WP: Two Fronts in the War on Poverty

[Pirate Smile]

Two Fronts in the War on Poverty
Bush Seeks More Aid for Church Groups; Others Face Uncertainty

By Michael A. Fletcher
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 17, 2005; Page A01

BALTIMORE -- Jacquelyn D. Cornish keeps several postcards on her desk at the Druid Heights Community Development Corp., which has marshaled millions in government money in a decades-long effort to renovate houses and rebuild a proud community ravaged by drug addiction, crime and poverty. The cards are from agents looking to buy homes, a small but promising sign that the organization's work is making a difference in this tough corner of west Baltimore.

Just a mile away at Sacred Zion Full Gospel Baptist Church, federal money is spent on, as President Bush might say, changing hearts. Here, the drug-addicted and the HIV-infected come in for quiet counseling sessions in a corner of the fluorescent-lighted sanctuary, or to let counselors know they have established some shred of normalcy in their chaotic lives by reconnecting with family, finding an apartment or joining a church.

Both Sacred Zion and the Druid Heights corporation are engaged in the type of "social entrepreneurship" encouraged by Bush, who says both faith-based and secular groups play a vital role in the difficult task of bringing relief to the distressed and impoverished. But the president's budget proposals say something else when it comes to the nation's fight against poverty.

Bush has pushed for increased funding for faith-based groups while proposing deep cuts for many traditional anti-poverty programs. The result is that many small church- and community-based social service programs are slowly assuming the lead role in the war on poverty once held by long-established community development organizations. Administration officials say that faith-based groups are often less expensive and more effective in helping the needy, a contention that traditional service providers challenge.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/16/AR2005051601374.html

[cap]

1. waste of government money...

so we take people who know what they are doing and kill their organizations and give it to a bunch of inexperienced church people...

[makhno]

2. War on the Poor, more like it

Faith-based, as in "have faith, suckers, the bossman knows what's best for you."

[jaxx]

3. In order to get help people will have to go to church and get

preached at before they get the money. Or I've read where some denominations will only help their own.....on our dime. The fundi's will clean up on this stuff. Sinners get in line and be saved. And you do know that being poor is a sin to the right.......it's that bootstrap theory.

[chlamor]

4. Poverty is always seen as the problem

The problem is Wealth. We should all be able to lead wonderfully "impoverished" lives using scant resources. That means NO RENT-NO WAGE SLAVERY.

Poverty is the necessary offspring of wealth. We must address the root causes of the dis-ease.

[Sugarbleus]

5. Every time I read a news article, it's more hideous Bushit than the last

I PROFOUNDLY hope this doesn't work for that Bastard Bushit!! I mean C'MON!!! :grr:

Religion is fine in private, but putting churches in charge of HUGE HUGE social programs is totally LUDICROUS.

I can't find enough words anymore to describe my utter disbelief with this admin's policies!!

These trolls are out of their freaking minds!!

[Roland99]

6. I've been saying it for a while. Faith-Based Initiatives replace Welfare.

Faith-Based Initiatives boil down to the same thing: welfare. Only in the case of the F-BIs, the churches end up with more money for "administrative" purposes before the money gets to those in need. And, those in need sometimes get a pat on the head and a "God loves you. Go forth and be fruitful."

Disgusting.

[earth mom]

7. What war on poverty?

What a joke! They give money to these churches with absolutely NO accountability! Who's to say that the money isn't spent on cars or vacations for the church staff?! Or the money is spent on "missions" in other countries so that they can convert more people?! What a TOTAL CROCK! :grr:

Don't doubt for a minute we won't be seeing more and more and more homeless people-families mind you-on the streets because of this crapola. Just so the fundies can say we are helping people but some of them need to be "personally responsible" and help themselves first! :puke:

[progressivebydesign]

8. Poverty is not a family value.

I woke up this morning thinking of the families that are sinking further and further into debt and poverty. Is THAT a republican value? Is forcing both parents to work just to keep from living on the street, while the kid fend for themselves, the idea of republican family values? Is lack of health care for children also republican family values? Is living in a motel with your children because your job went to India considered family values? Is closing schools and community health centers also republican family values? Ask most republicans, and they'd say 'of course not'. But.. they continually put people in power that are ANTI-family!!!

[ckramer]

9. Republican value is the fvckup value

Fvck republicans!

Their goal is to make people slaves.

[PunkPop]

10. Could it have anything to do with the fact that community-based

programs stress education as a way out of poverty? Bush and his fundie buddies don't want a more educated populace. They might learn to think for themselves. Get them into churches where they're taught to have "faith". That way they're easier to manipulate.

[prolesunited]

11. Where is the proof of this statement?

"Administration officials say that faith-based groups are often less expensive and more effective in helping the needy, a contention that traditional service providers challenge."

They keep repeating it, but where are the studies backing it up? What proof do they have? Where will the oversight and accountability be? I guess that won't be necessary because a Christian would never commit fraud or abuse. :sarcasm:

[MountainLaurel]

12. It's bullshit

My SO is currently doing research on faith-based funds in the refugee arena. What he's finding is that the groups being given funds have no staff with actual experience in fundraising, project management and oversight, counseling, whatever. Funding was taken away in the federal budget from comprehensive projects run by actual professionals and instead is being given to tiny church groups for work like a $15K graduation party for Laotian refugees. And that was one of the best proposals.