M
mlchance
Guest
This month marks the fourth anniversary of President Bush’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative. The administration has worked to put into place regulations to ensure that faith-based organizations are able to compete for federal funding on an equal footing with other similar groups. Faith-based groups, both with and without federal aid, have tremendous success in helping addicts, the homeless, and the poor. Unfortunately, not all the smaller state bureaucracies have gotten the message yet, and some have increased the red tape that stands in aid’s way. On the White House website for the Faith-Based Initiative, less than 20 states are represented as having liaisons to help faith-based groups compete for federal funds. Some of those listed are less than helpful. Louisiana’s Gov. Kathleen Blanco, who is listed by the White House as the liaison for faith-based groups, recently issued an order that could prohibit Louisiana’s church community from receiving any government contracts to help the poor. The order prohibits any “contractor” of the state from considering among other things, “religion” or “sexual orientation” when making decisions relating to “hiring” or “recruitment” of employees. This order can be used against many religious groups because of their stance on homosexuality and the sanctity of life while ignoring the tremendous good these groups can do for the community. Governors like Blanco should not use tax dollars as a stick to beat faith-based charities into submission to their liberal agendas.
– Mark L. Chance.
– Mark L. Chance.