I read it the same way you do:
"Now, make no mistake, as someone who used to teach constitutional law, I believe deeply in the separation of church and state, but I don't believe this partnership will endanger that idea - so long as we follow a few basic principles. First, if you get a federal grant, you can't use that grant money to proselytize to the people you help and you can't discriminate against them - or against the people you hire - on the basis of their religion. Second, federal dollars that go directly to churches, temples, and mosques can only be used on secular programs. And we'll also ensure that taxpayer dollars only go to those programs that actually work."
the objections to Obama even pursuing any type of faith-based programs. However, Armando's beef seems to be around the idea that Obama's program would give federal funding to faith-based organizations that discriminate. It's pretty darn explicit that the program would do no such thing.
I suppose Armando is arguing that discriminatory charities that wish to participate in the program, without receiving federal funds, should not even be allowed to participate.
Every religious institution discriminates on religion. My synagogue wants a rabbi who is, you know, Jewish.
But I have no problem with this policy as long as the funded programs don't discriminate in hiring their staff for the soup kitchen or whatever they operate.
"Every religious institution discriminates on religion."
But I suppose therein lies the objection; why even get involved at all with religious organizations if they discriminate?
I accept the first criticism of Obama's faith-based plan but the second criticism that it gives federal funding to organizations that discriminate on the basis of faith in their hiring and firing decisions is false.
See digby at hullabaloo.com: She makes the excellent point that funds in these faith-based orgs are often combined into a General Fund so that they are difficult to earmark.
My main problem with Obama's plan is that the details of its administration are not that clear.
WHO is going to make sure that FBO's do not discriminate or misuse their grants?
WHO will set and adjudicate penalties, administer grant applications, make sure that Congressman or Senator or Evangelist A's pet congregation or Jewish Center or mega-church have the same access to Federal funding as an FBO with no political or insider favor?
HOW MUCH will Religion be allowed to be a part of the daily workings of an FBO? Will free-meal participants, for example, be required to attend a Mass or accept Jesus as their Saviour? Who will check?
I feel very queasy about this, and am beginning to feel alarmed.
Bingo. Exactly how I feel, and very well put.
I can't believe that more folks don't have a problem with this.
I'd have a problem under some circumstances, but we'll have our folks writing the regulations, the people appointed by Obama. And the programs Obama supports do some great things.
Check out this report of where Obama visited today: http://thepage.time.com/pool-report-of-o bamas-eastside-community-ministry-tour/
"Our people"?
There isn't a regulation written that can't be skirted. There isn't a regulation written by 'our people' that doesn't come back to bite us in the butt. "Our people" designed the butterfly ballot.
This is bad, no matter who controls it, because as I have stated many times, with faith based organizations, you can NEVER, that's N-E-V-E-R separate the 'faith' from the 'help'. Never, it isn't possible, because it's always there as an undercurrent, like sexism, racism, homophobia, it permeates every particle of the programs done by these folks, because that's their 'mission'. You can't do it.
I don't give a tinker's damn what Obama says he is going to do with this program, because what a typical politician says about how he is going to 'fix' something and how the final 'fix' comes out are never the same, sometimes not even in the same ballpark.
It's a bad idea for 'progressives' to climb aboard the bandwagon that has kept them down for so long just to pander for votes.
I think the big problem is that even with legislation against the prostylezing and hiring discrimination based on belief, we will never , ever be able to seperate the 'faith' portion of a faith based organization from any 'help' that they wish to 'give' to the community.
like FISA.
