posted on: Friday, March 10, 2006

At yesterday’s White House conference on Faith-Based Initiatives, “Compassion in Action,” President George W. Bush pushed corporations and foundations to follow the government’s lead in funding faith-based organizations. In 2005, 11% of total social government grants went towards funding faith-based organizations, according to the president. Apparently separation of church and state no longer applies to the use of government tax dollars to fund religious missions.

At the same time that he stated the increase in funding to faith-based organizations, the president should have mentioned the cuts in social program funding for which any increase in grant dollars cannot compensate.

In the continuing effort to reduce the amount of taxes Americans have to pay, President Bush also suggested that senior citizens should be able to avoid paying taxes on retirement money by donating a portion of their retirement income to faith-based organizations.

“Our job in government is to promote programs that get results…. Government can pass laws and hand out money, but it cannot love,” he said to an audience of faith-based organizations that erupted with applause.

With ever-increasing tax breaks and social funding cuts, one has to wonder whether his government can do anything at all anymore.