Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Churches to get Money from FEMA

The insane, stupid FEMA story continues. From the Post via MSNBC:

After weeks of prodding by Republican lawmakers and the American Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said yesterday that it will use taxpayer money to reimburse churches and other religious organizations that have opened their doors to provide shelter, food and supplies to survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

FEMA officials said it would mark the first time that the government has made large-scale payments to religious groups for helping to cope with a domestic natural disaster.


For good reason; I can't believe I even need to state the obvious Church and State issues, but not only that, isn't volunteer labor supposed to be just that? What are all the church disaster relief funds for if not for...well, disaster relief? Every church I've ever attended collected money for just such projects (even the Mormons), and I can't imagine the churches wanting the money back. Seems kind of, well....UnChristian?

I think this quote really sums up my feeling on the matter:

"What really frosts me about all this is, here is an administration that didn't do its job and now is trying to dig itself out by making right-wing groups happy," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Don't forget, Reverend Lynn, they're also trying to use their poor response as an excuse to further Federalize the handling of disaster relief. That's the typical response from the Bush Administration: poor performance is only met with accolades and promotions.

Posted by crimnos @ 8:31 AM

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Pure denial. Exactly.

Posted by Blogger Handsome B. Wonderful @ 2:23 PM #
 
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