Florida receives $67 million in faith-based money

[Judi Lynn]

Florida receives $67 million in faith-based money

By RON WORD
Associated Press
Posted January 3 2005, 10:19 AM EST

JACKSONVILLE -- An innovative program that helps refugees with their finances is among 90 Florida programs that shared $67 million under President Bush's faith-based and community initiatives, an analysis by The Associated Press concluded.
(snip)

Karen Rieley said the Jacksonville group, formed about 25 years ago, is designed to help people and not proselytize. ``We provide services as Christians, not for the purposes of conversion,'' she said.

About 86 percent of its grant money went to match refugees' earnings and savings. The program enrolled 1,921 clients and opened 986 bank accounts. The individual development accounts are an anti-poverty program designed to build assets for low-income refugees with a goal of promoting economic independence.

Under the program, the refugees entered a savings plan agreement. They set a savings goal, opened an account and used the money, along with matching funds, to purchase a car, home, computer or pursue educational goals.

Account savings were used to purchase 564 automobiles, 99 computers, 83 homes, 93 home renovations and start 25 businesses.
(snip/...)

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-13flafaithbased,0,5926261.story?coll=sfla-news-florida

[oneighty]

1. Buys a lot of votes too

The reason for being.

No slime too slippery for this bunch.

180

[Sub Atomic]

2. So why is this not welfare?

The government is handing out money to those who cannot help themselves.

Isn't that the story of the Welfare Queen that Old Shit-In-His-Pants Ronnie used to rail on about?

Or is it because these are dollars for Jeebus that all of a sudden it's OK?

[mulethree]

3. Umm ALL our money is faith based

Used to be based on Gold and silver now its based on the
faith and credit of the USA.

[louis-t]

4. ``We provide services as Christians, not for the purposes of conversion,''

Well, now we know for SURE that it is for the purposes of conversion.

[flordehinojos]

5. YOU CAN BET ADMINISTRATORS FOR LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES IN JACKSONVILLE

AND OTHER FAITH BASED SERVICES ARE living well at YOUR EXPENSE AND MINE: our tax dollars!!!!

[oasis]

6. I wonder how much of the 67 million went to wackos with ties to Falwell.

:think:

[Maat]

7. 1) Like what was said above, the funds go to the clients ...

minus 'administration expenses,' which I'm sure include adequate compensation to the religious extremists at the helm in terms of 'salaries' and 'bonuses.'

2) I had experiences when I was a social worker with these types of 'plans,' and the client would inevitably come crying to me that she had a huge and reasonable need to spend her funds, and the org. would refuse or delay (long enough to make interest on the money).

Disgusting. Society won't listen to me, I'm sure. The programs that work are government programs because: A) they do not permit discrimination on the basis of many things, including religion or lack thereof, and B) county administrators do not get 'bonuses.' If they do get any incentives, they are relatively small compared to, say, the average CEO of a big corp. - who gets 500 times what his average worker gets in terms of compensation.