alienated

[cliss]

7. Don't worry, 7th.

Consider this a minor "blip" on the screen. Bush is not exactly known for being a tightwad.

He REAL priorities are:

1) Armaments
2) Military build-up
3) Pay the weapons contractors
4) Pay the Private contractors, like Titan and CACI (professional torturers).

The US will be broke LONG before he gets to implement the Faith Based Initiaties in any big measure. The churches are at the "end of the line".

Once the Bush Gravy Train dries up, they'll have to close up shop, because they'll be so used to having federal $$money$$ greasing the wheels. :smoke:

[7th_Sephiroth]

8. i hope your right

hah, that would be just delicious, if bush destroyed organized x-tianity

[cliss]

14. This is a very real possibility.

You would think that a nice pipeline of money would be the best thing on earth. What organization wouldn't love it?

Take as an example, a contractor which does business with the government, say, a helicopter manufacturer (this has been an issue lately; they've been crashing).

This manufacturer does not get its bid the normal way; like a private company that actually has to build up a reputation for making a good product.

This is a CRONY BID. The CEO is good friends with Donald RumsFool. The contractor gets the bid, of course. At the beginning, the product is probably pretty good. Over time, however, the product starts slipping because the competitive issue is gone. A manufacturer from Sri Lanka who might have done a better job is X-ed out because Donald RumsFinished only does business WITH FRIENDS.

Over time, this steady stream of money tends to corrupt and destroy the organization because there is less need for quality control.

I believe it's the same thing with churches. They now have a very big contract for Social Services. They will stop focusing on the , the parishioner who puts money in the collection plate every Sunday.

The church will start focusing on Alcoholism counseling, and other issues which are better left to specialized social agencies. I see....disaster. Thanks, Bush.:hangover:

[Q]

9. You make it sound as if it's no big deal...

..that Bush is using an executive order to directly fund religious organizations in return for their support and votes.

This is no more ethical or legal than buying favorable propaganda from the 'free' press.

Bush is establishing a church/state with tax dollars and without oversight from the people's representatives. This is part of his/their plan to privatize ALL government services.

[KoKo]

3. What! Another Bush giveaway? Where does he get the right to do

this and the "Corporate Press" doesn't even blink? :nuke: This has to be the most blatent case for Churches to lose their tax exempt status. It's wrong and it's illegal...but Bush defines the law for us these days. We have no laws but BUSH.

[Malva Zebrina]

4. One billion? It's worse than I thought

for bribes to churches. This is out of control. No one should allow the president this ad hoc spending through executive order to any person, place or thing in arrogant defiance of the congress, who supposedly represents the wishes of the people. It is their money with which he has gone on this bribery kick. These hungry churches will have, supposedly, no accountability to any one. Maybe the pastor will have his missionary work take place on the Riveiera, with a good French wine ordered--for the communion of course.

One billion--will they feed the poor by buying food from Bush's nearest food service corporation? You bet.

[Frances]

5. Is this where your social security tax dollars are going?

Who do you want controlling your social security check--yourself or some fundamentalist minister who makes you listen to his sermon before you get something to eat?

[Q]

6. It was one billion in 2003...

...who knows how much money has been spent on funding Bush's Church/State and buying votes from religious organizations since then?

He's doing this with an EXECUTIVE ORDER.

Many of us predicted what would happen once the wall of separation between church and state was torn down. Now the 'faith-based' organizations will be able to discriminate in hiring. They will be able to hire ONLY 'true believers' that are to be paid with taxpayer dollars. In other words...government sponsored discrimination.

[Malva Zebrina]

10. and it will be very hard to build that wall back up

taking many lawsuits to get back to where it rightfuly belongs.

If, that is, the courts aren's flooded with right wing judges who would be just as corrupt as these ministers.

I hope with all my hope that Democrats do not just go along with this and spit on the constitution in order to woo the churches. Not holding my breath

[Q]

11. And that's exactly what this is: buying votes with tax dollars...

...and at the same time turning over social programs that were once accountable to the people to the church...accountable to no one.

[hootinholler]

13. Not only will they discriminate on jobs...

They will be able to discriminate who they 'help'.

-Hoot

[Malva Zebrina]

12. I have been woefully uninformed about this--it's twice as bad as I thought

snip

"And in February 2004, the President issued an Executive Order earmarking an astonishing $3.7 billion to be doled out to faith-based and other organizations.

snip

George Bush has effectively inoculated faith-based social service providers from complying with federal employment requirements as a backdoor method of implementing a new American social order that permits discrimination on any basis in the workplace.

This situation greatly concerns supporters of the separation of church and state, and to those opposed to discrimination in the workplace. Many liberals believe that the present situation violates both concerns.

That's what's presently wrong with federal funding of faith-based social services groups. Many believe that the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, and its funding of faith-based groups, requires closer scrutiny by taxpayers, legislators and the judicial system. "

http://usliberals.about.com/od/faithinpubliclife/a/Funds_Faith2.htm

and if the pastors do not want the IRS to monitor their sermons, screw them. If they want the money to spend without oversight, they and their sermons, had better be beholden and subject to oversight by the US government just like anyone else.