Your Tax Dollars At Work
Anti-abortion counseling. Abstinence education. Whether or not you agree with these programs, you’re paying for them.
$157 million in federal grants — that’s our money — has gone to religious/ rightwing “charity” groups. By a strange coincidence, these groups share George W. Bush’s views on “family values” and “bringing God back into the public square.”
One example is an anti-abortion counseling center in Charleston, SC. Ten years ago their budget was $51,000. Now they have a budget of over $3 million. Most of this money is from grants distributed by the Department of Health and Human Services.
In Tennessee, the Life Choices Pregnancy Support Center is also moving up in the world. Their staff believes “without reservation or qualification that the Scriptures teach that human life begins at conception.” A few years ago their revenue totaled about $80,000. By 2004 their annual revenue was over $600,000.
Hundreds of other anti-abortion counseling centers have seen their budgets double or triple because of these grants. In 2002 Bush signed an executive order stating that religious groups receiving federal grants would be exempt from certain civil rights laws.
A White House spokesman says there’s no politics involved in grant-making decisions. Riiight. Psssst — hey, wanna buy a bridge? How about a great deal on some oceanfront property in Kansas.
The Vice President of the Sexuality Information and Education Council said “These are just slush funds for conservative interest groups. These organizations would not be in existence if not for the federal dollars coming through.”
So, when you hear about “charity” organizations pushing the Religious Right agenda, just remember — your tax dollars at work.
posted by Tom Harper @ 9:50 PM
12 Comments:
In Jesusistan, the Government IS the church.
Why not end your blasphemy now, lest ye get put in the publick stockade, sinner?
Jolly Roger: I think government, the church and Big Business are all basically fused into one giant entity. And it's watching. Stockades and scarlet letters will soon be making a comeback.
Tom, it seems to me what you describe here is basically the government finding ways around "you can't use taxpayer money for religion". It's too bad our government is in the religion business nowadays.
I know... because so many churches have become politically active, let's make them pay taxes! Come on now... How can churches really be classified as non-profit? When a church tells its members for whom they should and shouldn't vote, they're certainly politically involved. Some leaders of churches and religious organizations blatantly do this.
This administration would never push for something like that... I doubt any administration ever would try to tax churches, because sadly, I fear we are past that point.
I do tend to believe there are plenty of non-religious voters who are conservative, and I would wager there are millions of Republicans who don't like the way their party has been commandeered by idiots. How will the GOP survive, when the fundamentalists and the fiscal conservatives are so different from one another in their approaches to our country? When will the non-fundamentalist fiscals have the guts to stand up, say "enough is enough" and take back their party?
Snave: I agree, churches that are active in politics should pay taxes. Won't happen, though; not in this country.
I too have always wondered how the Fundamentalists and Big Business types could co-exist in the same party. Hopefully those 2 camps will have a rift and go their separate ways, but I've been thinking that for twenty years.
I think the break could happen in 2008 if McCain doesn't win the nomination. If you take him and Rudy off the list you're left with a pretty scary bunch of Republicans...
J. Marquis: Unfortunately, as diffused and unfocused as the Democrats are right now, a moderate Republican might be the only hope. I'd like to think that if a neocon is running in 2008, (Rice, Jeb, Brownback) they'd get trounced. But if they didn't -- it's too scary to even think about. If someone like Rice or Brownback wins in 2008 -- I'd like to think "It can't happen here" but...
I'd like to count on the Big Business types and the Religious Right splitting off, but somehow they seem to keep being allies. It sucks.
I am not a Christian and do not want even one penny of my tax money going to "faith based charities". I deplore religious proselytising of any kind by any group and certainly do not want to pay for it.
Muslims and Christians are the worst proselytisers. They have no respect for the beliefs of others and are currently in some kind of death struggle for the control of the world.
Big Business and Christian fundamentalists are intertwined because both are addicted to POWER and MONEY!
The Bush admin. has even funneled tax payer dollars to Pat Robertson!!!! GEEZ!
Kitchen Window Woman: Yeah, it's pretty appalling. Big Business and the Religious Right have been working hand in glove since at least the 1930s. They've already got more power and influence than anyone, without being subsidized by taxpayers.
60 minutes covered this, a lot of the money is going towards those organizations that are making teens do the "Virginity Pledge". Any talk of contraception is totally forbidden. Follow up studies have shown that not only are the pledges being broken - but the teens don't consider oral and anal sex a violation of their pledge (kids are as smart as ever Tee Hee).
Let's not forget the Bob Jones University scam where the Reagan-Bush admin wanted to give Bob Jones tax exempt status even though they use the bible to carry out racist policies (our tax dollars at work). The Supreme Court said no - but that isn't the end of the story. The Present Bush spoke at Bob Jones (then said he didn't know what they stood for - Duh. And He has nominated the Justice Lawyer who defended Bob Jones for a Federal Court position - and top this day she says she TOTALLY agrees with Bob Jones policies!
Erik
Erik: Oh yeah, kids will find technicalities. "Oh, you mean that counts?" Clinton tried it, why wouldn't they? And being against birth control AND abortion, I mean how slow can people get? I think a real Christian charity would try to educate these "Christians" and hopefully boost their IQs up into the double digits.
these are some real sickos
L: Yup, and our tax money is supporting these sickos.
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