Faith-Based Homeland Security?

[zakur]

Executive Order

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to help the Federal Government coordinate a national effort to expand opportunities for faith-based and other community organizations and to strengthen their capacity to better meet America's social and community needs, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Establishment of a Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives at the Department of Homeland Security.

(a) The Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) shall establish within the Department of Homeland Security (Department) a Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (Center).

(b) The Center shall be supervised by a Director appointed by Secretary. The Secretary shall consult with the Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (WHOFBCI Director) prior to making such appointment.

(c) The Department shall provide the Center with appropriate staff, administrative support, and other resources to meet its responsibilities under this order.

(d) The Center shall begin operations no later than 45 days from the date of this order.

 

[Nyarlathotep]

Executive Order

I realize that many people pray that there won't be another 9/11, I didn't realize there was an agency officially dedicated to this.

 

[Hutch]

You forgot to post what their objective is:

a) conduct, in coordination with the WHOFBCI Director, a department-wide audit to identify all existing barriers to the participation of faith-based and other community organizations in the delivery of social and community services by the Department, including but not limited to regulations, rules, orders, procurement, and other internal policies and practices, and outreach activities that unlawfully discriminate against, or otherwise discourage or disadvantage the participation of faith-based and other community organizations in Federal programs;

Government speak for "If there are any barriers to allowing Churches part of the Homeland Security pie, get rid of them."

IMHO of course.

as Grammy often says, Hmmmmmm..

 

[shecky]

I wasn't aware there were actually any barriers to allowing churches to get some of that sweet Homeland Security pie.

 

[rserocki]

A friend of mine showed me a link to this last night was initially puzzled. He said it looked in the best light that it boiled down to: In case of another Katrina, don't block out aid from religious organizations because they're religious. On the other hand, he's concerned it also sounds like it could be applied to protect people like George C. Deutsch.

 

[zakur]

Government speak for "If there are any barriers to allowing Churches part of the Homeland Security pie, get rid of them."

But there is this government speak as well:

(b) coordinate a comprehensive departmental effort to incorporate faith-based and other community organizations in Department programs and initiatives to the greatest extent possible;

That's more than just "removing barriers," IMHO.

 

[kalen]

You forgot to post what their objective is:



Government speak for "If there are any barriers to allowing Churches part of the Homeland Security pie, get rid of them."

IMHO of course.

as Grammy often says, Hmmmmmm..

I wonder if this would apply to mosques, as well.

 

[shecky]

I wonder if this would apply to mosques, as well.

Mebbe not?

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]After sifting through every grant announcement I could get my hands on from Bush's faith-based offices, I couldn't find a single grant issued to a religious charity that wasn't Christian -- no Jewish charities, no Muslim charities, nothing. And when I spoke with Jim Towey, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, he confirmed that no direct federal grants from his program had gone to a non-Christian religious group. This kind of religious favoritism is exactly what the Constitution's establishment clause was put in place to prevent. [/FONT]

 

[Luke T.]

Mebbe not?

List of 2003 faith-based grant recipients.

JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN'S SERVICES Tucson AZ $397,000 2003 HHS Older Adult MH Services

JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN'S SAN FRANCISCO $153,998 HHS Ethnic Community Organizations
JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES OF LOS ANGELES $490,292 HHS Older Communities in Transition

Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles Los Angeles $180,498 HUD Continuum of Care- Homelessness grants

JEWISH WOMEN INTERNATIONAL $100,000 2003 HHS Family Violence Prevention

GREATER MIAMI JEWISH FEDERATION $490,292 HHS Supportive Programs for Residents in S. FL

JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER ATLANTA $98,058 2003 HHS Aging in Place Project

Islamic Society of Corona not available $5,950 Justice Life Connections Program

B'nai B'rith Housing, Inc. $7,657,400 2003 HUD Sec.202: housing for low-income elderly

 

[Luke T.]

Also,

Dieu Phap Temple (Orthodox Zen-Buddhist) not available $5,500 Justice Life Connections Program

 

[Luke T.]

And,

Native American Church/Universal Life Church not available $7,100 Justice Life Connections Program

Zion's Little Academy Preschool W. Palm Beach $210,180 HHS HeadStart (Region IV)

 

[Luke T.]

To get a grant, a "faith-based" organization has to apply. Could be that certain segments (Islamic) don't apply for grants.

I wouldn't, not even if I was a Christian organization. I think getting a religious organization dependent on government money is a bad way to go for them. There must be a zillion strings attached.

 

[Zbu]

But if there's a good side, this is definitely a nice way to figure out how much each church is making for tax time. I think a good way to balance the deficit would be to tax Churches. Why not, they're on our dime.

 

[Grammatron]

Yay for more government, it's just like what Bush promised in his campaigns, except opposite.

 

[shecky]

List of 2003 faith-based grant recipients.

Thanks.

Phew! I was beginning to think our non xtian friends were not getting their fair share of pork.

 

[Luke T.]

Thanks.

Phew! I was beginning to think our non xtian friends were not getting their fair share of pork.

Jews and Muslims getting pork?

 

[shecky]

Jews and Muslims getting pork?

 

[Nyarlathotep]

Jews and Muslims getting pork?

I used to know this Pakistani girl I'd like to....



Oh, never mind.

 

[Zep]

Just a sec - how much in total were all those non-Christian grants? Lessee...

I guestimate only about $10 million, of which the vast majority is for one B'nai Brith and a few Jewish organisations? That's a tiny drop in a huge bucket of available funds, isn't it? Token doesn't begin to describe it...